Words and sword, both sharp and keen,
Their letters intertwined, unseen.
One forged in fire, steel and might,
The other born from thoughts in flight.

A sword can pierce the flesh and bone,
Its damage plain, its pain well-known.
But words can cut much deeper still,
Invisible wounds that time can't heal.

A careless word, a thoughtless jest,
Can scar the heart, disturb the rest.
Its echoes linger, haunting dreams,
A silent cry, a muffled scream.

Yet words can also heal and mend,
A soothing balm, a loyal friend.
They lift us up, they make us strong,
A gentle touch, a heartfelt song.

So wield your words with mindful care,
For they possess a power rare.
Choose kindness, let your heart be true,
And brighten someone's world anew.

A sword may rust, its edge may dull,
But words endure, their impact full.
They shape our lives, our paths they chart,
For words and swords both touch the heart.

"I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor.
That's my dream. It's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering,
along the edge of a straight razor … and surviving."
–  Col. Kurtz, Apocalypse Now
~

Remember
the golden age, Wally ***?
And the songs
my mother taught me?

We sang about what was.
Or might never be.

Like permanency.
Distinction comes
out of stiff and frozen silences.
Take it with
a spoonful of disdain.
Take it in the eye.
Actors are like breakfast cereals.
They're obvious
and according to taste.
I stopped needing them
long ago.

Beautiful
Tallulah.
Beautiful,
"less to this than
meets the eye"
Tallulah,
dismiss me,
that I may be free
to find Tennessee.

Open windows
and closing doors.
Always a breeze,
but never a way out.
Right on cue
the cards shuffle.

Butter and cotton *****,
tricks of the trade.
I mumble to be heard.
I am legend
to disciples
of the Method.

I wear my friends to bed,
burn them like newspaper.
They call me "Bud"
—cigarettes at dawn
after devouring the night.
And now my song ebbs,
as the stylus hits the leadout groove.

Tomorrow, I'll be better.
Today, I'm just me.

In the quietness of the night, I wake,
To an empty space where you once lay.
Your touch, your laughter, our shared jokes,
Echo softly in my heart, where love still stays.

Two years have passed, yet time can't erase,
The warmth of your presence, the light of your grace.
Though fewer tears now fill my eyes,
Your memory lingers, like stars in the skies.

In the quiet moments of the day,
I hear your voice, though far away.
Your laughter, your smile, your gentle touch,
Are memories I hold, and miss so much.

Life continues, as it must,
But in my soul, there's a quiet trust.
That love endures beyond the veil,
In every whisper, in every tale.

The days we spent, the dreams we shared,
In my heart, they're always there.
Though time moves on, and seasons change,
Our love remains, never estranged.

I miss you deeply, yet I find,
In cherished moments, you're still entwined.
In the rustle of leaves, in the song of birds,
I find comfort in your unspoken words.

At dawn and dusk, in the gentle breeze,
Your spirit lives on, bringing me peace.
Though you're gone, you're never far,
Your memory shines, like a guiding star.

In every moment, in every breath,
You live on, beyond life's death.

Amidst the daisies,
all I could see,
was you.

Just us alone,
beneath blue sky.

You beside me, eyes closed,
wind tracing its fingers
through your hair,
bathed in sunlight,
your soft smile lingering.

Oh, how I envy them—
for giving you a peace
I can only dream of.

it seems the more I have to lose
the easier I am to bruise
because once you took everything I loved before
then there was nothing left to live for

Did I step on a butterfly once in my youth
That I must live in such pain today

Did I not reach out to someone in need
That my days are now crowded with hurting.

Did I never walk for that extra mile
That each step today is a torment.

Did I not study the course close enough
That agony is what I have to learn.

Have I earned a lifetime of level-nine days
When to be only aching becomes a reward.
                 ljm