When this skin
was young and ironed,
well it fit,
like new things do;

that was then
but now I find
the cracks within
are showing through.

Extend a hand to yourself
Helpful, tender and warm
Giving yourself a high-five
Doing yourself no harm

Raise both hands, disarm yourself
Feel peace from hands to heart
Show some enthusiasm
Before your day can start

Hug both shoulders give a squeeze
Close your eyes with a sigh
Feeling your love with each breath
Even if you cry

Entwine your fingers, press palms
In gratitude for
Having come this far
While still wanting more

Give yourself a round of applause
Feel the joy indeed
Perhaps a pat on your shoulder
May be all you need

Dear Eliot, I wonder why
When members post their rhymes
You gave us all those choices how
To give some feedback every time

Like it, love it, leave a comment, too
Even click on “thumbs down”
The best is when a reader is moved
To send it all around…

Or when it’s picked “The Daily”
It feels like quite a treat  
when someone shines a “Sun” that
Feels marvelously sweet!

We poets see who likes our writes
Who sends them all around
But just what is the purpose for
Those mean, faceless “thumbs down”?

It feels good first
That punch you throw
Powered with adrenalin
Triumph!  you crow

Losing control
Each threat you shout
Driving Emotion prevails
Anger has clout

Primal howling
I  cannot speak
A volatile Damnation
Beneath my feet

A fiend unleashed
A dark winged thing
Wrenching the curtain aside
Madness is king

You’ve crossed the line
There is no doubt
Dimensions of cruelty
Madness wins out

No forgiveness
The devil cheers
Waylaid in selfish desires
Demonic fears

Fear holds its breath
Sardonic gloom
Too turbulent to control
Foreboding doom

Peace is exiled
No looking back
Thrusts of heartless violence
Repression hacked

Paradise lost
Cherished hatred
Surging over boundaries
Nothing sacred

Stuff of nightmares
Robs me of sleep
Letting go with a vengeance
Monster’s relief

I cannot bear
This heavy weight
Id’s inner realm
Desolate hate

Transcendence shows
All states of thought
Each a world unto itself
Not shaken off

Silence that grudge
Revenge aint sweet
It turns back on you like a
Missile seeks heat

I miss Vicki
Poetess sublime
Nature is her nurse
She wrote her essence every time

I don’t know why she left
Like Aretha, made me cry
Whatever drove her off
I just want to say good-bye

Her comments-wise, encouraging
With love she shared her best
You’re sorely missed, Dear Vicki
Farewell Dear Poetess

Your nonexistence makes me wonder
Would i ever feel something real?

i would always choke on the sweet liquid you poured into my mouth because it was just as bitter as the words you spoke
if you were to choose who you loved, i knew to reassure you it wouldn't be me
we both knew, it was surely not a surprise
when it became cold, we took off our clothes, but that was nothing new
i remember your touch but it wasn't soft, it was more of a sting
i promised i would never really love you and you would never really choose me
it's fair because we both knew
but it's almost as if the water we both swallowed was glass and the blood we would spit down each other's throats was glitter
but we both knew
you knew and i knew
we truly both knew
and i promise that i will never love you because i just won't
and that's fine because you knew
we both have always known that in our veins was hatred and i would never ******* love you

i wrote a page worth of everything that has happened in the past 13 hours
and tears welled up in my eyes and
yknow the works
and so i got a lighter
lit that sucka on fire
as it slowly crumpled into grey fragile pieces
and after it was done

i stared at the ground
looking at the remains of my distressing situation.

i got up
turned around
and went back inside the house for some
cherry 7up.

Set the clock behind a little
Allow the hands to move slow
Kiss the deep burgundy skies
And the sunrise's golden glow
Smile at the little ones
And those who come my way
Listen to the world around
What it has to say
Pluck away worried thoughts
Instead - hum forgotten songs
Doze a little, dance a little
Before the day is gone