#noticing
i drew a few hearts on my bedding
when it was bare without any sheets
perhaps i shouldn't have — it's bad manners,
what you're taught as a toddler to preach in.
but then i wondered —
who would ever notice?
i'd like to mention, _the art of noticing._
i went to fetch some groceries.
while returning, without my headphones,
i took notice — and the world seemed to hold me in.
a woman was talking to her husband,
chatting about how the war drills cancelled.
two brothers were playing cricket —
i passed them by and heard the younger say,
_i'll learn to throw well in time if i grew bolder, yeah?_
the older one smiled —
a smile i've done many times — and chuckled.
it's not always the best place to be,
the world i mean — when you wish to fit in.
i'm almost always with my earphones — wired or the other ones,
trying to fade it out: the noise, the surreality, almost all of it.
because it's just so hard to seek the peace i intend to live with.
but then, on a few random days where i feel like the chosen,
everything feels a bit better —
_like it's not that bad to be broken?_
they function, yes they do —
but i notice the way they lag,
and sometimes choose just not to
show who they are.
so they wear masks:
ones that hide, ones they despise,
and sometimes don’t even realize
until it’s too late — and the mask melts into their skin.
i feel bad sometimes —
this empathy just carries my soul,
brings it to absorb every ounce of pain i can
from the one beside, and the ones i cross.
but on other days like tonight,
i walk, almost free.
there’s good winds, myself carefree.
there’s a lot of work pending —
i won’t deny i’m procrastinating.
but for once i smile,
and i smile at the thought of myself smiling —
for no cause, probably seeming delusional
to the one in passing.
but how do i tell them the moon’s following,
and there’s the hint of wet mud after the evening shower —
the sensation filling up my blood —
and it’s nice for once, easy to exist,
almost easier to fit in.
my thoughts are like string lights,
almost always entangled together.
not one single shines bright —
but sometimes they glow,
like when i'm hit with a current of emotions.
they glow bright, almost enchanting —
and on nights i'm able to sort,
sort through the flickering ones,
the ones that died, and the ones that hold the right light,
i pour them out, let the candle-like wax from my brain transcribe
words and feelings into the right imagery,
hoping it'll make sense by the time i'm done with it.
and this right here is quite one of the examples
of same cord of fairy lights
_(i'm to believe i might be magical in all my might)._
but then i look around
and see the way they look in return —
and even though i stand out,
stand out in a way the odd one does
in the system of evens —
it’s not the best thing, not the flashiest.
but i continue to walk
with a silent acceptance.
maybe the world is like this.
sometimes i notice the good,
often the bad,
mostly the in-between.
and the greys are a nice position to be in
when the extremes have taken you and thrown you.
for not all magnets hold together —
the like ones just never really go well together.
we're all simply misfits —
and yet the word holds the fits.
so i guess in the end,
we all really do miss the irony of it.
Jun 1, 2025
Jun 1, 2025 at 3:05 PM UTC
Today
With friends
We wandered up
A steep cobbled road
That was canopied by trees.
We happened to a wooded park
Where poetry was pressed into the stones.
You would have loved it there, and noticed
How the world was speaking with you.
Noticed through the air that those
Flowers my friends had
Called lavender, were
Just rosemary,
blooming.
May 17, 2025
May 17, 2025 at 8:12 AM UTC
taste the light,
Just like a sip of cinnamon tea,
Let it penetrate,
It's been in an 8 minutes journey,
to reach the window of my soul.
Apr 14, 2025
Apr 14, 2025 at 3:33 PM UTC
You think that I do not notice
stars in clear dark skies,
or that absent sparkle in your eyes
and the stillness of it all;
As I lay here silently all night
wondering what might be wrong
and how I can make it right?
©️Lizzie Bevis
Nov 9, 2024
Nov 9, 2024 at 3:56 PM UTC
In the hum drum and the toil
In the itch of daily life
As we each till our own soil
Carefully avoiding each others' strife
We go to and fro enjoying
The comfort of monotony
And take pride in our employing
The right of autonomy
We take little heed of shadows
And the artwork they display
Or the fluffiness of clouds
As they drift along their way
We forget to thank our knees
As we bend to take a seat
Or admire the flowing streams
In the hardwood beneath our feet
It takes substantial effort
To see the inches in the miles
But there's something striking in them
That I think you'll find worthwhile
Take notice of the details
Don't be blind to little things
When life feels all too big
Just practice noticing
Sep 28, 2024
Sep 28, 2024 at 12:48 PM UTC
Always keep your eyes open,
You never know, what’s in your path ahead,
Your trail could lead you far, or the end could be dead,
Some situations, will be cool, others hot, and you’re clothes,
You will shed.
Other days will be slow, and hard,
You may move, like your pants are full of lead,
After a long night, you might wake up confused, finding yourself,
Laying on a stranger’s bed, it’s normal to make mistakes,
Then you feel like, kicking yourself in the head.
An active, curious mind, will entertain you, many hours,
On different days, many things will be confusing,
Just keep trying to find answers, someway,
There will be moments, you want to relax, and go somewhere,
And play.
Some moments, will seem perfect, everything, will go right,
Everyone around you, will be helpful, and stick together tight,
Other times when you’re awful hungry, even the food you don’t,
Really like, will taste good, to the last bite.
The Original: Tom Maxwell © 04/19/2024 A.D.
Apr 20, 2024
Apr 20, 2024 at 8:50 AM UTC
Oil and vinegar,
Sugar and spice;
everything looks nice.
Your wit and charm,
sends long walks of
harmony into a world
of a never ending
façade.
Put's on his best smile,
but he will always be
a broken man.
Stay's at home,
I try my best to
console him and he
Put's his head high,
and thinks no one will
notice.
On the way, he imagines
reactions, that someday
he will have a perfect world,
made the way he wants it.
Making plans for Mikey,
to make sure he's a happy man.
Aug 10, 2021
Aug 10, 2021 at 10:52 PM UTC
This place is an oasis
in the midst of loneliness.
How could I be so lonely
while wrapped in your embrace?
Oct 28, 2020
Oct 28, 2020 at 11:26 AM UTC
‘Like a graceful
yet mighty arrow
I saw you
shooting through the town
with the name “Adventure”
upon you.
I saw your coat fluttering
with wind’s madness,
irises of deeper colour
than the darkest tree’s bark,
nose drugged with the scent
of Poetry transcripted
and bare feet carrying with themselves
the heraldry of freedom
and a better world.
With books from faraway lands,
of wonders,
as a shield on your chest
from all that’s choked,
ideas unattainable to the Black Pit, thoughts
and dreams piercing
the surroundings’ façade
and the Village whirling into blur
from the speed of yours,
every time you’re the most beautiful feature
among the trash bins we live in.
Couldn’t take my eyes
and thoughts of you…’
Pero nadie se da cuenta,
nadie lo escupe por los dientes.
Ahogados por el tiempo
no me ven/sienten fluyendo entre ellos,
no ven la Esperanza
por debajo de sus parpados.
Como magia o viento vuelo,
espero hasta que alguien
me capture
con esta atención
en un jarrón
y me susurre
un amor así
como arriba.
Jun 14, 2020
Jun 14, 2020 at 8:10 PM UTC
You are a valve I can turn
to open the flow of love
into my day
into my heart.
Apr 28, 2020
Apr 28, 2020 at 1:23 PM UTC
So many hours of each day
I go about doing all the things I want
accumulating long moments
without a thought of you
but when I do stop to notice you
to commune I am again renewed
and filled with your love.
May I take a few long or short moments
with you each day
for refills.
Mar 21, 2020
Mar 21, 2020 at 11:36 AM UTC
This cosmic canister carries the world’s disarray-
Our destinations different, our feelings the same.
Though we have regular meetings we remain strangers;
Heads down, uncomfortable.
A pattern forms in our lives which none exits, our sacred routine which if changed is wrong.
Empathetic eyes glazed with weariness.
At each departure, a new inhalation of caffeine and smoke,
A new wave of bodies,
A new mass.
We all contribute to the mass, but the mass never goes,
Only waxes and wanes with the seasons.
We travel as one, carried by destinations, riddled with enigmas.
The hour reaches 6:00 and the mass bulges; the kettle is at its boiling point.
We move as agitated atoms riling against one another.
The world’s day draws to a close, as our microenvironment wakes.
A man exhales stale disappointment- no promotion due.
The coarse skin of his fingers caresses
The constant happiness in his life;
Helping him live, hastening his death.
Unable to inhale satisfaction, his suit clad leg
Writhes underneath the table,
Distracting him, but alerting others of the craving.
Although his tie is straight and his briefcase orderly,
A lose thread and weary eyes give him away-
He’s tired; tired of life, tired of the necessary endless routine
Which holds him and his livelihood captive.
It weakens and sustains him simultaneously.
His secrets define him.
A girl sighs, her cheeks wet,
Tears heavy with hurt.
A bruise has settled itself on her forearm;
A warning for the next time she comes home late.
Her skin has become a canvas and everyday more paint is added.
Her permanent ink hides the painful marks
Yet the latter seems to leave the most lasting impression.
Her face is scarcely discernible;
Metal studs line the place where her smile should be-
They are so many that her humanity becomes robotic.
Her secrets define her.
The tube we sit in holds heavy hearts, new smiles,
Old friends.
The mass becomes one as each day our routine returns,
Unchanged.
We get to know our fellow travellers
Without really getting to know them at all.
Their influence on our existence seems insignificant,
Yet they contribute to the steadfast mass that so grips our little lives,
Whilst we hold on to sanity by a single thread.
Our secrets define us.
Jan 24, 2019
Jan 24, 2019 at 1:26 PM UTC
The hair on the back of my hand
glistens in the lamp at night
it tells me I am a man
I am a creature
a thing created.
I did not create myself
even though I act as if I did.
You made this body
and you keep it alive.
When I look at my hand
sometimes it reminds me of Jesus
who was also a man.
I yearn to feel his touch
his arms around my shoulders.
How often I need his hand
on the small of my back
giving me a gentle shove.
When I picture that hand
in my mind’s eye
I see the hair
the veins that bring the blood
from his heart,
a heart so full
so big it reaches to heaven.
It also reaches into my heart
when I think of his first noticing
and then stooping down
to touch the person on the side of the road
the person nobody else would go near.
I am touched to tears.
That was the hand of Jesus
reaching down as it does now
to this sinner.
Aug 11, 2018
Aug 11, 2018 at 9:56 AM UTC
Notice the things about
the one you love
Like their beautiful smile
The way that they dress
their own style
The tone of voice with
each change of mood
Or funny habits when eating food
The sound of their laugh
That look
just for you
The way their lips pucker
as they drink
The way their **** looks
when they stand at the sink
The shape of their hands
The arch on their feet
All our loved ones are very unique
The color of their hair
Or expression in their eyes
The feel of their skin
The touch of their thighs
So make sure you notice
what you have today
Because someday
it may
just all go away
Feb 4, 2018
Feb 4, 2018 at 10:27 AM UTC
I notice the group of homeless people I see every morning
However this morning they are fully involved in some sort of drama
I notice how one man puts his arm around the other man
I notice the humanness, the support, the love and care
I notice the woman with the **** on her back
It pushes her fully forward so she can't see the sky
I notice her and her husband walking along by the sea
I notice how he is holding her hand
The sight fills my eyes with tears
I hope they go and drink a coffee and share a slice of carrot cake
I hope he kisses her cheek and tells her he loves her
I imagine a blanket of love enveloping them both
I notice the woman with the gold sandals and bunch of floweres sticking out her bag
I notice her dishevelled hair and clothes
I sense her aloness
Her sandals and floweres make me smile
I hope they make her smile too
The moments of beauty
The human need for love, beauty and support
These moments are all around
Within the sadness and dark realities
They are there
The magic is there
Oct 29, 2017
Oct 29, 2017 at 9:46 AM UTC
For the first time I noticed,
that I am not the only one.
For the first time I saw,
that they knew how I felt.
For the first time I felt,
how hard confrontation is.
For the first time I saw,
how what I did hurt them.
Feb 25, 2016
Feb 25, 2016 at 7:20 PM UTC
They tell me to write about love,
but I'm not sure I know
what that is.
Is it the warm feeling,
the soft sigh listening to
the smooth sounds of Sinatra,
or is it the insane laughter,
the inability to wipe the smile
from my face,
when I'm with you.
Is it the in between moments,
just noticing,
noticing the quiet, lovely things,
the silence that isn't
all that silent
Maybe, but
It surely isn't the
feeling of home or
the prayers to God,
or the shouts of rage,
the obligations,
or the "have-to's"
If its love because
it's supposed to be,
because you should,
then I don't want it.
I don't want that "love"
Dec 6, 2015
Dec 6, 2015 at 11:11 PM UTC
Hair
Downy Feathers
Nails
Slivers Of Perfect Moons
Eyes
Icicles Falling
Smiling
Smashed China Plates
Walking
Nonchalant Juxtaposed To My Erratic Heart
Running
Time Standing Still As You Sail Through It
Mar 18, 2015
Mar 18, 2015 at 8:22 PM UTC
Without pause
Without flare
It steals itself away
Never to return
And to be all but forgotten
Jun 30, 2014
Jun 30, 2014 at 6:40 PM UTC
tulip blooms
pebbles cemented into sidewalk
we notice neither
May 2, 2014
May 2, 2014 at 12:25 PM UTC