I miss days we knew before
Both of us were free
Blissfully naive
Unaware
Our lives were so easy

I took it for granted
Then it went to hell
Would give up everything
To again be under that magic spell

Back when each day was happy
Along with each night
A simple conversation
Occurred without a fight

I miss not carrying weight of the world
Weightless when we'd kiss
Those people we used to be
Would be shocked it's come to this

How did we let potential slip away?
Is this what we're destined to be?
Is it possible to attain
The future young hearts used to see?

Winter
by Michael R. Burch

The rose of love’s bright promise
lies tattered by the thorn;
her scent was sweet
but at her feet
the pallid aphids mourn.

The lilac of devotion
has felt the winter ****
and shed her dress;
companionless,
she shivers, **** and sore.

Published by Songs of Innocence, The Aurorean and Contemporary Rhyme. Keywords/Tags: love, rose, bright, promise, potential, tattered, torn, thorn, winter, naked, ****, shivering, sore, scent, fragrance, aroma, sweet, pallid, aphids, lilac, devotion, ****, hoarfrost, frost, ice

Tillage
by Michael R. Burch

What stirs within me
is no great welling
straining to flood forth,
but an emptiness
waiting to be filled.

I am not an orchard
ready to be harvested,
but a field
rough and barren
waiting to be tilled.

Keywords/Tags: tillage, raw, potential, barren, field, tabula rasa, blank slate, palimpsest

And just like that
I am back to being everything that he wanted
Except for the fact
I am not with him
He does not get to see
This better version of me
Mature and clean
Because he had his chance
And didn't see
All of my potential
To get out of my dark space
And be in a happy place
With him
So I found
Someone without any doubts
About me
Who cares and loves
More than he ever does
And just like that
I am back to being loved
By someone thats not just mean

I'm sorry, but I'm not ready.
I'm not ready to love you.
To be with you.
To offer more of me
Than a hug or a kiss.
I know it may sound strange, but I'm not ready for the potential, perpetual bliss.
I'm not ready to take your hand, or get out on the floor and groove.
Maybe I will someday,
But until then, whether you stay or go, it's your move.

Is a stranger
Still a stranger
Even when
they have made a impact on you life
Even when
They saved you from the dark
Even when
You know them
What they want to do with their life
What makes them happy
What makes feel free

Makes one wonder
What makes a person a stranger?
Is it that you havent seen their shell?
Is it that you cant be sure you can trust them?

If this is the definition of a stranger
Then I could consider half of my family
As strangers
Half my "friends"
Are Strangers

The google definition of a stranger
"a person whom one does not know
or with whom one is not familiar."

If this is the case...
A Stranger is really...

A potential Friend
         or
            A potential Enemy
                     or
                        Maybe
                           A Potential Love

Of storm and chaos and desire,
The King shall be born and fed,
Destined to reveal such power,
That's known not to mortal men.

His cradle shall be a shield,
The King shall cry in it alone,
A sword his toddler hand shall wield,
Pain shall be his early throne.

His parents will be his killers,
Poison shall be mothers milk,
Gravestones will be ornate mirrors,
Thorns and iron will be silk.

He'll never know no gold nor kingdom,
He'll never know no woman's love!
His bethrothed a firey demon,
His enemy- God above!

His master shall be The Raven,
Carrying a ring of gold,
It's wings show the only way and,
Keys to the throne of old.

His servants will be all men and women,
Yet no kingdom he will rule,
His courts empty, no one in them,
He's his own squire, page and fool.

The Raven king shall spread his wings,
Yet the blind will call it war,
The storm that his crown will bring,
It brewed in the planet's core.

He'll never rest nor stop ascending,
He'll never know but grief and pain,
But he will be unrelenting,
The King of his soul and his name!

trust that you can,
learn to be motivated
believe in your potential
and love to thrive.

She smiles when she's happy and doesn't think much about the simple action
but when she smiles, she has power that she has no idea of
when she smiles, she can make the moon shine brighter
when she smiles, she can make bitter old men remember the gift of happiness
when she smiles, she can stop hearts from bleeding
when she smiles, the fall night air smells even crisper
when she smiles, she has my curiosity at what she smiles at
she has this much control with just a simple action
but she does not realize her potential because she doesn't notice....
or maybe she doesn't want to notice