It's been 19 years
and America
is still
burning.

The death & destruction
carries on
without prejudice,
hungrily  
taking all in its wake
and leaving sorrowed
loved ones
behind.

Man creates man.
Man destroys man.

The only constant is the earth
below our feet
& our conflict with each other,
from whose blood and ashes
a new one
is born.

When will we wake to see
we have been the masters
of our own terror
all along?

Anger throbs inside me
Like hot stones in the pit of my stomach
Burning and glowing a devilish red
Rage surges at my fingertips
creating hands that burn
Throwing and screaming and crying for hours
No relief from these hot stones
more fists, more punches, more screaming
nothing comes from this rampage
Dignity is lost, rationality is gone
the only thoughts are physical
Madness bunches the muscles in my arms and legs
building tension for the blow
loud clashes heard from afar
and still the hot stones are alive
You can't make me do anything
Go on, hit me
I'll hit you back
and with these hot stones I will not stop
until they are only an ember
a faint light in the darkness of regret

Unnecessary mental stresses are meant to be thrown away like dilapidated shoes.

It's like a catalyst
Where I'm running out of words
Because the words I can't say
Aren't there
It's the
Feeling old while I'm drinking coffee
Feeling young absorbed into a book

Almost feeling me when I
Reach that space
In between

There's a moment staring at the tv
Excited because someone got kissed
Seconds when I write a sentence
Knowing it's nonsense
But there's a pause
And falling to one side
(My back acting up)
(Giggling while I run)

Searching for a domestic peace
Being pushed to the side
Searching for

Growing up
Maybe

It's hard

Tensions that shouldn't exist
Tensions that aren't seen by anyone else
Pulling away in an effort to walk the line
Searching for a balance
In between the tension

It feels like a catalyst

I want to trace
 your edges
 feel your concaves
where skin hugs the 
 boarders of your physicality 
Collapsing into this warm embrace 
 I Am here, and nothing else matters 
This moment cannot be refabricated
So I cherish
 as this texture 
 engulfes my very being 
Sliding through me, 
 wave after wave 
 Soft tremors radiating my core
 quivering as my valleys
 press tightly against your crest
Penetrating deep beneath the surface 
 my sea has no bottom. 
Building creative tension 
 Gripping the remaining foundation 
 Ceaseless crescendo
All boundaries crumble;
  Where do you end, 
  Where do I begin?

I just broke her heart
‘cause she told me she was lying,
and by the night’s end she’ll feel it.
Her mascara-stained tear drops hit the carpet flying-
yet her eyes never trembled, they glistened.

Oh, why did you do me like this?
Did you ignore my pain and not feel it?
Sugar, why did you burn our whole life;
was my love just the prize to your winnings?

She saw me yesterday and asked
for a hand,
I said, “You don’t understand...
I meant that we were through.
Leave your keys up on the stoop.”

Then the love was in her eyes
and it took me by surprise,
and by that night’s end I was living.
My pain had gone away and her heart was full of light;
she whispered me a kiss
and I listened.

Oh why am I so wrapped up like this?
Is it only her heart that shimmers?
I always try to leave, but my soul just can’t resist.
Her love’s the summer breeze to my winter.

The world presses down,
and pushing back takes it's toll
on you.
It breaks you down,
you crumble,
pieces of body and mind
shear, flake, and tumble away
from your quivering self.
Everything hurts, eyes closing, mind numb, skin crawling.
Coated in sweat, earth, rain, fuel.
Gunpowder lines your lungs
filling your nostrils.
You long for a release.
Lifting the weight off your back,
to feel yourself float unburdened.
Water to run and renew you,
The hardest mattress a cloud above the chill ground.
Jean's like an old friend on fresh flesh that has forgotten denim.
The touch of a lover, long overdue.
Her soft skin on yours,
with lips so divine,
and a voice like honey.
You forget, for a while, the weight of the world, and all you need do,
is be.
You're set free.

mankind
kindergarten
tension