sorrow overfills my soul
when I think of what my
younger self endured
they didn't deserve that
all the pain and suffering
and the hunger and tears
the panic and fear
the shattered trust
sorrow overfills my soul
when I think of what my
younger self endured

I don't want to be altruistic
or a people pleaser
or a doormat
my bones ache from giving in
to everything
shouldering all the burdens
ignoring my issues
listening to the tears of others
and hiding mine in the darkness
I don't want to be altruistic
or a people pleaser
or a doormat
I want to stand up for myself
to be assertive
to have time to myself
I don't want to be altruistic

I want to be like the cool kids
my younger self wished
that wish went unheard
I stayed true to myself
even through bullying
and stares
I can be the cool kid
cool is subjective
it's what you make it
I can be myself
and be cool
at the same time
I wish I could be like the cool kids
but having friends like you
is way better than changing yourself
to fit in with others
be authentic
be bold
be YOU

the horrors you committed against me
are egregious
that I find it hard to talk about
yet you swear high and low
that my accusations are calumny
you will lie about what you did
until the day you die
but I just wanted you to love me
and you felt lust instead
you were supposed to be my dad
now you are nothing to me
my new family believes me
and knows that your denials
are falsehood
you can swear up and down
that my accusations are calumny
but I know the truth

romantic relationships are so tantalizing
I crave romance
they don't have to be a prepossessing sight
just be kind and funny
hold me on my bad days
smile with me on my good days
treat me right
cuz I've never felt healthy love
I crave romantic love
but each time I receive it
it's toxic
or it slips through my fingers
like sand
they don't have to be a prepossessing sight
just love me for me

I think I need to write pages of malarkey
all jumbled up and confusing
everything in my brain onto paper
maybe this will cure my writers block
let the words come out garbled
and chaotic
until they flow out steadily

"you need me" the blade says
"I''ll make you feel good
just let me kiss your skin"
the blade says
last year I might have given in
or at least considered it's offer
I had this pain so heavy in my heart
weighing me down
it seemed like the only option
I turn my head away
and ignore the blade's plea
I will not break
I will not give in
my pain is no longer
I am free from it's chains
the shackles have broken off
my skin holds no wounds
they're not needed any longer

I used to love the sun on my skin
warming me from the outside in
then an aberration change happened
now it torments me
it rays bury deep
making me wobbly
and dizzy
making me tired
and nauseous
making my heart pound
and my mind into mush
the heat is my kryptonite
slowly draining me
once I'm in its grasp

I have all these words piling up in my brain
stacking up on each other
but I can't string them into words
and into coherent sentences
I have this urge to write write write
but alas, I can't
the words don't make sense
and as soon as an idea comes to me
it floats away
out of my reach
I can't find my passion
what I am I without my words
how can I be a poet
if I have no words

clinginess is my predilection
hugs from behind
being held in another's arms
soft kisses pressed against my lips
caressing my skin
running their fingers through my hair
love letters expressing their feelings
meaningful gifts just because
shared smiles
comfortable silence
hours of talking about everything
and nothing
clinginess is my predilection

I've had a myriad of failed relationships
each one tore my heart open
but this one is different
however, not in a good way
they're so distant and cold
more like an acquaintance
than a partner
but maybe they need time
I'm trying to not overthink it
but alas, I am failing

a suit of armor sitting in a corner
cobwebs and dust settling in the crevices
give it a new life with some polishing
scrub and scrub the dirt off
the metal now looks anew
gleaming in the sun
shining bright
a fresh beauty displayed proudly
the gleaming suit of armor

you say you're clingy
is that true?
maybe you are
but not with me
you say you love me
but I say that's too soon
if you claim to love me
please show it
cuz all I've gotten
are short replies
hours of silence
and no acknowledgement
of my existence
you say you love me
but that's too soon
you say you're clingy
is that true?

their eyes are a deep coffee brown
rich like Mother Earth's soil
captivating like a siren
leading a sailor to certain death
******* me in like mud on a
rainy day
pleonasm

you were so lovely
yet in a tremendous amount of pain
the pain went away
but so did your life
it was a pyrrhic victory
I'm glad you aren't in pain
any longer
but the feeling is bittersweet
it was a pyrrhic victory
as you crossed
the rainbow bridge
rest easy buddy

the way you talk enraptures me
all I can focus on is you
and listen to what you saying
your big brown eyes
are mesmerizing
you have such a bright
and happy personality
you're so kind and funny
your art is incredible
your smile is infectious
and beautiful
I've never met someone like you

he caused me pain
and let chaos invade my life
so I left him behind
but then they came into my life
and confessed their feelings
I didn't know how to feel
I still don't
fear and curiosity flooded my brain
the fear of being hurt
and tossed aside again
the curiosity of a new beginning
and a possible new love
I like learning about them
and hearing them rant
maybe they're the right one for me
I'm testing the waters
I don't want to get hurt again
but you'll never know
if you don't try

my sweet baby Caesar
orange fur flying around
deep grumbly purr
light green eyes
judgmental and cuddly
introverted and quiet
you were taken far too soon
we'll miss you buddy
my caesar salad
my gingersnap snickerdoodle
my chicken nugget
we love you Caesar
rest easy now
the pain you were in is gone

I remember 12 year old me
13 year old me
14 year old me
15 year old me
16 year old me
17 year old me
crying alone at night
a blade in hand
carving into my body
blood staining my clothes
never thinking it could get better
but it got better
the blade is retired
the scars are healed
never to be reopened

you were so mercurial
that I had to leave
I wasn't good enough
I couldn't be broken
by you

the little frog was zippy
zipping down the flower stem
skipping across the pond
chilling in the cool water
soaking in the bright sunlight
watching the flowers sway in the soft breeze
the little frog was zippy

I am desultory when it comes to
how I never want to speak to you again
I haven't unadded you on social media
maybe I should
should I?
I don't watch your insta stories
that's a good step
I don't talk to you anymore
good for me

it has been days since I last talked to you
it's been very freeing
not having to worry about saying
the wrong thing
and being too much
or not enough
I could never be just right for you
there was always something wrong
with me or what I did or said
it's so freeing not talking to you
being ignored or forgotten
I am free now that I'm no
longer trapped in the shackles
disguised as love and kindness
that you gave me

nature has such a mellifluous sound
birds chirping to one another
branches swaying in the wind
streams trickling down the ground
nature has such a mellifluous sound

I'm running out of time
run run running out of time
time to share my story
my words
let them flow onto the page
run run running out of time
more words more words
I need more
I need to explain my pain
and healing
I'm running out of time
more words
more lines
more sentences
more paragraphs
I'm running out of time
time to share my story
run run running out of time

what is love
I do not know
maybe I am destined
to never know
it's touch

the bugs crawl under my skin
as my mind fades into darkness
my heart stills, cold in my chest
stiff hands gripped by loved ones
blank glazed over eyes
rotting flesh falling off my bones

I'm not sorry for loving you
but I'm sorry for putting you first
before myself
I'm not sorry for loving you
but I'm sorry for thinking you wanted me
I'm not sorry for loving you
but I'm sorry for thinking you were the one
I'm not sorry for loving you
I'm not sorry I stopped loving you
I'm not sorry for wanting nothing to do with you
I'm not sorry
I'm done with you

do you ever think about how
you could've walked
by your soulmate
your future love
and never knew it
just a stranger then
but soon enough
the love of your life
how strange that is

I used to think that without a partner
I wasn't whole
that I needed someone to complete me
what I didn't realize is that
I am 100% by myself and
a partner should also be 100%
200% combined
I am complete by myself
I don't need someone to make me whole
I am whole
a partner should be an addition
not a completion
I am whole by myself
I am complete

my old heart only beat for others
now it beats for me

I want to be the dandelion
growing in between the cracks
in the sidewalk
living in spite
of everything trying to
**** it

her sillage settled in my room
after she left
it brings back memories of
what we did that night
your lips pressed against mine
my hands on you soft skin
feeling the curves of your body
I was high on your touch
couldn't get enough
always needed more of you
now you're gone
and all I'm left with
are the memories

the sheer diaphanous veil
covered the bride's face
she was suppressing tears
not tears of joy
but of sadness
she had no choice in this marriage
forced to don the white lacey dress
slather on makeup
and walk down the aisle
and swear to marry a stranger
and obey his every command

the birds chirp in the distance
the sun glows bright
in the cerulean sky
no clouds in sight
just sunshine
beating down on your skin
sweat trickles down your brow
a slight breeze
sways the grass
around your ankles

when I love someone
I don't want to love their
gender or their skin
I want to love them
their laugh
their smile
their eyes
their humor
their kindness
their thoughtfulness
their talents
their skills
I want to love them
for them
not a made up version
of them
I want them to be theirself
and be proud
they don't need to be
a girl
or
a boy
or
gender nonconforming
I will love them
for them
and what they look like
does not matter
"I don't love a body,
that's just skin and bones,
not somebody"

my heart used to flutter
when you texted me
I would gush at every compliment
but then
I was impatient to be called yours
you cut our situationship off
and decided we should be just friends
it broke my heart
as tears streamed down my face
but soon enough
I accepted it as that
but then
you became distant
and stopped replying to me
you left me on read/seen
it made my heart heavy
and stomach churn
I stopped begging for
your attention
and affection
now I no longer care
I do not feel anything for you
my heart is steady
I don't look forward to
your texts
I barely think of you
I am done
done with this mess
I will wipe my hands of
this situation
and leave it in the past

the sun streams through the window
the sunflowers and daffodils
sway in the breeze
raw honey drips
down from the honeycomb
sour lemons squeezed
to make lemonade
sweet light cornbread
warm fresh from the oven

empathy
something I struggle with
I'm not heartless
or lacking kindness
I just don't know how
to put myself in other's shoes
I can't see their pain
in their perspective
I see it my way
not theirs
it's a struggle
I want to be understanding
but I just can't
I wish I could be
more empathetic
but alas
I'm just a misunderstood fool

Pride
"I deserve everything
I am better than everyone
I make no mistakes
I am perfect"
Greed
"I deserve this shopping trip
one more purchase
more money I need more money
one more store"
Wrath
"they deserve pain
I will make them hurt
I need to break this wall
anger is necessary"
Envy
"they don't deserve that beauty
why do they get that and I don't
I wish I had that purse
I need that dress, not them"
Lust
"I deserve to make love to them
I need that person in my bed
give me pleasure
I need you, now"
Gluttony
"I deserve all this food
just one more doughnut
more pizza
I need more pop and chocolate"
Sloth
"I deserve to lie in bed all day
I won't get up to reach the remote
I'll wait to use the bathroom
work is boring, I'll just sleep"

I have logolepsy
I love learning about
all these new words
expanding my vocabulary
tenacious
quiddity
eclectic
capricious
psithurism

I could prate about how I feel
about you for days
until my words become
redundant and repetitive
I could prate endlessly
about how I hate you
or about how I love you
or about how I don't know how
I feel about you
as undecided as my feelings are
I could still prate about them

tacenda is what I feel about you
it's better left unfinished
what could've been
is not important
we were never meant to be
like I imagined
my feelings are damaged
tacenda

I just want to be loved
but everyone leaves
what is so wrong with me
that I'm not worth
staying for?
I would rip out my heart
for someone
but I can't get anyone
to text me first
I put so much effort
into a relationship
but no one stays
what is so wrong with me
that I'm worth
staying for?
I just want to be loved
I just want to be loved
I can't do this anymore
I'm done with love

I hate this feeling
your feelings are fading
aren't they?
I can tell
or maybe I'm overthinking
I can't tell
but to ask you
you might lie
to save my feelings
you went from giving me
your time of day
and conversation flowed
like a river
now I initiate everything
and you seem distant
I hate this feeling
the not knowing
the feeling I ruined everything
I could ask you
how you feel
but would it change anything?
maybe it would confirm
my worst fears
that you lost feelings
due to my insecurities
pressuring you to make
a decision
I hate this feeling
your feelings are fading
aren't they?
I can tell

my love is tenacious
once I fall in love
the feeling is not
quick to fade
it clings to my heart
and sinks its claws in
my love is tenacious
once I fall in love
it hits me in the face
like a ton of bricks
my love is strong
sometimes too strong
where I love someone
who does not
deserve my affection

"the early bird gets the worm"
the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse
gets the cheese
"seize the day"
seize the day, but put very little trust
in tomorrow
"curiosity killed the cat"
curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction
brought it back
"great minds think alike"
great minds think alike, though
fools seldom differ
"money is the root of all evil"
for the love of money is the root of all
kinds of evils
"jack of all trades, master of none"
jack of all trades, master of none,
though oftentimes better than
master of one

the blood of the covenant
is thicker than
the water of the womb

my own flesh and blood
have let me down
countless times

however the family
I have made along the way
have helped me
more times than
I've been let down by blood

the familial ties I have now
will last me longer than
any blood relations

do you ever think that
the world is so messed up
that it should be blown up
and start anew
a new beginning
a clean slate
to do better this time
to reverse the mistakes made
the world is awful
and we made it that way
maybe humans are the problem
maybe it's our fault
maybe the world is
better off without us
destroying everything we touch

I have never loved someone
on accident
but sometimes it feels like
people love me
on accident