BEAUTIFUL

He: not in the looks; inner or outwards,
neither words said or held out,
Seldom the blemishes or dimples,
make-up coverings; shades of red, purple, often blue,
The actions you take in response to adversary,
the seconds lost in the eyes of time—no.

You're beautiful for being you...
and the above are just accruing.

This news consoles
The heck of us,
In gestures strained imprints
On hearts.
They learned a daily bite
Of stats:
Us figured, scooped,
Against and fast.

Like that of spoons
Fed to the blind
By those dictators
Who still fly.
Plots hatching plots:
them aged and trite.
Like was it news to you?
Not in the slightest.

Why do we worship superheroes so much?
It's reasonable to hope someone cares about us.
Is it because all the good men have gone?
They were gentle and strong
When they spoke, we felt hope.
Their truth could move millions,
Ignite a moment of brilliance.
Unite every color and creed and ignorance
That history itself couldn't bury resilience  

But the moment is lost,
A match struck in a wave,
a nation of hate,
and the youth in a daze,  
And all I can think is we made it this way
We stopped exposing our kids to the truth of the matter
and so they got lost in a culture that says they don't matter.

When a fight for a vote became a fight for a like,
We can't act surprised when kids fight for a fight
Entire religions preach having a purpose
And still replaced values with things that are worthless.
A society so numb to the progress they've won
Find a perverse pleasure to see it undone.

When a company is allowed to sell plots of land on the moon,
When a leader of freedom commits treason against truth,
Is a sure sign that we the people, have given up, too.
The allowance of absurdity into our lives
Little by little, it rots from inside
Until we cannot admit that we have allowed this.
Now the roaring crescendo of human triumph is silent.
Is it better to admit that we're dying contrived?
Or is it easier to shut up and eat their lies?

Internalized mayhem stirs within your being,
Storm clouds brewing in your mind's horizon,
A scatter of recollections and discoveries surface in your conscious,
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts,
This banter hangs in the foreground of action as you contemplate your next steps,
Treacherous thoughts,
Disconnected mind,
Heart aflutter.

What the **** world do I live in today,
where telling the truth is just not the way,
It's impolite and offensive to say what you mean,
Honest opinions are now rarely seen.

If I lose my cool and get all un-PC.
You want to send the police after me?
Playing the victim in front of the nation,
"You called me fat! I want compensation!"

Freedom of speech, a novel idea.
You can say what you want, except anything here,
and here... and here... and over there too.
In fact, just remain silent, it's safer for you.

People like me are not long for this world.
I'll end up in prison for some insult hurled.
And probably everyone else like me too.
Then you'll have your paradise... a world full of yous.

expose the fear
without a word
just show receipts
and it crumbles

sound the fife
whence you’ve found
a new tuppence
beneath the throne

watch your back
or feel revenge
bite your tongues
and swallow them

don't you forget
who’s in charge
and whoever else
thinks they are

take the name
in every land
from subtle cues
to ration life

Oh god, it's all gone wrong.

What have I done?
What can I do?
Oh god, where are you?
Do I cry?
Do I pray?

I don't know what to say.
Am I lost?
Out of time?
Have I finally reached the end of the line?

It's done now, it's over.
It's gone, I'm through.
Is this all that's left of me and you?

Can I simply walk away, knowing that it's all gone gray?

What do I say?

How do I say it was an accident without crying or getting mad?
Cause ******* all, I'm angry!
So angry and so sad.
How I do speak before you and tell you all these things?

All these stories
All these memories
All these lifetimes
All these songs
He'll never get to sing

How do I tell you he was perfect?
Cause he wasn't.

And how do we sit here and say that he was?
Isn't that dishonoring him and his cause?

But no.

We sit here and tell these lies
to make ourselves feel like we weren’t the bad guys
But I sit here as his friend and I tell you
you were wrong.
He hated all of you.
And now he's gone.

He wouldn't want us to be sad.
He'd say, go on, have a party!
He wouldn't want us to cry.

He'd say go on without me.
He wouldn’t have wanted this.
But how could any of you have known that?
He never told you.

So are you bad parents, bad teachers, and bad friends?
For never noticing a child at his wit's end?
No, you're not.

But was I?
Because he told me, and I never batted an eye.

I thought he was joking.
Just having some fun.
Now the jokes not funny.
And it's over for everyone.

So, was it his fault?
Was it yours, was it mine?
I guess we'll never know.

All I know is that he was my friend,
and I wish that he didn’t have to go.

So I sit here, saying sorry, for something I don't believe.
Cause I know him.
I knew him.
Better than any of you.
He wore so many long sleeves.
The world outside his window was incredible to him.
He loved it, and he hated it,
and he called it such a sin.

So now we sit here.
It's not over, but we’d like to think it is.
You'll go home and watch a movie,
maybe cuddle up with friends.

We’d like to think it's over.
We’d like to put it away, but some of us don't have that luxury.
Some of us have to stay.

So tell me.
Who was he? Who is he? Did you know?
Were you his friends and family, or strangers?
We don’t know.