Some say
    I'm  too  sensitive.
       But  truth  is
          I  just  feel
            too much.
    Every word, every
           action and
     every energy, ever
              thought,
          goes straight
                    to
             the heart.
                                                                                           Jon York   2019

This bright new day... complete with
24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitudes
cannot be exchanged, replaced or refunded,
so handle it with care and make the most of it
for there is only one per person.

There are no mistakes, only lessons
so love yourself, trust your choices,
and everything is possible and don't let
your circumstances harden you so much
that you become resentful and afraid,
just let them soften you and make you kinder
because you always have that choice.

Whether you accept life or not
is not really a choice because
really the only choice is how
and always know that "heaven on earth"
is a choice that you must make,
not a place that you find.

We have two choices in this life
and they are to accept things the way they are
or to accept responsibility for changing them
and know that in a time of crisis
all expectations, all pride and all fear of embarrassment or failure
will just fall away leaving only
what is truly important.

Once we start to see the beauty of love and life,
the ugliness that is all around us
starts to disappear and we can begin to enjoy
the life that we are in and we can also realize
that all of the peace, wisdom and joy in the universe
is already within us and we don't have to
gain, develop, or attain them because
all we really need to do is to open our eyes
and realize what is already here
and who we really are.

Learn much from those who have gone before you
and from them learn perfect patience, perfect wisdom,
perfect compassion and always believe
that you will ultimately succeed
at whatever you do,
never forgetting the value of persistence
and never forgetting that the highest
form of wisdom is kindness.

Learn to live for others and they will live for you
and learn that the problem is not that there are problems
but that the problem is expecting otherwise
and know that our time here is limited
so don't waste it living someone else's life which
will lead to strange days indeed.                                   Jon York          2013

Passion +
    consistency
     = success.
                                                                                         Jon York   2019

You  and  me
                       in bed all day.

                       Doing some
                        seriously
                      naughty  ****.
                                                                                   Jon York   2019

I have thought
my entire life I needed
oceans or mountains
  or bright city lights
         to be happy.
           Truth is:
  I do not care where
              I am
          as long as I
          have you.

                   I
           want to be
                 that
           person you
    can't stop thinking
                about
         when you're
        surrounded by
           people who
             aren't me.
                                                                                            Jon York   2019

ATTRACT  what  you EXPECT,  REFLECT  what   you  
     DESIRE,  BECOME what you  RESPECT  and MIRROR  
     what  you  ADMIRE  and  
     DECIDE,  COMMIT, SUCCEED and may your  heart be  
     BRAVE,  your   mind  FIERCE  and  your  spirit   FREE.

    Be   STRONG   but  not   RUDE  and  be  KIND  but  not  
    WEAK  and  be  HUMBLE  but   not TIMID and PROUD
    but not ARROGANT and  be  so  BUSY  LOVING  LIFE  
    that  you  have  no  time  ­for   HATE, REGRET,  WORRY
    or  FRET and FEAR.  

    ALL  YOUR  LIFE you  will  be  faced  with a  CHOICE-
     --  you  can  choose  LOVE  or  HATE.  I  choose LOVE,
     which  comes  as  quite  a surprise to those who  know  
     me  because  of  what   I  had   to  go  through  in  the
     Vietnam  war  and  after  returning   home   to  a  HATE  
     Vietnam  Veteran's  public.

    I choose not to be the person who needs someone, I choose
    to  be  the  person  someone  needs.  In  one  lifetime you  
    will  love  many times, but one love will  remain  in  your
    soul forever.   A  comfort  zone  is  a  beautiful  place, but
    nothing grows there.  I've  been  taught  to enjoy  my own
    company instead of expecting someone else to make you
    happy.

     EXPLAIN  your  ANGER, don't EXPRESS  it and you will
     immediately open  the  door  to  SOLUTIONS  instead of
     ARGUMENTS  and  surround  yourself  with people who
     will  make  you   HUNGRY  for  LIFE,  touch  your  heart,
    and NOURISH  your SOUL.                                            Jon York  2020

Do you like what you see,
when you look in the mirror ?
Or does the image just bring a tear.

Does the person that you see,
just want to be free of the
guilt for what you have
done to yourself, and of all
of the things that you didn't
do when you had the chance
to dance.

Just missed by a fraction you
tell the image, and why did
you let it slip away, why didn't
you take action ?
Were you thinking that the chance
might be back someday ?

Tell the image," the time is now,
do what you have to do,
to get it right.
Now is all that we have, don't
live in the past, let it shape you,
and give you a direction.

Learn to love what you see in the
mirror and this will set you free.
Try to understand what you need
to do, in order to love others.

Our time here is so short,
listen to what you hear,
and get rid of your fears.

Hold life to be dear, and
let it be clear that it all is
up to you, what you have to do.

Learn to respect what you see
in the mirror, and be thankful
that you are able to understand
the image that is looking at you.
                                            Jon York    2010

Healing   comes  from  taking   responsibility:

To realize that it is you - and no one else - that

creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions.
                                                                                         Jon York   2019

TASTE HER
     when she
     pleads with you,
     "tie me up and
     tease me until
     I beg you
     to release me."
     slow,
     long,
     with focus,
     deeply,
     unhurried,
     playfully,
     passionately,
     lovingly,
     delicately,

     TASTE  HER
     when she
     whispers to you
    ,"you own my
      heart and my
      ***."

      Love is nothing
      without action, trust is nothing
      without proof,
      and "sorry" is
      nothing without change.
                                                                                         Jon York   2019

Tell yourself. . .to believe yourself and
that pain makes you stronger, tears make
you braver, and heartbreak makes you
wiser and tell yourself that a moment of
patience in a moment of anger will save
you a hundred moments of regret.

Tell yourself. . .that everything will work
out and that you are strong and that you
can do this thing called life and tell yourself
that the past is a place of reference and not
a residence and remember to tell yourself
to thank the past for a better future.

Tell yourself. . .to stop looking for happiness
in the same place that you lost it and tell
yourself to never let the things you want
make you forget the things that you have
and know that it is not about having time,
it is about making time.

Tell yourself. . .to do what is right, not what
is easy knowing that Neverland is not a place
but that it is a state of mind and tell yourself
that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional
and tell yourself to be thankful for all of the
troubles that you don't have.

Tell yourself. . .that it is what it is, accept it and
move on because even at your worst, you are
incredible and tell yourself to embrace reality
even if it burns you and tell yourself to finish
each day and be done with it knowing that you
only are responsible for what you say and not
what others understand.

Believe what you tell yourself.
                                                           Jon York       2016

We ignored truths
for temporary happiness.
                                                                  Jon York   2019

Believe
  you deserve it
        and the
      universe
     will serve it.

       Attract
     powerful,
      positive,
& healthy people
    in your life.

          And
   things will fall
    perfectly into
      place - with
           more
     opportunity,
    success and joy
       than ever
          before.

         Believe.
                       ­                                                                 ­    Jon York   2019

Love isn't meant
          to be easy. It doesn't appear
                       on command.
            It  doesn't  let  you  fall  for
         wh­omever  you  like. It  surfaces
          neither at the most opportune
     moment  nor   in the  most  convenient.
            It'll put you face to face with
                      endless obstacles.
           But  in  the  end,  none  of  that
                      will matter, because
         it's how you overcome it's obstacles
                     that define your love.
      But  love  is  ultimately  the  best thing
                 that will ever happen to you.              
                       Every time  I'm
               close to the sea, the oceans,
                    they start to weep,
       wishing  they  were  half  as  wide,
             as my love for you is deep.
                   My eyes saw you,
        but ****, did my soul feel you
               and know that we are in
           each   others   life   for   a   reason,
                 thank you for showing up
There's untamed electricity, coursing through
        your veins, and it shocks me when
  I  kiss  you  but   believe  me, it's   worth
                             the pain.
                 And you never craved
                  attention,  until  you  
                           tasted  mine.
            And I just want to make you
                    the happiest girl  
                 you  have  ever  been
                                                                                            Jon York   2019

The anticipating is always much
more  fun  than  the  collecting.
                                                                                           Jon York   2019

I feel that there is
nothing more truly
artistic than to love
people.
                                                                                       Jon York   2019

Such a lady
althought at first meeting
one could think that
she was a bit
shady.

She uses her power well
constantly looking
for something
to sell.

She possess's an aura
and demeanor of a
movie starlet.

Staying so busy
but still able to find
passing minutes
and spend them
with me and then
like a bird she
flies free.

A free bird in flight
that can't be caged
but maybe someday
she will turn
the page.                   Jon   York           2012

that day will come. . .
in the later years of our lives
when we can finally realize that the best
has just begun and you begin to see things
so much better as you can pick and choose
what and who you want to hold to be dear
and what and who you want to lose
because life has become
much more clear.

that day will come. . .
when you are able to realize
that we are no longer young
as you start to come undone finding
that you can no longer move as fast
and just aren't able to last
as long as you would like to
while doing things that you love
as life becomes push and shove.

that day will come. . .
when shadows fall deep inside
turning a page in time
as you just can't seem to find
that eternal rhyme but you can discover
the real reasons that you hold life
to be so dear discovering
who is really real and who
was just trying to steal.

that day will come. . .
when you begin to realize that everything
and everyday gets harder
and you begin to wonder if what
you have done while on this earth
has really been of any worth.

that day will come. . .
when you begin to realize
that your time here is getting short
as you seem to be running out of time
upon discovering that you are no longer
in your prime and realizing
that it did not stay very long
as you look up and
it is gone.

that day will come. . .
when you discover that
you can't continue your masquerade
nor can you keep lying to yourself
as you discover that there is
little time to spare as you learn
what love really is and that
you really do need to care.

that day will come. . .
when you discover that the darkness
has just begun and there is really
nowhere to run or hide anymore
so you just go through that door
in hopes of finding some more light
and hoping that there is still a lot more
love left in your life and finally
you will get it right.

that day will come. . .
even at your extended age
when a final true love can turn the page
saying "I love you" and meaning it
allowing your soul to live
feeling that inner strength and power
as you can finally believe that
love can be and you are
finally able to see.

that day will come. . .
when you take that chance
for one more dance while trying
to understand why there has to be
darkness before there is light
as you begin to discover that it is
finally your turn so you take
your best shot giving love
everything you have got.

that day will come. . .
when you know that you
have won the race and can say
to all of those doubters
"in your face."   

that day will come. . .                            Jon York        2013

We are only here for a short visit so don't
hurry and don't worry and be sure to smell
the flowers along the way and be an optimist
and see the opportunity in every difficulty,
not the difficulty in every opportunity.

The trick is to just keep breathing, knowing
that there were those times when you were
in a dark place, buried and left for dead but
actually you were planted and were able to
grow in new directions.

Know what you are able to bring to the table
and trust yourself when you say that you are
not afraid to eat alone knowing that everything
is hard before it is easy as you discover that
your mind is saying go but your body says no.

Don't go through life, grow through life and
enjoy the moment because you never get the
same moment twice in life so celebrate every
tiny victory and when life is sweet, say thank
you and celebrate and when life is bitter, say
thank you and grow.

You can't do anything about the length of your
life, but you can do something about its width
and its depth and know you can't change your
situation but you can change how you choose to
deal with it and never worry about tomorrow
like it is promised, because tomorrow is never
guaranteed.

Just because some people are fueled by drama
doesn't mean you have to attend the performance,
so just live for those moments that can't be put into
words and remind yourself that it's okay not to be
perfect and learn to appreciate life as it happens
because those moments will soon pass and you will
wish that you had treasured them more.
                                                                                 Jon  York      2016

She is beautiful
but you really cannot
comprehend it until
you understand that
    she is the result
   of the pieces that
    she refused to let
    life take from her
               and
  I noticed her face,
    and yearned for
    her body but fell
    in love with the
   soul that dwelled
            within.
                                     ­                                                         Jon York   2019

I love our
story, sure it's
messy, but it's
the story that
got us here.
                                                                                              Jon York   2019

She   put  her  hands  on  either
side of  my  face,  and the  little
room falls away.  I  have  never  
gotten  so  lost in  a kiss before,
and then the space between us
explodes.

My heart  keeps missing  beats
and my  hands  bring her  close  
to   me  and    I  taste  her  and
realize  I  have been  starving
for a  very  long  time.

I have kissed before, but feel
like I am lucky this one didn't
burn me alive.  Maybe it  lasts
a minute and maybe an hour.

All   I  know  is  that  kiss and
how  soft  her skin  is  against  
mine, and  that even if I didn't
know it  until now,  I've  been  
waiting  for  this person forever.

And sometimes the best thing
you can do  is  not  think, not
wonder,  not  imagine,  not
obsess.

Just  breathe,  and  have  faith
that everything will work out
for the best.
                                                                              Jon York   2019

Your touch
can silence every insecurity
that lies within.
                                                                               Jon York   2019

Your mind
                 has  aroused
                         me
                    in  ways
              that harden my
                     acumen
                   and  makes
                         my
                     intellect
                       throb.

                         How
                    I  want  to
                     penetrate
                        that
                     psyche of
                        yours
                          and
                        ******
                 deeply inside
                         your
                    mind  and
                          find
                           that
                     spot  inside
                        you that
                         makes
                 your soul quiver
                     and writhe.
                                                                                           Jon York   2019

Why do our hearts
     choose lovers
that make us suffer?

      10 word story
                                                                                                Jon York   2019

You may not have all of me,
for all I cannot give.

But you can have the part
of me only you know
was hid.

You reached inside my
darkness and gave me back
my light.

You gave to me so easily
and held me through the
night.

You washed away the
doubts I had with every
gentle kiss.

And brought the kind of
passion I never knew I
missed.

You may not have all of me
for all of me I cannot give.

But you can have the part
of me that no one ever did.                                            Jon York   2019

I
     myself
    are made
     entirely
          of
       flaws,
     stitched
     together
        with
        good
     intentions.

I don't need much,
but  what  I  need
    is everything.
I don't need things
because they often
distract from what's
real.
I   just   need   you,
and  to  hold  your
hand  on  this path
that  only  we   can
understand.
                                                                     Jon York   2019

Is what I search for
that elusive door to freedom
to escape these demons that came
as a result of war
or do I search for that door
that will let love find me again
and is it a word, a truth, or a question,
or nothing much the reason
that I keep writing riddles and rhymes
and will I learn its essense in time.

Meanwhile the words
keep coming throughout the years
mixed with tears
and with them come recognized fears
but perhaps one day
peace and  love will come back to me
and I will be done
as I wipe the tears away
and arise to see another
day.

So much loss and too much pain
and all I really want
is for it to go away
so I continue my search
for that revolving door as I crawl
through the losses and pain
trying to score that big gain
knowing that change is evident
and I will never be the
same.

Will I ever really know
whether that one happy moment of love
and the joy of breathing
and smelling the fresh air
is worth all of the suffering
and the effort that it implies
and I think of the days
when love was alive but now
I search for that revolving door
to get another breath of fresh air
as the words run through
.my mind.

It may be that I was just
on the wrong path
and that there is a corner that needs
to be turned and it will teach us
that we can still fly
and soar in the heavens above
and show us that we can
still love.

So I spend my time searching
for that one missing part
and perhaps one day
it will come back to me and bring
that missing and quiet piece
and meanwhile my words
are written seeking a beauty
only the moon knows.

So I still look for that door
amongst the darkness of my
own troubled mind
while living in seclusion and trapped
in illusion as I scale the walls of my mind
searching for those things
I can't seem to find.

I will escape from
this awful place but for now
I keep searching for that invisible door
knowing that if life was easy
where would all of the
adventures be?                                                  Jon York                               2012

Falling   in   love   is
easy.  Having  *** is
easier. But  bumping
into   someone   that
can spark your soul -
that ****  is  rare.
                                                                                           Jon York   2019

Growing up in the 60's and 70's,
                   I learned to smile
                like  I've  never  cried,
            I  learned  how  to  fight  like
                   I've never lost.

          And as a United   States   Marine
                            in Vietnam
                    I  learned  how  to  ****   
                       so I could make it  
                home   alive  only  to  face
            another war in my head called
                            PTSD or die.

                 And  I  learned  how  to
                              love like
                    I've never been hurt.

                      And I learned to live
                  like  there's  no  tomorrow
               but  how  to  live  in  the  now,
                    and I learned kindness
                 doesn't  cost  a  ****  thing,
                         so I learned how to
                sprinkle  that  ****  everywhere.

                    But most important of all
                        I learned that there's
                only one thing that can make a
                       soul  complete, and
                         that thing is love
                               and that's
                     just the way we rolled.
                                                         ­                                    Jon York   2019

I'm scared ...
      for someone to realize
      how truly  amazing
      you are.

      for someone else   to
      kiss your lips.

      for someone else to
      take my place.

      for someone else to
      have your heart.

But I ...
       have decided not to
       be scared and just to
       go for it.

       either  it will work or
       it will not happen and
       I will learn.

                That's life.
                                                                                   Jon York   2019

I still hide you
    in my poetry and long after
             I have given up,
      my  heart still searches
                  for you
                without
                    my
               permission.

            Life is so ironic.
     It  takes  sadness  to  know
         what happiness is,
                   noise to
           appreciate silence.

                  The most
       beautiful things in life
               are not things,
     they're people and places,
             and memories and
                   pictures.
           They're feelings and
              moments and
                      smiles
                and laughter.

               Memories
       are always  special.
           We laugh by
     remembering the days
               we cried,
And we cry remembering
              the days
            we laughed.....!!    
               That's life.                                                    Jon York   2019

My entire life can
be described in one
sentence: It didn't
go as planned, but
that's ok because I
discovered that a
better life isn't a
destination, it's a
daily process and
I learned that life
is like an ocean,
it can be calm and
still and rough or
rigid, but in the end
it's always beautiful.

I might be having
a bad day, but I am
having a day and in
the end we are all
human and that
should be enough
in the great big
adventure that it is,
so enjoy the little
things in life, for
one day you will
look back and
realize they were
big things.    
                          Jon York       2015

That pause

between

each stroke

of your tongue    

when   you

kissed   me

drove    me

mad.   The

more I tasted

of   you,  the

more I wanted.

That  feeling in

that  moment,

that's poetry and

no  words  can

do you justice.
                                                                                       Jon York   2019

We   kiss,
  We   hug,
  We   text,
  We   talk,
  We   forgive,
  We   laugh,
  We   smile,
  We   touch,
  We   touch again,
  We touch more,
  We kiss again,
  We kiss some more,
  We   love,
   That's us
                                                                                          Jon York   2019

You have no idea
how good it feels to wake
        up every morning
          knowing that

        you are mine and                                              Love
           ­ I am yours.                                                        +
 ­                                                                 ­                   Trust
           "I love you"                                                         +
  that means I'm not just                                         Loyalty
      here for the pretty                                                   +
                 and                                                           Great ***
         the tasty parts,                                                      =
   ­                                                                 ­           Unbreakable
               I'm here                                                   Relationship
             no matter
               what.                                                            ­                            
                                    ­                                                 We              ­                                                                 ­                               we kiss,
         Fall in love with                                        we hug, we text,
   someone who sees the                                  we talk, we argue,
       wars within you                                        we laugh, we smile,
and  not only chooses to stay,                              we love.....
       but chooses to stand                                        that's us.
by your side and help you
              fight them.

                      I could go for one of your kisses right now.
                                                            ­                                 Jon York   2-19

Kindness is
          one of the most
            underrated
                 traits
                    in
              the world.
                   We
                  focus
               so much
                    on
               material
                  things
                     and
             the attention,
                     but
               forget that
                     it is
                  kindness
                     that
                 brings us
                         a
                fulfillment
                       that
            warms our soul.
                                                                                   Jon York   2019

It's not what you do,
it's how you do it.
It's not what you see,
it's how you look at it.
It's not how your life is,
it's how you live it.

Start where you are,
use what you have,
do  what  you  can,
    get  it  done.

You are the
artist of
your life.

Don't give the
paintbrush to
anyone else
and if there is
no  way,
create  one.

Some people want
material things,
           me,
I just want peace,
happy times and
people who love me.

Knowledge is learning                  have: new dreams
something everyday                                 new days
Wisdom is letting go of                            new desires
something everyday.                                new ways
                                                            ­         new years
                                                           ­          a new you
                                                                                             Jon York   2019

Had  I  loved  me  better,   I  wouldn't
have  been  in  most of  the  situations
I've  been  in.

I'm  not  interested  in  fighting, hating,
blaming or being petty, with  whatever
time I have  left  in  this  life.

I've been in this life for seventy-five years
as of this Sept. 20  2023,  trying to work
out its riddle and I've mastered the art of
surviving, now I want to live.

I just want to be  
happy. I want to be loved and I want
to have peace.                                                           ­                                   
                             ­                                                                 ­  Jon York   2023

Everyone                  
    wants
     to be
      the
      sun
to lighten
       up
  someone's
      life.

       But
    why not
        be
       the
      moon
  to brighten
      in the
     darkest
       hour?

      And if
    you are to
love, love like
     the moon
        loves.
     It doesn't
   steal the light.
   It only unveils
            the
beauty of the dark.                                                         Jon York   2019

It's simple really ----
it's mice to just sit alone,
listen to some
music & meditate.
If you look at life carefully,
you soon come to realize
the beauty overshadows
           the flawed.
                                                                                     Jon York   2019

Stuck in limbo,
   suspended
between time
   and space.
not knowing what
tomorrow brings,
  but accepting the
  beauty
the unknown brings.
                                                                                             Jon York   2019

Of  all  the  love
        that's touched my soul
               the best
                           by far
                                  is you.
                                                            ­                                    Jon York    2019

I remain an open question living
my way into ever-evolving answers
about relationships, art, and poetry
and I write because my journey
has taken me through some
diverse twists and unique turns
that all seem strangely and
deeply interconnected.

Every day is an exercise
in surrendering to the mysteries
that life holds for me and
needless to say I am a work
in progress delving into all
of the depths of romance
and subtleties of the human experience
and it is a yearning and fascination
by a sometimes anguished creative impulse
and enigmatic movements of the heart.

I am humbled each day
to be able to express
my visions in a world
of love and hate in
relationships
and life.

Moments come and moments pass
some unforgettable and some regrettable
that linger but we are all stuck in the now
and we just have to try and get by
somehow as heartaches come
and heartaches go and in silence we stare
with no words to spare as
our love flies away in
front of our eyes.

Another love finally appears
and this time with no lies
and I am ready to embrace her love
and I know that she is
the warmth of courage that never left me
and I will give to her
my unwavering love
and walk with her hand in hand
as we walk together in a new
uncharted land.


I 've got triggers in places
I never knew and the love that
she triggered in me
so many didn't see except
in my words
and I know that the best
of my words is still
unwritten.

As we begin this final journey
together we both
have hope that this one
will last both knowing
that it will if we can
forget the past.                       ( for Louise)  -   Jon York     2012

The  best  love
is the one that
makes  you  a
better person,
without changing
you into someone
other than yourself.
                                                                                         Jon York   2019

She's  not  perfect,
she   is   madness.

And madness is a
  beautiful irony
where   perfection
   and flaws  are
the  best of friends.
                                                                                         Jon York  2019

Think
         only the best,
                work
            for only the
                  best,
           and expect
              only the
                   best.

                 Forget
            the mistakes
                  of  the
                   past
              and press
               on to the
                  greater
             achievements
                   of the
                   future.

Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
                                                                                            Jon York   2019

I reached for you like the
branch of a tree reaching
for the sun and like the
sun you surrounded me
with warmth and love.

And like the sun your
shine so bright and like
the tree I grew in your
direction able to feel
the love that you were
sending.

In that growth I was able
to feel the changes that
were taking place in my
life and being, from the
love that I was receiving.

You filled my life with
love and showed me how
to give love as well as
how to receive love and
grow.

Now we grow together
as one knowing that we
cannot and will not ever
be undone knowing that
we are changed forever
and we never have to
look back at what we
left behind ever.
                                   Jon York    2018

The most
              beautiful part
        to  loving  you  is  that
                I knew that
           when  you  let  me
              in  your space,
        it  was  never  because
             you needed me.

                      You
                  stopped
             needing  people
       a long time ago. It was
                because you
          wanted me, and that
                       is the
               purest love of all.
  
                           You
                    walk with the
                 fearlessness of a
                          wolf, the
                    bravery of a lion,
                            and the
                      fierceness of
                                a
                          dragon.

                              and
                           you  are
                             mine.
                                                                                        Jon York   2019

Depression is your
mind telling you it's
tired   of  being  the
   character you're
     trying to play.
                                                                                        Jon York   2019

Don't play
                   the victim
                   to the circumstances
                   you created.
                                                                                                 Jon York   2019