Please stand,
For a moment of silence.

Please open you hearts,
To let the spirits of the fallen bring you tranquility.

Please ponder,
The final images sprinting through the minds of those who fought for your freedom.

Please remember,
The widows that wept at the sight of the American flag draped over a black pine coffin.

Please stand,
So those who have been silenced do not have to do so alone.

What is a man?
They would say a man is tough
I would say a man is strong
They would say a man is rich
I would say a man is rich in heart
They would say a man has many women at his fingertips
I would say a man will love one woman for all his life
They would say a man is dedicated to his job
I would say a man is dedicated to his God
They say a man is tough
I say a man is strong

To take a stand you must get on your feet,
Through waves of contention you must compete.
Change can only come through those with strength,
With hope and faith, defying any length.
To one without motivation,
I administer to you a simple invitation.
Remember the man who gave his life,
The man who conquered and calmed the strife.
In hopes that we may return to our father above,
He gave his infinite and everlasting love.
All that he asks from us in return,
Is to love one another and his mercy we’ll earn.
So come unto him and take a stand,
Spread bravery and fervor throughout the land.
Justice and mercy we shall stand behind,
Creating an Earth, in which heaven is aligned.

The lights are silenced,
But several flames stay alight.
Reflections of the warmth flicker on her face.
She inhales with hope and exhales with her wishes in faith.
Nature's purest joy.

Its the color when you lay in bed with an abundance of blankets but an absence of love.
Its the color of the snowflake that tickles the back of your neck.
Its the cool breeze on the beach when you've just emerged from the water.
Its the color of his shirt when you watch him walk away.
When you grasp onto your pillow for dear life as tears trickle down your cheeks, its the color of your fingertips.
Its the color of your breath when you realize he's never coming back.

Blank walls
White lights
Cornered in
Four walls
Burdened by my mind
Weakened by my heart
Sleepless and angry,
I stare at the ceiling ,
Wishing and waiting.

Worn glass vase on window sill
Thin yet steady
Tall and still
Empty, no substance within its seams
I wonder dear vase, does the emptiness make you scream?
Does it bother you, vase, that you have nothing inside?
No emotion, no flowers, with nothing to be eyed?
I understand dear vase, you have been through much
Through firey kilns and rugged hands touch
Perhaps if I had been through that, it would be my preference too
It is easier, vase, to remain empty and untrue

There once was a rat, a gym rat that is
When it came to fitness he was a wiz.

Powder and chicken was all he consumed.
All of the other foods were surely doomed.

Ripping, rushing, running around the town.
He liked to pick things up and put them down.

From his traps to calves, his muscles were ripped.
Pushing and pulling, the scales he would tip.

His veins did pop like pink birthday balloons.
His buns resembled big-***** baboons.  

Many beads of sweat would drip down his face.
Gallons of water he’d drink case by case.

Visions of protein shakes danced through his head.
Others that trained with him soon would be dead.

The rat would pump iron day after day.
But, out of the gym his life was astray.

White tank tops, jean shorts, and sneaks he would wear.
In hopes that all the fit ladies would stare.

Alas poor gym rat could not catch a mate.
Perhaps, a brain workout would score him a date.

I feel your pull like gravity
Your sweet words are sugar on my tongue
In the back of my head a little voice says no
How can I listen when my heart is screaming yes

I fall for you like leaves in the autumn
My heart is opened like flowers in the spring
I feel as I am floating upon water
But how soon will that water sustain only one living thing?

What if there is more than one being
Feeling the same as I
And what if he does not choose me
How many tears will I cry?

My falling turns to crashing
My heart, it turns to stone
Once again I am abandoned
Once again I am alone

The loud laughter and back woods smoke.
The diet coke and offensive jokes.
The tall trees blessing us with shade.
The polished bench my father made.
The arguing daughters, never ending fight.
The Wikipedia searches to see who is right.
The Patriots games and children roam.
Might not sound like much, but hey it's home.

I am fruit snacks and dragon tales.
I am trips to the Cape and tan lines.
I am country music and pearl earrings.
I am black raspberry ice cream and late night drives.
I am yoga at noon and apple picking in the fall.
I am Loud.
I am Loved.
I am Alive.

I saw you today.
You looked just as good as the day I met you.
Your hair was slicked back, just like I remembered.
You were wearing your favorite shirt.
Your shoes, Your lips, Your  hands,
all the same.
But your eyes have changed, my dear.
They have her reflection in them, instead of mine.

I thought my heart was mended.
I thought my mind was strong.
I thought that I was able.
Perhaps, these thoughts were wrong.

I thought I was a kite,
Free from your restrain.
I thought I was a wedding dress,
Free from your black stain.

I thought my legs were sturdy.
I thought my conscience, pure.
I thought I had moved on.
Until I saw you there with her.

Every once in a while I think of us,
and what we used to be.
Since the day I met you our relationship has confused me.

I remember the excitement,
the warmth in our first kiss.
But I also remember the pain,
and how even when we were together I could feel the loneliness.

I try to dwell on the words you say to me,
the butterflies inside,
But I can't forget your absence,
and the painful tears I cried.

Though some time has past I still get jealous,
I still wish you were someone that your not.
Sometimes I wish I could forget,
and perhaps become less distraught.

But no matter how many times I feel my heart ache,
you will always be my first.
And no amount of time will change that,
or make the clock reverse.

Another day my dear,
he shouts with the volume of a whisper.
Pre-destined love
designed to be apart
She is pale beauty designed to be gazed upon
Not knowing her allure.
He is blinding to the eyes.
Nevertheless he loves.
For the sun loved the moon so much
he would die every night to let her live.
Another night my dear,
he shouts with the volume of a whisper.

Whoever said paper cuts are the worst kind of pain, has never seen their prince go off with the wrong princess.

The air was thick and our cares were thin.
We stared at the stars in silence,
young and reckless.
The sky was so black and yet I had never felt more light.
Breathing, once so paramount, slowed into one soft fluid motion.  
Our cares slipped through the tips of our bare, ***** feet.
Trouble with him never before made me feel so alive.

One shot, two shots
Colors start to blur
Three shots, four shots
Body moves without direction from the mind
Five shots, six shots
Stumbling to the beat of some rap song
Seven shots, eight shots
You think of him.
Nine shots, ten shots
You know this is not where you belong.
No shots
Sorrow,
Regret,
Anguish.
One shot, two shots.

She listens for those three words
Isn't it pathetic?
How she falls for any man who will say them to her
Whether he means it or not
You think she would start to look before she falls
But, no
She will give herself completely
To the person who shows her even the slightest endearment
So she listens
And waits for those three short words

Sometimes she remembers how to smile
How to laugh
Sometimes she forgets how she looks
But then a realization comes
She is not somebody that can be happy with herself
She is not desired
She is no one's first choice
She goes to the bathroom
Sticks ******* down her throat
And grasps the seat as if it will save her
Hoping
Wishing
That she was a different person
That she was beautiful
But alas these are just dreams
So she rinses her mouth
Fakes a smile
Until the next time reality hits

Her auburn hair kisses the water
Her face softens
She drifts with ease through the waves
The warm touch of the water sets her free.
Careless
Calm
Connected,
Her heart slows as the waves grow quicker
The warmth grows cold
The soft water kisses her lungs
Her eyes soften
The cold touch of the water sets her free.

Even when I'm thinking of nothing,
I'm thinking of you.