Don't tell me to fight and win my battles,
I have already lost

i have
so many
demons
in me
that i
continue to
live with
& tame
every
single
day

Brightened and broken at the time
Hitting me like lightening
The flash exposing the shadows in my creases
Lighting
Open my cage to see a beating exploding star
SuperNova

Hope is a retrograde
Piecing it all back together
Sewing with the strands of time
Rebuilding my heart to its fighting weight
Pat said "love is a battle field"
I know I will go to war again

If your mind's wounds were illustrated on your body, what would it look like?

Mine would have broken bones, bruises, and deep cuts strewn everywhere.

But also, stitches and casts to heal them.

The rolling stone-cold plumes, all shadow-bent,
Bearing the frosty ghosts of gallant souls
From fallen forts and earthly cities spent
Ascend from fleshly ash and hellish holes.
The scratched and fallen foes shall lurch to stand;
The silent, broken knights shall stagger high
And seek with vengeful eyes the wicked hand
That sought to quench the sunrise climbing nigh.
Some rise to fight, some rise to heal, and some
Will never rise again. The love-top spins;
The stars hurl by; we pray for kingdom come,
We pray to heaven's hosts to heal our sins.
The smoke a-rises; all collapse to knee
Weeping that goodly God might set them free.

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot
Bouncing words and blades for two
“I’m rubber you’re glue”
How much longer till we’re through?

Breaking bones and grinding teeth
Clenched jaws with fire beneath
Tempers rising with the heat
Rock won’t stop until you bleed.

Rumors splashed across a page
Filled with malice, filled with rage
Money floating to the stage
Get the paper, make it rain.

Cut them down with dagger smiles
Ignore the wounded battle cries
Metal words until they die
“Stick a needle in your eye”

Rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
Look what growing made us do.

She hits the bottle
like she’s playing blackjack
Always wanting more
And inevitably losing it all

She stands in the remains
Of the destruction she’s caused
Filled with regret
Finding salvation
At the bottom of a glass

Coming home jubilant
To speak of all her successes
And all I hear is a buzz
The slurs in her speech
And lose sight of all else

Hearing loosely threaded stories
From that point on
Trying to find the holes
Where the honesty shines through
Knowing she’s far too happy
To be telling the truth

Filled with self loathing
Reeking of liquid courage
Losing her grip on what lies
She’s told before

She loops
And falters
At which point
I close my ears and walk away
Not wishing to waste my time
On tall tales and a tossup
No matter which side the coin lands
I’ve lost myself
In this battle with your illness

Before the autumn comes
Before the trees are torn by the harsh winds
And the world is consumed by leafy snow

Before the fires edge and burn out slow
And dark soiled Earth is turned to rust

Before the autumn comes again and then
I will find myself
Once more and last
In the springtime of my youth the pass

For there my fate will not be determined
For all are falling, all are fast

But before the autumn comes again
I will outstretch my strong summer arms
And try and hold the winter back

In the springtime of my youth to pass