In the shine of a summer's day
Standing alone in an open field
Alone with the clouds and passing birds
The grass swaying to their song
One wonders what they say

One among many
A soul among plenty
Wondering what the day shall yield

To bring great emotion into words
Is to pull from the sea
But a single creature
from the deepest of trenches
Hoping it is whole, not divided into thirds
Of the grandeur it could be

Alas, here where the grass grows long
There is not a sea,
But an endless sky
On a peaceful summer day.

- Jay M
September 2nd, 2021

Disguised beneath layers ever so seamless
Sewn together with intricate pattern and stitch
Embroidered smiles and elaborate costumes
Well rehearsed, prepped and ready for performance
Play the cards, pluck the strings, sing the songs
Play the parts, put on the grandest of shows

The funniest thing is that not a one knows
The amount of rights and wrongs
The close proximity, yet vast distance
How hands ache, shake, and twitch
Some think it to be needless
But never could that be further from the truth

Each and every door within each and every floor
Of the corridors of my mapless mind
The maze that it is
Holds puzzles, pieces, and clues
To the one hidden just beneath the surface
Dreaming of once again seeing the light
After after such plight

Every mask
Every side
Delicate fabrics and fragile seams
Sewn with trembling hands
Guide an inexplicable force
Perhaps a strange task
Hidden among wildest dreams
Set for an unknown course

With each that falls away
Another takes their place
A mysterious entity
Behind the face
Beneath the handiwork of the seamstress
Sewing and patching every hole
Desperate for every layer to stay
Remain no matter the cost
All for what purpose?
What is it that they hide,
That they hold so near and dear?
Such is unknown,
Or perhaps forgotten
Lost in the course of time

- Jay M
April 30th, 2021

As the night wears on
As the mind wanders
Ponders what is to come
A heart yearns, it longs
For words of comfort
Even if they are uncertain
The fact they could be spoken
Brought to life, to weary ears
Would put one at ease

- Jay M
August 28th, 2021

When the rain pours at midnight
When the melodies carry through the stillness
When tears cannot dare to escape pained eyes
When hearts ache with a grip in their chests
Do they know of one another?

All across the land and sea
Though not a soul could see
Bare witness to the agony within
The hour the darkness threatens to win
To close around tormented souls

Do they know of the others
All caught within the expanse of the void
Silence or noise, either could smother
The soldier, unknowingly deployed?

- Jay M
August 26th, 2021