I stare at her
the brokenness in her eyes
the emptiness in her heart

I offer her my hand
she stands
we stand
as one

I'm told
the only way to climb the mountain
is if I leave her
but she is me
and I will not lose myself

I embrace her
I take her hand
and we move forward

"I have faith in you"
"I believe in you"
"I know you can do this"

Yeah, but what happens when I can't?

May I catch you for my brother, little firefly?
May I catch you for my brother, lightning bug?
He loves your blinking light
Shining in the dark of night
And I’m sure he’d love to give you a hug

My tears fell freely
Quickly fading away
They impact nothing
Nor can I, I say

My hand clenched tightly
Around empty air
Missing the hand
That should be there

The world burns around me
My heart is cold
This is the norm now
Or so I’m told

There was a bit of hope
Maybe it’s still somewhere
But the world blocks it out
The world doesn’t care

maybe i don't want to be fixed

if i'm fixed
i can still be used
and i'll have to keep going
keep fighting

but if i stay broken
maybe i'll be thrown out
and replaced
so others can move on
and i can
finally
rest

i wish you were here
to dry my tears
but because you're gone
my tears flow on

i try to help
and send my love
but perhaps it only makes things worse

so i'm staying away
not entering the fray
lest i further spread my curse

I fall again, I hit the ground
My world's been twisted upside-down
The peaks of joy, and then a crash
Emotions strong, decisions rash
But one more fall won't keep me down
The rising water won't make me drown
I'll just kick harder, gasp for air
For I know hope is always there
And we got back up, in the end
I knew we would, love won again
I'm only stronger from the pain
I've made a rainbow from the rain
I won't give up, I'll just grow more
Beat every battle that's in store

my friends latch themselves to me
and love me

i take my bad habits
and cut them off
as if with a knife

they tried to change me
but i was forged of stone

they tried to help me
but now they can't
i've made myself lonely

Twists and turns, riddles and layers
Are you a chessmaster or just a player?
How much do you know, do you really know at all?
Can you trust anyone to catch you when you fall?

...Yes.
In the end, behind every tangle
Behind pain and memories and words that mangle
One mantra of mine I've often said while I've fought
Turns out to be truer than I originally thought...

Forces beyond any walls ignite
Slowly we're coming back to light
The full story revealed
The first person healed
A secret no longer quite as concealed
A heart shattered, down to dust
A lost friendship, so much lost trust
But we will rebuild
Heal those who were killed
And certain truths will be fulfilled
Draw on strengths from one above
Joy, Faith, Hope, Love
In the darkest of hours
You can't stop these powers
Earth mixed with ashes is good soil for flowers
Tear away the distrust and all of the doubt
A new revolution shall be brought about
For I'll never give in
This new era begins

Love always wins

I hunger for fame
As most do
I want to share my voice
And make the world a better place
But how can I share a genuine thought
If fame is born of
  Clickbait and  emotional charge
  "debates" used to sland e r
ha tef ul  words thrown a ro u nd to
      g rab people's ey es and h e a r t s
   as gu lli ble as they a re
        used to t e a r    a p a  r   t
                  a  n   d         t   a k   e     the  r  u  b  b  l  e
             to bui  ld a  name
           and a legacy

People need space to
Express negativity
But I have none left

Those who are louder
Spread their anger far and wide
I'm left crowded out

Self-made apathy
Is not a healthy method
But it's all I have

That feeling
That I can't describe

When I know someone is genuine

It's physical
And emotional
It's happy
But calmly
Without any flourishes
Or bubbles
I feel it in my chest
A feeling of connection
It's...warm?
Not quite the right word
It's lukewarm
But bright
And roundish
Kinda like a sphere
Sitting next to my heart
Centered in my chest
There's love
But little magic
It's pure
Unfiltered
Connection
When I think of someone's face
I see open eyes
Open to watch another
But not wide with shock
I see a small smile
I hear a voice
Clear as a bell
And indeed
I think of pure
Golden bells
Not twinkling
Not ringing
Just a single
Unbroken note
I think of gold
Or is it orange?
Yellow?
Orange with a yellow halo?
It's energy
But not radiant
Not growing
Not destroying
Not dark
The feeling I get
When reading a classmate's essay
Or reading a good fanfiction

All this
Does not capture the feeling
But at least I tried my best

Ouch
I'm sore all over
The strain of past performances
Tugging at my muscles
It hurts to breathe
The involuntary souvenir
Of the city
Flaring up again
Every time I move

But also lingers
The memories
Of dancing
Performing
Growing
Of laughing with my companions
And friendly competition
And getting high on sleep deprivation
The crazy bus rides
The bustle of the city
The adventures we had

I bring back pain
But more importantly
I bring joy
And experience
And love

But still

Ouch

Waiting
Watching
Constantly reloading
Buzzing
Stirring
Mind's gears whirring
Music
Playing
Restlessness staying
No newness
No action
Not a single distraction
Just me
Waiting
Anticipating
Out of things to do
My patience is through
But boredom
Doesn't hurry
My mind's
Going blurry
UUGGHHHHH

Grounded in faith
I lay
In rich fertile soil
And so
I am ready to grow

Watered by His blood
I sprout
And put out leaves
And so
His sacrifice lets me live

In the light of His glory
I bloom
And free my petals
And so
His resurrection gives me hope

On this holy day
I free
My imprisoned hallelujah
The Lord is risen indeed
Hallelujah

I'm inspired to write
But I don't know what
I feel the need to
Arrange a poem
But I don't have a topic

Just a random burst of
Unspecified inspiration

A message
An email
A wave
A "hello"

And I get so happy

It doesn't have to be anything special
It's just so nice to be reminded
That you exist

My poetry is always written
In the heat of the moment

The big picture is often neglected
It is but
One moment in all my life

The perspective might be messed up
And the feelings exaggerated
But it's nice to have that moment captured

I have emotions building in my soul
I long for nothing more than sweet release
I wish to meltdown, no longer be whole
To let myself be broken 'til at peace
Alas, many around me would be harmed
Many people count on me to bring joy
I wouldn't want them to be too alarmed
So I must always keep up my decoy
A nuclear reaction plant am I
To let my inner workings spill away
Would mean great harm for every person nigh
And great harm lasting oh so many days
If I meltdown, there is no going back
And thus, I must always remain intact

When the school day's going by fast
And I'm late to class
Guess what's swarming the halls?
Ugh, people.

When I want to be able to think
And there's screaming throwing me off sync
Who's making the calls?
Yep, people.

When I need my personal space
To get away from all the race
Guess who's here?
Dumb people.

When I'm feeling stressed and trapped
By expectations for my life map
What's the source of the fear?
Lots of people.

People can be nice
In small amounts
But when they're being annoying
It doesn't count

I live on a poison called privilege
First fed to me at my birth
To white, middle-class, educated parents
Who have worked so hard to keep me
Safe and happy
I have been fed this poison
For many years
And over time
I have grown ashamed of it

I feel guilty
For what I am
My pale skin dripping
With idiotic power
Fed to me
On a silver spoon
I feel guilty
Of my smooth road
Feeling awful
For those who have to walk
Different roads

But I am too weak
For a harsher road
So many people are out there
With strong character
Willpower
Motivation
Work ethic
And I have yet to grow in these areas
I do not fare well outside of my comfort zone
And so I continue to take this elixir
That weakens me
And keeps me alive

I watch this poison spread
From the mouths of others
Who have taken it
Hurting those
Who have not tasted this poison
More than
The poison hurts those
Who drink it regularly
I watch this poison
Cut down people's lives
Simply due to a difference in melanin
Or family
Or identity
Or any of a numerous amount of factors

I guess the best I can do
Is resist the toxins
And keep going
Try and make a difference
Try and find an antidote
Try and help those who need it
And be grateful
For the gift of this poison

Even introverts can be alone for too long

And now I'm sad

I didn't mess it up.
Hallelujah.

So close
To the fateful day
So close
To what I've strived for
So close
I've told all my friends
So close
Can't afford a mistake
So close
Can't afford miscommunication
So close
Must plan carefully
So close
Musn't lose my chance
So close
Need to stop overthinking
So close
Need to do my research
So close
Don't mess it up
So close
Be careful
So close
And yet so far
In the middle
But so near the end
Just not there
Too far gone
To go back
Or try again


I messed it up, didn't I?

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Marshmallow factories
Are covered in goo

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Not all of these
Are going to rhyme

Roses are red
Violets are purple
Whoever wrote that
Was an idiot

Roses are red
Violets are blue
My favorite is Discord
Who used to be Q

Roses are red
Violets are blue
If you count in binary
You'll never have 2

Roses are red
Violets are blue
MEEP

Roses are red
Violets are blue, da ba dee da ba daa...

Roses are black
Violets are black
Everything is black
I'm Batman

Roses are blue
Violets are red
Something is wrong
With my head

The Math section is red
Social Studies is blue
I have too much homework
I want to cry

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Please don't get stuck
In the spilled glue

Roses are purple
Violets are green
I'm just here revving
My limousine

Roses are red
They have thorns
Don't touch them

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I want to turn this
Into a haiku

Roses are crimson
Violets are the fairest blue
And so fair are you

Roses are red
Violets are blue
That was pretty good
For being written on the fly

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Ridiculous Inflatable
Swan Thing

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I need to sleep
No

you are so And
sweet is Sugar
blue are Violets
red are Roses

Roses are red
Violets are blue
There is no try
Do not or do

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Dab on those haters

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Think I'll paint them
On my shoe

Roses are red, dilly dilly
Violets are blue
Is this copyrighted, dilly dilly
I have no clue

Lavender's blue
Lavender's green
I store my sanity
In a canteen

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm too cynical
And yet too cheesy

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Spellcheck doesn't know meep?!?

Roses are rosy
Violets are violet
I want to be
A submarine pilot

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Something something
Pikachu

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Illuminati
They're watching you

Gryffindor's red
Ravenclaw's blue
WHY IS IT AN EAGLE
NOT A RAVEN

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Be mine
I'm desperate

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I don't want romance
Stop asking

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I'm running low on ideas
We're almost through

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
Don't eat too much

Roses are red
Never mind
Life's too short
Eat all the sugar you can find

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You're still here?
Good job you

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Happy Valentines Day
Bye

Your worth
Is what you can give
Is what you can lose
Is what you can sacrifice

You can be
The most
Talented
Beautiful
Gifted
Caring
Understanding
Person in the world

But if others can't
Exploit you
Use you
Burn you

You are nothing

This is the bitter truth
I face every day

Do we write
To make others think
Original thoughts
Poured into
Poems
Creativity
Poured into words
Do we write
To create something new

Or do we write to grab attention
Appeal to what's already built
Follow the same rutted paths
For the sake of
Attention
A fierce human need
A beast that can corrupt
For the sake of food
And can destroy creativity
Just to follow another's path
Just to be known
To be seen

Or do we write for
Both
Blending our own ideas
With those of others
Hoping to be heard

And what makes popularity?
What is it that grabs our attention
And pulls us in
And makes us lose ourselves
For the sake of being known?

This year
I'm trying to be kinder to myself

There's not much more
To say

Parents
Front seat
Complaining
They think I can't hear them
But I can
"Too expensive"
"Didn't want"
"Technology addiction"

Siblings
In the back
With the
New tech
Sometimes fighting
Grateful
But are they
Addicted?

Me
In the middle

Is it good
Is it bad
How far to go
Who to side with

Sitting in the crossfire
Between X and Z
Borderline Millennial
Without an army

Family members crowd around
I try to dodge the questions
How is school
How is dance
How is the harp
I don't want to talk
I just grab some food
And run away
From the noise
The questions
The lack of space
Or I would
But my mom won't let me

Even the King of the World
The Lord of Lords
The one who we celebrate
This time of year
Came as a baby
In a stable
ALONE
In the middle of
Nowhere, Israel
(Okay, Bethlehem
But still)

Can't I just catch a break?

No?

Oh well.

At least there are cookies.

My dreams
Are becoming reality
The lines are blurring
The dreams are seeping in
Filling me
With joy

I dance on that line
Between dreams and reality
Where magic happens
Where I fly in
Love

My love has grown
My dreams are strong
I feared they would break
But they aren't
They are alive
They are strong

My joy is unbreakable
For love bears the purest joy
And my love
Is growing

He killed my best friend

We were in a fight
And he was attacking
He was on our team
Fighting our opponents
He risked my best friend's life
To attack the enemy
I told him not to
And he did anyway
Now my best friend is dead
There was a better way
He betrayed me and my best friend
He is cruel
And I will
**** him
In revenge




Good thing this is in D&D
And not real life

The beauty of poetry
Is versatility
You can spend hours arranging
Structure
Meter
Stanzas
Rhyme
Rhythm
Meaning
Context
To­ create a literary masterpiece
An intelligent work
A song with no melody
Or
Just have fun
Write whatever
Silly
Unusual
Creative
Things may come to mind
Create art out of letters
Or
Cut your heart open
And spill your emotions
Out into words
The
Joy
Hatred
Pain
Love
Distress
Beauty
Of life

Poetry is the ultimate best friend
It takes whatever form you need
And accepts all your words
Be a friend in return
And listen
To poetry

Sometimes
I just run out
I feel too much
And I’m left numb

No more
Happiness
Sadness
Fear
Anger
Love
Hatred
Motivation

It just runs out

I’m left a shell of a person
I lose sight of my life
And my will to live

I push myself away from others
Until some shred of feeling returns
And I go back out
To the world
To be battered and attacked once more

Somedays I get the urge to just snuggle something
Preferably someone
To be close
To be emotional
To be connected

People aren’t very snuggly
I’m an exception

Since no one else is snuggly
I just have to curl up by myself
And say I want to be alone
When in reality
I crave intimacy

I live in a bubble
That shuts others out
I can create holes
But I cannot break it

I walk in circles
Among other people
We’ll say “hi”
But no more

My bubble is nice
It’s my comfort zone
A cozy spot of relaxation
And isolation

It’s a painful comfort
It’s a lonely conversation
It’s an ache for someone
Willing to come in

I love my little bubble
I hate my little bubble
I’m comfortable alone
But I’m not happy

I may not know many other people
But I know myself
A life of solitude
Makes one’s self better known

I have a strong identity
I know what I want
I know my strengths
I know my weaknesses
I know how I think

I don’t know everything about myself
But I know plenty
Extroverts have more connections with others
But I have strong connections with myself

These connections aren’t always great
Sometimes I hate myself
My anxieties and overthinking
Pestering me
My inner demons
Clawing at my mind

I give them time to rage
Then put them back on their leashes
For I know how to keep them calm

I know myself
And even what I don’t know
I am willing to explore

Some days, I’m an extrovert
I’ll laugh and talk with my friends
And not want to be alone

Some days it will be in dance classes
More often than not, in fact
We’ll greet each other in the dressing room
With hugs and laughter
We’ll share stories during stretches
We’ll play secret games at the barre
(I just lost the game.)
We’ll gossip between combinations

We share a passion
To move
To dance
To have fun and grow
And that excited energy
Is shared between us

Some days it will be at school
Sometimes with friends from my grade
Sometimes with older grades
Sometimes we’ll be talking in classes
Sometimes I’ll talk with the older students at Independent Study
Some days it just works out

It’s fun talking to people
Hanging out with people
Being stupid with people
It’s great

But the next day
I’d like some peace and quiet

Quiet is not bad

In a busy world
It can be hard to find a time to rest
People are swept up in piles of obligations
Work
School
Friends
Chores
These things are ever constant

Society has worsened this
Adding a rush
A need to
Do more
Do faster
Do better

We introverts understand the need for rest
The need for peace
The need for calm
The need to just gimme a break!

A tendency for solitude isn’t always fun
But it has its advantages

Do you ever get that feeling in your chest
An urge to break the silence
An urge to say something
Anything
The urge to communicate

Your thoughts trying to break free
Of the endless cycle of thinking

The ache is with me constantly
But I have very few outlets
My spoken words are strange
My writing good, but only with many revisions
My deepest thoughts incomprehensible to no one but myself

My deepest thoughts strain the hardest
For freedom
And it’s painful

I want my thoughts to be heard
Or read, in this case
I want people to know what I’m feeling
I want people to know my ideas

But I’m afraid of appearing weak
Or wrong
Or stupid

I’m afraid people won’t accept my flaws
My quirks
My opinions

Why can’t we all just accept each other?

whats the point
why capitalize
or use punctuation
why put in the effort
no one will read this
ill remain alone
my thoughts unheard
for im an introvert

Except I automatically write correctly
My mother is a professional writer
And she gave me her instincts

So I guess I might as well

And you never know when your thoughts might one day
Be finally freed

People say you have to talk to others
And sometimes they’re right
Communication keeps us alive

But it’s okay to not want to talk all the time
It’s okay to want to be alone
To want to read a book
Or walk in circles
Or write poetry

The world needs to learn this

There are many types of introverts

Some truly like to be alone
People drain their energy
And clog their mind
So they stay away from others

Some like having friends
But in smaller groups
They spend time with people
But only certain people

Some people are forced introverts
They have difficulty communicating
Or other people don’t like them
So they remain alone
Even if they don’t want to be

I’m all of these
And it’s hard

I’m in love
I have dreams for this love
But I keep them dreams

I don’t act on my dreams
My dreams are perfect in my mind

I fear that if I bring them into the world
They will be crushed
And lose their perfection

This goes for many of my dreams in general.

I want to have deep conversations
I want to have personal connections
I want to be emotional
I want to be passionate
I want to have loving, close friends

But everyone else has enough friends
Or doesn’t want friends
Or just doesn’t like me
I started too late
I flew solo as a child
And in adolescence, I suffer

The close bonds that lock friends together
Also lock me out

So I stay alone
Because I am the only one who will listen to me