For the one who needs a reason to stay alive
I’m not going to write about the ocean or all the stars you’ll miss
Maybe you’re the kind of person who needs to climb every mountain they see
Just to get the sense of accomplishment that comes with it
But I won’t suggest that makes life worth living either
If I’m being honest that’s something I struggle with everyday too
Not to say I’m anywhere near ending things before they were meant
Only that everyday is like walking through mud for the sake of something to do
Yes the trees are beautiful and there is peace to be found there for some people
The night is stunning in all her gentle and soft reflection but the sad truth is it’s not long before the moon really becomes a less impressive sun
If you can find solace in these things all the better but for me that hasn’t been working
I’m still here because I’m stubborn and there are too many things I haven’t done yet that people told me I could never do
There is still more to do and a long list of people I have to make choke on their words before I leave
If you can’t find the beauty be stubborn and make it yourself
~W.C.

I’m sorry that I haven’t written to you in so long and I hate that I feel I should apologize for it
How long has it been since I’ve seen you last when was the last time I crossed your mind and what was the thought you had
There are parts of me that desperately want to know and parts that say you can burn in Hell
I still find myself clenching my fists on your account but not for the same reasons and I guess that’s growing
There’s a lot I hold inside and I’m told I need to let it out and admit that it hurts so I guess this is it
I hate that you could be proud that I turned out the way that I did because of how you hurt me
The fact that you could feel like what you did was right and it turned me into who I am makes my head spin and my stomach turn inside out
It makes me want to claw at my face and it drives these thoughts into my head that leave me nothing but shame and sick satisfaction
There are parts of me that hope you got better that you were able to heal and love yourself in your own way
I’ve let you sit here for too long locked away in a dark room not having seen the sun and now I’m dragging you back out in the open
You’ve rotted all the way through and I barely recognize anything I ever saw in you before
Pale and thin like fallen branches you barely still look human and if I’m completely honest it’s not hate or pity that I feel
I still feel love
Maybe you’re still struggling out there I don’t know and I more than likely never will
You probably don’t feel like you need it but I know I do so when I say this I hope you hear it
Let it echo through the tunnels of your mind I hope that you feel it ringing in your bones everyday for the rest of your life
By the grace of God alone I hope this haunts you in your dreams and it leaves you restless and uneasy until you learn why
I hope for the rest of your days it eats you alive from the inside
But I forgive you or at least I’m trying
~W.C.

I don’t want to talk about love I want to talk about the shields you’ve used since preschool to defend yourself
What habits were you forced to create from such a young age you will only recognize them for what they are if you get called out on it
I want to discuss the weapons hanging on your wall I want to know why you depict cutting your brother out of your life with a ****** iron pipe
Why does your hand race to your hip searching for a holstered handgun whenever someone says the word “father” and who was the one they found dead at the scene
Maybe instead we should talk about the security system you’ve been so intent on keeping running from sheer willpower and why you feel like you need to be watched so closely
Darling love feels like learning all of these things so that we can put them all away without your lungs sealing themselves shut
It can make you sick like you’ve been caught in the middle of a tornado that you knew was coming but still caught you off guard
That moment after you hand over the keys you’ve guarded so closely for years with shaking hands until theirs close over yours and their lips meet your forehead
It’s the grove you find after those moments where you rest your head on its softest grass with morning dew clinging to your hair
But first we lock away the weapons
You don’t need them anymore
~W.C.

It’s been awhile since I felt like I had anything to give
Most days I’m so tired and drained
Words have been thin and dry
Frantically running up my throat for so long
I guess I should’ve known this was coming
And I think to myself
You should’ve done better than that
When your time was on the line you sat back and wasted what you had
I’m not straightening welcome mats anymore
It’s been askew for years now and eventually I just gave up
But that’s just like me to give up just because I can’t win
And to some people that won’t seem grand or majestic
It’ll sound like the logical sane thing to do when there is no victory to be had
But I’ve always been one to fight for the sake of what I believe
So what if I’m losing another part of me
I’m so tired of being afraid so I’ll turn it around instead and ask a different question
Because here I am comforting an old friend
Words are coming to me
Not like they used to but dripping slowly
What if it’s all coming back and I can feel like myself again
Maybe I should be scared of that too
~W.C.

Hello my name is Artemis at least thats what I would prefer you call me
But thats only if you must call me anything at all
I'm a ghost and I mean that in the most simple way
Not everyone will see me and even those that do will never be certain that I exist
And this is exactly the way that I have chosen for it to be
To some eyes this reads as a challenge and I must ask that you refrain
I don't want to be found and you would be hard pressed to track me down now
You can't chase a fox that has been planning an escape route in these woods for as long as they can remember
I've been living on mirrors watching people threaten reflections
Though I'm not certain if its of me or them and I know they can't tell the difference
I don't know what I or anyone else did to make them so angry
But I'd be lying if I said I was pained to see them suffering
I don't take direction well and if you had taken the time to watch and listen you would've known
These blades didn't have to be so invasive
But when you come to me demanding what I've kept hidden what else am I supposed to do
I'm sorry for what someone else did to you but that person wasn't me
And I will never take the responsibility for it
My life isn't here for you to control I'm more than capable of making my own decisions
I don't care what you want for me it doesn't matter to me if you think I shouldn't be left alone
You don't have the right to tell me what is up to me and what isn't
I'll show you every time its out of your hands and if you decide to hold it in your teeth I'll tear them out
The absolute lack of understanding you displayed was astounding
Even more shocking your acknowledgment that you wouldn't listen to a thing I say
But in the hours that you harassed me you convinced yourself you still knew what was best for me
Well I'm without you now and I'm still not wishing I didn't cast you aside
I told you I didn't like being touched and that only made you more intent on it
And you still had the audacity to tell me you loved me
I will never be able to relay how relieved I am that you were never able to define what that meant
When I told you the gun was loaded and my hands weren't shaking I wasn't bluffing
Did you feel foolish for trying to call it or did you call me a ***** again and fall for your next victim
I built these boundaries for a reason and hollow offers and rage fueled fits won't get you any closer
Why do I have to explain that putting my safe place in jeopardy so you'll be my friend isn't worth it
You offer nothing and expect everything so how truly surprised can you be that this was the final outcome
It's only been a few days now but you're not the last one who has tried to talk their way in
And I'm tired I'm so tired of being interrogated by people who think they hold something over me
There is no dark secret waiting to be revealed and if you can't believe that you don't have to stay
I only wanted to prove to myself that if nothing else about me mattered maybe my thoughts could
Maybe there were people who would listen without me having to scream until I have a mouth full of blood
I want to know what its like to be heard quietly
But that's not what you wanted for me
~W.C.

Would you cry at a funeral for someone you didn’t know
Is it enough for you to feel the weight of the room on your shoulders
Could you bear to stand the sight of deaths ugly hand reaching from the casket
Does it scare you less knowing the face is unfamiliar to you
Everyone has something to say tonight
But most of them won’t be able to pass the roadblocks that have been constructed in their throats
Funeral homes have always made me uneasy
I don’t understand why they try to make them feel welcoming
It’s nothing but a waste of time
Everyone who walks in is just wondering when they’ll return again and where they’ll be sitting
I know I’m selfish but I can’t help but think that when my time comes
Who would I expect to stand up and speak in my memory
Would I even be worth the time or will I simply be planted and forgotten
Maybe this feels more familiar than I thought
I won’t hold my breath thinking I’m getting close to home
They say you wouldn’t recognize yourself outside of a mirror
But I’m still confused as to why I keep hearing my name
~W.C.

It is necessary for you to understand that when I ask you for your favorite season that’s not what I’m asking you
I’m asking you what part of life has stuck with you the most and where you were the most comfortable
Were your summers like being high on life where nothing could go wrong and bring you any lower than you were in those moments
Do you remember the fall when you started growing up when you learned things can and do go wrong
But it’s not all bad because there is still beauty here if you look closely enough
I’ll always remember you holding on to that
What about the winter your lowest of lows you told me
A pain that lodged itself in your back and refuses to leave you like the warmth did
No matter how much you screamed at God to make it disappear it never did
Could you say you live for the spring when things are getting better and you can start to breathe again
You made it through with nothing but a few new scars you don’t remember getting but it’s ok the flowers are growing again
So when I ask what your favorite season is please think carefully about where you’ve been and what feels like home
~W.C.

I’m sorry if it seems like I’m  looking down on you
That’s never been my intention but there are some things
Weighing on me heavily and as trivial as they seem they need to go
So I hope you take me in all seriousness when I tell you
The common factor in all your misunderstandings is you
And the fact that you can’t stop opening your mouth
There’s a reason you’re pushing everyone away
Of course no one understands you how could they be expected to
When you’ve been at this for years and you still can’t speak your own language
Your life is riddled with misunderstandings cause you don’t care about words
Throwing them around and they may land close but even the smallest of missteps can bring death
But you have much smaller things on your mind
So take a moment and learn something for once in your life
A cop in the dark with a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other is suspense
Batman speeding down the roads of Gotham chasing the Scarecrow is thrilling
Horror is watching the little girl sleep walking into the wardrobe over and over until you notice the creature perched on top of it
It’s not all the same so learn the difference
Maybe if you knew it was ok for you to be mad at people you love you could navigate your life better
Being mad isn’t the same as being filled with rage and bloodlust
So stop acting like it is
Disappointment hurts but it doesn’t mean they hate you
But these are all things you never learned that you should know by now
So perhaps it’s time you slow down and take a second to think before you speak
With any luck this time you’ll choose the right words
And it won’t feel like everything is breaking all the time
~W.C.

Please excuse me if just for a moment
It’s been awhile since I felt like I might not cough out my ribcage
But what difference would it make really if I already feel unprotected
The feeling of vulnerability is nothing new but it’s never felt so prominent
Simply the thought that everyone else knows
That things aren’t as good as I intended to make them believe
But that’s no business of theirs anyway it’s not like they’re going to help
That’s why I’ve always buried it away but now it’s getting harder to keep down
One too many times I think I’ve slipped up and lit myself up with flashing lights
I am a liability a failure a malfunctioning existence looking for a way out
How am I expected to have anything to offer when I never asked to be here
Forced together and wound tight sent off before being factory tested
This doesn’t feel like delicate finesse or experienced craftsmanship
It feels like a doomed experiment
Any scientist would be condemned to death for my creation
But I’m here and I’m trying to rearrange all these wires to see if I can make anything out of myself
I know what I am and I’m sorry for most everything I’ve ever done
But preforming surgery on yourself is more difficult than it looks
~W.C.

In my head at least I’m somewhere else far away from here I think
The grass under my feet is a dark green and it feels soft
Though I struggle to feel it at all only if I really focus on the wanting
It’s dark black consumes everything in the distance but I can see clearly what is there to see
I’m surrounded by broken stone I don’t know what it used to be
There are guesses that I’ve made but I’m content not to know in the end
The moss that covers the marble is pleasing in itself and I am comfortable here
But not everything is broken and crumbled  
Statues of angels are forming a circle around me
Wings sprouting from their back and there’s a part of me that wishes I was them
But something is wrong it’s the kind of thing that tickles the back of your mind at times and itches at others
Their eyes are closed and I feel like even inside the confines of my own mind
I am constantly reminded that the safety that I’ve found isn’t real
No one is watching over me the reality is that I am alone
But there is one who despite having her hands covering her face I can almost swear she’s peering through to me
And it makes me wonder how alone I really am after all
When I yell into the darkness is my voice received
Am I creating thoughts that land in someone else’s head after all
I still feel like I’m watching giants walk most days
But I still refer back to my insides where it seems someone has embedded themselves
I wonder if you’re still there or if it’s just my mind after all
Does any amount of screaming incline stone angels to open their eyes or am I losing myself
~W.C.

I had a dream that I lost my job not too long ago
The subject matter itself isn’t what bothered me
More like the fact that it felt like a kick in the teeth in my sleep
A reminder that I can’t seem to stop misplacing things
I’m just so tired of thinking I know where my love and trust should be placed
Only for things to be turned around on me and somehow I’m always left
Wondering where it was that I left my glasses and hoping that after a second look it might make more sense
They always reveal themselves as devourers sooner or later
Hungry for whatever I have to give consuming time they have no purpose for
I told you too many times how I feel useless and helpless to the fact that I’m losing
And this is how you comfort me by taking more until I’ve grown pale and numb
So I’m lost and wandering again I want to say I’m hoping for something but I’ve done this a few too many times
Hope starts to feel like a cheat there is no relationship there just a few meaningless nights when she gets lonely
I probably misplaced my path too and I’m trying to find it I’m trying to hear you telling me where I’m supposed to be
There’s too many echos and it’s hard to tell if it’s saying you deserved this or something entirely different
On top of that I’m starting to care less about if it makes a difference anyway
If I had the choice to run away from everything I’m sure I would
And somehow I think you would find me there
Lost and trying to find everything I’ve misplaced
~W.C.

What would you say if I suggested we run away and find a hotel to haunt
Let’s sleep all day carried by the soft sounds of people coming and going
Stay sleeping until it’s time for dinner we could order Chinese food or pizza everyday
We could catch a late movie that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but feels very artistic
Or we could stay in and gaze out over the bustling city
When you don’t have to drive in it, it starts to feel like a forest in it’s own right
As everyone checks in and starts to settle for the night we can make our way down to the bar
Let’s find a stranger and hear their life story
I want to know what brought them here and if they’re drinking to forget or celebrate
We could be apart of that for just a night just for a few hours
Once the bar closes down we could play dare in the hallways
Take some chances and feel the blood rush through you
Forget some clothes in the elevator until there’s nothing left but fingerprints
I want you to remember what it feels like to be alive
Consumed by adrenaline but always with a safe hand to pull you out
Let’s find an empty room and leave our impressions on the bed and each other
We won’t finish until we make sure the guest next door leaves with a ghost story
Keep a copy of the key to roof to watch the sunrise every day
We’ll find a breakfast place and become regulars where we don’t have to place orders anymore
What would you say if I told you that maybe one day we could escape from everything
Living as barely more than ghosts with painful memories and beautiful nows
~W.C.

Sometimes the hardest part is finding the line that grabs you by the throat
It should stare you down until you’re left shaking and wondering why
So I guess let’s give this a try
I don’t mean to alarm you but I’ve taken up the past time of chewing on butcher knives
Of course one doesn’t start with butcher knives as they tend to be a bit large
But I’ve tried and tried and nothing else works
These things tend to start smaller for me it was a pen
It wasn’t sharp it felt safe and yes I suppose we can say the pen was a gateway
Countless worlds opened from there so many hearts and minds suddenly before me
It was a lot to take in and I’ll be honest there are things I wish I didn’t know about other people
A lot of things I wish I had never put down and forced myself to face
Somehow it wasn’t enough and it quickly spiraled deeper expanding rapidly into a rabbit hole
Things escalate quickly with me that just seems to be the way it works
But before I knew it I carried a needle between my teeth
Sharp dangerous and maybe there was a hint of a thrill that came with it
Maybe it was the same needle that threaded us together I’m not sure
That pulled us together in all the pain when we felt broken and worthless
But maybe the symbolism is a little too extreme so we’ll abandon the idea that it was
You see there was a reason it started in the first place
All I wanted to do was scrape every word out of the inside of my mouth
There was too much that sat behind my teeth screaming for air
I don’t know why it was so hard to release any of it freely like any normal person could do
But I couldn’t do it
So I took to carving them out desperate to get rid of the taste
Words falling carelessly and soundlessly out of my mouth
I always ignored the blood that came with it
But every night I sit down to dinner with addiction and there’s always more
I feel like I already know I’ll be swallowing swords before long and I fear that may not be enough either
It’s only butcher knives now but how much longer until I’m spitting out chunks of my own skin
At what point am I going to feel the need to take it further again
What if next time it’s a hand grenade
~W.C.