Heart beat,
bruised bittersweetened, bent;
passion’s capillary action
relaxes then contracts again-
a seed beneath,
muscle fatigued,
toils and spends;
roots, a web of arteries extend,
branching tree stemmed,
leaves shedding red oxygen;
veins shredded to the thread,
frayed strands bleed,
unweave and unhem;
rivulets spill, unquenched,
hemorrhaging hands,
their fingers search to mingle, blend;
a crimson cardiac attack, defend-
for a moment, pressure wavering, suspends,
then pulled back, we cauterize
and mend our loose ends;
every line a vine of growth we tend-
surrounding blossoms rose gardens.

the protea magnifica
or queen protea
as it is also known
is a south african flower
of which until recently
i was shamefully unaware
a sprawling shrub
of varying height
dependent upon
influences of its growth
but a hardy plant
nonetheless
able to survive
and to thrive
under the starkest
of conditions and habitats
its flower is not delicate
like many others
but a symbol of survival
of resilience and growth
its boldest of blooms
an array of brightest hues
sending a message
of strength and power
courage and hope
yet the tightly held
closed cup of its petals
suggests a reluctance
to be noticed
an uncertainty
of it's own true beauty
perhaps in comparison
to its kingly namesake

Hardship made the lines in her face deeper.
Cries echo as she stares bleakness in the face.
It is strength, but the kind of strength
That was worn down and beaten up.

She is the remains of a forest fire.

She is the mountain cliffside that still stands
Once the stones come crashing down.

There is no hope in the land where she lives.
There is, however, hope in her.

She must go on.

Again and always, she must go on.

In the depths of my desolate heart, hope once bloomed,
As this wretched year began, dreams were entombed.
But fate's merciless hand extinguished each flame,
And sorrow's torrent drowned the embers of my name.

Undervalued and dismissed, I stand with weakened knees,
In the eyes of my in-laws, cast adrift on desolate seas.
Bound by archaic customs, they deem me unworthy,
Their prejudiced whispers, like poisoned arrows, scurry.

My family, a sanctuary now shattered and torn,
In my hour of despair, their absence leaves me forlorn.
For this year held my dearest wish, an eternal vow,
To wed my beloved, only to witness it disavow.

To birth "100EMPIRE," my envisioned realm so grand,
And ascend the celestial staircase, hand in trembling hand.
My hopes soared high, envisioning the tender embrace,
Of my twin kids, a radiant legacy, now lost without a trace.

Why must love's drapery be woven with blades?
Why must I dwell in this labyrinth of guilt and shades?
April's haunting shadows unveiled tragedy's play,
As daylight thieves pillaged my life in brazen display.

They devoured my savings, my livelihood, my soul,
Debt's merciless grip, an ever-tightening toll.
Lost in a void, my spirit crumbles and quakes,
Rent's relentless arrival, a desperate plea it makes.

Yet, in this abyss, I muster courage to defy,
To find solace within, and let teardrops run dry.
For within the darkness, a fragile flame still gleams,
Believing in miracles, where despair redeems.

My testimony, will etched in scars deep and profound,
It shall resonate through tears, a symphony unbound.
Though this treacherous path threatens to consume,
I will rise with hope's anthem, through the tempest I loom.

From the ashes of sorrow, I will rebuild my torn soul,
Through anguish and torment, my redemption will take its toll.
Resilience will becomes my guide, through the tears that flow,
In the depths of despair, hope's gentle whispers grow.

For even amidst the void, tears reveal their worth,
Unleashing an ocean of grief, sorrow's poignant birth.
In this final act, I shall transcend pain's harrowing abyss,
Embracing rebirth, as tears cleanse, renew, and kiss.

Sometimes I feel defeated
by the fact that socks
can make or break my day
How the same socks
worn numerous times before
can suddenly make me feel
Too tense
Too triggered
Too trapped

Uncomfortable socks is an omen
of the bad things to come
if I walk out the front door
Yet when I have a bad socks day
I find the strength to continue
Safe in the knowledge
that when the day ends
I can throw them on the floor
Upon the heaps of ***** laundry
That I'm not in trouble for

Worries swarm about my mind
Like angry bees about a hive

Buzzing, hungry for fury
My heart jitters in doubt

History revives its might
resilient it becomes. Resilient.

the trials she fails scatter her decisions -
she harbors quiet chaos in her mind's wake,
fathoming a reality unfit for spoken prose,
a truth vested in ambitions stretched; striving.

When you’re stretched too thin
And you find it hard to breathe
Just wait a little bit for me
So I can teach you to stand still

Even if I can’t do it myself
I will rip both of my eyes off
So you can finally see
I will rip both my legs off
So you can have something to stand with
And when I have nothing else to give
I will hand my heart in
To your calloused hands
That have bled out from trying

And I’ll confine to you my thoughts
The ones that don’t make sense at all
So you can cherish them and remember
All the good memories I have saved of you
So you can see yourself from my eyes
And realize, how perfect you are
How flawless you look, how quickly you talk
How with a single move
you can make a whole new star

All I need for you to know
Is that if you’re in a dead void
And you don’t have anything to hold on to
I will be by your side after only my soul’s left
And even if I’m too broken for you to mimic
Or too lost for you to find me
I’m grateful you have my heart
Because you could’ve never broken it in any pieces
because all the things you touch
Come alive in new raíces.