I wrote what I felt
I never said it was right
Off key notes still ring
And I still hope to be heard

I wished upon a falling star
And I asked to take its vacant place
As the morning wasn't far

Then the sun would rise and I'd,
Be there, unseen, no one watching me
Finally able to breathe and to hide

They speak sand
A million grating opinions
A blinding, scathing storm
Made to leave you raw

They speak sand
So take it with a grain of salt
And douse the world in water
So instead of raw, you're polished

I set out just as the sky took flame
Walking forward 'til I felt it's heat
Letting it set my anger and I ablaze

And together, we burned
Until the day, to night, turned

If I voiced my pain
Could you hear it?

Or would it be more static
In the white noise?

Maybe I can't change the world
But I can change how I see it
And no one can take that from me

So I choose to see the good

Perhaps I am a victim of circumstance
But then why would I give away more
And let another decide how I will react

So I choose to laugh in the rain

Instead of adding to it

My words and actions were empty
And, so was I, when you held me

And your hand, strong, on my back
Wasn't a support, but an act

All the stories of us you spun
As fake as the smile I painted on

Until from within the spotlight's glow
I saw it was all for the crowd, for the show

And I ran because nothing was worth this
Ran, like a puppet from her ventriloquist

I feel therefore I write
Write until I understand
It doesn't turn the wrongs to rights
But peace is the ink that stains my hands

Yesterday I really needed to be seen

But I wasn't,

                         and it hurts

Today, I woke, determined

To find someone who feels invisible

I know you had to leave
So thank you for leaving
Pieces of you behind
In everything you loved

I'll seek them like a treasure hunt
And they'll find me when I fall
And they'll make smile with my heart
Until we meet again

Death is like the wind

Unexpected, shocking every time
Cold to the bone, affecting every life
Quick as a flash or slow as a sigh
Brings tears to stinging eyes
Always there in the fall
Bound, in the end, to freeze us all

Kindness silences suffering
It binds up the untrusting heart
And sings hope back into life

I was built like Rome

And burned like it too

And the wreckage was overwhelming


So I focus on the little fixes

Till the tune ups add up and

I can be proud of the person I built from ashes

Your mind is an artisan of words,

Infusing the mundane with fantasy

Crafting dreams to reality



So pick it up like a pen

And write yourself a better story

Should I give up on the right way,

When the easy way

Looks to get me there so much sooner?

Nothing feels quite the same

As walking through a city

Papered in all the old memories

That made you happy


Where past and present blend

Into a new kind of "when"

We were a world
"Of grin and bear it"
And of silent pain
Until tables turned, rules shifted

Now everyone speaks
Shouts out into the distance
But with all the noise
Still, no one can listen

You said, "I love what you wrote"
But they were more than words

They were my apart of my soul made visible
A corner of my mind made accessible

So I heard, "I love your soul"
And my heart felt full

●●●●
There are too many darks clouds today
●●●○
So I turn on sunny-sounding music,
●●○○
Close my eyes,
●○○○
And dream of summer
○○○○

Alright brain, we have time to ****

And a creative quota to fill

It's your fault that words

Make me feel happy and heard

So make my feelings tangible

Something I can hold, something manageable

☆☆☆
You hide behind the scenes
Capture the world as it's seen
☆☆☆
But somehow
☆☆☆
Though you have an eye for beauty
You still can't see your own clearly
☆☆☆

Have you ever met someone
And, as you got to know them, thought
"Oh so this is what 'beloved' looks like"?

I have and
Now I understand

You need this mountain
This new trial, this next "what then?"
Because a year ago or a few,
This hurdle would've tripped you
Then? You'd have given up or quit
Now? You're strong enough to surmount it

Proof comes in trials every so often
Of how we changed and how far we've gotten

It gives us the strength to keep climbing
To never give up, to keep on striving

○○○
After every happy
○○○
Comes a hard
○○○
Choose to let it be happy too
○○○

What a sad thing
That she fears compliments from men
Because one or more of them
Made her feel unsafe
For all they said she was

I can't hold you close anymore

But I'll hold on to our memories
And like you, live my life with zeal

And I'll hold our photos in my pocket
Each one, proof that you were real

And all the pennies you send from heaven
That mean you still love me too

And grasp tight the promise that
In the future, I can once again hold you

You need love
Like you need air
You can only hold
Your breath for so long.

If you disagree,
It's cause it's time
For you to take a breath

Sometimes I walk by the world
Every note-worthy thing left unsaid

Until I remember it costs me
Nearly nothing to brighten someone's day

Would that I could see the world
Where the wind wields its power

I'd spin with the sprites in the leaves
And sway with the tricksters in the trees

Find friends in the fairies wrecking fences
And follow wisps that whistle from windows

Hitch a ride on a hippogriff in a hurricane
And be blown back home with a history nobody will believe

Even if Misery loves Company
Is it right for them to be together?

What if Misery drags Company
Into an abyss that lasts forever?

Maybe,

But Company sees Misery,
That she was called Joy in days long past.

And Maybe,

Company can remind Misery
Of who is was and Hope can guide her back.

I loved you but not like you deserved
So I left, hoping you'd find a girl
who could love you without reserve

Today I met her,

And left happy, confused, and speechless
Because my face broke into a smile
But my heart broke into pieces

Nobody want their life to fall to pieces
But if the space wasn't cleared
Where would you build
The person you want to become?

How can I not love
the God who gave me wings?

And then

How can I not change
when all He asks is this one thing?

You don't have to be perfect to be beautiful

Stain glass is a broken mess
Until it's arranged and aligned
And finally allowed to shine

A woman sat here,
To ponder radiation

A priest sat here,
In prayer for his congregation

A soldier sat here,
Cradling ammo and gun

A knight sat here,
His maiden's hand finally won

A Roman sat here, proud
Of building this wall

And I sit here, watching
Past and present revolve

Pondering how this wall
Stood here in every story
As a silent sentinel

With words, I am building

A hostel for my wandering thoughts

A house for my happy memories

A home for my deepest hurts

And a castle for my grandest dreams

He would dash to doorstep to greet me
Waving hi with the trees
Making me feel happy

He liked to run his fingers through my hair,
Or gave me a little shove
Making me feel loved

As I walked, he spun and danced around,
With the leaves chasing him
Making me shake my head and grin

He was an adventure when he took my hand
And I felt at home when he held me
He made me feel safe and free

So now I want someone who
Loved me like the wind did

New Year's Resolutions
Are like letters to Santa

They were more fun
When I was younger

Now I ask Santa for college supplies
And my NYR is to survive the semester