He sniffs the monkey bars with two big nostrils
Molecules travel to their new home
James’ nose is cozy and safe
Until allergy season rolls around
 
Left hand grasps, right hand grasps
One monkey bar conquered
Left hand stretches out to reach another
Miss, whiff, tumble and fall
Poor James, now lies on the ground
 
Face in dirt, he breathes it in
Like momma’s apple pie crumble
Raindrops fall on his bare back
I should have worn a shirt today
 
A flood, a deluge, takes James away
He floats above the playground
He may be wet, but now is king
James, the king of the playground
 
The water spits him upward
James lands on the roof
The storm melts away
Seeping into the surface
 
I'm not coy, I'm a boy
He repeats anxiously to the sun
He’s not coy, he’s a boy
He’s king of the playground
He's having fun

April Showers
feel no different than March
they just feel tardy,
more foolish
 
They hit you hard
until you fall down
water rising
It’s now an April bath
 
No rubber ducks to float by toes
one wonders how to float alone
 
listen to the toes
hear what they say
now, we’re not alone
 
My toes and I see different worlds
Toe is friends with ants, I am friends with Todd
Toe embraces being plunged under water
I, my friend, do not
 
Toe is free, open to explore
under its nail is a soft soul
I am closed, scared to see
what the world is like below
 

Toe can break
and be repaired
back to exploring once again
 
I can break
frozen in bed
fearing my repair
 
too scared to move
the stillness aches
I’ll never search my world again
 


​
April showers
let me see
how brave the toe can be
 
And once May comes
I can only hope
that like the toe
I’m free

Somebody, let me cry
Before my body bursts
Before I lose the chance
 
Somebody, let me cry
To give me some release
To allow me to dance
 
Somebody, get to know me
Before I start to doubt
Before I grow too old
 
Somebody, get to know me
To give me reason to speak
To give me someone to hold
 
Somebody, read my lips
Before they even move
Before my soul turns gray
 
Somebody, read my lips
To bring me to peace
To let me see today
 
Somebody, tell your story
Before I wander off
Before I tell my own
 
Somebody, tell your story
To help me understand
To help us both feel known
 
Somebody, explain it all
Before the crisis comes
Before my mind shuts down
 
Somebody, explain it all
To give me any comfort
To erase my permanent frown
 
Somebody, take my hand
Before I take the pills
Before I take my life
 
Somebody, take my hand
To squeeze away the doubts
To touch my sweat and end this strife
 
Somebody, please, look me in the eyes
Before I fade away
Before I’m no longer here
 
Somebody, please, look me in the eyes
I need you
To free a lonesome tear
 
Somebody, let me cry
Before the time has past
Before it gets too hard
 
Somebody, let me cry
To love and accept this life
Even when it’s hard

​I saw your brother die
I heard your mother scream
I stood and stayed still
I was eating cookie dough ice cream