Promise the sky
in all its blue songs
in all its grey hopes
in all its black whispers
swirling with the stars.
Promise the ocean
in all its deep secrets
in all its deep treasures
in all its deep horrors
readying to surface again.

Promise whatever else remains-
your triumphs and disasters,
small corruptions of your soul
Your untested strengths
and your heart, laughing at it all.

There are few things worse
than the caress of false promises.
We will lose our carelessness,
like the trees lose their leaves,
when we stand bare and
promise everything.