The billboards advertise it;
The mental pollution
That's obtained in a New York minute
Is mind-blowing.

A fast-paced world bustles by
Outside a taxi cab window.
It's rush hour,
And the car horns scream pleas of chaos.

Busy bodies litter the streets.
As they dissipate, they are soon replaced
Like the car exhaust
That's always lingering in the air.

It’s like a test
And I’m failing
Falling into the abyss
Screaming out to no one
Oh lord
Won’t you save me from this?

If the only place I'll ever touch you
Is in my slumber;
Then so be it
Just to imagine the lingering
Of your fingertips against my skin is
Too much to resist
Again

I want you,
When our destinies finally meet,
To fall deep
Into sin and let yourself be complete
With contradicting innocence
And overdue kisses-
Soft and sweet

You've done it again, gone
And swept me off my feet
My heart's been pounding in my head
And I'm sure now
That I'd be dead
Without you

It's you- the Earth under my feet
And the wind beneath my wings
It's you- and the way you make me think-
Freer than before- It's
minds like yours that
I adore and live for

If we were to embrace
In reality, I'd be sure to
Never leave traces
If that's what you wanted from me
I'd do anything to ensure
The absence of future fallacies

I speak my poetry
Aloud to you, in hopes
You'll hear it many miles away from here
Even though you're far from me
Feelings flow
With the same fluidity

We are connected by invisible strings
Because every time
I hear our song
I feel your heart
Skip a beat and sing along

That's why I've been waiting
Here, patiently longing
For the day that I can
Stare into your ocean blues, fingers laced
And say to all the non-believers;
It's true

Someone like me deserves someone like you
I'll forever remember all we've been through
The way you keep me on my feet-
Even when I don't want you to
And all the different ways
I've ever said I Love You

"I've been awake for a while now"
She said, smiling
"I just couldn't leave bed without you"
His eyes softened

He brushed the hair out of her face
But his touch lingered
Worked his way down
To the small of her back

He smiled now, too
"How can I blame you?"

So he pulled her in close
For one last moment
Of morning snuggle warmth

Innuendo

All those softly spoken innuendos
Slipped into conversation
To express what you can’t say plainly
All these whispered innuendos
Helped him speak words
Painfully

Filling the night air
Breaking the silence
A breath, a heartbeat

She couldn’t bear
To let him see her cry
And as he turned
The first tear fell

Not as strong as you’d think
Not as brave as you’d think
Innuendos have formed a façade

And so they meet again
To whispers, murmurs
Those softly spoken words
Without the armor
Amore was weak

So for the first time
The last tear fell

A boy and a girl
Back facing back
And they knew
Not to turn around

Closure encompassing
Growing distances
Do or die
She never looked back

I’ve been inching closer and closer to the sun
Mingling with heavy things that leave today in shadow
That hold me down, like a ball and chain
Closer and closer to your submersible opinions
That change quicker than the seasons
When spring wheels around,
I’ll dive into your melted eyes like snow
Because I’m done being trapped and confined
I’m no sample in a jar,
Dead and on display in a biology classroom
These acid raindrops don’t scar me anymore
Now that I’m pursuing my own life
And I owe it all to that boss DJ
Who helped me grow my wings
To fly away with those three little birds
Who glide and sing encouraging words

No inner turmoil,
Will hold me back
I’m facing the world
And I’m poised to attack
I’m ready to fight
Before I die

Who are you to say
That’s he’s only getting high?
Who are you to say
That it won’t cure the pain
Of cancer, glaucoma,
And everyday strains?
Who are you to judge
Without knowing all the facts?
Why should we destroy
This very useful plant?
Hemp fiber is quite strong
And it’s easily taxed.

Legalization- an ongoing war
That mainly takes place
Behind various closed doors.
But I’m a supporter,
Like thousands of others.
You probably know one-
An aunt or a brother.

See, they’ve proved THC
Can shrink tumor size
In less than three weeks,
It’s the truth, not a lie.
All of these studies
Have successfully shown
The only harm known
Comes when it’s smoked.
But there’s so many methods,
Like brownies or pills.
With zero deaths a year,
Mary Jane doesn’t ****.
But cigarettes do,
And alcohol too
Over 500,000 deaths yearly
What should we do?

Our forefathers grew it.
So why is it wrong?
Propaganda has brainwashed
Americans for too long.
Prohibition is immoral
And I will not be silenced
The only outcome
Is increasing violence

As the drug cartels rage
Below us in Mexico
We turn the page
To a brand new War on Drugs
Which, let me remind you,
Can never be won.

So many free citizens
With so many free minds
But the government controls
And accuses of crimes
As billions of tax dollars
Wash away, down the drain
Non-violent offenders
Are locked up and contained
Over-crowding prisons
It’s obviously insane.

To find yourself,
You must first lose your mind
Let go of materialisms,
Become defined
And not by your smile,
Your eyes or your skin
Become defined
By your passions w i t h i n
Free yourself from social constraints
Try living a day
With no c o m p l a i n t s
Head up, chin up, stand proud
No more living in  shame
I knew you were b e a u t i f u l all along
You just needed proper lighting
A mirror much less
W
    A
  R
     P
      E
    D
And now, that reflection b e a m s
That glint in your eyes
Always failed to hide
The power that you’ve been holding i n s i d e

There ain’t nothing like livin’ on love
Smoking Newports in the sunshine
Waiting for the time to pass
Under crystalline blue skies

People in the circle
The faces come and go
But we’re still all here together
We are originals fo’ sho’

He just ran out of squallies
But there’s no need to go and cry
‘Cause we’re the kind of friends
That help each other to get by
Ain’t nothing like livin’ on love

So I thank the stars above
Because I’m happy with lifestyle
And that hasn’t always been the case
There’s no one else in this whole world
Who can cure the lonely days

No one else could show me
All these new and peaceful ways
Of loving what’s around me
Accepting bad and great
Ain’t nothing like livin’ on love

When you were coming back
From your first date with Lucy
We saw those diamonds in the sky
So relieved you let her try
To change your views and cope with stress
‘Cause she was only wishing you the best
Ain’t nothing like livin’ on love

Good vibes come from all around
Never ceasing to astound
The fellow with the thickest walls
Even gets knocked down

But we all come and gravitate
Showin how easy one can change
My pride comes from teaching
Others these irie ways
Ain’t nothing like livin on love

The fall will come, and people leave
Our sweet humble abode
With unspoken words, we know
It’s time to walk our separate roads

But these bonds have tied us deep at heart
We’re always here in spirit
When college comes
And you’re scared to start
Remember how I’m here cheerin’
Ain’t nothing like livin’ on love

I know exactly what's expected of me;
A life filled with success.
What I want won't always follow the predestined path.
What I seek is happiness,
Which tends to follow its own road.
So I'll skip, not march
To the beat of my own drum.
I'll open my ears while the hummingbirds hum,
As the butterflies flutter,
And the bees fail to sting.
I'll open my mouth and proceed to sing
These truthful songs of freedom.
The words will make-believe
A land still filled with wonder-
Like a calm midsummer's eve.
I watch the water shudder
While mosquitoes skim the surface.
As I look to nature,
I see that everything is perfect.
I follow my own guidance
In the ways that bring me peace;
I have learned to step away
From those people filled with grief.
I know just what I need;
I could care less what others think.
As my mind surges open,
Rhythms of the universe speak softly to me-
Reminding me, constantly,
That anything is all I need to be.

One day, I'll remember
The poetry I read when I was young
And how it inspired words
Of long ago tomorrows

And one day, I'll remember
The songs we sang in so many yesterdays
The way we stayed up all hours
Wasting time with silly rhymes like these

And I'll remember the words we spoke
Barely uttered over candle light
The way it gave great insight
On how we'd percieved turbulant times

And I'll remember the wisdom we gathered
How we saw patterns change and falter
And how we deciphered the mysteries
Buried beneath early morning sunrise

But most of all, I'll remember
The way you smiled behind silent eyes
Even as you'd lean on me-
Wiping easy tears from your cheeks

I'll always remember
Your carefree melodies
How your high notes
Always filled up hearts and souls

I mean it when I say I could never forget my friend
Because pieces of you will always be beside me
Engraved into my mind, carefully
Etched by time

You're a puzzle to me-
My favorite mystery
I might never decipher
The methods you use
to make me swoon so easily

It's something, that's for sure
And I've got this feeling in my gut
That we've been fine-tuned
To the same frequency

You make my toes numb
Without so much as touching me
I hear your voice
Humming- in my head
When you're not even speaking

You are my poem-
An inspiration all your own;
A constant reminder
Of the way love can grow

One day, I'll be able to tell
You all of this in plain English...
But for now I'll
Allow the magic to occur

With feelings stirred and reconfirmed
Tonight it's all just history
But when I awaken in the morn'
You'll still be my favorite mystery

The only place we'd ever met
was deep inside a dream.
So maybe it was fantasy
That kept me on my knees;
Praying, searching, wanting more
of you for me to feel

You hurt me once, and I can heal
Twice, and I give up
Three times ends the time of hurt
Mistakes can prove too much

And away you walked, so easily
Like I was never even here.
The times you left me lonely,
Were the times I longed to hold you near.

And knowing now, you aren't strong
I'd love to see your tears.

I'd love to get inside your empty head;
Erase the wasted years.

They say our lovers teach us
That we can learn from those mistakes
The only thing you ever taught
Is what its like to be replaced

But honey, you won't keep me low
It was only just a dream;
A figment of reality.
You were never what you seemed.

The sound of the Raindrop's
pitter-splat-plop
Slows down the world-
Nearly makes time stop.

And for the record, let me tell ya
How much I wish I had an umbrella right now
So I could take a walk in the rain
And leave my home upon Memory Lane.

I've become accustomed to seasonal change,
I've been feeling it in my bones-
For weeks and days it seems.
I've come to terms with knowing
Nothing ever stays the same

At night time comes imagination,
A land of dreams- my destination;
Through nonsense, I shall form creation.
Get ready for the new sensation.

People always drifting
Into less successful lives,
But I have learned to live
A way that causes much less strife.

The music is my inspiration,
Its message goes out strong.
The meaning veers my from temptation,
Although I still see others doing wrong.

Wishin' I could tell them all
To grasp my outstretched hand;
But destiny would disagree,
They all have predetermined plans.

Like the children of the flowers,
We hold within a power
To understand the universe;
Complexities and fallacies.

We question our reality
While shape-shifters take new forms.
The delicacy of time
Needs to be forewarned.

The stitches are so fragile
When you no longer feel bound.
When you are free, you become agile
Like the breezes that surround.

Everything was warping,
Now everything's calmed down.
As I wake up to the sunshine,
I could never bear to frown.

My vision's become clearer.
I can see the end is much less nearer.
Forever I'll be strong,
For I've obtained the will to live life on.

My Feet are
perpetually *****;
toes Sinking fast into
early afternoon mud

My Eyes are
impossibly blinded;
Sensitive from the
long winter imprisonment

My Skin is
eternally Kissed;
sweet rays of warmth
mingling on the surface

My Heart is
pounding fast;
Exhausted from
splashing through spring puddles

Only ten degrees above freezing
But it's enough
Can you feel
The winter leaving?

No more snow
Or frost-bitten toes
To plague short-lived days

The sunlight plays
A little longer every night
And rises a littler earlier

The seasons change
Rapidly and unforeseen

Wake up one morning
To the warm gusts of spring
She's blowing in
Slow and steady at times
Fast and unpredictable at others

No matter how perplexing
The weather becomes
It manages to warm the soul

Even on icy cold mornings
At least it's ten degrees above freezing

Like being alone in a crowded room
Anything to pass the time
Except for your bittersweet lullabies
That sang me into submission

I won’t crumble
I won’t hesitate or fade
Or come crawling on my knees
Oh no, I won’t sink low

I’ll swim with the school of skeptics
Mingle in the shallows
Change my final thoughts
And smile at your travesty

Faces made of stone;
This is serious
No one can see the lies

There was no hope
And now I want to be alone
And sleep to sinister beats
Deception all my own

A city made of poison
Couldn't keep her off her feet
She had desires to chase
And dreams to feed

A small town
With no way in and no way out
Couldn't keep her from drowning out
Roaring contempt

So she sought solace  in the basslines
And wasted away a lonely night
Wishing on shooting stars
In the black expanse of country sky

Star light, star bright
I wish I may, I wish I might
Break this curse
And find courage to risk the flight

For years, it seemed
She'd wished so long
and asked herself

What am I doing wrong?
Plainly, I do not belong
Because my soul has this fire
This passion burns brighter
Than any flame I've ever seen
I believe, I do believe...

Got the power to change
But circumstance forced her stay
No money, no escape
But she knew that one day
Efforts would prevail

And knew how
The wind always seemed to say

Darling, one day
I'll sweep you away because
I hear you pray, and it's not in vain
So wipe your tears and find your strength

*Keep singing that song,
You're already gone, gone, gone
You've been drifting on harmony all along

Comfortable as I am,
I can feel the silence.
It’s too intense right now.
I can sense a riot
In the making.
Rationale is slowly shaking
Out of everyone’s minds;
Senseless chaos will soon ensue
And slowly but surely,
It consumes you.
Kiss your morals goodbye
‘Cause nothing will get you as high
As running with the crowd,
Looting stores, shooting guns.
Enveloped by the loud
Destructive forces all around.
The small children cry,
But no one hears their sound.
Just look at what you’ve done,
We’ve started a war
That cannot be won.
With all this mindless violence, I ask
What exactly have you done?

I've got this dull energy
Pulsing through my veins
Distracting me from Reality-
Making today less significant
Than a dream

Life whizzes by-
Blink an eye
And you might miss it

Expand your vision-
The world's a walking contradiction

So don't be so submissive
Take a risk
and kiss him!

And when he turns away?
Know you saved yourself
from another scumbag

Who's to say that all is truly fair
In this game of love, deceit and pain?
We all live the same way-
Killing to see and breathe another day

My jeans are tearin' at the seams,
Ain't got a buck to buy 'em new.
Guess I'll have to patch 'em up
For another year's wear and tear.
That's how we all live on;
Mending and tending old wounds.
Somehow, we all get on;
Replacing patches 'til they come undone.

On days when skies are dreary,
I look beyond the gray clouds.
In the back of my closet are those ripped jeans,
Crumpled and worn,
But they feel so right.
They still manage to hold together
While everything else falls apart.

That ***** denim tells a story
Carries all the good times and bad.
Even with the holes and stitches,
They hug me warmly like a glove.
Even in their frayed and tattered disarray,
They have helped me carry on.

Even though those jeans
Don't really look like much,
I know that they're invincible.
Those jeans are like a reflection
Of the meanders in the river of my being.
Those jeans seem to be all I need.

I've been feeling like you should be
Lying here in my bed with me
But you're not
And it nags at me, constantly
And knowing you would be
In less than a heart beat
Is driving me crazy

I miss you and need you
Quite obviously
You were meant for me

Our vision's just the same

When I close my eyes at night
I can picture our future
Together, as we're meant to be

Now the distance laughs at me
As my heart breaks
Longingly

And if fate was much kinder
We could experience harmony
Alive and intertwined
Breathing and sleeping so peacefully

We could drift away
Floating through outer space
So perfectly
Just you and me, babe.