It's been said,
If you love something
Let it go

So you did
And I'm free,

But I'll return
Knowing

You love me

© JL Smith

Alone again,
But not lonely
Accepted solitude
As tranquility
Your fear
My freedom
Exploring my depth
Releasing my demons
Core settles
In tune
Mind opens
Heart composes
Serenity and beauty
Heeding inner voice
Spiritual rejoice
Gratitude
Emotional latitude
Flows freely
Rejecting the judgmental,
Artificial
Open to growth
Affirming an oath
Confident in myself
Purpose in moving forward
Trusting my gut
Relying on Superiority
The One and Only
Alone again,
But not lonely

© JL Smith

Pause like a comma
Breath hesitates
Anticipating distraction
Contemplating mistake
Throat dry as desert
Words clamped to tongue
Exchange of introductions
And we've only just begun

© JL Smith

I'm divorcing my demons
To engage in angelic flight
Your proposal of grace
Weds me to Light

© JL Smith

My mind, madness
Overpowered by rhyme,
But no reason
Just emotions embedded
Beneath my surface
Exuding words
Written, not spoken
Dreaming in syllables
Replaying rhythm
Piecing poetry together
From what most keep hidden

© JL Smith

You're deep in thought
As I look your way
Awaiting your glance
To lead you astray
I caught your attention
Like I usually do
There's the smile I sought
I give you mine, too

© JL Smith

I've been told
I feel too much
I overreact
As I'm easily judged
I overthink
Fervently speak
You dismiss my beliefs
And enforce critique

I've accepted your view
It's not mine to change
But open your mind
As our perspectives exchange

It's a gift and a curse
This heart of mine
For those I love or barely know
I'd drop everything, in the blink of an eye

It's true,
I feel ten times more than you
Your words hold the power
To rip me in two

But also know
I laugh louder than most
Joy floods my veins
Insanely compassionate--diagnosed

Worn heart on my sleeve
Isn't that what they say?
My emotions revealed
Requires more strength than you display

I choose to see good
In most everyone I meet
The world is cold enough
I empathize, I know how it mistreats

The spirit of a child
My soul in search of wonder
At the sight of the ocean
Or the clapping of thunder

I believe this is beauty
A mystery most won't comprehend
I'd face the demons before you
If it meant your nightmares end

I'll never stop feeling so deeply
Believe me when I say I've tried
Every fiber of me is stitched in love
An easy target, but you're welcome inside

© JL Smith

Memories of my past
Forgive me,
I would ask
Not at fault
But at your feet
To earn your love
To hold my keep

© JL Smith

I have heard
The waves of the ocean
The songbird perched in height
I have heard
The giggle of a small child
The whistle of a train at night
I have heard
The melodies of grand symphonies
The rumble of thunder
And fireworks, too
But I considered myself deaf
Until I heard, "I love you."

© JL Smith

Today,
It's worth letting you
Borrow my heart
So, you can feel
What it's like
To love yourself
The way I do

© JL Smith

I
Sit
Beside
You
In
Silence
As
Our
Hearts
Converse

© JL Smith

You ask me why I go
Because no one's requested that I stay
You wonder why I run
Because I've grown exhausted of this place

You think you know my heart,
But it's still searching for its home
You attempt to negotiate,
But this soul already roams

You dream I follow yours
Yet, they consist of sleep
While mine encourage growth
Your story reads as fiction
While I live mine under oath

© JL Smith

Oh, how I fear death
But welcome your touch
That stops my heart

© JL Smith

What is love?

It's catching your glance
With everyone's eyes on us,
But no one else speaks the language
Our souls silently discuss

© JL Smith

And most won't get it
Some never do
But it wasn't meant for them
This is about you

© JL Smith

Oh, how the echoes of your voice
Wake the terrors of my mind

Perturbed by deafening volume
Ceaseless in passing time

Subdued conscience
Manipulation at its prime

Questioning validity
Was I guilty of the crime?

Hush these demons, now
The evils mimicking the mime

Grasp that's what the wicked do
Attempt to create themselves within you

© JL Smith

It's not for all
Only a select few
Born with a gift,
But devoted daily
To refining it, too

My writers, my poets
This Ode is for you
Who pound fists upon desks,
Crumble paper into *****
When our words feel askew

Our kryptonite, Achilles' heel
Writer's block--If our readers only knew
Ravaging our brain for hours,
Studying fellow authors' work
For inspiration--a breakthrough

"Ah! Now it flows"
Placing pen upon paper
"No, that's no good"
Tear it, rip it, shred it
To pieces

But don't give up,
Don't get too down on yourself
Though a perfectionist, grammar ****
Believe in your words--
Worthy of the Best Sellers' shelf

For my dear friends and fellow poets
Unaware of your words reach
Remember where you started,
But understand your power--
Touching lives of so many you many never meet

© JL Smith

The drizzle
Lightly caressed my skin
Reminisced by a
Past lover's grin
I paused
I waited
Not for the gentle,
The timid,
The shy
But the roar of the sky
Birds seeking shelter
This is my high
The clapping of thunder
The absent passerby
Gone is the moon
Welcome, Monsoon
My sins washed away
A downpour
Wishing you had stayed

© JL Smith

Ticktock,
Drip drop
The voices of this house
Speak to me
And yet,
More comforting
Than the silence
We lived in
Before you left
Your key

© JL Smith

Calm my heart
And steady these hands
Grant peace among my distress
As the evening moon
Cools desert sands
Ease my frustration
As I rely heavily on faith
I trust in your promises
As droughts await your rain

© JL Smith

I departed the city
To tally the stars,
But my thoughts of you
Lifted me among them
Between the moon and Mars

© JL Smith

And if I would have loved myself
The way I loved you
I wouldn't know the pain
I do

© JL Smith

You ask me
To go for a swim,
But you stand there
Treading water
As I drown
In the
Deep
End

© JL Smith

Tie your laces
And watch your step
Don't fall for this heart
That hasn't healed yet

© JL Smith

I'm not familiar with
The meaning of pretend
For the truth is what I offer
Even if it's what you bend

© JL Smith

Don't come too close
My edges are sharp
These shards of glass
Protect my heart

But in you stepped
Wounded, yourself
Oblivious to my defenses
A heart compelled

It once beat slowly
Now you've quickened its pace
How did you manage
To bear its weight

You're strong, I see
No novice to pain
The reasons I'm guarded
You've already sustained

Different pasts
Yet, similar journeys
I'll bandage your wounds
While you kiss away my worries

© JL Smith

Don't wait
For a reason
That may never come
Be kind regardless--
It conceives love

© JL Smith

Please don't wander my way
For I know you're not willing to stay
Your clouded skies once cast shadows,
But now my blue paints over your gray

© JL Smith

Tempted,
The sky's first droplet
Kissed the back
Of my neck
At once,
I was reminded
Of your lips
Caressing my flesh

© JL Smith

What I desire
Is no more
Than you revealing
What's inside
Your head

But alas,
Pulling teeth,
Extracting nails--
Comes so much easier
Instead

© JL Smith

You're gentle to others,
So be kind to yourself
Your spirit uplifts,
So eradicate self-doubt
Your humor arouses joy,
Laugh rather than pout
But above all,
Keep smiling, Precious Soul

Signed sincerely,
Myself

© JL Smith

I sit down at my desk
Placing trust in these keys
My world comes alive
As blood surges through me

Every letter I punch
Each stanza I create
Transfers a piece of my heart
Across this paper--my stage

An audience who relates
Commending acts of my play,
But never a witness behind scenes
To an emotionally intoxicated Hemingway

For the performance you see
Is my truth and it takes toll,
But reliving memories while writing
Is worth touching my readers' beautiful souls

© JL Smith

O, my heart!
With each pulse arrives ache
Not for thyself,
But my dear friend, far away

Before you told your tale--
I already knew
You see, it's captured in your eyes
And perceived through my view

Most have witnessed rock bottom,
But you sank deeper into its subterranean room
Don't fear, for I once visited
And believe I can guide you through

I know it hurts,
Sometimes so much your lungs forget to breathe
I've lived your anger,
Placing trust in the one breaking promises to me

But slowly and delicately
Your heart will reform
Stronger, yet softer
A little different than before

And when you feel desolate,
Absent of warmth
Listen to your inner voice reminding you
Times heals all wounds and transforms

© JL Smith

Please don't attempt
To presume what they want
Inspiration may lead to action,
But sharing heartache
Evokes warmth

You so easily judged and labeled:
"Woe is me"--imaginary fluff,
But let me remind you
Job and Shakespeare coined that phrase
Knowing well, how this world is rough

I'm reflected within these words
You can't choose which I share
Not all of what you read will you comprehend
For your shoulders are inexperienced
Of the burden mine bear

© JL Smith

Maybe that's why my eyes stray to the skies
Toward the bird in flight
The rising sun's delight
The stars at night
The moon glowing bright
For my home is the Heavens
And one day I'll return
But for now, I'll relish nature's presence

© JL Smith

Give me your eyes
For they're desperately sought by mine
My mind's diseased
Like a plague set before the Red Sea--
Distraught, a catastrophe
And a heavy heart
Anchored absently
Set ablaze for the crowds who gather
To fan the flames
Fueling in contemptuous laughter
My spirit pirouetting wildly
A cyclone spinning violently
But its eye--calm by design
Give me yours
For they're desperately sought by mine

© JL Smith

In two days
I'll follow the wind
Whichever way it blows
However it will send

I've been running in circles
Yet, idle in this spot
Caught in routine
Prisoner of thoughts

In two days
I'm a stranger somewhere new
Open to change
Alternative views

I'd prefer your company,
But I know you're needed here
It's time my freedom finds the highway
And my troubles steer clear

In two days
I'll follow the wind
Whichever way it blows
However it will send

© JL Smith

And if your patience grows short
Remember
How winter's snow
Awaits fall's last leaf
How the blackbird's song
Serenades only after our sleep
And every flower blossoms
In its own time
Sometimes,
When you least expect it
Love arrives

© JL Smith

Ninety-nine percent of the time
The truth is brutal
It'll knock you on your back
You'll lie there positioned fetal
Praying it cuts you slack

As for me,
I continue to bear my soul
While most fear truth
I disclose the untold

My ninety-nine percent
Consists of a night owl
And a midnight snack
Laughing until my gut wrenches
And researching odd facts

My truth
Subsists of stubborness
I blame my dad for that
Tears form when I get angry,
But I forgive, rather than fight back

My reality
Reveals clearly
I'm a dreamer wandering an offbeat path
I've been told my goal's improbable,
But I believe in magic after solving the math

And honestly,
My heart falls swiftly
For the one I can't have
And to the ones who wanted me,
I can't force feelings that I lack

Ninety-nine percent of the time
The truth is brutal
It'll knock you on your back
I've shared my proportion,
And it's worth enduring to reach
My one percent of liberation after that

© JL Smith

And like my dessert,
I'd choose you first.

© JL Smith

Give me
Star-filled skies
Or
Bright, city lights
Poetry in books
Or
Breathtaking sights
Give me
Rain outside my window
Or
Vinyl on repeat
Warm tea, an old sofa
Or
Stranger to meet
Give me
Rips in my denim
Or
Converse on my feet
The scenic route
Or
Hole-in-the-wall place to eat
Give me
Rustic or antique
Or
Quiet time
Alone so I can think
Give me
Beauty through art
And
Passion in romance
A captivating smile
And
Invitation to dance

© JL Smith

Your eyes exclaimed beauty
Witnessing my face
Behind its cosmetic mask
I didn't expect any attention,
But your admiration
Stopped this heart in its tracks

© JL Smith

As you read this
Know that I am near

You may not see me
Nor will you hear

But trust me when I tell you,
Place your hand on your heart

Inside--that beating
Is me playing my part

With each thump that's felt
And the space in between

There my love resides
For only you, witnessing the unseen

© JL Smith

Tonight, I planned to write of strength,
But as I'm honest to the core
Tonight, I'll share I'm weak
Though I try my best to encourage peace
Tonight, I'll admit there's war within me
And as I wrestle with these words
Tonight, the tears surrender easily,
But maybe there's courage after my fall
Tomorrow, a blank page awaits to inspire and enthrall

© JL Smith

So, maybe my head's always lived in the clouds
My lanky legs carried me too fast lifting me off the ground
You demand I descend and embrace the conventional
Abide by the rules, conform, fade to black--forgettable
But as I look down, you're all running in circles
Chasing immediate pleasures, shying from hurdles
I'll admit it's a risk, though too many fear heights and flying
Yet up here, my vision is clearest soaring after the horizon

© JL Smith

You can pause
Catch your breath,
But don't give up
Don't you quit

Deep inside
Dwells a gift
Unique to you
Unlike the rest

The world awaits
Embrace your fate
Expose the truth
Eliminate hate

Knocked down
Rise to your feet
Persevere, my friend
Your strength defeats

© JL Smith

Your feet drift from foundation
Your eyes instinctively close
Your stomach somersaults
Your heart, momentarily froze

Your eyes begin to open
Engrossed by the beauty of our globe
You've overcome your fear

Spread your wings,
Enjoy the show

© 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 guarantee there will be times
Where their voices will carry you over a mountain

I guarantee there will be times
Where their backs will turn, silencing the cheers and shouting

I guarantee there will be moments
Where your goals seem within reach

I guarantee there will be moments
Where your progress will fall under siege

I guarantee there will be days
Where your dedication is rewarded

I guarantee there will be days
Where your effort is unsupported

I guarantee there will be nights
Where your dreams keep you awake

I guarantee there will be mornings
Where your fears will dominate

But I promise through it all
If you never quit your chase

I guarantee you'll reach your dream
Only you can keep the faith

© JL Smith

Yesterday,
My mirror reflected fear
Today,
Tenacity appeared
Acceptance of self
Riddance of doubt
An unstoppable force
Enough to shout

I am strong
I am wise
I'm a daughter and sister
At times,
A hurricane and a twister
I'm forgiving
And a patient listener

I am comedic
I am empathetic
I'm a lover and fighter
But mostly,
A heart-on-the-sleeve writer
Sometimes complex
Not easily deciphered

But I'm human
And I'm honest
Pledging loyalty to my friends
I try my best to encourage and inspire
An adventurous spirit, old soul
Steadfast faith until the end

© JL Smith