I reached for the bottle of whiskey
Because I didn't want to feel anything.
Then I reached for the bottle of *****
Because I wanted to feel something.
Then I reached for the bottle of wine
Because I wanted to relax in the midst of chaos.
Now I reach for nothing at all
Because I don't know what's real anymore.

The human misery dept.
Is in full swing
Cold hearted and mean
Making people's lives feel miserable
As if they don't mean a thing.

Making it harder to go from here to there
More unreachable
More fearful
No compassion
No empathy
Nothing.

It's hard to get on
When the time has come
And not yet passed,

But time moves on and nothing is forever.

Better hold on.

Nuclear winds blow
And like the weather man said
The winds they blow everywhere

The human misery dept.'s busy
Maybe it always is
One of these days
We'll shut it down
And that'll be the way it is.

Won't you sing for me,
Sweet singing bird
It's been so long
Since I thrilled to the trills and warbles
Of your living song
This confused and bruised winter
Has defied nature's logic
So, set the world to rights
And sing for me
To remind me
That I'm part of something
That still remains wild
And vivid

                            By Phil Roberts

This Jellyfish that floats along
trying to confidently stay strong
is distinctly sad, so often it feels like
it could just sting itself,
but it does *not.

It floats along.

do you ever feel lonely?
they say that it's healthy
but I'm unsure of that.
Despite my liking alone time
too much of it can hurt me.
It makes me feel so lost, and empty
until my tears fall endlessly.
After crying I usually find solace,
but this time I just want to cry more.
Which makes me feel *pathetic.

I've been waiting years now
But it won't be too long
Before I can turn to those grade school ******
And tell them they were wrong

Boys chased me and jailed me 'neath the slide
And chipped one of my teeth
Now I can run down halls in heels
And hike twenty miles through trees

Kids ran from me like a monster for a whole year
They told me I was spoiled cheese
Later I learned that I was not so rancid
And that it's okay to be a bit of a beast

Classmates would tell me I was ugly
By rewriting lyrics of Bruno Mars
I'm not a model, but I can pull off
As many styles as the stars

I once had two boys kick me off monkey bars
They told me I was on their hit list
It was terrifying to me then
Now it's hilarious how wildly they missed

I remember that boy who taunted me
And how I flipped over his desk
Since then, I've learned of subtlety
And how not to leave a mess

I knew a girl in first grade, she sat across from me
And made sure I knew I was weird
I know I'm an oddball for a fact now
Why change the way I'm geared?

I'm still not over all of those words
From people who said "kids are mean"
"Sticks and stones will break my bones"
Now I overthink what my words mean

In the back of my mind, when I'm talking
To an acquaintance or friend
A part of me keeps popping up, asking
"Why do they like me, again?"

But at the end of all those days
It's been five years since I've been gone
Looking at the girl I am now, I'd say
I've been pretty good at moving on

Time outstretched its callous fingers
And reclaimed my summer bouquet,
While Death's apprentice stands close by,
Waiting for his cue in this play

The hour has grown late -  so be it -
What matters one more reckless choice?
Though eyes grow dim, yet my ears strain
To hear Love's long-awaited voice

My door now opens to strangers,
(I'm not concerned with their intent)
A daring stance now pays my way,
The coins of youth having been spent

And what of love, that elusive dream
That taunts my heart mercilessly?
This consoling thought I proffer:
Keep faith, dear heart, it yet may be!

And perhaps on some moonlit night,
With his arms clasped tightly 'round me
My love and I will speak with joy
Of that winter night he found me

Watching tender blossoms open,
Though a frost lay thick on the bower,
How we'll  bless that borrowed sunshine
Love granted in our winter hour!

But should this never come to pass,
Who is there to blame for my plight?
Just a fool in her loneliness
Who dared to dream on a winter night