A man was standing at the pier's edge
No intention of stepping forward but he wasn't going to step back
His gaze transfixed on the water, his feet hovering their border
He wasn't looking to swim, not with that long coat in black

I approached him cautiously
As I didn't wish to alarm him or startle him into falling down
I knew that he must have a story, one willing to be heard
And I was willing to be an audience, to be someone around

He turned and spoke to me
Please, step no further, this must be my decision to make
I appreciate your concern but if there is one thing I've learnt
is that good intentions of others make promises easy to break

I stopped and he then continued
Thank you, I appreciate it and I suppose an explanation is due
I may not have had the worst of lives but nor have I had the best
But I did have a long life, which is more than others will get

He turned to face me
His coat was flailing in the wind and underneath he wore a suit
It was well worn but not shabby and his shoes needed a shine
But he was ordinary as if this walk was part of his commute

Smiling he told me
I know, I know, it's not what you expected when you saw me
I haven't just lost my job, it's not that kind of simple story
I just woke up and wondered if this was all there is to reality

I've had my highs and I've had my lows
Nothing different to what everyone knows, but that led me here
If nothing new is to come, am I happy to stop with all I've had
Or shall I keep going and just see what will appear

He asked me to leave after that
I protested but I understood it was his choice to make alone
I reluctantly turned and slowly walked further and further away
I wondered if I would even hear if his soul would part the waves

I wear my heart on my sleeve,
But please, don't misinterpret my emotional ravings to mean that
You know me .
I have a dozen different hearts,
I can change them like cuffs

That's why I don't guard them
too closely.

I'll cut myself open,
Spill my guts in an instant,
Because
Answering your questions,
Before you can ask them,
Is how I control
which ones
get asked.
I'll tell my sad story with a joke at the end
nail the timing
I guarantee you they will only remember
My laugh

I am open to the point of being closed
I am open to the point of being closed
I'm a theme park with gates left unlocked for so long
that eventually
nobody goes.

When I was little,
I used to hate having my door closed,
I would scream and cry
In fear of what the shadows could hold.
I was afraid of a box
Where I’d be held hostage
Caged with a lock
And no key
Back then
That pain was like the sting of a bee.
Now at 17 I realize that I wasn’t afraid of the dark
I was afraid of depression
Making its mark.
I was afraid of the endless battle of trying to fall asleep
Not wanting to wake up
But not wanting to dream.
I was afraid of the hope I would lose in that battle
Afraid of the chains
That made my hollow bones rattle,
Because in the light of a new day
I’d stay inside
“I’m tired” I’d say,
But the truth was much simpler
Than a cheap fix
I am afraid of myself
And I can’t change it.

Saber Rattling doesn't cut it
In this day and age.
Mindless ranting intensifies
A dangerous pressure gauge.

Threats, idle or otherwise,
Prove not strength but weakness
For those who think diplomacy
Epitomizes meekness.

They say that there is strength in numbers,
But that's not always true.
When numbers mask insecurity,
The real face shows through.

Credibility indicates
An inner strength and power.
Brute force and ignorance
Ultimately sour.

Praise to those who seek the truth
Before the world shatters.
Woe to us if we lose sight
Of what really matters.

- by Bob B (6-21-17)