Yes I have a slight obsession with Trees; this is just a few of my favorites that I've captured.

~The leaves begin to dance from their trees
falling to their deaths
In a sweet surrender
To give beauty &
Await rebirth~

Escapism (March 2009)

She thought often about wearing that dress
The way the silk brushed against her skin
And how his hand felt on the small of her back
She knew it was all a fantasy
He was handsome and charming
And not attracted to women
Still, they went out every night
Holding each other close
While the music pulsed through their bodies
Feeling god like under the lights
Taking chemicals that defied all stereotypes
They would kiss the night away
Their tongues spiraling into a self induced madness
They sat under full moons
Atop jagged cliffs
Their fingers interlocked
Holding crystals in their hands
Dreaming and planning their escape
Their ideas would grow wild
As they laughed with nervous excitement
At the anticipation of it all coming together
They traveled to San Francisco
After drinking sake and
Dancing through
The clubs of Castro
They would stumble back to the hotel
And talk until the morning sun danced
Through the window
They adored one another
And became inseparable
She was his Gala
And he her Salvador
He eventually moved out West
Leaving her behind with his armoire
That she's carried from house to house
They used to talk often
And he would send her beautiful poems
And drawings that represented
The time they spent together
She has since moved on
But often catches herself
Getting lost in the mirror of his armoire
Thinking of him and smiling.

Shadowdancing

There is a beautiful madness inside your eyes

One I would like to touch and climb inside 

Just for a little while.........
I could settle under the layers
Of your warm skin
Touching the shadows you hide behind
Afraid of what people would think 
If they should find 
Your secrets within
I am not frightened of your demons 
Or the coy way you avoid
The light 
That surrounds you
With every breath you take
Every word you speak
I fall deeper under your spell
Unable to break free~

~Amber Comber

Bay Street (March 2010)

~Her fist were clenched so tight
That her nails carved crescent scars in her palms
Something to make her feel the pain
To distract her and become numb
To the madness that surrounded her
Walking circles in the carpeted floor
Spiraling in and out of the conversation
Clutching the phone while dying inside
Her father was missing again
Last seen stumbling across 49th street
Drunk & stoned out of his mind
The call came too early in the morning
To be normal
The kind that wakes you from your sleep
Of self medicated bliss
Trembling to confront reality
Her brother was on the other end
Screaming and begging for help
We've got to find him
Their father was loved & hated
Equally
They knew how broken he was
And could not blame him
For wanting to self destruct
They were use to the chaos
The wanting and needing
To be loved by him
To be enough to make him change
But that never happened
We will find him she said
He will turn up when he's out of money
In need of another fix
But that doubt always tugged at her
What if he didn't
What if this really was the last time
Their last meeting was forced and awkward
He was frail and trembling
His eyes were cloudy and yellow
And she thought if she touched him
He would shatter into a million pieces
The shame & regret
Haunted her every night
Running was the only option left
She ran as far away as she could
Not realizing how easily
The past could find her~

Forgiveness (March 2010)

(Photo by Anna Miller-Harper)

~This is what forgiveness looks like
Etchings in my skin
To remind me of why I am here
And where I have come from
Why I live & breathe
And still smile through the struggle
How I wouldn't be here
If you didn't
Love at one time
How I can see past your tired eyes
And broken teeth
And know that through your insane mumblings
You are asking for forgiveness
For unconditional love
Even though you feel you don't deserve it
Some days I find it easier to give
But it's always been here
Bubbling under the surface
Of this scarred & tired skin
Waiting for you to ask~

Phoenix Rising (January 2008)

The moon is 99% full & so are my dreams

My heart feels too heavy at times for my body to carry

I care too much for the people in my life

I hurt when they hurt; I cry when they cry

I get anxious about their well being

And find it hard to sit back & watch

When I can see what lies ahead for them

Another disaster around the corner

Another moment of soul crushing disappointment

But maybe I'm wrong this time

Maybe "this" time it will be different

But it never fucking is

The same story gets played a thousand different ways

But the ending is always the same

I know people need to make their own choices

"Learn" from their mistakes

But damn it can be painful to watch

So I close my eyes & dream of a different ending

HOPE for it, for her sad puffy eyes

For her constant need to want to fix men that are beyond repair

For gaining trust in another human being again

Even though she has every right not to

For loving herself as much as she has wasted it on others

I want her to see how beautiful she really is

How she deserves so much more than the shitty hands she's been dealt

To rise out of the ashes with her soul aflame

But I know when I walk home

I will see his clothes on the front lawn again

Thrown out in a fit of rage & despair

And yes when he comes knocking on her heart again

She will open it up & let him in

Even though it's scarred & sore

Because she is always hoping for a different ending.....

ACS

Here Comes The Rain Again (August 2008)

I admired your elegance, your flaming red hair, & that white evening dress you so gracefully wore
You had such beauty that men were inspired to capture it with oil on canvas
I would gaze at your photos dreamily as a child
You gave birth to nine children
One was lost along the way
I am sure the scars are there
Buried deep under layers of skin
And a hardened heart
You raised the children on your own
Your drunken abusive husband came & went freely
He didn't decide to stay until he was aged & dying
I always wondered how you did it
Raising eight children with a broken heart
Looking so glamorous through it all
The last time I saw you
Your eyes asked for forgiveness
Your wine stained lips & valium numbed heart
Were quivering & pleading
You clutched my hand with tears in your eyes
And begged me not to leave
Maybe you turned away as your husband beat the children
Maybe your tongue was too lazy with alcohol to speak up in their defense
You hold these secrets so tightly that no one could know
I see how uncomfortable he makes you now
On edge, worried about how the whiskey will change him
Change him into the hateful, bitter son of a bitch he is
And I wonder why someone as beautiful and glamorous as you would take him back
But then again
We always deserve more than what we settle for
Don't we?

🌈

Homecoming (December 2008)

Coming home, I felt like a stranger
The streets and faces were familiar
The conversations were pleasant and safe
And no one could hear me screaming on the inside
When you are away for so long
You really notice all the things
That made you run like hell in the first place
The constant family drama
Worrying about the people you love
Sad, in pain, and relapsing
The demons catch up with you fast
When you are at your most vulnerable~
I tip toed around like a ghost
Knowing I'd be leaving
As quickly as I came in
My grandmother would smile
Several times a day at me
Between her tears and labored breathing
"He's gone Amber"
She'd say
"He took such good care of me"
Always asking if I'd eaten
Even though I had; just minutes ago
Right in front of her eyes
Her children are at odds
Fighting about what's best for her
Or not caring at all
She panics several times a day
And calls an ambulance
Several times a week
Because she's sure she's dying
And she is
Maybe the valium she's fed
Isn't enough
Maybe she knows what to expect
And it terrifies her
To just sit & wait
For the inevitable
FUCK it would terrify me
It was so overwhelming
That I had to escape it~
Good conversation, whiskey, & cigarettes
SAVED me
Thank god for my friends
Who got me through my homecoming
It was a crash landing
At best
And when the plane took off
For the Carolinas
I leaned my head against the cold window
Looking at the glittering lights below
Slowly fading into darkness
With tears in my eyes~