I couldn’t have tried any harder
Put in heart and soul
Displayed and splayed out
Open, like a wound
Festered
Blistered
Splintered
And broke
You witnessed it all
Til it turned to smoke
All the effort
Nothing is gained
Lost is hope and confidence
Only the ashes remain
Along with the sooty stain
I know I have no right to complain
All the liberties I take
You gave me none
For goodness sake

I am the old lady
Stumbling down a dark, hard path
Telling myself there’s sunlight
And I’m frolicking in the grass
Gassed up grassed up
Ready to go
Fast or slow
Waiting to know
Which direction to go

You say you're apathetic
Yet you stress every detail
You say he's not your type
Yet you stalk him without fail
You say you're hard at work
When you're no where near dirt
And according to you
You always win
And you wonder why
No one wants to play again
When you know **** well
You cheat to win

I cannot understand how he could have
Fallen  for her
An otherwise perfect man
Feeding the greedy cat with the
Persistent purr
Glamour on the skin
Pettiness within
How he missed all that
Before he got too far in
Is so far from right
It’s almost a sin.
Still smell ****
From what that man stepped in
It will bring stress and strife
Falling for the beautiful ***
Without making sure it’s well-wiped

I been silly
It would seem
Working on a dream
But work is tedious
I feel inspired
Crafted by a Master
Against his will
The monster he created
Has a brain, still

It wasn’t a let down for me
It was a drop from a great height
Into the Dead Sea
All my fault, really
For seeing a man
So much better than he be
I suppose now, at least
I can call myself free

I see your potential
Your feelings are raw
Spilling out unrefined
But relatable and true
I get the feeling you’ve been searching for
An identify
But before you find that
You need to set your poet free
Through editing
No matter how illogical
That be

Peace is the greatest commodity
A soul can have
Individually
Or globally
And if it’s done properly
It is also free

It’s not foolish
Though it is kinda giddy
The thinking I do about you
Maybe it’s not thinking
Dreaming fantasizing
Is there a word for the opposite of thinking?
Because it’s nerve endings in my chest
The messages are coming through
Undeniably great
In the meeting of these two
Freesoul minds
Me and you

It’s a mission
To show you who I am
***** it out here for you to see
Which has to mean everybody
I think I’ve got likability
But I just happen to like me
I don’t know what you see
Brash, brazen, unapologetic me
For who I be
And what I want
And what kind of beautiful picture I see
In a future of you and me
If we get friendly

I want her to love frogs
And mud
I hope she never stresses over
Underwear lines
Or crams her feet into too small shoes
I hope she grows up
Breaking lots of rules

One day my song will
Hit you in the
Right kinda way
That you will revisit
All throughout the rest of your life
I will bring you the feels
And the keeping it reals
Given freely
This life-long gift
That will outlive both of us
Sent with love
To you
From me

Fake friends are worse than enemies
They love you so much in the
Fairweather breeze
Frigid winds always come
Eventually
And that's when
You figure out
Who's the fake friend

My juice for you has been sapped
Until you replenish the fruit
My tolerance not nearly tapped
But you better show up in a suit

I want to be angry with you
Over something you didn’t know you were supposed to do
Unreasonable
It’s true
But anger seldom thinks clearly
It sits in my chest
Makes a big mess
Takes away happiness’ success
And so
I pretend
And bend
Smile and remember that we are friends
The feeling is still there
Ignored by me
And ignored by you
Even more thoroughly
As you pretend
And bend
And act like you don’t see
Frustration welling up in me

You’re good
But boring
Your emotions
Cannot possibly be
All gardening and pottery
And puttering endlessly
There’s gotta be  
Something you don’t want other people to see
You should start putting that in your poetry

Honesty is a given
Of course, loyalty, too
And it wouldn’t hurt
If he could turn a head or two
But the absolute thing in a man
To which I RUN
I sure love a guy who knows how to have
FUN

I wish to see you do
Happy  poetry
Like you used to

I am a fuzzy lollipop
Kicking around on the floor
Awaiting some enterprising
Sweet tooth
To run me under some warm water
And then
The fun starts
Until I am done
Or kicking around some more
Tempting to someone
Industrious
Some fuzzy lollipops are
One of a kind flavors
Buzz infused once the
Fuzz is removed

Falling in love is a game for fools
So many rituals
But no steady rules
What is there one day
Could be gone the next
Send your whole life crashing
With just one text
But sometimes you float
And even fly
Often when you don’t even try
Partnership forged
Feelings engorged
This game for fools
Has so many rewards

Geese love to announce themselves
Repeatedly
The hopeful honking
A gaggle of geese

I found me another muse
Gems upon this path
And I stay in his pocket too

Well, you're ***** and sweet
Clad in black, don't look back and I love you
You're ***** and sweet, oh yeah
Well, you're slim and you're weak
You've got the teeth of the hydra upon you
You're *****, sweet and you're my girl
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on
Well, you're built like a car
You've got a hubcap diamond star halo
You're built like a car, oh yeah
Well, you're an untamed youth
That's the truth with your cloak full of eagles
You're *****, sweet and you're my girl
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on (oh)
Well, you're windy and wild
You've got the blues in your shoes and your stockings
You're windy and wild, oh yeah
Well you're built like a car
You've got a hubcap diamond star halo
You're *****, sweet and you're my girl
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on
Well, you're ***** and sweet
Clad in black, don't look back and I love you
You're ***** and sweet, oh yeah
Well, you dance when you walk
So let's dance, take a chance, understand me
You're *****, sweet and you're my girl
Get it on, bang a gong, get it on

I must remind myself
Lack of resistance
Is not encouragement
In fact
Lack of encouragement
Is resistance

He must be on some secret mission
Saving democracy
Or maybe he’s climbing Mount Everest
To fulfill some childhood wacky dream
Maybe he’s performing ritual sacrifice
On a spiritual journey
Maybe he got hit by a truck
Or otherwise just ran out of his luck
All of these things I pretend it could be
And I’m over here avoiding reality
He ghosted me

I’m not the type to make announced exits
Unless I love you
Then, you’ll know

Maybe he’ll be back again
Could be soon
Don’t know when
Probably it will be
Some time before he
Isn’t disgusted with me
Deservedly
When I open mouth and stick in feet
Foolishly
I’d like to make him believe
I didn’t say it seriously
But I dislike dishonesty
And at that time
I meant what I said
And frankly I still do
But I should have kept it to myself
This ******* don’t think things through
Fickle and faulted
And dented and dumb
Practically numb
It’s no big surprise
He don’t want him some

You aspire to
Stand out
Turn in assignments
Comic sans font
For it to be memorable
Being different
Yet your work is
Mediocre
There's a lesson in there
Somewhere
Gimmicks are the refuge of  the
Mediocre

You are put to good use
I’ve lost count of all
The nuts I’ve busted
With you as the muse
As far as nut busting goes
You, sir, are a pro
Even when you do not know
You are the best
******* mascot  
It’s pretty cool to be so great
At something in which
You don’t participate

Poetry is my ego
Talking through me
It's my words
In my world
And I am the deity
In the world
Of my poetry

I want to ****** your dark places
And spaces
Tell me what keeps you from sleep
Unburden yourself from the secrets you keep
Give me your story of guilt and remorse
Walk me through your mind’s obstacle course
Show me your ugly
Share all the bitter
Truths and lies that make up your litter
Splay yourself all over the scene
In my mind’s eye
Lose control; laugh and cry
Pound your fists on the ground
And ask God “why?!”
Share who you are
Give it a try
I promise you no matter what I see
I will search for it’s beauty
No matter how ugly it be

What’s to be gained from baring one’s soul
And then
Who will want to see it?
It’s a heavy task
Soul bearing unasked
A chore done in layers
And yet
A labor of love
When what is laid bare
Is unique and rare
Yet as common as
Dirt
Golden dirt

I see your loyalty
Pushing your dad
In his wheelchair
Every day
Meandering up the street
And back again
I hear the patient tone in your voice
As he asks you
For the hundredth time
“Where are we going?”
“Just for a walk, dad.”
“Where are we going?”
“Just around the block, dad.”
“Where are we going?”
“Checking the neighborhood, dad.”  
Dad will not remember the walk
But you take him
Every day
He must have been a good dad
For you to turn out that way

I fail to see
What you want me to see
We only just met
We're like on second three
But you think I wanna be
Arguing with you
Over a political party
And some hero you have
Who lacks dignity
You're already wrong
When your vibe is ******
And all you can do is throw insults at me
I have no time for your perceived
Superiority
I'd prove you wrong
But you'd never believe

I am a ****** girl
Rot
Like trash
I would rather
Rot
Though
And become fertilizer

My neighbor is growing ***
Right in the back yard
She goes to work all day
The sun baking those little trees
I’ve been dutifully watering them
I’m sure hoping she sees
Maybe she’ll be inspired
To share some of it with me

I could tell he wanted my attention
Which was adorable
As adorable can possibly be
In a man of fifty three
For a few seconds
And a few seconds more
He was a little boy of four

I might be almost ready to move away
If there is no choice
Which there seems to be not
Choice voiced
Accepted not my choice
I suppose you hope for me
To find someone who is healthy
And you will probably celebrate to see
Me writing someone else poetry
That seems to me
The kind of man you be

I would think different and even, as one thinks they feel like a child they feel way too small under I think she believes.  They I would have.

I am not impressed with your excuses
"I am too good of a guy"
Is not a reason to be miserable
Or complain about how much
Too good has cost you
You fool
Good guys don't ignore
Drama or discomfort
Caused by them
So they can pretend
They deserve to complain

I cannot describe the small feeling
Terrified, uncomfortable
When a beloved elderly person’s
Handwriting
Starts to shake
It is particularly painful
Watching them
Watch it happen

Wonderment at what’s on
The horizon
And the determination
To get there

I wish I had it in me
To be great
And to shine
And create something memorable
On purpose
And to know it
The creation of something memorable
Recognized
By memorable people
And what that feels like
But I don’t have it in me
The ability to bear the weight
Of being great

You gonna have to
Maybe
Come right out and say
Some day
When you feel a foundation laid
Almost sorta
Depending upon how much attention you paid
And how much you are afraid
I know you ain’t worried about getting played
The risky bet wants to know
Which way you gonna go?

Blame doesn’t have to be claimed or assigned
It lies in every adult
You or me
Blame is there
Surely for this or for that
Some carry more
Or less  
Some pretend they carry none
Some really believe it
But no body
Is blameless

He keeps calling you a cheat
Every time you’re not in sight
He claims you’re banging some other guy
He knows he is not right
Guilt unconfessed, held inside
Turns into accusations
On the flip side

I know you've been hurt before
It's unfortunate
What you went through
But stop treating me like I'm
Deceptive
Because someone else lied to you

Gypsy rebel
Never level
****!
And then, she’s gone
Yet still remains
Her spirit
In almost every song

I think
Maybe
You're the man of my dreams
After a long night of drinking
You are the perfect guy
When I'm not capable
Of thinking

You're a ladder without rungs
A bagpipe player with no lungs
You're a car that's lacking brakes
An actor who needs fifty takes
Hot cocoa on a summer day
When ice cream was the better play
You're the guy who's always late
You like to make others wait
I suppose maybe some will
Those who have a void to fill