if a lullaby would bring you back
id sing to you all night

**** all the dating apps where’s my once in a lifetime love?
kiss in the rain type of love?
take care of me when i’m sick type of love?
sticking with me through anything type of love?
till death do we part type of love?
talk under the stars type of love?
reading a book together type of love?
“just wanted to hear your voice” type of love?
remembering every conversation type of love?
breakfast in bed type of love?
nothing can hurt us when we’re together type of love?


never ending type of love.

Too much too soon to handle
Speak into the void

Let the voices hear you
Time to take control

Show your true intentions
Reveal your body and soul.

Biting cold
A shiver travels through my compromised body.
Deep breaths feel shallow as I try to gasp for air.

My heart
Beating so loudly I can hear it ringing in my ears.
My chest pounds rapidly with the uncontrollable rhythm of anxiety.

Forced to sell
the only thing I have
and it happens to be a part of me.

I wish I didn't have to
expose myself like that
for all the world to see it.

Side work
turned into a full time job
my reputation tainted forever.

What's the price of quick money?
dignity
pride
self-worth.
Be prepared to be looked at in disgust.
shamed
hated
infamous.

Trips to other countries
meeting new people
free for the first time.
or
Digging deeper within
personal introspection
both life-changing experiences.

Your eyes burn my skin
when you look my way.
The slink in your step
draws the attention of others.
A hissing sound escapes your jaws
a clear warning sign.
Backing up I feel trapped
by the weight of your energy.
Use and abuse is all you do
except i'm not afraid anymore.

Let the light soothe your soul,
and adjust your eyes to the red.
Breathe in the must scent,
and feel the bass in your body.
Sense the chill travel down your spine,
as you fall deeper in love.
Take in everything around you,
as you plan to stay forever.

Opened window,
breeze floating through the room.
A lit candle,
flickering with the wind.
Incense burning,
with a steady smoke stream.
The rhythmic sound,
of the fan spinning slowly.
A single flick,
of the lighter sparking up.

A dark figure in the hall,
coat dragging behind.
An inviting wave he motions me near,
I follow down the stairs.
He floats out the front of the house,
all the way down the street.
My shoeless feet leave the ground,
and now I'm among the stars.

Sunken in,
blank stare,
frozen lips,
messy hair,
sharp bones,
doesn't care.

Passing by I catch a glimpse,
of something alien to me.
The image morphs as I watch,
who I used to be melt away.
The flesh hangs off my face,
and my hands collect the pieces.

Running miles all alone.
nothing to nurture my weakened bones.

All alone I pray,
whispering into my clasped hands.
I mumble to myself,
and all I can do is hope someone's listening.
Warmth fills my body,
and I smile for I know that He's here.

The separation
of countries
across the world.

The difference
of ideas
and ideals.

The beauty
in architecture
and in the people.

The richness
of culture
and diversity.

Childlike in wonder and awe
I stare at the stars above.
Wondering what's out there,
Possibly staring back.

I make a wish as a star shoots by
Hoping that it’ll come true.
But clouds roll in and changes the view
To something I don’t recognize.

Oh little butterfly, learning to fly.
Seeing the world first hand.
Landing on flowers to take in the scent.
Floating by people to watch what they’re like.
Loving life as you see it.

Oh little butterfly, learning the truth.
Seeing life as it truly is.
Not being able to reach the flowers.
Flying away from people and their cruelty.
Disgusted by life as you see it.

Oh little butterfly, trying not to get hurt.
Moving away from giant hands,
Trying to capture you.
Dodging predators at night.
Realizing what life is really like.

Your words are hot
Like they’ve been festering in your mouth
Waiting to be spewed at me.
I feel the burn of hot spit on my skin
And my blood begins to boil.
I refrain from responding,
Even in the heat of the moment.
My downfall comes when I finally speak.
You drove me to this.
Your words burning in my brain.
I am the propane, and you light my fire.

Screeching tires on old pavement
Sick from the repetitive movement
Around and around and around again
Wanting them to hit the brakes
But they were having so much fun

Warm rays of the sun
Covering the land in gold
The perfect weather

Waves crashing on shore
Summer breeze kissing your skin
Feeling the warm sand

Miserable cold
Trees are frozen into place
Bone rattling wind

Sun showers rain down
Watering the budding plants
Sweet smell in the air

Leaves like a blanket
Covering the chilly ground
Closer to winter

They don't tell you about the beauty
They only talk about the horrors
Never reporting the good
Only retelling the terrible
Waking up to the television screaming
About current events
Overwhelming amounts of news

Being informed is one thing
But ignorance is bliss
Know the big news around the world
But sometimes it’s best to ignore the everyday stories
To rid the constant looming chaos
In daily life

Wake up
To the blaring alarm clock
Wake up
Already being late
Wake up
To run around looking for what you need
Wake up
Just to live another day

Instead

Wake up
Smell the fresh air through the window
Wake up
Feel the breeze on your face
Wake up
Listen to the chirping birds outside
Wake up
Take a deep breath

She didn’t know where to go from here
Her mind lost in the situation
Like an ocean of despair
All his problems were dumped on her at once
And now she’s drowning

The way someone can’t breathe in a crowded place
Or in a polluted city
There was no fresh air
To cleanse the feeling of imminent doom
So she could be calm again

She couldn’t see the happiness anymore
In a dark room filled with fear
The comfort was taken away so fast
The nothingness was closing in
And no one could stop it

Like a headache pounding at her skull
“What if…” “what if…”
Replayed in her head
Like a movie she had watched years ago
But forgot the ending

In the midst of destruction
And complete ego death
The sun rises for another day
Support systems fully form
When you need them the most

The weak links leave you
But the ones in it until the end will stay
Standing strong
Not swaying in the wind

Those are your people.
Keep them close.
Love them like family.
Love them endlessly.

Be very careful
Don’t expose yourself to the elements
Or people
You know what could happen.
Stay safe
Stay home.
Flatten the curve
And hopefully save the rest of the world
We will ride it out together
And come out stronger on the other side

Pause.
School is closed
Do not go outside.
Not to stores
Not to see friends
Not to walk down the street
Stay 6 feet apart.
Do not hug
Do not kiss
Do not touch at all
Stock up.
Buy everything you can
Leave nothing for others
See how much you can get
Before it’s all gone
Work from home.
If you can’t
We can’t help you
Graduate.
Online of course
Spend the rest of senior year
Cooped up
With no one but a laptop
Nothing but a screen
It’s the only interaction you’ll get
The plague is upon us

Not another restless night
Lying awake in the pitch black
Listening to the sound of my own breathing
Hearing it quicken as minutes ticked by
The world did not seem to exist
Only me and the battle of my thoughts
Fighting for dominance over me

But I still feel the breeze of the fan
Blowing the hair out of my face
Still buried in a blanket
Feeling the softness of satin
The comfort of home
Letting thoughts pass by
And off to sleep at last

It was early in the morn
Trees whistled in the air
Sun beautiful and warm
No one around to care

Streets barren of people
Once teeming with life
Even the church steeple
Was closed out of strife

It was a ghost town
No cars on the road
We had to back down
Stay home as they told