The curse of a writer is that
every word jotted down
is a reflection of every beat
the heart ripples through the body
that harnesses waves upon waves
of emotions from here and there
and the best part is that you will find
yourself there too
no matter who you are.

They want to escape, they cannot
but find a way to embrace the subject
of the matter with words that morph
stanzas into finger pointing
comments that strum your chords
and wait for the echo to die out
with the last period
on the last line.

No battle is won by merely one man
It is won in the blood stained garments of many
It is not dictated by the resolve in his final stand
But the impact of the burden carried by all, on every step of the journey

“Battles”-JP

you feel everything as deeply as you breathe,
but, honey-

When I was eight
At the park

Playing football
Getting dark

Older kids
Stole our ball

I can't stand bullies
Not at all

Then out of the blue
Three more kids appear

Did I mention they're black
So now I felt fear

But to my surprise, they said
Give the ball back!

What's going on?
I thought they were black

This confused my young mind
From all I was told

Stay away from the blacks
Or you'll never grow old

That one little act
Fifty years ago now

Changed the way I see color
Changed my vision and how

Today I was out
With my eight year old son

God, how I love him
We're having such fun

Then I see someone starring
No, it's more like a glare

I can't be that ugly
It must be my hair

Then an old thought creeps in
From way, way, way, back

She's glaring at us cause
I'm white, and he's black

So my prayer for this world
And I hope you don't mind

Is the day we can say
We're all color blind!

Amen

In a daydream
Life rushes around like a wind
Falling forever
Looks as my time is ending.

Down a stream of water,
Mirrored swells sway away

Couldn't ask you anything
Just wanted you madly to stay.

I feel like anytime you see me
You can't let it go anymore
If anyone can hear me
I'm stuck here; I can't seem to grow.

I'm stuck in a daydream!!!!
I'm stuck in a time I've never known
I lost it forever
I can't seem to let it all go

I find myself pacing
Or staring at nothing,
While i can't slow my thinking
Or find a pattern in my breathing.

I'm no less lost
Than I was last month,
And no less terrified
Than when I broke
All the promises
I had made to myself.

My tiny room
Can't hold me
For too long.
My expansive thoughts
Bounce off the walls
And back into me
Until I decide to
Find some place open to think.

And I walk all alone
I lay in dark open fields
Or on benches by water,
Hoping my thoughts will get lost
In the landscape
And forget to return to my head.

My eyes fill with anxiety
As I forget to breathe.
I make sure no one
Can see me
Than I let the anxiety
flooding my eyes roll down my cheeks.

The cold breeze
Reminds me to breathe
And I'm back in the grass
Hoping you're thinking about me.

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out and congratulated me on my poem and the ones who have written such heartfelt comments. I truly do appreciate each single one of you. Keep writing friends! :)