She ran into the bedroom
Looking for a place to hide
She felt and heard the footsteps
Closing in behind
She hid under the bed
As she was so well inclined
Hoping she wouldn’t be discovered
And harder still to find

Under skies of gold
Lives the young and old
Passion in my head
As well, deep in my soul

The rays of sun
The bitter cold
Shed some light
Stand up, be bold

On a journey
Through paths unknown
Made of blood, sweat, and stone

Curious minds are under fed
Not a rule, just a trend
Better off left for dead

Those before and
Those ahead
Cannot relate
To what’s in your head

Give me pain till I say when
Please let go and start again
It’s for real, not pretend
Begrudged until the bitter end

Blind leading the blind
A tale as old as time
Hate breads hate
We ourselves create
Because we welcome in the lies

Change happens at a snails pace
Through power and greed we’re losing the race
Erasing history so we can force-feed our face
And live in a world with no style or grace
Which leaves me with a bad taste
Such a shame, what a waste
Stuck on this floating rock in Outer space

But who am I to judge?
Who am I to make a claim?
My voice rings out, but things stay the same
I’ll be dead and gone before they even know my name
And change won’t happen if nothings changed
Where I stand, I still remain
Hoping to not go insane

A soft touch and a cool breeze
The changing of colors on the fall leaves
But nothings changed if nothing’s changed
So I decided to stay in my own lane
A candidate for the hall of shame
With more pain, comes more pain
Unrelenting, yet unafraid

I say this with a heavy heart
Destruction tears our world apart
Every layer peeled straight back
Under duress, under attack
Burning buildings, burning cars
Cuts so deep, they turn to scars
But the wound is still too fresh
Heavy pounding in my chest
Figuring out how to deal
With an unwanted guest
That leaves behind a mess
With no time to digest
The guns and bombs
And the men at arms
While trying to stay calm
Between the sirens and alarms

It was as if a mirror image
A reflection of my life
Looked back at me and chuckled
Which only fueled my spite
I was driven then
To forge ahead
To keep my honor
Lift my head
To make things right
In the eyes of one
And look off into
The setting sun

Evergreens
And swaying leaves
Dancing in the summer breeze
Bright in colors
Red, orange, and green
Picturesque
Sight unseen
Something beautiful
Crisp and clean
Not unlike a vivid dream

Without feathers, I’m soaring
I’m light on my feet
Flying past landscapes
The wind on my cheeks
At first, I thought I was dreaming
But I was still counting sheep
So I knew I was awake
And not fast asleep
With my arms out extended
I reached mountain peaks
I flew over oceans
Over the shallow and deep
I thought about landing
Nonchalant and discreet
But instead, I kept soaring
Because the view was so sweet

It goes by in a second
In a single blinking eye
Everything you’ve worked for
Stolen, or connived
Gone along the wayside
The blue sky way up high
It’s hard to make an argument for
The reason that we try
I guess the fun is in collecting memories
Until the day we die

Designed by the moon
In a diamond cocoon
Paid for with hide
Of a dead roadside raccoon
Nestled in the clutch
Of a purple grand deluxe
Overpowered by the daffodils
******* in a bunch
With red ribbon and lace
Traveling through space
Leaving not a trace
Of a dry eyed pretty face

‪Daily hike, full of life‬
‪Approaching the paths bend‬
‪Flush and green‬
‪A sight to see‬
‪Through the trees‬
‪The sunlights’ crept‬
‪A haze, a glow‬
‪A rhythm; flow‬
‪Where imagination’s kept‬
‪A song, a breeze‬
‪Good company ‬
‪But nothing too in-depth ‬

She donned fascinating colors
Bright and full of life
She wore multicolored layers
She cut through with a knife
She had a bad experience  
And clambered up real tight
She had trouble sleeping
She would wake throughout the night
The days grew long
The well ran dry
It became harder to recover
From each and every lie
Now she’s more reserved
Set in her own ways
A somber way of living
In ombré shades of gray

My death might not mean much to you
But it’s affected many lives
I’ve been waiting for my day
Since the moment I arrived
Although it seemed inevitable
For a time I felt immune
Never for a second
Did I think I’d die too soon
I imagined I would grow old
That my body would decay
I’d struggle standing on my legs
I’d have some aches and pains
But I didn’t know the magnitude
Of day after day after day
So in a sense I feel relieved
Although not overjoyed
In a life of ups and downs
I leave behind a void
I was a cousin and a nephew
A son who lost his way
But only to be found again
Now standing center stage
The lights were bright and blinding
Heaven sent its shine
Even if it’s not your belief
Don’t criticize what’s mine
You know as much as I do
You may think that you know more
And I’d push you to continue
To research and explore
I believed in optimism
Perspective coincides
I believe it to be criminal  
To be deprived of time
The essence of our purpose
Existence to maintain
After all we’re only human
Not little drops of rain

Down the bridges walkway
To the land of the unknown
The sky grows dark and cloudy
Shaped as skeleton and bones
Something evil this way comes
The air is still and cold
Someone that crosses that bridge
Must be daring, mad, or both
I wouldn’t walk in there
If I wore an invisibility cloak
In the haunted forest
Where life is but a joke

They run the tightest ship in Brunswick
The warden sees to that
Never one to say too much
Gossip, talk, or chat
He just goes about his business
Marking off his chart
Making sure that every inmate
That each one does his part

‪What’s behind ‬
‪Tormented eyes ‬
‪Without a smiles pose‬
‪One hundred years‬
‪Have passed by‬
‪Right underneath her nose‬
‪Fundamentally conflicted ‬
‪Is all she’s ever known‬
‪Stood out from the crowd‬
‪Forsaken and alone‬
‪Wise beyond her years‬
‪Solemn, but divine‬
‪A flashback from the past‬
Is ‪for you to decide‬

She takes and breaks
She’s cruel with fools
She conned a man
For all his jewels
She’s fascinated
And fascinating
She’s radiant, but short
She’ll never hesitate to turn you in
Or file a false report
She’s vindictive in her nature
Stares as cold as ice
She’ll only ask you once, not twice
So heed my sound advice
Don’t dance with the devil
Or you might just pay the price

The wilted flower
That reeks of gloom
Never had its choice to choose
Only memories of a forgotten youth
Remembering the first time it bloomed
On a summers day, late afternoon
Cheered on by the grass and dew
And from the soil from whence it grew
With dreams of stars and lit up moon
The flower dies to escape the truth
And takes with it everything it knew

They continued to play
Though the echoes remained
As a sign of what was to come
They blew us away
As we stood in dismay
Seeing where they had come from
A full on display
Of the trumpet and bass
In a place where blues can be found
The harmonica played
As we clap and gave praise
When the room shook, and so did the ground
As you came near
You could certainly hear
As the band grew increasingly loud
They played through the night
And into the day
Just to appease the large crowd

The reenactment of something beautiful
Was a preeminent show of life
An oscar worthy performance
On stage, under lights
The roses tend to fall, but lift
The spirit from down below
And a thunderous applause, at length
Can be felt deep inside your soul

The symbol of peace
An image of love
Flys with a purpose
About and above
A gentle sweet creature
When push comes to shove
Just admiring the beauty
Of a white feathered dove

I’m consumed by endless worry
I’ve concocted all my lies
That I may stand alone in heavy thought
Away from prying eyes
A true nightmare of epic scale
They’re the things I most despise
But I might be the most concerned
When I’ve been measured up and sized

Sunshine peaks through the trees
Through the brush and evergreens
It shimmers on the walking path
That lights the way around the pass
Towards the darkness that awaits
Who dares climb the pearly gates
To meet the one that determines fate
The one trip that we all must make

He never felt harassed
By the bonny little lass
Who was distant and detached
Because of her troubled past
He loved her all the same
Smiled at the mention of her name
They had long kisses in the rain
With little chat
He asked her for her hand
Which came highly in demand
But she took off and she ran
And that was that

Dendrobium orchards
Stretch towards the sun
Soaking in rays and warmth
They have every intention
To face one direction
Avoiding ever facing the north
The colors astound
Raised from the ground
Protruding from one planted seed
When watered and fed
They’re magnificent
If given the care that they need

I’m a servant to my solitude
Inwards is where I dwell
So far inside my body
It leads into the depths of hell
That is where I am most comfortable
It’s my peace of mind
I find comfort in disorder
It’s what gives me my drive
Not a thunderous ovation  
In which two worlds collide
And coming through the aftermath
Is a reminder I’m alive

You give freely of yourself
To anyone who asks
With kind words and with your precious time
You complete your daily tasks
You’re honest and upfront
Your charity is seen
Lifting up their spirits
Chasing after dreams
Without a thought or pause
You’re a beacon of bright light
Taking all the wrongs
To turn them into rights
A singular force of nature
Where kindness is quite scarce
But it’s warm and fuzzy feeling
If we just give it half a chance

‪Multicultural hands at arms‬
‪Come together to form a bond ‬
‪Nonjudgmental; colorblind ‬
‪Is exactly where we aim to strive‬
‪These are our sisters‬
‪And our brothers‬
‪That come from dads‬
‪And worried mothers‬
‪Across our nation‬
‪Across the land ‬
‪Arm in arm‬
‪Hand in hand‬

People just want to be free
People like you and me
To hear what we’ve got to say
Exercising our freedom of speech
I don’t think it’s too much to ask
I don’t think it’s much of a reach
With our own radical ideas
Our own poignant philosophies
We need less political stages
We need more dancing in streets
More messages of peace
While ending police brutality
For fear of being taken under siege

Wake up, stand up and fight
Know the laws of the land
Know your God given rights
Separated we don’t stand a chance
People of the world unite
No more stories of victims at large
Dead cause they got shot up on sight
No more running around scared
Separated by black and white
We need unity
Unity
Unity
Unity
That’s right!


By Jason Klenetsky

I still hide you in my poetry
Through the lines and curves
You’re in each letter written
An honor you deserve

I still hide you in my poetry
In every single word
Because not to have you in my poetry
Is a thought I deem absurd

I still hide you in my poetry
Through each gap and nook
Because you’re in each thought
that’s in my mind
And you’re everywhere I look

By the standards set by me
I am destined to be free
Of the trivial nature of this world
I travel in the dust
Of the shooting stars I touch
With every fiber ever known to man
I believe in God we trust
As a banker, it’s a must
By the way
I didn’t say
My name is Sam

A metamorphic mountain
A metamorphic climb
A subconscious effort
To help describe what’s inside
The motivation, determination
The inspiration, and drive
The mission, the focus
The goal which we strive
The purpose, the meaning
What we’re here for; alive
Will we know when we get there?
Will we know we’ve arrived?

It’s in the realm of possibilities
In my imminent domain
To make them leave and watch them go
Back to whichever way they came
I’ll no longer posture idle
While others seek their fame
I plan to make a run of it
And be a true legend of the game

I was drawn in by a force
By the powers that would be
Guiding every move I made
With telepathy
There was no other course of action
I was handcuffed to a tree
Present when all of hell broke loose
Better known as the “Great Catastrophe”

Like a goldfish in its bowl
My memory, my pictures,
My existence, my soul

I’m a survivor,
I make due with what I have
Sizing up my competition
Using only math

Head to toe
In rain or snow
I’ll take you everywhere I go

Dearly beloved
I pushed and shoved
To get to you
My beloved

I bring candy
Flowers and more
Knocking at a steady pace
Upon your bedroom door

To my surprise
I know you lied
With heaven as my witness

To be quite frank
My heart, it sank
Into my stomach
When you pulled rank

To you I give a grand salute
I’ll get to you
I’m now in route

Clear and focused
Mind at ease
Hair in breeze
A sweet release

Took the bait
Must I repeat
Making love between the sheets

Caught in bed
Across the street
In a million years
Never thought you’d cheat

But I was wrong
As the radio plays our song
Crushed in defeat
Under the sun

My emotions
They weigh a ton
Pedal to the metal
Having fun
It’s just another hit-and-run

Many questions remain unanswered
Of what little still is known
About the theories and conspiracies
Of the house of wood and stone
What all did transpire there?
Were the stories heard, all true?
Could evil still be lurking by?
And could this happen to you?

He overcame a bout with psychosis
Betraying the brain in his skull
It drove him to fancy dying
It broke him, left nothing, null

He recovered and became famous
Through persistence, he made it all work
He’s now a hot rising artist
Who’s got fans that all go berserk

Tires wreaking havoc on a dusty country road
Spinning wheels in corn fields
Mowed down row by row
They’re in tank tops and in faded jeans
Overalls rolled up to their knees
A toothpick and a straw hat
In a small town down the railroad tracks
That’s where limits know no bounds
Where the fox gets chased by hounds
From dusk till dawn
They’re here then gone
Somewhere likely underground

You’ve eclipsed my expectations
You’ve opened up my eyes
What I believed before, is no more, to my surprise
Your grace under pressure
Your fortitude and drive
You’ve exceeded every notion, of what it takes to be alive
I commend your motivation
Your inspiration, and pride
Your willingness to carry on, when you’ve been denied
You’re open to adapt
Despite your being shy
You’ve answered every question with a smile, big and wide

A sunset over crashing waves
A vast view of orange skies
Farewell to the setting sun
Until it once again will rise
This is but a certainty
Felt by everyone alive
Soaking up the suns rays
Until the end of days arrives

The dew appears
When flowers bloom
As does the fragrance
In a sweet perfume
The stalk does rise
The pedals grow
Pink, red, green
And yellow
The falling leaves
The wind that blows
All in an attempt
To expose
The vibrant rage
The outward glow
In due time
But taken slow

When tomorrow becomes today
Death puts on a crooked grin
You can almost feel his pain
Standing by for mortal sin
Waiting for mistakes
Matters not, who he takes
Always raising stakes
But not for money that men make
Souls are on the line
When it comes time to pay the fine

Out with the riptide
Through turbulent seas
That’s where my mind goes
When I sip my tea
Always adventures
Playing out in my head
Imagination run rampant
With a thin slice of bread
Loading the teaspoon
With coarse salt and preserves
To launch at the waitress
Who by now is perturbed
Just to **** the monotony
Not to cause ruckus or fuss
And maybe put a smile
On her sour ****

The end of today’s shift
Came surely as a gift
As I couldn’t wait to leave fast enough
I stormed right out the gate
No patience to wait
As a day like today was mighty rough
I made it to my house
Sat down on the couch
And quickly lit up a spliff and had a puff

The truth was rather brash
Full of self debris
Representing everything
He ever hoped to be
A vision in his head
A taste of victory
But it wasn’t in the cards
Just a diamond and a three

She caressed every name
Ever uttered from her lips
Harnessed all the pain
Until she came to grips
Walked along the stage
Praying she didn’t trip
When her favorite song came on
We were swaying from our hips
Dancing on the ceiling
Like the universe got flipped
While understanding nothing
Of which we were completely ill equipped

Covered up in marigold
Fall has reared its head
By the colors of the leaves
Yellow, brown, and red
By the stiff and steady breeze
That makes me cuddle up in bed
And the autumn leaves that trickle down
In the backyard by the shed

He was wealthy, but was fair
A multi-millionaire
He had a racket in the city
A businessman with flare
He listened to his buyers
And gave them what they wanted
As he made his way to the top, undaunted
He was quick to turn a buck
Had no need for luck
He was king among the people who were pawns
He made the poor the rich
Then wound up in a ditch
And that’s exactly why we hear of him no more

I bare my soul
That I may leave my mark
Something maybe that I’ve written
Somehow lit a spark
Written word can be recalled
Reread and consumed
It gives us something to hold on to
To fight the doom and gloom
Writing releases
Inspires; inclines
First with our vision
Then with our minds

I know your favorite color
I even know your favorite shade
It reminds me back to a time
When promises were made
Back when innocence was plain to see
I don’t mean *** in between the sheets
It was a look, a wink, a nod, a stare
The moments in our lives we shared
Now to think that you don’t care
Well, nobody said that life would be fair