I'm sorry that you're hurting darling
I wish that I could ease your pain
But, it's not something that I can do
Until we meet again

I'm standing at attention
Watching, knowing what you feel
As you struggle in your mind
To figure out if this is real

I love you and I'll be with you
Although I am buried here
There's other soldiers with me
They say there's nothing you should fear

Veterans from others wars
Who laid their life down on demand
Others, valiant women and men
Who followed country and command

As they fold my flag for you
You wipe away a tear
And smile up so bravely
There is nothing you should fear

I'm standing at attention
Watching silent with no sound
As the guns go off is sequence
And I'm lowered in the ground

I love you and I'll be with you
Although I am buried here
There's other soldiers with me
They say there's nothing you should fear

Veterans from others wars
Who laid their life down on demand
Others, valiant women and men
Who followed country and command

Remember what we always had
A bond that only death could break
As strong as any hurricane
That only love could make

I am standing at attention
Here, with veterans who went before
I know that we will meet again
I'll be waiting at the door


I love you and I'll be with you
Although I am buried here
There's other soldiers with me
They say there's nothing you should fear

Veterans from others wars
Who laid their life down on demand
Others, valiant women and men
Who followed country and command

Now be my strong brave soldier
Take a breath and count to ten
For I'll always be here with you
Until we meet again

Gentle lady, do not sing
Sad songs about the end of love;
Lay aside sadness and sing
How love that passes is enough.

Sing about the long deep sleep
Of lovers that are dead, and how
In the grave all love shall sleep:
Love is aweary now.

Imagine going to a cliff
And jumping off to die
Hoping that you somehow grow wings
And that in a blink can fly

Now, shut your eyes
Do it again
This time, you make the leap
Is the cliffside still as steep a one?
Is the water just as deep?

You're a writer and you do this jump each day
When you post your words and rhymes
You put yourself where all can see
And can comment on your crimes
You took the leap, you're airborne
And sometimes you will soar
At other times you'll crash down to earth
Where you started long before

Now, go back to the cliffs edge
Write some words and sail away
You're out there high in the ether
And if you're good that's where you'll stay

Commitment to your writing
Accepting what the others write
Make you go and keep on leaping
Until you know you've got it right

You're a writer and you do this jump each day
When you post your words and rhymes
You put yourself where all can see
And can comment on your crimes
You took the leap, you're airborne
And sometimes you will soar
At other times you'll crash down to earth
Where you started long before

Go now, jump...make it a good one
One where you feel the wind as well
where you can see into the future
And where only you can tell

Each poem you post is gone now
You make the leap each time you post
A poem is something living
Unwritten ones are only ghosts

You're a writer and you do this jump each day
When you post your words and rhymes
You put yourself where all can see
And can comment on your crimes
You took the leap, you're airborne
And sometimes you will soar
Now, go, create and you will see
That you can with less fear than before.

Take your knife and cut it into me deeply,
watch me bleed,
hear me scream.
I'm hurting as much as you are,
I'm sorry I had to leave.
But I've moved on.
I like you too much.
Self taught years ago to expect nothing in return,
Best way to not hurt at the end of the day.
People don't really care,
especially boys,
Learned that from the man of my house.
Tell me you do.
Tell me how you want to go out,
then tell me how all these girls are really cute,
but trust me I don't care,
I don't get jealous.
I care about you the amount you care about me,
Which isn't much, take away my body and it's nothing.
I'm the mirror image.
I'm not sure how to send you the message,
words always are messy.
& I don't want to stab you anymore then I already have my eyes,
I have to be nice.
I shouldn't be the one,
But I could.
I want you to listen, to care about the words I have to share.
I sit here alone and I can't breath,
these walls are closing in on me.
You are going to ignore me now,
Which is expected and only proves how right my judgement is.
I want to feel the pain of my mind and heart,
across my arms,
or maybe on a long tortures run.
But then you text me and say you're coming over,
and I smile that half smile that you bring out.
*You've proven me wrong.

I first saw her on a Friday
Dinking beer and doing shots
And as I gave her the once over
I thought...******* she's hot
She showed me something that night
Something I know I ain't got
Something inside you
That can not be taught

I sent a drink to her
To just say hello
She left it alone
And she started to go
As she passed on by me
She said "I want you to know"
"that something worth having's"
"not just found at hello"

I was the hunter
At least that's what I thought
I found I was mistaken
I was the one that was caught
I chased this young woman
At least in my head
Chased her till she caught me
That was just what she said

I chased her till she caught me
I was the one that was caught
She'd turned my game on me
And that man...was hot
I thought that I had her
with a beer and a shot
I was the one being hunted
And I was the one that was caught

Don't think you are special
And that you know the game
Just what we are playing
They're playing the same
By the time you make contact
And set your sights on her
You're already in trouble
And you've taken her lure


I chased her till she caught me
I was the one that was caught
She'd turned my game on me
And that man...was hot
I thought that I had her
with a beer and a shot
I was the one being hunted
And I was the one that was caught

she was 10 ,
and love was measured in bruises
in her house ,
and when father got home from
work
she and her brother would race to find
the best hiding place .
her tears picking up pace with each
foot step that she heard .
she wouldn't dare to utter a word as she saw
his shoes , too close to her face .
she hid under the bed ,
hoping that springs and sheets
were enough to keep her safe .

she caught a glimpse of her brothers toes ,
sticking out from the space under the closet door .
father moved toward him ..

she felt herself **** in a breath .

father would skin him
and wear him with pride
and fold him upon a wire hanger with the
rest of the
coats
in that closet .
........
that night , they counted up their cuts and scars and bruises and brokeness ,
and decided that they had collected just enough to move away .
and so ,
they packed blankets
and apples ,
and not oranges because they were both allergic ,
and 5 nickles and 7 pennies she had been saving up for a doll ..
and they snuck out the front door ,
but they both hardly thought of it as sneaking
because father was sleeping with a shine in his skin
and shine in a bottle that was at his fingertips .

they crossed the street
and a light , so bright smacked their vision ,
came at them before they knew it was a light .
but they awoke in clean jeans and white t-shirts
with their backpacks still on their backs -
feeling as light as air , and walking on clouds .
someone had spit-shined the roads --
they seemed to sparkle like gold .
and mother was at the end of the glittering path ,
smiling that angel smile she always had on in the mornings
before the morning when they dressed all in black .
they looked about to see gates made of mother's necklaces ,
and smelled the sea salt
and knew they were

**home .