I still carry both names

The color of my eyes,

darkest brown. Almost black, 

but color changes in the sun.  

You might know my nose, but not as well as I do.

Crooked and inexact. I wouldn't have it any other way.

My mouth knows straight lines best, but I promise it

 curls up at the edges often.

My chin frames the edges of my mouth 

along with the perimeter of my lips.

My neck holds up my heavy thinking. 

My hair is the result of one thought. 

I let my hair do what it wants. 

Iris Schiele
Izzy Scherer

9 pieces

               

        Broke my heart into 9 pieces,

First piece slipped between the crack in the bed and the wall.

The color red started rising to the ceiling,
so I painted everything the darkest blue and
ended up with violet, I didn't mind it. 

2nd broke off when I saw your body shivering from the cold.

I couldn't control the weather, so I gave you my birthday money instead

then told you to love yourself.

The third piece sank to the bottom of the river.

I told you twice again,
"I dont know how to swim."
"I don't know how to swim."

You crossed to the other side,
so I learned how to save myself.

Fourth lay shinning on the street corner where fast lights

are attracted only to its beauty and regret piles up
from refusing to put on their seat belts. 

Now it's mixed in with broken glass while
unnoticed victims drive past.

The fifth one can only be heard through these guitar strings..

Can you hear it? Beating over bullet holes,

this one still beats.

6th is tied to the bottom of a balloon string that I let go of 

on your birthday. Heavier than a paperweight,

this piece had to make it to you.
You had just turned 72.

The 7th tagged along to the end of the word, "goodbye."
It still burns my throat to say it, always taking too long
to finally explain myself that when I had finally caught
the words you couldn't hear my voice anymore.

8th disappeared after you disappeared.
It still looks for you, but I stopped 2 years ago.

9th, but not last, this one happened so fast.
I stood speechless as I watched it pass.
No reactions or running after because
I knew this piece was too sharp to pull back.

Ramble on

This road is sustained.
Perhaps never ending.
I promised I'd be back to comprehend
the distance, but never let it take up space in present time.
Refuse to expect an exact return date.
Just recite to me of all I have to come home to.
My shoes will wear thin
And my feet will perfect persistence.
Each single step carrying me closer to you.
Each acceptance giving me pieces from myself as a whole.
Each distance with a different aquantance.
Each "hope to see you again" convincing to be inevitable.
Finding more stars to add to the sky,
I started at 7 to hitchike to heaven.

How to escape time

Listen
Focusing on the chords in the song you consistently replay to know why A minor leads to G, which resolves to C and how your ears knew the resolving tone would be missed if it were never played at the end. Giving you a taste of how to say goodbye.


Kiss
Absent when lips touching and never knowing for how long. Simple yet strong. Eyes closer. Revealing why they were once so sad and convincing each mind to stare longer. Sometimes faster because your late for your calling time and your mind was trying to predict the future.


Walk 
Each step closer to imagined conclusion, obstacles along the way expected from both sides proving that you can welcome the difficulties. Sometimes missing your exit while the stars watch till you see that the next one provides more.


Paint
Protecting each stroke as it connects to the center idea. Proving your point with a color pallet resembling the sky from your favorite weather. Mixing colors. Realizing that they depend on each other and provide compliments when side by side.


Breathe
Not just because you have to. Each inhale bringing new ideas, and every exhale letting go of the sting  that arrived yesterday and reappeared today. Cold breaths of needed oxygen reminding you that you won't always need warm and accepting ones. Losing your breath from collapsing to your back, flat on the floor you crave for one more breath even if in the lowest amount.


Aspire 
Striving to never waste time or let it collect between my skin and bones as I choose to disregard the appearance. Never accepting disuse. Knowing of the possibilities waiting for me from escaping time, I will never go back.