HALF!  HALF!  THREE-QUARTERS!  LENGHTEN!  FULL!
The coxswain roars at the start of the race
Telling us to pry and to pull
And not to slow from race pace
Speeding through the 750 meter mark
About to pass the other boat
Going underneath the second arc
Passing the cruise with a single quote
The coxswain saying "within you you have the power to win"
We have passed the other team
But we keep on going with strokes as sensuous as a violin
To us this is a dream
We have finally taken the lead!

“I’m all in,” the gambler grinned, and
Pushed his chips toward the center of the table.
“Been playin’ hard, finally pulled the card,
You can call if you are able.
It’s all or nothing, - final ***.
Call me.  Show me what you got.

C’mon Man, you hesitatin’ ?
Take your time, I’ll sit here waitin’.


C’mon MAN, you think I’m BLUFFIN’?
Think I’m sittin’ here with NOTHIN’?


C’MON MAN!  Let’s GET THIS DONE!
DON’T ACT LIKE YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE
WITH MORE THAN POKER ON THE LINE
FOLD or CALL ME, EITHER’s FINE!

But don’t just sit and stare at me,
And make your judgement silently
I need to win.  I want it all,
For God’s sake, Man, please fold or call


The silent Man called.  

“Son,
Life’s a gamble and she’s dealt us all some bitter hands.
So when you been ‘round long as me
You begin to understand
Don’t matter if you win this time
Eventually you’ll lose
The stakes keep getting bigger, and
Some day you’ll have to choose
Between losin’ everything you got
And keepin’ something dear
And another thing I’ll wager, Son, that you don’t want to hear
Is while the *** keeps getting bigger, the odds get longer too
Sometime soon old lady luck will turn her back on you.”

The Silent Man laid his cards on the table.

“Each day’s a brand new poker hand
Some you win, and some you bluff,
Now you show me what YOU have,
We’ll see if it’s enough.”

PwL, March 29, 2016

I'm more open
           More free
     Than you thought
I could ever be.

I've won battles.
      Fought for my convictions.
Taking my life by storm
      Proving you wrong.

Remember your doubt?
            I was so compliant.
        But now, you underestimated
How strong I am without you.      

I am winning the war
         Defeating every
         Manipulative *******
That thought I couldn't **triumph.

This is for the people,
For the bullies,
For the Monsters,
For the ones who want me to fall,
To scrape my knees,
Or crash my car.
This is a promise
That I swear to keep.
A message to the evil ones,
Or to the ones who just don't believe.
This is the song
The one I'll continue to sing,
The one that means everything.
This is the poem of my people,
Of this generation.
This is the one that'll speak for thousands,
And have a different meaning for every one.
This is the artwork that has every color,
The one splashed on every cover,
The one you'll always remember,
Because it's the one the strong ones recite.
These are the words that speak to your heart,
The ones that are already there,
Even if you don't yet know.
This,
This is our motto,
This is our war cry,
Our victory chant,
Our promise,
Our dream,
Our secret,
Our scream,
These,
These are the words of the unappreciated.
This is a vow to always succeed.
To all the bad,
The cruel,
The evil.
The farther you push us,
The farther we'll go.
You'll be our ladder to success.
You'll be our motivation.
You'll be our dreams' creator,
And also its creation.
You are only making me win,
When all you want is for me to lose.
You every action is a contradiction,
Because they're the opposite of every word you choose.
You will degrade me,
And hurt me,
And try to make me cry,
But no matter what I'll just keep rising,
And you'll still be below me,
Trying to tear down the Eiffel Tower,
With not but your hands.
And from our perch in the clouds,
We'll laugh as we shout down,
*"The farther you push us,
The farther we'll go."

After decades and decades of distance
I've found you
The sluggish, torturous moments of the laps
have finally passed.
Time has bruised me, pounded me, bled me
to the core.
Hours spent as a pack of wolves,
howling for a soul.
I've hunted, starving in my travels.
Searching for you.
Me, a pack of hunting dogs not just stalking
quietly through still woods....
but bolting with snarling furled lips....
exposing razor sharp fangs to sink deep within
the throat of the love I long for.
Hold tight until the struggling gazelle gasps its last.
The hunt is over,
the heart full from the gorging.
Purring in each others company.
While resting tranquilly on the aromatic clover.
Riffles unable to focus, our stripes blending,
as our bodies merge.
The great cats we are, no predator to fear.
We slumber and bask in our regal glory.
Our cat eyes fixed on each other!

© Crystal Erickson  12/14/07

Come to the wrong side of reality.
You'll find it enchanting.
You might set the world on fire,
Nobody will see you coming.
You might get lost,
Lose your ways in its sin.
For darkness is expanded
With no security.
Woe to those who say different.
Look around you and join hands
Make friends and shield your back.
Everyone's here to win.
They don't trust me on this.
Move on like the waves do,
And find another to riddle
Keep playing and fiddle em in pleasure.
To woe with people and their matters.
Be a tyrant of your own thoughts.
Look the other way,
Seep away it'll be worth your while,
Trust me on that.