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Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
A lighter side
To this?

I can’t think of one
I’m tired.
I’m worn out.
I’m saddened.
I’m nostalgic.
I’m foolish.

Okay,
I’m not myself now.
Life has been rough
And I’m a bit pessimistic
At the moment.
But I’m allowed to be,
Right?

When it comes down to it,
I know things are getting
Better and better.
When it comes down to it,
I know that we are
Doing better than most.
When it comes down to it,
I know that things are so good
That things are so hopeful
That our chances are so great,
That if they were any better,
I couldn’t stand it.

Overall,
The world is inherently good.
People are inherently good.
Things can get crazy,
But life is inherently good.

Still, even if I know that.
Even if I am an optimist
Even if I am a romantic.
Even if I am hopeful.
I can take a moment
To bathe in depression,
To be a bit grim about things,
To be “realistic”,
That other word for pessimistic.

I don’t have to always
See the lighter side.
Do I?
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Walking down the halls,
Looking at the smart ones,
The ones who couldn't give
Any less of a care.
Those are the one that
Seem much happier.

I pushed myself so,so far.
I have to say, I tried my best,
But I'm left with only doubts
And a lack of self-confidence.
"Have I gone far enough?
Will I ever leave my mark?"

I doubt,
I doubt,
Doubt extremely much.
With no sight of evidence
Just confusion
And tiredness

Walking past the classrooms,
All empty of their prisoners.
While the others are leaving,
I am still here to stay.
They are off to live their lives,
While I walk towards decay.

I see an empty spot
In the middle of it all,
Where I decide to collapse
To give up for a liitle while

I always had wondered
What it'd be like to go mad
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
What can be said
In an ode of love;
One could write of
An affection for other,
Then he could list
Qualities and memories,
Flattery and promises ,
And even declare his wants.
He could say the world
For the love of his life,
But really
Do these things
Make up the heart of love?
These are empty words
For the tiny details,
Since there is no good way
To describe the whole
No simple terms to say
In one single poem,
The one emotion
That conquers your being.
When it takes a million steps
To journey to one’s heart,
The center make up of the soul,
And how could you describe
A soul in mere lines?
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
There’s a solid blue pen,
As blue as Zankynthos caves,
As a calm mediterranean sea,
As the eyes of the creature
That stares back at me.
Translucent blue plastic skin
With simple white insides.
A grip that’s too large,
And shiny silver details.

Made a dime a dozen
In foreign lands far away;
Crammed with its twins
A hundred pens, all the same;
More than anyone wants,
Sent by boat on blue seas
The same color as the pens,
To be left out on store shelves,
To be judged by passersby.

Finally, it was bought
To sign laws and bills,
Letters and documents,
And secrets and gossips.
Meant for one purpose,
To be under the domain
Of one human master.

But this pen belongs
In another man’s hand
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Thank you for calling
John Kaffezakis.
He is currently out,
Probably lost somewhere.
He is kinda busy
Finding his way
Right now, and
He'll likely be out,
Floating in space,
For the entirety
Of known time.
So

If you are calling
As a courtesy
Or because you feel
That you have to,
Please leave your *******
And don't call again.
He will never get back to you
With appreciation of your fallacy.

If you are calling
For guidance/slash/help,
Leave your name,
Number and issue
And John will be glad
To get back to you
As soon as possible.
Because your problems
Seem to take less effort
To solve than his own
And he likes seeing you happy.
But

If you are calling
Because you want to see him
Because you want his company,
Do not leave a message;
Get off your lousy phone;
And see him face to face.
He's out in the world
Doing the things he loves
And he happily shares that
With all his good friends

Beep
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
At one point
I was on the building.
At one point
I knew where I stood.
At one point
I was happy with life.
At one point
I was not.

At one point
I went to the roof
At one point
I stood on the edge
At one point
They watched me jump
At one point
They covered my face

At one point
I looked at myself
And thought life
Wasn't worth living.
That's when I fell
And kept falling

But while I fell
I saw the faces
Of homeless men
On the streets below.
I saw the pains
Of abused children
Through passing windows.
I saw others falling
Pointless and illogical
Wastes like myself.

The last thing that I saw
Was the approaching ground
Then, I no longer sought death,
But I couldn't do anything
About not wanting to die.
I was too far gone for that.

At one point
I didn't think
About what I was
Doing on the roof
And unalterability
Of my decision.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
I work five days a week
I work nearly seven hours a day
When I’m not at work
I’m working out
I’m at practice 4 days a week
I’m in transit most of the time
I have something to do every day
I've even calculated
That in my busy life
I only have an average of two hours free
Each day

But what do I do in my free time?
Nothing
Zip, zero, nada
All those hopes and dreams
Become excuses
All those aspirations
Wear away
It all becomes too much
And then what do I become...
If I am not my work
Since I’m not valiant or noble
If I am not my workout
Since I don’t have endurance or heart
Then I must be my free time
Only wasted potential.

You know,
I had plans at one point.
I had a goal for my life,
A wonderfully simple life.
Happy in its perfection
Perfect in its normality.
You were part of it.
My closest friend,
My closest lover,
My closest rival.
But now I am nothing.

I am that dried up strawberry
Stuck to the cement
When the last patron goes home
Needing to be scraped up
By the hand of god
Or fate
Ordestiny
Or whoever is stuck with the job
On that unfortunate day

I am this way because
Of all the excuses I’ve said
All the people I’ve tried to be
All the lies I’ve tried to believe
But in the end
I am this way
Because I think
this is the way
I’m meant to be.

We weren’t all meant to be heroes
In fact
Few of us will make it to pedestrian
While the rest of us
Roll around the levels of evil
To general shoe ****

And you know,
I’m not happy with where I am
But I wasn’t happy as a poster child
Being hated by you
Is just easier than
Being liked
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
Twas brillig and the slithy toves
Did gyle and gimble in the wabe.
“Beware the jabberwock my son
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch…”

The twin scourges of solitude

Death comes upon closed hearts,
Nay… Cold Hearts would pray for death
Close cousin to the cold heart, the busy mind.
One rises with the other, in fact;
Both encage…
Both disconnect…
Both starve … of joy
Both take… the person…’s soul.

I give up, I say
Love is not for me
I fall to me knee
Bow head in defeat


Why do I show my neck to my foe?
There is a better way, I do not know.*

I don’t know
I simply do not know
Everyone looks toward me
Expecting my advice
It’s not here

I do not know the reason
For the changing of the tide
Nor changing of the season
Nor the…


The answers
Are as hidden from me
As they are for the rest of you
So do not look at me
Turn and go
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
The dog howled with the gunshot. “Rabies,” he would later explain. When asked about his son.
Nike Kaffezakis Feb 2012
Did you see me screech by?
To say I lost all control,
Would imply I had any
Did you see my eyes shut?
Not in pain or sadness,
But in peace and apathy.
Can you see the direction
To which I am speeding?
Downwards and downwards
From the top to the bottom,
Making one more descent
One last great spiraling fall.

Animal instincts grab the wheel;
Human mind gives it up.
One side knows it’s pointless;
The brakes are far past broken;
He made sure of that himself
To lose all that restrains him.
The other is quite determined,
Not developed to ever let go,
Ignorant to the obvious
That it is stuck on this ride.
Let body try one more time
To gain control over situation
As faster and faster we drop.

The smell of the breeze
Tickles beneath my nose,
Bringing with it the tastes
Of wild flowers and tar.
The sound of screams flying
Behind me like a regal cape,
Fluttering in the rapid wind.
Slowly lifting from the ground,
Hovering over mortal roads.
Eyes shut tight, so not to know
Where the fates guide us.
Back up to heaven
Or down to hell
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Oct 2010
The cold stone towers
Cast shadows across
The barren desolate lands
Throwing darkness for miles
In the quieting times
Of the sun’s farewells.

The hard steel gates
Stand in stark contrast
To the openness of the sky.
Shut tight as a clam shell
Barring even the insect
And the wind from entering.

The tall brick partitions
That loom over the world,
Halting all time in their
Intimidating presence,
Keep the caged birds in
And the foreign spies out.

But a small breeze blows
Across the empty plains
Starting up a rumbling
As the walls began crumbing
And the fortress walls
Collapsed in wards
Showing that they were
Made of nothing more
Than dreams for posts
And sugar for mortar

The protection falls
Tumbling to the ground
Baring my **** body
To the growing crowd
To see all my scars
And my deformities

The winds from the plains
Give me apprehensive chills
As I wait to hear compliment
Expecting only cruelest jeers.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
“Yes sir.” “No sir.”
“Another sir?”
The butler says
Waiting on those
Who are in power.
“Shoes off please”              
“May I take your coat?”
He is trampled upon.
Sitting in a corner,
Left to his own devices,
He cries.
No one asks the butler.
“How was your day?”
“Do you want anything?”
No one cares
About a doormat’s woes
But he cares
For theirs
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
As the sun sets
And the dark things
Come out to play,
I take off my mask
And howl at the moon.

By starlight I change
From man to beast.
By moonlight I turn
My back to society
And go prowling in the black.

When the stars call
And no one is home,
I sneak into the world,
Stealing away from home
To be myself by nightfall
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
It’s 10:09 pm
On a dark Wednesday night.
I slosh through the mud
Looking for what is lost.
Looking over ever rock,
Under every edge,
Even turning up the soil.
But I can’t see what is lost
For it has long fallen out of sight
So I cry three times.
Once for my loss
Twice for my love
Trice for good measure.
But nothing ever responds
In the dead of the night.
Nothing but echoes
Over the dark glass water.
As if I’m not the only one
Out looking for what is lost.

I shiver under the force of the breeze
Quaking in hopelessness
Imagining that with the wind
Comes little piercing daggers of blame.
If you had been more diligent,
Maybe things wouldn’t slip away.
If you had been a better person
Maybe luck would smile kindly.
If you had been well mannered
Maybe I would not be searching.
None of this makes sense though.
It could’ve been anyone’s fault
Even nobody’s.
But I blame myself
Because it’s easier than
Blaming someone else

Meandering back to my home,
Hearing the cries of the little girl
And the cooing of the kind mother,
I wonder what I’m really looking for.
Is my search just for a lost pet
Or do I cry for much more than that?
I call out for every precious moment
Between you and me that’s been
Wasted.
I cry out for those missed, subtle hints
That just might have changed my whole
World.
I scream out for you, my lost loves
Where ever you might be, I remember
You.
I shout into the night.
Waiting to see everything that is gone
Coming rushing happily back home.
But nothing responds on a dark
Cold
Hopeless
Miserable
Wednesday Night.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
1
Lovely Life.
Delightful Death.
Refreshing Rebirth.


#2
I am the vacuum
I am…
Am I the absences of something
Or the presence of nothing?


#3
*I was born to be a statue
So ivy could strangle my being
So roots could separate my parts
I feel creepers climbing my limbs
I feel vines tangling my form
But my automaton gears spin too fast
  to let me die.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Going through life
With no lights on.
Staring at the nebulous,
Hazy events pass by.
Waving good bye to the
Monotonous days, wasted
Time means nothing
When you sleep through it
Like looing at the world
Through smudged glasses.

I always day sleep,
Blocking out my life.
Living as if nothing ever happens
And Sometimes believing it too.
If only to cut lose the weight
Of my chronic heart pains,
The angina from the sad state
That this world is now in.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Hoy, esta minuto
Estoy escribiendo
Una poemita
En español

Cosas pequeñas
Son mas bonitas
En un idioma
Antiquo
La gramatica
Es facil y fluye
Las palabras
Son muy bellas
Cuando las
Son habladas
En una forma
De extranjera

Esta dia es magnifico
Por lo habla me
En idioma differente
Para suertes mejores
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Ditch Digging

I look upon ***** hands
Unclean in their deeds
Of shoveling their last pit.
For all those sad little things,
For all the past pains,
There is this one grave,
Dug out in the night
To hide all the shame.

Looking mournfully back
At one man’s miserable life,
At one man’s miserable wife
Who covertly snuck away
On a night just like this.
She left to find her real love
In the darkness of the sky,
Only to sneak back home
At the dawn’s first lights,
Only to find her husband
Waiting awake patiently.

Peeking back to his job,
Of a boss who would deny
Every request for a raise,
And every pitiful plea for
Just a couple more days.
The boss who always drank,
And smoked, and yelled,
Who always made passes
At his employee’s wife,
And would call his house
In the middle of the night.

Thinking of his two
Most precious daughters,
Who were the most cute
Of all the little girls.
Those innocent fiends
Who always took their
Spoiled mother’s side,
And would make life
Miserable for their father.
The two girls that looked
More like the man’s boss,
And would barely pay
Their father mind.

As the poor man dug
With his short shovel
And his tired hands,
He thought of all his miseries,
And those who did him wrong,
And how in this 5 ft trench,
He would fix it all.
The faithful pup that turned wild,
And now tries to rip out his throat.
Of the bus driver that steals his change,
And gives him spit in return.
Of the corner shop bread baker,
That only sold him stale baguettes.
He would bury all of them,
And make again, his happy life.

The grave digger finished,
And he washed his hands,
And climbed into the hole,
And fell deeply asleep.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
I can write haikus
Without the least bit trouble,
And with quite some skill.

Couplets are not too hard either for me
They are energetic and flow easy.

It’s not very difficult at all
To bring laughs big and small
With limericks clever
But the reader never
Sees past his mental wall.

Cause everyone wants to see free verse.
***** blank verse and sonnets;
They are much too ancient to give a **** about.

But personally,
I like to write patterns
And pictures,
And various forms galore.
I measure each stanza
With mathematical perfection
And streamlined beauty.
It was with ultimate mechanical accuracy
That I wrote my pieces,
But it seems no one cares to read
poems like that anymore.

So cut rhyme scheme
And syllable counting
And rhythm
And tempo
And iambic meter
And metaphor
And reason
And purpose
And stanzas
And lines
And words

Scratch it all out
Until even a hung-over
Shaking hand
Can write “poetry
Nike Kaffezakis Nov 2010
Dawn

The sun arises
Bringing the cleansing light to
Wash out the dark stain

Day

The clouds float up high
White blemishes in the sky
God's imperfections

Dusk

Sun sets, moon rises
Hiding away pale blue dome
Uniform of black

Night**

Chaos in the sky
The stars are shining this night
Disordered beauty
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
I want to run
And run and run,
To keep moving on,
Straight into the
Darkest places
With nothing but
A flashlight
And my goals
In my hand

As I'll sprint
Down unlit
Night highways,
I'll think one thought,
If only I would
Never come back.
If only I ran
Into something bigger.

Then I will never
Be seen from again.
I would be dust
Gathered on the side
Of the road less taken,
And my casket
Would be empty,
Just an honorary
Funeral symbol
Of the disappered
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Fading smiles and happy eyes
Of the picture from good times.
The wear of years has done its work
Upon memories and photographs.

As the color blurs
And the gloss rubs off,
So too, does the remains
Of the emotional stains.

Looking back at the past,
Through third person lens,
Remembering the stories
That took place that day.

But the corners are ripped;
The edges are torn and frayed;
The light bleached it white;
And water left sagging spots.
It’s only a piece of paper;
Wood pulp and ink in the end.

So the photo is pushed back
Into a box of others forgotten,
Just a jumbled stack of history
Rotting away in my brain.
They are still most important
But I go out to take some more.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
People rarely
ever see anything
Unless it JUMPS at them.
They have to be shocked and
Notified to what’s in front
Of their own faces
“Oh excuse me, sir or ma’am
But you’re looking at something good
Something worth reading.”

A poem is never really appreciated as much
As when it is printed and bound
And stamped with the publisher’s seal of approval
All the papers need to be water marked
And bound in red tape
Closed with red wax
Locked in an envelope
That reads
“Confidential, this is too great
To let others see for free.”

And even then, it’s not official
Until it is signed on the x,
And made on legal sized paper;
Sent to the Vatican, the governor, the reviewers,
And everyone important gets their say,
Or until it’s bound in leather
And locked away for the rest of eternity.
Filed along the other masters
Like Longfellow and Poe.
Locked in a poem’s heaven
Where “Jabberwocky” greets each one
To nirvana

Nothing is taken for granted
When it’s set in stone and
Is the final draft
Never to change again.
Nike Kaffezakis Oct 2010
Light up the sacred fire.
The warm spot in every
Heart of every lover
As is tradition to do.
Add in infatuation to
Get the inferno burning.
Feed it words like kindling
Those simple nicknames
Love, dear and honey
And then add compliments
The coals to keep it lit
And alive for a longer time

Next
Throw the big pieces in
The caring, thoughtful acts.
That will never fully burn
Leaving a blackened reminder
Then the large promises.
That you will look at no other.
That he or she is the only one
That you will always love.

Now you have quite
The bonfire to sit by
To warm your chills
But eventually you’ll run out
Of all the other fuels

The only thing left to burn
Is yourself.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Is this what death is?
I do not move;
I do not stand;
I can not see;
Nor hear, nor taste.
There is only physical sensation.

There is no color,
Not even black or white;
Just space, but maybe not.
What vastness could there be,
In reality or fantasy?
So this place must not exist.

But what was that?
The bump upon my leg.
Could it be another life?
Or is it just simply a touch?
Is anything else alive here?
Can I prove that I am?

What if I am just
Another sensation in the sea ?
Brushing against other "feels”
What if I am just a wind,
A feeling upon a larger thing?
Just a random impulse on some plane.

Can I prove that I am?
What if I am not?
Does it matter at all?
Touch is all there is.
Should I ponder upon these?
Or should I just blend in?
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
There is an artist,
A thoughtful painter.
He's called a master
By his followers.
Critcs say that he has
Made some of the most
Beautiful
Magnificent
Fantastic
Pieces in the world.

Now
He will do it again.

He stands before
A white canvas
Set on his lucky easel,
Rapping his brush
Lightly against his head.
As he studied the space,
The off white void
Challenging him to fill it.

For three days he sits
And three nights he lays
Staring at the white
Two foot by three foot
Blank rectangle
Until he decides
On what will be
His greatest
Masterpiece.

For three days
And thee nights,
He holds the bursh
As he paints a scene
Of grey people
On grey landscapes
Going about their
Grey business.
Doing what grey
People normally do.

On the last day,
He looks at his work,
A portrait of the truth
And inner workings
Of the whole word
On a single Canvas.

And he smiles contentedly.
Rarely does he compliment
His own artwork,
But believe
That his piece must
The finest to be made.

Yes

It was a pretty piece,
But it had smudges here
And blotches there.
Most unnoticible
To the less wary eye.
But I see them
And I mourn to think
That someone
Ruined the pefection
Of a white canvas.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
I’m just a sinner
In the hands of
An angry god
I know.
I’m just a sinner
In the land of
Great Satan’s love
I know
I’m just a sinner
That’s all I am
And nothing else
I know.

I  tell you
I am right
But god knows
I am wrong.
I’d lie to
You all night
But secrets
Will come out.

I’m a devil man
That is what I am
I got red blood on
My criminal hands
I’m a devil man
I’m eternally ******
I don’t give a ****
Even if I rot in
Hell’s deepest pit

I have hell
On my ticket
And I’m trying
To get away

I’m just a sinner
In the hands of
An angry god
I know.
I’m just a sinner
In the land of
Great Satan’s love
I know
I’m just a sinner
That’s all I am
And nothing else
I know.

Religion’s gone
From my soul
I once believed
Those times are past
Took it to bed
And woke up alone.

Found out god
Had left me
For someone else
Turned my back
On the book
And he got ******
Tortured soul
Is all that
I have left

So why call me
A demon
I already know
You know where I
Am going
You don't have
To worry
You will be there
Soon too.

I’m just a sinner
In the hands of
An angry god
I know.
I’m just a sinner
In the land of
Great Satan’s love
I know
I’m just a sinner
That’s all I am
And nothing else
I know.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Frozen in the ice
I wish to speak to you
I long to touch you

You see the cold eyes
Of a man who’s been cursed
To losing his wants

And you turn to leave
Standing there, you take one glimpse
Of the frost demon

But quickly you exit
Shying away from icy touch
Too wise to stay here

My eyes follow you
Until they can see no more
The muse of my voice

Crushed and depressed,
Not able to make change to
The situation.

But time does remind
Of what fools humans can be
And one does think

Of all the mistakes
A man can make in his life is
To hold on too long

And maybe I can’t
Speak the words you want to hear
But maybe that’s good

You never did tell
Me what you did trully want
Nor will you ever

Maybe the lesson
Here is that I am the fool
From love’s avarice

In thinking wrongly
It was my fault you had left.
You do like the cold
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Speeding down the road
In my shiny silver corvette.
The wind blasting my face,
Only open country highway
Coming my way.
So I fiddle with the ****
On my old radio
To find something worth playing.

Crackle
A man calls out,
Deperate in his attempts
To get the attention
Of the most beautiful girl
Who's with another man...
Next!

Pop
A woman sobs loudly
Over losing her true love,
Over being left alone.
She wants the deserter back
But at what cost...
Flip!

Pssshht
A couple find each other.
They are destined to be,
To have the beautiful wedding,
To raise the perfect family,
To live the American Dream...  
Turn off!

My god
They are everywhere  
No wonder my life's  
A love song

That must be why
I want to hold someone
In my arms
In my heart
In my mind
So, so badly,
I want to find someone
That fits me
That loves me
That's THE ONE
Of course
I want someone to call me
Boyfriend
Love  
Husband

It is plastered everywhere  
All these childhood fantasies
All this innocent thinking
All this wonderful imagining.  
And I devour it all  
Because I have no reason  
To believe it's impossibe
Even though it'll be hard.

You might think I'm  
Pathetic and foolish;
You might call me silly;
You can laugh away,
But my life is a love song
And I bet yours is too.
You just haven't thought about it.
It's probably best if you try not to.

So my life is a love song.
Is it something you'd listen to?
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
The line on the sand
A scar on the flat surface
A wound from a knife

Temptingly perfect
The idealist’s barrier
Asking to be crossed

Begging to be crossed
Whispering dark promises
Of god, glory, gold

Seductively calling
“Step across my idealist
There will be reward.”

And the cry goes
Unignored by cur’ous ear
That quickly slips pass

So willingly to
Forget the line they, themselves
Drew not to be toucheded

Then they hide the line
Filling it with their morals
All to prevent shame

they draw a new line
On the morality plain
The old forgotten

This new scratch is soon
Crossed as swiftly as the last.
More soul left behind

Until there’s nothing
Just a dark spot in shadows
On the moon’s dark side
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
I never sleep well;
Thumping, banging, hammering
Ringing in my head.

Pointless little thoughts,
Rubbing themselves on my brain,
Teasing my conscious.

Dreams float on the wind,
Going in my ears, then out,
Leaving mystic clouds.

Like happy songbirds
Singing on a summer’s day,
They call out my name.

Plain curiosity cries
For fulfillment in the dark,
Making child wander.

Wild dogs, cats and trees
Scratching at the door in play,
Bidding me outside .

There’s a party there,
In the land of the sleepless.
One that’s still awake.

With lights and music.
Ever-flowing drinks and food
Keeps them satisfied.

I can’t go to sleep,
And waste eight hours of life.
I stay up again.

Listening to night,
As it slowly turns to day.
The party runs on.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Two black moons
Eclipse two green suns
Sending light green rays
Across sea blue skies.
Yes,
Those are my eyes

Overgrown black forest
Covers a landscape
Of sharp features,
With cold, hard angles.
Yes,
That is my face

Tall and gangly
Lost and confused.
Awkward, out of place
With the rest of the room
Sigh,
That is me

Staring at the mirror
Looking at the portrait
Of someone obviously me
But yet feels like it's not.

I can see the freshness
Stripped off of his face
As the years fly by
Traveling backwards
Through time

He is taller, darker.
Gone are his innocent eyes,
Relaced with olive brown.
Gone is his light colored hair,
Replaced with coarse black.

His very essence is power
Power at the price of blood,
He is a strong figure,
One to be respected

I see coluseum sands
Become metallic floors.
A new figure apears

He is clean shave.
He has light blond hair
And nearly translucent skin.
His eyes are steel gray,
Cold, calculating

He is a scientist
With an upturned nose
He's known to keep intelligence
Right next to arrogance.

All this
And much more
Is what I can see
When I look in the mirror,
But I can never see me,
Too ashamed, not satisfied
With being just me.
Nike Kaffezakis Feb 2011
It almost a joke,
See,
Well, truly
It is irony.
That a man
Whose dream is
To have it all.
Has no chance
With who he wants,
Who would  likely
Make him happyist.

It's is likely the sign
Of a vengeful god
Or at least a god
With a black humor.
That makes a man
A longing romantic
easy to fall to love.
As well as a boy
Without skills, Lost
In his child's crush.

That is the irony
Of a blind painter
Or a deaf pianist.
Even a politician
With morals
Is better suited
Than I am as
A bumbling
Casanova,

It's a bitter joke.
And I'm the ****
Of it
Hoping god
Might say
Just Kidding
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
A little girl cries
On a busy street
In downtown New york.
She is lost, helpless,
Unable to find her way
Through the growing crowd
Of mid-day commuters.

The innocent bird has
lost her path home.
The fledgling creature
Flew through dark terrors
Seen worse than most.
That poor little girl,
She needs someone's help.

But the pedestrians pass.
The rich and the destitute
Both turn a blind eye
To the victim's struggles.
Those able to help
Pretend nothing's wrong
And no good is done.

This is a plague
Infecting all people,
A disease that will
Cause human's downfall.
How can they not see
The troubles before them?
How can they not take
Responsibility for their actions,
For the problems they've caused?
To me
This seems
Just wrong
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
As no one approches
To help the poor girl,
I decide to give her
Some of my time.

I extend my hand
To help her up,
But she looks at me
And slaps it away.

"How could you
Think I'd want
Anyone's help?
Does it look like
I care for it?"
She spits at me.

She dashes off,
The pedestrians
Stare at me,
Laughing with
Their insect eyes.
The faces of doubt
And of foresight
are among them.
Whispering to me
" we did warn you"

All I wanted to do
Was to extend a
Hand of kindness.
I meerly wanted
To connect to her,
And see her happy,
But all I saw
Was mistrust
Brought about by
Too many nights
Crying alone.

How unfortunate
A person can be
To see all with mistrust
What does this say
Of our world.
This, too, seems
Just plain wrong.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Rose petals fall,
One after another,
Ticking time of
Wilting flowers.

One petal for friend lost,
One petal for dead dog,
One petal for time gone,
A last for constant pain,

A wilting rose,
Has not a name,
Lost its color,
Hates lover’s game,

Flower sits pretty,
For a time it stays,
In the best vase,
A handful of days.

One petal for loss,
The other for grief,
Pink petals for lust,
Black for jealousy,

The flower is nice,
But soon fades away,
Turning dark black,
Petals piling up.

Just throw them out;
Have no more pain.
No more keepsakes,
Only memories remain.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Jan 2011
Good bye world, I do not see
Good bye moon, I never saw
Good bye valley, mountain, sea
I bid farewell to you all.

Where is the sand
I once did touch
Where is the band
I once did loce
Where are the birds
The air and trees
Where are the worms
The dirt and leaves

What happened to everything
All the bells that used to ring
All the cars that used to shine
All the tastes of fruit on vine

Everything once was new
But then, today
I signed away
The beauty I once knew
If only to say
I follow majority view.
Nike Kaffezakis Jan 2011
"Do you love me?"
She once wrote
In the words
"Could we be together?"
And tied it up
In red lace with
Hopeful hearts

"No.
I don't love you."
I replied softly,
Sadly, mournfully.
Through
"I don't think it'd work.
I don't have time."

"That's okay"
She whispered
Not shedding a tear
On paper, at least.
"We are best-friends,
Right?"

"Yes"
I murmured
With all my heart.
I was bit by
Rejection before,
And I would not wish that on
My best friend.
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
Come ******* lips
I want to enter your heart like a diver
I want to pierce your soul like a stare
I want to inject myself into your life like an exclamation
And linger there like the first kiss offered by a lover.
I want to impose on you like a beloved grandmother
And tease you like an incessant itch
(The more you scratch,
The more of your thoughts I’ll inhabit)

I want to love you like a metaphor
Building in your mind to a climatic epiphany
A realization that all my words are symbols
Of unspoken dreams of you.
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
Your love is like a trip
to the dentist.
Every time you’re in my arms
like laughing gas
I fall victim to your charms.
And though that said
as an adult, I would not hurt
I pain when you’re away.
But it’s a treat in the end, your
absence is short.
I know the pain of separation will be
fixed with well-placed braces;
It’s unbearable now, but it’s only fluoride
to wipe out bacterial traces.
Yes, our love could be more hygienically kept,
But each visit brings
great excitement unexpected, yet.
There are times regrettable,
And shyness certainly starts me quivering.
Still, each day with you leaves me
smiling,
So fresh that I’m shivering.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Let’s play dress up
You and Me
Wearing our masks
And pretending to be
A different person
Than whom we are
A fighter, a coward
Nothing’s too far
For us to mock
Just to keep the fools
All under lock
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Ripples, don’t disturb these clear waters.
Clouds, don’t blemish my pale blue skies.
Frowns, don’t ever fall upon these two lips.
Nightmares, don’t burst these children’s peace.
Their inner tube protects them from the depth,
But also from the myriad troubles of the world.
They float in peace, these two happy little boys,
Both exceedingly different and only met days before.
One of whom, a child fleeing from a savage civil war,
The other a pale-faced tourist on his summer holiday.
Both from very different paths, but yet ever so trusting;
Trusting enough to share an inner tube in a quiet bay.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Do you remember?
The sight of the water
Snaking between the rocks.
The sound of the birds
Chirping nature’s melody
Do you remember?
Our little world
Apart from the outside.
The movements of the moments
That felt like eternity to me.
Do you remember?
Being truly happy
In that time we shared.

Were those moments
Just figments
Of remembered fantasies?
Was there nothing there
That felt like home?
Or do you remember
Something else
Much more sinister?
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Mortality.

People fear it.
Personally,
I do not.
People despise it.
Personally,
I do not
People try to avoid it
Personally,
I accept that

No matter what
It always comes.

Mortality

It’s that party crasher
That everyone feared
Would show up
Uninvited.
It’s that proverbial snake
That you never see coming
But will always end up
Biting you.
It is that distant relative
That you don’t really like,
That winds up on
Your doorstep.

Mortality.

It is that reminder
That our time
Is limited here.
That countdown
Saying we better
Start getting productive
Before we get forgotten.
That timer that reads
Get to know your family
Get to know your friends
They might all be gone soon.
That sign that says
Road closed ahead
Detour to the beyond.

Mortality.

It happens.
End
Of
Discussions.
Either
Let it ruin your day
Or
Keep living on.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
As the lights flickered down,
Over the carbonic sparkle of
Orange Juice spiked with sprite,
Do you remember holding a kiss
To the chagrin of parents and hostess?

You loved me so much, you
Made us a bed in the corner
Two sleeping bags merged,
No longer apart.

And I thought,
In this world,
A snake pit,
Filled both, with vipers and *****,
I would hold your hand
And have your side.

But with palms pressed together,
My fingers entwined
To keep me from grasping,
I realize,
You had mine.
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Stweeet
Stweeet
The insects drum
And fiddle
And strum
And sing
Their organic beat
Matching time with my heart
Thump
Thump
My heart's a bass
It plucks a simple beat
But it plays loud,
For you,
The soulful passion
Of my inner soul

It's Nature's love song
The primal rave
The ancient celebration
With the lights
Of the stars
And the coolness
Of the wind
And the...
Stweeet
Thump
Stweeet
Thump
Of the lonely
Bachelors
Calling out for you,
Their sacred love

Serenading you
With lover's lullaby
Stweeeet
Stweeet
Stweet
Sweet Dreams, Dear;
From your million courtiers
Playing in the dark,
Good Night
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
Broken symbols
Align on my walls,
Superstitious charms
Left out to ward evil,
Magic fortune cards
To warn of danger,
Prove useless to me
When depression comes.

No amount of luck,
Can save my skin.
No voodoo magics,
Can change my fate.
I throw salt over my shoulder
To keep foreign demons away.
I clutch my knot and eye
To keep my own monsters down.

They all are false,
These dark beliefs.
Or else, I’d sell my soul
For good things to be.
If I had not lost faith
In these childish things,
I’d pray to the gods
For better luck.
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Sep 2010
It’s 7:09 am.
Sitting in the classroom,
Like every day before.
As I drain my Vault in a few gulps,
And my friend beside me
Sips at his coke,
I say to him,
“I have decided
That I have commitment
Issues.”

He looks at me,
Through slanted
Disapproving eyes,
And in a harsh tone, says
“What?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe in love,
Nor that I don’t want love,
Nor that I don’t want a relationship.”
I respond,
Taking the last drink of soda.
“I just don’t see myself
In a working relationship,
So I don’t even bother really trying.”

Shockingly, he raises his voice.

“No, no, no. That’s not what I meant.
What makes you,
Think so highly of yourself,
That you could just decide,
On something like that?
What makes you god?”


Taken aback,
Surprised more by the speaker
Than the actual words.
I silently think
Why of course I’m not god
I don’t create rainbows on command.
Obviously I don’t make miracles
But it is my mind
and my world…
So what keeps me from being
God in there?


The bell rings,
Not an old time bell like in the movies
Just a recording to draw focus back on class.
While I sit in the back of class,
Experimenting with my new-found powers
Inside my own little dream world
- From What's inside
Nike Kaffezakis Dec 2014
Your words are quite confusing
Your phrases are too contradicting
Your thoughts are too well hidden
your…
I just don’t know what you mean

Why is it that you make things difficult
Why is it that you are [replace: ‘need to be’] so vague
Why must you hide those [replace: ‘such’] things from me
Why is it that what makes little sense is all you only say
         What I need to hear … {illegible} …. what makes
little sense


I can’t understand. My mind no longer works
My heart can’t stand this confusion much longer
I must know what you want me to be… anarchy
I must [ want to] know what you think

I need to know your guidance (your wants, your aspirations)
I need to know your wants
I need to tell you how much you matter, how much I care
But it’s a catch-22, (you see)
I don’t know what to ask [say]

There are (too) few words I can use
To say what you mean [ quite what I feel]
“I love you” is much, much too trite
“You are my world” is just not enough
So I guess (this Valentine’s) I’ll (just have to) ask…
  “Will you be mine?”

--
Once Redacted
Replaced [with]
(Added)
Nike Kaffezakis Feb 2011
Some days
I can hardly
Stop myself
From collapsing down
And weeping emotions

Other days
I want to throw
Myself upon
Those with answers
And beg for reprieve

Some days
I wonder
What the point is

Other days
I know.
Those are the worse.
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