For some reason..
I hate you with all my guts
but
I want you to like me
and admire my presence
Yearn for my attention, sir
as I grumble at you from across the hallway..

My glorified enemy..
my incapacitated friend
when you told me I was your biggest regret
that the rage of 10,000 (dead by guillotine) cursed souls
make up 1% of your hatred for me
that when you died, your 2 year old child would grow with the very purpose
of destroying my entire life
I was appalled, dismayed
so I pressed on the blade
and you no longer could throw your outlandish threats my way.
But I did not expect, 30 years down the road
Sitting at the edge of my pool In my Florida mansion
which (of your own free will) is what you gladly endowed me
to see a bright light in the sky falling so quick and smooth
a beautiful sight
So I picked up my martini and took a final big swig
and extended my arms to the flaming red might
"IN MY MOTHER'S NAME!"
He spoke aloud
his mother would be oh so very proud!

Half-chuckles flourishing in the night time scene
Slow deep breathes connect us
Staring into the darkened sky
We waited

…

You’re never going to have the cake
Learn to like the taste of bread.

You’re never going to wear diamonds
Learn to appreciate cut glass.

You’re never going to hear applause
Learn to marvel at the stillness.

You’re never going to win the gold
Learn to admire the shine of copper.

You’re never going to be adored
Learn to love just being liked.

You’re never going to live forever
Learn to be your best today.
                 ljm

ᵀᴬᴿᴬᴺᵀᵁᴸᴬ ᶜᴿᴬᵂᴸˢ
ᶜᴬᴮᴱᴿᴺᴱᵀ ˢᴾᴿᴱᴬᴰ ᶜᴿᴼˢˢ ᵂᴬᴸᴸˢ
ˢᵀ. ᴹᴬᴿᵀᴵᴺˢ ᴳᴼᴼˢᴱ ᶜᵁᵀ ᴼᴺ ᶜᴿᴬᶜᴷᴱᴰ ᴼᴾᴱᴺ yellow ᴾᴸᴬᵀᴱˢ
ᵂᴼᴿᴺ ᵀᴴᴵᴺ ᴬˢ ᴴᴱᴿ ᴾᴬᵀᴵᴱᴺᶜᴱ
ᴰᴿᴱᴬᴿᵞ ᵂᴱᴮˢ ᴰᴵˢᴾᴸᴬᵞᴱᴰ ᴾᴱᴿ ᴼᴸᴰ ᶠᴼᴿᴳᴼᵀᵀᴱᴺ ˢᴼᵁᴸ
ᵀᴱᴺ ᴼᶠ ᴴᴱᴬᴿᵀˢ ᵁᴾˢᴵᴰᴱ down
ᶜᴴᴱᴱᴿˢ ᴱᶜᴴᴼᴵᴺᴳ ᴬᴺᴰ ˢᵂᴱᴸᵀᴱᴿᴵᴺᴳ
ᴸᴵᴷᴱ ᴿᴼᴮᴵᴺ ᴴᴼᴼᴰ'ˢ ᴬᴿᴿᴼᵂ ᴵᴺˢᴵᴰᴱ ᴴᴵˢ ᴴᴱᴬᴰ
ᵂᴱᴸᴸ ᴹᴬᵞᴮᴱ ᵀᴴᴬᵀˢ ᴬ ᴸᴵᵀᵀᴸᴱ ˢᴬᴿᶜᴬˢᵀᴵᶜ
ᴵᴺ ᴴᴵˢ ᴴᴱᴬᴰ ᴮᵁᵀ ᴺᴼᵀ ᴵᴺ
ᵂᴵᵀᴴᴵᴺ ˢᴼᴮᴮᴵᴺᴳ ᶠᴼᴳᴳᵞ ᴱᵞᴱˢ,
ᴬ ᵛᴼᴵᴰ ᴼᶠ ᴮᴸᴬᶜᴷ ᶜᴿᴼᵂˢ. ᴬᴺᴰ ᵂᴵᵀᴴᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴱᴵᴿ ᴱᵞᴱˢ,ᴰᴬᴿᴷᴱᴿ ᶜᴿᴼᵂˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᵂᴵᵀᴴᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴱᴹ;ᴵᴺᴬᴰᴱᵟᵁᴬᵀᴱ ᶠᴸᴱˢᴴ ᴰᴱᴾᴿᴵᵛᴱᴰ ᴼᶠ ᴰᴿᴱᴬᴹˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴺᴼᵁᴿᴵˢᴴᴹᴱᴺᵀ ˢᴼ ᴵᵀˢ ᴵᴰᴸᴱ ᴹᴵᴺᴰ ᶜᴬᴺᴺᴼᵀ ᴴᴬᴺᴰᴸᴱ ᴸᴼᴼᴷᴵᴺᴳ ᵀᴴᴿᴼᵁᴳᴴ ᵀᵂᴼ ᴮᴸᵁᴿᴿᵞ ᵂᴵᴺᴰᴼᵂˢ ˢᴴᴵᴺᴵᴺᴳ ᶠᴬᴸˢᴱ ᴴᴼᴾᴱ
ᴳᴿᴬᵀᴵᶠᵞᴵᴺᴳ ᴿᴱᴹᴬᴿᴷˢ ᵀᴼ ᴳᴱᵀ the ᴮᴬᴸᴸ ᴿᴼᴸᴸᴵᴺᴳ ᶠᴼᴿ trust ᴬᴺᴰ integrity
ᵀᴴᴿᴼᵁᴳᴴ ˢᵂᴱᴬᵀᴵᴺᴳ ᴬᴺᴰ imaginary ᴸᴬᵁᴳᴴᴵᴺᴳ ᴸᴬᵞ ˢᴱᶜᴿᴱᵀˢ ᴵᴺ plain ˢᴵᴳᴴᵀ
ᵁᴾᴼᴺ ᶠᵁᴿᵀᴴᴱᴿ ᴵᴺᵛᴱˢᵀᴵᴳᴬᵀᴵᴼᴺ,
ᴬᴿᴼˢᴱ ᵂᴬˢᴴᴱᴰ ᴬᵂᴬᵞ ᴮᴸᴱᴬᶜᴴ ᴬᴺᴰ ˢᵀᴬᴵᴺˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ˢᴹᴱᴸᴸˢ of iron
ᵀᴴᴱ ᴹᴵᴿᴿᴼᴿ ᴵˢ the ᴼᴺᴸᵞ ˢᵁᴿᵛᴵᵛᴼᴿ?
ᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ ᴵᴺ ᴵᵀˢ ᶜᴼᶠᶠᴵᴺ ᴼᴺ ᵀᴴᴱ ᶜᴬᴿᴰᴮᴼᴬᴿᴰ ᶠᴸᴼᴼᴿ ᴵᵀ ˢᵀᴬᴸᴷᴱᴰ ᵀᴴᴱᴹ
ᵂᴵᵀᴴ ᴬᴺ ᴬᶜᴱ ᴵᴺˢᴵᴰᴱ ᴵᵀˢ ᶠᴿᴬᴳᴵᴸᴱ ᴴᴼᴸᴱˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴬ ᶜᴼᴵᴺ flipped ᴼᴺ ᴵᵀˢ ᴴᴱᴬᴰ
ᴬᴺᴰ ᴼᵁᵀˢᴵᴰᴱ them, Fury ᴮᴵᴿᴰˢ ᴳᴸᴵᴰᴵᴺᴳ, ˢᴴᴼᵂᴱᴿᴵᴺᴳ ᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴵᴺ ᴵᶜᴱ ᴬᴺᴰ hail
ᵂᴴᴱᴺ ᵀᴼᴿᵀᵁᴿᴱ ᴿᴱᴬᴷᴱᴰ ᶠᴿᴼᴹ the ᴱᴬᴿᵀᴴ ᴹᴵᴸᴱˢ ᴮᴱᴸᴼᵂ ᴵᴺ ᶠᴵᴿᴱ ᵀᴬᴵᴸᴼᴿᴱᴰ ᵀᴼ ᵀᴴᴱ rain’s ᵂᴵˢᴴᴱˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴱ ˢᴸᴱᴱᵀ'ˢ ᴱᴹᴾᴼᵂᴱᴿᴱᴰ ᶜᴼᵂᴬᴿᴰᴸᴵᴺᴱˢˢ
ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴴᴬᴵᴸ ᴾᵁᵀ ᴵᵀ’ˢ ᶠᴼᴼᵀ down ˢᴼ ᴵᵀ ᴹᴬᵞ ᶜᵁᴿᴱ ᵀᴴᴱ roads ᶠᴿᴼᴹ ᴵᵀˢ ᴰᴿᴼᵂᴺᴵᴺᴳ
ᴮᵁᵀ ᴵᵀ ᴸᴬᴺᴰᴱᴰ as ᴿᴼᶜᴷˢ,ᶠᴼᴿ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴳᴿᴼᵁᴺᴰ ᵂᴬˢ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴵˢ ᵀᴼᴼ ᴮᴱᵀᴿᴬᵞᴱᴰ ᴮᵞ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴬᵀᴹᴼˢᴾᴴᴱᴿᴱ'ˢ ᴾᴱᴿᴵᴸ
ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴹᴵᴿᴿᴼᴿ... ᶜᴼᵁᴸᴰᴺᵀ ˢᴬᵛᴱ ᵀᴴᴱᴹ ᴬᴺᵞ ᴸᴼᴺᴳᴱᴿ
They all ᵂᴱᴿᴱ ᴹᴼᴺˢᵀᴱᴿˢ
ᴱᴺˢᴺᴬᴿᴱᴰ ᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴰᴱᵛᴵᴸ'ˢ ᴾᴵᴺᵀ ᴼᶠ ᶜᴼᴺᶜᴿᴱᵀᴱ ᴹᴬᴰᴺᴱˢˢ
ᴵᴺᵀᴱᴳᴿᴵᵀᵞ ᵂᴬˢ ᴳᴼᴺᴱ
ˢᴼ only ᴿᴱᴹᴬᴵᴺᴱᴰ
ᵀᴿᵁˢᵀ

They trust the imaginary integrity of the yellow, plain roads, as the hail rains’ iron fury flipped them all down, down.