story, after story, after picture
to craft a life
you don't live
to portray yourself
as something you're not
authenticity is of no concern to you
and everyday you do more to confirm
that to nothing
do you stay true

I can’t help but wonder if we have crossed paths
Over and over again, tangling each hello
Catching a hint of mischief when we first bumped into each other
And how easy it was for us to slip into
Conversations, plotting to take on the world
But first things first, we have to catch the moon
And hold the stars ransom in our back pockets
I swear we were pirates singing sea shanties
And conquering cities, but now we settle
For late night dance parties, and one shot, two shot, three
And sure, we are invincible, and I can’t help but wonder
If we have crossed paths over and over again
Our stories layering, life long friends
Or maybe arch nemeses, and each time
Tagging out a new adventure
Where we are chasing after each other
I swear we were renegades, young rebels
Questioning authority and pushing boundaries
Now, we collaborate artistically
Broadcasting in a world of social media, one shout, two shout, three
And sure, we are strong, and I can’t help but wonder
If we have crossed paths over and over again
Our history repeating, kindred spirits
Or maybe pieces of the same soul, and each time
We meet, we find a part of ourselves
We had forgotten

Tonight, I met the winter breeze,
She flew as if a body deceased..

She told me stories of the past,
And talked about fories of the vast..

We were meeting after long,
So we sat there singing some old songs..

She still had many places to visit,
The dates she left me all in digits..

I saw her go,
My flaws followed so..

I was in a trance,
Could not see her prance..

I was dreaming,
When she was leaving..

And when she left,
I got swept..

By the waves,
In the caves..

I had died,
And my body had been pried..

She came again,
And took me in vain..

For my soul stayed,
Where my dreams had been slayed..

When I first met you,
I had yet to face you..

Memories dug deep,
Presented as a heap..

Resemblance of me,
Your semblance deceived..

Ungrateful eyes,
And a fateful life..

Stories untold,
And memories unfold..

A gaze and a stare,
Within the rage and despair..

Two strangers meet,
And sane they leave..

To horizons unseen,
And boundaries within..

Extraordinary Things

I feel like we’re always searching
For the perfect life
For a story
For our story
We want to live an extraordinary life
But
The truth is,
Our lives are more extraordinary than any book character's could be
Because we’re real
Our stories are better than any dragon slayer
Or princess
Or cyborg
Just because someone’s story is different than your's
Doesn't mean your’s, or their's, is any less important
Stories are meant to give us things we don’t have
To improve our already extraordinary lives
They lead us into worlds far away from our own
They give us hope for love and friendship
And perseverance
Books were written for the better
Written to make us feel
Written to make us look out on our world and be grateful
The hardest thing to learn is how fantastical our everyday adventures are
And frankly,
We have to stop waiting for our fairy godmother
Or a wizard
Or a beast
We are the owners of our lives
We can choose whether or not our lives are extraordinary
If you were to sit back
And think of everything impossible thing you want to do
What would you think of?
What would be stopping you?
You have to realize,
If you gut through this
Any of this
If you work hard
If you keep your loved ones close
You can achieve anything
I know that sounds cliché,
But geez
You are way more powerful than you think
A.J Busse

Head buzzing with recriminations, I’m lost.
2. Tired of abandonments, I left early.
3. A fork: the answer or unknown?
4. Stinging hornet knives slash ocean sharp.
5. *******. Now ******* silence deafens.

An oblique shoe string
Hangs from a power line
knotted through
the wrong holes

A baby carriage on
the sidewalk
just left out
in the cold

a golden autumn
November tree
sheds her last leaf
she weeps and she mourns

nothing left
to be solved
these puzzles
make me sick
pieces are rotted mold

when you put them
together
its a lonely kid
the letters blank
ink pens run
out of code

The apartment
I live in is still the
Bloodiest brick red

stained relationships
I neglected
Its a splattered
picture on my white wall

Three wolves
each take turns
trying to ******* down

i guess these children
stories held
Some sort truth to them
after all

I just stand tall
like the effiel
tower im
builts for
world affair

Im was just hoping
for this morning
to be a symbol
of peace

listen for
a silent noise
a whisper
a vendor yelling
in the street

but its just loud
its violent creatures
and its laying in my
bed next to me