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14.5k · Feb 2019
70 years
Stephen S Feb 2019
613 200 Hours
25 550 Days
13 Cars
11 Jobs
9 Dogs
6 Surgeries
5 Children
4 Grandchildren
3 Marriages
2 Siblings
1 Weary soul.
No regrets.
1.7k · Apr 2019
In search of Poetry
Stephen S Apr 2019
I am often asked:
"How can one find poetry in such a damaged and desolate world?"

The answer is simple:

Poetry can be found anywhere.

It is the sorrow that drives our tears,
the sunshine that brings us joy,
our companion in the darkness,
and that which guides us to the light.

It is the music of our spirit,
the gentle beating of our hearts.
The triumphant wind on the mountaintop,
a source of comfort in a rainy forest.

It is the scream of a father in pain,
the gentleness of a newborn child.
It is the chaos of a raging river
and the calm of a summers day.

Poetry can be found anywhere.
1.2k · Jul 2019
Countdown
Stephen S Jul 2019
Six
(years together)
Five
(counseling sessions)
Four
(forgotten birthdays)
Three
(times you cheated)
Two
(kids between us)
One
(hundred lies you told me)
...
...BOOM!
995 · Sep 2019
I was a Flower
Stephen S Sep 2019
Before the wind wounded me.

Before my petals broke.

Before my roots withered.

Before the cold silenced me.

I was a flower.

Now I am nothing.
954 · Mar 2018
Writer / Fighter
Stephen S Mar 2018
I'm at war with the verses lying inside my head,
Should I have been a doctor or plumber instead?
Some other job to be content and productive,
And not chained to this verse, this lyric destructive.

If words can be weapons and a lyric hold power,
Then I grow more dangerous hour by hour.
Slave to the adjective, linked to the verb,
Trapped by each subtle nuance I observe.

A wellspring of discontent, driven by rage,
My life, my heart bleeds out on to the page.
It's not simple grammar but linguistic frustration,
That lends itself perfectly to my situation.

See now my soul spread out on the paper,
A storm of calamity that won't seem to taper.
I am the victim of an invisible crime,
Entrapped by a pattern, a rhythm, a rhyme.

Trying, but failing, I can't even think,
Stuck in this ******* at the whim of the ink.
Now see the other side to the life of a poet,
I am without direction or control and I show it.

Laid upon the sheets, my struggle abounds.
I want quiet right now but I hear deafening sounds!
I cannot get out of this word laden den.
This is my sentence, a life in the pen.
936 · Jun 2020
Rise Up
Stephen S Jun 2020
Rise Up, Rise Up
It's time to take a stand
Rise Up, Rise Up
support your fellow man.

The road will not be easy,
the other side is out in force.
But ours is a crucial fight to win
and we've got to stay the course.

Rise Up, Rise Up
Take the protest to the street.
Rise Up, Rise Up
Clap your hands and stomp your feet.

We've got to make it clear today,
that justice will be served.
Fight the hate in the here and now,
so the future is preserved.

Rise Up, Rise Up
The movement needs your voice,
Rise Up, Rise Up
For those that didn't have a choice.

Let the world see us, thousands strong
standing shoulder next to shoulder.
Lord, give us courage and give us wisdom
to be louder and be bolder.
847 · Apr 2018
Ride
Stephen S Apr 2018
Ride for the distance
and tear up the track.
Ride for the distance
and never look back.

Ride on the thunder,
and blast through the storm.
Ride on the thunder,
The sound and the form.

Ride for the horizon,
Unhindered and freed.
Ride for the horizon,
and crank up the speed.

Ride through the fury,
and come out unscathed.
Ride through the fury,
take control of the day.

Ride through the darkness,
in the deep of the night.
Ride through the darkness,
with the stars shining bright.

Ride through the mountains,
and hold a firm line.
Ride through the mountains,
you're one of a kind.

Ride for the moment,
There's plenty of gas
Ride for the moment,
The worst things have passed.

Ride for the sunset,
The battle is won.
Ride for the sunset,
The struggle is done.

Ride on forever,
There's no keeping score.
Ride on forever,
The world is yours.
662 · Sep 2019
I Trusted You
Stephen S Sep 2019
And it was wonderful.

It was magical.

It was power.

It was love.

But now I see

as I stand amidst my own ruins

that it was the stupidest thing

I could ever have done...
602 · Dec 2019
The Fence
Stephen S Dec 2019
It's five feet tall and brilliant white.
It is my security.
My comfort zone.
A tidy, convenient barrier
between the darkness
and the world I cherish so much.

I love this fence.
I have worked so hard to protect it.
To keep it pristine.
Why then
am I so tempted
to jump to the other side?
587 · Apr 2018
Rage
Stephen S Apr 2018
Meet the new neighbors, what a lovely young pair,
He in a pressed suit and her with long flowing hair.
They've got the white picket fence, they're living the life
but something's amiss with the cute smiling wife.

She carries a secret so awful, so deep,
A woman broken and bruised at the hands of a creep.
Kept in a basement, labeled as chattel,
Treated not as human but a dumb piece of cattle.

She is his property, a lone prized possession,
Absorbing the punishment, but where's the transgression?
Her tears burst through the dam in a torrential flood,
Driven by the sight of the bruises and blood.

When they step out in public, he puts on a show,
Acting a perfect gentleman wherever they go.
Other women say "oh my, what a catch!"
As she manages to hide every deep cut and scratch.

He smiles and waves to them, what a great guy!
No one ever notices the look in her eye.
They are a beautiful couple, sharp looking and young,
Out on the town for some good wholesome fun.

It's there, the discomfort, the raging frustration,
But she holds it inside, lest she face devastation.
So she plays along with the fantasy, buries the strain,
Puts on a fake smile and suppresses the pain.

But how long can she go on with this awful routine?
"If only, if only the truth could be seen!"
She thinks to herself while committing the crime,
Waiting for an out, biding her time.

She has only one shot to break free and escape,
Away from the beatings and bruising and ****.
So she lays out every detail in her head,
Knowing full well if she fails, she's dead.

After a couple of months, she chooses her time,
Takes a deep breath and puts her life on the line.
In the darkness of night, she makes for the outside,
Suddenly she hears him: "where do you think you'll hide?"

He was already on to her, aware of the plot,
And he lashes out with every ounce of sweat that he's got.
By the time he is finished she's crushed to the core,
"That ought to teach you, you stupid young *****!"

So it's back to the basement, back to the cell,
Her own little desperate corner of hell.
Her master is so furious, angry and seething,
But by some freak occurrence she is still here and breathing.

For the next 15 years he robs her of joy,
She is his precious, his plaything, his toy.
It finally ends one day when the cops storm the place,
And walk out her master in a display of disgrace.

Down at the station they don't really care.
They just need the facts, the who, when and where.
She may be battered, roughed up and burned,
But the folks who surround her just seem unconcerned.

Walking out of the precinct a cool wind passes through,
She cinches up her jacket and thinks: "Now what will I do?
I've had my sprit torn from me, for twenty odd years,
am I just supposed to forget the dark and the fears?"

Despite every bit of it, she won't give up the fight,
though she still finds it ******* a quiet, long night.
Master's been put away now, a life sentence times three
She's away from his grasp but will she ever be free?
570 · Oct 2019
Grace
Stephen S Oct 2019
I know I've done absolutely nothing
to prove myself worthy
of receiving anything remotely close
to a second chance.

But I hope
if there's any part left of you
that remembers what was
you might give me one anyway.

Lest I fade into dust.
519 · Mar 2019
Tears
Stephen S Mar 2019
She cringes as the car pulls up.
Then he stomps through the door.
A grab and a slap,
and she falls to the floor.
She cries, she cries
and begs for no more.

She hears the angry voice,
and she tries in vain to hide.
Knowing the fury,
That he's holding inside.
She cries and she cries,
She's so sick of this ride.

She escapes the next night,
in a bold, daring ploy.
No longer his plaything,
No longer his toy.
She cries and she cries,
but now they're tears of joy.
502 · May 2018
NAMELESS
Stephen S May 2018
There is pain here...in the darkness.
There is loneliness...amidst the night
There is heartbreak...in the shadows
There is desperation...from the fog.

Nothing blooms...in the winter.
Nothing shines...in the deep.
Nothing waits...in the madness.
Nothing grows...in a wasteland

What has happened...to our spirit?
What has fallen...from our hearts?
What has blocked...the love within us?
What has ruined...our very soul?

Can you hear me...in the silence?
Can you feel me...in this place?
Can you know me...in an instant?
Can you love me...for eternity?

How can passion...hurt so dearly?
How can energy...be so pale?
How can unity...fall to pieces?
How can brokenness...become whole?

Why does life...defy explanation?
Why does death...scare us so?
Why does a man...abandon his own?
Why does a flame...cease burning forever?

Where does a broken soul...go to mend?
Where does a person...cease being human?
Where does a boy...become a true man?
Where does a hero...find no place to call home?

Everything ends...one time or another.
Everything changes...from the tides to the sky.
Everything freezes...in the cold of the winter.

Everything disappears...in the ashes of time.
Sorry for going dark for awhile. I've been dealing with some medical and family issues. But I'm back and ready to go!
496 · Jul 2019
The Storm
Stephen S Jul 2019
Rain, rain, wash me away.
Drown me in the depths, let my spirit decay.

Lost and lifeless, adrift in the flood,
no fire in my heart, no surge in my blood.

Endlessly grasping at things not meant to be.
Left to live out forever in the cold of the sea

Rain, rain, wash me away.
Perhaps I'll find solace in this madness of grey.
495 · Aug 2019
Self Aware
Stephen S Aug 2019
I am here.
I am breathing.

Blood flows through my veins.
The warmth of the sun touches my skin.
A soft breeze wafts through my hair.

I can see that which lays before me.
I can hear the sounds of the world around me.
I can smell a faint sweetness in the morning dew.
I can touch the petals of a delicate flower.

But I do not feel alive.
490 · Sep 2019
Chasing Colors
Stephen S Sep 2019
In a world
that grows more
black and white
with each passing day.

I am simply not content
staring at endless
shades of grey.

So please forgive me
If I take this opportunity
to go in search of rainbows.
475 · Dec 2018
The Magic
Stephen S Dec 2018
It's not in her touch,
It's not in her grace.
It's not in the soft
of the skin on her face.

It's not in her smile,
It's not in her teeth,
It's not in the spirit,
that rests underneath.

It's not in her laughter,
It's not in her warm guise.
It's not where you think...

but it's there...

...in her eyes.
458 · Jun 2019
Stress
Stephen S Jun 2019
I just want some calm.
But my body won't allow it.
The strain of this life
threatens to pull me apart
like a worn piece of paper.

All I can do
is take a deep breath
and pray
I can keep things together
just a little longer.
426 · Jul 2019
A lonely evening
Stephen S Jul 2019
I’m sure why it’s so quiet tonight.
Or why those old stars just don’t seem as bright.

You’d think there would be another person around,
But it’s only me and the trees and the damp, muddy ground.

What cause for the silence? I haven’t a clue.
Where do I go now? What do I do?

For I fear if I cannot find a rescuer soon,
I’ll simply fade into dust by the light of the moon.
406 · Dec 2018
Auld Lang Syne
Stephen S Dec 2018
New Year,
New fears.
New sorrow,
New tears.

New hurt,
New pain,
New clouds,
New rain.

New madness,
New fight,
New chaos,
New night.

Same me.
404 · May 2019
I AM
Stephen S May 2019
I am healthy.
(I am hurting...)

I am strong.
(I am suffering...)

I am confident.
(I am insecure...)

I am fearless.
(I am frightened...)

I am powerful.
(I am meek...)

I am invincible.
(I am broken...)

I am joyful.
(I am human...)
403 · Sep 2019
Definition of Self
Stephen S Sep 2019
I am just a number.

I am a statistic on a corporate spreadsheet.

I am a data point for marketers to sell.

I am a profile for the government to monitor.

I am a nameless figure for cameras to track.

My life has been reduced to mere

ones and zeroes.

File names and report headers.

Here in the digital dissonance

I am no longer human.
397 · Aug 2019
Spark
Stephen S Aug 2019
I am but a tiny ember.
Patiently waiting for the moment
when I finally ignite.
The glow will be glorious.
My fire will burn brightly
and erase the empty darkness.
I will feel more alive than
I have ever before.

If only I could find someone
to light the match...
395 · Jun 2019
Swallowed
Stephen S Jun 2019
Blood trickles down my hand
as I linger at the mouth of the monster.

I scratch,
I claw,
I fight defiantly.

But it is no use.

The fires of this life
are about to burn me away for good.
There is no escape.

Future's end. Nothing awaits me.
Except a dark circle in an empty chasm.

My body weakens.
The totality of it all
becoming ever more apparent.

Tears drip down my cheek
as I fade away.

This is not what I wanted.
But perhaps
it is what I deserved.

Finally,
In one swift, eternal motion
I am pulled down into the abyss.

And erased by the bleakness
that lies there.
370 · Jul 2019
A Brief Inquiry
Stephen S Jul 2019
From the deep shadows of the universe
desolation comes in many unexpected
and intriguing forms.

Why are they all able to find me so easily?
369 · Mar 2019
Pain
Stephen S Mar 2019
I am wounded,
but no one wants to heal me.
I am wounded,
but no one seems to notice.
I am wounded,
but I still get dirt thrown on me.
I am wounded,
but the world doesn't care.
367 · Mar 2018
Caged
Stephen S Mar 2018
Let me out...I am the fury

Let me out...I am the pain

Let me out...I am the growing storm

That brings the driving rain.

Loose the shackles...I want freedom

Loose the shackles...Set me free

Loose the shackles...let me be those things

that I know I can be.

Break the chains...I've served the sentence

Break the chains...I've paid the price

Break the chains...The judge has ruled

and I won't be put on trial twice.

Tear the walls down...make 'em shatter

Tear the walls down...piece by piece

Tear the walls down...wreck the prison,

and let the dark confinement cease.

Smash the doors...the game has started.

Smash the doors...the race is on.

Smash the doors...And keep on running

until the coming break of dawn.

Let me out...I am the chaos.

Let me out...I am the deep.

Let me out...I've long been resting,

but I've no more time for sleep.
364 · Dec 2018
A Broken Phone
Stephen S Dec 2018
There's only static on the line,
No one can hear me speak.
My headphone jack just gave it up,
and my battery is weak.

I try to hop on social media,
Even if the app is freezing.
I want to share my latest selfie,
and do all that people pleasing.

I've got a great idea,
For a funny viral prank,
but I can't do much about it,
'cause my camera screen is blank.

I did a software update,
that erased half my conversations.
For a connected person like myself,
That means some huge frustrations.

This thing is looking worn down,
my plastic case is cracked.
Looks like my luck has run its course,
The display just went to black.

I could always buy a newer model,
and gain the status it denotes,
but perhaps instead, I'll walk outside,
to see the world up close...
362 · Sep 2019
Rose Petals
Stephen S Sep 2019
The other day I saw
some red rose petals
slowly floating along a shallow creek.

I sat down on a nearby log
just to take in the peacefulness
of it all.

And in that moment I was reminded,
of where the beauty lies in life.
356 · Dec 2019
Incomplete
Stephen S Dec 2019
A wooden desk.
An empty page.
A mind that's filled
with fire and rage.

A dash of moonlight,
A lamp on a stand,
Shadows in the distance,
a pen in my hand.

A life shattered inwards,
A stiff whiskey drink.
Endless heartbreak to tell of,
but no drops of ink.

A writer who can't write,
like a groom with no bride.
An unfulfilled person,
with sadness inside.
350 · Mar 2018
Stone Rose
Stephen S Mar 2018
I came here on a dreary morning
and knelt down by your grave.
You always meant so much to me,
Strong, defiant, brave.

Even after saying goodbye,
My love for you still grows.
and I can feel your presence with me
through these cemetery rows.

It was ******* all of us,
Until the end you tried to fight it.
I know you need an epitaph,
but I can't bring myself to write it.

Now, I promise you my dear one,
even though you are departed.
You can count on me to finish
all the amazing things you started.

The funeral was a small affair,
Just as you requested.
A remembrance of a too short life,
with a lot of love invested.

And after it was over,
When they laid your coffin down.
I stayed there it seemed forever,
sitting on the softened ground.

Finally I found the strength,
to wipe away my tears,
Pick myself up off the dirt,
and set aside my fears.

I don't like you not near me,
Everything seems so unfair.
Life feels cool and empty now,
when I don't have you there.

Your room is as you left it.
Now that may seem a little much.
But there's nothing in there at the moment
I even want to touch.

There's no medicine to heal my heart
I don't like being all alone.
So every Sunday I come by the graveyard,
and spend awhile by your stone.
328 · Jul 2018
Gone
Stephen S Jul 2018
So this is goodbye.
And I don't even know why,
In my tears I just try,
To understand.

You gave me so much,
Never long out of touch,
But now there's confusion
at hand.

You were a brother, a friend,
comrade to the end.
Through the curves and the bends
That came at us.

There was much that we learned,
a few times we got burned.
But we were never concerned,
about status.

So now I'm here and you're not,
in this loneliness spot,
and I'll give what I've got,
to be courageous.

So sweet soul, carry on,
To the place that's beyond.
Not even death breaks the bond
or separates us.
Written about a friend I lost this past weekend. :(
327 · Apr 2019
Teeth
Stephen S Apr 2019
Sharp.
Vicious.
Deadly.

Polished.
Rigid.
Intimidating.

Grinding­.
Primal.
Violent.
326 · Feb 2018
ITSY BITSY
Stephen S Feb 2018
Just a tiny little poem.
Not all that much to say.
A bland uneventful moment.
Just a quiet, boring day.

It's a short piece of writing,
a brief dalliance of prose
A few words splashed around,
in a curious striking pose.

You won't find deep thoughts here,
no existential musing,
Just a few stray stanzas,
of my own convenient choosing.

This is my tiny little poem,
and it could be so much more,
but if we drag it out much longer.
It won't be tiny anymore.

So you can stop your guessing,
as I think I've made it clear,
that if I am to keep this poem tiny,
I must stop it now and here.
321 · Feb 2019
Muse
Stephen S Feb 2019
She tempts me.
Teasing me from a distance
with eyes as beautiful
as the glow of a diamond.

She beckons me,
Begging me to come closer
With lips as red as roses
in a spring garden.

But it is not to be.

Rather than enjoy the splendor
of the one I want.
I instead endure the madness,
of the one I cannot escape.

Reality, it seems
is a harsh mistress.
321 · Nov 2019
The Rose
Stephen S Nov 2019
A rose is a rose.
So they say, as it goes.
It dances around
as the artists compose.

In the garden in rows.
Quite at home, I suppose.
Why do we dream of a rose?
No one really knows.

It moves and it flows.
It changes and grows.
As our secrets expose
the soft scent of the rose.
297 · Dec 2019
A Simple Request
Stephen S Dec 2019
Your hair looks gorgeous.
And the dress? Simply stunning.
The brilliant red of the lipstick
keeps me fixated on your beauty.

The coat is a perfect fit
and the diamonds tie it all together
so wonderfully.

But maybe
just this once
you'd be willing to take off the mask?
292 · Feb 2018
Wind Rider
Stephen S Feb 2018
I've got a date on the top of the world tonight,
The sky is brilliant and clear,
Spreading my wings, such glorious things,
Across the horizon appear.

Altitude 20 000 give or take a few miles,
As we dance atop this old earth,
The great sun gives way to the star filled foray,
As a new blanket of night's given birth.

In the distance grows a dim mass of grey.
Storm clouds are waving hello.
Nasty things in the air, they don't even care
That I've got my places to go.

A calming voice says there's nothing to fear,
Everything is under control,
But then there's a shake. a shift and a quake.
A dip and twist and a roll.

Old mother nature staking her claim,
stronger than the power of man.
But I'm here to stay, she won't beat me today,
That was never a part of the plan.

Soon the great landscape grows closer below,
with a slick and gradual dive.
At last the descent or whatever was meant,
By the mysteries that fill up the sky.
287 · Mar 2019
Young/Old
Stephen S Mar 2019
My knees are hurting,
but my hair isn't grey.
My abs aren't flat,
but I still enjoy playing sports.

I go to bed earlier,
yet I still want to have fun.
I don't move as quickly,
but I still love to dance.

I'm a littler wiser in moments,
but foolish in others.
Sometimes I'm the adult,
Sometimes I'm the kid.

I accept the fact
that middle age comes for me.
But I reserve the right
to stay young as long as I can.
287 · Jan 2019
Don't Go
Stephen S Jan 2019
Wait for me.
Just wait for me.
I may be a while.
I may not be what you expect.
I may not be strong.
I may not be ready.
But I'll be there.
So please...
Wait for me.
286 · Feb 2019
Razor
Stephen S Feb 2019
It cuts me repeatedly, tears me in two.
Rips at my spirit and slices straight through.
Now I lay in pieces and know not what to do,
As my lifeblood escapes me and my skin turns to blue.

I know that you hate it but the choice has been made,
Vent your anger at me and not the sharp of the blade.
You are right to be furious and to feel betrayed,
but I just couldn’t go on with this cold life’s charade.
285 · Feb 2019
The Fighter
Stephen S Feb 2019
I'm ******* in a submission hold,
my muscles feel the sting.
I'm straining from the agony,
and there's a blood spot in the ring.

If only I had thrown an elbow,
or better timed a kick.
Maybe a brutal roundhouse,
that I could pull off sharp and quick.

Yes, if this had gone differently,
I wouldn't be stuck here flat,
as the timer ticks on endlessly,
and I'm ground into the mat.

I'm as proud a fighter as they come,
this war has been heartfelt.
I could have given up three rounds ago,
but I really want that belt.

I grunt and groan and wrestle,
but my opponent doesn't sway.
Perhaps it's best I just tap out,
and fight another day.
283 · Jun 2019
Radio
Stephen S Jun 2019
Leave the radio on, leave the radio on.
Let the music play.
Let me hear your song.
The strings, the bass
just a beautiful place.
It's where I want to be.

Leave the radio on, leave the radio on.
Let the symphony last
the whole night long.
It's got just the right notes,
and melodic approach,
to set an imprisoned soul free.

Leave the radio on, leave the radio on,
Let the music rise up
and the voices grow strong.
The tone is just right,
To let a bold light
Shine on the things I cannot see.
262 · Apr 2018
The Last Poem
Stephen S Apr 2018
I regret to inform you the battle's been lost,
we fought for our cause but could not pay the cost.
the ground is shaking beneath me and children are screaming,
I know this is real, but how I wish I were dreaming.

I managed to hide here, in an old musty den,
and within rubble and debris I found an old pen.
So I write you this verse on the current atrocities,
such inhuman hate filled with cold animosities.

Buildings are crumbling and trees and have been burned,
the world is scorched but the lesson? Not learned.
The end game approaches, the hour so fleeting.
There's nowhere to run. No escape. No retreating.

The smoke billows in and the cannonballs fly,
as fire and brimstone fall from the sky.
I hear angry footsteps approaching the door,
It's not safe here much longer but I must tell you more.

I don't know how this started, but you can surely blame,
the rich, greedy tyrants and their bloodletting game.
The foul stench of flesh, punishing as a curse,
and that's the just the tip of an iceberg far worse.

I wish I could finish, but I'll stop here I think,
as I'm sorry to say I've just run out of ink...
262 · Oct 2019
Addiction
Stephen S Oct 2019
If I were to suddenly disappear
into this growing madness that fills my soul
I could enjoy the satisfaction
of completely erasing
what I used to be.

I would have freedom
from silly moral things.
I would dance in the face
of my opposition.

I would give myself over
to any pleasure I found.

Everything would be ruined.
261 · Apr 2018
Straitjacket
Stephen S Apr 2018
Tie it up on me.
Tie it up tight.
Let me be trapped in the
still of the night.

Keep me imprisoned,
Keep me subdued,
Anything else
Would just ruin the mood.

Silence my crying,
Silence my voice.
Lead me to feel
I had no other choice.

Break me with violence,
Break me with fear.
Leave me to wonder
how I ever got here.

Laugh as you hurt me,
Laugh at the shadows.
Hear the beat of my heart
as it quakes and it rattles.

Cover me in anguish,
Cover me in scorn,
Rip at my clothes 'til
they're tattered and torn.

Mock my entrapment.
Mock my cold face.
Treat me like garbage,
that's cheap to replace.

Leave me in darkness,
Leave my pain to release.
And perhaps in the madness
I'll finally find peace.
255 · Mar 2019
The Sickness
Stephen S Mar 2019
I don't care if Monday's great,
Tuesday, Wednesday keep it straight,
Thursday things just may negate,
but Friday I'm in Pain

Monday might just bring some rest,
Tuesday, Wednesday pass the test,
Thursday I'm not even stressed,
but Friday I'm in Pain
248 · Apr 2018
Last Stand
Stephen S Apr 2018
We've come a long way brother, I'm sad to see you go,
your constant presence at my side meant more than you could know.
Yes, we fought the wars together and by a hair we both survived.
That's always how we liked it: beaten, bruised but still alive.

Do you remember in the heady days, just how this all began?
We were just two young determined guys, without a real plan.
But we brought it all together and soon it became apparent,
That before too long we'd pass the phase of the foolish and the errant.

The great dynamic duo, the amazing perfect pair,
No one that stood against us would even have a prayer.
The great bond that can't be broken, of that I'm all but certain,
We'd be there side by side together, until the final curtain.

They'll write great songs about us, tell legendary tales,
Of those two amazing brothers who always managed to prevail.
Yes it's been a roller coaster ride, we nearly touched the sky.
But now the time has come when we have to say a tough goodbye.

The road is changing up ahead, we're set for different lanes,
You go your way, I go mine, things never quite the same.
I know it's necessary and I know it's for the very best,
but that doesn't mean I have to like it, it's not easy to digest.

I'll be ok without you. I promise you I will,
Kept strong by the faith and purpose, you managed to instill.
The distance, never easy. The separation, tough to swallow.
Used to be that where you went, I was the one to follow.

All of that has changed now and we're both on our own,
but I still believe we'll never have to face this world alone.
You've got your fighting spirit and lord knows that I've got mine,
there's no doubt that we can bring it when the worst is on the line.

So sadly this is where I leave you, but I never will forget,
every grueling sacrifice, every bit and blood and sweat.
A new path lays ahead for you, so enjoy it all my friend,
and know that one way or another, I'll be waiting at the end.
243 · Feb 2018
Black Bird
Stephen S Feb 2018
On a rather lonesome autumn day I drifted through the trees,
Wandering round the forest floor with a soreness in my knees.
I'd come out to this quiet place in need of healing time,
For those moments I'd let slip away and walked the painful line.

I sat down on a dying log when the leaves began to fall.
For what seemed like forever I just tried to fight it all,
Every hurt and wound I'd caused, every fall from grace,
That led me down the jagged path and brought me to this place.

As I saw the ashes floating, there was an unexpected sound,
and I turned to see a pair of wings that were lifting off the ground.
With feathers thick and dark as night but fire at its core.
I stood there frozen by the grace as I watched the black bird soar.

Fly away,
Fly away,
Oh Black bird help me fly away.

The bird tore through the windy sky with an awesome show of force,
as if drawing on a passion fueled by some unknown source.
In defiance it let out its cry and that was when I saw,
The face of mother nature here in the cold and in the raw.

Valiant, stretched from wing to wing it carried on its way,
Sailing through the rugged skies and dreary clouds of gray.
It rode up to that horizon line and I watched it disappear,
Free from all its enemies and free from all its fear.

Fly away,
Fly away,
Oh Blackbird help me fly away.

I chased it down the muddy trail along the rivers bank,
and suddenly I saw two more join up along its flank.
Then three strong they picked up speed and rode towards the sun,
Separate though they may have been, they found their way as one.

I still walk through the forest floor on lonesome autumn days,
For it's there I find my quiet time where I go to get away.
And I look up in wonder and listen for the mighty cry,
Hoping that the black bird is still tearing through the sky.

Fly away,
Fly away,
Oh Blackbird help me fly away.
Wrote this a couple of years ago. These are pesudo song lyrics, written to the tune of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash.
242 · Sep 2019
Wonder
Stephen S Sep 2019
I wondered why the sky is blue,
and why you love me the way you do.

I wondered, as I enjoyed the view
if all of what I'd heard was true.

I wondered when I'd earn my due
and if I'd ever make it through.

I wondered, would I ever bid adieu
from this path of life askew?

Then I knew.
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