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 Apr 2014 Gloria Ikeji
Artemis
She is not a prize but that does not mean you should not prize her
Keep her heart on the mantle but light a fire beneath it to keep her warm and kind
Don’t keep her hidden like a secret she has already been bottled up her whole life
Show her off like a lottery ticket it was nothing more than luck that brought her into your life
This was not your own doing and you will do well to remember that
Give her a place to hide when the sun is too bright and the wind is too loud
But don’t treat her like a caged animal she does not belong to you
She is a canvas but you are not the artist and you do not touch her without her written consent
The right to decorate her body with your fingerprints or your kisses does not belong to you
Keep your hand outstretched to her at all times
She knows herself better than you do and she will take it when she needs it
When she cries don’t stop her and when she smiles smile with her
These are honest forms of communication so listen when she talks to you
Never yell at her she doesn’t deserve that
Don’t treat her like a child anymore her parents did enough of that
If she falls asleep first she feels safe whatever you do hold on to that
She is already scared of the ways she can hurt herself she doesn’t need to be afraid of the ways you can hurt her
And whatever you do don’t give her a reason to leave
She might think you want her to
*~W.C.
I'd rather be the shattered mess of glass
strewn across the floor
of every hallway in your house
than be the frame
that once held this mirror together

because now that I'm free from the grasp
of this "pride" you so cherished
you can't leave the lonely cave
in your black hole of a heart
without the remnants of me
splitting your flesh
     to
          the
               bone.
I hope I haunt every corner
of your godless life
the way you did mine.
I remember being hurt because you denied my friendship
You are no friend for making me feel bad for caring
I've said sorry you hold a grudge and refuse to forgive me
I'm better off without you and found I don't need you bringing me down
I don't waste my time hating on others
We were close but grew apart I wish you the best do your thing I'm doing mine.
Wish we could make things right but like I said one day you'll miss me like I miss you if not
Just a thought our friendship was great memories that remain things between us will never be the same.
My dear, just stop
will you breathe for a moment?
stop writing lists of what you have yet to do
turn down the radio, put your bills on hold
don't fret about these college degrees and potential promotions

will you just stop?
take some time, breathe the air that scares you
as if free time makes you high on some terrifying hallucinogenic drug
darling, take some time,
just think
look at the anthills, think of what's there
look up to the stars, imagine what's more

please, I beg you
just take a minute
to scare yourself to death
to appreciate life
to set aside all they tell you to believe, to be
if college and an office job is the life for you, live it
if not, don't let them tell you that's how it is to be
you are not a brick inlaid without potential for motion,
you are the Northern lights
you shine
you move
you dance, brighter than the darkness would allow

just take a moment
please just ask why
ask, why am i doing this?
why am i saying this?
why do i believe this?
why do i live like this?

and if the answers suit you, let it be
and if not, break out running like a deer who's escaped the trap

live. please do anything you can,
why not?

i hear you whisper my old tunes, like that dreaded broken record,
"what's the point of trying to be happy when we all end up dead anyways?"
dear, would you ever let a newborn pup in the fighting ring just because one day it will inevitably see its end?

darling you deserve the world,
it is yours
with the stars in the sky and the potential for life
with the ants and the termites, we are alive
we are but condensation waiting to make waves

my dear, just stop
just breathe for a minute
wondrous is the universe
let us be wondrous with it
 Nov 2013 Gloria Ikeji
Nameless
Let's go back
To when things were better
You don't think that something like this is going to happen to you
You think that you're normal
You thing that you're in control
But you're not
And you begin to realize it
Once you figure it out
You start to question yourself
Why me?
Why am I so dumb?
Why am I so different?
Why am I so ugly?
It's a constant argument
Between you and yourself
You walk into your bathroom
You lock the door
You're alone
On your own
Just you
You stand there like an idiot
Ripping open your skin
You think
Why am I doing this?
What is the point?
God I'm dumb
That stupid voice in your head
Asking you why your tearing your flesh
That constant argument
Between you and yourself
But after awhile
That voice fades away
Theres no one
No one is talking you you anymore
No one asking you why you are doing this
So you just do it
No emotion
Just you
Just your blade
Just your skin
Just your blood
What's wrong with that?
Nothing it seems
You hate your family
Your family hates you
You lock your bathroom door again
Why am I hated?
Does anyone actually like me?
No
No one
It's just me
You see all those blue veins in your wrists
Someone tells you
Don't cut those
But after awhile
That voice goes away
Maybe I actually should hit those blue things
Will I get hurt?
Will I die?
I don't care
No one does
I'm fat and ugly anyways
Who would want me?
No one
I kind of want to die
You say
It wouldn't really matter
You are at school
You look at the others
They are all so small
So beautiful
Why am I so big?
Maybe I should stop eating
Food is like poison
All it does is make you ugly
Stay away from that
I want to get smaller
Did you eat today?
What the hell were you thinking?
Your wrists are gonna bleed like crazy tonight
And it's your fault
You're doing this to yourself
Idiot
Maybe you should just throw up
That will make you feel better
Don't you want to get skinny?
Yeah
You do
Throw up
While you do that
Go cut yourself
There
Thats better
Stop feeling bad for yourself
Stop being so sad
You have a house
A bed
A life
Others would **** to be you
Well why do I hate myself so much?
Because you're stupid
Just stop
No one wants you here anyways
It's that constant argument
Between you and yourself
A man walk towards the bright light
Lighting a cigarette as he moved on
Thinking about his messed up life
Mistakes he made since he was born.

The street was quiet and empty
The night was filled with stars
His hands were very filthy
His body filled with deep scars

He was a total mess outside
Inside his heart kept on going
To him life is not a joy ride
Where people go on singing

The problems were always there
Playing tricks on people everyday
It is a burden we all must bear
Did anybody said that life was fair
would you be ashamed
to wear my lipstick
like secondhand smoke
a mark made monumental
on the collar of your shirt
on the rim of your coffee cup
on the sharpest cheek bone
i have ever kissed?

would you be angry
to wear my lipstick
on your bony shoulders
on the mirror of your room
on the pillowcase where you
sleep and never think about me?

I would be honored
to wear your scent
on my sheets
on my neck
and under my skirt
but most importantly
on the skin above my heart.
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