The Cheshire cat once told me
I am lost only if I forget
I have several ways to get
where I am going.

Nothing is in black and white,
on no, it’s vibrant colors
full of passion and waves
of blues and greens and
billions of fish.
I am one of them.

I am like a net
I cast myself out
into the wide open
seas, bring in my little
fishies. Sometimes I come
back empty so I have to
try again.

Never forget you’ve got
several ways to get where
your going. Just keep going.

You are only held back
by your forgetfulness.

The path has always been
in front of you. Just take
the first step.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton

You think you know how to cry?
Imagine this…

You are laying in a pool
of grunge and despair
you start drowning in
the mud slowly being
pulled into the muk
and heaviness. It holds
you down like chains and
stones are keeping you as
a prisoner.

Everything you regret
comes to beat you
and breaks you down before
you have time to heal it
comes to make you suffer.

Depression was never my friend,
it’s an enemy an invisible
monster eating you alive.

I suffered deeply,
years and years
seemed like eternity
that never ends.

I trusted my friends
and family to hold me up,
to save me from the monster
that hid under my skin.

I learned how to fight,
I learned how to speak,
I learned how to live,
I learned *******
the monster that tried
to steal my life.

I crawled out of the grunge,
I became a beacon for other
suffers like myself.

Depression was never my friend.

You can be a survivor too.

My family and friends,
my support and community,
they are my friends.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton

Honesty is my best friend,
I have no choice but to
be honest so I will be honest
for you my friend.

My mother taught me,
I am graceful, I am
like a dancer, I pick
my battles honest and
bravely, I march on into
the dark, as life burns me
I just shine for you all
can find me in the darkest
night.

I am a flame a flickering
blaze burns from my depths,
I burn like a star beyond
the night.

I will never loss my
fire for it burns through
your mind in the poetry
that I write.

My passions I express,
my wings I spread wide
taking me above this,
beyond the scope of your
experience I am always
waiting for you to join me.

My reality never had boundaries,
I am like a caged bird set free.

Poetry made this possible
so so did my mother who
taught me, I am everything
I want to be. I just have to
remember to never loss my fire
I can burn hotter than life so
you will never forget me.

I am grateful for the pain
and suffering being human
has brought me, for it helps
me grow stronger.

We all are powerful
change, and masters of
our lives. I am stronger
because I am a believer
because of my mother
who taught me to be braver
and feed my flame with
the Heavenly Father.

You think I am going to disappoint you?

Oh no, I am going to follow the stars you have laid out for me. Thank you momma, I love you.

I am braver because of you.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton

Hello my old friend,
I welcome you to sit.

My invitation is always open,
your my muse, my inspiration.

Your my shadow, my beating
mind vibrates as you enter
my space.

Upon the waves of thought
you come freely and
without shame or block.

Hello my old friend,
I welcome you to sit.

My muse you are, a bold
breath of excitement rushes
over my life as the poetry
begins to fly, I can only
comply and release the
passion I try to hide.

Hello my old friend,
I welcome you once again.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton

Upon my life you
assume I’ll fight,
how ignorant are you?

You think you are so ugly
you’ve got to express it
through your broken
ego?

Only a bully would be
so shameless, a troll
wants nothing but attention,
the best way to stop it
is ban it before they
say anything else.

Don’t take the trolls
seriously, their just
jealous and ashamed of
their own selves they
have enough problems.

It’s not about you.

Trolls, this is for you…

How low is your IQ?
You can’t relate to others?
Oh wow! you know that
makes you the true problem.

When you’re willing to
dish out the trash you
should be willing to
take it out. We have
trashcans for a reason
you ugly fool.

If you don’t like something
I do, why do you even care
about what I do when you
have a life too?

You’re wasting your life
by waiting for the tolls
to pay out, for one day
it will run out and You
will pay for such evil ways.

So don’t pay the trolls
ban them instead, throw
away all the ugly hate
learn to love yourself
and stop worrying about
everyone else.

Acceptance is the key
to success and prosperity.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton

It is a night of brooding
pain, a song of sorrow
puts me to sleep.

A taste of agony lingered
upon the night, as ethereal
agony awakens me to the
eternal suffering fool
I am.

Curling, icy wisps of memory
shrouds my pale form,
of lurking agony.

The gravity of life
shoulders me with illness
pushing me deeper into
suffering, and my pain
drains the essence of
my shallow existence
from the weakened
bones beneath my frame.

Now a night of new awareness,
I grow upon the river bank
where it’s warm and green
to wash away the suffering
of past disease.

Sadly my life has other plans.

No happiness was promised,
no cure was given, no tears
soaked up or a stopping
to drowning my sorrow,
dreams stole my wishes
and hopes, but faith
built me stronger upon
its unbreakable ropes.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton

The winds have shifted,
the oceans have calmed,
the chaotic tides are rolling
up the sand leaving me
resting upon the shore.

Love has settled beside me,
leaving its kisses and
best wishes.

The world seems at rest,
as the sun shines upon
the sea’s, shadows soak
up the beams welcoming
me to this beautiful scene.

The birds are singing
and the wind is soft upon
my skin, the sun is softly
glowing as I am reminded
of the spring.

I have just a short moment
before the summer steals
the breeze.

My lovely spring becomes
a memory.

Like a blooming flower,
spring leaves behind
sweet perfumed memories.

© 2020 By Amanda Shelton