Sometimes even the truth lies to me
But it's only because I lie to the truth
I have to keep it all balanced in place
And you'll never know it, seeing my face

My lies aren't an onion
Layered one after another
The truth buried in the center
That's too easy; I'm complex

My lies are like a Rubik's cube
But even better than that
Because even if you solve one
It's not the whole story I've spun

I've left many cubes over many places
It's impossible for you to chain them all
And figure out all of my precious lies
The reason I'm so good at lying?

Because I always tell the truth.

It's not the crackle of the flames,
Or the smell of sulfur,
Or the heat of fire,
That makes us stand in awe.

It's the total consuming aspect,
The way it glitters in our hearts,
And leaves everything in ruin,
That makes us light it up.

Leaving charred remnants of things once valued,
Forcing them to become discarded as worthless and broken,
This equalizer, this fire, it is a balancing force of power,
To be respected and feared, yet also revered.

i’ve gambled on shadows
bet on whispers that faded at dawn
held my hand against the table’s edge
afraid to ante up for more
the house always wins
they said
as though joy were a rigged game
a wheel spinning to nowhere
but tonight
with trembling fingers
i lay down all i have
dreams i dared not speak aloud
the weight of every almost
every not quite yet
the air shifts
a hush a pause
a moment thick with risk and promise
and then
against all odds
happiness smiles back
it’s not the jackpot
not fireworks or a grand parade
but a steady warmth in the chest
the quiet click of a lock undone
i’ve wagered on light this time
on the sun that rises without fail
on the laughter i hear in the distance
growing closer now
for once
i bet on myself
and the deal feels true

Under a tree with pen and paper
Thoughts immersed in writing prose
World around her turns to silken vapor
A masterful performance will she compose

Words are her instruments
Ink is her conductor's baton
Graceful art from her fingers
Spill onto the ****** paper

Her mind charges in the tranquility of her surroundings
The peace of the locale soothes her imagination
Focus and clarity like a mountain stream
Refreshment like a volcanic spring

Come and see what she has writ
Queen of poems beauty she emits
Lift her onto your shoulders high
Sing her anthems and crack the sky

If I ruled the world, I would be,
Not a benevolent leader, nor,
Would I be a tyrannical leader.

I would be something much unexpected and, hopefully, humble.

You see, I would be a quilt maker. Not of fabric and thread, though.
I would stitch the different cultures together, leaving each individual one unique, yet united by a common thread.

I would sit with my diplomatic needle and peaceful stitching and lead those whom hold contempt for one another see the other's perspective.

I would show them that,
The world isn't in black and white,
It's in full, high-definition color.
So let's celebrate unity,
Equality,
Individuality,
And uniqueness.

Because in the final chapter,
We all already rule the world.
It's up to us to thread ourselves to each other,
Or pull ourselves apart by the seams.

lost in the echoes of shadowed screams
whispers of the night, haunting my dreams
asphalt veins pulse with secrets untold
within the city's heart, a story unfolds
skyscrapers scrape the ink-black sky
carving stories with every blink of an eye
midnight's symphony, a sirenic trance
wrapped in the city's clandestine dance
where fractured reflections blend and blur
illuminated whispers, like a clandestine slur
a labyrinth of alleys, weaving tales unspoken
each brick, a witness, each silence, a token
in the tapestry of shadows, i find my reprieve
seeking solace in the night, where shadows deceive
streets adorned with wilted hopes
graffiti tales on the walls, slippery slopes
sallow faces etched with despair
the city breathes a heavy, poisoned air
crimson stains on the sidewalks' embrace
echoes of shattered dreams, a somber trace
moonlight weeps upon broken glass
a reflection of dreams that couldn't amass
flickering neon, a sputtering flame
in the alleyways, shadows play their game
the city's heartbeat, a muffled drum
resonating with dreams undone
forsaken whispers in the abandoned lots
of ambitions crumbled, tied in knots
a skyline of shattered aspirations
each silhouette, a tale of desolation
like wilted flowers in a concrete field
where hope, like petals, slowly peeled
fading stars in the polluted sky
a requiem for dreams that couldn't fly
under the flickering lamplights' hum
ghostly remnants of a dream succumb
whispers of what could've been
vanish into the city's melancholy din
empty streets, hollowed echoes roam
through the ruins of a forsaken home
each step, a dance on fractured dreams
where hope unravels at the seams
a labyrinth of yearning, lost and bare
as the city weaves its tapestry of despair
in the silent alleys, shadows sigh
a requiem for dreams left to die

Rain drizzle drazzle,
Down from a hollow sky,
Droplets merge to a puddle,
Puddle forms a new lake,
Children swim and jump in,
Fish fornicate in what you drink,
Lake returns to the sky,
To be rain drizzle drazzle.

Come the summer outro, shall we dance in the rain of this season, or make rain in grief of lost time?

Oh Lord, I am a broken man

I've got a thousand things to tell you
& a thousand reasons not to say them

They shall stay locked within my heart
& never see the light of the day, my dear

Oh Lord, I am a broken man

A Christian should not struggle with suicide
& wake up wondering if today's the day I die

But these demons claw at my head
& they are relentless in their attack

Oh Lord, I am a broken man

The sins of the flesh and of the eyes
& sins of the life I've locked inside

Yeah I have a thousand things to tell you
& I have a thousand reasons not to say them

Oh Lord, I am a broken man

All of these raw words won't save me
These friends can't save me
I'm craving for help
Let me leave my past on a shelf
To gather dust and be forgotten
So I can allow my forgiveness
& be free at last

I'm here in the Red Light District of town
But I'm not here to feast on the cheap flesh
I'm looking for something here, hiding in the open
There's escorts on every corner, men and women trying to make some money. Through open doorways I catch glimpses of strippers and live *** shows. I move on.

I found it nestled in between two abandoned buildings
A small warehouse, for a long time dormant, but holding a gathering this night
I step through the doors and am greeted by a sight I'd never seen before: prostitutes and strippers, both male and female; pimps, gangsters, loan sharks, all kinds of deplorable characters. Except the man at the front speaking.

Wearing a simple long sleeve T-shirt, battered jeans and sneakers, the pastor opened the Bible to the book of Hosea.
The words he spoke I'd heard before, but I was moved by them like never before. He spoke of God's love like I'd never heard it. So many were brought to tears, myself included.

When he had finished, we all sung "Amazing Grace." It was sung like it was a brand new song. I looked around at the people gathered this night and I thought to myself that this is the most real church I'd ever seen. Every person knew what we all were and that was okay; we're all humans.
This is the Red Light Church.

A summer solace wind storm,
Blowing against my face, ripping against my clothes,
Out here, on the edge, thinking of you,
Imagining your face, in this abyss trying to swallow me.

It creeps against me, holding me to the ground,
I didn't want to move anyway.
But the shards of rain and ice pelting my skin,
Causes pain, causes me to tear up.

I hold your memories in my arms,
I hold your gentleness in my breath,
One last time, I hold you close to me,
Then I let you go.

For a time my world was in vibrant colors,
All the oceans were in blue and green,
The deserts were in red and caramel brown,
And all the grass and trees were glittering emeralds,
The flowers were a myriad of colors, like rainbows,
And the snowy mountains were a deep purple, capped with twinkling snow.

But frosts came.
The oceans were frozen solid killing all life in them,
The deserts were like a sheet of ice was rolled over them,
The grass withered and died away; the trees were stripped of their leaves.
The pedals of the flowers fell and decayed into nothing,
And the sun is covered in black clouds that the snow twinkles no longer.

I'm cold and frozen.
My eyes only processes in black and white,
As my mind has forgotten what colors are.
Fire has since become extinct,
And light flees this forsaken world.
I endure it, though. I endure.
Because I love you,
And with you I remember color.

You are the rain falling from the sky,
Serenading yourself off the shingled roof.
Though I have shelter, walls and a ceiling,
You trickle your way through the cracks.

An empty room gathers dust;
Snow collects in corners of windows;
And my resistance to you
Suffers from your irresistibility.

Stop the earth from spinning,
   I will seek you beyond dawn.
'Til I find your delicate face,
   Held in my loving embrace.

The journey our hearts undertake,
   A lesson in dedication and sacrifice.
Whether you've given me all your heart,
   Or never given me a second glance.

Know this is the truth from me,
   Never leaving or failing.
I will be your reliability,
   Rest easy in my arms.

Though I have lost you from my life,
  You dwell forever in my heart;
Scars borne from being torn away,
  I shall wear as a badge of honor;
An unjust separation, too quick and harsh,
  Cut to my core, separated heart from flesh.

You were so much more than friendship and lust;
  You were true love, true love, oh you are true love!
You are my friend, you dwell in my thoughts;
  You are my love, you dwell in my heart.

I will endure for you these hardships.

Watching weary travelers on the beaten path,
Dirt kicked up with every step and dissipates,
Just like the weary travelers with their beaten lives.

I am shaking uncontrollably
All these feelings aren't mine
I want to fade into sleep
Everything is so wrong
I'm a tormented soul
My cry is unheard
I'm deaf and blind
Mute and crippled
I say not my own words
For I have no words left
I am broken
Wounded
I am dead

clouds are rolling in
from the west
leaving their shadows
in their wake
a darkness that
isn't dark
but only robs
my life of light
oh clouds go away soon
the sun has set
and none care to see
how monolithic
your judgements are
let the flowers grow again
and the animals are cold

Slice slice slice
All over my arm.
Slash slash slash
All over my thighs
Cut cut cut
All over my hips

Making Roman numerals all over my skin
Hoping it will silence the voices within
Letting the blood run down and around
Hoping agony will drown and run aground.

My skin will mend
My bleeding will stop
But scars will remain
Penned onto my heart.

when i look at you,
the world softens,
as if everything around us
was made to frame your light.

there’s a quiet peace
in the way you move through life,
a gentle hum that steadies me.

storms may come,
and time may lay its hands
on our skin,
but i find no fear in what’s ahead,
because every breath,
every glance,
ties me deeper into you.

i have wandered before,
adrift in places without meaning,
but now,
with your love, i am grounded
rooted in the soil of your kindness,
wrapped in the warmth of your gaze.

no wind can carry me away,
for i am planted here,
growing toward the sun
that shines in your heart.

let the seasons change,
let the years whisper softly away
you will always be
my home.

Run away//
Run away//
From the alarm clock that breaks your rest//
Run away//
From the pains held in your chest//
A life unblessed//
From blessings you subvert//
Run away//
From the love you invert//
Run away//
Run away//
Run//
Away//

A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.
But if all links are eroded and rusted, what happens?
You break free.

I now know what's best;
I don't know what's worse:
The certainty that I love you,
Or the certainty that you can't know.

I know it's what I must do,
You'll never know my affection.
I would've given you the world,
But our story won't be written.

I'm sorry, so sorry...
Love isn't worth it.
These tears...
I'm sorry.

Quiet breathing overshadowed by a pounding heart
leaves my ears deafened and I slowly fall apart

Weakened with extra haste to die and find peace
clay ankles weren't meant to hold a heart of stone

A heart selfless at one time but given too freely
to the wolves that desire only the flesh

Now I sit with loneliness and reminisce
about the lovers that were eventually a lie

Now I sit with loneliness and confess
there is no more heart for me to give

I still hold
     untold scars
but
     I still smile
when I see your face

I am a vulture.
I'll tear your bloated remains apart with my beak.

I am a raven.
I'll pick you apart when you are tossed away.

I am a piranha.
I'll devour you to the bone in under a minute.

I am a jackal.
I'm crafty and sneaky and I steal the lion's ****.

I am the face in the mirror.
I'll always keep you from being your best.

Scream...
Scream my heart, and let her go.
Let her go, and don't look back.
But you always look back.
Why do you always look back?
Why can't you just scream...
And let her go?

Screaming until I bleed,
Screaming until I lose hearing.

Bleeding until I die,
Bleeding until I stop this pain.

Dying so I won't hurt,
Dying didn't solve the problem.

The way you hold his hand I
                   Look down at mine and I
              Know you could never
                       Hold my hand that way.

You chose to love him over me
       Breaking my heart yet another time
    Bleeding me out for another rhyme
But no, I'm just raging in jealousy.

We are so compatible
       You and
              I.

But again, again, and again;
      You don't see how true I am for you,
   How much I have dedicated myself for you,
All the sacrifice I make for you.

Perhaps love is, indeed, blind.

This is my coffin
I dug the hole six feet deep
It's actually quite comfortable
Except soon I can't breathe

I laid down in it
Then nailed it shut with headless nails
Pulled the string to let the dirt bury me
Ignited a glow stick so I won't be in the dark

Except now I'm reconsidering
The life of the afterlife
I'm thinking I signed my death warrant
A little bit too hastily

So now I'm six feet under
Dying and wanting to live
Looks like I'm in need of a savior
But nobody knows where I am

Open the cuts on my soul again//
to make sure the pain hurts the way I remember it//
Darling it's all I have left//
You a̶r̶e̶  were my addiction//

I tried to erase y̶o̶u̶  it but I just//
scratched the vinyl & carved your name on the walls//
so I'd never forget but//
always need//

Bodies unite and collide together
Pleasurable bliss intertwined by flesh
Sweat soaked sheets and rhythmic movements
Gentle tenderness and ***** fetishism alike
Soft candlelight dancing on the wallpaper
Hands exploring the warmth of bodies
Rose petals spread all across the floor
Beauty in its purest form in this act
This act meant to be hallowed
Has become so hollow

Well these days I'm not fine
Sitting and staring at flowers that aren't mine
Breathing a breeze that smells of seawater
Thinking of my heart beneath those distant waves

I need someone but no one can help me
Everyone says to "get some help please"
What does that look like through my lenses?I

Help for you is not help for me
Help for them is not help you you
Help for me is a mystery

Shrouded and ambiguous
It flies like migrating birds far beyond my reach

You clipped her wings so she would fall,
but she learned to fly without your voice
to soar into the atmosphere.

You were her morning and evening star,
the guiding lighthouse on the shore;
you were her adoration.

You didn't understand that she truly loved you,
how much of her heart she gave to you that you
trampled on and discarded for your own pleasure.

Now she's going to fly
grow
love
be free
while you're still in your chains
of heart games and misleading.

In short, she's always going to
**be better
than you...