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 1151° 
Traveler
Surely
I am but a wisp of smoke
Swirling boundless
To and fro

Out of the fire
A non-corporeal host

Stinging eyes
Burning nose
Cough me out
Or start to choke

Surely
I am but a wisp of smoke

Another cloud
Another soul
Into thin air
Watch me flow

Out the window
And down the road!

Surely I was
A wisp of smoke...
Traveler 🧳 Tim
My avatar wrote this..

PS all those things this writing made you think were intentionally design by a wisp of smoke..
 929° 
Odd Odyssey Poet
bury me alive, and let's just pretend it wasn't suicide
oh, you don't like me, well so do I — there's this ugly version
of myself that I can't deny, so to every girl I date, I always
pray you'll find a better guy

still, I fell in love with the rhythm of your eyes,
cos you always seem to view me as a better guy. to my
surprise, you give me reason to stay alive

but I always tell you not to read too deeply
on some of the things I say. darling I'm only human —
sometimes I make spelling errors, still was it a spell that
you fell in love with me?

      your purpose is love,
                 and I'll protect it with my life.

 741° 
Hex
Flames devour wood,
Like anger’s fire scorches bonds.
Once strong and good,
Now broken, left near still ponds.
The wind, a sly lover, lifting my silken dress,
I sway with abandon, revealing soft tenderness,
Wind, with lips so eager, tracing each subtle finesse,
With each rising current, my heated blush will express,
I surrender to breezes that stir my wild restlessness.
 273° 
Nat Lipstadt
1:12:25 9:20am nyc

Exactly, how far is it to you?
this is more than mere question,
or a rhetorical poem title discard,
consider it an interrogatory of
the first order, a debate raging
with every word successfully
affixed from brain to fingertips,
from my breathing to your heart,
how far is it exactly, pray tell me,
how these cords of words find you,
are your lips bending up in a smile,
need me a weather report, air quality,
wind gusts vitals vital to yo! estimate
how fast & conditions they’ll require survive/arrive in your eyesight well
and be friended


feed me the data, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure,
SpO2, so I’ll know what condition your
condition is in, adjust my words accordingly,
send to this distance back to me awaiting,
the necessary facts & figures to provide the finger stroke directional, do you need whispers or emboldened bold face to arouse the a spirit flagging, a shoulder shaking, a dozen red lipped chords of
kisses and sweet everthings, that do not
dissolve, dissipate or disappear instantly,
but can be stored in a Ziploc bag, refrigerated,
ready for gorging and disgorging, repeatedly,
as needed, synchronized slow or hard, fast
or soft, wet or dry. sweet or salty, savory
or a blended mixture, an adjustable concoction depending
on distance, time of day,
tell me,
the stuff that you accept
with open willingness,
or just begrudgingly

all adjustable
all shaped to
your individuality
elastic flexible
but the schedule
filling up fast
so we can mutual
squeeze into each others
empire of empty

so,
Exactly, how far is it to you,
to where you are being
?
Exactly, how far is it to you nml lipstadt
 269° 
Roseleigh
There is comfort in your transparency
A willingness to be flexible
Some find your touch uncanny
Yet even your teeth are gentle
While a cat may have nine lives
You only get one season
To inspire appreciation of the present
And I will always remember you for it
 241° 
ophelia
But I'm a fish,
Swimming in life's stream,
Chasing fleeting dreams, it seems,
Free in the currents' flow.

Fragile, full of emotions, yet voiceless—
Silent waters stir,
Delicate fins brush unseen worlds,
Unspoken feelings drift quietly.
ugh its so hard being a pisces
 214° 
Carla Marie
You can count on

Babies to cry… and
Cars to break down

You can count on
Teenagers to lose their minds

You can count on
Children’s kisses to fill your heart… and
Flowers and trees to bud in springtime

You can count on
Traffic to be worse
When you are late for work… and

The Moon to glow… and
The Sun to shine

You can count on
Fish on Fridays… and

Fourth of July Bar-b-que...
Black-eyed peas on New Years Eve... and

Me
Always
Loving
you
 199° 
Kabiru
Sweet face
Mellow voice
Irresistible person
Lovely human
Everything I need
 185° 
Sarthak Gupta
It spoke, it spoke until the mouth dried,
But the words were ignored, the thoughts denied.
Next time when the turn came,
Dull eyes and silent cry, that's all remained.
 173° 
Polaris Miedema
I need to think of myself as a soldier. In this war zone called earth. It gives me strength. To conquer these battles… 🔥🪖💥🔥 Only in death I may find piece. Mayday 👊🏻⭐️🫡🩸
13-01-25
 141° 
guy scutellaro
the church bells,
the church bells,

the church bells are ringing.

the angels are singing
the sad refrain of the dreams
of us moths into the flame

that leave us grieving of the ringing
of bells.

the church bells,
the church bells,
heavens and hells,

a spirituous mist
has brought us to our leave

with the summoning ring of the bell
falling silent.
 127° 
Grey mirror
Perhaps another chapter completed,
Abruptly you must say, you didn't see it coming.
It was fun and folly with a hint of healing.
At first the story was not appealing,
Then finding oneself reading
in elaborate details, basking in such entertainment,
Occasionally arguing on its illogical stance.
Out of the blue, the story threw in scientific facts and unsolicited advice,
Followed by apologies for the untamed lingua.
Somehow the familiarity lingered,
Seeking tranquility in every chapter.
 118° 
Fisher
if i was a boulder with moss for hair,
i'd find a stream and settle there.
watching bugs and fish go by,
i think i'd like this rocky life.

the sun will brush my hair just right,
and birds will rest their wings from flight.
and underneath my stony feet,
rabbits will burrow, and love, and sleep.

and when a hawk shades ground below,
the mice will scurry and hide and know
that i am a boulder
with moss that grows.
the urge to exist and do nothing else smh
 111° 
Caesar
I find comfort In the dark
Like the night
The silence
And the villains that used to play on my tv screen
They were brave
Though called cruel
They spoke their
heart
Misunderstood from the start
In the world so bleak
And without a clean slate to start from
They were hopeless from the start
A horrible upstart
Close to my own
I hold villians close to my heart
Shielding them from the hero
Which is all to bland
And to be blunt
There always painted too brightly
Bold colors
Bright and popping
Showing they are brighter
Better than crime the villain
Dark and shy
Most the time unable to fly
Why do wee pain them in such colors
We’re all to simple minded
To believe in a world of crime
Color could truly describe
Lot of topic on this one
If I chose to search for joy
I'd find nothing
And I don't believe
In happy endings
I'll keep trusting
There is no fun found
Anywhere on the planet
I'd be lying if I said that
You can find happiness
On Earth
I have taken quite the liking to reverse poems.
 102° 
Dhruv
The fall that leaves the traces of cold
Footsteps with chilling fog
bruised hand with warmth of blaze
That gives the hope in unspoken eyes
The hand which was frozen with twist of fate,
softens with the half century wood
An ember that tells the story of survival
 99° 
dead poet
death is humble;
death does not discriminate;
death is everything,
but life.
 98° 
Immortality
How can I
love someone new,
when you kiss
my soul
so true?
For the blurred-faced man, who comes in my dream-

Are you real, or am I lost in the feel?
 96° 
Khoisan
I love it
flabby arms
wrinkly skin
stretchy marks
magical characteristics
wonderful years
awesome lives
from here to there
to be or not to be
without question
we're still standing
my lover my friend.
 95° 
Khadi Alza
I was pulling out my hair,
I just wanna shine!
So put on your war paint.
I had a dream so big and loud,
That somedays you're the only thing I know.
I paint my face with glitter in the morning light,
'Till I saw blue-haired boy.
Hey,
It's cruel you know.
 93° 
Nick Giampietro
life is for living while I have life
it got harder when I retired
I needed to be careful where my money goes
because I have no more cash flow

spent all my money living the life I like
I thought money would last till the day I died
money ran out and I didn't die
but sure as hell I wasn not alive
like most of my posts, they are songs that I have written. This one is just 2 of the verses.
 86° 
Xio
Don't look back at the past, it may have been the best years of your life, but you can make the future better.
 82° 
Maria Etre
Maybe my heart
was born too small
for the love
it carries...

That's why it
shares it
just to
give itself
breathing
space
 80° 
silent echo
Me Tarzan you Jane
misogynistic ape man --
Lord of the jungle
 74° 
K E Cummins
This is such a small life,
Battling no demons but our own.
And yet, I see an adventure here,
An adventure, dear,
And I think you might be worth the risk.
we're going on an adventure!
 72° 
Millie
Why would I eat if the lies inside me fill me up? 'Til there's nothing but half-truths trapped inside. I plead, scream, beg for someone to hear my cry but it's locked deep within me.
The pain I feel when I look in the mirror; why? Why do I hate myself?
Hate my hair,
my hips,
my thighs,
my stomach,
my smile.
I won't look anymore.
I can't bear to see who's staring back.
Shatter the mirror!
Distort the already broken image.
How much more damage could I do to myself before I'm through?
The scale wails when I approach; the fourth time in a day. When the numbers fall, I let out a sigh of relief, but when they rise…
What can I do?
What would you do if you couldn't be you?
Everyone's words are pointless. If its not the voice inside my head it doesn't matter. Nothing can satisfy my need to feel empty—to feel proud of the monster I’d become.
 70° 
diamond star
Why does this torment return once more,
A love unreturned, a wound I bore?
I fall once more into your jade-green eyes,
Twin gleaming worlds where my spirit flies.

They shimmer like dew in the dawn’s embrace,
A haunting glow, a celestial grace.
It pins me down with relentless chain,
A guard let down brings back the pain.

My mind, so swift to weave its snare,
Fills the void with love’s despair.
Caught in a cycle, I cannot depart,
Unrequited, it breaks the heart.
Today was tough going
but knowing how tough
things can get
I got going too.

'We have never had it so good'
oh
please tell me if you could
when was that?
 69° 
Stephen E Yocum
LA burns, smoke blackens sky,
people flee and abandon cars,
90 and 100 mile an hour winds
feed and fan the flames, people
losing everything, even being
rich, or famous cannot save their
big homes and life's possessions.
Someplace in that expanding,
raging inferno my son, an Oregon
Fire Chief leads 300 Firefighters
and their 75 engines and water tenders
over 900 miles south into the fire storm.
Along with firefighters from other
states. Mutual support needed & rendered.

One of my son's firemen is his own son,
and my 21year old rookie grandson
with a little over one year on the job.
His seasoned father has fought many
battles with all kinds of fires, he set to
retire in May after 30 years on the job.
He has seen it all, with never a scratch
or a "singe", but my grandson has never
experienced anything of this magnitude,
being one of a 4-man truck crew battling
side by side in the belly of a raging beast.

All these 30 years I worried for my son's
safety, now it starts anew, for our boy
barely a man that walks in his father's shoes.

I will not sleep well until they are all
home safely. I grieve for the victims
of this awful tragedy.
When others run away from fires,
or danger these rare breeds run
towards them, firefighters and
police unselfish public servants.
And we would all be in deep
Doodoo without them.
 69° 
Airi Lightmoon
A plastic bag for the two of us.
Natural medicine to share.
Take a little bit, and it'll send you there.
Where? I'm not sure I can only depict what I saw.

A woman, beautiful and strong. Her eyes closed as if she was asleep. Green in color, she pulsed her image into me.

Was she telling me that she was a part of me?
Circles surrounded her, characters I've never seen in between.

What does it truly mean?
Is she one who created me? Claimed me?
I can't say.

And I look for her, still, to this day
Who was she? My first thought was that she was Mayan. I don't know why, but during my trip, I was so sure, yet I still can't find her
the rains have ended
night whispers its cooler words
you are my blanket
 67° 
Gabriel Yale
There’s no point in searching for it,
we’ll find it one day, understood.
We must understand ourselves,
so that we can be who we are.
This poem reflects the idea that the truth cannot be forced or actively searched for, it will be found when the time is right and when we truly understand ourselves. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and being true to who we are, suggesting that the truth is inherently tied to personal growth and understanding.
 64° 
Sally A Bayan
East...and west, are we?
north, and south?.....maybe...
we were nurtured with love,
our eyes and our minds opened
to different isms that helped shape our
values...we were brought up, bearing our
folks' customs, traditions. principles...
we have different faiths...some practice...some
don't...some, don't even subscribe, yet, survive.

we have dry and monsoon season...in
other parts, pleasant weather, cold winds,
and in some parts, snow.....turning to ice

we are  a mix of white skin, seeking for a tan,
and brown-skin, hiding from the sun;
one's night, is the other's day,
there are surfers among us, playing with the waves,
there at the cusp...gambling...daring fate...
there are those who hide from silent freezing winters,
finding warmth and comfort in long hot summers...

countless points of comparison,  
yet, we've something beautiful in common,
a connection of feelings, of words...our poetry,
flowing like blood, through our veins...endlessly
feeding, fueling our hearts and minds, with classy,
themes....sometimes bold, mushy, or....sassy...
no set skeds...we do it even through adversity...

we write......

we tell about our escape from life's banalities,
mindscapes, landscapes immersed in frivolities

yet, we await the marvels of each  morning we wake,
remembering gratitude, in every breath we take...

years have passed us by,
still, plays this soft music that mollifies
and inspires......heard only by you and i
prodding us, through hours, of day or night

while you exist in your own part of the world,
as i, in my hot, humid cosmos, long for cold.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::


Sally


© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
    May, 19, 2019
(a love poem, edited...for all Hello Poetry writers)
(a repost from May 2019)
 62° 
Albamaine
I've got an online bestfriend
None of our circle and family intersects
So i know for sure when he dies i won't even know that that day is his funeral

Or could be the other way 'round
But that's lyfe
 59° 
Morning Star
I look for warmth as I am here to be loved and gently lit
I am a sweet and gentle soul
Yet strong enough to lift
A little more of wisdom
and a little less of fear
I search for company of wolves at night
In daylight I am fair
I can be free and creative
I can be an angel at times
I also can be the unpredictable
And release my inner thor
 59° 
The Haunting
I wish a small heart,
could have lunged,
but the air is tight
and what's ripped apart,
I can't communicate
the only red of tarts
is ex-communion
and my guts do burn
a tasty steak demonian
 58° 
Nobody
i'm breathing fast
i'm seeing the past
things i don't want to remember
hit me like a blast

anxiety rising
breath denying
i'm hearing their words
i feel like i'm dying

their words hit me like a stab
i crunch like a crab
that they stepped on
i feel a jab

words bleed out of my chest
as i remember what i don't want to
i'm not ready
wait... just let me

try
to
forget
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