I opened my eyes,
Such sweet surprise
Toast with no egg,
Still breakfast in bed,
Oh what a night!
We met at the bar,
We walked each other home,
…..Neither had a car,
But I never made it,
I lost the fight,
Our goodnight kiss …..
Lasted all night,
Beneath my juice,
I see a note,
Perhaps a phone number
I read with hope….
“I’ve gone to school,
I had a good time,
There’s coffee down stairs,
My mom’s gets home at 9”
BLCostello©2022

No one agrees,
We should be embarrassed,
The president is not meant to scare us,
Yet,
I’m afraid……
There has been a mistake,
I guess the press conference has to wait…….
Our weakest link,
Proves our strength,
But only as long as there is length,
Too much distance will cause harm,
He cannot see past his arms,
His reach is poor,
His vision stinks,
He squints,
You never see him blink,
A president who is over there…….
Leaves us alone and a little scared,
Embrace us now,
Before we are bitter,
Not everyone can go to twitter.
©B L Costello 2017

Like ants on a peony bush,
His fingers so infesting,
Spilled the dew that once was trapped between the petals resting

He left her in that garden,
A child of the earth,
She was just another blossom,
Rooted in the dirt,

The weather changed so fast,
With no hope of escape,
She bowed her head and died,
She never knew a vase
© B L Costello 2015

They’ll will wonder where I’ve gone,
But don’t shed a tear,
People come and go so quickly here
I fell down a hole,
I had a little drink,
That cookie was just an illusion,
……I think,
I’ve seen so much!
More than I care to tell,
But Mr. Carroll, will write it so well,
The times I was small,
The way I grew tall,
How I kept my head,
And the Jabberwocky’s fall
When they have their tea,
They’ll remember that,
But man,
I’m going miss that cat!
©B L Costello 2015

“Very fine people, on both sides”,
I wonder just who decides?
The ******* the elevator clutching her purse,
Or the man in hoodie who got on first?
“Very fine people”,
How could he know,
She’s been a victim,
It just does not show,
It difficult to see the truth,
Underneath his jogging suit,
Just like him,
She cannot see,
the bible in pocket,
Or his PHD,
How fragile we are,
So easy we shatter,
God teaches us ALL LIVES MATTER!
©B L Costello 2019

Lonely in love,
I feel sick,
Alone (again)
In this relationship
From the couch I see you,
Still on the computer,
I crave company,
And worry of the future,
Again!  
I am lonely,
Have we nothing in common?
I wonder now,
How soon you have forgotten,
The long conversations,
Time on the phone,
Those late night visitations,
Before you called this home,
You used to say, “hi honey”,
Now you snap, “what IS it?”
Remember me?
It’s “honey”
And I still like to visit…….
B L Costello ©2019

"If something is wrong with my baby
There’s’ something I gotta do",
Now you shrug and say
"What is wrong with you?"
Sometimes……
I cannot help it,
I am sure,
I have worn you out,
But you signed up for long haul,
You knew what I was about,
Now,
I ask the questions,
What do I have to do?
Now I have to ask what is wrong with you?
Then you hurt my feelings,
We both say that we’re fine,
I used to be your princess
Once upon a time
I know that you are tired,
Dear you have a right,
But sometimes when I’m sad,
I really miss my knight
©B L Costello 2017

I loved the wooded path,
I did respect their bones,
Fearlessly I tread,
Playing with my phone,
I saw no shapes or shadows,
Nothing spoke to me,
Careless, without faith,
I did not BELIEVE,
Just walking thru the graveyard,
I thought I was alone,
I should have looked behind me,
Something followed me home
©B L Costello  2020

I pray for a change,
I hope it comes soon,
My ukulele is out of tune,
I can’t play,
I am so confused,
He’s suffering,
Where is my muse?
My mind is cluttered,
So is my home,
Without my dog,
I’d be alone,
“I think he is dying”,
Anxiety prods,
My minds begs and questions,
Where is God?

Your making it hard
I don’t know what’s next
I never wanted to be your ex
I know them *******
I remember you said,
You don’t give a ****
You wish they were dead
Your absolute,
I do believe too,
Every time you say “f#%k you,”
I think I was wrong,
Is my time up?
You don’t have to remind me….I’m f#%ked
I know I have problems
We all need help
But you don’t have any…
So go f#%k yourself
©BL Costello 2022

I still don’t know why,
Or if anyone knows,
I was different then,
It was long ago,
It was new and dangerous,
Like a loaded gun,
You asked me to stay,
I should have run,
But, I stayed….
It was easier….
Just to accept,
Boundaries challenged,
Russian roulette,
And that was how you blew my mind,
I think I lost,
But I had a great time!
© BLCostello 2023

He did what he should
He was just a kid,
That what he learned,
That’s what he did,
Because it was “right”,
It must be good,
A black and white childhood,
But sometimes thing are not that way,
Black and white does blur to gray
That can never be annulled,
Points are lost when the tips get dull
And now he engages every man’s fight,
To do as he should,
Or to do what is right
©BL Costello 2018

You always were that way….
I don’t know what to say,
I really am not sure you would hear me anyway,
My faith is so shaken,
I know that you are there,
But I cannot help screaming,
You just don’t seem to care,
It hurts,
And it’s messy,
Like a broken blister,
I wish that you were dead,
You never should have kissed her
© B L Costello 2020

You should have worn gloves,

There is blood on you coat

You’re pretty when you smile,

Pass the soap


©B L Costello 2017

A treat I never had before,
The cold end of the candy store,
Green was my choice in the freezer case,
Consumed so quick,
I could not wait,
I knew my tongue made a mistake,
My throat felt numb,
My brain yelled ****!
Such a surprise,
It ended quick….
Until I took another lick
©B L Costello 2019

When fear precedes,
Knowledge,
The last one heard is trust,
Prejudice believes,
Our differences define us,
And now a fool commands,
Imposing his beliefs,
I don’t know how it happened…
I guess he is our chief,
Tonight…. I’m on the couch,
I guess I’ll watch the rally,
I think I’ll just keep guessing….
Why take him literally?
He doesn’t think before he speaks,
He twitters when he’s tired,
I that think he hears voices,
That’s why he thinks he’s wired.
©B L Costello 2017

Sure, that I was done,
I had given up all hope,
I heard the **** crow
And the fat girl cleared her throat,
That pain in my chest,
was not gonna stop,
I was checking out,
The kitchen was too hot,
At last I was alone,
All my friends were gone,
Closing my eyes,
I tried to sing along,
If only I had prayed,
Or maybe exercised,
I could be spared,
Instead….I am surprised,
If only I had listened to the things my father said,
If I was not careless,
or bumped my ******* head,
if I was more wise,
I would have used a net,
Instead I am a victim of the butterfly effect
©B L Costello 2018

I was blessed with this,
I know what it is,
I know no cross is heavier than his,
Still…..
I suffer……
I am tired and bent,
My sacrifice,
This is my lent,
“Fail to plan,
Plan to fail”,
I expected the rain,
Not the hail,
It hurts,
My life has been cut in half,
“Man makes plans…….
  And God just laughs”
B L Costello 2016

Mad at me,
Mad at you,
I keep the peace and forget what you do,
Still,
I am haunted,
I am not a child,
Remember?
I wish I was senile!
No!  
I cannot forget what you did,
But I love you,
So…I forgive,
Tossing this ball like grownups do,
Your game,
Catch 22
©B L Costello 2019

The evening sky hid the darkening clouds.  
The only warning was the rumble of their rolling as they smothered a once moon lite night.
Distracted by the ominous consumption,
Stars that once lit an azure glow disappeared under an indigo blanket.
How disappointing I thought it was…….
No stars,
No moonlight,
How selfish I was,
I did not to realize that she was the conquered
It was her loss,
Her rain soaked me,
Like tears it streamed down my face as I ran laughing
My jacket pulled over my head,
Her thunder like fists ponded in protest,
Perhaps she felt mocked,
Finding safety in my car,
I enjoyed the new light show that only lightening can perform.

She was so attractive,
Back when she was ”right”
She went to work everyday,
She said her prayers at night,
To this common life,
She had come,
so far,
“it takes courage to grow up and become who you are”,
Resided,
Then content,
something had to break,
They said she was an ‘accident”,
But people make mistakes,
And, still she is forgiving,
She is actualized,
It doesn’t even matter,
You don’t look her in the eye,
She who you looked down upon,
Now makes you feel strange,
and all she ever did was ask,
“Have you got some change”?
©B L Costello 2018

The other place,
Down below,
Really is closer than you know
Beware,
Its not so far beneath,
That’s why I never have cold feet
Bare foot…
Smiling…
I thoughtfully tread,
They read the book,
I heard what was said,
My chin is up,
My teeth are clenched,
funny you never notice the stench,
Playing my fiddle,
You reap what you sow
My place is closer than you know
©B L Costello 2018

Inevitable,
You can’t just “let it”
No one wants its,
But we all get it
Sure we pretend,
We’re always “surprised”,
But we know that no one gets out alive,
Sooner or later,
That bird comes tappin’
One crack in the glass,
And it just “happens”
The end at last,
“Never more”,
It will happen again,
As its happened before
Next to the window,
My back to the door
I tease that bird,
Because I am bored
Young and foolish,
The sense I lack,
Despite the crack,
Tapping back!
No worries,
It's never broken before…
“Gotta go...somebodys knocking at the door”.
©B L Costello 2018

Remember how you begged to play?
                      You practiced and worked so hard,
                      Remember how disappointed you were
                      When they laughed you out of the yard?
                      You thought there was something wrong with you,
                      You bravely asked what it was?,
                      As if you were a child,
                      Those cowards said....
It’s “because,”
      Because?
 Just…“because”,
      “That’s all!”
                      Did they think that would make you fall?
                      So cruel,
                      So quick,
                      It took no time,
                      Because,
                      No one ever asked them, “why”?
                      “Because”
                       They don’t even know the function!
                       “Because”,
A subordinating grammatical conjunction!
                        Without a sentence,
                        Without a reason,
                        You were supposed to stop and believe them,
                        Believe what fools can hardly say,
                        But you knew all along,
                        There was nothing the matter with you      
                       "Because",
                        They were completely wrong
                         © B L Costello 2018

I've slipped before,
I should have took ice,
But I took your hand,
I thought you were nice,
I saw stars but could not see,
Just how injurious you could  be
I thought our meeting was part of God's plan,
I got on my feet,
Then I helped you to stand,
My friends judge,
They call me "crazy",
I just never thought you'd get so lazy,
Now I live with the pain,
I'm still confused,
I wanted more,
But what can I do?
I hit my head when I fell for you

No time to be kind,
Too much on your mind,
Because you are wrestling the hands of time,
Something is wrong,
I don’t know what,
When I ask,
I always interrupt,
Angry or mean?
I cannot decide,
And it makes me nervous,
Afraid to ask why

They only had eyes for him
They smiled and laughed,
As he reached to feel the new air around him,
Tears flowed,
“Oh, he is beautiful”,
And he was……like a promise,
He filled them with hope,
Like a gift his bassinet was adorned with a blue satin bows,
They could not wait to embrace him

In another room,
Another time,
Another place,
He is horizontal,
His hands are folded together,
There is nothing to reach for,
Adoring family lean over him,
Tears and praise together again,
“They did a good job”,
“The flowers are beautiful”,
The dark mahogany frames him like a picture,
How they hate to let him go.
© B L Costello 2016

I met her when her hair was black,
Mine was covered with a cap,
As I grew,
We knew each other,
My hair has been many colors,
And now,
While she approaches night,
Still pulled back,
Her hair is now white,
The thought of her loss,
Makes me afraid,
My eyes wet,
and premature gray
BLCostello©2023

I would dare to begrudge you heaven
I prefer you here with me,
I would chain you down to keep you,
Forsaking the memory,
I will lie,
I will deny
Like a stone…..
I’ll represent,
But I will never speak of you in the past tense,
I will not surrender,
You to the black earth,
Trust me,
Your loss will cause a rebirth
All that you gave,
Will persist and inspire,
As long as there are words,
And birds on a wire
© B L Costello 2014

I am feeling pretty bad,
Stop picking my scab,
I am starting to fester,
Your making me mad,
What happened there,
Left me here,
Your are removed,
I am in tears,
It is better this way,
I think you were wrong,
The scar is still here,
But, I am glad you are gone.

They say they are my friends,
I guess I work cheap,
I use a plastic bag to protect my seats,
They tell me I am boring,
They do things I never did,
They spend the night in jail cells,
For calling cops pigs,
“C’mon just one!”
“What could be the danger?”
Well…..I could **** someone,
Or wake up with a stranger,
Nah,
I’m good,
For that…..
I’ve no desire
Sure,
I’d love to go…..
As your designated driver
© B L Costello 2015

In public school,
We used to pray
It used to be ST VALENTINES DAY
To some generations,
This may seem odd,
Sometimes I wonder…
Where is God?
©B L Costello 2019

It happened again
She is still “his wife”,
The police took the gun,
She’ll sharpen the knife
Things don’t always turn out like you plan,
You must take matters into your own hands,
Years of abuse,
Fear and deceit,
Eventually…he’ll go to sleep,
So many long years!
God how she’s tried,
He’s starting to snore,
She must decide,
So long she thought,
“Someone will save me”,
Work kept her busy,
Then…the baby,
The police always come,
But they never seem to help,
Tonight she’s gonna take care of herself
Anxious for what her choices can bring,
She hopes she is brave and the phone doesn’t ring
© B L Costello 2017

They made us sick,
Then locked us in,
That was only the begin,
Product shortage,
Labor too,
“They won’t go back",
****, would you?
A man suffocated,
Someone took a knee…..
Our atmosphere is burning,
Now, nobody breaths,
Just pull up that mask,
Get back to work!
We’re angry ,
We’re scared,
And we all look like jerks,
Gun control?
They’ll  fight it,….I guess,
We'll all be cowboys in the wild wild west
BLCostello©2023

A little dull,
Not too sharp….
Her bite is weaker,
Than her bark
Silenced if she knows nothing,
She smiles when she is right,
She loves recognition,
And a thunderstorm at night,
Most of all….
She wants a stamp
That says, “She is approved”,
For now she is silenced,
And…feels a little used
She listens because she still has hope,
Not because she’s a child,
She still believes in love,
So she always will smile.
©B L Costello 2016

Her personal effects displayed on a chair,
The jewelry she hid is sitting right there,
Atop of the dresser she hated to dust,
Strangers browsing,
“Ask how much”,
A man in thick glasses watches the box,
Collecting the cash,
He records what we’ve got……
“It almost gone”,
Then….
We’ll call the truck,
Should I save something?
I don’t know what,
It been so long since I felt really sure,
All that remains is **** without her.
© B L Costello 2015

It takes such courage to believe what you know,
Courage can be a frightening blow,
So far….
I’ve been right,
I wish I could hide,
I would love to be wrong….
At least surprised
©B L Costello 2016

So far from the jungle,
we learned to enslave,
From the drum to the gun our animal ways,
Take what you need
Live for the food,
Now we are fat,
With nothing to do,
So, we take what we want,
And now…we can lie,
Monkey or man?
Let Darwin decide
© B L Costello 2019

People you can’t remember from when,
Some you may never see again,
In a week you hear a knock at the door,
“They just stopped by…..”
You’ll wonder…“what for”?
In your car you wonder….
"Why did I go?"
"Most of those people…..I don’t even know",
And…**** it,
You came,
You saw,
And… were seen,
What the hell…
You brought baked beans!
Yet…..saying goodbye…..was sad,
And hard,
Maybe you’ll get more Christmas cards.
Without condition,
Always beautiful,
They'll see me the next wedding or funeral.
©B L Costello 2016

Sometimes she says the damndest things,
She’s like a bird caught in string,
Funny,
You pause to wonder why,
Then the concern,
Could she strangle and die?
Sometimes I want to give her help,
But nature demands she do it herself,
You can’t deny the evidence,
She has survived the consequence
Yes,
She’s had her share of trouble,
Ties that bind,
Feathers ruffled
Because she lives,
She has to try,
Even a chicken wants to fly
©B L COSTELLO 2018

A beautiful statue,
She is so exposed,
It almost like she’s not wearing clothes,
Her smile is brief,
It’s so hard to catch,
No resistance,
Just accept,
She really doesn't have much to do,
Still she worries,
Will he approve?
She can’t believe it’s come so far,
Does the makeup cover the scars?
Posture implies confidence,
Does she ponder consequence?
Still she wonders which is worse,
Being his lady,
Or Americas First….
© B L Costello 2017

Smile,
You're on camera,
They know who you are,
They know what you did,
and where you park your car,
and it's all been written,
so you better read your script,
Because big brother is watching,
And God is getting ******,
So smile,
We're all pretty,
They know who you are,
Hero or villain,
Baby you're a star
BLCostello©2021

Impressions do not last,
How was I to know?
When the seasons changed
They melted with the snow,
The ground so ****** white
That crunched beneath my feet,
Is no longer pretty,
Mud seeps underneath,
At least it’s not so cold,
I am warmer now,
It’s true
Now I impress no man
Or care about my shoes
@BLC 2022

You proposed a question and it killed you inside,
It takes an animal to survive,
So human,
You could not support the pack,
You could not forget,
Or take it back,
But who can prove kindness?
The risk is too great,
The animals will not participate,
Still, I’d love to be a witness,
To challenge survival of the fittest,
But that is not what survivors do,
You died,
And nothing was ever proved
B L Costello 2019

I should write about something worldly.
Something important to satisfy the media addicted,
I have seen brilliant poets write about the events and world politics,
I know it is important,
I would love to stand in the shadows of Cohen or Dylan,
Talk about the “Future”, or the times that are “A ‘Changing”,
But my muse is not entertained or interested in Donald Trump,
That shooting last night,
It is tired of walls and boundaries,
It is too busy to be angry,
That careless nymph wants me to tell you how beautiful you are,
How you make me feel,
And what it is like when you touch me.
Rhapsody is real,
I abandon my fears,
How happy you’re love has made me dear,
This may not enrich the critical mind,
I hope you will forgive me in time.
©B L Costello 2017

Living without you,
We’re living with it,
We’ll always wonder,
Who gave you that ****,
I’ll always remember,
We told you…before,
You said,
“I don’t do that anymore”,
We love you,
We miss you,
Our family is shattered,
If you lied or slipped,
It does not matter,
Your gone forever,
It’s hard to admit,
But we’re living without you,
And living with it

I had crossed that path where No One could find me,
I only glanced back,
Then a door closed behind me,
Checking the room,
I turned to the mirror,
Assured I smiled,
No One is here!
Welcome my friend,
Constant and true,
You never told me what to do,
Constant,
always,
I could not be scared,
because I always knew....No One cared,
when I asked questions.....
No One knew,
and No One helped me,
What did you do?
Yes, I’m still smiling,
I am happy,
It’s true
I like No One better than you
©B L Costello 2018

Alone inside her head is such a scary place,
Especially when she thinks too much,
There's hardly any space!
"Just forget about it!"
Sometimes,
I tried to warn her,
But, she cannot listen,
Now she's in the corner,
Sometimes the light can hurt,
The garden is full of weeds,
"Where have all the flowers gone ?
Now she can hardly breathe!
She does not want more medicine!
This is not what she chose,
I'd love to see her Blossom,
My precious little Rose
(c)B L Costello 2019

I could have ran the circus,
But I guess I’m just a clown,

I may have loved the wire,
But the height kept me down,

Intrigued I swallowed fire,
It hurt and I was burned,

If I could have stood the smell,
I would have the pick the pachyderms!
©B L Costello 2015

Is it a lesson or is it a test?
I am unstudied,
But I try my best,
And you so smart,
Life is not fair,
You already know I am unprepared.
©B L Costello 2020