The things she carries

She carries her sorrows upon her back
They cut her like tattoos
And every sad person she's ever met
And every drop of booze

Weighs down upon her shoulder blades
And grates upon her spine
So she assumes there's something more
When you say you feel fine

"I knew a person like you once
Her smile was a façade"
And so she doubts your happiness,
Your honesty, your God

At best she is a critic,
Her perceptions often great
But oh, at worst, how she condemns
How deeply can she hate

So when we make her smile
She's still got plenty to unpack
But when we let her down,
She holds the memory on her back

Alpine

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
And oh, the secrets that they keep
Between tall firs and hidden streams
Lie long-lost hopes and broken dreams

To think-backpacking on the shore!
Dolphins and seashells! But be warned
Of hurried tides and angry waves
And dark and dangerous sea caves

Madrona trees are well aware
The tall, tall cedars? They don't dare
To reach for the alpine terrain
For they know there's more loss than gain

But naïve us, we trek on through
For blossoms red and skies of blue
What great surprise, and what a fright!
When we discover trails of white

The trolls and fairies could have told
That it's half silver, half fool's gold
The ghost pipes whistle, for they know
The dangers of impending snow

We go through every kind of trail
Through creek and mud, through ice and shale
And when the hill is just too steep
We use a rope and up we creep

Sometimes the fog and cold are hell
But oh, we learn our lessons well
Loud mammals when the sky was black
But not once would we have turned back

So through the forest, bugs in ears
Smoke in our eyes, wet wood and tears
Up on the mountain, by the shore
There's no place I have enjoyed more

Here She Comes

I want to warn them about you
Tell them not to be fooled by your charm
Your intelligence
Your friendly demeanor and fabulous clothes
I want to warn them because I see
They already like you
They already underestimate you
Believe you to be your surface self
I want to shout to them
SHE IS NOT A CHILD
Not because I want to defend you
But because I want to defend them
I want to explain to them
That your lighthearted whimsy is not a phase
That your need to escape cannot be assuaged
Even by escaping
Seeing them see you
To whisper
Watch out boy, she'll chew you up
If only to say, later
Told you so
Because they would not believe me
Not for a moment
I want to tell them they are not unique
That you are always intrigued
Always amused
Always delighted
Couldn't break a heart even if you wanted to
But oh, the hearts you break
I would lie
Sit by them at dinner
Or pass notes in class
She's lesbian
But enamored men don't believe in lesbians
So I'll stick to my front row seat
Reserved as a gift
Season tickets to a series of dramas
Writing notes in the program
Watch out boy