You said it hurts,
But it cuts me deeper
I yearned for you to say it
Yet here I am, still playing mind reader

My brain's shut down
While my heart continues bleeding
Echoes of our love
Linger on while I'm grieving

© JL Smith

When tears caress my cheekbones
It's rarely for my sake
This heart of mine empathizes immeasurably
For when another endures pain

My voice may not soothe
My written words unlikely to mend,
But my silent presence offers
Peace and prayer
Until your healing begins

© JL Smith

Tonight, I dedicate this to you
My one-hundredth poem
To the reader who loyally returns
Day after day, view after view

For your support--warm words
Your encouragement and critique
And for the wisdom you've offered
I pray my poetry continually intrigues

You have a friend in me
If you've connected with my verse
I attempt to inspire love, kindness and growth
While revealing that your passion is a force

Do yourself a favor
Seize your greatness
Banish all cynics
Believe in your abilities
And live mightily courageous

Heed these steps
And watch the world around you change
The lives you will touch
Spread miracles through our gifts exchanged

© JL Smith

It's a writer's forbidden question
Because as poets we must speak truth,
But tonight you asked it purposely
And suddenly my voice went mute

What am I afraid of?
My answer's loaded, but I won't lie
Others may tell you heights and darkness
While some exclaim they're scared to die

As for myself
I've looked death in the eye
I'm not as afraid of it
As I am telling those I love goodbye

My body trembles in fear
When losing a parent comes to mind
It becomes difficult to swallow
Realizing life grants us such little time

And as I age
It's not poverty or debt
Or rejection I dread,
But a life others might soon forget

For my purpose is grand
I believe in myself and stand confidently by this
While I'm meant to inspire others
My greatest fear is regret of an opportunity missed

© JL Smith

A fire burns within
Each flame igniting desires
For a passion I must pursue
Broiling my blood, searing every fiber

I once questioned why it chose me
Tried to fend it off for good,
But birth dealt me as a dreamer
Persistent imagination into adulthood

These words consist of power
Its control bestowed upon the unique
The responsibility of my talent
To share what others sincerely seek

Commitment and dedication
Discipline and sleepless nights
Believing in something bigger
Triumphant against all plights

As strength endures heartache
And my will to succeed prevails
My words shield me from naysayers
Because not everyone understand what my path entails

© JL Smith

My love knows no bounds
Traveling deeper than the roots of a wild fig tree
Immersing into the darkest depths of the Pacific Ocean
Beyond the lowest valley in the grandest canyon
To Earth's most southern continent where it's frozen
Unrestrained, infinite, absolute
My love is given freely to whom I choose
I pray along my journey
I'll meet the one who reciprocates this truth

© JL Smith

I diverged
From the foreseen path most follow--
The route adhered to avert one's fears
Instead, I boldly strayed into the uncharted
Inquiring answers to what ifs and the unclear

© JL Smith