the first time you heard someone sigh
the first time you had a good cry
the first time you understood people die
the first time you wondered why
t the first time you ever had fun
the first time you took off on a run
the first time you felt the warmth of the sun
the first time you knew God was One
I saw you for the first time today as a lady.
You were sitting in the sand in the late day sun,
Your face framed by the broad-brimmed hat.
You smiled so beautifully under that,
That even your father could see the lady inside.
I saw you for the first time on your birth day.
And I thought I’d never seen a song til then.
But angels whispered and parents prayed
So fervently that angst was stayed.
And the Father blessed the lady inside.
I saw you for the first time as a woman.
It had somehow not occurred to me til then.
That you could have a life apart from me
Or anything other than this family.
But even fathers, someday, must see the lady inside.
Grandma could not wait to get her mitts
on her new grandson named Karmen Kay Kits
a first-time grandma at ninety-one
she thought this might be gobs of fun
Her son, Karmen’s first-time father was seventy-two
He hovered over her and the baby, making her feel blue
Suggesting how she should hold the baby’s neck and head
She told him and his wife to go on to bed
They were grumpy and mean, never having put the baby down
She figured they were the most sleep deprived two in town
Suggesting the baby could cry in his own bed did no good
They thought they knew everything, as only new parents could
Grandma could not wait to go home on the plane
Doubt she’ll be eager to get back there again
When and what
and how I write
gestating
from inside
No template
and no syllabus
or digest
to prescribe
My mind
protects a virgin
whose children
yet unsired
Each word I breathe
instills the seed
to birth
— my heart’s desire
(Dreamsleep: December, 2025)
Ever since I met you
My life has been a thriller
Filled with love
Mystery and desire
And thrills and spills
Every day
Filled with surprises
Filled with love
Filled with you
Your love
Always
Gives me such a thriller
You are indeed
The thriller of my heart
Forever until the day
I die.
I felt it—
a father’s love,
for the first time.
Tell me,
did you notice?
The weight I’ve been dragging,
the restless nights,
anxiety carved into my bones.
Is this how forgiveness works—
arriving too late,
yet still taking root?
Your love touched me like water,
cool on cracked lips.
I drank it in,
grateful—
but hungry for more.
And maybe it’s selfish,
but I can’t stop wanting it.
Because I deserved
more than scraps,
more than silence.
I wanted to be seen
inside and out—
not just the daughter who endured,
but the one who still longs
to be held,
fully,
without condition.
the first time i felt it
was not a word but a hush
between leaves and the bluest sky—
a breath of you
inside the trembling air
(oh how small i was
with the world rushing by
and softer than reason)
your hand—
or was it light itself—
touched my chest
and opened a door
where no walls had ever been
the first time i felt it
i learned silence could sing
and forever could fit
in a single heartbeat.
And there you were in front of me
Standing in full view
A floral dress and comfy shoes
That first time I saw you
And then that night you came to me
From no where so it seemed
I don't know why, but it was nice
That first time that I dreamed
And then one day I found us there
Together on the stage
I got to stand across from you
That first time that we played
Those "chance meetings", occurrences
Born not through stress or strife
Without one's knowledge or consent
Those first times change one's life
listen look and learn
ignorance can be believed
it only takes once
The first time you kissed me, it was such a shock,
I literally saw time stop on the old kitchen clock.
But before you accuse me of over-the-top flattery,
let me assure you, it turned out to be just a dead battery.
And once replaced, time started again with the same old tick-tock.
She kissed me
She kissed me
And I tripped over a vine in winter
The blizzard
That came stayed warm
And she became my norm
Days turned to bliss
And nights held kiss after kiss
Wish after wish came
And I saw her forever with the same last name
And in the beginning I tripped over a vine in winter
I am adopted and a single child
having a stammer since pre-school
I also loved soccer to play and watch
at 12, I got to go to my first game, real cool!
This was fab to go on my own
for the very first time just me
a real sense of freedom I stood there
on the terrace standing tall as a tree
That was the first of many games
throughout lots of years
many victories among many defeats
the atmosphere and thrill tingle my ears
Looking back now to a special memory
that first day lies special in my heart
feeling that sense of security but free
this was to mould me in no small part
That day prepared me for future life
whatever struggles of life would face
the grounding I made then framed me
to lift myself over every hilltop without a trace
If you don't want it to be taught how America brutalized the American Indian,
and you don't want it to be taught how America brutalized the enslaved black,
don't talk to me about your Christian moral compass,
because a Christian moral compass is something that you lack.
As I stand at heaven's gates, so high,
With trembling heart and a wistful sigh,
I gaze through clouds of a golden hue,
In this sacred space where dreams come true.
Dear Lord, I ponder my earthly plight,
The shadows cast in the hush of night.
Will you weigh my burdens, each sin I've sown,
Or glimpse the flicker of goodness I've known?
I picture you there, with a gentle smile,
Radiant grace that could stretch for a mile.
What tales would you tell of my wandering soul,
Of moments of kindness that made me whole.
The laughter I shared, the tears I concealed,
The times I thought love could not be revealed,
In whispers of mercy, I seek your embrace,
To find my redemption in your holy place.
As the gates slowly part and light floods my sight,
I yearn for the warmth of eternal delight,
For the chance to be seen without fear or dread,
And to walk hand in hand with the souls who have fled.
So here at the threshold, I breathe, and I pray,
That the good in my spirit will light up the way.
In this moment of pure hope, as my heart starts to climb,
I envision the magic of seeing you for the first time.
I remember the first time I saw her
Yes I really do
I could not take my eyes off you
My mind completely blurred
Her hair was so silky
Her face, shiny and bright
I don't believe I can honesty say
I've seen a more beautiful sight
I don't really know you
Hope someday I do
I'll remember you always
my whole life through
Her eyes seem to sparkle
Her skin seemed to glow
you are that special someone
I'd really like to know
Her eyes seem to sparkle
Her skin seemed to glow
your memory will be with me
wherever I my go
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