Quiet your mind and you may find
peace in such stillness.
Your life feels like chaos when
the music drowns out any possibility of
silence inside.
How can you even think with lyrics of
mesmerizing dandelions
clanging through your consciousness?
From the left and right
distractions dissect your attention.
Why is it so hard
to turn off the music?
Silence is scary—
a frightening thing to befriend.
Some fear the dark, yet
you fear the quiet.

Carry only a backpack into the future’s embrace,
Leave behind the luggage of yesterday’s trace.
It costs dearly to drag what’s past,
Travel light, for freedom holds fast.

Here you go.

I present to you

My simplest and most
complex, confused, and conflicted  thoughts

Just for your
Consumption.

Enjoy.

i thought of you
while cleaning the dishes

realizing
that you
probably
dont think of me

anymore

but i sure do

i wasnt paying attention
so
i dropped my favorite cup

shattered
into countless
little pieces

now its gone

forever

just
like
you

The words slipped out-
"I don’t want this anymore"
Had I blinked,
I wouldn’t have said it.

And just like that,
they took shape,
sharp as thorns,
wilting his smile
as they struck.

And just like that,
I stood alone,
Had I blinked,
he wouldn't be gone.

(A lone voice whispers)

Do you write
For freedom
From boredom

Or even sympathy

Simply to defeat
Apathy

People who experience traumatic events may sometimes develop apathy syndrome

(indifference and emotional detachment)

As a means to further protect themselves mentally and prevent further distress

This is normally present in survivors of tragedies

And it can be part of post-traumatic stress disorder

Caused by emotions hard press

So are you ready to lay on my couch
And begin to confess

(C)
Copyright John Duffy

i love you.
you don’t know me,
but i love you.

not in a way
that asks for anything.
not in a way
that needs to be defined.

just in a way
that says,
"i am here. you are here. let’s be here together for a while."

I wanted you to take me out on a date,
but you said you're too busy,
romanticizing your sadness.
I guess you need that sorrow
to write your music,
just like I needed my heart broken
by you
to write my poetry.