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Remember back in the days,
When you were joyous
And cared without a doubt,

Before the days of darkness
Shrouded over and cast
A shadow over you?

Remember the days
You loved, and were
Loved back?

The kisses and hugs,
The smiles given back.

The days when you
Had purpose, and drive.

Nothing could stop you,
And you felt like you
Could fly.

But one day, one mistake
After the next, you kept
Falling and tumbling down.

You lost every sense of
Self, and lost yourself in the
Process.

Ignorance is bliss,
But living in denial,
Is like a deadly sin.

What you used to be,
Never really left.

None of that is ever
Really gone.

Remember the days
When you thought
You had it all?

None of that
Was ever really lost.
Mar 12 · 534
rose-colored eyes
Joshua Phelps Mar 12
why do i always
go after myself

pick apart every
single thought

tear myself to
pieces and

find excuses
to not have a
heart?

life doesn't go
according to plan

and two years in
i'm caught in-between
lies i told myself

that buried me
deep within.

there's no mystery
i lived in
make-believe

it was a safety-net,
a fantasy
that made me believe

it could one day be.

but one day,
i woke up and realized

feeling sorry for myself
only goes so far, and leaves
me paralyzed.

i had to move on
from this nightmare.

i had to finally
move past,
and leave behind,

the memories with
rose-colored eyes.
Feb 13 · 329
state of decay
Joshua Phelps Feb 13
They say the
grass is greener
on the other side

I tried to cross that
line and all I see
is my life in disarray.

Nothing matters
anyway,

For all I know,
misery is here
to stay.

I tried to find
beauty in
negative spaces

But it's the
same story,
same face.

Not a real trace,
a glimmer of
hope,

Just stuck
in this state
of decay,

A poor, mental
state.

Nobody listens,
no matter what
I'm told,

Everyone is in
it for themselves

They don't care
if I fall.

Is there a future left
for me?

Or will I spend
the rest of my life
losing it all?
Feb 3 · 394
your favorite song
thought that it
would get so much
better

but next year
showed up,

and i'm stuck
in the same place

floating down
the same river,

waiting for things
to change.

i'm stuck
with the same
thoughts,

same memories,
same feelings
and feeling

oh so lost.

i can't change
who i am,

i can't forget
the past

but i can try
to move on,

because we both
know i can't be

your favorite
song.

a final repeat
before love comes
undone

and i stop this
cassette and
finally

move on.
Feb 1 · 694
last stop
if this is my
last train stop,

please don't let
me off

i spent a year
on this ride,

travelled over
the hill of
sadness

and up the
streets on
manic avenue

it's madness
that it ends
like this.

i want to let
go, but i don't

want this to be
my last ride.

coming to terms
like this,

i can't help but
think of you,

even as the
voices in my
head

has convinced me
this is the end
tonight.

i don't want
to pretend,

because
i'm still in
love

like i was
yesterday.

if this is my
last stop,

give me one
last chance,

one last kiss,
and one last
dance.

because i don't
know how i can go
on

without a second
chance at romance.
Jan 31 · 463
hello, old soul
Joshua Phelps Jan 31
hello, old soul
it's nice to see
you again

did you come to
haunt me, and
remind me of my
sins?

it's funny how i
keep focusing on
the past,

and here you show
up, maker of the dead.

will there be a truce
to this test?

or is violence the answer,
and this is the end?

self-inflicted and
brought closer to
god

wrong heaven,
a quick detour
with no regard

barreling faster
towards the gates
of hell,

asking,
'what have i done?'
as i'm put in a mental cell.
Jan 31 · 287
same damn life
Joshua Phelps Jan 31
another day
into the next

nothing changes
except the test

same sun,
rain, and
clouds

same ****
life, same ****
town.

medicated,
and can't make
sense of self

the words in my
head blur
again

and i'm right
back to the

same **** life,
same **** high

stuck in the middle,
with no one to save me
this time.
Jan 27 · 587
new normal
Joshua Phelps Jan 27
I don't want to die,
Don't want to say goodbye

But sadness destroyed
my confidence and now

I'm back down hiding
everything deep inside.

How can I go on?

When I don't want
to live, don't want
to try

When everything around me
has turned into one big
lie.

Do I exist just
to get torn
and drug down
under?

Is my life just
one chaotic thunder,

striking every last
chance down before I can
grasp it,

or is it my new normal,
and I haven't accepted it
yet?
Jan 18 · 440
gimme a moment
Joshua Phelps Jan 18
Gimme a moment to breathe,
I can’t take it anymore.

Gimme some space,
so I can break down
these walls.

Tried to fake it,
and tell myself
I’m over it,

But you come back
when the rain’s pouring,
ah-hah.

I’m back in the corner,
Once again with

No reprieve,
no space to breathe,
and nowhere to go,

Just tragic and lost,
without you.

Your memories continue
to haunt me and

Remind me of
what we used to be.

Chaotic breakdowns,
screaming at the void,

I wish you would listen,
listen closely this time,
to me.

All I want is to be loved,
I’m not trying to hide.

This isn’t a vague poem,
I wouldn’t lie to you,

I’m just a tortured soul
writing words until
my heart stops bleeding.

I’m forever lost,
Forever lost without you.

So gimme a moment
to breathe

I can’t take it anymore.

This push-and-pull
tug of emotions,
almost like clockwork.

Nothing can compare,
It’s far worse.

Gimme a moment
to breathe,

This torture
is not worth the cause
to me.
Jan 13 · 523
this is your time
Joshua Phelps Jan 13
Close your eyes,
Pray for better days
ahead

Reach out, rise
above, and touch
the clouds.

Just know
You’re made for
So much more

Know your worth,
Know you’re destined
for something greater.

Don’t let the past
Define and tear you
to threads.

You can choose to
let it consume you

Or move forward
and leave behind
the hurt.

Put your best foot
forward, and cross
those bridges

Because this is
only a setback.

Open your eyes,
This is your time,
Your time to shine.

Take the power
fight back, and rise
above this.
Jan 11 · 198
doubt
Joshua Phelps Jan 11
Tired of feeling
so down and sick

Tired of having no
hope,

Time has done nothing
but break my soul

For once,
I’d like to take
control.

Spent the past year,
Spiraling down and falling
flat on my face

Reliving the past,
Life in disarray.

It’s time I
pick myself up
and figure out

How to conquer
My life and shake
this doubt.
Jan 4 · 361
dancing around tragedy
I spent my life,
Dancing around
Tragedy.

Tried to claw
My way back
to the surface,

But the light
Never showed
itself today.

I wake from
My dreams,

With a heavy feeling,
Haunting me

Heart breaking,
And a deep sadness,
That left the very core
Of me frozen with the reality

A stark realization
That love was
never meant to be.

Miserable as can be,
I accept some things
never change,

But I can’t will it away.

Tragedy is here to stay.
a melancholic soul that realizes an old love can't be re-kindled. i've got to move on.
Dec 2023 · 911
one and only
Joshua Phelps Dec 2023
Waking up lonely,
Wanting somebody.

Broken from the past,
And a melancholic mind,
That leaves me longing.

I just want to call someone
My one and only,

Instead, I’m haunted
by memories that are
now long gone,

And I’m back to
feeling lost
and empty.
Nov 2023 · 800
barely alive
Joshua Phelps Nov 2023
why does it feel like
everyone is moving on

and here I'm stuck in my
head, falling?

it's a crash course in life,
that's only left me broken,
a man with no calling.

dwelling on the
past, torturing myself

regressing instead of
progressing

fallin' in a deep
depression,

unable to escape this hell.

i keep looking for a
way out, but there's no
end in sight,

and so, I find myself.
alone and barely
alive.
Oct 2023 · 926
more than okay
Joshua Phelps Oct 2023
From past heartbreak,
I learned to amend,

Learned to make
The best of a situation,

Even accepting and
Starting off as friends.

Still learning to move on
From a past so complicated,

I keep trying my best to not
get lost in the devastation,

Please excuse the infatuation,
I get lost in my head.

I promise I'm trying my best to
not get so fixated,

Give me some patience
And grace,

Because I don't want to
Push you away again.

Just know that I'm grateful,
More than okay,

Starting off as just friends.
Oct 2023 · 565
the flood
Joshua Phelps Oct 2023
the water’s rising,
and there's nowhere
left to run

an emotional tidal
wave that destroys
everything it touches,

and I’m trying to
make it out alive.

but I’m tethered
to the past, and

it’s holding me down
again this time.

head above water,
it feels like I'm digging
my own grave

swept out, at last,
and lost in the tide.

the walls have come
down, and I'm

fighting to
swim my way
out, trying to survive.

no one left to love,
no one left to trust,

just swept up in the
flood of heartbreak and pain,
that always self-destructs.
Oct 2023 · 474
restless nights
Joshua Phelps Oct 2023
Before the world
Wakes from its slumber,

The luminance
Of the night casts
Down.

Now it's five a.m. and
I'm restless, wanting
Something more,

Lost again,
Just like before.

Lonely, heartbroken,
I don't want to feel
Anymore.

In the darkest
Hour, I lie awake.

Memories of you
And I, and I just
Want to cry out.

Read between the
Lines,

Everything's not fine.

The world's not in
Black and white,

But the color
Has run out, and I'm
Cast out.

So I lie here awake,
Remembering the
Better days when

You were mine.
Oct 2023 · 1.0k
...to live for
Joshua Phelps Oct 2023
Why do the clouds
Keep the sun out
Of my mind?

The shadow's always
Looming and it's
Neverending.

I strike the match
And the fire always
Gets put out.

My heart's always
Broken and I just
Want out.

I want to feel
Something more
Than sadness.

Always hurt,
Always wanting

To break from this
Cyclical cycle of misery.

When will the light
Shine through and

Reignite the fire
Inside my heart?

Life gets harder
And I keep wanting
This to end.

Give me something
To live for, because

I find it harder to
Live for myself,
And it's killing me.
Oct 2023 · 803
still not over you
Joshua Phelps Oct 2023
The cold air
sends shivers
down my spine

The ghost of
yesterday,

Haunting me
again.

Every day passing,
feels like torture,

And I don’t know
what to do.

Moving on should
be easy, but

It’s hard to see
My life without you.

I know
Nothing last forever,

And it’s hard to sever
the ties of the past,

When I’m still not
over you.
Sep 2023 · 1.6k
stay strong
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
God knows I've tried
to give my all.

All I wanted was to
find love, but every
brush with reality

turned into a shattered
dream.

I ask myself why
do I even try,

When I end up
searching for love,

I just get myself
hurt every time.

I keep wondering why
I even try at all.

I remember the pain
Of heartbreak under
My sleeve,

a year of turmoil,
that leaves me
wondering

If I will find love
at all.

There were lessons
I have learned, and

God knows I've tried
to give my all.

All I can say is:

I'm trying my best to
stay strong.
Sep 2023 · 803
deep blue
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
I was looking for
emotion,

But all I got
was something
broken.

I tried to let
my heart open,

But I had to close it,

Before it got ripped
From my soul.

I mistakened
Vulnerability for love,

Thinking I would find
devotion.

Instead, I found myself
lost again,

Drowning
in the deep blue ocean.

Like a one-night stand,
I knew it wasn’t going
to last forever,

I thought there was
something there,

But I was looking
in the wrong place,
at the wrong time.

And that
was when
I realized,

I was never
going to be

together with you.
Sep 2023 · 516
break me in two
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Before we even met,
I wondered if it was

Wise to make the jump
And be led
On and fall in love,

When all that was
On the table was
Lust, entangled

With words that
Made me believe
you wanted more.

I tried my best
To open these
Doors,

And
Make the best
Out of something

Because you didn’t
Want more.

I tried to give
Myself every reason

To not believe
In love again

And now I’m certain
It’ll be awhile,

Because I’d rather
Be lonely than

To have my heart
Led on and broken
With you.
Sep 2023 · 851
life on autopilot
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Living life on
autopilot,

Wishing I wasn’t
Going insane.

Look around me
And everything

Stays the same.

The neuropathways
In my brain

Have the wires
Crossed and
There’s

Messages that
Always change.

I’m left to
Figure it out
On my own,

Miscommunications and
Exiled from a
Place I used to call home.

I just don’t get why,
I keep trying to change,

But life pulls me to
The other side

To a place where
the stars never
had a chance to
shine.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
making my way past
the hurt and the skeleton
remains,

desperately wanting to
let go of this pain.

watching the sun
rise as the ghost
hide in the shadows,

reappear at dusk,
haunting me again.

I know that heartbreak
is just another memory,

and I’m trying not to
give up now.

I want someone to give
me a chance, and finally

break free from this chain,
that I can’t free myself from.
Sep 2023 · 1.1k
i'll be fine
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Lately, I feel
Out of it these
Days

Life seems to
Drag me down
And I know

In the end,
I’ll be fine.

I remember those
Winter days,

Nearly ten years ago,
When we met in a haze.

Lust turned to love,
And over the years,
we burned out,

Just like the flickering of
The flames in a silent film,

Never making a sound.

Now I live with
The memories,
That plague my mind,

Playing track-by-track,
Just like a CD, singing

The good and the bad times.

I look around
The corner

Between St. Louis
And the town that
I live in,

Remembering how I
Used to drive past

The city lights,
Months after the crash.

I remember how it
Haunted me,
Every single time.

Now I’m stuck
In an endless cycle,
Far from fine.

It seems life
Likes to drag
me down,

Just like the
Memories that plague
My mind.

I’m doing everything
I can to be more than
Fine.
Sep 2023 · 445
reflections
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
I want to trade my days
Away for
Something better.

I want to let go
Of the light
So I can repair,

Falling in the
Black, desolate,
Void and

Stuck in this
Never-ending
Fixation on
Despair.

I wish I didn’t care,

But a part of me
That died left the
Feeling that lingers on,

And now I’m numb
and in disrepair.

With every new perspective,
I wish that I didn’t let the past
Pull me in every direction.

I know there’s no reason to
Focus on the matters

But all I see is old reflections.

Hearts drift away,
And I remember
Just like it was yesterday.

Memories are never
Gone, but sparks
Get crossed, and now I’m
dead and gone.

I wish I didn’t care.
I wish I could repair.

But right now,
I’m feeling numb,
And in disrepair.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
I hate to admit
That dissociation
Is a friend of mine.

Putting myself on autopilot,
Just so I can survive.

Separating from reality,
Because simply living
Is all I’ve got this time.

I wish you could
See me in the state
That I’m in now

Broken, bruised,
So critical.

It’s absolutely pitiful.

I’m tired of feeling low,
But I keep dragging myself
Down,

Sinking and
Caught in the undertow.

Someone wake
Me from this
Mental charade

Because I’m tired
Of all the games,
And the iron bars that
Keep holding me down.

It’s hard to thrive,
When I can’t figure
Out how to figure
Myself out.

Happy anniversary,
Trauma, guilt and
Doubt.

The past is very
Critical and I
Just want out.

I keep waiting
For an answer, but

I know I’m the only
One who lets myself
Down one more time.

I hate to admit
That dissociation
Is a friend of mine.

And I’m sorry,
If I disconnect
Sometimes.

Please don’t give
Up on me now

I just need someone
To make me feel alive
One last time.
Sep 2023 · 907
saying sorry
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Didn’t use to
hesitate for
a single second,

Jumping to
conclusions,

And headfirst
into all the
evidence.

I never doubted
a word you said,

Even if the words
I said weren’t so
clear.

I never
learned to put

trust
within
myself,

Lived my
life, hiding
in fear of
self.

It’s not an
easy thing to
admit,

And
I know all
the things
I’ve done.

Saying sorry won’t
make it all come undone.
Sometimes apologizing isn't enough. I'm still learning to let go, and realize that not everything can be mended. Sometimes you have to leave it broken, so you can pick up your own pieces.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Like shattered pieces
On the floor,

I lay broken
and pulled apart,

Mirrored reflections,
Beckon patterns of
Being alone.

Like the
Patterns in the static,

Turning into
A bad lullaby,

Let the flames
In this hell
Take me out
So I

Burn out,
Brighter than
The sun.

If this was an
Ending,

I hope I find
My peace tonight.

Because
Fractured pieces
Can't heal

If the deal is
Signed by fate,
sealed, and sent
Away

Just like the
Letters to a
Love lost.
Sep 2023 · 853
letters to a love lost
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Hypnotized and,
Captivated by the
Love that led
To a blindness.

The images,
Encompassed
By the once
Warming glow

Lay buried, just
Like a love lost,
So cold.

Once untangled,
Estranged souls

A bond formed,
And we became
entangled by

Love, loss, and regrets.

And it all took
A toll.

Never able
To save ourselves,

We went deeper
In our thoughts

And we ended up,
Digging so far,

That both of us,
Eventually fell
Apart.

Like letters to
A loved one,
That used to
Have the heart

You wrote to me,
And I wrote to you
With a heavy heart.

Once hypnotized
And captivated by the
Love that led
To a blindness.

I sit here in silence,
Surrounded by a deep,
dark sadness

Still wondering why,
I still haven’t gotten
Over all this madness.
Some songs I listen to really get me going emotionally. Especially during a dark period in my life.

It will mark one year since my downfall from grace, and with that downfall, was a former relationship of around 9 years.

Sometimes I romanticize the past, knowing well there were flaws in-between, and tell-tale signs it was headed towards a breakup.  

And it frustrates me, nearly a year later, why I haven't fully gotten over it.

I'm starting to think it never goes away.
Sep 2023 · 1.0k
it is what it is
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Can’t control
What you can’t
See

Outside forces,
Coming after
Me

Inside, chaos
Multiplied by
disorder

It is what it is,
Another breakdown
in order.

Wake up and
Everything’s the
Same

Still wanting
Change

But the only
Change I see,

Are the scenarios
In my dreams.

It is what it is,
Another day,
Another dream.

I
Can’t control
What I can’t
See.

It is what it is,
I guess I’ll wait,
Patiently.
Sep 2023 · 804
something about you
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
I’ve given myself
A million little reasons
Why  

I don’t deserve
The comfort, but
Not a day goes
By

I wish I was  
In your arms
Again.

I’ve given myself,
A million little reasons

Just to avoid the  
Rising tide

Emotional chemicals,
Mixing, sending my soul  
In overdrive.

Overwhelmed, and  
realized tortured  
Soul,

Hoping my heart
Can learn to love
Amid this lull.  

I’ve given myself,
A million little reasons
Why  

But there’s something
About you that makes
Me want to  

Try.
Sep 2023 · 810
no one likes a sad man
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Just slept another
day away,

Forgot to see the
sun rise.

Thought it was
nightfall,

But I guess
I was mistaken
this time.

Got out the wrong
side of the bed,

Put on my
disguise, again.

No one likes
a sad man,

Otherwise,
What’s to say
I’m fine?

Time seems to
pass everyone by

And I wish it
would speed up
in this lifetime.

But the hands
on the clock,

Only moves so far,
just like the sands
in the hourglass
of time.

Just slept another
day away,

Watched the sun,
Come creeping up,

Wore the face of
grief, and regret
under forced
smiles and alibis.

No one likes a sad man.

Why even try?
Sep 2023 · 378
dark places // complicated
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
if you stay in
your own head

the memories,
faded, might

leave you
in dread.

consuming,
just torturing
yourself

simply feeling
hopeless, and
angry instead.

it's not worth
putting yourself
through this

even if life's
a little complicated.

look with your
eyes, not
all hope is lost.

even in the
darkest places,

the light will
shine bright
when you need
it most.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
turns out memories
aren't just silly dreams.

feels like yesterday,
before we went our
separate ways,

regrets,
words i thought
i'd never say

broken at every turn,
and lost along the way.

then just like the time
slips idly by,

i watched you
slip away, memories
of yesterday, fading into
the sun.

Just like photographs,
still frames in my head,
it's hard to move forward
when i have so much to say.

but at least i can say,
i've had a good run
instead.

turns out memories
aren't just silly dreams

feels like yesterday,
before we went our
separate ways

and i know
mistakes were made
along the way.

but in order
to move forward in
life,

i know there's
hurt somewhere between
yesterday and today.

it's not over at 30,
and i know my time
isn't done.

love comes and goes,
but i don't want to be
the one who got away

when i think
i may have finally
found the one.

turns out memories,
aren't just silly dreams

and i know we've
gone our separate ways

but just like how time
moves forward, i know

that new memories
can be made
along the way.
Sep 2023 · 956
heartstrings // better days
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Heartstrings frayed and  
weathered.

Scarred, and afraid
to weather the storms.

But to heal,  
you know you’ve got to swim
to better days ahead.

All you can do
is all you can,

A push comes to
shove,  

and within time,
the feeling of
love

saves you from  
being buried within.
Sep 2023 · 588
black & white
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
I used to see
the world in  
black and white

Always thinking of  
the best or the worst,
falling apart.

But here I am, surviving  
and I'm hoping to save myself
first.

Always followed
by my footsteps,

I’m haunted by a
never-ending dream
that puts reality to the test.

Haunted by the ghost of a
past state  

I hope to never
become again.

I’ve hit my lowest  
of lows, and all I  

Need is some reassurance,
that everything will be  
more than fine

Because I don’t  
want to fall apart
anymore.

I used to see
the world in
black and white.

Always thinking of  
the best or worst,

But lately, it feels
I was handed a lifeline

and my world suddenly
opened

When I met you.

I used to see
the world
in black and white

But together,
we'll color the world,
one hopeful brush at a time.
Sep 2023 · 506
afraid to hurt
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
feeling  
a million miles apart

where do i start  
when all my thoughts  
are clouded by nightmares  
and daydreams  
of a world  
that feels like a fantasy?

how am i supposed to know  
what's ahead?  
where do we go from here  
when we both have different paths?  
how long will this last?

it tears me apart  
and i want to tell you everything

i want to tell you that

i missed every opportunity  
but i became yours  
when i met you first

all i am  
and who i've been  
through the worst

i don't want to spend my life  
afraid to hurt.

separated by town and city,  
a million miles apart

a journey, bittersweet  
from the start.

i want to tell you everything,

and i'll let you in,  
even if it feels like  
we're drifting apart.
Sep 2023 · 407
change your heart
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
it's not,
too late
to feel again

even the broken
can be restored
and given a second chance.

just sit back
and relax.

good things will
come to those
who patiently wait for fate.

you thought that
was the end
of your world

but the end,
is just the
beginning

and those
good things
are never-ending

it's not,
too late
to feel again.

change your
heart and
mind

and don't
drown in the
depths of time sublime.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Remember that one,
autumn when you
thought you lost
it all?

Your heart was
in the worst,
state it has
ever been

A drug-filled
binge that
took you for
a never-ending

Ride.

You broke down,
and then your
heart broke in
two.

Because you saw
it was
the end of me
and you.

You clutched
the photos
close to your chest

Because you
couldn’t hang on
to what has been.

You felt lost inside,
and you couldn’t
control the downward
spiral

You trapped
yourself in.

Now one year
after and you’ve
let go of false
hopes and illusions.

Scared and
afraid to make
changes and leap

Into the arms of
another soul
again.

Remember that one,
October when you

Thought you lost
it all?

You haven’t hit rock bottom
and I know it feels
like you lost it all.

Keep your head up, kid.

Stand tall.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
it's a bittersweet
moment, to leave a
page in the making

a hopeful, beautiful
story

filled with
confessions
and life's lessons.

haunted by a
tragic story
from the beginning,
to the midsummer's
end.

you caught me
right at the moment
when i felt
a little less than.

there's weight in
these lines,
and sometimes
it's hard
to take in.

the words,
just out of focus,
but clear in my
head.

it's a bittersweet
moment,
to leave a page
in the making.

i can't wait
to see you
again.
Joshua Phelps Sep 2023
Almost a year later,
I still wish I
hadn't lost my focus.

I let the
Lens focus
on the wrong things,

In the wrong places,
And it’s all just a
mess.

An accidental shutter,
Now the picture's
faded, and

It's hard for me to
discover what life’s
meant to be

When it’s just me

Out in this vast,
dark world,
feeling lonely.

Burning out,
Just like a dying star,

Feeling temporary,
I'm barely
holding on.

Just being alive
doesn’t feel alright.

Feeling out of place
and overexposed,

Just like the
Polaroid on my chest.

Looking at the smiles,
A bittersweet moment,

A moment in which
I hope I don’t regress.

I know it’s hard to progress,

And I know I just need
to convince myself and
trust the process.

I know this won’t
last forever.

Photos capture
moments,
And I must remember

This isn't the end
of my chapter.

The world moves forward,
and moments last forever,
and hurt is only temporary.
Aug 2023 · 174
simmer down
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
Lay the first strike
Because you just
Want to cause a scene

Once so gentle, serene
You kept taking my
Energy  

Taking all the weight
Pushing on my shoulders
You kept on crushing
Me

I don’t know who
Gets to suffer worst

Because I'm out of breath
And I'm nowhere near first

And where are you?
You’re nowhere to be seen

You’re hiding,
Complacent, living like

Everyone owns you
Every explanation

Even if you
Never gave them  
Anything in return

Simmer down,
Because karma’s  
Gonna get you first

Treat people without  
their worth

And they’ll be the ones
To leave you first

So lay the first strike,
I don’t wanna hear  
Any of it  

You’ve taken my energy,
But not everything
Is gone,  
and ripped in pieces

Simmer down
Because karma’s
A silent enemy,
That doesn’t
Give up, no.
Aug 2023 · 272
the record
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
Lift the needle
From the record

It's time we
Settle this

Because if
We keep playing
The music we
Call life

The grooves
Will distort

And I'll be
Stuck

Scratched and
Endlessly spinning
On track four

Aching, and yearning
to progress
My way past you

I seek to find
My way

To a new track,
Titled
'A New State of
Mind'

But I can't
Seem to get
Out of this
Current state

(You played me
This time)

Not knowing
how to stop

I'm stuck in a
Loop

Forever stuck on replay

(I just want a
Day

Where I'm not
Dying inside

I just want to
Be fine today)

The diamond needle
Digs deeper

In the grooves
Making the vinyl
Weaker

And all that's left
Is a shell of myself
In this preserved state

Lift the needle
From the record

I'm tired of being
Played on a broken
Speaker
Aug 2023 · 1.0k
careful
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
Void in a world
Where everyone is
At their own throats

Tearing each other
Apart, visualizing

That
They're the only
One that's suffered

And you're the
One crying

In a twist, they
Twist and take
The knife

And stab
Themselves
Right back

They just want
To see who
Can bleed more

And see
If you come
Running back

With your
Heart

Bruised and
Under attack

You try to lift
yourself up

But you forgot
How to feel

And you've reached
critical mass

You just
want to break down

From all
the surroundings

And what
brought you hell

Don't let them get closer

Because
You can't be too careful
Anymore
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
Tell me,
When did
Life get so heavy?

October, fall
Into the cold
Catacombs of winter

A tumultuous spring
That lead to
A searing summer

Seems everything
Around me is on fire

And I'm waiting
For someone
To douse the flames

And shake me
From this fever

I wonder
When the tides
Will change

Because I don't
Know how much
I can take

When I'm only living
Just to survive

It's like someone hit pause
And now I'm on life support,
Barely alive.
Aug 2023 · 479
forgive yourself
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
there is chemistry
in everything

even love
and loss

has purpose
and meaning

it was no accident
(maybe it wasn't
meant to be)

the bond
tried to hold

but a guilty
conscious lead
to a total collapse

and you never
fully recovered

it's wishful thinking
thinking of
keepsake memories

always fearful
of what's to come,
maker of misery

there is chemistry
in everything

even hopeless lovers
can find their peace

maybe one day
you'll learn
to live

maybe one day
you'll make amends

but for now

you've got to
stop living
in the shadows
and forgive

don't let your
past regrets
seal your fate

forgive yourself
before it's too
late
Aug 2023 · 440
so vague
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
that's enough

i just want to
see you run

visions of you
haunt

and i keep running
into this curse

so vague,
so much pain

it juts gets
so much worse

holding our
memories
in vain

i'm left,
stuck in
the rain

and my heart
now breaks

swept, carried
away

into the ground
where you won't
see me again

that's enough

i've had enough
of the worst

so vague,
just
stay away

holding your memories
holding my pain.
i'm throwing it back.

it's yours to claim.
Grieving over a love lost certainly doesn't go the way we plan it. There are good days, and there are bad days. And that's okay. Emotions aren't a linear course.
Aug 2023 · 812
try, honestly
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
Just got robbed another time,
And I
Wish it was something as simple,
As someone taking my bike.

But life throws me
for a loop

I'm a f-ck up
And I'd like to just
for once, die

I'm a train-wreck
About to lose it
Near platform five
and Self-Pity Avenue

Someone get on the phone,
And tell them what I've done,
Because only others can
tell my story

Take out all the fun,
and leave me staring at
the sun.

I'm a f-ck up,
I know **** well
What I've done.

I'm not dead and
gone.

Roll the cameras,
3, 2, 1
Fade to white

Pan to the right,
And now I'm in sight

Read the paper today
And
The report says
I'm a wreck

What's new, today?

Interrogated again,
They asked me some
questions and took
some photographs

Long story short,
i was truly f-cked.

Looking almost gaunt,
I'm looking around,
And everyone's looking at me

(Am I alright?)

It seems they
Better call the doc

Because they just captured
The day I almost went dark.

Believe me when I say this,
I've seen better days,
and this isn't it.
Not by a long-shot.

And so, I end up
flipping through
the pages and I

See the reckless
Behaviors and antics

The hospital stays,
Complete and total
havoc

I'm tired of it all,
and it's all
So f-ckin' tragic.

Used to be up at 4 a.m.
Kept myself going

Hyped up on hard drugs
And ramped up in overdrive.
Not even wanting to quit.

Now I'm up at night,
******, one habit to the next
And all I do is cry.

I'm a mess, I'm a wreck
And sometimes, I just want to die

But today,
Just for you

I'd like to, for once
Stay alive, not give up,
and try, honestly
If you or a loved one are feeling suicidal, please reach out. This poem talks about dying in the metaphorical sense. Reach out, be a friend, and help those in need.
Joshua Phelps Aug 2023
When I woke up,
From this fever dream
It still felt like yesterday.

Drinking coffee,
Looking up to the sky

And smoking
happy little cigarettes

You still haunt me,

It’s true.

Maybe one day,
I’ll stop living
Under you

Stressed, another ****
Summertime vibes, and
I’m feeling low.

I don’t know
What to do.

Maybe one day,
I’ll stop living
Under you.

I can’t tell,
What’s up
From down

And the people
Around
don’t understand
Or how it’s come to

There are days,
Where I feel numb

And there are days,
When I feel alone

I hope one day,
I’ll get out
From under you.
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