Warm Winter

 

Maybe you're a sore spot.
Not a bruise
but a tender place
that whenever stoked like a fire,
I remember you're there- you were there.

Not hiding behind a combination padlock.
An expression of an original Jackson Pollock 
Head cocked
You're flexed
I'm perplexed 
and stretched
out and impressed
that this entangled Tango dance
in my mind can prolong itself
and withstand dilution after 5 years of length.

What is even happening anymore?
Stained emotions of my own, before me.
Consistently even.
Irrationally
and simple fascination.

~Tina Meeks 

Instrumentals

 

I breathed you in and it 
felt like floating on my back,
which felt like the beach.

I took in deep breaths and now whenever I hear you,
I will remember our time together
in the trenches
that learned how to glow.

It's been only 2 months
and your ease has protruded 
out of me,
and I'm sure you love that.

~Tina Meeks

Urban Garden

 

Melancholy colors surrounding the shadows
that stand out in the sun.
Beaming with warmth,
you and I are endless.

I want to know- I'd like to think that I know
the look in your eyes.
They've gained the depth that they did last time.
The more we talk, 
the more we are creating a carnival of magic,
even on the other side of your glasses.

Most of the time I'm not planning to ask questions.
They come in beautifully unorganized spurts,
like our minds dancing around each other.
We're not fancy enough to Waltz,
 we'd Swing in the dark
with out even touching,
but I almost want to grab your hand
just to see what it's like.

~Tina Meeks

 

Traveling

In just another coastal town

with trees bent towards the streets.

I've been awake since the screaming of the birds 

and silence of the deer,

and slept on clouds perfectly laid out 

while I dreamt of volcanoes erupting

after long not.

Through a glass window with out losing breath,

finally calm enough to rest.

~Tina Meeks

What Music Can Do

Adios, bland world!

I'm about to enter my self-created place of tunes

to manipulate and stimulate me for the time being

So, thank you Fugees

for knowing how to rip mics on a regular basis

Thank you Jonny 5 and the other Flobots

for knowing how to handle bars with out a metronome 

Awolnation 

for allowing me to jump on your shoulders

Movits!

for letting me hear you through Swedish hip-hop

And thank you

Operation Ivy, Suburban Legends, and Reel Big Fish

for bringing the sound system back up,

keeping me up all the nights,

and reminding me that 

she's not the end of the world

~Tina Meeks

I Wish You'd Sing All Day

Baby, do you sing 

yourself to sleep?

When you sing, 

does it softly place you into 

a confessional hum?

You serenade me into a trance

where I need not move

because even the slightest

wind startles you back into silence. 

~Tina Meeks

Sea Sick

It hurts so good to put it all

into love.

In that moment.

Disappearing into an ocean of dark sea.

Being harpooned in feelings

I never thought I'd have

again.

Taking the wheel with everything

I'm willing to ship off and anchor

whenever.

Grappling onto each 

and any handle I can handle,

but drifting at sea is ideal until then.

~Tina Meeks

Havasu

Down in the canyons

with waterfalls as clear as similes,

our tribe of seven

pointed our toes ten miles deep.

Our roots started somewhere else.

Fresh spring water spouts from one source

Relying on freeze dried packaged foods

and portable stoves lighting the way.

Bats touch the tops of our heads

in the dusky nights while walking to the bathrooms,

and eventually the only sound for miles is

the white noise from the rivers

~Tina Meeks

Something Like Touching

It was cold and dark out

I was just drunk, thrilled, and desperate for madness

I didn't know where to go

or what to do

so we met in the middle

and kissed

and cuddle

and murdered our thoughts

so we could invite our feelings

~Tina Meeks

Together But Not

This is how it always was

Romanticizing over bite-sized pieces

of ordinarily inadequate seeming subjects

Seething upon moments

Instantly entertaining the idea

of temporarily a "you" and "me" together

Together...

~Tina Meeks

A Nuisance to the Night

I would cheers to all the new beginnings

and often to petty seeming occasions 

So, a toast to the first time riding the 49

Toast to matching socks again

To the stranger sleeping on the bench in the morning

Cheers to my falling apart notebook

being held together by packing tape

I wanna know what you cheers to

so I can fall asleep thinking about it

So we can run into the misted night

among swarming owls

We can demand salvation and 

young independence we never thought we had

In the end, we all smile anyway

We can laugh, catch our breath,

and remain a nuisance to the night

that we never want to end

A Writer's Pep Talk

As a writer, I think we all inspire. Sometimes, the more you read, the better the writing.
Six years ago, I was afraid to share my best work out of fear of thievery. An old friend expressed to me how wrong I might- probably was.

Throughout the entirely universe, everything is recycled, and I'm sure this is not the first time this was ever thought up. To fellow writers: Fear not
Pause never, except to breathe. Accept to breathe. The breath is what is keeping us humble so I, can less of the time stumble over my unfinished thoughts. There's nothing invalid about being aware of ones surroundings. On the flip side, zoning into a private world to allow for a space like this is the most important- the most vulnerable thing that we as writers do. To unlock a door to allow the relishing in this pleasurable piece of the puzzle without edges, no walls, no frame. I have to remind myself that it's okay to say the same thing more than once. It ain't redundant, but a friendly reminder of the importance of this.

This is a practice and it's the only way to get better. To not lose it, rather. Perhaps some words and phrases will feel right one moment and the next, only a cliche' followed by a scoff. As a writer, it's a continuous tug-a-war to admire each other, self-critique, to remain open to sharing, and most importantly, to never run out of pages.

~Tina Meeks

Weird Word Play With Some of My Youthful Favorite Metal Bands

I am livid

I am terrified and angry

I am dramatically insipid 

and trippin' on my own words

I'm Disturbed

Freshly purged 

of brain cells and epiphanies 

Tomorrow will be Sevenfold

help up by a Slipknot

That is All That Remains

and comprehensible 

if you try not to pay attention

~Tina Meeks

East Coast Waters

East Coast waters,
he's got in his blood

but don't got 

bloodstained fingers with that cocky smile teeth spot 

Crooked

Just like perfect replications of sin

Blame the guardians for having

a bruised ego at both ends

But some ladies like cocky

and he'll take as many as he can get,

and why stop there?

When the ladies get boring,

move on to the men

There's a little head game for them

and this one will keep a spare in his pocket

When you can't get something harder,

purple haze is the only option

Little do these boys know,

they're just another addition to the collection

~Tina Meeks

Samuel P. Taylor

Samuel P. Taylor.... Dust rises from what was not a fall, but from a popularity contest.

When the sound of running water is prevalent, Samuel P. comes to mind. The only drama there is what inches of water get to bounce off the rocks first, even though it all gets a turn. There's something about the red woods that manipulates the world into something gorgeous again. The trees are as tall as gods, they'll make you believe anything because they've achieved such heights and go to such lengths to maintain the perfect ecosystem for all of the entities around. 

Thinking of Samuel P. is one of the easiest ways to calm down because even though that place burned partially in wild fires, it never lost its resilience. We are mere beings that take for our selfish selves and here is a place that contributes unspeakable amounts that have hardly been thanked for.

Samuel P. Taylor ascends over its own hills, though trails, beyond the sparks of campfires. And what ever salmon has the audacity and desire to flea down stream during high tide, I hope they know, they are all so also part of something sacred.

~Tina Meeks

You Know What You Are

Your home is a flowered mandala 

layered in color that is impressive

There are many stories up your sleeves,

I'm sure of it

The music through time that you've heard

The transformation of

what color can really mean

is an impeccable memory you have

for the rest of your life

So please, keep going

in your fluorescence and glow,

and your deep rooted darkness

~Tina Meeks

Dragonfly

You found love in the twists and turns

and entanglement of the trees

I found freedom in the flutter

of your sparkling wings

Reflecting blue like hummingbirds 

in the blink of an eye

This feels good to say

It all used to roll off the tongue a lot easier

when the city moved faster than now

Now, time feels at ease,

and that blue looks so vibrant and true

Where will you fly to, my new friend?

Will you search for more love to whisper in your ear?

There was a moment you inched closer to me

that I thought we might touch

Your blue, may be scented

You might be ecstasy sent from

the presence of every other color

that I am capable of seeing

~Tina Meeks

This Might Not Mean a Thing

Ripples in rain puddles erupting gratitude.

Mundane visions and every day 

kaleidoscopes are unicorns.

Some people are hiding. 

Some people are glowing with kindness,

and those are the people I wish I could hug.

~Tina Meeks

Since Last Time

Whether we speak nothing of this ever

or talk about how ridiculous we are,

it will have all been worth the experience

because we cause natural disasters

no matter where we go

~Tina Meeks

Sitting at the Bar

Watching as he pressed and squeezed liquid from the bag.

It's amazing how you can tell someone's

experience in life just from the look of their skin.

How much age, how much sun has kissed it,

the literal scars the world has physically declared on.

Veins are nothing like laugh lines.

They map out the body with life.

Skin becomes more fragile,

as if we aren't fragile as it is.

His lackadaisical eyes and firm gaze 

compliment his sharp shaped facial hair

with whatever "look" he seems to be going for

~Tina Meeks

Melting Ice

Yesterday was the first time

you said you've loved

Grim face and emotionless tone

as if you've said it a million times to exhaustion

but owning it

Just before tilting a glass to your lips

and letting the ice cubes fall

with just enough time to allow

the ice to melt and leave a wet kiss

It looked like a resurfacing battle wound

~Tina Meeks 

Embodying Color

I am burnt orange

I am the forgotten rage with glowing beauty

The sultan of caress

Power of space

I am warm radiance creeping

through the cracks of doors

that dare not let me in

~Tina Meeks

Small Town Kid

Holding still with knees tucked in

Sleepy, stoned eyes

On the verge of dreams

The road to nightmares

The midst of reverie

How ever it may seem

This kid has compartmentalized all of it

to fit in such a small space,

as if life before now is easy to erase

He's gone now,

and he took that white hoodie with him

to wander into warmth

~Tina Meeks

Another Adventure

Glancing, then double-taking

at the dirt on my hands

After climbing the ladder to the roof,

realizing there was a fire here

but seeing the top was worth the risk

One time with a cushioned fall,

 I lost my spirit in a foam pit

with a mild scent of age and time

But the adventure is always worth it

~Tina Meeks

A New Friend

Embers crackle in her eyes

Passionately killing with kindness

Body building and already at the top

She's at her prime and smiles easily

and understands conversation well

~Tina Meeks