I should’ve
waited
for someone
like
her to
come
into my
life.

I wear pajamas
when I go to bed,
one button-up shirt
and drawstring pants
both the color of
light blue sky
they're a gift
from my Mom.
I feel complete
wearing them,
I'm ready to
fall asleep.
It's rare in this world
to ever feel so confident.
When I put on these pajamas
I'm a gentleman practicing
the art of
a good night's sleep,
call me Aaron no more,
only Mr. Brown for now on.

What you get
with a basic life:
College diplomas
to hang on the wall,
a full-time job
that lasts 40 years,
dating resulting in
marriage and maybe divorce,
children are born and stick around for at least
18 years,
retiring in your sixties then finally
death.
Are you bored yet?

I hate that you
still
have this power over
me
which I can barely
control.

I'm thankful for
the cool breeze
blowing in air
through my dry
hair as I
walk back home.

I'm thankful for
those dead leaves
falling to the
ground covering my
feet when I
step under trees.

I'm thankful for
these fleeting days
that cover me
in the darkness
of night as
I lay asleep.

I'm thankful for
sweater weather that
allows me to
bundle up in
my favorite pieces
of warm clothing.

I'm thankful for
Thanksgiving leftovers which
stay in the
fridge till Chrismas
time once again;
still so delicious.

I'm thankful for
the ending of
the old year
and the start
of another one
filled with potential.

The only thing
I want to
know
at the end
of the day
is
am I loved,
does someone love
me?
The answer is
always, of course,
yes,
and it breaks
my heart how
long
it took me
to truly know
this.

Me,
You,
Were two,
Now one,
I heard words,
Wrote a poem,
Called it a love letter,
Sent it to her,
But it was all wrong,
Now it's a distant memory.

My Grandma said,
"To achieve great things
we must live as though
we were going to
die."
All I can say
is that I know
she lived her life
as best she
could.

Last night I
dreamt that
I loved
somebody
so much
that it
brought me
to tears
when I had
to wake up.


Why can't I
feel sincere
emotions
about the
people I
know in
real life?

I only love
as thru my
dreams.

I had a crush
on a girl
who had no idea
I liked her.
I kept it secret for as long as I
could.
When she was around
my heart went to flutter.
My eyes stared
at her beautiful face.
I thought if I
could just
hold her hand
then I'd be golden.
If only her lips would
kiss my lips,
then I'd be alright.
I never told her though.
Betty
walked out of my life
without knowing
the love
I felt for her.

Living life
to please
others
is a
waste of
time.

I was in the grocery store today,
walking down an aisle with a buggy,
when I got this feeling:
I've been here before,
and I'll be here again soon.
Life is predictable,
we try to add flavor to our lives,
but we always end up back in
the checkout line at Walmart,
buying groceries.
Low prices drag us by our feet
through the door,
down aisles,
and over shelves.
It's not the boredom that bothers me,
it's meaninglessness.
How we can buy the same things
over and over again,
and it doesn't add up to anything,
it will go in the garbage at some point;
so why do we do it?

I can't make anyone
fall in love
with me,
all I can do is
be just as I am
and that by itself
makes me worthy
of love.

He said
I had
the softest
hands he'd
ever felt,
that's the
only nice
thing he
truly said
to me,
still I
rub lotion
between my
fingers for
if he
returns.

The doctor told me
because I feel better
I'm eating more and
gaining weight.
So what?
For the first time in my life
I feel good about who I am,
I'm not ruining it by
worrying about gaining
a few extra pounds.
If you can't get past
my belt size,
I don't want to be your
friend.
Love me as I am,
or stop talking to me.
I will not apologize for
being happy.

Maybe if we
fall
in love with
each
other all over
again
we'd make it
work.

My Mom
is my biggest
fan,
only my friends
read my
poems,
and I've only
made 4$
so far,
I might
never be
famous,
but at least
I made real
art
that came
from my
heart.

You may
not live
here
anymore,
but my door
is always
open
just in case
you
need a
place
to stay.

I want to
know
what it feels
like
to have you
inside
of me tonight.

I know a guy who lives a happy life
in a comfortable home.
He showed me a photo
of all his good friends.
Hopefully, someday I'll
become his best friend.
I need to know that
I matter in his life.
That's selfish,
but I need to know
that I made a difference
in somebody's life
for the better,
someday.
I'll take a photo of us together
and from then on
we'll always be best friends,
forever?

I stood in line
to vote today.
The time went by
slow,
but I wasn't
alone.
God knows
who each of us voted for,
but at least
we showed up.
All of us want
to make America well,
so we stand in dull lines,
fill out tedious voter cards,
and finally, vote
in the hopes that democracy
would do its job,
amazing.
I'm a proud voter,
and I hope you are too.

Seagulls fly over me.
Sticky sand rubs against my toes.
Saltwater slides down my throat.
I see ice-cream nearby.
This place is paradise or at least
the closest I've come to it.
I prayed a silent prayer:
"Please God, I never wanna leave
this place."
Unfortunately, I did, but
I always leave a piece
of my heart along the shore.
Hopefully, a mermaid will
find it.

She prays to
God
about me every
night
before she falls
asleep.

A small ladybug
flew on my
kneck,
I felt her
creeping on my
flesh,
she was a
sign of good
luck.
I wish I'd
just set her
free,
but instead I
left her to
die.
Why do I
hurt things I
love?

After a tough time
I treated myself to this
strawberry cupcake.

If you've ever felt
lonely,
anxious,
or depressed.
Take heart
because
you can always be
a shoulder to cry on
all you have to do is
sit still and listen.
Letting the tears roll down
your arm and unto the floor.

Try finding just one
thing to be happy about
every single day.

I thought of you
tonight.
You seem
happy.
I wish to be a part of
your life,
but I'm too
far away.
That destroys me
on the inside.
I've dreamt of
seeing you
again,
and every time
I want to
cry.
Can you forgive me
for all the wrong
I've done?
I know deep down
in my heart
if I
saw you
again
everything
would be
alright,
but until then
keep this letter.
And I promise
to never forget
the memory
of
your love.

I felt so
frustrated
that for a
moment
I didn't control
the
volume of my
voice
accidentally yelling at
you.

When I was little
I played in the rain.
I've never felt so
free
in my entire life.
The sensation of raindrops
hitting my face,
splashing in and out
of puddles,
and stomping my feet
in the mud.
Life doesn't get better
with age.
The best its ever gotten
was when I was 9,
playing in the rain.
Being a silly kid,
it doesn't get
better than that.

I've got bills
to
pay over the
phone,
and I'm not
looking
forward to it
but
I accept this
because
I'm an adult
now.

To be saved
that's what we want,
we reach out to people,
sometimes they break our fall,
other times we drop to the
bottom.
It's nobody's fault,
in the end,
sometimes we lack the strength
to save the ones we love,
but does that mean we don't care?
Certainly not!
Let's all forgive each other,
knowing love
always tries
again.

As I was
wasting
my energy on
people
who wouldn't give
me
the time of
day,

a kindly woman
came
and encouraged me
to
take my business
elsewhere
with my self-respect
intact,

she helped me
to
realize my time
and
energy is just
as
valuable as everyone
else's.

I start every
workday
with a simple
prayer
to God for
help
getting through my
shift.

Just because I
treat
a woman with
kindness
doesn't mean I'm
interested
in her romanticly
it's
called basic human
decency
not falling in
love.

It's a crime to feel unwanted,
why do we do this to ourselves?
Don't we all deserve:
attention,
friendship,
and love?
Then why do we doubt it?
The greatest story ever told
is about a man who sacrificed everything
to prove the value of you and me.
Go about your life and believe,
you are loved.

She sat down beside me
and started talking about
her life.
I wasn't interested,
but if I didn't listen to her
who would?
So I nodded along
to whatever she was saying
half listening.
She played pretend
with her friends
on stage,
now she works flipping burgers
and goes to school
that's it,
I feel sad for her,
adult life has
taken over,
I hope she dreams
of a better path
for herself,
I know
she'll find it
one day.

She said,
"You're like
the little brother
I never had."
If only
she knew
how I really
felt,
I could've
been so much
more than
that,
but
she needed
a brother
and that's me.

My college
has dropped me
for lack of
payment.

Being a dropout
by my 21st birthday
was not part of the
plan.

Right now
I'm just a guy
with a dead-end
job.

I hope
you read this,
it's my cry for
help.

I don't have a
dream girl
what I want
is a person
who communicates
with me
because my last
relationship
disintegrated because
of lack thereof.

My dog slipped out the leash today
and ran down the street.
I was terrified
she was
gone.
I chased
after her with
my sandals on calling her
name, "Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!"
She thought it was a game and kept going,
across the neighborhood street,
through stranger's backyards,
and jumping into a mud
puddle getting
filthy paws.
When
it was over
I took a walk to
clear my mind of what
just transpired and prayed to God,
that it would never happen again on my watch
I love Mercy, and I don't want her to get hurt.

Saying, "I'm only human."
is not a free pass for horrible behavior,
It's a humble statement meaning,
I am capable of error,
but also capable of good,
it means everybody is
complicated,
both in thought and deed
when we admit to being human
that means we bare with one another's humanity,
however good or bad it might seem.
At the end of the day,
if we can fully admit
to our beautiful brokenness
then no matter where we are in the world
we are always with brothers and sisters.
Fellow warriors in a struggle called,
the human condition.

I'm a writer, and I spend my time writing.
I don't care what day of the week it is,
what time of day,
or how many times a day,
I'm focused on writing.
My life is spent reading in libraries,
scribbling in notebooks,
and typing on computer screens.
I survive on cans of caffeinated soda
and collected works of:
Frost, Dickinson, and Yeats.
Though my life on the outside
may seem bland and secluded,
words have taken me
on a great adventure.  
So if you have a little time
read a book and write your story,
you might be surprised
how much less alone you feel.

Don't give up
on romance
just yet.
Reflect on
all the moments
of unrequited love
and believe
when you find
the one
they will
adore you
back.

I know
I have
good friends:
that when
we go
bowling and
I roll
a strike
they cheer.
Then when
I roll
a gutter
ball they
still, cheer.

I wear the
blister
that’s on my
finger
like I was
rewarded
a badge of
honor;

it’s my proof
that
I’m a hard
worker.

I can’t
remember
a time
when
I wasn’t
staring
into your
eyes.

The writer is a writer
simply because he writes,
the words flow unto the page
from the depths of his subconscious.
He's hypnotized by language
becoming entranced with every line.
What he truly seeks is
at the tip of his grasp
always falling out of reach,
so he beats on
down the road with
no end in sight.
Wishing to be over the hill
instead of under it.

I felt so
tired
from the summer
heat
that I ended
up
sleeping all-day
long.

I pretend
she
is sleeping
here
beside me
when
I lie
awake at
night.