I'm tired of
trying
to find true
love
on the internet;
instead
I'll dedicate my
time
to meeting an
actual
person in real
life.

Oh, what a
relief
I'll feel when
we
drive out of
town
kissing this place
goodbye.

I cried the
day
that you left
town,
and I didn’t
stop
until you came
home.

I want to
tell
my best friend  
one
funny joke that
will
have him laughing
again
because lately he
seems
so down to
me.

I took a
leap
of faith asking
Ian
to hang-out with
me,
and even though
he
didn't want me
back
it was worthwhile
because
I love him
still.

Never let someone
else's
feelings prevent you
from
living your own
truth;

emotions come and
go
but you've gotta
live
with who you
are.

Tonight we fell
asleep
with our legs
wrapped
around each other;
we
didn't toss and
turn
in bed all
night.

Juan told
me
I'm not
weird
for having
autism,

now I
feel
like less
of
an oddball
just
because of
him.

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.

Remember this whenever
it feels like all your efforts
are for nothing:
No matter what happens
all you can do is
try your best.
That's it.
Just try.
You'll fail sometimes,
succeeded otherwise.
As long as you try your best
you'll have no regrets.

I can feel
him
drifting away from
me,
and the only
thing
that I can
do
is let him
go.

Fretting about an imaginary
problem
is like a child
being
afraid of monsters hiding
in
the darkness of the
bedroom,
but you've got to
remember
simply turning on the
light
made all the boogeymen
go away.

Now, as an
adult,
just let the lightness
of
your inner being keep
you
from agonizing about pretend
crises.

I want one moment
in my life,
I can look back on,
and know for certain
that without me
it would have never
existed.
One moment which
lives on in the memories
of my friends and I as
irreplaceable because of my
being there,
I want to live on like a picture
in frame.

He may be
hundreds
of miles
away,
but when
I talk
to him
over the
phone
it's like
he never
left.

My words
are
like jumping
beetles
which hop
over
people's ears,
so
they won't
hear
anything I'm
saying.

Mom said that I'm
living
through all the same
experiences
that she has survived
from
and to not feel
bad.

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.

I've had a few successes in my life,
but mostly failures.
There were times I tried my best
and came up short.
Other times I gave up fighting
the good fight.
I wish I could go back and undo everything I've gotten wrong,
but I can't.
So each night as I fall asleep I remind myself of one phrase:
Live and let live.


I can do no more.

Beer on tap
comfortable wooden chairs,
and football on tv,
I should talk with the guys,
but I don't want to.
I'm bored and growing impatient,
everyone is talking over everyone else,
each voice louder than the next,
a guy plays a folksy tune on the guitar
and neon lights shine burning my eyes
I feel like a fish out of water,
here in this supposedly common ground
for most men,
I'm trying not to stick out,
but I have nothing to say.
I stare at my phone
and wait for my dinner to arrive;
taking small sips of sweet tea.
Everyone else drinks water.

Instead of
taking
the short
cut
Mom drove
me
the long
way
back home
because
I needed
time
out the
house.

I'm looking
forward
to my
Mom
taking me
out
for an
ice-cream
after I
get
off work
tomorrow.

These stitches loosening
reveal
my wounds have
healed;
demonstrating to me
even
the most invasive
incisions
have a capacity
to
be restored new
again.

Don't show her
the person you
used to be
or the person you
want to be,
just show her
who you are
right now,
and if she's
right for you
her love
will turn coal
into diamonds.

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.

I want to fall head over heels
in love with someone.
Its been so long
since I've felt
that way.
Last time
I let a good thing
slip through my fingers
because I was scared of what
others might say about my love.
Never again shall cowardice
keep me from what
I know is true
love in my
heart.

Doctor don't
bother
diagnosing me
because I already
know
that I've caught
an acute case
of lovesickness
for a girl
who can't
be mine,
and the only
medicine
that'll cure me
is heartbreak.

Yesterday my neighbors gave
me
two free barbeque sandwiches,
because
I live on the
same
street as they do;
Jesus
called this loving thy
neighbor.

This morning
I woke up
on the wrong side
of the bed,
but it was ok
because you
still, sleep
with me.

She loaned thirty-five
dollars in cash to help me
make it to payday.

For showing up
late
to work this
morning
I made sure
to
stay after my
shift

to make up the
difference.

you'll always
be
a part
of
what makes
me
who I
am.

Mama is going
to pray extra hard to God
for my intentions.

you smiled at
me
like you were
happy
to see me
again,
all I can
think
is you’ve never
looked
at me like
that.

I got back to my cabin
it was late,
but I put in my earbuds
listening to a song,
like magic, I heard this song
as if for the first time,
the melody and lyrics calming
my restless mind.
These moments
I can count on one hand
and I was glad to be
alive,
music has the power
unlike anything else
to bring healing to
the wounded.

I tried applying
mascara
for the first
time,
and I smudged
black
goop on my
eyelids;
looking like a
mess
I wiped it
off.

Standing in line
at McDonald's,
and I can't
relax.
I know this is
bad for me,
but I put in my order
anyway.
I swallow down my burger
with self-loathing,
it's delicious,
and disgusting.
I walked out
feeling the fat
dissolving into my
soul.

Today I missed
going
out to eat
after
Sunday morning
church service
because that's when
I felt like a
member
of the
congregation.

I keep one
memento
of our time
together,
and I won't
throw
it away because
that
reminds me of
you.

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.

Every night I
pray
for this same
request:

to be reunited
with
my love the
sea;

to feel her
embrace
as gentle tides
allow
me to drift
past
the sandy shore
unto
her deep blue
depths.

I saw that you
read
the message I sent
and now I'm hoping
you couldn't
answer me back
because
you got held up
with something else
not ignoring me
instead.

His teeth are stained
from
smoking crystal ****, but
I
still, want to kiss
him.

I saw him
in
my dream last
night,
and I wonder
if
Michael sees me
too
after he falls
asleep?

Waiting for our
food
in the packed
drive-through
lane during a
hot
summer's day didn't
take
forever because at
least
we were waiting
together.

Nostalgia
is the mind
trying to
escape back
to a time
that never
was.

Thought I
could
make this
long
distance relationship
work,
but every
day
the miles
between
us, stretch
farther
and farther
apart.

It's hard to talk to you
when I don't know if
you're really
there.
I don't mind being your
friend,
but I can't move forward
if I don't see you
we only need to meet
every once in a while
maybe for a walk in the park
or over a cup of coffee.
If I can see you
face to face
that's all I
need.