feel the muscles tensing there
softly hear my praises sing
raise my pulse, and pull my hair--
my body is a loving thing.

touch my neck: its hairs will raise
feel my goosebumps spread;
if your lips on mine should graze
i shall never join the dead.

but to you i'm only skin
and all my tears are not enough
to baptize me from how you've sinned
and how you took advantage, love.

Mike Hauser had a brilliant idea to “Pass the pen” and see where it got us.  This, Friends, is the result.

I write of the stars
I write of the moon
I write of the things
That I love to do
I write of the lies
While telling the truth
And when I am through
I pass the pen to you

I read the things
that went before
and add my thoughts
for you to write more
of things we love
and things we hate
so here's the pen,
now contemplate!

I wait like a kid
the anticipation
breaks my quiet
like a train in station
with thoughts
pouring out
like the traveling weary
so here's the pen
"now what's my hurry?"

While looking at this
And studying that
As our poetic peruse
Comes up to bat
With much more in store
From the writer's’ knack
I jot down my last line
Then pass the pen back

and now it get's fun
with my lines and yours
at least it keeps me
from doing my chores!
fingers be nimble
brain be quick
I finished this part
now here's the Bic.

With words tattered and torn
I have you here to mend
Don’t know where I’m going
Brain lights on dim
With little or no warning
Here it comes again
All on a whim
I hand you the pen

*so who will care
if we make no sense
“these poets here
must have the bends!”
but all the same
we’ve had our yen
it was a good run
let's retire the pen

“please” i said. “i can change”.

but you tell me we are not the answer
to each other’s issues
you tell me that
we need to be selfish now
to be selfless later

you will remember how it feels to live without me
and i will realise
i am addicted
to you

I never thought I would feel so alone
lying right next you.
I never thought you would complain and moan,
If I tried to kiss you.

I never pictured I'd feel so much pain,
While you are lying RIGHT there.
I never believed I would go insane,
because you wont hold me after I had a nightmare.

Late at night,
When the stars come out,
I get a huge fright,
Because I suddenly begin to doubt.

It is like I don't know you anymore.
You turn your back on me.
It hurts, it is so **** sore,
Becoming more and more unsteady.

If you think the cold night is dark,
just wait till you see inside.
You lie and break my heart.
Making me want to cry and hide.

Then when morning comes,
I put on a fake smile,
I watch you drive after the sun.
I try to maintain my denial.

But every night, oh so late,
the only thing keeping me company
is the demons I create,
and I let them live with me,

because when I'm scared
I don't feel the pain.
As long as the demons are there,
I never have to be alone again.

So many past names
And almost given last names
Too much to ever keep track of
Who the hell are you?
Who am I supposed to become?

Too many passing glances
And familiar faces
To ever keep straight
I'm sorry, do I know you?
Do I even know myself?

He was beautiful
and that would never go away
a kind of beautiful that imprinted itself
in the places you wouldn't remember

Anxiety
The sound of lighting a cigarette
Inhale, a feeling of relief
Exhale, the thoughts of you.

Hello me,

I'm you. I'm the older you after multiple suicide attempts, and lost in a haze of ***** and drugs.  I am also you who sought and searched for some meaning and belonging, only to find hypocrisy and pain.  But all that aside, I wanted to thank you for not giving up on life even though you wanted to.  Finally asking for help when you did, even though a part of you didn't care anymore.  Thank you for letting hope grow in you one day at a time.  Thank you for letting me love you, so I can love me today.  Life is pretty amazing today, and we would have missed out on this beautiful journey because we were so locked in our pain. Now, you and I can share our story of pain and suffering to help someone else.  We don't have to stay in a hopeless state of mind and body.  Thank you for having the courage to surrender and admit you couldn't do it alone anymore.  I love you very much.

Love,

I'm You