He said: "I love you"
And I replied,
You cannot love me.
For how can you love another,
When you don't love yourself?

I am the same as you,
With hopes, fears, and dreams.
My heart beats just as yours does,
My body scarred just as yours is.
A past burnt into my mind just the same.

I breathe, I cry, I bleed,
All of which you do also.
I am not better than you,
Nor am I the exact same.
But you could never love me
If you hate yourself so much.

-ARI

Brick after brick I laid down
To create a bridge to your heart

Years Ive spent assembling
A path to the one I love

Fingers sore and hands bleeding
Heart pumping and head aching

I was so very close to you loving me
Until you turned around

My bridge had hit a wall so hard
So I started yet again in a different direction

I had built a thousand bridges
Tore down a thousand walls

But you built your walls faster than I
Could ever tear them down


-ARI

Not a word or sound
come from your trembling lips
But the tears upon your face
Seem to scream the things
You will not say

-ARI

I want to feel the weight of you
Pressed lovingly against my back.
I want to feel your steady breath
Playing across my delicate skin.

I want to hear your deep laughter
Drifting through the warm room.
I want to hear your soulful singing
Meant only for my listening ears.

I want to touch your heated skin
While we dance around a campfire.
I want to touch your roughened face
After you haven't shaved for a few days.

I want every inch of your mind and body
While you have every inch of mine.
I want you forever and always in my life
Mostly, I just want to find you.

-ARI

There was a boy
With the most beautiful smile
So pure and genuine
And when he would laugh
Others couldn't help but follow

People would come to him
And he would bear their burdens
As though every one were his own
His shoulders began to droop
And his body was always weary

So focused on everyone else
He never had the chance to help himself
He slowly began to wither away
They never noticed he was falling
Because he would always smile

No one realized the vibrant colors
Had drained from his once lively eyes
Nor had they ever noticed
How he began to only wear long sleeves
They figured he was too strong to hurt

He felt pathetic for the hurt he felt
Thought a boy should never feel weak
No one ever told him its ok to cry
He was expected to be the strong hero
But his cape was left in soiled shreds

One night he decided he couldn't be strong
He couldn’t handle feeling empty
He couldn’t be “alone” anymore
He was too focused on what he couldn't do
So he said goodbye the only way he knew how

With a smile on his face


-ARI

She was left to drown in sorrow
with the chilled pavement digging into her knees
with weeping skies and wailing winds
and all the worn down thoughts
stored in the darkest crevices of her mind.

Her lovely skin was forever twisted
beaten, battered, degraded
she was petrified and frozen in time
with the taunting children who danced around her
pitching stones in her face

She savored the darkness
of which always surrounded her
the moment the sun once again left her
suddenly she stood with her arms above her head
and she began to sway, she began to move

Her heart began to beat again
as her body began to warm
and she decided she would be free
with a renewed darkened sense of hope
she ran in desperation to her favorite place

Elated, excited, overjoyed
that girl was impossibly delighted
though she was tremulous and a bit unsure
she was done with being depressed, dejected and alone
Finally she will be too far away for them to find her

-ARI

Its like that perfect sweater
That keeps you warm on icy days
Like the salty ocean water
Hugging the shore with its waves

Its like that toasty winter fire
That heats your chilly hands
Like the never ending thrill
When you see your favorite band

Its like a little childs laughter
That keeps a smile on your face
Like the sweet soulful music
That wraps you in embrace

-ARI