My dad wears a uniform,
A badge and a gun.
He says goodbye to my mom
Who prays he’ll see tomorrow’s sun.

She’s gone to bed so many nights
Without him by her side.
The empty bed come morning
Makes her fear opening her eyes.

I was but seven years old
The first time I truly realized
The bad choices people make
Are the reason daddy’s friends have died.

I hate listening to the radio
And watching any news
For when disaster strikes
Policemen always lose.

They lose time with their husbands.
They lose time with their wives.
They lose time with their children.
They too often lose their lives.

Every choice you’ll ever make
Will impact someone’s day
Please don’t let tonight’s actions
Rip someone’s tomorrow away.

-ARI

I spent my first Christmas without you
Gently rocking in my lazy boy.
My childhood pup
Resting his weary body at my feet.

Not one mean word was said to me.
I never had the urge to cry.
It was just me and my old pal;
Best Christmas I’ve had in years.

You were but a passing thought
Like a lost wanderer
Passing through the Forrest’s
Of my ever growing mind.

Dear Ex-Husband..
Today is a whole new year.
I  am finally happy now.
I hope you are too.

-ARI

You will
Either hate me or love me
There is no in between.

If you hate me
It will be because
My Kindness rips apart your soul

If you love me
It will be because
My heart pacifies your mind.

-ARI

Soul deep exhaustion
Penetrating my 'ever weary bones.

All the bad in my life
Crowding my throat; Suffocating me.

Life's twisted imagery;
Gut wrenching hate waltzing in my head.

I cannot find freedom
From ever changing scenery in my heart.

-ARI

I do not know what to tell you.
I do not know why I hurt.
I cannot tell you which moment
Tore my heart through my shirt.

I know not why my soul is bleeding.
There's so much I don't understand.
I wish I could explain to myself
Why my husband was an unkind man.

I never could quite figure it out.
Why I felt I was so broken.
I still don't know why my tender throat
Is often shredded by words unspoken.

-ARI

The seductive siren
Swimming in the angry seas of my life
Singing softly of the sweet peace
My tormented soul prays for.

I did not know I was in danger
Of drowning until I was close enough
To see the demons dancing
In the darkened depths of her eyes.

She caught me.

-ARI

I was your marionette
I did all that you said.

I was your caged bird
My wild song never heard.

I was your violin
Your mistreated instrument.

I was your fairytale
Real life me; bland and stale.

-ARI