Soul, you're getting old.

You are tired, worn-out
Dance shoes with a hole
In the toe,

Each tap a tick of time
Unnoticed in
The beating of this body,
The wearing of this sole.

Swaying to songs,
Smiling and spinning,
Spewing lyrics into space
As if the aliens are listening.

The poet lives two lives.
One on the outside,
And one in their mind.

When you look in their eyes
You could see an abyss.

If you looked long enough
You could sink into it.

But most people don’t see it.

Take the time to read the words, though,
And you would know for sure.

The poet lives in two different worlds.

I LIKE TO SAY YOUR NAME

I like to say
your name

when you're
not here

turn you
into sound

conjure you out of
thin air

so that you appear
before me

dressed in sound
only

memory sketching in
the rest of you

as if sound
was just an outline

and love
colours you in

adding the voice last
so I can hear you say.

"Hello you..!"
and there you are

as present
as present

can be.

I like to say
your name

when you're
not there.

A spark. A flame.
The crackling of fire on wood, whispering your name.
The fire inside me calling out.
Leaving no room for any doubt.
I am sure of what I want.

I want the world to remember me.
I want to live on in people's memory.
This makes me happy.
My heart was set aflame.
This isn't just a hobby.

If you sense my fire about to die out,
Would you grab a candle
To help keep my light?
At least, for another night.
I may be bound to a life of darkness, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

Give me your time,
I'll give you my word.
Give me your love,
I'll give you the world.
Tell me your dreams,
I'll help make them come true.
Just have faith in me
and I'll take care of you.

And over time,
My pen stopped bleeding
But my heart didn't

if you hate
𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴,
𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴
and 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴,
then you are
not ready
to have 𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘴
in your life

Night sits on my chest
Squeezes poems out of me
And grinds my poor soul