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I am me and not what others see me

I was confident, with a glowing smile,
A passion inside that could light up a mile.
I made everyone around me shine,
Focused, steady, with dreams to define.

Like a stream pulling fish with ease,
I knew I’d achieve greatness, piece by piece.
From the ground up, I’d build my way,
Until someone came and led me astray.

They made me question what I’d become,
Small and unsure, my thoughts would succumb.
How strange it feels to think you’re free,
Yet chained by what others want you to be.

I lost myself, or so I thought,
In battles my heart and mind had fought.
Something unchangeable, something innate,
A struggle I couldn’t fully escape.

But now I see what was hidden inside—
The real me, no longer denied.
The one who smiled and spread delight,
Who held his dreams in the darkest night.

The person who helped me see this truth
Is gone, yet left behind their proof.
And now I know, clear as can be,
I am me and not what others see me.
I am relieved
You handed over the pieces
of your life without hesitation
your breath, your time,
your love,
because that’s what you thought love was.
Not once did you think to keep
anything for yourself.
You reached in and revealed
these pieces of yourself over time,
wrapping them in your skin,
your time, your love.

I didn’t need all the pieces
you gave me
those you gave because you thought it was love.
I won’t let you do it.
I cannot.
Regardless of how much you give,
if I am hungry, I will not take
without replenishing what is given.
If I am thirsty, I will not bathe
what is barren in excess.

I, too, will hand over the pieces
of my life,
because, as hard as it is to accept,
the truth is we do not truly own anything.
just enough to feel the space
where the years seem to fly by.
You handed over the pieces
of your life,
and I promise to care for and love them,
because I believe it’s something you just do
Sara Barrett Jan 11
She is not the reflection they painted,
nor the role they assigned.
She is the breath of the earth,
the roots and the bloom,
both soft and unyielding.
She carries worlds within her—
and owes nothing to anyone.
This poem celebrates the untamed power and essence of womanhood. It defies external labels and expectations, embracing the strength in softness and the quiet force of being. It is a reminder that a woman is whole in herself, carrying limitless potential without needing approval or validation from others.
Sara Barrett Jan 11
In their chaos,
I found the pulse of my soul.
Destiny wasn't theirs to give—
it was mine all along.
This poem delves into the journey of finding one's purpose amid life's turbulence. It speaks to the awakening of inner power and the realization that destiny has always been within, waiting to be embraced.
dead poet Dec 2024
fear is an illusion that feels more real than life itself, at times. scores of artists have succumbed to the despair brought upon by the fear of overexposing themselves. you know them - the writers who won’t write - the painters who won’t paint - and the sculptors who won’t get their hands *****. maybe you’ve even met one or two. or know someone close to you who might be of a certain poignant disposition that’s impossible to ignore. if not, perhaps it’s time to have a closer look at the mirror.

it’s true that those who dare to traverse the forest of the unknown must encounter the beasts that lurk in the darkness. some are benign. some are malevolent. at first, you’re terrified of them all. but as you go farther and deeper into the forest, you soon realize that they’ve become some of your dearest friends, despite all the wounds you’ve inflicted upon each other during your skirmishes. you learn to tame them, feed them, and eventually, cage them. yet after all this, the question, or rather, the fear remains - can you ever bring them out into the real world? and more importantly, what would they do to your mind if you do?

a scary thought for many artists, indeed.

but perhaps these ‘beasts’ may not be as bloodthirsty for our spirits as we might think. perhaps, it’s about how we personify them in our minds. there’s a beautiful poem by charles bukowski called ‘bluebird’ that speaks exactly of this fear, and perhaps even offers an antidote. it immortalises the little bird in the writer’s heart, a rather benign beast, that sings every now and then, unafraid, and in spite of what its captor might think, or feel, or do. it reminds us that it’s okay to let the bird sing every now and then - because it will - and not let it die so finally. it implores us to not sacrifice it at the altar of perfection, but rather be gentle with its humble feathers.  

something i believe we could all do with our own little bluebirds.
dead poet Dec 2024
put down,
you put up.
spill your guts -  
left with the cleanup.
your head is ******,
but unbowed.
invictus, you shall rise -
any day now.

the trials of morrow
lay vast and grey
waiting too see
if you let them prey -
on your mind,
your body,
your spirit,
your rage.
stay average,
or usher the golden age.

wipe the sweat
off your brow.
take a step back
‘fore you take the prowl.
glory is nigh,
do not haste, nor disavow.  
hush little soldier,
any day now.
dead poet Dec 2024
a thousand miseries,
and countless trials.
****** footprints tracking bygone miles.
for all the times you traded a smile;
it’ll all be worth it,
after a while.  

spend some time with the guy in the mirror
you both have come a long way together
sure, he’s got a different hairstyle;
give it time - it grows on you,
after a while.

find a way to live through the pain -
like you’re on a burning train,
headed for The Elysian Fields,
where psalms of valor forever reign.  

soon, you’ll be on the other side:
grateful for the moment you died,
so you could feast with the Gods,
if only for a while -
then back to grind,
after a while.
Sky was gray as witches' old,  
No quarter given, none taken by the cold.  
Summer's song chased by gentle north breeze,  
Replaced by stark, hard, white freeze.

Running tights bought several sizes too small,
Confident they will fit come winter's call.
Between **** shorts that hid wet, hot summer cheeks,
Feeling lucky, I might give you a peek.

Soft, tight black lycra slips over curves hard as stone,
Gaze at the mirror, this body, my own.
Thin, tight fabric chases away your fantasy,
Body sculpted by air, sun, and sweat, no artificial symmetry.
Chiseled by hundreds of miles running and swimming, gallons of sweat,
Tummy hard, pancake flat, no regrets.

In the mirror, my hard body I see,
Feel your envy, your resentment, fuel for me.
Rocket fuel to propel me out this morn,
Cold biting air, but I won't be torn.

Used to hate you, now energy's mine,
Run and swim longer, leave you in the grime.
Through your cars, your scowls, I see,
Just chafing sports bras, nothing to me.

Open the door, cold air slaps my face,
Air ****** from lungs, blood rushes to the pace.
Feel alive, your malice pushes me on,
Cold air invades every orifice, and I am gone.
I slap my cold, tight, little, *** and whisper –  you can't touch this.
Kewayne Wadley Sep 2021
Old songs are like
A prayer; no matter the length
Of time.
No matter how long or short.
They dance.
They dance regardless of who's
Around & accept your invitation
Without you knowing.
Just when you forget.
They tap you on the shoulder &
Give you something to smile about.
Old songs are like a dancehall that scream
In silence and fill the empty with hope.
Regardless of how you felt before.
Old songs are like the remedy to the old
Person in your head who finally feels the urge
to dance again
LannaEvolved Feb 2021
Difficulties in your life do not come to destroy you or worse create a war within or between you and your life- they come to help you realize your hidden potential, your abilities, your capacity for great things; they come to meet you as prompts to connect you with yourself and begin to move deeply into the growth phase you are inherently and subconsciously needing.
When your heart and mind are calling out for you to find the support and the truth you need to free yourself from manipulative or toxic behaviors and people themselves, and they feel stuck and do not know what to do to get there or to move into that space to do so, it might often feel like nobody hears you calling, like your mind does not hear what your inner thoughts are saying to you or your heart is so insistently yearning for on the inside. The surface of this true and honest desire that you want for yourself is being projected as if you have it, but it inwardly and quietly feels desensitized or at times even indifferent on the inside and you must wake it up. Nobody talks to it, but it speaks to you, in whispers to get your attention, musing you but you ignore the signs each time it tries to nudge you in another direction for your best, it urges you to make a new choice, but you choose not to listen to the words and just keep going keeping on with your self-projected ideals as if everything is perfect. Crying combined with frustration and unfavorable self-esteem inside knowing this is not the case.  
Well, I would like to share with you this learned wisdom, and this comes from my own journey of transformational and personal change.
Change can only occur once you turn inward and look into your own mirror, your own light, and appreciate it without listening to the voices of others who attempt to persuade you of what and who they are.

Let no one puppeteer you, you control your world.
You reach out to it and speak to it because you want to. And trust, it will respond.
You’ll never have to ever worry about the Universe giving you an answer in return.
That is what it there for and it always will.
This is the voice.

You’ll then begin to allow yourself to listen
and hear it’s thoughts like you hear your own, you may even visualize it and speak back, but do so calmly and appreciatively in a kind and confident manner when you’re ready and this image, this voice will listen to you too.
It always does.

For all the artists, the creators, the lovers, the shifters that need healing for themselves and others or for anyone who simply needs to hear this- I’ve been there and I’m here for you now.

There is always hope even without knowing it.

Why? Because there is always faith in who you are and the knowing that all the love you put into the wrong will work itself out by transforming  into right ministering as it should
in the end.
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