Submit your work, meet writers and drop the ads. Become a member
 
To my younger self,
You’re probably skating through the streets,
Wheels humming like a heartbeat,
Lost in the rush of wind and freedom.
Keep that feeling close—it doesn’t fade.
Not everything needs to.
I’m doing okay, believe it or not.
No, I’m not the artist or the adventurer you dreamed of,
But I’ve found a place,
A job that isn’t perfect but offers a path,
Even if it’s not the one we mapped out.
And guess what?
The games still bring joy,
The same crew still laughing, still losing hours
To worlds that feel bigger than this one.
It’s okay to stay young,
To carry the fire of your wild ideas.
There’s no clock chasing you,
No race to be someone else’s version of grown.
Breathe.
Things move forward, even when they hurt.


But now to you, my future self—
I have to confess something.
That comfort I just offered? It’s a half-truth.
Right now, it’s hard.
Harder than I let the past know.
The days blur,
And the nights are loud with questions
I can’t seem to answer.
I want to ask you what to do—
What path to take, what risk to make—
But I already know your answer:
Keep going.
It’s the only advice we’ve ever trusted, isn’t it?
I don’t know what you will look like,
If the years have been kind to your reflection Or just heavier in their weight.
I don’t know where you stand,
What city, what job, what life you’ll claim as your own.
But I do know this:
No matter how lost I feel,
No matter how hard it gets,
I’ll keep trying, keep pushing.
Not for the world,
Not even for the past me
But for you.
So that one day,
You’ll look back and know
I did my best to get us here.
Yours,
The in-between,
The uncertain,
The still-trying.
Sometimes I remember you,  
On nights when the stars feel closer,  
When silence presses heavy on my chest,  
And I ache for the way you once fit there.  

I see us in flashes—  
A late-night drive with the world asleep,  
Your laughter dancing in the air,  
Breaking the quiet like a song I’ll never hear again.  
We made the moon jealous,  
Didn’t we?  

I remember the afternoons too,  
Worn-out paths beneath our feet,  
Your hand brushing mine like it was meant to.  
We talked of dreams, of nothing, of everything,  
And nothing else mattered.  
Not the ticking of clocks,  
Not the weight of the world.  
Just you. Just us.  

You were perfect to me—  
More than perfect,  
You were home.  
The one who made the chaos pause,  
The one who saw the worst of me,  
And stayed.  

I loved the way we teased each other,  
How your smile dared the sun to shine brighter.  
You knew all my edges, my flaws, my fears,  
And still, you fit into my arms like they were built for you.  
I would give it all back—  
Every piece of myself,  
Every fragment of pride,  
To stand in that place again.  

But these are just memories now,  
A cruel echo of what once was.  
No words can turn back time,  
No plea can undo the silence you left behind.  
I think about you daily—  
Your voice, your touch, your everything.  

And I regret.  
I regret every moment I let slip,  
Every second I thought we had forever.  
Because forever ended too soon,  
And now I walk alone,  
Knowing I will never love another like I loved you.  

Sometimes, I remember you,  
And the world feels both too much and not enough.  
You’re gone,  
And I’m here,  
Holding onto the pieces of us,  
Wishing I had held you tighter when I had the chance.
The night wraps itself around me, a velvet shroud,
Whispering promises of warmth in its false crowd.
I stumble into her arms, but her name escapes me,
A faceless phantom, filling empty shapes.
The lights blur, the music dulls the ache,
Her touch a fleeting balm for what I fake.
Laughter spills like wine, hollow and thin,
But it can't drown the silence screaming within.
Her eyes search mine, but find nothing inside,
Afraid she'll see our feelings collide.
A soul adrift, lost in an endless sea,
Clinging to strangers for company.
I tell myself it's enough, this fleeting play,
A masquerade to keep the darkness at bay.
Yet when dawn arrives, her warmth is gone,
And I’m left with my shadow to lean upon.
The bed feels colder, though I am not alone,
Her presence fades like a forgotten tone.
What am I but a man with borrowed fire,
A marionette of fleeting desire?
I long for something deeper, real and true,
But my hands are too stained to reach out for you.
And so I drift, lost in the night’s disguise,
Hiding my emptiness beneath blank eyes.
Austin Morrison Jun 2023
In the depths of silence, where shadows reside,
A heavy heart, burdened, cannot hide.
Unseen, unnoticed, like a ghostly wraith,
I wander through existence, lost in a desolate faith.

In a crowded room, I fade to gray,
Whispers and laughter, they all drift away.
An outsider peering through misty eyes,
Yearning for connection, but met with empty skies.

Words unspoken, like echoes unheard,
Emotions trapped, stifled, never stirred.
My voice, a mere whisper in the wind,
Aching to be heard, to matter, to rescind.

The world moves on, an unforgiving tide,
Leaving me stranded, unwanted, denied.
Invisible threads bind me, a lonely refrain,
Longing for affection, like a wilted flower in the rain.

I seek solace in dreams, a sanctuary of the mind,
Where I am cherished, accepted, intertwined.
But awakening brings me back to the bitter truth,
That I am but a shadow, lost in the uncaring sleuth.

Yet amidst the darkness, a flicker remains,
A glimmer of hope, a spark that sustains.
For within this void, a strength starts to ignite,
Embracing my worth, pushing through the night.

Though I may feel ignored, unwanted, unseen,
I'll rise above the shadows, where dreams intervene.
For in this vast universe, I'll find my own way,
To shine brightly, even if skies remain gray.
Austin Morrison May 2023
A recent meeting led me to a girl, She was a butterfly, free and wild And I was drawn in by her fluttering style. Her wings were painted with colors so bright. We sat by the water, talking all night, And for a moment, everything felt just right.

Her laugh was so contagious, my heart skipped a beat. Whenever I'm with her, I feel so at ease, Comfortable, and happy, with a sense of peace.

But uncertainty creeps in, and doubt fills my mind, Does she feel the same, or am I just blind? She's not looking for something, at least for now, And I'm left feeling lost, wondering how.

Despite it all, I still cherish each and every day, The way her smile lights up my way. And though my heart's fearful, and my mind's in strife, I'll hold on to hope, and enjoy this journey of life.
Austin Morrison May 2023
In shadows cast by a weary heart,
Where solitude weaves its subtle art,
I find myself lost in a lonely abyss,
As feelings of neglect persist.

Once cherished, now a distant ghost,
Love's ember fades, it's what I fear most.
In the depths of my soul, a tempest brews,
Aching echoes of a love I can't lose.

Alone, I stand in a crowded room,
Yearning for connection, a shared bloom.
But like a shadow, I'm unseen, unknown,
By the one I hold dear, my heart's cornerstone.

Unwanted whispers linger in the air,
As my pleas for attention become despair.
Silent tears paint a canvas of sorrow,
As I search for solace in the morrow.

Do I not matter, am I just a ghost?
My heart longs for warmth, the love I miss most.
Yet silence engulfs, a bitter refrain,
Leaving me trapped in this ocean of pain.

But amidst the darkness, a flicker remains,
A glimmer of hope that somehow sustains.
I'll reclaim my worth, my spirit will rise,
And spread my wings beneath desolate skies.

For even in solitude, strength is found,
In the depths of my being, a resounding sound.
I'll learn to embrace my own company,
And find solace in the depths of me.

I'll treasure my heart, its worth untold,
And cherish the love I long to unfold.
For though I may feel alone and ignored,
My spirit won't falter, I won't be ignored.

In time, the wounds will surely heal,
And new beginnings will gently reveal.
That love is not confined to one's embrace,
But flows in abundance through life's vast space.

So, I'll rise from the shadows, embrace the light,
Unburdened by darkness, ready to take flight.
For even in solitude, I'll find my own way,
And love's sweet symphony will guide me each day.
Austin Morrison Jan 2022
These days I go to more funerals than weddings.

I bury my friends and family more than flowers.

The city has grown quiet, yet the world is on fire.

I lay my head down and burn with it.

Because we dug our own grave, and it's a good fit.
Next page