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Matthew Chau May 2018
she never expressed how she detested hearing
the taste of words that don’t mean a **** thing;
the same tongues that apologize for leaving
and return when apathy-cells begin to rejuvenate

but watching from afar, i could sense the extent
the knives and cues have shaken her. blue eyes
blink when their names curl on the roof of her mouth.

she hates it when hugs are too tight and when
hearts begin to feel fuzzy, reminding her of
Vegas heat and betrayal within inner rings.

i know how it must have felt when your
eyes met theirs. the way they coldly stared;
a loss of words from both sides; air caught
in tracheas where only laughter should reside.

she despises the feeling of carpet and crumpled
bills, recollections of departure ***** from places
she never knew existed. all she remembers: flashing
lights and his skin on hers despite the blistering heat.

“he took care of me when nobody else did”

never forget that abandonment is a form of abuse;
remember that it’s never worth crying to sleep for;
if they reject you, maybe they just aren’t fit for you

not anymore.

whenever you’re ready to confront them,
don’t forget to hold on & remain strong.
remember that you still have perfect brows
and a boat-sized heart; beautiful regardless
of what they say & think.

good luck.
from my poetry book, Bravado.
instagram: matthew__chau
Matthew Chau May 2018
Ego
before bedtime, i watched an internal struggle between heroes and villains
giving it all for kids who knew only violence and illusions of stardom.
demanding PG-14 bladejobs and figure-four leg locks on men who
i believed deserved hell for belittling men; underdogs that understood.
naive and juvenile eyes fixated between storylines of retribution and
conquering Goliath; the crowd going wild for victorious introverts.
aorta discharges aligning with near-falls and close finishes as
The Biggest Little Man manages to slide the shoulder up.
outbursts of frustration as villains i initially resented once again
conquer my favorite – reruns of Seinfeld, the clock yearning
ten-year-olds to head for bed. a new episode of cartoons to catch at 7am.  
frustrations i would revisit and repair immediately
through a 40+ action figure extravaganza.
those moments on Friday nights, i remember most;
nights where i enter a space where bad guys can’t run.
a place where the scrawny little Asian boy can finally win.
every Friday, my father is the villain, and i’m the hero.
the one who finally pins him for a three count to bring him back home.
on nights where light and reality is no longer an issue;
imagination plastering false prophecies through a 50” HDTV.
from my poetry book, Bravado.
instagram: matthew__chau
Matthew Chau Apr 2018
a forest – somewhere unfamiliar, sectioned
a cabin – noiseless mannequins stand at attention

the air reeks of dampening feces, but only in certain spaces.
drains masked in chipping red paint dangle like
loose ligaments on skinned pigs above rusted strobe lights.
their faces flattened and torn, arms swaying – minds motionless.
the walls barbed from previous failed experiments create sanity.
one hacksaw. three nails. two strands of hair.
three hundred sixty-five horizons.

the stars outside are starting to shine
and the director is feeling lightheaded.

both boys have the hiccups and
a slight infection of the hickies.

the cameramen hide in the restroom
hitting **** rips and bean dip.

all avoid the white couch
where the restraints wait.
from my poetry book, Bravado: a poetry anthology.
instagram: matthw__chau
Matthew Chau Apr 2018
he barters with the moon and wonders why
he’s endlessly exhausted

the gentle melody of drifting
heartbeat interrupts my thought midsentence.
it’s three in the morning once more.
maybe i should tell the truth to set you free:
“I have work in the morning”
or
“I have to study for my finals”
except - I don’t want to let it be;
because right now,
tucked under your covers
somewhere in another galaxy,
nothing else is more important to me
than you.


she pleads for sunset and wonders why
the sun climbs with such haste

if i silence the cosmos with my ears to the screen
and my heart on your chest,
perhaps you will realize that
right now,
warmly tucked within your arms
somewhere in another galaxy,
nothing else is more important to me
than you.
from my poetry book, Bravado.
instagram: matthew__chau
Matthew Chau Apr 2018
I saw you again today as usual.

Whenever we hug, it reminds me of guns that flicker
when triggered,
the outlet that ignites
spontaneous wildfire.
Whenever we converse, words stiffen in your mouth -
a rose caged by him
within the vase.

guns and roses share similar traits:

dangerous but oddly enough,
I still want to hold you…
From my poetry book, Bravado.
instagram: matthew__chau
Matthew Chau Apr 2018
she longs for the merciful present of the past

so tonight, i pray these words

that flow from my eyes

free sanity from her prison walls.

_

“are you two still talking?” –  i shake my head, ashamed.
“didn’t you guys have a thing?” – only if that “thing” was friendship.

homesick – currently missing you.
from my poetry book, Bravado.

instagram: matthew__chau
Matthew Chau Apr 2018
my face resembles my mother

but she insists i act just like my father.

i mute her words trying not to think too much about it;

but inherently, a burning dynamic in my skeleton:

will your own kin,

flesh of his flesh,

bone of your bone,

leave you someday too?
let he without sin cast the first stone
from my poetry book, Bravado
instagram: matthew__chau
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