I never sat down at a desk
In front of my blank laptop screen
And hammered at the keyboard
Hoping for my words to be seen

Parts of my soul just crept out
Waiting too long at the red light
Typing a new note into my phone
As the green light starts to shines bright

Or in bed hoping for sleep to come soon
To be awoken from my dream like state
By the bright light on my phone
Because this poem cannot wait

I never set out to write poems
Poems just came out of me
My emotions were always locked up
But these words are the key

I write as a release
A way to find some inner peace
Between long stretches of fake smiles
And lies that never cease

Late nights on my laptop
Are the only way to stop
The negative thoughts and feelings
From flooding my entire being

Poetry is the drain
For the overflowing bathtub of my brain
The little bit of truth that seeps out
About all of my pain

Loops and whorls made with a pen
The only way I can find Zen
Thank God for these words
They’ve saved me yet again

Her hands are strong enough
To lift up even the mightiest man’s spirits
Callused from her endless work
But still always outstretched
To embrace those nearest to her

Her fingertips delicate enough
To make the same man
Believe that liquid fire exists
As they dance their way across his skin
After he’s made his way into her heart

Her legs steady enough
To carry society’s standards like air
It’s no wonder these legs
Will one day be the gateway to life
For future warriors and peacemakers alike

Never be ashamed to be a woman
Because every man came from our womb
We are just like men but with the fire of life
Raging so strong inside of us
That we cannot keep it contained inside

No I don’t have a boyfriend
But yes I’m in love

I’m so in love with the way
The daisies in my front yard dance in the wind
As if they’re waving hello as I sip my morning coffee

I’m obsessed with people
The innocence twinkling in the eyes of the young
The wisdom tucked in the wrinkles of the old

I’m infatuated with myself
The way I have and continue to change
How every day I am taking steps to become
The woman I aspire to one day be

No I am not looking for a boyfriend
But yes I am completely head over heels in love

Behind every laugh
A monster
Patiently waits
To crawl his way out
Between the folds
Of my grin
To whisper
Tempting words
“Pick up that knife”
            “Commit another sin”
Reminding me
Of the dark places
I have been

A part of me
I cannot escape
He’s always ready
For an encore
But he doesn’t know
I have found things
In life to adore
Passion to distract
From the ongoing war
To show him
That he isn’t holding
The reins of my life
Anymore

The spot he hides
Whenever I smile
Will become his home
This time for more
Than just a little while

Let's take a walk through the gardens of my mind
Through the old iron gate covered in vines
The smell of magnolias carried by the wind
Will guide you through to the very end

Past tulips in every color you can imagine
And fields upon fields of never ending jasmine
Where butterflies dance from flower to flower
And the sun is shining at every hour

Most halt here to soak up the sun’s embrace
Grass tickles their toes and rose fills their nose
It’s enough to put a smile on anyone’s face
So they all stop here and give up on the chase

But if your restless soul dares you to explore
And you think the paved trail is a bit of a bore
Then head in the direction where the eagles soar
High above the flames of a beautiful, chaotic war

To a place where it always seems to be night
The ash in the sky blocking out the sun’s light
From the fire that consumes everything in sight
No matter what rain I cry, it always blazes bright

A fire that I am constantly trying to suppress
But the harder I try, the bigger it gets
I don’t want you to be suffocated by my stress
But this is something I’m overdue to confess

Consider this a warning before you venture inside
There is more to me than what meets the eye
So many things I have tried to hide
Like the fire that burns under the rain I’ve cried