i went back at twenty-three,
to the school that survived me.
the rebel, the headache,
the girl who wouldn’t listen —
and thought of this building
as being trapped in a cage.

it felt like coming home.
my teacher grinning wide,
filling me with warmth,
hugging me from the side
during the memorial,
as if the teenagers on stage
weren’t reciting poems
about the war.

he kept leaning in,
whispering jokes
of old times.
shushing didn’t work –
i was secretly glowing
in their unexpected pride.

they called me the proof.
an example, that
the troubled can bloom.
but all i could think
was how they loved me
through my worst,
and still do.

We are more than
Passion or whatever

We are a stack of tourist info cards
A collaborative collection of poetry
Rolled up jazz club posters
Far off texts and calls at any hour
Pictures and
PICTURES
Photo albums public and (private)
Music made in parallel
A good book in the heart
Stimulating conversation to the mind
We are the choices made, over and over
We are the foundations and creations
Of love immortal and spiritual

Or maybe
That’s what I wish we were
And what I hope we could be

its always a step close
and a mile back
one misplaced foot
and a thousand atoms far
an elephant in the room
but we pretended it was just us
one white lie
is all it took to be apart
a question that lingered
that we never dared to ask
a story that was never read
we judge covers too fast
walking on blind path
with hopes that never really lasts
visioning the future
with the faintest of light
but the future will never come
even the brightest stars die

i always loved rap, drill, and trap more than any music genre out there
like lil peep, central cee, and travis scott.
then one day, you ranted about how much you loved maroon 5
and ever since that day, it was your favorite song from them, “she will be loved” that i’ve been listening to until my earphones wear out.

i was never a big fan of donuts, especially the chocolate flavor.
it was always too sweet for my liking, that’s all.
until i saw you eat a chocolate donut, the only flavor of donuts you like.
from that day on, i always got myself a chocolate donut every time i craved something sweet.

art was something i absolutely ****** at.
i tried and tried but i always ended up failing miserably.
that was until i saw you show off your drawings, ones of your favorite characters.
since then, i’ve been practicing and practicing until i could finally draw and paint you, my favorite piece of art.

i never really saw a reason to be happy in my life;
it was always the same cycle of betrayal, broken trust, and so on.
but then i saw you dancing happily in the rain as you were listening to all your favorite songs
and starting then, i finally found a reason for me to love life:
seeing your happiness— and just you, entirely.

Just when I needed it: companions, warm and kind.
A baby-blue ******* mother, sharp and refined.
Now I know, she’s saved her whole life to give,
Each round, each smile, proof of the way she lives.

Tremendous smile beneath a cap, humor bone dry.
I let you overestimate me and I’ll never know why.
Married to contrast, cold calling embassies, a landlord that has tenants as enemies.

Majestic bearded bard with Rakija grace.
In every tale, facts and fables found their place.
Knowledge poured like wine - free hat, jokes, and care,
Even speaking Bulgarian, like you were born there.

So cheers to you; Jane, Tim, and Mike!

I’m sure none of us will have a pear-shaped life!

Can a light give off its glow,
if no power makes its flow?

Can a rose give off its beauty,
if not pruned with simple duty?

Can a river quench a thirst,
if its very source is cursed?

Can a house stand tall and strong,
if its very base is wrong?

Can a mirror show a face,
if a lie has clouded its space?

Can a song be sweet to hear,
if its notes are born of fear?

Can you and I love our neighbors as one would embrace themselves,
if our love is just an empty shell, placed on a dusty shelf?
When it’s agenda-driven, a betrayal, a pitfall, "Much Said"......

Michael Powers
"STYXX ON FIRE"