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I whisper my struggle against rage, a vulture perched, refusing to
budge, circling the leftovers of life. My tears — a mirror, awkward
disguises, suggesting more than I admit. What is a man in his own
fantasies, if even there he dreams himself as someone less?

Knowing a circle of friends blooms misshapen, my circle is more
like a triangle —each angle pointing out each other, each edge
sharp to sharper your edge. I am obtuse among the acute, aware
of my struggles with precision; people measure me from distance.

Still, their echoes and hues pull words out of me, inspiration sparked
by friction. But I’m just this jar chasing lightning, as if it ever strikes
twice; each dream I hold flickers fragile in my hands; the texture of
a dream is lucid, slipping through like current.

The recipe of life: tears, sweat, regrets, a hint of success for taste.
And the chef? Shadows us like a grand tree on the hillside, quietly
stirring the ***, watching, seasoning my days with the abrupt nature
of time.
If I could move past the point of *******— my bull horns
are beaten down by life’s whip. Feeling ready to blow
my brain, an itchy finger on the trigger, searching for
life's plus centre: a positive man stuck in the middle; senses
sharp, but it sounds insensitive to an eager mind; all
of our dreams have been suffocated by the placenta.

I think I can be honest about the work of others, but
speaking that truth loudly — for some— sounds like
we don’t really love each other. Chained only by deeper
ambition; passion weighs heavy when it isn’t complete.
Here’s a writer’s petition: loving poetry— an appeal to
careless ambitions over being Christian.

Pride mirrors itself— words reflecting the world’s
weakness, ugly earnestness to be outstanding; going
out to make something of yourself as an artist surely
disappoints a family. Gain success through your own
struggle, heavy prayers; "I guess we’ll all be wealthy."

It all depends upon: the task of multitasking most
of your dreams— to exactitude; the power of words,
poetic charge, poetic energy. But know this—the
lightbulb to your dreams is what will turn them on.

All those wanting pieces of your spark—
you’ll lose track of where they all came from.
Fire, wind, water, earth—
perhaps I’ll be
    the element of surprise.

No scent of intentions;
I broke my nose, sent into
a world that watches with
  wide eyes.

Premature ideas delivered
to a man’s dream;
            the stillborn
still cries; echoing even
    after not seeing the light.

Often my heart feels low, unruly—
     recognizing no boundary,
******* the sacrifice required
  To be a man.

Sometimes I am a stone,
skipping past life · · · · · ·
    1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

But never six—
for by that count,
     I begin to sink.
Life and its lessons still needs
   to polish me, to reach my reach.
Fighting for sleep,
fighting for peace.

Manic, depressive
episodes, just
to start.

Doing everything I can
just to not
fall apart.

So I can
make it another day—
wake up
with a fresh start.

Tried to reset,
tried to see,

but the future is blurred,
and I can’t believe
I’m back at square one:

the battle
of the elastic
heart.

The knives
hit harder
this time,

but I’m not afraid.
I’m not afraid
to get back up,

and show the world—

I’m not broken.
I’m not folded.
I’m not out
for the count.
I wrote this one quick — raw and rough — but it carries the fight I’ve been feeling.
It’s inspired by the rock cover of “Elastic Heart” (Written By Wolves).
An anthem for anyone who keeps getting knocked down,
but refuses to stay down.
Em MacKenzie Sep 4
Who is this person that I’m living alongside;
I don’t mean my girl; I mean myself.
Is there an alter with impeccable timing to hide;
a thought I think and feeling I’ve always felt.

She digs her hands into my armored flesh,
the areas I reassured could pass each test.
Instead of titanium she sees it’s made of mesh,
“I’m sorry that I’m not the best of best.”
We watched our house burn down
watched the last ember hit the ground.
I place missing posters of myself around town;
truth is I don’t care if I get found.

“A pox on your house,
you ****** knockout mouse.”
On your clean white blouse;
gasoline has been doused.
I wrongly take the blame,
and they keep saying it’s my name.
Isn’t it a shame how bad blood boils all the same?

Sometimes I feel like I’m presented as an open book,
with torn out pages and a cracked spine.
On full display but no one even stops to take a look,
missing the hidden message in each line.

We shoot the **** so incredibly breezily
but I’m reminded that I bruise very easily,
so I find a way to tap out without anyone noticing.
But it’s done just too feebly.
Burned bridges and scorched earth,
my decision to cover with AstroTurf.
Taking lives instead of giving birth,
and I’ll only strive to make it worse.

“A pox on your house,
you ****** knockout mouse.”
“The screams and the shouts
show us what you’re about.”
The beast I try to tame,
but can hardly even maim.
Isn’t it a shame how bad blood boils all the same?

I have this habit of never learning my lesson
and sometimes almost crashing my car.
It’d be tragic or it could be a hidden blessin’
what’s another addition of a scar?

“A pox on your house,
you ****** knockout mouse”
“We’ll turn you into scouse,
you ****** knockout mouse.”
“A pox on your house,
but not on your spouse.”
At least they aren’t that rouse.

“A pox on your house,
you ****** knockout mouse.”
On your clean white blouse;
gasoline has been doused.
I wrongly take the blame,
and they keep saying it’s my name.
Isn’t it a shame how bad blood boils all the same?
Tu as essayé, essayé
Et tu as pleuré
Tu n'as jamais abandonné
Tu as trouvé l'espoir
En dernier recours
Parce que tu as lutté
Jusqu'à la dernière goutte de sang
Jusqu'à la dernière nuance du temps.

Tu es mon Ange, mon Héros
Tu as refusé de tomber dans des étaux
Tu as pleuré, pleuré
Et essayé, essayé
De réussir contre tous mauvais coups
Tu avais un style fort, doux et fou
Tu as essayé, essayé
Et tu as pleuré.

Les Héros pleurent aussi
Et les Anges pleurent aussi
Tu es un modèle pour moi
Je respecte ton courage et ton émoi
Tu es mon inspiration
Ma force et ma passion
Tu as essayé et pleuré
Et moi aussi, j'ai essayé et j’ai pleuré.

P.S. Hommage À Mon Amour.
Translation of ‘ Tried And Cried’, by Hébert Logerie.

Copyright © Septembre 2025 Hébert Logerie, Tous droits réservés.
Hébert Logerie est l'auteur de plusieurs recueils de poésie.
You tried, tried
And you cried
You never gave up
You found hope
As a last resort
Because you fought
Until the last drop of blood
Until the last shade of mud.

You are my angel, my hero
You refused to fall and to go
You cried, cried
And tried, tried
To succeed against all odds
You were strong and you wore pads
You tried, tried
And you cried.

Heroes cry too
And Angels cry too
You are a model to me
I respect your bravery
You are my inspiration
And my endearing passion
You tried and cried

And I too tried and cried.

Copyright © September 2025 Hébert Logerie, All rights reserved.
Hébert Logerie is the author of several collections of poetry.
Zelda Sep 2
Oh, I'm so completely and utterly
captivated
by crashing waves
falling from above,
as dark skies
threaten to swallow them

they keep on...

the weeds on their bodies
weigh heavily
temporarily—I beg
most invasive species
I've ever seen

But I know
somethings
don't wash away
with waves

Pretty rocks in my eyes:
Softened by waves,
over time,
never yielding
And I don't know if I'm ready
for the Fall:

the cool winds,
the bold colors,
the elements
on Thursday
and the days
still coming

Oh, how I beg
...
keep on coming
Written: August 31, 2025
Published: September 2, 2025
Asher Graves Aug 31
Alls my life I has to hop, brother!
Alls my life I...
Hard times like, “Yah!”.
Mad tricks like, “Yah!”.

Fatalist, I’m all lost
Homie, you are all lost
But if God got us, then we gon’ be alright

We gon’ be alright!
We gon’ be alright!
Brother, we gon’ be alright

What we need is a way to lose the radar
Of the creatures of gluttony that resembles
a bar.
So, I hop in hope that I’m still afar
From the clenches of them ****** piranhas
Chasin’ me like a cop car.
Call this eternal for no solace is there
And this frog won’t ever give in to that
Joker’s flair.
Twisted it is that a kiss pronounces exit from
this lair?
Yeah, sure do adhere.
I’d rather die and state my mind clear.
This circus denounces hell, I fear.
Joker’s the devil and piranha’s sin, my dear.
It’s clear what they intend to do here.
Mere resistance is futile and it tears
Lingering hope and steers
My fate. My life. My ideas.

But I take a leap of faith Cause
If God got us, then we gon’ be alright.

Brother, we gon’ be alright.
                                 -Asher Graves
A frog's defiant hop against a circus of teeth, where the only exit is a kiss he won't pay.
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