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

You asked if I get lonely
And admitted that you do
Living alone requires bravery
Something I've grown accustomed to

I breathe in the scent of memories
And exhale a new-found freedom
This time alone strengthens my character
God knows it's what I needed

But you asked if I get lonely
And truthfully, I do
Whether together or independent
We all feel it at times, but push through

For Love resides around the corner
Followed by Laughter and its comrade, Joy
You see, loneliness may try to isolate,
But Faith always defeats its ploy

© JL Smith

I fell in love
You fell in lust
I broke your plans
You broke my trust

© JL Smith

These tears, I'll remember--
Not of pain, but of bliss
To come from nothing,
To hear I'm nothing
I dreamt of bright, city lights
On the coast
A place in books and film,
A place I never visited
Yet, somehow, I dearly missed
That matched my spirit,
That matched my energy
Deep inside
That never slept
And I promised myself
One day, I'll see you,
One day, I'll walk those steps
Amid the tallest skyscrapers
Along with dreamers who never rest
Today, I did
Today, I felt at home among strangers
Some singing, some partially dressed
A melting *** of beauty,
A melting *** of truth
Everyone here has a story
And it's vibrantly confessed
An immigrant's hope
A young woman's liberation from her past
I cried tears of joy upon a park bench
Fulfilling a promise to a young girl afraid to act

© JL Smith

THOUSANDS of faces from morning 'till dusk
The familiar, the strange
Over YOURS, I still lust

© JL Smith

As the glue grasps the shards
And the splint heals the bone
Your love mends my heart's pieces
Repairing what's broken by thrown stones

© JL Smith

Unapologetically
I am becoming myself
No longer resisting
The impulse

To speak my mind
To write veraciously
To stand alone

Confidently
I am embracing myself
No longer doubting
The belief

I am capable
I am influential
I am resilient

Patiently
I am forgiving myself
No longer burdening
The guilt

Of disappointment
Of pride
Of anger

Wholeheartedly
I am loving myself
No longer surrendering
My need

For peace
For grace
For miracles

© JL Smith

One of these nights
As I gaze upon the Texas sky
I'll lasso the moon
And hail a ride
Among a shooting star
A flash of light
Dark's brightest story
My meteoric flight

© 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

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

Pieces of the heart:
Right and left atrium
A set of ventricles
Separated by a septum
The aorta and blood vessels, too
Working together
Pumping life through this body,
But every day
I give bits of it away
As appreciation,
As an "I love you."

© JL Smith

Dig deeper--
For the answers you seek
Require travel farther beneath
An ambiguous surface
Along a foundation of strength
Tracing the tips of my roots
Is where you'll discover
My soul, my truth

© JL Smith

I remember--
I must've been a little younger than five
The first time I learned of letting go
Peeking around my mom's recliner
Staring tearfully at the screen
Dorothy said goodbye to the Scarecrow

We formed a friendship, an unlikely pair
Me poking fun at your lack of brains
You encouraging me as I followed a dream
Down my winding, yellow-brick lane

You were there for me first
Seeing me through every storm
Communicating in the darkest of nights
As I hid fearfully from a tornado that formed

A journey full of memories
A bond strengthened through time
I've always found you most intelligent
And whether I stay or go--
I'll remember there's no place like home
When your love is mine

© JL Smith

They'll think I'm crazy for this,
But I'm certain they already do
You're not here yet,
But I'm confident someday in the future
The world sure is gonna welcome you

You'll be bright
A shining star
With a head full of curls
Always setting the bar

You'll be kind
Looking out for others
With a smile
Patient, like a Southerner

You'll be humble
A skilled listener
With arms open
For any visitor

You'll be witty
Eliciting laughter from many
With joy as your purpose
And remarkably friendly

You'll be loving
Deeply, so deeply
With a heart
Crafted ever uniquely

You're not here yet,
But someday we'll meet
For now, you'll remain in my heart
As I count its beats

Until I witness these words
Of all that you'll be
I know of their truth
Because you'll inherit them from me

© JL Smith

As my type whispers
Yes, as it softly speaks
Through emphasis of pressed ink
It reveals my secrets,
Desires and fears
Listen with your heart
Rather than your ears

© 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

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

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

What you ask for
I promise I'd try to give
But all I've known
Are patterns of brokenness
I'm not willing to relive

I've heard it before,
"I'll never turn my back"
But all I've known
Are watching the ones I've loved
Leave before they fully unpack

I cling to your words
I'm fascinated, I'll admit
But all I've known
Are promises spun from lies
Absent of action, no one who commits

And yet, I promised I'd try
Here I go, up I climb
Even though all I've known
Are heartaches and blows
I'll attempt to trust, one last time

© JL Smith

Love greets you
In the morning
Amid the afternoon
And evening, too

But what I receive
I must ration
To keep me
Pulling through

The difference is
You're greedy
Needs become desires
And thus, you pursue

While my chest's
Ripped open revealing
My *****
Beating loyally for you

And so here I am
Left wondering
If there's anything
I can do

To contain
All this emotion
As both contempt and love
Cloud my view

© JL Smith

Let me remind you,
a nomad's observing--
You question your path,
as it becomes increasingly swerving
The pack's grown heavy,
but you must advance
For when you lease expect it,
your actions influence those
who have reached an impasse

© JL Smith

I've never labeled myself a singer
My voice is rather shy,
But after we spoke
My heart belted an operatic cry

© 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

When the world casts its shadow
And the trusted disappoint
When the dependable get busy
And the wise become silent
When love feels distant
And confidence falls short
When left alone with my thoughts
I write miracles to save myself

© JL Smith

And so who declares
What's rEaL or iLlUsIoN
For when I met you
A L L became hAlLuCiNaTiOn

© JL Smith

Today, God sent me an angel
It appeared at my doorstep
Ringing my doorbell
Trading wings for footsteps

The one I had prayed for
A guardian I've needed for years
Finally, you found me
In your arms, abolishing my fears

Others overlooked
A few did try
Giving up in the process
I continued questioning why

It took three decades
Until you walked into my life
I've survived through it all
Partaking in joy, contending my strife

His planning is perfect
We both have learned
All I have given is love
And now it's been returned

© JL Smith

And I swear to God
I'm not strong enough
To face this pain again
I felt something was there,
But not to this extent

My **** heart will never learn
You've obliterated it to pieces
Investing trust and secrets
From all its deepest creases

Before I lost a lover,
But now my closest friend
You're selfish and you know it
You've lost nothing in the end

Go on, get back to living
Your life before I arrived
Pretend this heart didn't love you
With everything inside

I can fake a pretty good smile
So, don't worry, no one will know,
But the one you once gave me
Will forever cease to show

© 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

Please stop presuming
Something that is not

You walked in at my lowest
Took advantage, began to plot

I'm no stranger to these motives
More astute than you've given thought

What you want, won't be given
Shift direction
And that which you've sought

© JL Smith

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

© JL Smith

Stop, dear girl
Savor this moment
The world spins fast enough
Don't forget the present
Before it's stolen

© JL Smith

In the quietest moments
Yes, the deafening silence
When life becomes still
As breathing breaks
Slowing the heart rate
Time halts
While reality dreams
I hear your voice
Echoing within
The walls of my organs
Vibrating my bones
And while I'm away
Here, you'll stay
Loudly, boldly
Professing your love,
My home and safe haven
In the quietest moments
While I'm away
I hear your voice
Promise me, you'll stay

© JL Smith

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

© JL Smith

It is said that
Blood is thicker than water,
But my friend,
You quenched my desert thirst
As I wandered

© JL Smith

How soothing
The sound of rain
As it trickles across
My rooftop
Reminds me of
The summer day
We danced along
My sidewalk

© 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

Wasn't it you
Who taught me to believe in myself?
Now I do,
But you don't
And it hurts like hell

© JL Smith

As the man on the street corner
Sings his blues
So my fingers type each bruise

To experience such joy
In only a moment
I had first witnessed pain
Years, broken and molded

Look closer, dig deeper
You'll begin to see
To the eyes we scream sadness
But it's persistence and strength

He belts from his soul
About the love he had lost
But he stands before the world
Sharing his song at all costs

I speak through my rhymes
About the hurt I've endured
But I reveal each scar
As I've grown and matured

He'll keep singing his song
I'll keep writing my words
To share our stories of ache
As we persist, undeterred

© 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

You and I have similar hearts
Different stories forming its parts,
But what I feel you've felt before
An outside smile while inside waging war

You gathered it quickly
How I'll invite you in with me
Your patience and listening
Unconditional love, persisting

You don't sugarcoat the truth
Yet, you protect and soothe
Walking beside me, I don't need to be carried
Allowing independence and growth, not burying

You see something of yourself within me
Maybe secretly praying I don't flee,
But let me share with you what I'm thinking
I'm beginning to trust you as you save me from sinking

© 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

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

This blanket brings warmth to most everyone
Yet, when I wrap it around me I seem colder
Yearning to thaw the frost from my bones
Within your arms, I melt while you smolder

© JL Smith

Don't lie to yourself
To appease the impostor
Break formation
Rearrange your posture

You're handed a rule book
Embedded tradition
Expected performance
But not your audition

Reject their measure
Conclude your own
Never accept majority
If you can't condone

© JL Smith

I must have erased this
A hundred times
The truth is
I feared loneliness
As it peaked at bedtime

Someone once spent a fortune
Of time on me
Implanting ideas
I'd amount to nothing
"Just wait and see"
I wasn't worthy of love
Something out of my reach
I worked myself to the bone
To earn nothing
Of what was promised or preached
And one day Someone left,
But I've managed to survive
While those poisonous thoughts
Continued to eat me alive

Time does pass
As wounds heal slowly
My loved ones remind me to laugh
And look after me closely
I'm grateful for them
And for guidance from Above
I can fall asleep peacefully
Knowing I am loved

I'm confident
Someone wouldn't recognize me now
I'm stronger, wiser, less lonely
But I don't question how

For you see, the answer's obvious
Granting me tenacity of a fighter
All along, my strength's been within
Loving myself through words on a typewriter

© 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

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

It's frightening
The way your words
Control my breathing
The power behind
Their meaning

Deep breath
Ache in my chest
Released slowly
Vulnerability professed

Your critique, my crutch
Speech impersonating touch
Promises recast
Within my mind, steadfast

Forfeited resistance
Ears attuned to your voice

Heavy breathing
Rapid beating
Words imprinted
On the walls
As our hearts rejoice

© JL Smith

I see you hurting
And fear there's not much I can do
The truth sometimes shatters hope,
But I promise, a little goodness remains, too

Maybe in time you'll see
You never truly lost what you need
At times, what you want
Isn't what's best, but misleads

Though if you wish to kick and scream
Shout to the Heavens on your knees
Cry in a corner or curse freely
I'll stand by--now and always--caring deeply

© JL Smith

Sometimes
My greatest strength
Requires surrender of weight
Trusting a Higher Power
Intercedes to lift
While I maintain faith

© JL Smith