My mistakes
have a sad habit
of coming back to haunt me.
Their ghosts
waking me in the night.
Whispers of
"You're not good enough
you never will be",
ringing in my nightmares.
Walking in my memories.
Replaying the past.
Every tactless word
like a broken record.
But dreams, like insanity
are impossible to escape your own mind
Even if I tell myself
"Don't listen to them,
they don't know you",
the dreams will keep coming.
The ghosts are still there.
Not until I realize
that to rid the spirits
I've got to leave the
Haunted House.

Dream of congregation,
Pray for isolation,
One ironic lonely nation.

I cannot be sure the day I died,
I'm pretty sure it rained.
Not only water from tears I cried,
Was darkened sidewalk stained.

I ran alone through midnight static,
In puddles my steps fell.
Hating to be melodramatic,
But it was ******* hell.

Running in fear of being too weak,
To stay away from knife.
For her not I my promise keep,
Because she saved my life.

I am writing this just to keep sane
Stop switching lanes and deal with the pain
I’m going to stay same and never give in to shame
I don’t see this as a game, what I’m saying is real
That’s why you feel every line that I spill
Every emotion comes from the notion
That we are the panacea for the poison
Explosion of our hearts started with the sparks
That ignited our greed amidst the dark
So now we find ourselves led by the misled
Bred like a hoard of cattle waiting to be shred
We focus on materials and ignore the cries
‘Cause it’s easier to watch from an iPad, as a baby dies
We work, struggle, and beg for a promotion
Instead of pouring our hearts into a positive devotion
Every person fueled by their own ambition
And integrity is at loss on our way to this mission

By Vladislav Vagner
http://www.poemjunction.net

I’ve been saying, “tomorrow,” for the last three months, dreaming again in a bent and hollow sort of way, shoving myself into all of my crooked corners. I’ve purposely avoided it up to now, trying to dodge it, like an expert lightning runner —my sad attempts to slip unnoticed past the inevitable summer months.

It denies my wishes for a moderate temperature and ruthlessly tortures me with its slow crawl in my direction, wrapping its clammy hands around my throat to pin me to hot pavement; sparks within me and kindles unkempt fires, burns me at the shoulders like Memorial Day fireworks —feels so potent I can almost see it tucked behind the horizon. Waiting.

I want to taste a sky that slowly darkens, bowing its graceful head to welcome a storm that may never come, existing only to fool me into praying another day for rain.

I wake up
a shiver runs up my spine
because you are not there
to calm me back to sleep
to lull me back to dreams

I shiver because you are gone.