courage
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Shame on you for treating me like dirt,
And for trying to get me to feel hurt.
I am starting to see how miserable you are,
And that you want me to feel the pain of your scars.
You hurt me in ways I can’t even explain,
And now I wish that I never even bothered to ask you your name.
You put me through so much pain,
And just like that, we are back to square one,
Trying to pick up the pieces after the damage has already been done.
I guess to you it was all one big joke,
In the end, I found out you were just playing games,
and you go through girls without even bothering to learn their names.
Here I was thinking that you were different,
If there is something in your life that you don’t like, you can fix it,
As long as you realize that you can never quit.
Even when things get hard, you can’t give in,
Life is always one step forward and two steps back, and that is never going to change,
Whenever you try to change that pattern, it feels a little strange.
Life is always one step forward and two steps back, and that is never going to change,
Whenever you try to change that pattern, it feels a little strange.
After being confused for so long, I started to believe that right person, wrong time was not a thing,
Because there was too much confusion and disappointment that it would bring.
At a certain point, even the nicest people end up needing a break,
Because you are tired of everyone hiding behind a mask and being fake.
Stop rushing what you know your heart truly desires,
Because there is a reason that the dream was planted in you and why it sets your soul on fire.
For the longest time, the bigger person was always me,
And always forgiving people and never being able to see.
How they always took me for granted,
Even though things look bad now, this is not the end,
And you feel like you are making the same mistakes again and again.
You have it in you to keep going,
At this point, it seems like there is nothing left for you to lose,
And you are reminded of everyone of your failures due to every cut, scar, and bruise.
Just like so many other times in your past,
Going after the same goal again and again,
And it feels like no matter what you do, it is never going to end.
That you can’t seem to get it right,
I’m coming for everything they said I would never be able to get,
And I am not going to give up, just because I am not there yet.
The girl that you all know is no longer here,
And while I have your attention, let me make one thing perfectly clear.
That the girl who was once cared too much is long gone,
It’s time to go ghost and just focus on you,
And even though you’re tired, you know what it is that you have to do.
It’s time to focus on the future, and to finally let go of the past,
After being broken for so long, it feels like the pieces are coming together,
Because you were able to keep going, even through the terrible weather.
For the first time in my life, I am not worrying about anyone else,
Because I have taken care of everyone else for so long, and put my own priorities up on a shelf.
This whole time I always felt like I was missing a part of me,
That was preventing me from being who I really wanted to be.
This whole time I was passing along the blame,
I am slowly starting to accept that maybe my path is not going to go how I planned,
Maybe at the end of the day, there will be no one there to hold my hand.
How do you let go of everything that you know?
How do you move on from the past that you know you need to let go?
How do you make yourself okay again after breaking apart for so long?
You know you need to change your habits that shape who you are everyday,
Because deep down you know there is no other way.
Forget you for making me think that I wasn’t good enough,
Forget you for leaving me when you knew I was going through something and things were
tough.
Everyone who knew me before has to get to know me again,
Because the image that you have of me in your head has come to an end.
The girl who once cared about people too much isn’t here anymore,
Just like that, I thought things were going to be different, but in the end they are all the same,
This is a major part of my life, even though to you it is only a game.
It has taken me a long time to realize that is doesn’t matter how long it takes,
Because no one is going to look back and see all of your mistakes.
It has taken me a long time to realize that is doesn’t matter how long it takes,
Because no one is going to look back and see all of your mistakes.
It took me a long time to admit how terrifying this journey is to me,
And how hard it is to let go of my past to become everything I wanted to be.
You seem different, and it feels like you feel the same way that I do,
But I have seen this before, where I felt that those delusions in my head were true.
I am scared that once again, I will be the only one to fall,
You think of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, and it seems like such a beautiful thing.
You don’t think deeply about all of the pain and suffering that change can bring.
After being broken so many times, the pieces never fit together quite the same,
And you want to blame everyone else, but you know that you are the only one you can truly
blame.
This time will not be like the others, and this time I mean what I say,
Because I have already seen it play out, and I will not let it end the same way.
And just like that, you are back to square one,
Feeling like you have nothing left and that you are already done.
But you have been doing this for too long to give it up now,
How do you keep going when you feel so lost?
How much are you willing to sacrifice for what you want? What will be the cost?
How do you keep going when it feels like nothing is going right?
There are going to be times in life when people are going to let you down,
And you will be the only person who will be able to pick yourself up off of the ground.
I am upset with myself because it took me so long,
To realize that I have been approaching the situation completely wrong.
I never understood why it was taking me so long to do this,
Sometimes it feels like that loop is never going to end,
And that you keep living the same day over and over again.
As hard as you try to break those habits, it never seems to stop,
Disappear for a while and allow yourself to remember who you are,
Allow yourself to embrace every single one of your scars.
Remember who you truly are and where you have come from,
You broke me,
And there were so many pieces of myself that I was no longer able to see.
But with every piece that I picked up off of the floor,
I was finally able to close that door.
It can be hard to keep going when your brain is telling you that you aren’t good enough,
And changing those thoughts in your mind is always going to be tough.
And as I look down, I see the blood and tears splattered all over the floor,
Because it seems like every time I try to open it, there is always someone there to close the door.
I never thought I would be here, but here we are,
Finally being able to heal after the heartbreak and all of the scars.
Moving on from you and finally putting you in the past,
Each day I feel myself going further and further away from you,
But every once in a while, you still pop into my mind in everything that I do.
I don’t know why it is so hard for me to let you go,
I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t think it was going to be this hard,
I didn’t think that everything you put me through was going to leave me scarred.
After years of allowing you to take up all of my thoughts and all of my time,
I am finally able to let it go and take back control of what is mine.
Amidst the ash and rubble
heroes stop to cry,
and pray for those who perished
as Old Glory waves nearby.
What can we do to tell them
how proud they make us feel
Just like that, we are back to square one,
Having to start over, because of all of the things that were done.
The things that I went through that I never talked about before,
You breaking my heart was the best thing you could have done for me,
Because now it is my turn to finally focus on everything that I want to be.
After all this time, I finally realized what I need to do,
And that is to let go of everything that I went through.
To finally forgive you after everything that went down,
All of this time I kept blaming myself, wondering why I was never good enough,
But after four years, I finally realized that none of that is true.
I can’t blame myself for what you did to me,
It can be so hard to let go of the past,
Especially when it comes down to something that you were hoping was going to last.
But the only way to move on is to finally let it go,
Last night was the last time that I will allow myself to feel this way,
Because you are no longer going to control my thoughts everyday.
I have finally realized that I can do so much better than you,
And just like that, I don’t have any of the memories anymore,
And it feels like I am one step closer to closing that door.
It was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do,
When it first happened, I thought I would never be able to make it through,
Because everything that I did reminded me of you.
And I thought that I would never be able to love again,
I have moved on, and I have worked so hard to let it all go,
But there are still some things that you don’t seem to know.
And I have all of the memories saved,
And just like that, I was finally able to move on,
And it seems like the memories I have for you are slowly starting to be gone.
It sucks that it took so long for this to finally come true,
The day that I never thought would come is finally here,
And now I am able to see things nice and clear.
That you were nothing special from the start,
And after everything that happened, I realized I need to say thank you,
Because you helped me so much, despite everything you put me through.
It’s officially been one month since the last time that we spoke,
And there are days where I am still trying to pick up the pieces that you broke.
And most days I am doing pretty well,
I feel myself slowly starting to get better everyday,
But every once in a while, it still hurts, and I knew that it was going to be this way.
And I find myself still wishing that you would come back,
I am starting to realize that you know you were wrong,
Because I was giving you what you wanted all along.
You know that she will never treat you better than me,
I have to admit that there are times when you are still on my mind,
But unlike before, it is not like it is happening all of the time.
I found myself smiling yesterday, and it happened to be sincere,
Just when I think that I am starting to feel okay,
Something sets me back, and I find myself crying the next day.
Everything that happened continues to mess with my head,
Just when I started to feel upset, it all started to come true,
That the dreams that I had working for were finally coming through.
I still remember the story that you told me,
About how your mom wanted nothing to do with your dad until they came to be.
How they grew up together, and your mom wanted nothing to do with your dad,
Two weeks to the day was when things ended between you and I,
And I no longer feel the need to sit here and ask myself why.
Why I wasn’t good enough for you, and why I couldn’t be what you wanted,
This whole time I wanted to blame her, but I realized that is something that I would never do,
Because the only person who is to blame in this mess is you.
Waves
One second you are fine, and the next second it hurts again,
Because I don’t even care that I lost you as a lover, but part of me still does miss you as a friend.
So I guess I gave you the benefit of the doubt and I gave you too much credit,
And I wish I could go back to the start of our story and provide it with a few edits.
Can I sit here and say that I am starting to let it go?
Or is this a lie, and it is something that I already know.
During the day I am fine, and then I fall apart most nights,
When we met, things were falling apart,
And you were the only one who was able to help me heal from the start.
When my world was ending, you made me believe in hope and love once again,
So here we are, trying to pick up the pieces of the mess that you made,
And the damage that you caused is going to need a lot more than a band-aid.
Sometimes it takes everything to fall apart, in order for things to start falling back together,
And it may look devastating, but that is the only way that things will ever get better.
I have to keep reminding myself that I knew that this was not going to be an easy task,
And it is simple to keep it together during the day, but lose it at night when you take off your mask.
If you stop now, then what was the point of all of this in the first place?
Because you can't quit now when you are this close to finishing the race.
Even if it seems like there is no finish line in sight,
It always seems as if it is one step forward, and one step back,
And that when things go wrong, it is because of the strength that you seem to lack.
Lately it feels as if everything around me is falling apart,
That I keep reliving the same moments over and over, not knowing how to follow my heart.
I keep it together, and have a smile on my face when others are around,
The older I get, the more I realized that there is nothing more precious than time,
And I have finally realized that I no longer want to waste mine.
The older I get, the more I realized that there is nothing more precious than time,
And I have finally realized that I no longer want to waste mine.
For so long, I cared too much about what people thought about me,
The older I get, the more I realize that there is nothing more precious than time,
And that once I let it go, I can never get back something that is no longer mine.
For too long we've languished in fear,
Our dreams and hopes cast to the side,
Our hearts burdened with doubts unclear,
Our aspirations slowly died.
But now we rise, we raise our voice,
Amidst the chaos and the strife,
When hope seems lost, and fear is rife,
There shines a message, clear and bold,
A message of courage to behold.
It speaks of strength and resilience,
It's funny how life decides to teach you lessons in the hardest way,
And that most of the time, you don't know what else you can do, think, or say.
For the first time in a long time, I am finally starting to feel like me again,
Be brave enough to walk awayAnd don't look backBe brave to say goodbyeBe brave enough to go your wayBe brave not to tell a lie.
Sometimes I feel like I don't give myself the credit that I deserve,
Because I always get back on track when things get tough, when others would not have the nerve.
I have been trying so hard to erase you from my mind,
And I keep reowrking it in my mind that I am fine.
I go through phases, and one day I'm okay and the next day I am falling apart,
Thing always seem to get hard right before the miracles occur,
And sometimes it is easier to wish for things to go back to how they once were.
You really thought I would give you the privilege to stop me,
But you have no idea who I am and the person that I am trying to be.
You so badly wanted to believe that I was broken,
Looking down over the edge, trying to make a not make a tough decision,
Trying to remind myself there there is more too life than this vision.
The thoughts in my head are not true,
I am no longer going to let you get in my head and make me feel like there is something wrong with me,
All because you can't see all of the potential that I have and all of the things that I can be.
I am broken in pieces, sitting behind my bedroom door,
Trying to get myself to pick up the peices of my heart that are scattered all over the floor.
You broke me in ways that I will never be able to understand,
Sometimes, all you can do is hold yourself together and try your best to stay strong,
Even when it feels like everyone is against you and that everything you are doing is wrong.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is let go of what you know is no good for you,
But, even though it is the best, it is also the hardest thing that you have to do.
For far too long now, I have been letting people get in my head and try and bring me down,
But I am finally at the point where I am taking back control, and I am turning it all around.
I always thought that if you were the one to back down, it meant that you couldn't take it,
And that if you were the one who chose to walk away, all it really meant that you decided to quit.
I am not going to lie, sometimes it is hard to be a good person,
Because everything that is going on around you can cause you to worsen.
When you are going through something, it can be very easy to turn cold,
Do you ever get scared of not knowing what you are capable of?
And this can be in every aspcect in your life; whether it be work, school, goals, or even love?
Sometimes, we have to be brave to say hello, To a neighbor or a stranger who won't respond.At times, we have to wave at the ducks in the pond, Without being sprayed with spittle or water of coco. Sometimes, we bow our head to greet a teacher, A pr
As I have gotten older, I realized a couple of things about who I am,
And that is that I tend to leave a lot of how I feel about myself to other people, but I am really tired of giving a damn.
I always thought that being alone was a sad thing,
But that was before I knew about all the joy that it could bring.
As time has gone on, I have gotten more and more used to being alone,
Once before, I thought I was in love, but I soon realized that this was not true,
And I was questioning if I ever would feel it for you, but that was until I met you.
Sometimes things don't always work out the way that we had planned,
And sometimes these things that are falling apart start to get you, and it gets to the point where you feel like you can't even stand.
Sometimes moving on can be one of the scariest things that you force yourself to do,
But it is the only way that you can move on and try to see things through.
There is nothing more confusing about trying to figure out what is going on with love,
And that it is not always written out in black and white when push comes to shove.
It took me a long time to realize that no matter what you do, you can not please everyone,
And that you will only drive yourself crazy trying to accomplish this because it is a task that will never be done.
It took me a long time to realize that there is only so much that you can blame others for,
And that if you want to change your life, it is up to you to be the one to close that door.
It always seems as if things come to you when you aren't looking for anything to occur,
And when things get hard, it can be very easy to keep longing for the way that they once were.
You tried your best to break me,
You thought you could shake me.
You wanted to try and fight me,
You thought you had defeated me.
You thought you had me knocked down,
It hurts so much
That I now fear nothing
It hurts so much
That I revisited everything
Under the noon
It took me a long time to realize that the thing that is keeping you going is not always something that you are able to see,
And that even when everyone else is against you, you can not allow them to deter you from who you want to be.
No matter what life decides to put you through, it is up to you to keep going,
And even when it seems like you can't keep going, moving forward is what is going to help you to keeo growing.
It took me a long time to realize that sometimes you have to completely fall apart to beome the best version of you,
And that even though you try so hard to control it, there is only so much that you can do.
It took me a long time to realize how much holding on to the past destroys you,
Because you never allow yourself to see things from another point of view.
It took me a long time to realize how much holding on to the past destroys you,
Because you never allow yourself to see things from another point of view.
I have never really been a person to really enjoy when it was Spring,
Because I never really sat back and thought about all of the changes and the beauty that it can bring.
It took me a long time to realize that we all have things in our pasts that we are not proud of,
But in a strange way, maybe these hard times are actually gifts that are sent from above.
God give me the serenity I do not deserve.
A luxury bought with the blood of those who came before me.
Give me the peace that comes from a privilege I did nothing to earn.
And tell me I am loved
For the first time that I can recall, this is theI knew deep down in my heart that the decision that I was making was the right one,
Even though everyone was telling me that there was no hope and that I needed to be done.
It's so funny how it seems like everytime I tell you that I am doing something, you are suddenly doing it too,
But the only difference is that everytime you start something, you never seem to see it through.
Why is it that our minds try to convince us that the worst is going to come true?
And that even when you try to convince yourself other wise, it doesn't seem to work, no matter what you do.
We are going to dig to bury our dead:
Mother, father, sisters and brothers,
Uncles, aunts, friends and strangers.
For the longest time I kept blaming myself, trying to figure out what was wrong with me.
Why was I never goo enough for anyone? Was there something wrong with me that I wasn't able to see?
wrestling with evilwear complete suit of armor~ conquer with courage.rescued from onslaughtlies and misinformation~ loins girded with truth.safeguarding our heartsresisting the evil day
I have never been one that was actually able to say that I love who I am,
I would always allow people to treat me like crap, and I always pretended that I didn't give a damn.
How do you win the same battle when you don't think that you have anymore fight?
And when it seems like you have to give up because it seems like you can't do anything right?
Haïti, Haïti, Haïti, la Terre des MartyrsHaïti, Haïti, le Pays des Grands EsclavesHaïti, Haïti, la Terre des Anciens BravesLa Terre que maints truands veulent trahir.
Why is it that it is so easy to forgive other people, but we I have such a hard time forgiving me?
That I give myself one chance to get something right, but I give others two chances; sometimes I even give them three.
For the first time in a long time I am writing about being alone, but not in my usual way,
Usually when I talk about being alone, it is in a negative way, and it leaves me with only sad things to say.
You know when it finally hits you and you get tired of your own bullshit,
And it becomes too much and all you can think about is how bad you want to quit?
I have come to realize that at the end of the day, nothing is going to change.
I don't know why it took me so long to realize that the way everyone was acting was strange.
Staring in the sky
In this deep blue eve,
Thinking once again
Of those past gone days.
Old patches still hurt my heart
Scared pain threatens my way
Oh am trapped in mysterious world.
It seems like every time that I start to do good, there is always something that gets in the way,
And no matter how hard I try, it seems like I end up failing, and I have to restart everyday.
Why does it always seem like it is one step forward and ten steps back?
It makes me sit and wonder, what are the skills that I seem to lack?
Deep down I know that this is what I want and that my life can be improved,
Why is it that we always want what we don't have?
Why is it that what is avilable to us is never good enough?
Maybe we are a society of people who fixate too much on chaning everything,
It's so insane to think that we can hear one word and allow it to change our whole mood,
And in many cases when you start to finally take care of yourself, people decide to tell you that you are being rude.
"*THROUGH* _ALL THE_ *BULLSHITS*"
*_whenever it feels so tiring, when it seems the world is smashing down after a cloudburst, of course even through all the bullshits._*
Shifting shallows, Shifting shadows
in the shallow deep
Salt from my soul seeps through to swim with her
sadness...
Why do some people make it seem like when we flip the calendar everything is going to change,
Because, to me, the thought of doing that has always been kind of strange.
I can't tell if the voices in my head or the voices in my ears are the ones that are bringing me down,
I am someone who is always positive, and these voices that won't stop are the ones that are turning this around.
Some people may tell me that I am crazy, but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to let you go,
The simple things
She wished on little things
Fine things, good things
Honestly just something
Something to help with the fighting
Give a little power to the lightning
More stamina to the running
Most times
people
condone a torn
book 📙
because it has
no
cover. However
it's contents
could heal
the world. Meanwhile a
fancy
backed book 📙
may likely
Sometimes I get so lost in my own thoughts that I don't know what to do,
My brain is telling me that I need to move on, but my heart only has feelings for you.
I started this job ready to focus on my work and not fall in love with someone that I have to see everyday,
But it didn't take long for me to get excited to see you daily, and sturggle to find the right words to say.
Confidence has never been a feeling explored by me.
Employed by me to heal from the hurt in me, by others, and by me.
Feels good to know that my reflection is a friend to me, no longer my enemy.
My spirit emanates positive vibes through me. Good nature so pure it shines bright for all to see that its a genuine part of me.
No one said that this was going to be easy, but it is something that you know you have to do,
And when you first embark on this journey it can be difficult because you do not have a clue.
One of the most important things that I have been told is to believe in your journey even when no one else can,
And it took me a long time to realize that no one else has to believe in you if you are your own biggest fan.
I have never been someone who would accept it when someone tells them no,
Because I believe that when things get tough, that is when you learn the most and you grow.
Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between optimism and reality,
And it can be hard to be able to persevere when it feels like those dreams are getting harder and harder to see.
Push comes to shove
Paper to pen
Tears leave my cheek
Feeling the ocean's waves of emotion again
Sitting in the dark pit of my room
I look up at the ceiling
When I realized
I was that person who always hid in the background and let life pass me by,
And I never put myself out there because I was always too scared and shy.
It's funny how in the past couple of years my life has turned around,
thumbs
running circles around each other
take a break from pulling heartstrings.
i graze your veins
feeling every jolt of electricity pulsing through them.
Why is it so hard to get better when that is what you really want to do?
Some days it is easy, and other days it is so hard that the thought of being in control is something that you can't do.
If I were a leaf on a tree..oh how would I leave ..me
leaving me..would make me laugh..leaving for you..
you think.. you ask...no says I to me...you know..
leaving for free..says me..right now..I would leave me..
In times like this, it is easy to feel scared and alone,
When you have no idea what's going on in the outside world because you are stuck at home.
With your loved ones so far away,
Life becomes mere existence
when you're mercilessly deprived
of everything for which you've hoped
and dreamed and worked and strived.
When all your dreams are shattered
like shards of daggered glass
As I open my left eye
I see a dark sky representing
All the friends and opportunities I have lost
All because of a dark cloud hovering over my mind,
As I open my right eye,
I see a bright blue sky,
I'm a voice for those who have no choice
they surrounded hounded by demons
when I found them
I called out their name
I released their inner pain
by speaking about mine
with no shame
Little one, tire no more
Sing the song of war
Command the hounds at your feet
Soft eyes, cry and cry
The mind has a funny way of playing tricks on you,
Even though you have it planned in your head what you want, your mind still takes over and tells you what to do.
“Drum Major, is your band ready?”
A booming voice said over the intercom of the stadium,
I turn around on my conducting ladder, facing the judges and the crowd, and out of me shouts the words,
Clouds, the molecules within them
like crystal beads of regret.
They left one another alone for too long
and they cried themselves into a snowstorm.
The sight of those fires
Seeking air in their confines
Gives a reflection
Elsewhere, far from themselves
Those who lost their light
And constantly struggle
To shine regardless
When the rain falls on to the asphalt
And petrichor smells erupt,
I'll remember the cloudy days spent in my room,
My mind full of inspirations and ambition
To create a beautiful painting.
One thought starts a dream,
One smile sooths the soul,
One good deed starts a flame
One word can change a heart.
To the dreamer who's dream-
Has expanded my nation,
To the dreamer who's dream-
Graceful she is, winking at my every thought.
Sheltered by her shadow, she comforts me.
Her reassuring faces,
Her beam of life,
She is infinite.
Valiant she will always be,
I smile, I laugh and I cry,
but who am I?
I eat, I walk and I jump,
but who am I?
I dance, I sing and I sleep,
but who am I?
I talk, I shout and I bath,
but who am I?
I suddenly have difficulty breathing as my throat begins to close,
Everyone around me is looking at me, but no one here fully knows.
That being in an unconventional environment is a trigger for me,
I stay up at night
why am I always in fright
I try my best to succed.
but it never goes right.
I lost someone dearest
I never stay fearless
I live in a game, taking the blame
Dedicated to all victims of bullying, which include girls & boys of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds. (That includes me too.) "You can beat a bully without using your fists!"
I felt a monster climb its way up my throat
Choking on tears, I watched my hands tremble
My breath shortened & I felt powerless
I dry gagged & finally heaved
"The monster won," I'd quote.
My cries awoke me to harsh lights, unfamiliar hands, and cold Placed in my mom's arms, at peace, curled up and consoledRunning, and hiding, and balls flying, the world was mine, I was told
I should have realized from the start.
That your powerful words of discrimination are tearing me apart.
Favoritism for my white cousin are abundantly clear.
Compliment's galore you gifted them year after year.
I was nine
When I found out my father
Was deploying to Iraq
Anger
Confusion
Fear
Clouded my mind
There’s something in the water
Just below the surface
Every time I look away it glimmers.
A gentle splash
Lapping of water on the hull of my leaky boat.
Like a flower bright and tall
Surrounded by weeds
But shines and never hides
Making it through
Being pulled down to doom
You stiff my breath
Make my throat go numb
I can’t say a word
And you want me say a lot
Why do you have such cruel inflictions on me?
Is my soul not enough for you to keep
You stiff my breath
Make my throat go numb
I can’t say a word
And you want me say a lot
Why do you have such cruel inflictions on me?
Is my soul not enough for you to keep
The pain he leaves you with
is not your identity.
You are not what he said you are
and “crazy”,
Change is what scares me the most.
But being afraid of something that is constant,
Worrying over the what-ifs, and the “what’s next?”
Will only create a scarier effect.
So I travelled exactly 7,403 miles from home.
How hard is it to breathe?
When your mind is not at ease?
In a sense you think you're fine, try to hold it in inside.
You affirm yourself, "I got this".
But you're not the kind who's reckless.
Fear tells you to stand where you are.
Don't move.
What if I want to get somewhere?
Well you have to take a step out there.
Can I tell you something?
It's quite important
But I mean no alarm so, actually I'll say it's not
We haven't talked in a while
It's time I tell you this thing
Oh you're kind of busy?
I am supposed to be Anne Frank
But I just feel like myself, pretending
I did not think that I would have been able to feel all of these eyes on me when I signed up for this.
There it is
The Door.
You know the one
You pass it every single day
This time, though
You stop and look
Just briefly
I had a phobia of words;
Not the monster under my bed.
This terror lived inside me
Up inside my head.
It ate my thoughts for breakfast
Asked for seconds
Then for thirds
Concealing the unknown
Stealing sight
Hiding who-knows-what
In the night, is
The Dark.
The Dark that lies across the land
That pools beneath the bed
That stretches at the edge of light
Shuddering breaths, an exhale in each step
Even for a text message, my breath trembles
Planning out my goodbyes
To a friend, once cherished
Fear,
Such a silly word.
Courage,
Something I never had.
Living and breathing,
Never doing as I pleased.
Terrified to speak,
Always weak in the knees.
Never knew how to say,
—she sits alone, never
reaches out to the people
around her—she would
rather suffer than speak up
—she never throws anything away
(she keeps treasures in her room,
Expectations and warnings
Consider carefully the beginnings
Every action has consequence
Every inaction is opportunity
Slipped
Away.
Oh, I’m brave
So courageous
I love to live outrageous
Someone once asked me why a reader would write.
Why, when the bookshelves have run out of space?
Why, when there is nothing new under the sun?
You are indeed an awesome enchanting giftPlease stop walking in a field of griefLife's sometimes wicked and full of prejudiceBut remember you're lovely amidst these tumult and hasteOur life isn't always a happy feast
When you choose sadness to take over the depths of your heartThen you let doubts and anxieties prevail over joyAnd when you opt to have your smile vanish in a whirlwind of fear
Courage and strength in the midst of her fear
Disguises her feelings, though she woke up in tears
Uneven, rocky, and rough her journey will be
Winding and long her roads are temporarily
It's there.
Sitting in the corner of my mind.
Waiting for me to weaken.
I'm sick and tired.
It strikes when my insecurities are left bare.
Leaving me to search and find.
Don´t stop
Don´t drop
Keep goin on
even when live
tries to strive
after luck
don´t you see it looks like a Puck
Don´t stop
Don´t drop
there is an answer
i
lonesome and awake
watching the lighthouse swing
beams scanning cowards
through bedroom windows
foreboding dawn of a red planet
universe of hopeless
I'm so sick of the justice system being so "just us." My people constantly locked in or locked out. Blissful ignorance chose by so many with white skin. So many could care less, and still others choose to ignore and block out...oh so careless.
I had lost something
Lost at sea it was not
I set sail but all I found were people lost
Some were following a captain
Their actions commandeered by one voice
But many were by their lonesome
Thank you for helping me,
I was in doubt and could not see,
Potential was always there,
But I was too stuck on how life was not fair,
The best Aunt anyone could ask for,
“Don’t fear the dark” is what I was told
I sit in bed covers to chin covered fully
I look left and right playing Look-See
I am sweating and shaky, I don’t know why
My room is dark as I lay with the shadows
Everyone has to go through a struggle
Potential pitfalls will try to deter you
Do not ever give up
Keep your head up and guide your way through
Darkness initially may surround you
I took a poetry class
for the first time
when I was 21
in my last year of college.
And it felt
like the first time I swam
when I was seven
on the last day of swim class.
Whisper here, Whisper there,
I heard you whisper in his ear,
Told him the gossiper's word,
With the forbidden glare.
The hallway, a lounge,
The lockers, full of the smoky words of cold hounds.
So close I could almost taste it.
Yet, all along, I knew I'd be scared to face it.
The thing I'd been chasing
The one I'd been craving.
Yeah, I'm scared to face it. It's a paradox
A pandora's box
So close I could almost taste it.
Yet, all along, I knew I'd be scared to face it.
The thing I'd been chasing
The one I'd been craving.
Yeah, I'm scared to face it. It's a paradox
A pandora's box
freedom
freedom to release every loud thought that you believe is screaming at you
courage
courage to rawly drench these pages with pain, with joy, in solitude
no perfection lives here
My beloved is like Jonah;
He's been in the belly of the Beast.
Once the whale had thought him dinner,
Jonah was quickly freed.
My beloved is like Matthew;
Imprisoned, though not to blame.
It has taken a lot of courage to make it through my first year in college, but I made it.
I’ve remained determined and I will continue to work my goal to become a director of movies
In her tattered notebook,
She finds solace.
The yellowing crinkled pages aboard a vessel, tucked away behind a cabin door.
Much like herself, the faded treasures she hides have yet to wash ashore.
I keep staring at a blank paper like I have no feelings.
I feel like I have no words to say anything about that’s happened these last few days.
I remember her hands gripping to the wheel,
An ice covered windshield,
The snow outside as thick as steel,
She was afraid, but could not yield.
Maybe it was the cold,
Counting the Costs but still-
Stepping Out into the crowd and-
Undertaking what may seem impossible;
In a moment of weakness,
deep and harsh and full
of terror, Courage is
hiding. It hides from
kings, emperors; even
the holy men of Rome
Conversation with strangers
Young man with eyes so green,
with stories on your sleeves
Was it love and pain,
Or the thrill of freedom
Dear unknown
Reserved,
Conversation with strangers
Young man with eyes so green,
with stories on your sleeves
Was it love and pain,
Or the thrill of freedom
Dear unknown
Reserved,
A rare species
So hard to find
Someone to stick up
for themselves
and others
ones with courage
have gone
If we are delicate,
Why do others delight in our frailty
If we are innocent,
Why do others relish in our misjudgement
If we are kind,
A toe balanced on a wire as thin as reality, a fine veneer
set over something we can’t bear to imagine
The universe swirls
around, unknowing and uncaring, infinite
Who knows what will be in futureIt is said its the mystery of life Imagine if you knew what's tomorrowThen, why would you fight?
Hi, my name is Kai and I am gender-fluid.
Well, that's not what my birth certificate says
But it's who I am nowadays.
I enjoy living in my own fantasies.
A place in my mind where I can be anything.
Dear-heart,
There is so much that I would tell you,
Yet so much that I cannot
You know I love my words,
Trudge through the mud
and the rain.
No rest for the weary
No rest from the pain
Lights and the shadows
play tricks on my brain
And my heart is strained
against a Thick rusted chain.
Holding a gun to my head,
Despite facing the consequence of ending up dead,
A fear that comes to mind,
For moments earlier I were too blind,
They caught me off guard on a normal weekday afternoon,
They matched your smile when I first saw it come through,
They danced and sparkled when you laughed at my expense;
Bravery in the face of danger
Courage in a foreign land
Your selflessness in service
As strong and united you stand
For the old as with the young
Both loved ones and those unknown
Perfectionism
We never fully satisfy it
Thoughts of self compassion make it cringe
Often it deceives
Faultfinding limits our potential
Cuts off love and belonging in life
So scratch that-be free
I hope
I hope
I hope
That someday
I will not be afraid
No
I hope
That I will be afraid but able
The brightest rose in the ground
The most majestic of flowers
Stood taller than the tallest man
With a mighty stance.
It’s leaves stretched from sea to sea
With green of speckled frog.
You say I was quiet, and shy way back then.
I was little and it’s hard to remember, but when
I think about it, I really did stay
To myself, hidden behind you, without much to say.
Im here to tell you a couple things.
1. Life isnt easy.
It never meant to be easy.
2. There are always better people than you.
There will always be competition
3. There will always be people worse than you.
The world is kind to let you pick your own poison
Misery holds you underwater like an anchor
Courage seeps through our skin, burning us alive
Truth is a deadly pillow with a silver lining
One step forward
Two steps back
Is this ever true
One move closer
Two backtracks
Creates new paths for you
One truth found
Two lies learned
The blood, sweat and tears she lay,
as she smiles from day to day.
Sweet as flowers of a rose,
Bitter than a lemon that grows.
Clear as the blue skies and birds that flew,
but little did she knew.
If the only thing to fear is fear itself
I find it funny that I'm so scared to be
Courageous.
I am most scared when no one expects me
to stand up.
"It was a pleasure to burn."
Those were the words
that I begged for my soul
For my heart
My bones
My lips to utter truly,
Truly.
That fire,
Was killed by a dying mother,
Pessimism creeped through every crevice of my soul
constantly my head was down negativity had a hold,
My mind was a whirlwind of emotions
spiraling so deep as if I conceived the ocean,
~ Walls of Flesh ~ Life isn't just what is seen in a pretty picture,But the secrets buried from within the walls of our flesh, and hidden deep inside, Intellectually we stand tall, body held strong by the back bone of our pride, While we battle th
Inhale.
Fingers tucked under the hem of my dress,
Heart echoing the clapping enveloping my ears
I want to disappear.
trigger touch
to end a life
throw a punch
or grab a knife
but why tell me why?
is it so you feel alive?
or is it because you hate goodbyes?
well look me, look into my eyes
It's inevitable.
We all shout, cry, scream, and drown in our dark thoughts
But it's how we decide to fight those moments that makes us unique,
Me-
I go back in time.
Outpourings of my soul
Pathways to my mind
Overflows of my heart
Portraits of the “real me” inside
Desire and dream dancing oh so freely
Fear and pain relenting as they lose secrecy
We fall we get back up
We crawl we learn to walk
We sing we let out sorrow
We revolt we change the outcome
I’m just a normal girl
Whether it’s from my blood or my actions
You sat next to me not knowing if I would be the right one for you
Where our voice cannot reach
Poetry is the bridgework
We write what we cannot say out loud
And our voices are deafening
thing is im weak so I fall to my knees I beg to you God please oh please help me I need your strength to help fight this painyou are my light that guides the night I beg to you God please oh please help me give me wisdom give me peace walk w/ me
Over all of the pain and sorrow
We will overcome
We have to stay strong and believe that the world can be altered
Once in a while things will get tough, but we have to stand tall and be judicious
this is the day
the one single day
on its own its not much
but maybe thats the point
it doesn't have to be much
I mean we don't remember days
we remember moments
and not every moment either
the monster in my dreams
who is it who tortures me?
with no answer to my plea
a silent scream I will release
because of what I see,
in these grusome scenes
I am wishing they would cease
If you had asked me a couple months ago the question “What is the one thing or one person you could not live without,” I would have answered, without hesitation or doubt in my mind.
I would have told you it was him.
Haikus
Inside, there is war.
The heart and mind, They quarrel.
Like kindred beings.
Fell between the cracks.
Shortcomings, All too common.
You are the cartographerAnd I, the compass roseYour maps show where we've already beenBut there are other places still to go
Drip-drip, pitter-patterA steady pace to punctuate a thoughtTurns to a down-pour with a crack of thunderAnd a single thought becomes a roar
I fall on my knees picking up my papers,
not wanting to lose another in case it’s important.
I am shoved back down this time hitting my head against the fountain.
Pitying myself and wondering what offense I made
Beauty in you.
We are all human beings.
Beauty is what is all underneath
No makeup to hide the shame that is inside
We all make mistakes,but we have to still try
Fight to believe, dream, and achieve
There is no courage, nor doubt
That comes to mind within this cloud
What i thought was not right, nor mind uncluttered
There is some courage within the hand
And sitting in the palm, leaping off the fingers
When faced with judgment,Who will you be?Fight or flight?We shall see.
Dance in the wind,Or be crushed in the mud?Will you fly,Or be doused in the blood?
Tap, tap, tap
Or rather, thud, thud, thud
Lub-dub, lub-dub
The throbbing beat in my chest
Uncontrollably echoing the chime of the unknown
Reminding me of what I have to lose
I sit in the warm ambience of the lodge,
staring at a pane of glass,
The thin yet impervious margin
between activity and immobility
No sounds penetrate its transparent surface
"Ok
did that word escape my lips again
Afaid
When did I start with just pretend
Relief
Is there none here now for me?
Believe
I'm strong enough with Him
Courage
"A fall from heights
A stray dog bite's
A single light
A slave girl's right's
None of these matter
If there's no happy ever after
But these thing we are
And these things we were
"Anger, Wisdom, Regret, Pain,
They think my life is just a game
I can't stand another minute
But if I fold now I'll be defeated
Their torture stings like a thousand knives
But I can't trust these awful lies
The time has come my friends,
for stories to be told
for bridges to be sold
and hearts grow cold.
Dark caresses
between sweet fingers.
These smoke rings I blow
shatter the crisp clean air.
It doesn't peel away, but I can take it off
It makes me feel beautiful
But I can wipe it with a cloth.
Compliments from boys all day
Somehow boosts my confidence, but
It's not me, It's my mask they see
To be fearless is to be reckless, to have courage is to have fear and push past it...
we're dead while living.
we're living
but not breathing
we were alive
before being born,
we grow without growing
we see without seeing
we hear
but not everything
we know
You have no idea how badly i hurt, how much pain i endure when my anxieties and fears pulse through my blood…
How easy it seems to just let them out, it only costs an inch of flesh…
I look at you with memories flashing through my mind
Those days we used to smile and laugh
Those days we'd play on the slide
My mind shutters through the memories the one's you don't seem to remember
However, on land, meager men
of might remain (to the most of my mere knowledge)
who, after boldly battling brawling beasts and
daring dangerous deeds, would be doubly daring when
It's easier to be lost then found.
I've been alone for so long,
I forget how to interact with others,
I feel wrong.
With all my attempts i wonder if I'll ever stop trying to be seen.
Fortitude.
It is a word I have grown accustomed to.
Fortitude.
Next to it, my God given name is found.
Strength is embedded in my shoulders proudly supporting this determined head of mine
I am but a shadow of light.
I am darkness, but He is white.
He is my strength in the storm,
My courage when I am worn.
The shadow that is me
Haunts, creeps, and begs me to flee.
When a person looks at themself,
all they see is the skin and all the basic features-
eyes, ears, mouth, hair (or lack thereof).
That's it.
That's all.
And, that mentality in itself is a shame.
Growing up I was insecure and had a lot of fears,
Coming from a city that was build on music and cars
Eventually being deprived and ruined by the men in the city.
To me its like i was the city,
I was Detroit!
Beauty is never a careful color
Its an angry amber, a vibrating violet
Courage is never a planned step
Its a shaky bridge, a broken ankle
Truth is never a smile and a wink
Its a broken dream, a sober triumph
No matter what I write
Behind the screen of doubts
A mental prison of night
Obscured by the formidable shouts
Where does courage go when we don't use it for too long?
It flutters off,
It drains out of my being.
Everyday I don't touch it, it pulls back.
It feels the same way I feel:
Alone.
Never gone,
Voice your opinion be heard
Your silence is death
But its only killing you
Born with a purpose
Have nothing to lose
Only to gain
Respect at the end
Not from the contribution itself
For every bated breath you took,For every shudder that you made,For every time you felt that pain.
A baby, not even a moment oldIts story is unwritten, clean, untoldGrows into a child, encouraged to fulfill his dreamsJust be sure to fit within society’s scheme
Dear boy with the alluring smile,
Thank you for taking away my trust once again:
You get judged every day
People dont know your pain
What you gain people suck away
Selfconfidence starts to drain
It is hard to make it through the day
I cant believe my eyes
My Love, did you know?
The sound of your voice was and is sweet and so sincere.
The taste of your lips was and is sentimentally divine.
Your touch gave me astonishing goose-bumps.
And I wrote these thoughts down in my head
Where they would never be spoken of again
Until the findings of a fragile mind erupt in time
And space, gathering the courage to be
Ordinary.
Is what we are without all the excess
Is what the world looks like day to day
She told me "you will not be much of anything,
People just look right through your frail bones
You will never make much of a difference because
You will end up very cold naked afraid alone
Every day, millions of us take a deep breath before stepping out that front door. We take a deep breath before walking up to our friends, talkign to new people, putting on that smile.
For the misfourtuane
Of the fortunate
Is that they live
Within their shell of a life
And the foutuane
Of the misfourtunate
Is that they live
Like it will be
The last day
Of their life
Leigh Duncalf
February 15th, 2015
Power Poetry Slam Scholarship
What I Carry
I carry the crushing weight of Responsibility.
We met in the summer of eighth grade
you didn’t knock on my door for a civilized visit
you slammed into me like a high-speed train on adderall
made me forget to breathe &
forget to want to breathe
Waking up every morning, I take a look in the mirror in my room.
She stares back at me, that girl on the glass.
Her eyes have much to say, yet they remain ever so gloom.
Is she waiting…hoping for a chance?
Flaws and all I will continue to stand tall, because after all... I am beautifully flawed.
When I look into the mirror , I see smooth brown skin , sharp eyes, a button nose
It is never easy
but its what I am
BRAVE
i get dirty, but feel no shame
i get hurt, but I get back on
on a bull i bull I ride
one girl one beast
hearts race, crowds cheer
In a male dominated society
It is hard to be a woman
You have to do things quietly
Only to be proven
a fool,
Trying to act politely
Thinkin it makes you look cool
From day to day we fight to see the beauty behind thee,
these cuts we cover dust to find the strength within the idea of we,
anger leads to failure to go where we strive to be,
denial of hope in the beauty we do not see,
When I stood in front of the crowd,
I wanted to run, but my voice wavered,
my hands shook.
When I stood in front of the crowd,
I wanted to cry like I did when I was child,
You're 6 years old, hand out the window as the car is moving fast, you feel strong.
But, that innocent feeling won't last very long.
Just now 13, looking in the mirrir, at every flaw you can see.
As we walk on this world
Full of anger and hate
Nos vemos nosotros getting dirty of it
De lejos venimos to look for a dream
Un sueño, that makes us forget what really exists
I am a Fertile Woman
No
I am Free
Smart
Small and big
A giant in the mind
A penny in person
I am an athlete of the brains race
I am not like the others.
I am not just another soul.
I have a heart just like the rest,
but it's beat is all its own.
Social media and concern for self-image has created an insane craze,
Look at me,
What do you see?
A girl, definitely no size three.
Speak to me,
What do you hear?
A christian girl that's got no fear.
Yell at me,
What do I say?
It’s a Monday morning, and I am fed up.
My teacher babbles on and on
in his nasally, monotone voice,
versing the same damn elementary rhetoric
I have heard all my life.
He presents Grade Point Average
Faith is never an easy entity to face.
What does it look like?
Does it have two eyes?
No eyes at all?
Faith is walking when everyone tells you there’s no ground.
Father sent to jail
locked behind bars in a cell
hit moms up said she had to pay bail
On a false battery charge
police up in the yard
and my pops was pissed
Afraid to ask for counselAfraid of what they'll sayAfraid of being torn againAfraid of being away
Steady is not my emotionsSteady is not my heartSteady like the wind which isSteady not from the start
Has anyone ever looked in the mirror and said:
“I feel courageous today”
Chances are you haven’t, but that’s totally okay
Now is when I challenge you to do just that
Some words will never be heard, but it doesn’t mean that they will go unsaid.
It is in the speaking of the word, not the hearing, that the word comes alive.
Do not be confused, who I am is what you see. But perhaps what's more confusing, is it really me? Everyone wears a mask. Some people, on their faces to hide their identity, but most on their hearts, hiding what they truly feel.
I want to do ballet.
NO. You’re not flexible enough.
I want to do beauty pageants.
NO. You’re not near attractive.
Ok.
I’ve made six A’s and one B this quarter.
An experimental poem…
I asked professor for the color of blue
Professor told me of the color of you
Blue.
Bruises on your tongue from speaking of the truth
Everyday when I wake up I think about the choices I will make ahead.
By turning on my light will I make someone else uncomfortable.
I work a job that could have belonged to someone else.
Walking down this road I called home
Thinking of all my dreams that seem so far to reach
My mind and heart whispers courage but reality seems to crush my dreams
As the stars glowed in the night sky,
All she wanted to do was fly,
But something was holding her back,
Tears drip from a dark, weary cloud
Soaking the world in a wet darkness
Dampening the spirits of the grass and the trees
So even the sun has it’s head bowed.
As the water falls below
It depresses the people
Often times my father will say,"whats with this generation today?"And I'll stop and think about what we've donethat is so goddamned bad
Obviously the foriegn warscorruption in the state
Poetic essay
Before I write a poem,
I think.
Every day,
A child is born from imagination.
Every night,
A child is put to sleep inside inspiration.
Chemistry makes my brain cells popNot knowing is what makes me rock.Like a stone that will grow no mossI must push to let others know my thoughts
Tell me do you think I am blind?To the continuous jabs from mankind?Or maybe you would like to just keep me behindIn step with those composed and confinedIn a world where equality is so restricted and unkind.
This is for you: mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, friend,
Teacher with a grimace:
“Never, she never pays attention in my class.”
“We’re sorry we’ve taken her to see a specialist”
Why?
Who am I?
Look, I know who I’m not
I’m not some hot shot, not a cheerleader, not one of those students that acts like a teacher, not a nerd, I think all these cliques are absurd
Where do I fit in?
My Mind is of the Forest, wide and everlasting,
Yet subtle in its dominance; its same frailty—
At Wind’s command the Trees do bow
Society is a mess
We have boys turning into men
In a society that says
It's alright to be disrespectful
It's alright to be sexist
It's alright to be rude to women
They're told we don't deserve respect
When I was eight, I tried to hand my crush a cookie
he stared at it and said, "do blacks make their cookies different?"
I stared at his bright freckled hand and fire glazed hair
A group of girls rule the school
They always create gossip and fear
They always seem to be very cruel
Every time he leaves she blames herself
So she thinks she has to change herself
Some fundamental part of her identity.
She may change her wardrobe or get a new piercing
"Nadia, here is some cash for you to go back to school with...I love you, do great... make me proud, you can do whatever you want in life".
"Hey Nad, I love you, happy birthday".
Courage.
It takes courage to take the first step.
It takes courage to imagine yourself doing something daring.
It takes courage to speak words you don't want to.
It takes courage to express your inner thoughts.
Believe in yourself s you can
Evolve and
Laugh at the things that use t caue you pain so you can
Inspire other do the same and
Engage awih them to be
Vivid and detrmined cause it'll than
Left and right I see a place to fall,
holding tight I suffer through it all.
God grant me courage,
God grant me wisdom.
To break this world's mighty wall,
I'll come running when you call.
Close eyes, see your dreams
Close mind, feel our beams
Hover night, why it is so long
One shake, one shiver
The night, will be cold
Inisght, none will be seen
Tickle Tickle Tickle
It’s not a no, it’s not a yes, it’s a maybe.
I’m not mad at you for giving me that answer.
I understand, you are the teacher assistant, and I am only a student.
Next semester you said.
A woman who is merely beautiful is boring
A woman who is beautiful, intelligent, courageous and powerful
is more along my cup of tea.
I am excited whenever I see her.
I am influenced with her every speech.
Life allows choices..
You can be productive and impactful.
You can do nothing and be ignored.
The choice is yours alone.
Impact. Are you ready?
Take the step, find the courage, welcome the challenge...
When I was eighteen, I had my first anxiety attack.
Alone.
In my room.
11 PM
Crying, gasping, my heart felt like it was going to die.
I wish someone had told me when I was thirteen
“Don’t forget how to make these explosions, you’ll miss them later”
“Don’t let people ignore you because you’re young”
If I could gain the courage, I’d learn how to change myself. Not because I think there’s something wrong with me, but because I know that I can become better.
It would be so easy
to slide under that boundary line.
I would be so happy
if I could ever, make you mine.
When we touched
we could hesitate to move.
When we hugged
Sometimes I can't breathe
When you're walking next to me.
Sometimes you just have to take a chance
and just say 'Hello'.
You smile at me and I smile back,
One day I sat wilted
On the edge of the drying pond
Reed stalks cracked under summer’s heavy
Breath
Burnt earth quivered
With reflected heat
Blue sky wavered
Make your words count.
That’s what they tell us day in and day out.
Somehow, I think I’ve taken this a little too far.
I overthink what I want to say to the point where
The time for saying it has passed.
How do you?
How do you wake up every morning?
How do you get ready for another day like yesterday?
Sapphire horizan along the dark green trees
Diamonds in the sky above the world, above me
The music of night, the rustle of leaves
A chill in the air a bite in the breeze
The taste of blood on her lips,
She opens them.
It drips,
On the floor,
She lays,
A dark pool in the midst of a glittering forest,
She wipes away the red metal.
Eyes open.
Searching.
Conclusion!
Nothing in this universe
Is more important than me.
If I do not do
What I have to do for myself
Then how will I change my world
Forgive me
If it was love that you wanted or needed
Loneliness is such a bitter-sweet word
Who else to you know better than yourself?
The more you're alone, the more you know
About what makes you tick.
Yet, what if there's things best unknown?
Has anybody found courage?
You do this everyday and just don’t know the definition
It is easier than addition or even school tuition
It ‘s so easy a cave man can do it, funny right?
We all walk down the halls
Some in groups some not at all
Traces of nervousness cover the walls
There are failures, and the winners come out tall
Because life has no second chance usually not at all.
In the path of a deep dark forest,
Fear lost herself,
The twists and turns,
Were as unfamiliar,
As the hills of the terrain,
On the tip of her tongue,
His name hung,
It takes 10 seconds:
4 seconds of thought,
2 seconds to breathe,
4 seconds of courage.
10 seconds is all you need
to face your biggest fear,
to stand up for yourself,
to change the world.
I used to look down a lot
My head full of melancholic thoughts
And myself so weighed down
I could not stand up.
In fact I was falling,
deeper and deeper into a depression
The ship sat anchored to the shore
The captain, skipper, and crew working at her core
Sails being raised and decks being scrubbed
Hello there, I just wanted to say
Be confident, stand up for yourself today.
Don't let them bully you.
Don't let their words bog you down.
Just like that one saying:
Turn that smile upside down.
Love is courage.
The will to take risk,
The urge to please,
The adventure of not knowing.
Love is war.
Dear God, give me guidance
Please just take this walk with me
For I've lost sight of you, and the Devil is all I see.
Lord, I'd rather be blind
Than witness nothing other than lies.
After everything we've been through
Everything we've seen
Our cries, battles, and wars
Our wins and our losses
This can't be the end, it can't be over.
The darkness consumed us and tore us apart
The Maiden danced gracefully
Thousands of dimly lit lights
Twinkling above her head
The spot lightn her
She dance an dances
Trees wave with silent cheers
As she dances by
On a cold Monday night of 95, came into the world a 7-pound baby with blue eyes, pee-wee hands and feet.
Joy and happiness spread across the audience’s faces.
Ma and Pa were excited to have their first precious new-born home.
I will speak of truth,
Diminishing the amount of lies that continue to consume our world.
I will forgive and forget,
Understanding that my own mistakes are equally corruptive.
I will never give up,
I am a head, strong in mind.
With a soul before my time.
I am becoming more in line,
With myself.
For so long I have been angry.
Trying to find a way out.
I’d like to imagineI can still feel the sting
of the day she let go;clipped my wings with a word and said, Fly.
I’d like to imagineI can wax lyrical and triumphant
one more night;
Walking through the streets I wonder what comes nextI've been following this road for far too longpassing by hurting people as if they were enemies or strangerswhen they'd never done me any harm
I'm not a writer, I just think a lot. In a world so crossed and diverse ideas arise and many a times people get lost. How can we find our way back?
A new day has dawned for the lonesome
the brightness illuminates our eyes
The deafening sound of love
can always open your eyes
My eyebrows raise in contemption
as the world beckons at my feet
When I tell people I write poetry,
They laugh at me..
Tell me that i'm gay,
Even though i'm straight
They try to smash my confidence like a soda can,
there will come a time when all is lostwhen there is nothing left worth the risk because you will lose anywayswhen you are so outnumberedwhen you feel you will die & no one will know and no one will care
I struggled against my restraints
I was forced here,
into a cage
I wasn't meant to be locked away
I have things to do,
Places to see,
People to meet
My mind summarizes my life.
It was created only for me.
It recognizes what I'm made of, my potential, and will for eternity.
When you are scared, feeling small
When darkness falls, sinking you deeper into the ocean
You feel weary and frightened
You feel the waves take you down
You look for a coastguard
Something for protection
Courage is something that comes from the heart.
It brings us hope and dreams, but others want to take it away.
They want us to feel regret and sorrow, but we must stay strong.
Courage is something that drives us to dream.
I'm in recovery you see
so I try to be as positive as I can be,
but sometimes it gets hard
like my progress is lard.
I take the meds everyday
but sometimes I want to say:
"I can't do this anymore!
Do not let them cage you.
You are strong
and smart
and beautiful.
Cages are for animals.
You are not an animal.
Do not let them put you in a box.
You are loving
and brave
I looked up at the sky
This is what I see
Everyone is staring at me
I gave it a shrug
Just like a bug
Running in such a large place
With so much space
My leg only being one
I was only 7
Standing on the balcony square,
I watched the August moon,
Its gleaming light so fair,
And I knew I would be leaving
Soon…soon.
i am void
i am powerless
not special
completely worthless
i am forgotten
or i will be soon
i expect to be depressed
but this is not doom
i open my mouth
in a new light
CourageIs courage just the ability to dosomething that frightens one? Or is it something more than that? It could just only be when you get the
It is common knowledge that Princesses are associated with towers,
Waiting, sighing, crying, whining, pining away for men with flowers,
And shining knights to come and fight the awful dragons of their past,
Courage is what makes us Courage is what inspires us Courage is what drives us Courage is what aspires in overcoming fear Courage creates news Courage advocates for a cause and never falls for anything Courage creates respect Courage never bring
I looked in the mirror todayand saw all my thoughtsthey were irrational somewhatpainful, negative and suppressed
Our clock is tickingAs our last years are coming to an endA time when we leave our childhood years,When we leave all our old friends.The old tree diesAnd the new roots beginAs we part our separate ways
I dodge, run for cover
As my fellow soldiers fall around me
I escape only by the hair on my scalp
Bullets swiftly streak past me
Hunting, pleading for a target
Bombs explode, the ground erodes
I do not only write for me, I write for others. Some people might be going through the same situation I am in. I write to heal, empower, and encourage. And I know if my writing does that for me, then I know it is doing that for someone else.
I approach poetry as a teenager approaching the first date,
as a 12th grader approaching the SATs,
as a spelling bee-er approaching a word she's never known
Be courageous.
A single moment can
Free and ignite a lifetime.
Doors can be blown wide from
Rash, unadulterated bravery.
A mere minute can birth
A new universe of opportunity.
Let go of the ledge;Don’t be afraid,Let go of your fear:There is freedom in fallingas your heart stops beating and flutters instead.Once you let go, you’ll enter the darkness,
Affixed on the sight of my final destinationMy eyes do not wander to the path beneath my feet.Though time has seemed to stopI travel silently onward,Forever aware of the coarse sand wearing away
Dear Son,
Recognize your power, strength, and courage.
You have the drive and the power to achieve great things.
And then there is power ascribed to you.
She sits there, out in front of us,
a fearful look scrawled across her face.
Her voice , that at first,
seems as though it’ll crack;
nervous, uncertain, and afraid.
A single drop of water
Soon became a stream
I closed my eyes to stop the flow
Was harder than it seemed
The stream kept going on its way
Continuous it flowed
Naturally I wear my hair jet blac with no perm,Naturally I speak my mind if I see it fit,Naturally I am artistic,Naturally in nature I am me.
I cannot stand it any longer
Should I fight and Should I die
Would I feel at peace or cry?
O' wonderful person before me
I can't help but feel as if you tease me
Courage is the roar of a lion cub,
Meek but never failing to persevere,
Nestled deep within the hearts of man,
And always posed for triumph.
Voices of my friends
I hear it.
Voices of my own
I fear it.
I'm living my life on an unbalanced ladder
hoping that I will be a somebody.
A tongue is sharp and can kill,
Sadness drowning me into the depths of the ocean as the sun glistens above me. The white clouds peacefully floating in the air while the Blue Jays dance with them. Now I grasp pain and misery. If I could learn to fly I would never return here.
Early morning, sun is just beginning to rise
No sleep the night before I can barely open my eyes.
I’m nervous and at the same time relieved
I’ll finally be rid of thee.
You’ve been a hassle, you’ve been a pain
There is a stranger looking at her in the mirror.
She stares back, dark, wet hair.
Her face- a mask of nothingness- but her eyes, filled with the deepest, contained sadness.
Face, red and stained black with mascara.
In the sixth grade my eyes were opened.
Poetry became a powerful and wonderful
form of expression.
It seemed to ooze out my brain
like warm, chocolate syrup.
I matured through broadening
There’s a sinister beauty about this place
Chaos lives in the cracks of the mirrors
It is here where my soul meets its fate
And my savior is found in my fears
Life aint nothing but a little passing thing
I move, learn, and talk yet
Nothing seems to change
Stuck in a cycle of never ending motions
Words and actions are nothing but a poisonous potion
Rowing, dipping the oars into diction
Words I refrain from dripping
Onto anything but paper—
In case of them sinking.
Unable to move,
Unable to breathe,
I’m afraid for my life
Yet, I don’t want to leave.
In front of me
It sits and stares.
Daring me to face it
I’ll take the dare.
Never get lost in the maze of making others happy,
you may lose your own happiness in the process.
No need to look, search, or wander,
simply glance in the mirror, and look within yourself.
She’s broken.
Broken into so many pieces from everything she has ever been through.
Her heart cries out for a helping hand, but the tears just continue to flow like a waterfall.
She’s terrified.
I see the Eleanor Rigbys and Gilbert Grapes everywhere I go,
The people who forgot long ago to
See beauty in people laughing, sunflowers shooting up
Out of the ground.
There are people who have never heard a canary
She sits on the bank, gazing out
Across a vast expanse of glittering silver
That sparkles under golden sunlight,
And blinds when she
Stares.
Little thistle,
a prickly pear,
how I never saw you there.
A little hair
with a little vine,
unbeknownst this could soon be mine
To be what I want to be is hard.
To be what they want me to be is harder.
To follow behind others and never be myself,
thats somthing I have done for years.
But I refuse to do that anymore.
There was a man.
Who lived in a home on top a hill
He lived alone
He watched the birds come by his house
He watched kids playing outside his home
He wondered what it was like, to chase after that ball
[A series of Haiku about my apprehensions, goals, ambitions, and determination to return to college]
Clouds above loom dark
Shattered by the wind and light
A revelation
I can’t really tell you much about my heritage.
For I do not know anything about it.
I can’t say that my ancestors were slaves.
For then I would be telling a lie.
Courage is a free creature, who soars among the clouds.
Its feathers are lined with hope.
Courage is powerful, talons sharp and firm. Courage is fragile, so easily shot from the sky. Courage is fast, easy to lose.
As she looked down at the scars of massacres on her wrist
The tears teased the back of her throat;
Taunting
Laughing
Tempting
Pleading
The monsters inside were screaming to be set free
A man's courage is a product of a man's desire.
A man's strength is synonymous with long lasting fire.
To live and to love makes man want to inspire.
Because to live and to love makes a man soar even higher.
I watch anguish drag it’s grubby body to my toes,
I am decidedly defenseless, and only my eyes grow wide
As the gates in my chest close
Crushing my heart and lungs in heavy encasement.
What makes us a warrior? Is it the natural talent god has given us, or maybe us having a good teacher? NO, IT IS COURAGE! COURAGE to face our enemies, COURAGE to keep on going forward even though everyone says you can't do it!
Courage brings light
Hope when all you see is darkness
It makes your life bright
With strength to destroy your weakness
Courage is not something easily found
You’ve got to search down deep
She saw the fall coming,
Their inexorable end,
Stupidly standing there
On the edge of the blade
Hanging over her head.
Strength is being weak, but continuing to walk.
It’s carrying on when everyone says you don’t have to.
It’s stepping up to the plate,
standing up to the man,
and buckling down when times get rough.
Unbroken silence
Quiet is all around me
My eyes search for sound
Seeing is hearing
Even what is not spoken
Eyes hear everything
Life with no hearing
Silence is normal for me
My life is not loud
A single flicker,
A single sign of hope,
The dim light,
It’s blinding his eyes.
As he scratches at the bricks,
Tries to tear them apart,
Till his fingers are left raw,
And the bricks remain unaltered.
Your shrieking alarm clock, breaking
into heaving slumber, demands of you
a choice: do you close your tired eyes
against daylight’s insistent calling,
burrowing into soft sheets, and return
The river washes everything away
All the evidence
The remembrance
Of things that happened in the past
It doesn't worry about the mass
Amount of people
That it erases
Suffocating in darkness
As a diseased light paved my way
I attempted to scale the barriers
That separated me from the outside where life thrived
Fear is a universal language
Anyone around the world can speak it
But what I'm talking about are cowards
People who will never reach the summit
Courage is being brave when you have cancer.
Outstanding faith to get you through this hard time.
Undergoing medical tests for the prognosis.
Researching the bucket list of what you have yet to do.
The butterfly is in search of a safe place,
In which she can lay her small fragile egg.
She finally finds that perfect place, but
Realizes she can’t just stay and flies away.
For a girl from a small town
She wanted a lot from a big world.
Tears and sorrow filled too much space,
She had to do something, it had to be erased.
Mama never said the word "fear."
She spoke around it like a bonfire,
regaling me with sweet-nothings.
But I know how to be afraid.
It is instinct like a lioness on the hunt.
I, the unlucky soul, am captured;
‘Tis sweet thither sun,
atop th’ wavèd sea.
Lone candle in darkness,
from whence it hath risen.
Courage is a tricky beast.
Quick and stealthy.
Hides when you need it most.
Wild and untamed.
It will not come when called upon.
It must be chased through the woods.
Once found, tackle it to the ground,
