no way
you're kidding
that could not be true

yet the more
i think about it
the more she fits you

okay i see you
your motives
and how you roll

glad to see
someone is actually
achieving their goals

I used to think that she was addicted to stress, but later I found out that she just wanted to feel alive. I was waiting for the world to come to me. It did in hubris and exultation. I’m adrift at sea - it’s a cliche - I’m on a pre-ordained program headed exactly where I’m intended to be.

I hate you
But I love you

I love you
But I hate you

I mean...
You could’ve left me at the altar.
It could be worse than this.

Despite my heart dripping through
My broken rib cage...
It could be worse than this.

One day of feeling like I’m being
Crushed and flattened into mud.
But it’s okay,
Because I refuse to be worse than this.

like my midnight dreams
I sleep under the moon
and know the names of each star

when I am awake
the sun burns my skin
and the blue skies drown me

I know I belong to the night

When I sit on the beach and think of the ocean
The dream comes with the waves and ask me
'what's in my mind, what do I think alone?'

The ocean says to me with the rolling waves
'to get down and to swim in that blue water'
The waves on the beach and I are such friends.

I have also realized, all waves are like siblings
As if they're talking about my hopes.
Again I have started knitting my sweet dreams.

The sounds of ocean waves are singing in my ears
happily in happiness without any request,
Then this time I forget all my loneliness and hurts

I love the sound of the ocean waves
and like the blue water and quicksand,
I melt with the ocean when the wind blows.

Healing leaves are now disrobed branches
on the edge of this wilderness.
Many tall Douglas Fir stand sentinel
over 100 foot tall amazing grace — the fleeting leaves
expose the beauty of the moss clad scaffolds
adorned with a lime-grey lichen lace
Nature is my refuge — solid ground to stand
in this harmony and peacefulness.


Jesse Stillwater — December 2018

days
stretch over lifetimes,
as if all the clocks in the world
       wore themselves out —

and certain mornings
i shapeshift

i create different molds for myself
to fit into
i do not know why i must change
but i do know it helps.

the scissors clip and
my hair floats as fallen feathers
towards the base of the sink

i wake up only to
not recognize the girl in the mirror
and greet her w a smile.

she is
sad.
and there are so many worlds
she wishes she was exploring.

i wish i could help her.

but all i do is hurt her,
and i do not know where to
begin
asking for her forgiveness.

If my fate is to love you
From a distance
Then I'll burn for you
Like a star in your night sky
Bright, steady, reliable
Unwavering
Until the end of time.

Whimsical

     Love to some is nothing more
Than a story, that which is mythical
Some say love is real and falling
In love can be purely magical

The attraction to someone
At first glance can be purely physical
But we must look beyond this
For true love, as this can be critical

For if we fall in love with the wrong
One, than love can be parasitical
And to our hearts this type of love
Can be dangerous and even apocalyptical

I’m not a modern day Spock or Vulcan
But love would seem to not be logical
But love is real and very powerful
Finding the right love can be rhythmical

So in your search for love be aware
That love is far from predictable
And also be aware that the power
Of love is ultimately irresistible

I tell you though not to guard your heart
For safety but instead do the reciprocal
And when you find true love
Know that it’s far from whimsical

Written By:Charles Kean
Copyright © 07/03/2020
All rights reserved

i never thought that
longing could break apart ribs
but now my heart knows

We love our artists
Then why do we punish them so much?
Do we think they need more pain
To create
Or does agony just come with the territory?
I would like to be inspired by
A loving ginger touch
Maybe the smell of the sea
Wonderful sights and delightful beauty
But no. They sit us down instead
And force us to feel.

Heaven rained on me,
I breathed in the petrichor,
Bathed in the downpour.

There’s a universe inside of you,
But I’m just a little star.
Once my light is out,
There'll be none of me.

When the man finally stopped
he could, no longer
smell the roses.

Be as wise as water
and take the path of least resistance
Be as mean as water
and drown all the sorrows can you find
Be a patient as water
and erode all the mountains over time
and
Be as loving as water
and leave oases of yourself behind

© Vivian Zems

Have you ever liked someone so much you regret meeting them?

your name is
forbidden in
my mouth
or in my heart
because when
i think about
you;

i'll cry a little more,
hurt a little stronger
love a little softer
because you no longer
make me feel sober

i'm drunk on the
memory of you

I’ve gone through many battles
but never one as exquisitely painful
as the one my body has raged against itself

It’s just dirt
It’s not a garden at all
what is a garden without flowers?
sterile
barren
all I wanted in this life
was to give life

When you arrived you quickly bloomed
But just as quickly
I lost you
now there’s a wilted garden inside me
still, it serves as a reminder
of our time together
and the fact that
I’ll always love you

Break my bones;
cut my throat.
Pull me open,
learn the ropes.

Breath me in;
taste the fear.
Shank my skin;
stand and cheer.

Kick my head;
let me bleed.
Unbolt my veins;
enjoy the read.

Gouge my eyes;
punch my face.
Wrap me up
in your embrace.