Not enough to shine in the glow of day,
To be heard, to be seen, to matter, to stay.
In mirrors that mock with their fractured design,
An image of worth, too fragile, too fine.

Why are you the most loyal of all,
Yet no one is there when you stumble and fall?
Why do you fight for the ones you hold dear,
When they vanish the moment your battles appear?

Why do nights stretch with thoughts unkind,
Replaying words, rewinding time?
Why did you build that unyielding wall,
Is it safer to stand where no one can call?

Why does fragility feel like a curse,
As if opening up might make things worse?
Why do you wear a mask to survive,
Holding the ache that keeps you alive?

Why do you ask, when you already know?
Because the questions are easier than letting go.

What is the weight of wandering thought,
That drifts in silence, untethered, unsought?
Is it heavy with dreams or feathered with doubt,
Does it whisper within or cry to break out?

Why do tears fall when no one is near,
Are we longing for comfort or fleeing from fear?
Why does a smile often feel wrong,
Are we hiding a wound or barely holding on.

Why does silence scream louder than words,
Is its echo sharper than the wings of birds?
Why do memories linger like ghosts in the air,
Do they haunt to remind, or show that we care?

Tumbled smooth by time and tide,
A pebble starts its humble ride.
Born from a mountain, proud and tall,
It’s carried down by nature’s call.

Rivers twist and and rivers turn,
Its edges, sharp, begin to burn.
Rocks collide, a softened gleam,
Chased by currents in a stream.

The ocean calls, its waves embrace,
And the pebble finds its resting place.
Amid the sands it sits there new,
Its story is told in every hue.

Now hands reach down, a child’s delight,
To skip this stone, day or night.
It flies in arcs, and skims the waves,
A fleeting dance the water saves.

Collected then by a curious mind,
A pebble’s purpose is intertwined.
Thrown again, or kept with care,
Its journey could span anywhere.

Thank you for the morning at state, a great thought:
That talk, the drawing, and the comfort you brought.
Thank you for the warming huddle in the rain,
It helped all my shivers refrain.
Offering your hoodie when you were cold too,
The listening to music on the bus, just me and you.

Thank you for the fun practices we’ve had,
The rock fights which always made me glad,
In the school, stealing my hat to hide,
A story I’ll always keep inside,
And the day you ran with me,
A memory I’ll look back to see.

Thank you for your stories, the moments you share,
For waiting, for patience, for showing you care.
Thank you for helping me open up and trust,
For being you, for honesty, and searching for what is just.

Thank you for caring, for always being there,
For the growing friendship, a bond that won’t tear
Thank you for teaching me music, for the laughter,
The good times, and the start of a new chapter.

Beneath the burn of a blood-red sky,
The prairie whispers, the coyotes cry.
The tumbleweeds roll, the air grows tight,
Trouble stirs at the edge of the night.

The sun dips low, a fiery blaze,
Casting shadows through the dusky haze.
A lone rider stands with a steel-eyed stare,
Facing the horizon with a rebel’s dare.

Bootheels clink on the desert floor,
The rustle of dust, the creak of a door.
The saloon hum quiets, the cards now still,
As whispers speak of a brewing thrill.

Beyond the ridge, where the mountains loom,
A tempest brews, a frontier’s doom.
But the grit of the West won’t bow or flee,
For the spirit of courage rides wild and free.

She walks through shadows, the sun won't shine,
Her tears like rivers, tracing every line.
A heart that's pierced, through love and pain,
She stands alone, in the pouring rain.

A fragile smile, like shattered glass,
Clings to memories that will not pass.
The echoes whisper of what was near,
Yet all she feels is the weight of her fear.

But hope flickers in her weary eyes,
A spark refusing to compromise.
Though broken wings might never fly,
She’ll rise again, under the same sky.

Through shadows and storms, she charts her way,
Each step a promise of brighter days.
A girl lost in emotion, learns to stand,
Piecing a puzzle with her trembling hands.