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62 · Jul 2
Morning Embrace
Kalliope Jul 2
I’m not a morning person,
And I’ve never liked birds,
But today I sat outside
With my coffee in hand.

Yeah, it was hot,
But the heat felt good on my skin,
Like the sun was embracing me
As he rose from his slumber,
Like I was the first thing he reached for
When he woke up.

The breeze swayed the grass gently,
Carrying quiet secrets in its sigh,
And for a moment I wondered
If mornings had always felt this kind,
Or if today was just different,
Because I finally let myself enjoy it.

It was a good morning,
My thoughts finally at ease.
I’ve always loved the sunset,
But watching the sky fade
From cool blues to warm hues
Felt special in a way I didn’t expect.
And I wonder if he enjoyed his morning with me too
62 · Jun 23
Strawberry Cheesecake
Kalliope Jun 23
I had coffee and tea,
just the way I like.
I played music all day,
some loud, some quiet.

I didn’t panic once-
no shame, no crying.
I washed my face,
took care of my skin,
was gentle with myself.

I chose strawberry cheesecake body oil
over bed-rotting despair,
I deep conditioned and
re-dyed my hair.

And tomorrow I might do less,
or maybe more-
but today I loved me
in every pour.
Maybe it's silly but,
I think I'll be fine
I loved me so much today,
I deserve a glass of wine 🍷
60 · Jul 14
Handled Without Care
Kalliope Jul 14
I placed you upon my highest shelf,
Where no one ever sat before,
My prized possession, the collectable
I’d always been yearning for.

All my toys end up broken or lost,
A fate that eats me alive,
But you- I was determined not to break,
So I kept you out of these hands of mine.

I adored you from a distance,
Too scared to get too close,
You were lonely on that shelf,
To be played with, you wanted most.

My hands clumsy, your heart so fragile,
A dangerous game we played,
Measuring my worth around your presence-
If you looked fine, then I was okay.

But looks have always been deceiving,
It doesn’t mean things were smooth,
My sweet trophied, prized companion
Just wanted me to hold him too.

Slowly, I became bolder,
Taking you down from that shelf,
And for a while, it was heaven,
But soon enough, we needed help.

You were fragile, and I was clumsy,
We know how this story ends-
I was angry, you were gentle…
I should have never held you in my hands.
If I'd have stuck with video games I could have just reloaded my last save.
60 · Jun 5
Author Unhinged
Kalliope Jun 5
I don't know how to end a story, don't see when the plot has died
Especially when it's a good scene, and the mood is always just right
The sun is setting- there's lovers on the beach, the future stands before them with nothing out of reach
Maybe that's not in the cards they pulled, I should let the story line fade out, but that makes me physically ill,
"They belong together" I shout-
And I'll stall the scene with every breathe, hoping hope can out-write loves death
Maybe that's why I write poems, not novels
58 · 3d
No Ripples
Sometimes I walk on water.
Not high above it all-
Just right there at surface level.
Not deep enough to drown.
Not deep enough to swim.
Not high enough to fear falling in.

Sometimes I walk on water
And watch schools of fish
Playfully chase one another,
Not noticing me.

I feel curious sharks graze my feet,
Confused as to why they can’t reach their meal.
Some follow for hours,
Waiting for a taste
They won’t get-
Because right now,
I’m walking on water.
Sometimes I do this for hours, getting lost along the way
A woman pacing over the ocean, through the fog of a lonely day
56 · Jun 26
Snippets #21
Kalliope Jun 26
Sleep evades
A restless soul
Mind replays
What once felt whole
Heart thumping
Out my chest
Shaky hands
Doing my best
Visions blur
You never touched-
So how the ****
Do I miss you this much?
0400
Kalliope Jun 16
Yeah I'm so funny for the stories I tell, but I lived my twenties thinking living was hell
Sure, now it's hilarious that my past was so **** wild but is it really?
I was just a child
I did what I needed to-
I stuck it out, I took my beatings and I tried not to pout, he was the path I chose and there was no way out.
I was seventeen living miles away and when I needed it most, my family never came.
We wonder now, why I stayed, all the things he did to me I should have felt betrayed.
Though he was my captor, he felt more like a savior and maybe thats why for so long-
I excused his behavior.
When no one else would help me, he would stand right there, yeah sometimes he would hurt me, but so did everyone else who cared.
I know now it wasn't love-
just possession and control,
but that 17 year old girl in me was always desperate to prove that wrong.
You don't know you're in an abusive relationship until it's too late
And you don't process how truly bad it got until you're completely out
54 · Jul 19
Property Line Magic
Kalliope Jul 19
In the middle of an ordinary cornfield,
In an ordinary place,
Stands a small group of trees
Spared from agricultural fate.

Chosen by fairies–
Forever their glade,
Or spared by corporate greed,
Property line arguments man-made.

Whatever the reason,
It rests in the fog,
Magical as ever,
Eerie, a bit odd.

Yet it doesn’t look out of place,
It fits just right,
A hidden little wonder
Tucked away out of sight.

I hope there are fairies,
Or witches, or gnomes,
Living in that haven,
Their whimsical home.
I think there's magic in things left untouched
And maybe magic isn't real, but I believe it is so hush.
Kalliope Jun 25
I like when it storms,
the push and the pull
I'm addicted to the adrenaline and playing who's the fool
I've got a boat to survive the hurricane,
It's a little rickety and there's a few holes but what's love if you can't thrive in the rain?
Sometimes we drown but it's not forever, something about gasping for air makes that first breath of understanding better
I might run from your thunder until I match the beat,
find me in your orchestra-
the very first seat
It's always a shock when my lightning strikes, sudden and bitter and riddled with spite
But the worst part is when quiet comes, can we afford to rebuild or do we leave our land destroyed as it was?
And like a wild fire it's aftermath is devastating
But how can we breath new life into what's already overgrown?
50 · Jun 28
I Made You a Bouquet
Kalliope Jun 28
I only grow flowers with thorns.
Beautiful from afar,
Their petals softer than skin after shea butter,
But poison to the touch.

Their scent so captivating,
You can't help but search for it,
Only to be knocked out once found.

Those brave enough to pick up the stem
Will always regret it.
These thorns are razor sharp,
And they love to embed.
They've never seemed to bother me though
47 · 1d
The Mimic
A prize you thought you'd gazed upon,
But no, my dear you’ve never been more wrong.
I look divine from where you stand,
But open my depths with the steadiest hand.

You're chasing treasures, wishes, more-
Yet my teeth grow sharper behind each door.
You never asked why I stood alone,
Just waltzed right in, hoping to find a home.

But you led me nowhere, and I pulled you down.
You fell for a mimic-
And you did so quite ******* loud.
I said my piece. I announced my shame. I said I’m not ready, I’m not playing love games.
But that’s not what’s heard.
It’s a challenge to be beat.
Now I’m just an ******* with another man to eat
46 · Jul 22
Space Between
Kalliope Jul 22
Sleep reaches for me
But I'm held down
Everything I've never done
Everything I need to do
Grasps me tightly
Bruised and clawed
I lay here flawed
Sleep reaches for me
But I can't reach back
Have you ever rearranged your living room at 2 am?
44 · Jun 25
What the Sunset Brings
Kalliope Jun 25
The concrete cools, no longer burning my feet as the sun slips away for his evening retreat
Sometimes there's fireflies and other bugs do sing, but I'm waiting on the moon and the tranquility she brings.

The street lamps will highlight small places in the dark, but the moon and her stars did it better from the start,
She makes a liminal place feel serene, mapping constellations and discussing what they mean.

In this silence I feel so free, the air is not heavy when she's looking at me, I just admire the way that she glows, intergalactic wisdom pouring over my head to my toes.

I could stay out here for most of the night, from the suns purple goodbyes to his pink morning highs, when they switch shifts I'll return home, until it's time for my iridescent friend to show.
I'd like to think she waits for me too
Kalliope Jun 25
Recently I was asked to write something happy and while that seems easy,
I don't like being sappy
I rarely find beauty in things that don't bleed,
Tears and pain all over paper is much more my speed,
Should I describe a sunset?
And the peace that it brings?
The end of another day-
When the moon rises and sings
I could write about love but I've become bitter,
honestly a hopelessly hopeless romantic turned heart racing storyline quitter,
Maybe a thoughtful soliloquy about a bug, nah-
I'd think of men and that paints a mean mug
I'm sure I'll find something to pique my intrigue,
And pull me out of this pessimistic league.
Part reluctant romantic, part exhausted empath, part sarcastic observer, part moon speaker, part storm chaser, part lover learning to love herself.
41 · Jul 7
Queen of Coincidence
Kalliope Jul 7
It’s small things that mean nothing
But say everything to me,
Because everything has a reason-
A meaning I just have to see.

I can’t let things be as they are,
No, nothing’s a simple coincidence.
You linger in my atmosphere;
Surely, that’s not an accident.

But why?
And what does it mean?
I’m presented with puzzles
But not all pieces are seen.

I wish I had never looked,
My thoughts no longer free,
Now my conscience is booked,
Chained to what it perceives.

I just can’t help myself,
I just had to know,
Now I’m drowning in questions-
When I should be letting it go.
I saw something I shouldn't have while looking where I wasn't supposed to be
40 · Jul 18
Say That Again
Kalliope Jul 18
My cheeks are rosy,
You're making me blush,
This flirty little game
Is a heavenly rush.

Everything feels lovely
When it’s all brand new,
Overthinking tomorrow?
I’m really trying not to.

So tell me I’m pretty again,
I’ll reward you with a smile,
Maybe we won’t get married,
But I could enjoy this awhile.

You brush hair from my face,
Soft touch, sweet and shy,
Little moments like this
Are reasons I sigh.

Your laugh makes my chest ache,
It’s light, it’s carefree,
I tuck it away safely
As a secret just for me.

Dance with me in the street
While we're still young and free,
Whimsically fall in love
Until you start to resent me.
Flirting is fun but can get real serious.
Do I let myself run? Or do I risk being curious?
39 · Jun 30
Midnight Chai
Kalliope Jun 30
I pick out my tea bags,
Sometimes two or three,
Steep them in hot water,
Letting them be.

Then I sift through my cabinets,
Searching with care,
For the best little items
My chai might wear.

I’ve already made sweet foam
To crown her with flair,
Maybe she'd like brown sugar
To melt in her hair.

Honeyed lace drips down-
Her favorite sweet,
She pairs well with maple,
Cinnamon makes her complete.

Deciding how we’ll dress her,
A very indecisive time,
Should she wear caramel today,
Or vanilla to rhyme?

Perhaps she’ll indulge,
Mixing both with a grin-
A drink dressed in luxury,
My soft comfort within.
Picking out the mug is another story...
38 · Jun 25
New Moon
Kalliope Jun 25
I deserve love and laughter and joy,
I know how to get it I don't have to be coy
I can give love and friendship and kindness, without even thinking of it, so ingrained it's mindless
I can trust my intuition and the thoughts in my brain, I don't have to have someone else double check my every play
I can be successful and support myself
I don't have to dim my light and hide on the middle shelf
I get to choose how I live this life that is mine, and I'm choosing to indulge in everything divine
I can make moonwater on my window sill,
I have many intentions and dreams to fill
37 · Jun 6
8 Hours on Empty
Kalliope Jun 6
I went to bed early
I got eight hours of sleep
But I still don't understand why I don't mean to people,
what people mean to me
I sacrifice anything for the ones
I hold close
They don't care what I lose,
and I'm not often chose
I know they don't ask me to but
I like to show that I care,
I can't help feeling unloved when I'm down and nobody's there
I've thrown away people, and money, and time just to make sure my
people are perfectly fine
But if I speak my mind when
I've been insulted
then I'm disrespectful and
need to ******* then
Killing myself slowly just to keep control,
Grief remains the only one who never leaves
36 · Jul 17
Juicebox
Kalliope Jul 17
What if today I took up space,
Decided it’s okay to love my face?
I’m allowed to scream and shout,
Don’t have to fake it, or hide to pout.

What if I told you you’d caught my eye,
Instead of waiting as moments pass by?
Would I then be viewed aggressive?
For knowing what I want, deemed obsessive?

Maybe I just want my needs fulfilled,
To show you I’m here, and equally skilled.

What if I let myself laugh too loud,
Not worrying about standing out in a crowd?
Let my opinions spill like wine,
No apologizing for these thoughts that are mine.

What if I danced alone in the street,
Made strangers smile at my untamed beat?
Would I still be called too much,
Or would someone finally crave my touch?

What if I didn’t talk myself down,
Lived my truth without fearing your frown?

I could say whatever comes to mind,
No more stitches, my lips now unbind.
I’ve made myself so small these days,
But I want to be big, have my turn on the stage.

This time I won’t even perform,
I’ll give a speech, I’ll change my norm.
Maybe it’s time to be unhinged,
To let myself out, chase a few whims.
What if I dared to love myself?
33 · Jun 2
Once Upon Almost
Kalliope Jun 2
I think I killed the mundane,
growing up wishing to be saved.
I think I killed gentle gestures,
through teenage years, craving someone who cared.

I think I killed connection,
living through my twenties, not knowing who to trust.
I think I killed the mundane,
now I’m nearly thirty,
no closer to my fairytale than I was at fifteen
My mom says it's time to grow up
I can't waste my life chasing real love,
My mom says it's time to get real
Fairytales don't exist it's not a big deal
9 · Jun 10
Mother Martyrs
Kalliope Jun 10
I saw her as a martyr,
a victim by my side—
helpless, I thought,
unable to pull us from his tides.

I excused it—
how could she raise five kids alone?
I gave her my compassion,
placed my trust on her throne.

But now that I’m older,
the fog starts to lift—
She wasn’t just passive,
she CHOSE not to shift.

She wasn’t just broken,
she wielded these cracks,
a villain in silence,
he just launched the attacks.
We teach women to suffer quietly then tell our children it's love

— The End —