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20something Dec 2017
I've run through flames for you
knowing I'd be scarred for years to come
but I savored it
the lick of the blaze torching my skin
just as your palms
blistering and radiant
grab ahold of me when
we're engulfed in each other's heat
inferno around me rages wildly
smoke luring tears from my eyes
yet your warmth is almost igniting
we were taught not to play with fire
unless we want to get burned
but how else am I going to feel
except if anguish is endured
4am
20something Dec 2014
4am
I've over and under thought this
reevaluated the situation more times than I can count
I've been back, forth and on the fence a few times
and tried to drink you away until the liquor ran out

it could end in a lovely mess or messy love,
and truth be told I'm not sure which is better.
Scared of what may come, we try to stay far away from each other
yet for some reason we can't help but keep falling together
20something Aug 2015
I think of you often
in unfinished sentences
and half written lines
because you give me a feeling
I'd almost forgotten
with words I cannot define
20something Oct 2016
empty bottles litter the room
too many have passed your lips
lying bathed in darkness
eyes bloodshot with tomorrow's regrets
you hold my hand like an anchor
keeping you from drifting in this lonely sea
as 80 proof courses violently through your veins
I like to believe you chose me to be here with you anyways

silence surrounds us until you finally find peace  
desperate to remain afloat even if only in your dreams
my breaths ebb and flow to the rhythm of your heartbeats
my restless nights without you I'll spend
thinking of times like these
so if only for this moment
right now you need me
an antidote that will save you from yourself
then that is what I'll be
even if you’re the drug
from which I need relief
20something Jun 2016
I wanted to think that I was special to you;
that I was different than the rest.
fooled myself into somehow believing this,
and lived in a state of false happiness

But I was so used to being covered with your lies
that when it was over you left me bare
and my raw skin felt it all;
the pain, the sadness, and especially the fear

I've been searching for the truth ever since
hoping that I could finally find comfort there
but I don't even know what honesty looks like
because the face of sincerity has become so rare.
20something Oct 2014
faces so close,
our breaths intertwine
eyes locked
like I'm seeing you for the first time
still a little unsure;
do you want this as much as I do?
am I imagining that this is finally happening?
will your lips on mine echo the truth?

we're always at these moments,
"almosts" and "in-betweens"
all it takes is one step forwards
and maybe reality will match my dreams
20something Sep 2014
hell never looked so heavenly a place,
at 3am
where sleep is nowhere to be found
I can't close my eyes,
without seeing your face
20something Oct 2015
I find myself often struggling for air,
as I try to tread water on my own.
But this ocean goes deeper than I ever imagined,
and no one's ever taught me how to swim alone.
That was your job. You were supposed to show me how it's done.
Isn't that what you're for? To be the safety net until I'm ready?
Instead you watched me fighting to stay afloat .
Never my saving grace because your spirit's much too deadly.
I'm stuck stagnant in the deep end with no experience at all,
and memories of drowning are far too clear in my mind.
I refuse to move from the safe place I have found in this hell;
maybe I can fool myself into believing that "I'm fine"
If no one touches me, then I won't think about it too much;
I can almost forget all the moments your hands held me down.
And that every time you did, I forced my way back up to the top,
because I wanted you to see that I was worth keeping around.
I've barely survived the waves that tried to pull me under,
and the rapids that took me way off course for a while.
Now I'm little bit ruined with scars no one can see,
and sometimes I forget I know how to smile.
It's terrifying to be offered a hand now;
constantly thinking that they're going to let me slip away.
And I refuse to ever drown by the hands of another again;
so I remain on my own because you've convinced me it's safer this way
I'm still not sure if I matter enough yet;
so I can show you what's left of me, thanks to you.
I wonder what happened to the girl I would have became,
if only you had just taught me how to swim
like you were supposed to...
For My Father
20something Nov 2015
here we go with this again
you say you're so sick of love songs
and I'm not listening
there's goodbye in my eyes
as it all falls down
your side of the bed grows colder
as I wait for you to please return my call
I know I can't make you love me,
but you mean that much to me
we're going in circles
and I'm running out of energy
The damage is done
and almost wasn't ever enough
so now we can't be friends
and I'm left dreaming with a broken heart
20something Nov 2015
I believe you,
when you say that you're okay
after watching me leave
and not trying to make me stay

I believe you;
that you don't want me back
because silence speaks volumes
and it's quiet where you're at

I believe you,
because you don't act like you're in pain
but it hurts me just to breathe
and pretend you're not in my brain.

I believe you,
because you are once what I wanted
but you let this fire turn to ashes
and now I'm left with nothing

I believe you;
but, I really wish I didn't
because you look like you're doing fine
so I keep these feelings hidden
Response to "If I Could Make You Believe" - Derek Clifton
20something Mar 2015
it's 3am
and shots of cheap tequila
are running through
my veins
maybe after
one more drink
at least for tonight
I'll forget
your name
20something Nov 2014
you were never mine to cry over;
but here I am with tears in my eyes,
because even though I said that you weren't what I wanted,
you're still the only one on my mind
20something Aug 2014
I ache to see you again,
and press play to the pause we've been on all this time,
but whose's to say you haven't already fast forwarded,
and skipped right past me to the next scene.
Because if this were a movie,
the happy ending would be right around the corner,
and we'd fade away into the sunset,
following a fireworks worthy kiss;
"ever after" waiting just ahead of us.
But instead we are living a rerun of the same old episode
that one that everybody's seen before.
Yet I can't help that every time it's on,
I watch it over and over, hoping the lines change this time;
that the script gets rewritten.
But here we are once again,
knowing full well the conclusion to the finale of this pitiful season,
yet playing our parts nonetheless.
20something Jul 2014
I march to the beat of my own drum, but I have no rhythm.
The path diverges in two ways and I choose the third.
My head is a labyrinth from which escape is fruitless.
Please believe me when I tell you that my heart holds more dark corners than most because the sun just doesn't shine as bright as it used to over here.
And it's not often that the gates come down long enough to let others in,
so welcome to the road not traveled.
Now the moon has become my guiding light to eventual freedom,
escorting me through the shadows of the past.
I need your fingers locked with mine as I share the secrets buried so far back I almost forgot where I put them.
You gave me this and more
or so I thought
because now...
Now I worry that the corners are too black and your eyes don't adjust well in the dark
and you too are lost in the labyrinth with little hope for return.
The road worn and beaten by footprints is the one you choose to journey on,
for my path has too many thorns and poisonous plants that choke whoever dares attempt passage.
And as you fade into the distance,
I can tell that my cacophony of percussion will never allow me
to be able to match the melody
of the soft, steady pulsation that emanates from your very core  
but you knew that all along,
didn't you?
20something Aug 2014
I dreamed about you again last night,
and I swear I could practically feel your warm breath on my neck.
Your arms were wrapped tightly around my waist,
like you were afraid I might slip away during the night.
As you slowly opened your eyes,
I imagined your sleepy eyed gaze on me,
making my stomach do a little flip,
because I don't think I will ever get used to waking up next to you,
and the easy tilt of your grin as you move in closer ...
and then each time I wake up,
and I remember:
you're there and
I'm
here
20something Oct 2014
and when there's almost no memory that will remain
with the harsh sting of 80 proof
running poison through your veins,
all i wish to be is your drunken text
because my name on your tongue is all you had left
20something Aug 2014
So let me get this straight;
there was one point during whatever this is,
that I was kind of important to you.
I did matter, you did care,
that, at the very least, is the truth.

But what happened after that,
to make me so easy to replace,
to ignore, to put out of your mind?
Was I only a momentary thought for your pleasure,
a nice way to past the time?

Don't tell me you thought I moved on first,
just because I'm close to other men.
Because from what I heard
you aren't lonely either,
and the women you're with
are far from just "friends".

It would be nice to know for sure,
that you think of me, every now and again,
because lord knows I can't keep you off of my brain.
I just have to find out if you were worth all the sleepless nights,
or were my feelings for you just in vain.
20something Jul 2014
I'm so tired of pretending like I feel nothing for you;
acting like we can be just friends now,
no longer sharing secrets and 1am laughs,
and missing those kisses like no one is watching.

My mind is weary from holding back the memories of "us",
the sly ones that creep up every once in a while.
But now "we"
are
you
and
me.

How are you not exhausted?
Are you forcing that smile when you see me with him,
like I do when I see you with her?

Doesn't it sting a little
for you to think of me baring my naked soul to someone else?
Because it's killing me everyday
to imagine you holding and touching another girl,
the same way you did to me

Sometimes I think I see it in your eyes,
or maybe it's just wishful thinking,
that you might miss me as much as I miss you,
or maybe it's just my weakness coming through.
20something Jul 2014
for me
it is either completely meaningless
or absolutely meaningful
there is no gray area in my atmosphere
you will feel my fire for all that it's worth
or the cold wind of desolation and abandonment will haunt you until I say otherwise
maybe nothing comes next
maybe i'm reaching for something that was never there to begin with
but i have to get off the fence that I've been balancing on for far too long
because ******,
this is about me.

I have been chasing an aborted idea
and you have let me,
feeding me with the encouraging nutrients I needed.
yet now as I bleed out, I can't blame you,
regardless of the empty words you had me feeling full of,
putting aside the "maybes" that live on your tongue,
because I knew all along that this one was never going to make it full term,
and ******
this is about me.
20something Jul 2014
I feel like I just walked away from a battle,
broken and bruised,
every inch of me aches and throbs,
and I've got nothing left to lose

You stole my dignity,
and shattered my trust,
You trampled my ego,
left my hope lying in the dust.

I should have known it was coming,
you've never fought fair.
You've always been sneaky
because you just didn't care

Look at me now;
I can barely face what I've become
because that girl looks like she's defeated
and I refuse to accept that you've won.
20something Jul 2014
There is something to be said for the beat of the song that can become the rhythm of my heart.
For a minute I can forget what I'm trying not to remember,
and the chaos of my mind slows enough so that I can finally find a ******* smile,
I've practically forgotten they exist,
yet here they are,
underneath a heavy blanket of bitterness that has permanently clouded my mind since then...
God bless the melody thats crashes in my eardrums,
and the lyrics that wash over me as I breathe them in.
I can taste the sound on my tongue and it leaves me speechless.
My bloodstream isn't even drowning in a 70 proof serum,
but here I am
dancing underwater from toe to fingertip in a sea of musical notes
and right now
everything
is
almost
okay
Why I Listen To Music So Much
20something Jul 2014
You can have anything you want,
but you can't have everything
A time comes in everyone's life
when you must choose what's worth risking

I've been living day to day,
chasing something I can't even see
A competition I didn't even know I was in
until I realized that I was losing

Now what's at stake and what I have left
is being weighed by Justice's scales.
All I'm left with is the skeleton of who I used to be
and a face that I barely recognize as my own
20something Sep 2014
i've heard that drunk words are sober thoughts,
and you are on my mind right now.
a cheap 80 proof runs through my veins,
my tongue loose with the truths that I can't face in the light;
and just like that last shot I took,
I know I will regret this in the morning.
but I've come too far to go back now.
time is running out before my eyes,
and I ache to kiss you to fill our unfinished sentences,
yet the taste of you is far too intoxicating
and I will never be satisfied with just one moment
20something Dec 2014
somehow I found myself underneath the mistletoe;
with the taste of wine lingering on my lips,
wishing that it was you here in front of me,
instead of all of these gifts ,
and if only for just a moment,
temporarily mine
to kiss.
20something Jul 2014
i was thinking about investing some time in you,
but what will that cost me?
suddenly my sanity is at stake because I know that you,
you will make me care about the little things that never mattered to me before,
and god i don't want to need you
so please don't make me.
don't touch me so gently,
with soft lips and fingertips
and stop looking at me like I matter,
like I just might mean something important to you
don't stay up late to talk to me
or play with my hair when we lay together
I know you remember that I like 4 sugars in my coffee,
how I bite my lip when I'm anxious
and that I have a mole hidden high on my upper left thigh
but maybe for my sake
forget all this and leave me alone
before it's too late and we're both
lost
20something Jul 2014
here it is,
i'm laying it all out, just for you;
all my cards are on the table.
and it's not a winning hand.
yet it's all the things i desperately want to say
but won't leave my lips,
all that I need you to know,
to understand.
i swear im not pushing you away.
my fingers grasp your shirt because I'm so **** scared you'll slip away.
your wings are made for more and you deserve to see them spread wide.
sometimes I wished you never met me
because I've clipped them and now you're here
close to the ground,
next to me.
if i blink
will you be gone ?
and then with whom will i share the parts of me i've tried so hard to destroy
but none of it matters in the end because the damage is already done
the walls have shattered and collapsed all around me
and i see you through a single crack, standing,
waiting on the other side,
blood staining the knuckles of your crumpled hands
so here goes...
20something Jul 2014
your teeth scrape against my neck,
and my fingers clench your taut back in anguish,
will it keep me above water
safe from drowning in the abyss of what's left
and that which you have given up to me
legs twist and weave
arms tangle like ivy
winding its way up an abandoned house that hasn't been lived in for ages,
our lips possess an urgency,
I know you feel the tremble beneath my rib cage
as I struggle to tread the water
I thought it was under control
but this tide dragged me out further than I realized
and something
something about the way you keep pulling me under,
until the waves start filling my lungs
you are destroying me
from the inside out
20something Aug 2014
There's an open door,
somewhere in this godforsaken empty space,
with its rusted, leaky pipes,
and stained, torn down drapes.

There's a window left cracked open too I think,
because every time I'm almost ready to go,
a breeze brushes against my cheek,
and reminds me to face what I already know.

Because just as I can't abandon this vacant place
if anything remains undone,
I also can't let go of you and me,
so let's finally finish what we've already begun.
20something Jul 2014
If you understand that beneath my skin,
there is more then blood running through my veins;
scars have tattooed every inch of  me
and now I barely have room left to breathe.
My rhythm is a little off beat,
and like leaves in autumn,
my branches sometimes lose their leaves to the return of colder weather.
In the graveyard behind my eyes,
there lies the memories I've begged my mind to forget.
As long as you know that i can't stand to be looked at for too long;
gasoline to the burning flame of stares
that I can feel from behind the safe haven of my hair,
and sometimes when you touch me I may flinch,
but the tenderness blooming from your fingertips
is a serendipity that my senses are not accustomed to.
Give me time.
And in return I'll give you my sleepless nights.
Hopefully,
you'll still want me in the morning.
20something Dec 2017
is the curve of my chin in morning's light
the one you truly want to see?
am I who you want to be holding  
in the latest hours of the night
your eyes say someone else has stolen your dreams
you tell me that's not true
but can I really blame you?
when jagged edges have wounded you so many times
and their corners probably aren't as sharp as mine
I've wiped your kisses from my lips
and shook off your hand and grasping fingertips
you deserve someone who doesn't always
leave you in the dark so
no I'm not enough and
I can't be what you need but
I pray that in them you find
what it is that you can't get from me
20something Jul 2014
And it occurs to me every now and then
that I may never be able to make you smile like she does.
I pray and plead,
I make promises to gods that I don't believe in,
just for that fragmented bit of desire
sliding into an unguarded piece of my mind,
as I float in and out of consciousness before I sleep.
How I wish I could transform this from a thought to a reality.
I can almost feel the cool touch of the palm of your hand in mine
and the hot air intertwining between our lips
and just for a fleeting moment,
You and I exist
with no maybes,
questions
or in-betweens
20something Jul 2014
How do I tell you how much I want you in my life,
without it sounding desperate to say?

And how do I add that I miss having you around,
without giving too much away?

How could I possibly let you into my heart,
when I'm still afraid of what you'll find?

How long are you willing to be patient with me,
or am I starting to run out of time?

How are we going to get past all of these problems;
the obstacles just never seem to stop.

How do we know this is worth all the trouble,
and how do we know that it's not?
20something Oct 2014
I refuse to be an option to you;
a number on a list, one of many to choose.
Am I just a page in your book?
Because you take up chapters in mine
Maybe I've been blinded by how much I want this to work;
maybe I can no longer see the signs
The devil on my shoulder reminds me every single day,
that you're just like him and I need to stay away
Yet on the other side,
something says you could be worth the pain;
that you were an angel once upon a time,
and behind the horns you still have wings
I want to believe your words,
but your actions say so much more.
And the next time this equation doesn't add up
the only answer will be me finally closing this door.
20something Jul 2014
There's something about you that I just can't let go of,
God only knows why I keep sticking my hands in the flames.
I know full well that it will eventually burn me,
but I'm still drawn in all the same.

I'm tired of noticing every little thing you do,
hoping with everything that I have it's some type of sign.
I want to be able to finally stop guessing and wondering,
and know for sure if you're ready to just be mine

Who would have thought that of all people,
I would be so **** attracted to you.
But I wouldn't have it any other way,
and hopefully you feel the same way too.
20something Sep 2014
You are unfamiliar territory,
and for the first time in my life,
I am traveling without a map.
I'm following a path I can only imagine in this darkness,
and the walls surrounding me
are made up of pure uncertainty.
I don't remember how I arrived here,
but I know I can't go back now.
There are so many wrong turns I've already made
and sometimes I find myself walking in circles
but don't give up on me yet;
I swear I'm on my way.
20something Jan 2015
I've written myself into knots I cannot undo
and late nights have turned into mornings.
Tear stains mark many of my pages,
and my fingers have cramped from use.
I've run out of metaphors and clever rhymes,
synonyms, and similes,
because no matter how I start these lines,
I always end with you and me.
20something Mar 2016
if you asked me how I am I'd say "fine"
but here I am still thinking of you
and a part of me hopes
that you still think of me too.
20something Feb 2015
I think what hurts me the most
is knowing that even after all this time
you still won't choose me first
20something Aug 2014
What if I told you
that my heart beats a little faster every time you come into my view
And what if I let you know,
that as lame as it sounds you make my grey skies turn blue
What if I told you,
that I write marathons of poetry with you on my mind
And what if I let you know,
that you're the type of person I thought I'd never be able to find
Would you laugh at me if I said all of this?
Would you run away from what could possibly be?
Or would you smile in the way that makes my knees weak?
and let me know that you feel all the same things for me?
20something Oct 2014
I always thought I'd never be what you want;
and that who I am would never be enough.
Yet, maybe everything about me,
is exactly what you really need.
And I'm starting to realize that all there is about you,
is just what I'm looking for too.
20something Jul 2014
I know I don't always say what's on my mind
and that you're getting tired of this guessing game.

I know that I'm more complicated then you signed up for,
and your patience with me is beginning to wane.

I know my coldness has made me frigid to the touch,
and you have a passionate fire, burning from your very core.

I know you've almost given up this endless chase,
because while I'm giving you what I can, you still need more.

I know you see me for all that I can be,
and you wish I would prove you right one of these days.

But what I don't know is if all this is worth it to you
and I don't know if you're going to stay.
20something Nov 2014
I didn't want you close enough to hurt me,
And I was content with never having you to myself.
But somewhere along the line I forgot to keep my walls up,
and now I'm broken because once again I wasn't enough.
20something Aug 2014
They say that time heals all wounds ,
so why am I still beaten and bruised?
Fists have never touched my skin,
yet my heart has been battered from abuse.
The bitter taste of regret lingers in my mouth,
haunted by the memory of past lips on mine.
I've become a shadow of myself, made up only of glass;
shattered and put back together far too many times.
Mirrors have never been a friend of mine,
for I always see past what my physical reflection shows me.
I can't even recognize who I am anymore,
because I'm stuck between who I was
and who I want to be.
20something Jul 2014
I think that I may be addicted to you;

Because I'm hooked on those eyes that look past what everyone else sees,
and always finds the little bit of "worth it" that's left in me

And I ache for those hands that electrify my skin with each touch;
that overwhelm my every sense until it's almost too much.

I crave the familiar smell of your shirt when I lay curled up next to you,
with the surrounding peace so comforting it's almost too good to be true.

You are more dangerous than any nicotine
or any alcohol that has passed my lips
Because you always seem to return into my life,
and at least those are habits that I can quit...
20something Oct 2014
the hardest words to express out loud
are always the ones that we need to say
and sometimes what's spoken in the shadow of night
is too much to face in the light of day
so if I choose to bare the naked truth to you,
will you be able to finally look at all of me?
because I am not ashamed of the bright sun anymore
and the darkness holds secrets I no longer want to keep
20something Jun 2015
maybe it's me
maybe i'm just too hard to love
I wanted you to understand me
when I didn't even understand myself
20something Oct 2016
you looked at me in my eyes,
and there was no fear
of what you'd find.

you saw the ruin left behind;
the damage, and destruction,
the brokenness I tried to hide.

And I waited for you to run;
away from my shadows,
and into the sun.

But then you told me,
there's a special beauty to the night;
because only then can you see stars
and in the darkness
they've created their own light
20something Jul 2014
constantly wondering if it's your lack of effort or mine;
either way we're both disappointed and wasting time.

you say you're waiting to hear from someone and so am I,
but are we waiting for each other or has our chance already passed us by?

i thought that what we had was real, but maybe I was mistaken
because you're talking about "her" and I'm not sure if that's me or my replacement

we are more than star crossed; it can't just be a matter of bad timing
we might be too different, maybe this no longer worth all the trying.

I'm know I'm probably just running like always; looking for the easy way out
but I'm hoping you'll stop me from going, by taking away all my doubts

Convince me you're worth staying for; make this rolling stone want to slow down
'Cause I've been around the block a few times too many, and my baggage weighs a pound.

This isn't the first poem you've inspired in me and I know it won't be the last,
but I need know is if this will end in romance or become a distant memory of our past
20something Jul 2014
the saying goes “we always want what we cant have”...
or something like that...
but this...
this is beyond want.
you not only take the weight off my shoulders, but you hold it with your own like its your pain to carry.
If you see I’m drowning you grab my hand, fingers intertwined tightly
and when our eyes meet I know I’m not going under,
because you’re stronger than the waves that threaten to overtake me everyday.
Sometimes the silence speaks so loud
and I can hear everything that you won’t say
She’s always been the shadow that lay between what could be
and what is,
but when it’s dark, you can't hide behind that anymore.
Funny how when the sun’s not shining I can see you better
You take me damaged and broken.
As I am.
Not trying to fix me,
but instead letting my shattered pieces cut your hands.
The blood flows freely from your skin,
yet all I can think about is who is putting your bandage on and
why
it's
not
me
20something Dec 2015
It's easier said than done;
to let someone go,
when all you want is to hold on.
Because the memories can't just be erased ,
of every moment between you.
And those feelings won't simply be replaced
by someone new.
But you know the only thing to do now,
is to leave behind what has fallen apart,
because the damage has gone way too far
to repair what's left of two broken hearts
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