I have a head full of bitter
change.  Shake me gently
or it will fall out.  Do you
like me enough to tally
the aged money?

You are a stream where
people go to pray.  The
Ganges of the soul.  Weary
of the candles floating on
the prayers of lesser sinners
you ask only for confession.

You send the lighted candles
downstream.  Forgiveness
is not for the weak, and
shy of life's detritus

you weary of all things that
I leave on the edge of
sorrow.  Oh! River of my
Old age why do you

need me?


Caroline Shank

I used to wish
you would notice
when I'm sad.

Now I wish
when I notice you noticing
my sadness,
you would do something...
a n y t h i n g
about it.
say something...
a n y t h i n g
about it.

The fox runs swiftly through the woods.
Its tail upsets the leaves and starts them
Swirling
The beauty of its coat is reflected by the sun.

The fish swims gracefully through the stream.
A leaf falls into the water and creates lovely
Ripples
Its scales shimmering under the waves.

The deer lays quietly in the grove.
Curled around its baby that it
Loves
A little baby doe.

And as the seasons pass
And the moon waxes and wanes
The little doe will grow up
Surrounded by the love of its mama
And the love of the forest.

Go slow same spouse is waiting at home.

Sun comes up,
she goes down
on some upended main drag,
if i were an archaeologist
i still wouldn't dig this place,
every other day she dwells
in tedious, empty cafés,
but on the weekends she flashes
her "license and registration"
to oncoming traffic,
hoping for grifted furlough
to wear as silken, shiny beads,
and so we ride
this merry-go-round,
because moving in circles
is far better than being trapped in a square,
we've stopped climbing the calendar
in search of higher elevation,
she used to pour it on thick,
stirring drinks inside my head,
i used to shake
worries from her hair,
now with bitter orange marmalade
low in the sky, and stacked against us,
it's home before dark,
lest our eyes open wide to see
we are nothing more
but strangers at sundown.

i stare at the ceiling and hours go by.
clocks tsks—
and cars, outside, laugh
lamp paints shadows on the walls
and the chocolate melts
—a flute sings
and winter settles on the floor
the fan hangs still— still— still.
a bear snores in her cave
and baby owls, with their moons, watch—
a river hisses meekly
and crops bow before the night
air chokes on gold
—and crescent yawns
the clock tsks— the clock tsks
i stare at the ceiling and hours go by.
the clock tsks.
the clock tsks—

The emptiness in my eyes,
The truth behind my lies,
The fall before my rise,
And the goodbyes;

It scares me.

The dark beneath my skin,
The light within my sins,
The voice that loudly sings,
And my broken wings;

It scares me.

The wounds I can't heal,
The pain I can't feel,
The loss I can't deal,
And when I am real;

It scares me.

The silence in my little talks,
The stillness in my moonlit walks,
The thought of separate ways,
And my numbered days;

It scares me.

The demons under my bed,
The words spinning in my head,
The blood in my sweat,
And my cold breath;

It scares me.

-Paras Bajaj #PoetrybyParas
Instagram : @mr.parasbajaj

The moon is kissing you
though I am in the dark
The rain is asking of you
when I am in the desert!

Your dreams are coming true
and I'm struggling with bad luck!
The morning is hugging you,
but my night isn't over yet!

The ocean is surfing at you,
but I'm scared of the shark.
The wind is shoving you;
No one even knows we're apart!

I can do everything for you,
but I can't change my track.
Someone else is driving you;
That's breaking my heart!

I want to see your eyes
in my smile always
but you make me draw
your happiness
with my tears!

Sweetie, I dream of you
every day and night
but I have no right
to love you yet;
Like I'm sunk in fears!

Do you remember me?
I still think of you
and my soul flies
to you with love
through the endless airs.

Could you answer me,
I request you, please!
Will you ever back
to my paradise?
Or you don't care?