My hands that reeked of death.
I was stained before I knew.
What it meant,
What loss entailed.

I was different once,
Now I'm different too.
The loving gaze,
Reached me from the stars.

One faithless day.
I watched me die.
What I could've been if I never knew.
You stared at me like the gravel.

I laid to rest,
All my innocence.
The light inside me,
Snuffed before it could form.

The cold metallic taste now stuck,
Clinging onto me.
Like nothing ever will.
Because I will always reek of death.

And I will mourn for you.
For what I could have been.
Your life that had only just begun,
Pretending that it was enough.

You will never know what it is, to stop.
-Persephone

I asked her out on a date,
Never thought I would get any hate,
Turned around to look at the clock,
Never expected I would get blocked.

Rockin' that dress, fits just right
Hair styled high, shining bright
Syncopate my soul to your rhythm, all night

'Cause I wanna shine bright for you, shine for you, oh-oh
I just wanna shine bright for you, shine for you, oh-oh
Let me show you how proud I am to be yours
This mess of a night, still shining, no remorse
Shine bright for you, shine for you, oh-oh

Like marquise diamonds, rare and fine
I'm your marquise diamond, divine
Even Melody could get jealous
You say I give it to you strong
So good, so good
Keep you hooked, never wanting to move on
I won't, I won't

Poetry is not spaghetti
you cannot herd, strings of complicated words
and hurl them at the page, one by one
to see if they stick, when the poem is done

In such pain I am now,
Never did I contemplate this to be,
It wouldn't matter if I died now,
Because you're here to set me free.

I watched sunsets with you,
But, never us seeing sunrises together.

Oh the beauty of her eyes
Hidden behind glasses so clear
They shine like stars
So bright and true
Despite the lenses near

Her gaze pierces through
Right to my heart
As she looks at me
Love written in every part

Her glasses add an air of mystery
Enhancing her allure
Her uniqueness her history

For behind those lenses
Lies a mind full of wonder
A soul that sparkles
A heart that yearns

Her eyes are windows to a world unseen
Filled with intelligence
Wit and dreams serene

So when she looks at me
Im lost in her gaze
For her eyes
They are the most beautiful sights to haze.

For **

-Özcan Sh.

~January
Time for resolutions,  opportunities. and changes. All I would think was, “Did I just blow open wide my world”. I’ve had enough of the disrespect, lack of appreciation and consideration. I lost 10 pounds within two weeks of saving myself. I felt the weight of my decision on my shoulders. But as I return the keys, returned the ring, took all my things and locked the door… a new person walked alongside me.
                                                    ~February
Romance, love, roses and celebration. I surrounded myself with friends and family. Old childhood friends, new forged friendships and kindness and patience. With truth, reveals secrets and deep thoughts that plagued myself and others, set free for healing to slip in. But I laugh again, I sing again. And all the while, that new person seems more familiar with each day.
                                                     ~March
­Luck, abundance and new beginnings. I noticed I think of you less, I think of me and my future more. I grieved the past, that present and the future I was looking forward to. However that future was bleak, filled with disappointment and tears. I now feel purposeful, proud, encouraged with the road my life has taken; as I look at this familiar person and say “hello again.”
                                                     ~ April
Renewal, resurrection, and blessings. Although at our anniversary and I could not be alone, I felt more seen and heard in this time than I had in the years I’ve been with you. I think of you in passing and the pain doesn’t sting as it use to. I feel sorry for that woman who held on for so long that she no longer has tears to cry. I shed that skin and can see how that familiar person alongside her as me. We are so alike now, she is so proud of her new and familiar skin and I am proud that I never lost her.
                                                      ~  May
I don't know what's in store. The ripples of my life have outreached my view but holding my own hand, nothing will hold me back. "Hello again" indeed.

In this scorching heat,
Your memories are like,
The shade of a garden tree.

Only in my mornings,
Do I watch the moon rise!