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 Jun 2018 Dev
Jay
Stupidest Things
 Jun 2018 Dev
Jay
I'M MAKING nachos in your toaster oven. The chips fall in the pan without a problem. Beans, evenly distributed (if I do say so myself.) Salsa- good to go. Then the cheese. Generic brand shredded cheese blend. I dangle my (washed) fingers into the zip-lock bag, grab a generous pinch and rain mild cheddar down on my gourmet meal. And I feel the tears building. "No," my conscious scolds, "you will not cry over shredded cheese." I add another pinch for flavor, then another to assert dominance. I slide the pan into the tiny oven- triumphant! But the next task breaks me. I freeze when I try to adjust the heat setting. I hear your voice so clearly, like you're still calling from the next room: "you have to press the TOAST button, it cooks much faster."  The tears start to roll. I think about how excited you were when cheese bubbled perfectly- "just a little brown, ever so slightly crispy." We would joke about your persnickety preferences, likely a product of your superior taste. Of course, you would have appreciated anything I made for you, but it was always better when the dish matched the idea in your head...when I made it like you would have made it (if you were only well enough to cook for yourself again.) In the present, I poke the TOAST button and flee the kitchen as to not cry in front of the smothered chips. I sit on the sofa and break down, gasping in childish sobs. "I miss her," I wail to an empty house. Warm tears coat my cheeks in the air-conditioned room. I feel so small. I feel so foolish for crying over stupid, little things. I feel so... so... A bell dings in the kitchen. I wipe my sleeve across my face and traipse back to the toaster. Hand into oven mitt, mitt onto pan, pan onto table. I grab the plastic tubs of sour cream and guacamole from the fridge and a spoon from the drawer that sticks a little when you try to open it. I pick the non-wilted bits off the head of lettuce and rinse them under the faucet. I finish the recipe. I pull out a chair. I sit down to nachos for one.
Grief is such a strange emotion/process.

*Oh my! Thank you all so much for your support! I wrote this back in June when I needed to get it out of my head and had no idea it was chosen as a daily until I just logged back on and thought there was a glitch with my notifications number. I was slightly mortified that a piece of my mourning got exposure but after reading your comments I'm glad that I documented something many of you identified with. I've since journeyed a bit farther in my grief- slowly overcoming my initial instinct of trying to instantaneously analyze every feeling to determine whether I'm "allowed" to have it. I went to a group bereavement meeting offered by the hospital that treated the loved one in this poem and the nurse running the session made a good point- no one can fully understand another person's relationship with an individual who's passed on. Interpersonal relationships are unique and so is grieving. Being gentle with yourself (especially in times of struggle) is woefully underrated. And with that, I send love, gratitude, and positive vibes to this wonderful community
 Jun 2018 Dev
Nyx

A seemingly ancient photograph
Capturing a perfect moment in time
Eternalising our friendship
Sealing us in our prime

A photo taken in the spur of the moment
As an attempt to follow a new "selfie" trend
Within the seats of a worn down minivan
We all sat and laughed as friends

At the young ages of 11 and 12
Still quite young and naive
We drove around the endless fields
Laughing and singing as we were free

We called ourselves The Gang
Though we rarely did anything wrong
The six of us were so close back then
It was the only time I felt like I belonged  

Stopping the car behind the willow tree
With its branches drooping low
Rays of sunlight shining down
But at that time we didn't quite know

Let's take a picture

A black iPod touch
Was the thing to capture this moment
we all posed with the peace sign
In time we are forever frozen

This picture that at the moment meant nothing
It was all just meaningless fun
But now we see that during that time
It was the last day that we were together as one

Our lives have all gone different ways
In complete opposite directions
We haven't seen each other in years
We no longer hold that same connection

The photograph sits within my room
My most treasured possession I own
etched into the bottom of the frame
The words that we once promised

We'll meet again someday

This is honestly a picture taken so long ago that I can barely remember it,
2012 and having no clue how to take a selfie
 Jun 2018 Dev
Ashly Kocher
No Hate
 Jun 2018 Dev
Ashly Kocher
The other day
I stood inside
Watching a classroom of children
Walking to the park
I took notice to two little girls
Holding each others hands
That’s not surprising since they were crossing the street
But what I noticed was much more then that of holding hands
The little girls not more the age 7 or 8
One was white and the other was of color
We all can take note
We are born to love each other
Have no Hate
Love is love
Even from a young age
We can all learn from these little girls...
We are born to see everyone the same and have NO HATE...
 Jun 2018 Dev
Krista DelleFemine
It just might be
Memories
Are more valuable than money
In that bad memories
Money don't buy away
 Jun 2018 Dev
Jeff Gaines
Hello everyone,

  I'm so very sorry … I feel horrible doing this, but I have no choice. You see, I have published my first book on Amazon/Kindle! This piece (and many others) had to be taken down because they do not allow published material to be available online for free. (Go figure) I wanted to leave the shell of the posts because I felt compelled to leave all your helpful and loving comments. (Silly sentimental, I know), but I also didn't want to just have the pieces disappear without an explanation. I feel bad enough as it is!

  I owe ALL of you so, SO much for all of your reads, love, and support. It was YOU that gave me the gumption to FINALLY get off my **** and publish! Thank you all for the warm comments, camaraderie, and encouragement! I will still be here, reading, uploading and just being the Rascal that I am. How could I EVER leave you guys?

  The book is called “The Way I See It – FictionPhilosophySoul Food” and it will be FREE for the first few days on Kindle Select, so watch for it, if you are interested. I hope that you go and grab it. If you do, I would also hope that you find it worthy, you would leave me a good review. That will help me get in the public eye! Soon afterward (2-3 days or so), it will be available in paperback. I will be building my Author page tonight (12/21/2018) and my website finished first thing Monday!

Find the book(s) here: www.amazon.com/author/jeff.gaines

Or find the book(s), and all about me, here: www.JeffGaines.world

  Soon after, I also hope to have my first novel (a supernatural thriller), called “Wanderer” available as well!

  Wish me luck!
Big, Biggest Love,
        Jeff Gaines
I wrote this lullaby for my HS sweetheart after she came over to my house crying and was all upset that her family had just told her to leave me and to  "Forget that dreamer!"

I can't say I blame them, in hindsight. I was yer typical parents worst nightmare: Long hair, torn jeans, loud-crazy shirts/clothes, singing in a band, bouncer at a pool hall, big mean Doberman Pinscher, hot rod Firebird Formula, big ol' party house with a pool ... you get the picture.

This poem has been up here since Feb/2018. But I guess during the last server cleaning, it somehow got deleted along with the last two paragraphs of my notes to "The Longest Piece Ever Uploaded To Hello Poetry".

I discovered that and luckily had it backed up, so I replaced the missing notes. Last night I read "I love You" (another lullaby written for her and posted here at HP) and when I went to find this one, it was totally gone.

Better check yer posts. There could be missing bits or even WHOLE POEM uploads!
 Jun 2018 Dev
anonymous
anxiety
 Jun 2018 Dev
anonymous
Gasping my lungs turn to stone
“Breath!”
My throat closes in
“Just breath”
But i cant
My mind is spinning
My heart races
Im standing on solid ground
But it feels like im falling
And i keep falling
Down
Down
Down
A downward spiral my mind screams for everything to stop
But my mouth can not make a single noise
I grasp the air with my lungs
But i slip farther and farther
All i can hear is my mind breaking
Shutting down
All i feel is my heart beating
Blood rushing through my veins
The burning in my lungs
Desperatly begging for air
And I can not see
The room is spinning
And Nothing is real
 Jun 2018 Dev
Elizabeth Squires
There was an actress named Millie Moo
Who wished she could nicely coo
On trying to parody a dove
The director gave her the shove
Copying a bird is hard hence a red card
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