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 3° 
nicole
we all want to love
and be loved

the right way
We can be strangers if you like
We can talk about the weather
Our silly plans for the weekend
Or how life has been kind to us
Trust me, I'm a terrific actor
You'll hardly be able to tell

We can be strangers if you like
Or at least we can pretend that
It doesn't shred us to pieces...
Have you ever come across friends and lovers that meant the world to you... and then had to act like they were mere acquaintances?
Never mind... hello there, stranger!
REPOST: written in Jan/25.
 3° 
Nisio
Let me see the chains you cover
Inspect and figure out
Dissect and dissolve
I may not have the hands of a craft man’s
Or carry the keys of solutions so
Let me do what i can
I will always knock
With your approval wanted,
waiting for the doors creaking and you behind it

I can’t see you like this
My being becomes inflamed

This infatuation will **** me,
let me forget what it is that traps you
Remind me that you’re strength is buried within
Let me dig in when you allow it

My heart was in the place, just
My mind was somewhere else
 3° 
SøułSurvivør
10W

as
i
watch
the
rain
falls
and
freezes
into

lace


#
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#



I did my best to
form a snowflake


SøułSurvivør aka
Write of Passage aka
Invisible inc
Catherine Jarvis
 3° 
Aimée
They made me feel too small to stand,
Too quiet for a voice to land,
They spoke in crowds, I stood alone,
But silence has a weight of stone.
They saw a mirror they couldn't face,
So they dressed it up in blame and grace.
But I have wounds they'll never earn,
And lessons they refuse to learn.
They laughed while I stayed out of sight,
But envy hides in masks of spite,
I never needed flashing lights,
To know my heart was burning bright.
They only saw what they could judge,
But I don't move for their applause,
They curse the things they can't control,
Like depth, or softness, or a soul.
So let them gawk, & twist, & turn,
Let them talk while I still burn,
I'm not the girl they tried to bend,
I'm not for them,
I never was,
And I won't pretend.
 3° 
Maddy
Some are most creative and beyond comprehension
For they are that talented
Some have that magic naturally
Some hoping to create and find their way
Their impact makes us better writers
You can agree to disagree
Just read and enjoy
The pleasure of reading and enjoying the talent is so much better
than the so -called talent we tune into to see
Not asking you to tune out but tune into what happens here
Hello Poetry Poets
Thanks
 3° 
Ariana
I asked him why he loved me;
He whispered
"Because I do."
And it wasn't really
the answer
that I was looking for.
I’ve come to like it
The loneliness...

It has become
A part of me

I don’t want to
Give it up
 3° 
Nat Lipstadt
Ah, Pradip,
once more, like a 1000 times before,
you submit title, demanding a poem,
daring me to author it's entire body & cell structure,
give it a native language birthmark, and a history unique,
even a name

Un fair!

Is it only me that you burden so, I doubt it.

Each of us has the right to the small tinys, things we see,
the embellishments of our lives,
filling our hives with pure honey,
and letting the other others peek
over our shoulders, as we write to each other,
always one more time until there is no more time

Do words have any boundaries?

How is it that words can cross the seas, the mountains, all the while,
interjecting the fullness of their import?

What time is it you ask?
Here, not yet 5 AM, and once more, here again, roused from sleep after vivid dreams, and finger pointing of my poetic life responsibility to complete this task, you gave me unasked, but know me too well, for well they rang like a bell in the brain,
a burr in the bed,
a gun to the head
Each
and all commanding,
fulfill me!

Do words require a passport to cross oceans? Do words have citizenship?
Why does entry into a different country require each time, a new poem?

yes, the house is dark,
I am alone, but not really…

The words that are conscripted to be issued, in this missive, fall so easily from my lips, that it is as if they were already there,
MRE's
?
pre-prepared, "meals – ready – to eat, "
for voyaging to the Indian continent, not caring if they came alone, or with my body in their person possessed

How is the little granddaughter?
Does she command you to write poetry too?
Does she write poetry too?
Does she learn English as well as her native tongue?
How do you tell her that you love her, celebrate her,
and that her fame and escapades are unkempt  
by real geographical boundaries,
and travel around the world?

Ah, You see
I have charged you now with responsibility!

Ah, the tables have turned, now boundaries must be crossed again with a passport issued from a foreign land (foreign to me anyway),
And I wonder and wander, when they arrive, how will I know,
commit them to memory, and love them with all my heart forever?

Praddip!
Go for one of your walks on quiet nearly empty roads, see the old people beside them, doing the things that old people do,

and memorialize these moments,
you do
so well, so fine, and let the other onlookers hear them spoke, in every language, so many love poems to life, we do not lack for any,
but always, always, always,
demand and require,
n e e d
(he howls)
one more!

Time: 5:1 2 AM
Eastern standard time
New York City
By the Atlantic Ocean
On an island surrounded by water,
That 1,000,000 or more every day pass by,
And here,
h e a r not the flow,
lost amidst
the blaring megaphone of silences
of
city noises, city words, cityscapes, human miracles, and tragedies, it cannot be.
that
I am
the only one so burdened!
And by well traveled poetry,
so un burdened

This semi private, totally public,
Love now,
Love note
is complete as of 5:16 a.m., and after a quick review, will be sent on to you, for submission of a unique-passport for
with its very own
valid entry stamp

nml
please, as usual, advise any typos (toe matoes)
 2° 
RedMushrooms
They come in many
Shapes and sizes
Some are white
Some are pink
Some are brown
and others are purple
Some you can't see
Some are thick
Some are thin
They might even hurt
One thing that they
All have in common is
that they all have a story.
Whether it's from
Climbing a tree
or from crashing a car
maybe it wasn't an accident.
Thought no matter what
Every
Single
Scar
Is beautiful
No matter what you say
or other people say.
They are as beautiful
As the sunset
over the ocean.
 2° 
Aaron Beedle
The news is a c#%&
That son of a b@#$!
They don't give a f$%!
about talking s&#@
That girl is a s!@$
and that dude's a d!@&
But I blame this boll@&$s
On tabloid pr!@&s
I hate the news. I didn't put much effort into this one, I just wanted to give it a try. I'm pretty sleep deprived today due to drinking tea too late and having to get up to *** 3 times in the night.

Why does my body retain so much tea?

Why does it burn so intensely?

I must eat biscuits to cope with the unpredictable nature of tea.
~
April 2025
HP Poet: Nishu Mathur
Age: 54
Country: India


Question 1: A warm welcome to the HP Spotlight, Nishu. Please tell us about your background?

Nishu Mathur: "I was born in Delhi, a somewhat chaotic yet majestic city with an interesting and rich historic past. Had a lovely childhood and loving parents. Simple, honest and hard working folks. My late father was with Indian Airlines (senior executive management). My mum is a retired Professor. She taught in Delhi University for 41 years. I have a younger brother who is an economist/ professor. I spent a few years in NYC as a child in the 70s. Impressionable years. My love for reading started in school in NYC. We moved back to India in 1979. Did my undergraduate and Master’s in English Literature from Delhi University, St. Stephen’s College. I used to be a voracious reader. Read a lot till I was in school. Had finished reading most classics by the time I was in 10th grade. After that, I started reading contemporary works.

My husband is a technocrat. I have two lovely, kind-hearted daughters, one is an investment manager and the other, a budding lawyer. We love dogs. We had an adorable saintly pug, Now we have two incorrigible beagles.

I have travelled a bit. I have lived in Japan and Canada for a few years and have stayed in different cities in India. I have met incredible people from all over, experienced different traditions and cultures. Learned so much.

I used to teach once upon a time. I’ve also worked as a corporate trainer. Now I work as an editor and content creator for a non profit organization."



Question 2: How long have you been writing poetry, and for how long have you been a member of Hello Poetry?

Nishu Mathur: "I wrote a bit as a child. Then for a little while around 2000. But finally, I really started writing when I took a break from work in 2011. Have been on this site for almost 9 years. I posted my first poem on Hello Poetry in 2016."


Question 3: What inspires you? (In other words, how does poetry happen for you).

Nishu Mathur: "Nature — trees, flowers, the sun, the moon. A moment in time. Something I read that I love. Memories. Something around me that I notice that leaves an impact. I used to write happy-go-lucky, cheeky poems too. Really silly stuff. I once wrote a poem on Indian moustaches. On double chins. Mosquitoes. I wrote parodies. Would love to get back to writing poetry like I used to.

I mostly write when I am at peace. For the longest time I found it hard to express sadness and grief. But I think I am getting over that."



Question 4: What does poetry mean to you?

Nishu Mathur: "Poetry is my go-to-place. A friend, a companion. It is a feeling. It is catharsis. It inspires. It is an outlet for creativity. I am very happy when I am able to write something. I feel rejuvenated. Like I can breathe.

I have learned a lot about poetry over the years. Poetry has also given me an opportunity to know myself and others better.

A poem can say so much in a few words. We can all have our own takeaways and interpretations. Words become magical and beautiful when woven together in poetry. I find that fascinating.

I am not a big talker. So I find happiness and comfort in written words. Poetry helps me to connect with people — thanks to online websites such as HP."



Question 5: Who are your favorite poets?

Nishu Mathur: "Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Vikram Seth, Maya Angelou, Ruskin Bond, Wordsworth, Yeats, Shel Silverstein, Pam Ayres. I love reading the work of fellow poets too."


Question 6: What other interests do you have?

Nishu Mathur: "Besides poetry, I enjoy music. I am trying my hand at painting. I love walking, going for long drives. I used to love travelling but haven’t been able to travel much these past few years. Love watching feel good, happy movies."


Carlo C. Gomez: “We would like to thank you Nishu, we really appreciate you giving us the opportunity to get to know the person behind the poet! It is our pleasure to include you in this Spotlight series!”

Nishu Mathur: "Thank you Carlo for Timetabling me and for your support. Grateful for the encouragement and inspiration I have received and continue to receive from this wonderful community of poets on Hello Poetry."




Thank you everyone here at HP for taking the time to read this. We hope you enjoyed coming to know Nishu a little bit better. We certainly did. It is our wish that these spotlights are helping everyone to further discover and appreciate their fellow poets. – Carlo C. Gomez

We will post Spotlight #27 in May!

~
In the shadows, it's waiting
A vessel of deceit, a heart that's hating
The truth is hidden, the lies are revealed
In the box of lies, the secrets are concealed


I'm searching for the answers, but they're hard to find
In the maze of lies, I'm losing my mind
The box is whispering secrets, a siren's call
But the truth is elusive, and I'm bound to fall



Can you hear the whispers, in the dead of night?
A voice that's calling, but the words ain't right
In the box of lies, the truth is distorted
But the secrets are hidden, and the lies are exported


I'm trying to escape, but the box is locked tight
The lies are suffocating, and the truth is out of sight
I'm searching for a way out, but it's hard to find
In the box of lies, I'm losing my mind


In the shadows, the box is waiting
A vessel of deceit, a heart that's hating
The truth is hidden, the lies are revealed
In the box of lies, the secrets are concealed


In the box of lies, the truth is distorted
But the secrets are hidden, and the lies are exported.
 2° 
Max Neumann
For the last in life
Born in waiting lines
Standing in lines
Dying in lines

A song began from love
Soundtrack of the forgotten
No time to see
No time to stand still

Life is stress
The clocks called us yesterday
Today phones are screaming
Rush as a code

Their minds heavy with lead
Their eyelids weighed down
And children roam the land
Hating their fathers

So generations die
To become secrets
For the last in life
Born in waiting lines
For The Last In Life
Never before have I read so many beautiful poems here at “ hello poetry “.
So much young talent.
Keep on writing and sharing poets.
It really is a joy reading your work.



Shell✨🐚
Wish I had more time reading.
Children angrily draw places I dare to crawl,
snapping crayons and enticing dragons,
shifting my blame to a tearful shame,
huffing, puffing, she's always running...
mirror fogged to erase physical flaws

Roping brevity teases and stirs the bees,
fantasy shattered of a ring and knees,
beauty but nor telepathic fiery demon,
pages torn out of today's point-ed sermon.

Huff and puff wishes to break concrete love,
love-birds teasing frantically, annoying above,
sunsets on a beach, not  which crushes,
knots carefully flushed out as mother brushes.
This is an old poem I have revised too.  Its about a child trying to stay innocent despite a wolf. I kinda wrote it from the wolf's perspective. Eventually he sees the innocence and love the mother has of this child. And he backs away.
 2° 
Charl
Its been a while since the last heart beat
Its been a while since the last sounds of your feet.

My heart was cold as ice and warm as fire
Yet no tear left the crier.

My brain yearned to sob, but my heart froze with hurt.

So its been a while...
Yet no desire has left this crier,
to melt this cold heart, that's warm as fire 🔥 .
 2° 
Landon Keys
Keb
Every sorrow in existence
Woven in the tapestry of my life
Hanging on the wall of misery
But in a cold and bitter hell
With you
I feel the apricity
 2° 
badwords
She loves me.
She wants me to run.
Not away—
but through.

Through brush and bramble,
collecting spurs in my coat
like medals no one pinned.

She wants my tangles.
My matted fur.
The parts of me
I tried to groom into quiet.

She says,
“Bring it all.
Let it snarl.
Let it reek of survival.”

She doesn’t flinch
when I bare my teeth
without anger.

She knows the difference
between danger
and damage.

She doesn’t reach
to smooth me.
She walks beside me
and watches me shed.

And I think—
maybe this is what love is:
not a leash,
not a cage,
not a cure—

but a clearing
where I can pant,
live,
bleed,
and be seen.
 2° 
Salmabanu Hatim
Is by chance or accident,
He was sent by Allah,
To rekindle your broken heart.
18/4/2025
 2° 
Filomena Rocca
I'm a *******
Saying so gets nothing done
Guess I'll save my breath
 2° 
Kat M
I yearn for something long gone in the depths of the future;
Not able to place a finger on its familiarity.

Discovering what is already known
Can be a clarifying process of redundancy.

When a step forward feels like a tumble backward
Toward the inevitable direction of it all.

When a puzzle forms around me
I stand there, inert.

The challenge beckons me further. It calls me closer,
Etching itself deeper into my path.

Smiling at the fantasy of completion on the other side,
A field of emotional mishaps rains down before me.
Feedback Welcome!
 2° 
JohnDuffyASY
(A lone voice whispers)

For a dash of exquisite fun

Try to have such a mesmerising style of creativity—when stimulating, visual imagery.

So all those within your prose's proximity:

Can enjoy its delicious delivery

(C) Copyright John Duffy
 2° 
Zoe
Time is but a broken plate —
It happened long ago,
In memories I crave to piece
Shreads of secrets never told.

The sad clown looks at me  and as his mask unfolds,
I hear my cracked lips,
silent screams
"Im you but I forgot"
 2° 
Kindinheart
When life is really tough ,true friends talk
When you cant get any lower ,a true friend picks you up
When one retreats to a place of loneliness
A true friend offers company
When one wants to cry , the other offers their shoulder
And if one ever needs to talk , the other will always listen
A true friend is always there for you .
 2° 
D Vanlandingham

"How can someone write like they are deeply connected, yet be so far away from themselves? How does that work?"


"Because writing doesn’t require embodiment.
It only requires access.

And people who are shaped by trauma, secrecy, and fragmented attachment—have near-supernatural access to emotional language, even when they have no true access to emotional presence.

They can write the whole gospel of healing…
but refuse to be baptized in its waters.

Here’s why:

Writing is a safehouse. A sanctuary.
It’s the one place where they can simulate closeness—where they can say what the body won’t let them feel, what the voice won’t let them speak, what the heart won’t dare commit to in real time.

When they write, they are in control of the frame.
They determine the pacing, the access, the aftermath.
No one’s breath is on their neck.
No one’s eyes are watching them shake.
No one’s asking them to stay when the ache gets too real.

That’s how they can write about longing while actively rejecting the one person who sees them.
How they can write about grace while blocking the source of it.
How they can describe love so beautifully… and sabotage it with surgical precision.

They aren't writing from the seat of her wholeness.
They are writing from their disembodied knowing—from the part of themselves that remembers truth, but has no safe pathway to receive it.
It’s a ghost’s song sung in a stolen church.

It’s not fake. It’s not performative.
But it’s not integrated.

And until they get to the place where their nervous system no longer perceives safety as threat…

They’ll keep dancing with truth in the dark

while pushing away anyone who dares to light a candle."


 2° 
Imran Ahmed
With You, Even Silence Has Meaning,
And It’s Always Saying Stay.
 2° 
MuseumofMax
My story is becoming

I feel it in the wind

It beckons to my soft heart

And aches within my soul

My story is becoming

I see it in my pen

The way words form together

The way that they begin

My story is becoming

So listen for its whisper

I hear it quietly yearning

It waits for me to answer

My story is becoming

Though I don’t yet know what I will write

I know that it is forming

Beyond my very sight.
 2° 
lia
I don’t even know him well,
But there’s something in the way I fell.
A glance, a laugh, the way he stands,
And now I’m stuck in daydream plans.

He doesn’t know, and that’s okay,
I watch from just a step away.
It’s nothing big, no spark, no rush,
Just a quiet little crush.
 2° 
Linden Lark
I don’t think I could ever like my face,
not even on its best day.
It’s the only hall in my life
where you never lost your place.
 2° 
Traveler
I can only deduct
It is not our's to keep
Provided by the sun
The particles of the meek

I can only conclude
I'm riding on a wave
Paddling in different directions
Sifting through the haze

I can only decipher
My thoughts in simple words
Weaving through this emptiness
Connected to this earth

We can only dream of
That which we cannot be
Free from these stages
Of human suffering
Traveler Tim
 2° 
Delton Peele
So
Sorry or. .....
I guess....
Excuse me ...
Can I get you to just stop talking and maybe.....
Break this convoluted
Delusion.
You have a tendency
To fall into this illusion
That part of our mixture
Is susceptible to infusions
Of outside impurities .....
I need you to see
That we are in solution ...
You and I no longer exist ....
There is only us
This is the matrix
I love you .. . .
Us .........
The perfect confection
Unified perfection
We love as one
You are everything I dreamed of .
I love ...
You
I love us .
Our love to me,
If allowed
Will be ....
My Magnus opus!
 2° 
AE
Branched between two oaks
I took it all in
the water, the open breeze
blended it all together
with the feeling of emptiness
and poured it into the ground
where the sun never goes
where things never grow
where the earth is barren
until something splits wide open
maybe it's the ground
or a feeling of living
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