We are critical.

We find flaws in
everything we see
because nobody
wants to write
about perfection,
even though sometimes
we wish we could just stay
staring into that
unblemished surface.

2. We are never satisfied.

We live our lives upon
mountains of
scrunched up
bits of refill and
ideas we gave up
trying to
express.

3. We never forget.

We write words about
eye contact made
three months ago
that we replay over
and over in our minds
even though it
stopped
being relevant.

4. We are fickle.**

Our emotions flash
from one
to the other
like strobe lighting that
disorientates us
until we feel as if
the world
will never be still.

5. We are exposed.

We don't know how
to keep our feelings
to ourselves so
we'll write them
down for
you to find
'accidentally'.

6. We are vulnerable.

We wear our
hearts on our sleeves
and won't lift a
muscle to fight back
if somebody tries
to break it
because we thrive
from the pain.

7. We will never stop.

We will never stop
feeling and
we will never stop
hurting,
we will never stop
breaking and
bleeding and
loving
even though the cycle
is endless
and we know what's
coming next.


We are addicted
to agony,
but we agonise
for the art.

I got a question
I wanna ask my grandma, but shes been gone for some years now
I need the answers
I wanna ask my friends, but they're too cool to be honest
&  she's gonna take it the wrong way if I question her
It just might break her heart man
I can't ask my girl...
So ima ask Langston
& ima ask Maya
If I'm in love...
If I'm in love...
My Pen & paper won't lie if I'm in love..
So tell me tell me..
Am I in love?

It would make more sense to fall once
To love until it surrenders to the hurt
Found in folded laundry socks
And empty grocery carts.
When I met the soul a second time
I tried to run so far and fast
That I stumbled into a war
Of paper plated pizza and sweatpants.
Maybe there is a second way to turn back
To get tangled in the way it feels
But remain attached to your puppet string.
I fell for you because it made sense
To a believer of this one time chance.
But now the soul is settled on a goodbye kiss
And I am afraid of losing my own grip.
But I let it go.
And feed love to the cats.

she's here,
but i don't see her.

she's here,
with her dull eyes
but i don't see her.

she's here,
with her fragile body,
but i don't see her.

she's here,
with stained cheeks,
but i don't see her.

she's here,
not not uttering a single word,
and i still don't see her.

i don't see the girl i used to know.
i don't see her.

her with bright, glittering eyes.
her with an enthusiastic soul within a body.
her with that curved up line in her face.
her with too many words to say.

*i just don't see her.

You are like the sea. Men will try to conquer you, they will claim to fall in love with you, try to tame you, even bury themselves in your depths; you will swallow anything that threatens your greatness. You, like the sea, not only deserves respect but commands it.

2. When a man calls you out your name, remember that "*****" is just another word for woman who dares to speak her mind. These words are daggers aimed at your throat to cut out your voice, when they use them against you, speak louder. Scream, yell, howl, let your voice be the one sound he fear the most. You cannot be silenced.

3. Love hard. Love everything. Love yourself. Love your work. Love your heart. Love your skin. Love the rain. Love the night. Love fearlessly. Let your love be thick, but once you stop loving something...or someone, don't force it.

4. You cannot experience intimacy without a measure of vulnerability. Don't be afraid of being vulnerable. It will hurt and it will get your heart racing; the feeling in the pit of your stomach will threaten to knock you over but let it happen. Vulnerability allows you to rid yourself of the poisons you've consumed from passed hurts and heartbreaks. Let the vemon leave your bloodstream, let healing take it's place.

5. They never tell you that it's fine to be comfortable with reservation. This is probably the hardest feat. Being comfortable with the fear and the doubt you feel when you step out of your comfort zone is the bravest thing you can accomplish. Embrace it, assess it and if you feel like it's too overbearing, walk away.

My eyes are beautiful, she says.
She must dig the haunted, empty look.

My smile is gorgeous, she says.
My tongue has felt those chips and nicks far too often to agree.

My arms look strong, she says.
I am surprised—she’s seen the scars.

My hands stir her, she says.
There is nothing elegant about them.

She loves me too, she says.
Even as we recall all the times I traumatized her.

She will never leave me, she says.
Dear God—that’s what I was afraid of.

She’d never do better than me, she says.
At that, I bite my tongue.

She doesn’t know what I see in her, she says.
And this, I think, is why we keep each other around.