perfumed delusion, unruly exclusion
time bombs ticking and toking
vibrant illusions, visual pollution
cutting all the ribbons and strings
you tried to tie me up in, you tried to rub the salt in
to my many many wounds
I felt so lonely in crowded rooms
crowded stadiums, your eyes never met me once
I was too nervous to confront your fronts
shy away from topics that we needed to discuss
performing necromancy trying to keep this dead love up
checking the pulse, it's so gone now
we are both adults, you remain disavowed

hypnotic dreams, what are you telling me?
I feel everything, I feel myself unraveling
the beautiful ribbons suddenly choking me
I can't breathe, I can't see
the winding road ahead, me ever leaving this bed
possibilities are endless but not in my head
there's only one way or else I stray
cannot see myself set ablaze at the stake
I thought I was magic
turns out I am just a magnet for tragic endings
suspending my beliefs, diving deep
I hope I can reignite the spark in me
the sparks I bleed and not just drown in this sea
heaven watch over me

a person with a mind and soul
made of colorful, vivid ribbons
quietly walks through the world.
she expects to feel the warmth
of their smiles on her face.
their eyes softly crinkle
when they're with each other.
when they walk toward her,
they grimace - every single time.
their voices fade until
she can only hear the sound
of her loud breathing,
feel the chill in the air,
and blink the tears away.

Give them no ribbons. My dear friend who was following orders in Vietnam
was blown to bits when he tripped a wire. Give him no ribbons. Ribbons and medals will not bring him back to his wife who is now in her mid-70s, whose two sons and one daughter each have families of their own, but have no Grandpa whose knee to sit on and play games with and just have fun and laugh with. Michael Dillinger went to Iraq to fight because W told him to. Unfortunately, his amored truck hit a road mine and killed Michael instantly.
Ribbons? They gave ribbons to Michael's mother before they buried Michael in Arlington? Ribbons, for God's sake! Did those ribbons and medals really help console Michael's mother? Did Cheney ever call her to see how she was doing? No, he was in charge of creating what he called "enhanced interrogation," a gross euphemism for unspeakable torture and terror that went on at countless, secret camps in the countries of our allies, and still goes on at Guantanamo even today. Give them no ribbons. Take all the ribbons and medals you can find that were given to those soldiers who gave their very lives for lies, for all those soldiers now lying in all the VA hospitals throughout our country, their bodies permanently disfigured, their minds completely lost, and dump that pile of ribbons and medals in the front yard of wherever W lives in the suburbs of Dallas.

Copyright 2020 Tod Howard Hawks

All these ribbons and
I keep counting more,
Tied together in love.....
Every ribbon but yours....

No paro de pensar

todo lo que pudo suceder,

todo lo que dejamos caer,

todo lo que pudimos ser.

Y en mi cabeza

mis visiones no tienen fin

Tus lazos me unen a ti.

Logro ver a través de ti,

porque no estás más aquí.

By Arcassin Burnham

See the images for what it's worth
In spite of everything you've face in you life time,
Replace every broken past with a blue ribbon to
Signify that the rest of your days
Will be fine,
Kiss each of yours angels on the cheek
For the luck you'll receive, for all the
Fallen brothers and mothers,
Then history will repeat,
Just place and tie a blue ribbon,

Constantly thinking of the right motives,
Writing down the waves
Of the rivers
While sitting in the garden imaging a
Better life,  a better outcome,
A chance to look back on everything
And change it,
But things just don't work out like that,

blue ribbon.