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the heroes of
those action movies
from the 80s and 90s
always looked
so much cooler
with their split lips
and bloodied noses
than i ever could
as they faced off
against the villain
   of the piece
bruised and aching
they would struggle on
regardless of pain
their success set back
but inevitable nonetheless

to be honest
i would love to see
one of those heroes
try to overcome
the villain
   of my peace
i've had plenty
of nose bleeds
through the years
but most of them
self-inflected
AE Aug 2022
It's just you here
With this open wind

And a thought that craves to be embraced
By the arms of a voice daring enough
To bring it out into the open

It's just you here
With a beating heart harmonizing with the sea

Among waves of silenced love
and whispers of forgotten dreams
That colour this terracotta sand

It's just you here
Under the broken sky

A crying heart calls out to you
Looking for consolation
So, you put your hand on your chest.

Reminding it,
It's just you here

And you are alive
AE Jul 2022
The winds have run away from us
Sailboats and feelings of incompleteness
Are now what we call home
Blue skies kiss the scabs on my knees
I've fallen many times while you were ahead of me
The distance stretches its limbs into the unknown
And I follow the quiet heartbeat
reverberating through my bones

If you listen closely, its reciting those words
And promises I once made to my broken self
It tells me all about my journey across the vast strait
That drains into the storm-loved sea
That bubbles and roars under my skin
I walk through fires and biting forests
As I make my way through everything that I fear

I walk these steps, holding you near
Prayers for you on my tongue
Evaporate into the open breeze
Carrying the hope that you make it through
Everything that obstructs your peace
AE Feb 2022
Your shadow picks roses,
as you sit under the thunderclouds
that follow your melancholic movements
your reflections from the past
pick stars from the sky to build their dreams
yet you are too busy searching for sleep
because nothing seems to be
what it used to mean
now you sit here wondering
How you got so far away from yourself

but on these roads you walk on, rain or shine
I will find those reflections you can't seem to find
and we will walk home together to the places you used to go
to remind you that where you are in your sorrows,
is never where you'll always be
AE Nov 2021
Take your grief and sink it into a pool of velvet red
Watch as green leaves flourish
And the petals dyed by your bottled up pain
Extend their arms to greet you
A melancholic flower,
a symbol of the strength you endure
To keep holding on to the sky
AE Nov 2021
Where the atmosphere meets blooming water
and boats of paper mache dock
You carry your dreams in a garbage bag  
waiting for an eclipse
to sew back together
your words of reconciliation that you sold
in exchange for hopeless daydreams
when you were too afraid of the aftermath
of healing
Ingram Nov 2021
Take the tear soaked dirt from around your knees
And mark your face to prepare for war
Because the battle for your life
is about to charge you like never before.

You will stand face to face with the darkest of demons
as they screech in your ears that you’re worth is zero
Your feelings are inadmissible and
No one loves you enough to be your hero.

These evil belligerents will be the effects of
the most damaging kind of rejection
the most destructive criticism of your reflection
the most vile act of a man’s unwanted *******

Yet your future is proof that
even with a trembling body and labored breath
even with a soul draped with trauma
you are more fierce than the call for death.

You will make it through every battle
You will end the raging war within
You will experience the sweetest kind of love
and you will rediscover an authentic grin.

Just because you made it through
doesn’t mean all fights are over
But, you will think back to this time
and know how to allow your strength to takeover.

You can do hard things.
If I could have spoken to my past self.
Em MacKenzie Aug 2021
I had a conversation with the devil
off the books; it wasn’t recorded,
the correspondence was something to revel
but it can never be reported.
We sat across from eachother at perfect level
but I still felt small and distorted.
In his presence I was disheveled
but I wasn’t the one who was sordid,
it appears he intended me as a vessel,
viewing it as I had been rewarded.

I had demons on each side
striking a bargain over my shoulder,
the heat in the room magnified;
I started to smoke and smolder.
Then they began to attack my pride
while reminding that I’m getting older.
I couldn’t run nor hide
as their weight began to feel like a boulder.
Their evil grins stretched wide
freezing me in place; my soul grew colder.

The third course had arrived
a pound of flesh disguised as an entree,
and I was very quickly advised 

to be mindful of what I say.
As though I found it deprived
it would be wise not to give that away.
I knew the victim hadn’t survived,
and my stomach turned at the hue of grey.
They asked if I had been baptized
and if I did, how frequently did I pray.

The devil licked his lips
and he whisked his wine,
more aggressive became his sips
as he frequently eyed mine.
Providing helpful quips
like the year, saying it was divine,
and dolling out some tips
one being that it was rude to decline.
He told me that he held all the chips
and that I only had a vine,
and he was determined to have me in his grips
regardless of the strength of my spine.

I finally came to the conclusion
that it was my turn to speak,
but amongst great confusion
I made no sound, not even a squeak.
It had to be part of his illusion,
I refused to feel so weak.
He implanted the delusion
but each word began to leak,
and with each pull and each extrusion
I voiced of the havocs he would wreak.

He asked if he could reply
as he was just misunderstood,
and though I knew it a lie
I told him that he could.
So he began to fake cry;
swore his potential to be good,
while pointing up to the sky
blaming his flaws on childhood.
A story I knew better than to buy
paired with an excuse that I never would.

Now dessert, finally at the brink,
anxiously waiting to get up, away I’ll slink.
He told me not every soul is equal no matter what I think,
and the apple is poison but I should try the drink.
Held up the worlds suffering and made sure I didn’t blink
and said “you can fall deeper even while you sink.”
But the conversation was done, I realized I’d been hoodwinked.
He just grew in size, I was never the one to shrink.

I got up and I rung the bell,
announcing we were done, no need to dwell.
Extending my hand out to meet his cold shell,
I was no longer under anyone’s spell.
He bought my false thanks, as far as I can tell,
and I informed him he should return to his cell.
Meeting his eyes I pushed to wish him well,
I may not believe in Heaven but I have seen Hell.
Freestyled this one unintentionally, no offense to religion or belief
Nangungusap ang mga mata
Kasabay ng paglagas ng mga utal-utal na salita
Walang kuwit, walang tuldok
Pilit na binubuksan ang mga pusong nililok ng galit at tampo,
Walang katapusan ang kani-kanilang mga pangungusap.

Nababalot tayo ng hiwaga
At ang ating mga puso'y napupuno ng mga lasong
Sinulsi ng kirot ng kahapon.
Lumipas na --
Nilipasan na tayo ng ilang mga umaga
Napuno na tayo ng mga agiw sa paghihintay.

Iniisip natin sa kung papaanong paraan ba
Maihahayag ang mga palamuti sa ating imahinasyon.
Paano ba natin masasabayan ang lumalagablab na galit?
Na ibinubuhos sa atin gaya ng may kumukulong tubig sa takure.
Paano nga ba tayo mananataling walang pakiramdam
Hanggang matapos ang delubyo ng poot at paghihiganti?

Umiiwas tayo sa hanging mapanakit
Ngunit tila ba hinahabol tayo kahit tayo'y nakapikit na.
Walang hikbi at walang kamalay-malay tayong minamanipula
Ng mga pagkakataong tumutukso na tayo'y talunan na.

Ngunit sa lahat-lahat ng mga ito'y
Pipiliin nating tumayo pa rin
Bitbit ang ating mga bandila
At kahit pa sa ating pananahimik
Ay kusang sisigaw ang mga tala para sa atin
At mas magliliwanag pa ang mga ito.

Ang mga makakapal na ulap
Ay makakaya na nating hawiin
At magsisilbi itong palatandaan
Na tayo'y  hindi magpapalupig
Sa dikta ng tadhana at panahon.
Pipiliin pa rin nating maging tama
At ang lahat ng mga pasakit ng nakaraan
Ay magsisilbing pabaon natin
Sa kinabukasang henerasyon.

Kaya ko, kaya mo --
Kakayanin natin,
Kaya natin, kasama ang Panginoon!
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