Dear Mr Hardison,

        This is a formal request for you to stop writing vague pain poetry about an event that happened months ago with a person who doesn’t even think twice about you anymore.
The readers are sick of hearing about it, and the new ones have no idea what you’re talking about nor do they have the energy to read all the long, long backstory. I understand you still resent it and you’re so stuck on it but it’s dragging your writing down and the press with it. This your final warning, if I see you write one more poem about finally breaking through to your freedom followed up by an immediate relapse you’re toast. She doesn’t care about you anymore so why do you, for the love of God focus on the one thing you’ve got going for you.

                              Sincerely, Poets United Press.

Re: Get Off Your Lonesome A…

Dear PUP
      
       I’m trying my best, |

to the man who should have been a dad
I really hope you aren't mad
and learn to teach the littles
beating kids is bad.
you should have been there when i cried out
to catch  me and raise me up
not drunk
or drugged
with a belt in hand
for crimes i never committed
please  be better for Monica and Henry
and teach them to love its all I  ask

To the mother who tried her best
rarely taking time to rest
you did good providing wealth to your family
but the area that you did lack
was finding time to come back
and in all fairness
you did not set
an honest game
i came in last amongst my siblings.
black sheep black sheep was my name
you fixed it perfectly while you sang
So please do try to forget
this child u did so regret
as i left this earth

And to the kids i was raised with
even if you hide behind a mask of rage
i know you love me, page after page.
****-Transphobic you may be
twas not your fault you hhated me.
when evil's all u grow to know
then does darkness-based truth doth show.
don't be sad, or feel so haunted
you shall know, this is what i wanted.

stationary love. stationery love.

will we move forward?
if not, i'll mail you my heart.

Hands fall on paper,
Ink makes love to the nib,
A swooping curl of grace,
The calm charisma of calligraphy.

A letter of love,
Sealed by sweet, soft kisses,
Signed with wishes and dreams,
Left unopened for at least two decades.

Wet tears on parchment,
Words bleed love on paper,
Forced to run long ago,
The brutal callous of calligraphy.

A waving rifle
In a pain struck hand
A lonely boy
Who forgot how to stand
A knife of beauty
Cut in his flesh
A trail of blood
New and fresh
A single breath
Taken today
Before he tried
To run away
A single pill
To end it all
A final hope
To jump and fall
A new letter
He didn't know why
A single phrase
"Please don't die"

A lonely girl
In a mistaken world
Another fight
About to unfurl
A single dream
Of another life
A large hope
To be more than a wife
A smile curving
Up on her lips
A plan folding out
In careful strips
A pen she finds
Carefree on the floor
A paper she grabs
Then walks out the door
A little plea
She sends through the air
Then throws it in
Without a care
A hurting boy
Will read this too
And she hopes he knows
"I care about you"

Before you start reading:
None of these messages were ever sent. Niki made them up. Niki is me.
She’s scared of losing a friendship — so she writes instead of speaking.
That way, she never risks an answer.
But maybe, if she writes enough, she won’t forget what it felt like.


Niki
24 May 2025
00:04
age 14

YOU ARE SO PERFECT
not because of respect or intellect
or the one hundred you got on the exam
and it’s not that i don’t give a ****
about those things
but i DO care about how you pull my strings
your voice so soft so gentle
your mind so judgemental
you’ve got everything figured out
will never be too loud
nor too quiet you say what you must
but don’t want everything to be discussed
you know what you want and expect
you know the impact
i wanted to be like you so bad
now that i think about it it’s sad
but you’re a musical in a world of songs you’re not right in a world full of wrongs
you look so stunning so pretty
pretty like stars outside of my city
that’s a weird place for me to draw a line
this city is as much yours as it’s mine
but you would rather see darkness
outside of it while i like the starkness
sure i talk and smile and laugh
but you’re the confident bibliotaph
you’re the only person i show my poetry
i hope you see how special that is to me
now i established all of that
yet still didn’t hint what i’m getting at
something i will never be able to do
is measure or stand up to you
and i grew to accept it  
i LOVE you but it still HURTS a little bit.


Poppy Piume
5 July 2025
19:37
age 15

YOU ARE SO LEFT
steal songs personalities commit theft?
you have opinions engraved in your soul
i came out to you then felt a hole
rainbows on your bags socks and hats
you know “facts” never numbers or stats
i don’t want to fight
you don’t want to admit i’m right
you’re supportive but supported too
in some ways i’m jealous of you
you’ve been doing some healing
sharing what you’re feeling
i hope you’re happy and starstruck
while i am trying not to cry and feel stuck
maybe you can’t see
i hate you making fun of me
for marks i worked hard to get
things i wish i would have said
dreams i want to achieve some day
then i’ll be free from the things you say
the songs we both listen to
expectations set by you
the words you write
i’ll live in darkness without you’re light
but you might repeat “i’m not right, i’m left”
i’ll realise you did commit theft
and i’ll learn to love your art
as i figure out you STOLE MY HEART.


Niki
2 November 2027
23:41
age 16

I AM SORRY
that’s what I’ll say once I know the story
still won’t really know what to do
but might tell you how I felt about you
it will be too late
we’ll convince ourselves it wasn’t fate
you’ll have a lovely girlfriend by that time
I’ll be seeing a guy and my love won’t rhyme.


Poppy Piume
13 December 2030
01:30
age 20

I FEEL BETRAYED
i wish we would have stayed
this wouldn’t be such a ***** up
if we were still in that city but we grew up
you used to hate everything you now are
how did we get this far
from what we used to be
little you would want to unsee
she literally wouldn’t allow
the boyfriend you have got now
the small me would be sad as well
she has so many new stories to tell
but never got over
the way that other girl drove her
mad crazy all *******
YOU taught me this attitude.