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Michael Stefan Feb 2020
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways
Not a finger shall I straighten
In my computation
As I recount my lamentation
At the havoc that you wrought
No calculator needed
As I reconcile my thesis
Such low number needs no genius
Nor exertion of my thought
For such a pitiable sum
Is understood by deaf and dumb
Neither finger nor my thumb
Nor mathematics bureau
Should be dispatched to this cause
In simple algebraic laws
With your love so full of flaws
My counting is rested now at zero
I originally started this poem as a "woe is me" following a pretty bad breakup (yes, guys, I know I have a lot of them as evidenced by my poetry).  However, this became such a fun rhymescape that reminded me of a positive and playful version of Poe's most famous poem about a raven.  Hope you enjoy and hope everyone finds time to laugh after sad times.
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
Every second ticks by
Slow as you wait
For news hard to swallow
Minutes drift like fog
Making futures appear dismal
Too much time to self-reflect
Waiting for that news
Seated in a hospital bedside
I know that almost everyone has experienced this and I wish no one had to go through it.  Each little second seems an eternity when you are waiting for what can only be bad news.
maXiminima Feb 2020
Every sunrise we receive is a chance,
to find the purpose of our existence,
the opportunity to stand amidst the burden,
and to give life a chance to strive once again.

You may be running low throughout these days,
because your past left you wounded and scarce,
history has taken you into blinding darkness,
and the atmosphere had brought you jaw-nagging coldness.

I will be with you in the walk to reconstruct yourself over,
to regain the pieces that you tore up in building up others,
to help see your worth and feel not empty,
and prepare you to bounce up after fall and  shatter no more.

You are never a fantasy nor a surreal poetry in my mind,
You might be invisible to my sight at times,
but never intangible to my heart and soul,
Please help yourself to stay strong.
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
So many wonderful colors to choose
A rainbow palette
With brush set to task
Wondrous landscapes before me
Blackbirds upon golden willow bough
Green grass and ochre hills
With a scarlet setting sun
All these wonderful colors
Pale before you
And with you on my mind
The only color I see is blue
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
Wear your silly masks, make sure they are strapped
You wouldn't want them to fall off now
Cause no one wants the know the real you
Right?  
Who wants to bear our burdens
Hear the deepest of our anxieties and fears
Walk a mile in our painful shoes
And be held responsible for support
Best to keep on our masks and smile
Show everyone the light they want to see
Dance like puppets
Sing like sparrows
Bow and scrape
Curtsy and be pretty
But in our falsehoods, we are bearing darkness
In true friendships, we are bringing light
Let the mask slip from your face
To reveal freckles and scars
Different colored eyes filled with warmth
Surround yourself in light
Let the darkness of your masks fall off
Surround yourself in friendship
Always
I wasn't originally going to share this work.  It's less of a poem and more of an incomplete poetic rambling.  I've sat and stared at this for hours wondering how to change it.  It just never seems to make any more or less sense than it does in this imperfect form.  Just be real with each other and stop hiding behind your masks.  Much love.
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
In nature, beauty and strength coalesce
In nature, only the strong survive
In nature, strength determines life's longevity
Be strong I think, as I open my front door
Sometimes, we all need a little pep-talk.
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
I've contemplated it, wrote it, pondered it
Cried out for it, and attempted it you see

I keep all my ropes now in the garage
There they are of greater use to me

I moved the radio from the bathroom
I now prefer classic melodies

I put my razors behind the mirror
I'm gonna let my hair get shaggy

And all my pills went down the toilet
And there they can't bother me

I used to lock away these horrid thoughts
But to heal I must set them free

I won't lie and say the thought doesn't still come
Like a quiet thief in the night with a loaded gun
There will always be this darkest part of me
But now I try to share my thoughts in forms of poetry

And I hope there is no end to the line for us
Not much I wanna say about this.  I figure you guys get the point.
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
You never did enough to break me
But you left me a little bent

Like a square peg put to a round hole
A chair with one leg just too short
Or a peach with just one bruise

Like tangled fishing line
A trash can lid that won't close right
Or a chipped rim coffee cup

Like a calendar from last year
A fluorescent bulb that's flickering
Or a screen door in a windstorm

You never left me broken
But I still wish I wasn't bent
Just a little monologue about adversity in relationships.
Michael Stefan Feb 2020
Heavy is the head that wears the crown
But what of us with no such responsibility?
Why then does my head still droop?
And weariness besiege me
Kitt Feb 2020
“Whatever is true,” she said,
“I want better for you.”

What’s true is that I am alone in my fight
The darkness that swallows the light
For whatever is true, dear Mother
Is your baby was hurt by another

What’s true is that I stand alone
Cowering before the Wicked One’s throne
For whatever is true, Father dear
Is your little girl was stolen from here

What’s true is that I’m losing my mind
Every step pushes me further behind
For whatever is true, dear Friend
Is that I am drawing near to my end
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