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26.4k · Feb 2019
half empty
Erika Feb 2019
i spend my days
pouring myself into the cups of others

only to find that
when it’s time for myself
to take a sip

all that’s left
in my cup
is the remainder of a girl
who gave too much
self care is extremely important. most days I fight my depression by putting smiles onto others faces, but forgetting about my once bright smile.
2.4k · Oct 2017
Pray for Las Vegas
Erika Oct 2017
I woke up at 4 am
to the news of a mass shooting,
in Las Vegas.

It makes me sick,
that this is the kind of place
my kids will grow up in.

Now I just wonder,
has it always been this way?

When we were kids,
did our parents just cover our eyes,
and hide our face?

Or is all this ****,
this negative energy,

the beginning of an America

that's far more sinister?


It will be hard,
but we have to fix it.

I refuse to let my kids grow up
worried about ballistics.
Please Pray for the lives lost, the injured, the damaged, and the broken souls who thought taking lives was the answer, even though it never is.
1.5k · Dec 2018
the taste of you
Erika Dec 2018
your lips

drip

of honey

and so our kiss

is just as sweet
1.5k · Dec 2018
it’s true
Erika Dec 2018
love looks a lot like you
1.2k · Dec 2020
love languages
Erika Dec 2020
my love language

is saying

that I HATE you

  when

what I really

wanna say

is

   I LOVE you

but if I told you

that I loved you

as often

as I felt the urge to

you’d think that I was

nuts
1.1k · Apr 2018
black boy
Erika Apr 2018
Black boy,
I am sorry.

I am sorry the world is cold.

Black boy,
I am sorry.

I am sorry your voice doesn’t matter.

Black boy,
I am sorry.

I am sorry that the justice system is not fair to you.

Black boy,
I am sorry.

I am sorry that all you had to do was be black.

And Black boy,
You can beat it.

You can graduate high school.

You can get that scholarship.

You can get that job.

You can get that degree.

You are amazing.

You are strong.

You are Black.

Unapologetically Black.

You are a force to be reckoned with.

Black boy,
I am sorry,

But not for you,

for them.
I’ve been meaning to write something like this for a while.
887 · Sep 2017
bad at love
Erika Sep 2017
Is anyone really
bad at love?
Or are they bad
with trust, commitment,              and
even lust.
858 · Aug 2020
a spiritual awakening
Erika Aug 2020
it is nearly midnight

and I see her

in all of her elegance

dancing through the trees,

calling me to her.

she radiates,

glows with a light so pure

so ethereal

I almost weep

for what did I do

to deserve the treasure

that is

the moon
I was outside earlier, and I swear the moon was a little brighter. It caused my imagination to run wild, but I’m satisfied with the result.
Erika Feb 2019
I
don’t
know
when
my
petals
died,
but
I
do
know
that
I
survived
748 · Dec 2017
toxic
Erika Dec 2017
his cologne was intoxicating
and our relationship was toxic.

in every moment,
he was the joker

and I was Harley Quinn when he pushed me into the toxic pit.

He let me fall,
multiple times


and I didn’t even care

because he was mine

**** that cologne,

It was Armani.

I swear that **** made me blind.

Because when I was with him I couldn’t see,

and when I wasn’t

I couldn’t breathe.
Idk
665 · May 2020
no justice, no peace.
Erika May 2020
he said he couldn’t breathe,
so they took his last breath
I’m so sick of feeling like it’s never going to stop. It needs to stop. It’s exhausting to know that everyday social injustice keeps happening and now that something is being done about it, everyone is ******. When I can raise my sons and daughters and not fear for their life. Only then, will I be satisfied.
588 · Dec 2020
renaissance skies
Erika Dec 2020
i close my eyes
and can’t help but wonder

who had helped Him
create you?

Did Michelangelo help Him design your face from stone and etch your beautiful imperfections into your caramel colored flesh?

Was it Raphael who decided that honey was too beautiful and decadent a substance to be left only for edible indulgence, and allowed you to have pools of golden honey for eyes?

Who better than Titan to pull from the clouds, and the water whom then MUST have pulled inspiration from silk when allowing your skin and hair to be as soft as the robes I wear to bed with you.

I wonder when He called Leonardo Da Vinci in? Was it when he decided that you were going to be beautiful? Or when He decided you’d be intelligent, or when He decided you’d be kind?

I close my eyes and wonder, did they help Him create such a work of art in hopes that you’d be mine?


After all,

I close my eyes

and dream

of those whimsical, renaissance skies.
I hope you enjoy!! I was inspired by the sunset, and the way the colors reminded me of a few of my favorite renaissance paintings!
555 · Oct 2017
trending
Erika Oct 2017
hashtags
do not bring back the dead.

they do not cause souls
to rise out of the ashes they lay to rest in.

hashtags

raise awareness for

loss
hurt
pain

and that ache in your chest you get
when you realize
that
nothing
is
the
same.

Because If im being honest,

making something a trending topic

is the only way

to make people

give
a
****.
freedom of expression is a beautiful thing
529 · Nov 2019
take a number, and wait
Erika Nov 2019
I love to laugh with you

but laughing is not enough

to keep me sane

while I wait for you

to decide

if I’m worthy enough

for  a lifetime.
I don’t wanna do this anymore.
497 · Nov 2019
wilted
Erika Nov 2019
a dead flower
does not bloom

and now

neither does my love

for you.
487 · Nov 2019
so this is love
Erika Nov 2019
I never knew
that I could become
so enthralled
               and entrapped
                              and enamored
by one person

until

I met

you.
473 · Nov 2023
exhale
Erika Nov 2023
i did not cry when you left

instead

my soul

rejoiced
Erika Aug 2021
I don’t want to chase you anymore,
Alexis.
So from this moment on
I’m choosing not to.
If our paths are meant to cross again
then
I hope that they do.
But as of now
I have no legitimate desire
to continue
to be led on
by you.
Cat & mouse
460 · Dec 2018
Worthy
Erika Dec 2018
know your worth.
know you’re worth it.
know you are worthy.
429 · Dec 2018
breathe you in
Erika Dec 2018
you stayed long enough to fill my lungs and left as quickly as an exhale
414 · Apr 2019
abyss
Erika Apr 2019
it took me forever to realize
that the darkness
is fine

just not
all the time.
398 · Dec 2018
new beginnings.
Erika Dec 2018
and just like the sun,

i’ll rise.
396 · Dec 2018
ups and downs
Erika Dec 2018
some days you love me

and some days you don’t.

some days I care,

and some days

I don’t.
355 · Apr 2019
the gospel truth
Erika Apr 2019
don’t bite the hand
that feeds you

or break the heart
that helps you
336 · Sep 2017
pretty; for a black girl
Erika Sep 2017
pfabg

the first time I was told
that 'I was pretty for a black girl' I let it slide.

But each time after that
those words started a fire in my mind.

I had always been confused when someone told me this,
you see,
is it a compliment or a insult, or is it just ****** up to me?

At first I think the white men who tell me this,
have no sour intentions,
but as time passes I realize
that my pigment is thirst quenching.

I realized then,
that being with a black female is a fetish of the worst kind,
because they always want to know,
'what that mouth do though?'.


The addition of the adjective 'black'
made me feel inadequate,
like the color of my skin wasn't just pigment,
but an interstate for loaded compliments and was nothing to celebrate.

I know now, that if any man think that I'm pretty, he'll tell me just that. I had to meet a lot of ***** to realize that mine was already fat.  


not every white man will want to experience the swirl,

and those who do, would never tell me

that I'm pretty for a black girl.
329 · Mar 2018
Wonder
Erika Mar 2018
I wonder if these dudes understand that the way we act is based on them.
I have no idea
Erika Dec 2020
when I met you
I knew
what became of us
would be far too much
for my soul to bare

now here we are
miles apart
wading in our own despair

our love has soured
like the milk and honey
of what we once compared
289 · Sep 2017
playboy
Erika Sep 2017
sometimes I feel too easy to play.

is that even a thing?

is it possible to be so open minded, that these playboys just run up on you,

and leave you blindsided?  

it must be,

because for every girl like me,

there's about 10 playboys
running free.

And man,
are they good at the game

of keeping us women sane,

long enough, to watch them

walk

away.
288 · Dec 2018
impatient
Erika Dec 2018
I can’t wait to start loving myself again
287 · Nov 2019
a world where we are equal
Erika Nov 2019
before

I could have recited the wrinkle lines
at the side of your eyes
when you smile
as if they were etched in my brain
like a song
I could not forget to sing

after

But now,
I know you
as well as I know myself

which is

hardly

at all.
Yeah, so I’m single. And heartbroken.
280 · Feb 2019
cause
Erika Feb 2019
loving you
is easier
than
loving
myself
268 · Dec 2018
I want him
Erika Dec 2018
I want him to be mine
forever

not just at 3 am
258 · Dec 2020
moon song
Erika Dec 2020
and so the moon weeps

for the millionth time

as it is the millionth night

far too few souls

are willing

to dance in her light
257 · Feb 2019
the devil
Erika Feb 2019
if I had known you looked this heavenly
I wouldn’t have thought twice before selling you my soul.
but I did. May the Power of Christ compel you out of life.

This whole poem (and the ad lib at the end) are a metaphor. Please don’t take the imagery personally.

Lots of love
254 · Oct 2017
bad reputation
Erika Oct 2017
I present myself as easy,

a *****.

So others don't view me as a

*****,

a bore.

But which is worse?

Is it better to give it up
or never give in?

Will I ever be known as something besides my sin?

Do I continue saying yes,
but meaning no,
while these men
undress me with their eyes
and leave with my soul.

I have a bad reputation,

and I know how I got it.

I like having ***,

and you can bet your ***,

I flaunt it.
253 · Feb 2019
self aware
Erika Feb 2019
my demons
go by the names
depression and anxiety,

and

for as long as I can remember,
I chose not to fight them

except today,

I discovered an angel
in my consciousness,
who goes by happy

and for the time being
my demons
do not
control me.
Hello!

In the past 2 hours, I’ve done more for myself than I have in the past year.

It was never as simple as waking up and deciding to be better than the girl who didn’t want to be. It was a lot of tears, and hurt, and a fire so deep inside I might have ignited the kindling of my own self desire to be happy for the first time in forever.
252 · Sep 2017
how the story goes
Erika Sep 2017
"Hey, what's up"

"Oh, you know, nothing much, just hanging with the boys before I have to leave to do something that I shouldn't be"

The I said "oh nice with a couple laughing emojis followed by, I'm about to shower"
and he hit me back with "can I see"

At that point I paused because I know where this leads.

Do I play with the fire that's building up inside of me?

Of course I do, I'm a young female with needs.

So I bust out my ******* and start feeling on my chest,
because it's been a long time since anyone's felt my chest.

He opens the snap video immediately and my heart starts racing when I see his name come up on the screen.

I open it and groan, it's a **** pic.

That's not going to do **** for me.
250 · Nov 2023
gasping for air
Erika Nov 2023
I used to love you

so badly

that

if I were without you

I couldn’t breathe.

All the while,

I never realized

I was suffocating.
239 · Sep 2017
Loyalty.
Erika Sep 2017
I swear

I would take a bullet for a man,

who
wouldn't
even
try
to
stop
the
****
bullet
from
hitting
me


even though

she
was
aiming
at
him.
I'm just bored. Written just now. Love you guys.
238 · Feb 2019
player 1
Erika Feb 2019
you play me

like I’m your PlayStation

except I’m not a game

my heart can’t be won.
Erika May 2018
I honestly don’t think getting your *** beat as a kid and school shootings have any correlation. There are like a million and one external factors that affect children and young adults in their everyday life. Kids these days are exposed to things like riots, violence in their household, seeing mass shootings on television, and most importantly to me, is that a lot of kids struggle internally with depression, anxiety and addiction. Because of posts like this. A lot of adults have the “it worked for me” mentality.

But we didn’t grow up hoping that our friends don’t get shot in front of us. We didn’t grow up susceptible to the fear of ourselves. Our classmates. Our friends.

It has to change. Is what I’m trying to say. It’s a different time. These kids are different than us.
Well, yeah.
230 · Aug 2018
coke.
Erika Aug 2018
I’ve never used *******  
in my life,

but being loved by you

is what I imagine

the high feels like.
yup.
222 · Oct 2017
in like
Erika Oct 2017
I think I like him,

but I hope that's where it ends

because I do not have any more pieces of my soul to give.
221 · Dec 2017
wishes
Erika Dec 2017
I wish I didn’t care for you,
but I do.

I wish my soul didn’t yearn for you,
like the sun yearns to see the moon.

I wish my eyes didn’t cry for you,
like the rain cries for June.

I wish I had never met you,
but I knew


what I was getting myself into.
2 am angst and sadness equals wishes I’d never want to come true.
216 · Dec 2018
you said you’d be there
205 · Dec 2018
an autobiography
Erika Dec 2018
I wish I knew myself

as well as I know you
197 · Sep 2017
the p word
Erika Sep 2017
'the p word.'

I was 18 when I realized I was a *****.
my body, the motel
open 24 hours a day,
allowing any male who looked at me in the slightest of ways
to come in and no I didn't charge by the hour,
it makes me kind of sour,
because none of them ever lasted that long.


My Legs remained wide open
until I was 20,
at that age I met a man,
who I thought loved me.
Yes, I THOUGHT he loved me, but really he liked my body.
But he did love somebody,
she just wasn't me.
A year into our relationship,
I find out he's going to be a daddy, only the baby's mom,
isn't me.

I'm 21 now, and my perspective on things have changed.

You see now I understand.

***** is power,
and it's a treasure that men need to find,
but before they can find it,
they have to deserve that ****.
Any man can tell you you're perfect,
but a real man is going to love you and your flaws,
****.
196 · Dec 2018
ammunition
Erika Dec 2018
a gun is pointed at my chest,
and instinctively,
I squeeze my eyes shut.

he pulls the trigger, and steps back
one bullet tears through my breast and exits from my back.


my tears fall,
expecting to feel pain,
expecting to see blood.

It never came.

For his bullets were just words,
insults and slurs.

Once I realized no damage was done, I thought to myself,

“He needs better ammunition”
196 · Jan 2019
fire starter
Erika Jan 2019
the longing in your eyes

engulfs the deepest parts of my soul

in flames,

and soon,

the flames envelop us both

and we succumb to the flashes of orange, yellow and blue,

only to burn for an eternity

and that

is what you do to me.
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