Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Rooftops

My window a few feet behind me,
The busy street before me,
The dark, rough surface beneath me
I feel the sidelong stares
Of startled drivers rushing by
Wind catches my messy hair, 
My loose clothing,  my freezing fingers,
I glance back into the room
From which I so timidly emerged
I gaze at the world around me,
Overwhelmed by the speed and the chaos
As large as this feels, I know it is larger
As small as I seem, I know I am smaller
I am not so naive as to hope for a role
That is greater than the part I know I am
Destined and content to skillfully play
My surroundings continue at their usual rate
A blur of momentum and confusion
I observe the world as it always had been
Maybe I am native, perhaps even foolish
I know I am puny, mortal and insignificant
But in this moment I feel I am
Important, invincible,  and nearly infinite
This rooftop feeling is intoxicating,
And looking down I simply cannot get enough

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Writer's Block

Wrapped in blankets, sitting crossed legged in bed,
Surrounded by darkness, checking the time.
Music pumping through low quality headphones,
Like blood pumping through veins.
Reading works of art and writing sad excuses for poetry,
Slowly typing out one cringe-worthy sentence at a time.
At this unreasonable hour, sleep is craved, but unattainable.
Wild, profound, foolish thoughts sneak into consciousness,
They disappear faster than they appear, leaving dissatisfaction.
Switching genres, working on first the short term idea,
Then the long term project, and back again.
Failing, giving up, crawling back, working harder.
Sleep deprived, but hopelessly, pathetically, restless.
Words do not flow so much as seep, and seep they do,
As painfully, and crudely as they possibly can.
Dissatisfied, but worn out, giving in, calling it a night,
Choosing to forget it, release it, unfinished as it may be.
Imperfections and all. Lazily editing, tiredly publishing.


Monday, October 20, 2014

The Last Note

A tingle, a vibration, a voice
It shakes you, your thoughts, everything
It moves through your body
It brings back memories and curiosities
The simple complexity, the sheer perfection
It's all been discovered, it's all been done
Sharper than fear, deeper than pain
Stronger than anxiety and much
More moving than depression
More fulfilling than wonder
It chides you, it intrigues you
It floods you with inspiration
It brightens the worst days
It brings out the you inside of you
Tells a story, calms the storm
Helps you find your personality
Not to be over thought and
Not to be learned, studied, or taught
Simply to be felt, to be heard 
And maybe not to be fully understood
Perhaps better left half in mystery
Not to be revised or changed
But to multiply, to continually create
To be new and different, every time
Every new creation unique
And yet, all the same, all linked
A feeling of awed wonder
As fleeting as the thought, and yet
As eternal as the emotion that it conveys
And with the last note holding out,
It gives you chills and goosebumps
The melodies blending with the harmonies,
The working together of feelings and thoughts
You wish for it never to end, the release,
The escape it provides, is something to hold on to.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Numb

How do you describe a feeling
That cannot be felt
I can sense its filling presence 
It seems like an emotion 
Or perhaps the lack there of
Once again my only language fails me


It's not the same as feeling nothing
And while it does not hurt
It prevents positivity from entering
My life craves happiness
I lack adequate vocabulary
This is not like emptiness


Perhaps this is the way 
And maybe this is right
It shuts out many problems
It gives my mind a rest
But I do not feel like myself
It's as if I am somebody else


I wish to speak with no one
Although the silence is getting eerie 
But I long for our fellowship
And happy memories and thoughts
But even though I miss you 
I can't bring myself to talk


It's like when your hands 
Are frozen and shaking cold
You know when they thaw
That there will be pain
But in spite of this
You warm them up anyway


Because this feeling is not one 
That you'd like to have
The numbness of cold
Could only ever be bad
The unfelt feeling 
Is a feeling all the same


There is never an answer
Nor is there a conclusion
I just pray this numbness
Is not here to stay
Because I believe in the fact
That I cannot live this way




Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Outside

It's difficult here 
Here on the outside
There is a wall between us
One that I cannot break
I cannot climb or jump high enough
Something in there has hurt you
I can't protect you
I can't even see you
This uncertainty is killing me
And there is nothing I can do
For I am stuck 
Stuck on the outside of your wall
I could walk all the way around the world 
There would be no way in
I can't tunnel under for the earth would cave in
This is so hopeless you are still trapped within
The outside is hard but I cannot compare 
I'm sure it is harder whatever you're facing in there
You must have it worse 
This all feels like a curse
Take me instead
They're damaging my friend
This is your fight
I am unable to join you
But when this is all over
I'll be waiting for you
The outside is tough but that's where I am
For the time being I'll do what I can
I'm sorry I cannot be useful much more
I'm waiting out here with needles and thread
For when you come out, you may be torn
I'll sew you up neatly from your toes to your head
I'd do this for you any time my dear friend
And from the outside my love I send




Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Welcome To The World

For those who don't know
I will try to go slow
Just do what you're told
Conforming is gold
Welcome to the world

Where all adults lie
Where teenagers cry
Where small children die
And nobody wonders why

Where kids are victims of rape
Where we cut for an escape
Where we want to end our lives
With our ropes and knives 

Where tears are shed 
Where goodbyes are said
Where it seems we've all lost our heads
Where depression is the monster under the bed

Where we all want to die
Where we never ask why
Where we go with the flow
Where expectations are low

Welcome to the world


Monday, April 14, 2014

The Enemy

She stood still in her silent bedroom
A tear ran down her cheek 
The ruthless words of her mother
The verbal beatings from her father
Still rang in her ears
She stared into the mirror
Her enemy stood before her
Looking straight into her own eyes
She searched herself day and night
Relentlessly striving to understand
What she had ever done wrong
The tears were flowing steadily
She knew not what to do
There was no longer any joy in her life
Her lips had forgotten how to smile
A common thought crossed her mind
I must be a terrible disappointment 
I am useless I am worthless
I am a waste of oxygen
She fell down into bed
She wanted to be dead
With the covers pulled up over her head
She cried herself to sleep