I walk a tightrope and its a fine one
Between genius and insanity
Seeing connections even when there are none

God, I hope I don't fall.

From the smell in your eye
And the look of your perfume
I assume you'll turn my room,
And sense, upside down and inside
                      out.

Sometimes brilliance is a broken light
Flashing on and off of it's own accord.
Blinding and flickering in synchrony.

Sometimes brilliance is a fickle *****
Flipping the switch of discord
-******. I lost it. Oh the irony.

See, sometimes we're inspired
And sometimes we're not.
You can tell the difference by a lot
Of instances in which brilliance fades
Like when you need the Ace of Spades
For that beautiful royal flush
But you've got a full house of mush and gush so you hush and blush at every word and signal thrown your way because at the end of the day all you are is summed up in the words you didn't say to those around you. The people you've lifted and the people you let fall, count it up, count it all. All the times brilliance failed and all the times you've prevailed are more than just a flickering light. They are your guide and they are your sight. Embrace them while you can for they just might be extinguished at the end of the night.

As I sit, I stare
At the lake before me.
In peace, without a care
I can think clearly.

A green fir, rooted strong
Parallel across the lake
I have known it my life long
Never once thought it to be at stake.

The tree took root,
Simultaneous to me
I never ventured off route
And neither did he.

One, Five, Ten, and Eighteen
We matured, or so we thought
Together we’d careen
Into ideas and what we’d been taught.

Then wires, as if grown,
Creeped out of my tree
Threads, thin and tight, were sown
Reaching out to me.

“Pull!”, and like a bride’s gown
Down came my tree
I watched it topple down
As I left for University.

Sometimes I catch myself
Thinking about things that aren't,
Nor could ever be
Actualities unwarranted:

Things uncentered
Things unseen
Things undone,
If you know what I mean.

Movies reeling constant
But only in my mind's eye
So you play the parts
And it would be my

Honor to catch you
Thinking the same
Daydream. Only,
You have the script.. And I hope it's not a game.

Sometimes I catch myself
Thinking the oddest things.
What if's and why not's
Barge into my clarity and stings
The beautiful scene I observe in you.

Simply:
You paint me a picture,
I'll sing you a song.
You kiss me, I'll hold you
And we'll right all the wrong.

I'm dying from the cancer that you breathe into my lungs;
Lies and love like cigarets on a tortured tongue.

Seriously? Positive? You’ve got to be joking me.
Optimism at it’s finest could only be realism at it’s worst.
Mesmerized by this thought, enchanted by it’s cold hard consistency
Enthralled was I to mock “positive”, and keep my lips pursed.
Then it hit me. No, it literally hit me.
If I just pound this podium a few times
Maybe I’ll channel some of doc’s “positivity”  pound podium
Ehh, guess that wasn’t a symptom; merely a sign
So what is this “battle plan”, and who really cares about mine?

I’ll tell you who, and it
Took until now for me to understand
Simply smiling is like positive quicksand

Little did I know, nor did I comprehend
Even the tiniest grin is a god-send
The mirror first, then a friend
Tomorrow is uncertain, so I recommend
Investing one in the nearest stranger
Never underestimate the smile, this game changer
Gets some through the day

Give the gift of smiles
Others need this Holiday.

Overall, there’s not even a word you need to say
For a smile is universal in every way.

This was the goal
Here was my contribution to this positive revolution:
Enlighten another soul.

The mirrors we look at every sunrise
Hair tangled, bags beneath the eyes
Internally determining how much this day is going to **** (sighs)
Now, hit rewind and you might be surprised
Getting off to a good start is simply devised:
Smile your warmest, stupidest, squintiest smile: regardless of its size

There is the secret ingredient in the positive pie
Having your hearty morning smile, with eggs on the sunny side
And this idea I vehemently used to deny
Thinking, “smile? In the morning? I’d rather die.”

Heath Ledger once said “Why. So. Serious?”
Ehh, he had a point!
Life can be a joke, especially when we’re delirious
Put the pout to the side, don’t be so furious

Unconditionally accept we all have ups and downs
Smile like an idiot, because aren’t the sounds

Involved with that deep, tear jerking laughter just
Ninety nine times better than a good morning grunt?

All I had to do was send a
Little smile in someone’s direction
Lift their spirits, make a connection

This is who cared about my “battle plan”
Hell, who knows? Maybe I even saved a man.
Ego aside, let’s do the best we can

With others, we can do our best to understand
Right from wrongs done, our own personal brand
Of happiness, that like flames needs to be fanned
Nothing is like that morning smile witnessed firsthand
Give that gift away, make it look easy and unplanned

Why? Because the unexpected gifts are the best
And to this I do attest
Yes, we have all been truly blessed:
Smile at each other and forget all the rest.

I smiled at those who passed, regardless of popular or outcast, and how I’ve seen a change. Doors have opened to relationships and thoughts I never conceived possible for a realist like me, I really was blind but now I see how powerful is this “positivity”. How much have we all grown? These seeds we’ve sown from you, to you, to you, to me, to that kid who sits by himself, to that girl who spilled her iced tea,: these are all the connections we’ve made, and there are more that would and could be if we only smile, say hello (or if we’re really brave) would you go out with me? The morning smile is the first step towards a “yes”, this is my guarantee. A smile is like a master key to all bliss (aaannnnddd maybe even a kiss ;)). Just like a great slam poet once said: “If you’ve got this (head), then you follow this (heart), and if someone ever tries to judge you, you give them this (smile)”.

We all question our sanity,
Or insanity, for that matter
Moments of blankness, staring into
Eternity and wondering "who am I",
Not "who have I become?"

After brief concentration our
Response rapidly
Evolves, and then some-

Thing clicks.
Heels on the floor
Enticing me to succumb.

Diverting my attention,
Effortlessly thwarting
Another perfectly good
Thought that was pre-
Heated, only partially done.

Out of the frying pan and into the
Fire tends to be a rule of thumb

Maybe this last time,
Eternity won.

~
                                                               ­                      E  W
                                                            ­                         v         i
                                                               ­                      e               t
                                                               ­                      r                    h  
                                        ­                                             N                     N
                                                               ­                      o                       o
                                                               ­                      t                    Lights
                                     ­                                                i                         ?
                                                               ­                      c
                                                               ­                      e
                                                               ­                      T
                                                               ­                      h
                                                               ­                      i
                                                               ­                      n
                                                               ­                      g
                                                               ­                      s
                                                               ­              Are Brighter

How I missed, how I missed the wonder in your eyes
The smiles at our hellos, and the pouts at our goodbyes
How we kissed, how we kissed only heaven could have devised
The passion with the moon, and the beauty of sunrise

How I wish, how I wish on stars to make this bloom
The stars over your bed, and windows of your room
How we squish, how we swish the smell of your perfume
The blankets with the pillows, and the smile to resume

How it is, how it is will be left for fate to tell
The anxious of a call, and the sound of the bell
How it tis, how it tis will beyond me compel
The things I do, and do them well.
So please don’t give me hell,
Just answer your cell.

As a maze is to the eye, I am to all. Winding and wearing, my walls impossibly tall. Here, turns are the
Words
and dead ends the Actions. Spirals are the days, and red herrings, my                                                                  ­                                                 Attractions.                                                                  ­                                                                 ­                      With each
                                                            ­                                                         Who dare
                                                            ­                                                  Enter,
        ­                                                                 ­                   Two Paths
                                                           ­                  They All
                                                             ­   Choose.
                                       One abandons
                       All Hope
   The Other,
Nothing
To Lose.
But none have made the journey,
                                     none to the
                                            core.
              For all who enter,
                                           leave and say
           "no more! no more!"
                     Here I have planted this garden that others accuse a maze.
                                                                ­                                                  A beautiful           creation covered by haze. But all that is seen is monstrous,
                                                          a trick of the daze.
Months and years at the center have been all of my stays.
Here I will watch and wait for the One who makes it, and is amazed.
                                                                ­                                              By all I have built, all I have dreamed and every aspiration and desperation has seemed
                                    to build this
                                                             wonderful,
                                                              wandering
                                                                ­  place.
                                                  You who hear my case,
                                              I invite you to take that space.
              Be the One who makes it, leave all others to be commonplace.

A beard to hide the scars
And a bottle to drown the pain.
We don't know who you are,
But we want you screaming our name.

Pondering change
Keeps things the same
The more you think
The more you mame

Your
Mem
or
ie
s
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