as a youth, he learned the art of separation
it was the only way to survive the pain
that burned his flesh and drowned his mind

he put his heart out of reach
placing it in a tin can - his only possession

the can became battered, dented
but his heart remained untouched

he had a gift, which he bent into a barbed wire fence
to rip apart those who tried to jump over

he surrounded himself with people
who were content with looking through the holes in the fence
who didn’t need access to his heart to love him

but then he met a man
who didn’t try to jump the fence like the others

by example, this man showed him how to open fences
this man handed him vulnerability, so he could see what it looked like

holding it for the first time, he noticed that vulnerability
had the same color, same shape, same feel
as love

in fact, he realized, this complete vulnerability
was love

he had never seen it in such perfect form
bold, deep, secure

with the knowledge that such love existed
he allowed himself a feeling he had always guarded against -
hope

he used this hope to pry open the tin can in his chest
where he found a raw, shapeless lump

so he set off, vulnerable written on his chest,
in pursuit of hands that could mold his heart

the snow is poetry in white powder form
its words slap my cheeks
and glisten upon my nose

still flakes stir from their sleep
provoked by the wind they rise from the ground
in brief, sudden fury

I keep my head down
looking up only to steal glances at
the picture-book in front of me

and to step out of the way
of trucks trudging by
few soldiers on this lonely frontier

the footsteps of my past are covered quickly, forgotten
all the world is open to me now
a white canvas for the brushstrokes of my boots

I step out to the middle of the road
the two yellow lines lie hidden beneath my feet
tonight I don’t need their direction

I recall the nights spent looking down on this street
dreaming from my bedroom window
I’ve pictured myself skating beneath this very streetlight

so I step forward, push off and glide
the latent layer of ice makes for a slippery stage
illuminated by the light of the lamp

I turn my heel, shift my weight and spin
twirling not with the practiced grace of a dancer
but the steady hope of a dreamer

I wish I had a partner
I wish she was here
for tonight I feel invincible
tonight I am light, breathless, infinite

a wave swells, rises, peaks, and breaks
vanishing at a single tick of the longest hand
the next wave rises, and you forget that the first ever existed

a cloud forms, fattens, floats, and falls away
another cloud takes its place - the usual white, drifting mass
the moon continues to glow, unaffected

you are born, you grow, you love, and then you die
you and your wealth, your power, your reputation
when faced with eternity, you are nothing
but a wave in the ocean, a cloud in the sky

I've been out of it lately
been thinking less
sleeping more.
goin to bed at 8pm
waking up at 1pm.
I know it ain't the fact that I'm sick
it's all the cough syrup I've been drinking.
never been high on anything
but the world seems... softer, now.
I'm halfway though that huge bottle,
don't know if I'm gonna miss it when it's gone.
I've told myself that I'm not gonna buy more,
but I'm not so sure

You have grown within me,
To take your place and fill my hollowness.
To fill my blood and lungs
With excruciating love.
You have broken my bones and carved my skin
With the bitterness of need;
Coloured my flesh with blooming, helpless desire
To be coveted
To be smothered by your longing;
I give all myself to you.

An inkling that stirs deep within,
A feeling I can't quite ignore,
An uneven heartbeat
Sends warmth all throughout my body with each thump,
Butterflies that won't stop fluttering,
Saying your name send shivers down my spine,
A smile crosses my face.
Everything I am and ever was lies in your smile,
My well being lies in your delicate touch,
Your eyes see right through me,
Yearning to protect me,
Pleading to show me what it's like to be loved.
My heart is useless if it cannot love you,
There is no one else to share,
Be my world and ill be yours,
Trust me and I'll do the  same,
Be my one and only do not share,
Put all you have into me and I will mirror your actions.

Have you found yourself yet?
The quest of defining yourself
Pondering on this ever puzzling existence
The want to be different yet fall unconsciously
Into a stereotypical group of foolish individuals,
Disregarding the simplest act of living
to master the act of solving the enigma that doesn’t exist

Have you completely ignored the certainty?
For a possibility that there is more
More to this than what already is?
HAHA!!
Why are you hiding in the shadow?
This is it, you exist now make the most of it
Go out, live, define your own existence!
What is this desperation to belong?
Yet be different from the mass
Do you now feel cool enough?
To tag yourself as unique, educated, ENLIGHTENED!!

But hey, who am I?
Just another foolish ****
that doesn’t fit your definition of elite
Since I don’t go after the meaning,
Since I don’t think there is a greater plan
And am defining life in my own terms,
Not unique, just crazy!

-Sprishya