The storms my heart has, for ages,
Has begun to soar high now,
And, they still go by the smile,
O' dear.
Amidst all the cacophony,
Of my life,
I still keep a place, safe,
For your silence.
I lie here, so pale and dying,
The same world you live in.
But, you still don't hear me cry.

a week ago on sunday
i witnessed my brother marry
the love of his life

it rained

and it was beautiful

and it reminded me
that life is short
and wonderful

and maybe i should start

living instead of writing poems.

maybe i should start
taking wonderful opportunities
with you.

You've had a hard life
Full of hatred and denial
Betrail and heartbreak
Like your heart is on trial

You want it to end
This treacherous life
To run away free
To give up the fight

But I can tell you now
That nothing can compare
To what you've gone through
Through all that despair

It might seem like
The tunnel of light
Would be much better
If it stopped burning bright

I can tell you
"Don't end your life"
But it would do anything
Except fuel the fight

Your heart doesn't want it
I can see it in your eyes
So I wrote a poem for you
Without wearing a disguise

I might not be the wisest
Or all knowing and powerful
But I can tell you
That life is beautiful

Seeing a sunrise
Or little bits of joy
Will make you realize
Your life's not a toy

Don't take these moments
The futures you haven't seen
Instead, hope that one day
You'll find where you've been

Find your soul and yourself
On this journey of life
Some might even call it
A journey of love

you're not your hair:
you can cut it dye it curl it straighten it shave it bend it twist it;

you're not your face:
you can hide it under layers of make-up you can put on lenses you can change your face in a matter of minutes;

you're not your skin:
you can cut it draw on it bite it tear it;

you're not your body:
you can lose weight gain weight;

you're not your clothes:
strip them off;

never reduce
yourself
to
a colour
a number
an adjective
a noun

never reduce
yourself
to a simple
word

you are
the thoughts you have at 3 a.m.
the lame jokes you tell your friends
the art you create
the books you read
the pages you have dog-eared
the quotes you have highlighted
the coffee you never finished drinking
the movie you watch after midnight, wrapped in a blanket
the chocolate cake you ate that night with that girl
the slice of pizza you could've eaten but you gave to your best friend
the kiss that still burns on your lips
the cigarettes that sting in your lungs long after you smoked them
the dreams you dream
the worlds you build in your mind
the song that's stuck in your head
the moments you're in the shower
the iloveyous
the ikindaguessilikeyous
the icareforyous
the seeyoulaters
the words you say
the smiles you smile
the laughs you laugh
the loves you love
the hates you hate

you are
an entire universe:
you're stars
and planets
and galaxies
and asteroids
and comets

you are a cosmos
trapped in
a shell.

you are
a gazillion worlds
locked in
a human cage.

never think
of yourself
as of
anything
less.

Set ablaze; past glories,
Conquests. Thick brick walls
Impenetrable sit idly by
Whilst what ifs eviscerate.

A kingdom built on grains and specks.
Once a settlement, now ghastly;
Ravaged by plaguing self-doubt,
Warming, once-virginal moat breached.

Back then, gauntlet raised in
Defiance. Each challenged indiscretion
Offering temporary relief; even
Reputation. To be lauded.

Now my Castle stands,
Pallid, chalk-lined grandstands.
Guiding past, drawbridge downed
Vagrant visitors. My crown.