My father told me
to **** myself.
Lacking like-mindedness,
thankfully I've never been one
to do as they're told.

Knuckles white,
gripping the steering wheel,
face flush,
my inner monologue tells me
to drive straight through the curve.
A crash a crunch and a click.
This accident had a purpose;
was on purpose.
Upside-down, perspective is vertigo.
Clarity is a crack in the windshield.

Shattered glass lay around me.
Lump in my throat
from a pill too large to swallow.

So I crawl to an antique store
and purchase an urn.
A pull from a cigarette, I tap
the ash into the urn.
When the pack is finished
I place the lid
and hand the contents
to my father.

If she is always asking if she looks pretty
you need to compliment her more
If she is doing things on purpose to annoy you
it is a sign you're not giving her enough attention
If she purposely wears a color she knows is your favorite
it is her way of saying she loves you
acknowledge that
If her feelings get hurt when you deny her kisses
she is not being over sensitive
you basically told her you don't want her love
A woman's love is constant
It is in her blood to love the man she is with every minute of every day
If you men only knew how much love your woman has for you
I don't think you could ever begin to imagine it because if you did you would never deny it
Compliment her everyday
it will make her feel more secure in her skin
Tell her good morning when she wakes up
Don't send her a text
buy her coffee, flowers or a book
and tell her good morning in person
Don't wait until she's dressed up to remind her of her beauty
Tell her even when she's dressed in her ugliest pair of pajamas
Say thank you when she gives you a sincere compliment
Kiss her as she does the dishes
Watch a cheesy movie with her from time to time
Let her take care of you when you're sick
Let her buy you gifts
Let her hold you and soak in every ounce of love she offers
Hold her hand in public
Give her the freedom to express her feelings without getting upset
Make her laugh until it hurts her to breathe
Have a conversation with her at the dinner table
Tell her you love her every time the opportunity presents itself because you never know when God will choose to take her
do not wait for her to say it first
Love her and let her love you back

Sometimes I don't wipe away the tears,
Because I don't want it to be over yet,
While I feel the pain I think maybe I can change it,
But once the numbness settles in, I'm doomed.

I feel that there are times
when I could reach out my hand
and touch my own death.
This causes me no regret or fear
for I have lived in my own way-
Godless and lawless but
with a belief in knowing
what's right and wrong.
So, as my ghostdom awaits me
I shall not tremble in my shoes
I'll greet him with a wink
and my best angelic smile

                                      By Phil Roberts

my body and thoughts are split into half right in the middle
there is a parallel cut right through my heart, splitting me into two

there is a part of me that wants to survive to see tomorrow,
and then a part of me that is so tired and just needs it to end; now

there is a part of me that wants to prove that recovery is possible,
and then a part of me that says maybe you won't be the one to prove it

there is a part of me that wants to write, and keep writing
and then a part of me that just wants to sleep and never wake up

there is a part of me that wants to get married, have kids and be happy
and then a part of me that says i would slit my wrists and my kids would be traumatized for life

there is a part of me that tries to convince me that tomorrow will be better

but how many times do you have to tell yourself that tomorrow will be better - before tomorrow is actually better?

i am two halves that contemplate between life and death,
and i am not sure i will ever be whole and choose only life;

make this stop.

He picks them up at random
Takes them out
Becomes engrossed in one
Then the next

Finished with them
He dumps them back
Where he found them
A little worse for wear

You
Young man
With your hat pulled down
And your head spun around
Don't you hear the sirens in the night?
You
Young man
With your T-shirt on
And your heart beating strong
Can't you hear the sirens in your mind?
You
Young man
With your sneakers tied tight
Still they sock you alright
Do you know its only siren's song?

You
Young man
This world through which you walk
This hope for happiness
Dont let these sirens make you drown

Don't let the life you're forced to live
Bring you
Down
**These sirens don't sing louder than your soul

I've seen monuments crumble
Statues as art becoming lowly rubble
On the shores of ancient Alexandria
A lighthouse fell beneath the shore
Now, for those lonely mariners
Lost and wayward travelling lonely seas
And any island seen
Harbors only sirens singing
I've seen mountains
A glorious goal to tower above the world
A mind of the infinite
Aligned with the definite
I've seen mountains
Rock by stone
Even grain of sand
I've seen them sink into the sea
I've seen you
Feathers forming through the night
Feathers on an angels wing
I've seen Lucifer falling from grace
I've seen
I've seen my love be enough to save you
I've seen my love sent into a void
I've seen these dreams as a flower petal
I've seen a flower after bloom
What once was a source of beauty
Becoming only memory
A thought of something divine
To help me with my fight
Of these demons I've seen