#4thofjuly
As the fireworks
Burst around in
Circles and all the
Different designs, the
Evening gets longer. So cheers
For all the
Good times we've
Had.
I wouldn't trade them for anything. It's
Just so bitter sweet.
Kids having the time of their lives,
Lost in time.
Memories in the making.
Noises of the summer.
Overwhelming excitement in the air.
Patriotism, the red, white, and blue.
Quick little moments fly by.
Relatives and friends having a blast.
Smells of good ole homemade cooking. Just some
Toasting and traditions along the way.
Unbelievable love and sacrifice.
Visioning every night like this one.
Water balloons flying in the air.
eXpectations of the night, blown away.
Yelling and singing every word to every song.
Zoned in on honor and enjoying life on the 4th of July.
Jul 2, 2025
Jul 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM UTC
The sky above me
Exploding with colors
Eyes filled with awe
The ground shaking beneath my feet
But when you close your eyes
And hear the exploding bombs
It reminds me of
The war
They fought
For our country
A document signed
on the fourth of July
A pen gliding
across such
an important piece
of our history
our lives
A birthday celebrated
across the states
does anyone
stop
to think
How did we get here?
Jan 19, 2025
Jan 19, 2025 at 2:27 PM UTC
Deep in the backwoods of the Knoxville antique,
The black marble sky growls,
A panther,
To outsiders—those inside city limits—
The vanishing streetlights and,
Absence of neighbors,
May put them on extra alert but,
Here,
The panther’s like a friend
Watching over us
All day long me and my cousins,
Waited,
For the whispers of night to cover us,
In the last few hours before Independence Day drifted
Off for another year,
We broke out the rockets:
Nine-packs,
Missiles,
Roman Candles,
Sparklers,
Big and small,
The show was about to begin
Darting away,
From explosives right before launch,
Cracking up till
Our lungs hurt,
Bouncing on,
The backyard trampoline—
(I think I got punched in the eye that night
by accident)—
Playing with the border collie named Shadow,
We were frozen in a dream,
No person could break up this night,
Running without legs from parents’ rules,
And from mysterious police,
Hoping that Shadow wouldn’t go
Nuts,
Hurt someone
We were all—parents and cousins—
Drinking
In the elixir of freedom,
Caught in the secret
Between
The night and the countryside
Sep 17, 2021
Sep 17, 2021 at 12:16 PM UTC
There are fireworks
Everywhere.
Small & big reminders
Of everywhere we’ve been.
Above the rooftops, above our
Top lips, in tremendous fashion.
Spread far, your soul & mine.
I couldn’t imagine life
Without you.
Something out of the blue,
Loud & breathtaking.
How we’ve inspired each other
In quick rocket bursts.
If nothing else we’ve learned
That in a matter of minutes
It can all come to an end.
The way you kiss me &
The ethos of traveling souls
Finding a color to forever live in.
I’ve found a place, there are
Fireworks everywhere.
If nothing else, we’ve learned
That in a matter of minutes
it can all come to an end.
& when it does, I’ll race you
To the top & kiss you and
Every memory I have of you.
The cosmos of left over
Gunpowder & shredded paper
All combustible in our celebration.
With eyes closed,
& the sizzling palpitation of my heart.
Possibly the biggest reminder.
Whenever I see fireworks,
I think of you
Jun 29, 2021
Jun 29, 2021 at 11:11 AM UTC
Every year I forget how much I hate fireworks
The pop and bang, blinking as fast as I can
Like closing my eyes will make the sound go away
It won’t you know that fact too well
No one has ever been able to figure out why you hate loud noises so much
You were never in the military
You’ve never been around bombs
Just the explosion that was your childhood
Every word, every screamed silence you made into your pillow when no sound came out
Every slap of ice stained teeth gritting against the broken promises spewn
Pounding marble countertops so hard you thought you would fall down
Every “I Hate you”
“Don't leave me”
When you just wanted them to breakup
Even though you should have never been involved
Because you were a child and children should never play with the deadly match of a distinguished marriage
No child should ever have to worry about that because it’s out of their mind capacity
They don’t know when too much is time to stop
When the fuse might burn their hands
If they’re not careful
No-one stopped to take care of the bleeding wound that resulted
Your pain wasn't as relative as theirs
An ongoing struggle in the battle of “I'm right, you're wrong”
Let’s work this out
Go away
That fire can burn a hole through your heart if you let it
Good thing mine is completely cold
Jul 6, 2020
Jul 6, 2020 at 1:32 AM UTC
Firey flowers
Burst in the sky
Celebrating independence
On the 4th of July
Booms echo off buildings
Rockets launch sky high
Exploding into colors
Quickly floating by
Awestruck by the beauty
Infatuated with the sound
I love watching fireworks bloom
And its petals fall to the ground
Jul 4, 2018
Jul 4, 2018 at 2:37 AM UTC
When I'm near you I'm anxious.
At any moment I can explode.
A coloration of floral hues printed across the sky,
Covering you; the night.
Appropriately expanding.
A sizzle awaiting detonation.
Catapulted high.
Nothing to do but fall.
Fall in love with you.
Plummeting down unable to sit still.
Your hand the stripe that surrounds me.
Stars; echo in a crackle.
Change is inevitable.
The glory of being held close,
Counting every second until we burst into pieces.
Wandering around your essence.
Wandering in turquoise yellows & purple strawberries exhaled in smoke.
The moon forever jealous
Every night July everlasting.
The closer I get to you
Jul 2, 2018
Jul 2, 2018 at 9:43 PM UTC
Don't know what good it'll do.
(sonnet #MMMMMMCCCCLXVIII)
I don't observe the holiday, as whence
Joe's calling oer this weekend in detail
Meant just that, but did not. Four days t'avail
Us, lo I see now, signifies good sense
Where Monday is a work day, Tuesday thence
As wont likewise, for me--haha on frail
Complaints of silence. All 'non waxes pale,
Nor can I figure what, for all intents.
Winds turn the Maple leaves backside in tour
Til white blinks at the gathring clouds thin blue
Drowns warmly in, and I am dull as twere.
My brother's touring Europe now, to do
Whatever good. I dreamt of fishing, poor
As thinking I'll be yours, Joe: ya, what's new?
02Jul17b
Jul 12, 2017
Jul 12, 2017 at 8:06 PM UTC
We The People
Sailed the same course
Some willingly
Some by force
Our Constitution
A document to inform
A more perfect Union
To weather any storm
No more kings
No more oppression
No taxation
Without representation
Checks and balances
And the rule of law
Mitigating injustices
Safe harbor for all
The secular trinty
President, Congress, Court
Power to be divided
Veto, fiat, tort
Our common interest
Of self defense
With liberty for all
And justice for any offense
Our common tranquility
And general welfare
A more perfect union
Our resources we share
American rights
And protection
From a despotic government
Or an insurrection
To worship my God
And you yours
Even to deny him
Our right secures
Open discourse
To speak out loud
We must be heard
Not follow the crowd
Collective grievances
Peaceably petitioned
We walk together
But never threatened
To bear arms
For our security
Never being forced
To quarter unwillfully
To remain secure
In our sanctuary
Unless presented
With writ of entry
Neither held
Absent habeas corpus
Or loss of property
Without payment to us
Never forced to testify
To contradict our denials
Or brought forward
In duplicitous trials
To face our accuser
In much haste
Represented by counsel
Our peers hands to be placed
Not just one but twelve
Examining the facts
Brought forward to be sworn
But only this court acts
Reasonable recompense
For fine or bail
Cruel or unusual retribution
Shall not avail
An enumeration
Provides illumination
But within the penumbra
Exists more freedom
From God or self-evident
There is no list or count
None to encumber
None to surmount
A union has formed
But sacred the individual
The tyranny of the majority
Is never permissible
A living breathing document?
Or static words unbending?
Even as we amend
Change never ending
Open to interpretation
If you see a right
Others may disagree
There may be a fight
The spirit of intent
Is there to see
Freedom to choose
Secured by liberty
We The People
A sacred quest
We The People
Freedom will never rest
Jul 5, 2017
Jul 5, 2017 at 8:46 AM UTC
They'll not be forgotten
just moved along by the cops
they'll mumble and shuffle
avoiding a scuffle
as the guillotine, finally drops
Fighting for freedom
commendations they earned and deserve
discarding their souls
in deeper foxholes
and always doing what's needed, to serve
The days come and gone
Veterans now left out on their own
as damaged and broken
the politics spoken
but leaving them cold, and alone
We'll bang the drum slowly
and march to manicured graves
we'll sing all the songs
righting all wrongs
here, in the land of the free
and the brave
Jun 29, 2017
Jun 29, 2017 at 8:42 AM UTC
I watched the fireworks in the sky
On a day were spirits were high
Happy everyone seemed to be
But sadness was all that befell me
Jul 4, 2016
Jul 4, 2016 at 5:30 PM UTC
Late nights
Turn to early mornings
Crowded beds
Become more appealing
When you’re wrapped up in someone’s arms
Only sleep for maybe an hour
But it doesn’t matter
Your mood couldn’t have soured
Being pressed up against that warm body
A hand resting on your side
Your mind slowing down for once
Different thoughts start to form
Unsure of what to do
You burry your face
That hand moves though
And soon
You are face to face
With entrancing eyes
Chin tipped up just a bit
Next thing you know
That high you felt hours ago
Is replaced with something better
Their lips against yours
You break apart
Your don’t stop smiling for what seems like hours
And all you do
Is wish you had said what you thought
Don’t stop
Jul 6, 2015
Jul 6, 2015 at 8:49 PM UTC