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Feb 2018 · 2.9k
Snake in the Grass
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Snake in the Grass…by Jessie 6/06

Be weary of where you put your feet
There's  a snake hiding in the grass
Slithering in and out of holes
Waiting to attack
Although, unseen, his agenda sure
His plan set into motion
One false move, he will strike you
Without a trace of emotion
He has a way of getting close
Manipulating along the way
Just as you think all is safe
He’ll cut back the other way
Many are fearful, encountering the snake
It’s the position that he holds  
Using it to paralyze
And make your blood run cold
But he’s just a snake, like any snake
A tail and a head
Separate the two of them
You’ll find that he is dead
Feb 2018 · 372
You See What I Let You See
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
You See What I Let You See…by Jessie 1/05

What do u see when you look upon me…Do you see a rock in front of thee?

You see what I let you see …you know what I let you know.

I am not the rock you think me so, nor am I the hunter’s mighty bow.

The strength I have, you think you see is nothing more than fantasy.

There are days I can conquer the world and days I can’t face it.

I am a tragedy within a comedy, laughing to conceal the pain.

Lean on me and I will hold until the weight crushes us both

Ask and I shall give until I have given more than I had.

Put me on high and disappointment will inevitably be near by.

Outwardly I am as still as air in the eye of the storm, while inside
I shake uncontrollably.  

I can calm and steady the frailest of souls for I have the trust of all, yet none in myself.

I am the one that people depend on and I am weary of the burden it brings.

Like a raging fire I can consume all in my path…yet wet me and I am merely steam, dissipating within the air.

You see what you want to see…

Examine the rock, for it has faults and will one day crumble.

What do you see when you look upon me?

You see what I let you see.
One of the first poems I wrote.
Feb 2018 · 336
With Thee
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
With Thee… by Jessie 7/05

Close thy eyes and touch me with tender thoughts
Wrap thy mind around the visions
Hold close these translucent images to thy beating heart
Carry them into eternity, where they will settle firmly.
Cast across the land
Look back to where the seed was sewn
Where the fertile ground safely harbored
Now look at thee and question never
For in thy own eyes you will see the reflected truth
In thy own heart the temped beat will increase,
Until it roars with passion  
Trust thy senses for they are sharp
Feel my presents as the essence of my spirit penetrates your superfluous thoughts
I am with thee; I am with thee, now and forever
Feb 2018 · 249
Why?
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Why…by Jessie 8/05

Why do happy things, always make you sad?
Why, no matter how good you are, things turn into bad?
Why when ever you want to picnic, does it always seem to rain?
Why, when you wash your car, it does the very same?
Why, when you plan a trip, everyone gets sick?
Why, when the wind is in your face, you feel the need to spit?
Why, when wearing your new shoes, you step where dogs have s**t?
Why, when you’re in a hurry, people, wont move along?
Why, when you see the Doctor, all the pain has gone?
Why, as soon as you butter your bread, that’s when the bread is dropped?
Why, whenever wearing white, you get a new grease spot?
Why, when you decide to take a nap, that’s when kids will yell?
Why, when you are put on hold, nature always calls?
Why, when skating, looking cool, that’s when you will fall?
Why, when I find the shortest line, it stops, before my turn?
Why, does every loan officer, always look so stern?  
Why, if I am in a crowd, the bird will **** on me
Why, don’t people just say no, instead of we will see?
Why, when I go to the movies, people kick my chair?
Why, is the standard answer, life is never fair?
Feb 2018 · 691
Who's There?
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Who’s There …by Jessie 6/06

I hear a knock, knock, knocking at my door
But I don’t get up to look
I’m not too busy
I’m board in fact
I think it was the effort that it took
Complacent in my contemplation, of why the waters wet
Is what kept my **** tightly sealed to the chair where I now sit
There’s that knock, knock, knocking once again
Will you please just go away!!
I’m quite content doing nothing and here is where I’ll stay
No sooner than I yell these words
The knocking started up
Frustrated to the point of mad
I got off my lazy ****
Made a b-line to the door; anger on my face
Opened it up, looking out, a note the only trace
I opened the note, it read like this…
Hi, I knocked three times, no one answered
It was you I came to see…
No big deal, it was only me…OPPORTUNITY!
Feb 2018 · 301
Who Would Have Known?
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Who would have known? …by Jessie 10./06

If I had not been born
Who would have known?
Would the sun still have set?
Would the moon still have shown?
Would anyone care, if I were not around?
Would music have had, a much a sweeter sound?
If my print was never laid upon the world
If all of my deeds were never unfurled
Would playgrounds be filled, with children at play?
Would war just simply go away?
Would a cry for help, finely be heard?
Would things like, hate and ****, even be words?
Would laughter have had a soothing effect?
Would all things I said, be even correct?
What if, I had never been born?
And every connection I made had been torn?
The one’s that have laughed
The one’s that have cried
The truths I have told and even the lies
The world has never hinged upon me
But, had I not been born
Would someone have seen?
Feb 2018 · 343
Who are You
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Who are you? …by Jessie 4/05


I met a man this morning I didn’t really like

I looked into his eyes and saw the darkness of night

The feeling I got was empty, I’m doubt we even spoke

The staring just continued, connection never broke

Some how he looked familiar, his face I could not place

The way he continued looking at me, the scowl upon his face

Then it’s as if a fog rolled in, the image began to fade

So I wiped the mirror one more time, exposing the reflection of my face
Feb 2018 · 285
Whispering Rock
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Whispering Rock… by Jessie 4/05


One day in need of answers, I traveled far away

Searching for the whispering rock, in hopes of what it might say

Deep within the forest, amidst the mighty trees

Dark and quite secluded, through the rustling of the leaves

A light pierced through the canopy and shown down upon the rock

Awesome and inspiring, all chocked up and couldn’t talk

Climbing up, I sat up on, the light enshrouded stone

Asked the simple question…Why am I alone?

Things got still and nothing moved, as if time had just been stopped

Then suddenly a shaking, emanated from the rock

A whisper came from where I sat, the answer now revealed

You are a rock, you sit alone, your fate is all but sealed

Open up and let love in, don’t stand so hard and cold

Soften up and take a chance or be alone, tell you are old

The shaking stopped, the whisper gone, the light had disappeared

Direct and to the point, the answer very clear

Then I laughed and I thought, that’s silly… I like the way I am

I have no need for love and could care if I had friends

Then, no sooner did I start to go; my legs became like lead

I should have heeded the whispering rock and all that it had said

Now I sit amidst the tress, cold and now of stone

Just another whispering rock, Forever to be alone
Feb 2018 · 253
Where is My Angel?
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Where is my Angel?…by Jessie

Every child at its birth

Receives an Angel guide

To help them through there trying times

And stand right by their side

Here I stand now

Head hung down

The forgotten son

I’m entitled to my Angel

All the rest got one

I think perhaps ….that God forgot

I, might be in need

Give them one… but not to me?

Is that what he decreed?

Do I not cry?

Will I get lost?

Should I be all alone?

Oh where is my sweet Angel

To hear me when I moan?

Don’t send me down upon the earth

With out my Angel guide

Oh where is my sweet Angel

To stand right by my side?
Feb 2018 · 270
We Are Right
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
We are right…by Jessie 1/07

Countries gather, analyzing strategic battle plans
Soldiers at their ready, to follow the command
Families waiting eagerly, in hopes of a reprieve
Where countries settle differences and let each other be
Everyday, tensions rise, to the point of no return
People crossing bridges, which, eventually are burned
We are right and you are wrong…until you are willing to concede
This war, which seems inevitable, by my orders, will proceed
Go home and give your loved one’s, a hug and say good bye
Get all your things in order, in the off chance you will die
Hurry back and mobilize, there is no time to waste
We have to start this war, before the people lose their taste
Years have passed and sons are now, changing out the guard
Finding space in cemeteries, for both sides, has been hard
Tell me…why are we all fighting? And why does it go on?
I can’t remember, doesn’t matter, the point is… they are wrong
Feb 2018 · 238
Upside Down
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Upside Down …by Jessie 6/05

Birds flying backwards, Lions sleep with lambs

Peace invading every home, all across the land

Summer time is very cold, up is always down

Take a trip to nowhere, King’s without a crown

Comics, never funny, all the news is good

Always do the things you’re told, like you know you should

Sleep awake and never dream, breakfast late at night

Third world countries in control, landfills now in sight

Walk in circles, back and forth, farm animals in the house

Cat’s chase dogs and elephants, aren’t frightened by a mouse

**** a man, he never dies, forget the ones you love

Throw a star up to the sky, which fell from high above

It’s a crazy world we live in, rules finely cast

Believe in anything you want, nothing ever lasts
Feb 2018 · 250
Turn Around
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Turn Around…by Jessie 5/06

Turn around; make your way
From the South up to the North
Freedoms there… go get it!
It’s waiting at every port
Turn around; make your way
Through the thickets and the mud
Take the hand of your fellow man
Wipe away his blood
Turn around; he’s coming
The dogs are on your heels
Keep down low; don’t make a sound
Or the master’s whip you’ll feel
Turn around; make your way
Follow the stars above
Travel by night, so you don’t get caught
If freedoms what you love
Turn around; make your way
Some of you will die
The price of freedoms costly
Cheaper to live a lie
Turn around; don’t look back
What you seek, is the other way
Suppress the fear and inclination
To hide your dreams and stay
Turn around; make the run
Time is running out
Masters getting closer
Of that there is no doubt
Turn around; freedom calls
It beckons, sweet the sound
Milk and honey on the other side
Trail north of town
Feb 2018 · 310
Treasure
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Treasure…by Jessie 4/05


Today I dug up a treasure, kept buried rather deep

Treasures frail when left exposed to the elements won’t keep

Knowing I had but one chance, to keep the treasure safe

I rushed it over to you, in your hands the treasure placed

I’m making you the keeper; in you I give my trust

To keep this treasure shinny and never let it rust

Keep it protected at all times, never let it break

Hold it close against you, so no one else can take

Keep a watchful eye and never be too far apart

For in your keeping, is the treasure of my loving heart
Feb 2018 · 199
Tired Angel
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Tired Angel…by Jessie


The Angel sat alone in wait            

For the call to come                        

Ready to help those in need            

The bell had not yet rung                

Then one day the Angel heard

The worst of all the cries

Lifted up his heavy head

And wiped his teary eyes

I’ve heard this cry …

I know the sound…

I’ve searched for it before

The pain that emanates form it

Is like a mighty roar

So why when I look for it

I never seem to find?

To help this taunted soul

In the nick of time

So frustrated …

The Angel called for help

Another Angel came to him

A mirror hung from his belt

The Angel grabbed the mirror
And stood not far apart

Held it to the Angels face
And said …

The cries, come from your heart
Feb 2018 · 293
Katrina
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Katrina…by Jessie 9/05

Calm and peaceful, the waves softly echo and reverberate as they find obstacles in their path.

Quiet… so deafening you can hear the other mans thoughts.

The sky, the bluest blue, and the only real movement, is the birds’ overhead.

Stranded on this island surrounded by water, I look out to all the other islands and all the other survivors perched upon the roofs of flooded homes.

Not a word is uttered, shock and dismay has taken hold.

Sure the sky is blue now but only hours ago the sky was dark and ominous, as a cataclysmic event was unfolding.

Devastating winds, pelting rain, and fear made its way to shore.

It’s as if the gods scooped up the sea and hurled it all at once.

Some made it others didn’t.

The smell of death stains the air.

Faces peer from just below the waters surface, eyes fixated and still, looking up to the blue sky.

Nothing to do but sit and wait

Time devours its self while waiting

Wait for lower level, will assistance come?

Wait for sustenance.

All is gone; all is lost

In a blink of an eye all has changed.

Never seen a sky so blue
Feb 2018 · 393
Tic-Toc
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
TIC-TOC by Jessie 5/06
10pm. I go to sleep
11pm., awake
12am. I toss and turn
How long, will this process take?
1am, I grab a drink
Read a little from my book
2am, I have to ***
From the drink I took
3am, dozing off
Until startled by the dog
Can’t remember the last time
I was sleeping like a log
4am, the moon is bright
Shining in my eyes
Pull the blanket across my face
From the light, I hide
5am, it’s hard to breath
Take the covers off my face
Still can’t sleep, I hear you snore
While the ceiling, my eyes trace
6am, one eye is shut
I’m tired and I yawn
Sound asleep, I start to dream
Then wakened by my alarm
7am, time to get up
Shower, shave and eat
Head to the car
Drink in hand
Shuffling both my feet
8am, punch the clock
Sitting at my desk
Lean back in my chair
Feet are up to rest
Blink one time too many
Until, they open not
5pm time to go
Some sleep I finely got
Feb 2018 · 225
The Race
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Race….by Jessie 11/05

Once I was a tadpole, swimming very fast
I knew that if I didn’t swim, my life just wouldn’t last
I swam with all my energy
I swam with all my might
I swam with every ounce I had
That one romantic night
I beat out all the others, I did it all in style
I beat out all the millions, just to make a child
So… from a tadpole I did grow, into this man I am
A metamorphic wonderment… in front of you I stand
Feb 2018 · 204
The Poet's Soul
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Poet’s Soul…by Jessie 12/05

The poem is the poet’s soul
Deepest, darkest thoughts
Vulnerable and exposed
Expressions, like tasted wine
Sipped and swirled
Bouquets of overpowering aromas
Fruity, nutty flavors
Then spit onto the opaque page
Pallet cleansed, a release of tormented visions let go
Let go for now, but captured for eternity
For those still to come
For those willing to explore and satiate their cravings to know
There are those, content with the time a clock tells
Look close, for a clock is more than the time
Delicate mechanisms, intricate and complex
See past the surface, there is a world deep below
The poem is the staircase leading down
Feb 2018 · 207
The Monster
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Monster…by Jessie1/06

The day began in a most unpretentious way
Unbeknownst to me, what was lurking in the shadows of my mind
Smiling, laughing, engaged in every way
The day sunny and warm
Then in a blink
I felt a chill, and a vale slowly enshrouded every thought I had
Encompassing and choking the day’s life
The monster has broken free and is taking me from within
It’s grasp strong, its purpose unrelenting
I must summon the energy to fight while I still have the strength
It’s getting hard to see
The walls are closing in
It’s an effort to breath
I must not give in
I can break the binds that shackle my will
Who will fight with me?
Who will not allow the monster to drive his wedge of despair deep into my heart?
I am alone in this fight I feel, if only because I have gone into seclusion with the monster
He draws me in, because he knows my weaknesses and knows I am more vulnerable alone
Why do I fall for his trickery every time?
This is not a battle for just today
The monster will not be vanquished
I must learn how to battle better
I must secure a tether to those who will battle with me
For the next time I am drawn in, I will have an allied by my side
Feb 2018 · 225
The Minds Eye
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Minds Eye…by Jessie 4/05


It’s dark but I see clearly into the minds eye of despair

Consumed by the emotions that overwhelm the senses

Panic, fear, desolation vibrate within my head like an excited atom

The transference of the event captivates and repels

I want to know how it ends and yet I am sickened by it

Release me from the vision and rewind time, so the poor soul may be freed

I sometimes walk too close to the line until the line is no more

Some how I have found my way in, now unable to get out

Blind the minds eye; pierce the oracle that subdues and paralyzes

Let there be a stark page of white and let there be serenity
Feb 2018 · 287
The Game
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Game…by Jessie 4/06


Jessie was a quick draw; Learned when he was young
Swore he’d never fear a man, first he’d touched a gun
Made his name, by the age of twelve
After shooting two old men
One of them his father
The other just for grins
Every time he shot a man
Another notch, was on his belt
Swift and deadly vengeance
The quick draw Jessie dealt
At sixteen, his gun for hire
Money did he make
Town to town he traveled
Dead bodies in his wake
At twenty two his name, was on every gunmen’s lips
They tracked down Jessie, relentlessly
Guns tied low on all their hips
Knowing if they killed him
His reputation theirs
Jessie faced them one by one
Come and **** me if you dare
By thirty-three, he grew weary
Of all the blood he shed
Seeing all the faces that ****
Crowed in his head
He swore he’d never **** again
Hanging up his guns
South across the Rio Grand
To the land of the setting sun
Life had changed for Jessie
A farmer he became
Getting marred, having kids
Peace was now the game
But just because you run
Doesn’t mean that you can hide
A sixteen year old came into town
A gun hanging on his side
Are you Jessie? The boy asked
It’s time for you to die
Boy…do yourself a favor
Get on your horse and ride
I’m the fastest gun around
The boy made the claim
You killed my father years ago
To you I’ll do the same
Jessie put down his little boy
And pushed away his wife
Stepped out into the street
Then said…go ahead and take my life
I have no gun, so take your shot
You’re sure to have your ****
Seventeen years from now
You too will lose your will
Jessie words just fell
Then, an echo from a shot was heard
Time had stopped, no one had blinked
Nothing even stirred
Jessie’s son had found his gun
Soon, came running back
Stood behind the sixteen year old
And shot him in the back
A thud was heard as the boy fell
His face lay in the sand
Blood was pouring out of his mouth
Twitching from his hands
Jessie looked right at his son
He didn’t look the same
Holding out that smoking gun
Now, he too was in the game.
Feb 2018 · 237
The Faceless Beast
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The faceless Beast… by Jessie 10/06

Here I stand, face to face
Impervious to your will
No longer do you strike fear
Nor do you hold a captive reign
My ears have closed to your dark whispers
Your looming presents have dwindled over time
I can now look you in the eye and see you true
Your ravenous appetite, craving  
Will continue to hunger
Until it feeds upon its own flesh
In my weakness, you were spawned
In my fear you grew
Now, in my strength
I banish you
Feb 2018 · 478
The Count
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Count…by Jessie 1/06

Count the ones that said they cared
Count the times they lied
Count upon, you can not count
This truth you cannot hide
Count how many times they left
Divide it by returns
Ad it to the times it took, just for you to learn
Count up all the good days,
You had within the year
Subtract it from the bad days
A negative appears
Count up all the sorrys,
Each one has had to say
The meaningful a fraction;
Little price to pay
Count the quantum leaps you took,
With your heart in hand
Count the times right after,
Empty where you stand
Count the times you lay your head,
On the pillow just to dream
Count the times you’ve woken up,
Hearing yourself scream
Now stop and sharpen up the lead
One more problem to be solved
At what point do you stop the count
And let yourself resolve?
Feb 2018 · 292
The Box
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
The Box…by Jessie 9/06

I am here but not alert, as I walk in unison with five more
Stiff, ridged, eyes front
Rain drops fall and with each pelt, a ripple of consciousness
In my hand and in their hands, a box
In the box we carry hope and despair, past and present, fear and bravery
The weight is heavy; it is not because of the solidness of what is inside
It’s because of the responsibility and emotional heaviness it represents
Rain and tears blend together
Release the box, heavy still
Slowly lowered, time stands still
Words of little comfort spoken
Shots of startling respect, twenty-one in all
Feral the flag, a handful of dirt, cast into the beckoning hole
A hole in the ground, a hole in the heart
Say goodbye to the brother, the father, the husband and son
Freedom’s a heavy price to pay, paid in blood
Heavy yesterday, heavy tomorrow, heavy today
Feb 2018 · 368
Tears are Dripping
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Tears are Dripping … by Jessie 10/05

1920’s, times are mighty hard
Momma’s seven children fill a tinny yard

All the clothes there wearing, done got passed down
Every pair of shoes, even made the rounds

Nights are short and the days are long
Hard to fix what you don’t knows wrong

Tears are dripping form the dead dogs eyes
Momma calms the children with a lullaby

**** chilly night, fires burning hot
Ain’t nothing cooking, got an empty ***

Bellies all a swollen from the lack of food
No one helps momma, feed her hungry brood

Aint no Daddy … Daddy went and died
Momma was too busy…never even cried

Tears are dripping from the dead dogs eyes
Momma calms the children with a lullaby

Momma makes a living washing white folk’s clothes
Winter mighty cold …feel the north wind blow

Kids huddle around, keeping each other warm
Momma always said, gotta ride out the storm

Every days a challenge, every days a chore  
Meeting every day, not knowing what’s in store

Tears are dripping from the dead dogs eyes
Momma calms the children with a lullaby
Always thought this could have been a song
Feb 2018 · 307
Taken in the Night
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Taken in the Night…by Jessie 8/05

A little town, one football night
A Mother frantic, full of fright
Her child taken in the night…

A shadow embarked upon the town
Its prey lay waiting all around
But it was the little girl the shadow found…

The shadow blended in quite well
Friends and family couldn’t tell
But in his chest, lurked the heart of Hell…

He waited till the time was right
When all the others were out of sight
Then took the girl with out a fight…

She felt quite safe, she knew the man
He held onto her tinny hand
The rest is hard to understand…

The things he did I cannot say
All the lives that changed that day
The people search, the people prayed…

The shadow still walks this restless town
Blending in all around
The little girl never found…

The family hopes, she’ll be home one day
They left a light on, to guide the way
But in her shallow grave she’ll stay…

She is not the first, the shadow took
There are more, once you look
Many family trees have shook…

He’ll strike again I have no doubt
His eyes are peering all about
Is it you, this time, he’ll single out?
This happened in a small town in 2005  while everyone was at the football game
Feb 2018 · 227
Take Me Away
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Take me Away…by Jessie 5/06

Take me away… to a world without pain
Take me away, where they smile
Take me away…to field of green grass
A place… I can run wild
Take me away…to where people make sense
A place where their motives are pure
Take me away… where the air is clean
And the orange blossoms lure
Take me away …to where evils not spoke
Where war is not even a word
Take me away… to where children aren’t hurt
Where the screams of their pain are not heard
Take me away…to where man can help man
Where it’s not about getting ahead
Take me away … to cities without fear
Where the streets aren’t littered with dead
Take me away… to where I spend my last days
Where the sights and the sounds, are of love
Take me away on the wings of an Angel
To the Heavens from earth far above
Feb 2018 · 292
Sunflower
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Sunflower by Jessie 24 Oct2010
Sunflower standing tall
Standing high above them all
With peddles made of golden rays
Reminds you of these summer days
A face that follows the morning sun
But looking down when there is none
A darkened face as days go by
Ripened seeds for you and I
Birds will flock from miles around
To pick the seed from off the ground
When summers day begins to end
And autumn’s on its way
The Sunflower burst of beauty
Before its final day
Feb 2018 · 340
Sterile
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Sterile…by Jessie 8/05

There isn’t much in a sterile life
There is no color, the walls are white

The floors are cold, on my feet
There is no flavor to the food I eat

The only smell, is of alcohol
In this sterile life

People come and people go
None of them really want to know

What it’s like to live in a sterile life

They look at you with big blank stares
Don’t get close, don’t you dare

Contaminate this sterile life

Not much to do but sit and think
Hours go by and I never blink

Time is slow in a sterile life

Wipe things down, one more time
Make them sparkle make them shine

No room for germs in a sterile life

Well… day goes by and night will fall
No excitement here at all

It’s just a sterile life

It gets sunny, if you let it in
But then why bother, you think again
It will only ruin a perfectly good sterile day

Don’t try to love don’t try to hate
You’re living in a sterile state

There really isn’t much in a sterile life
Feb 2018 · 206
Spring
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Spring… by Jessie 3/07

Awaken… slumber no more
Arise and allow the warmth of longer days to melt away encapsulated desires.
Like sap from a tree, surging to its highest points, rejuvenating and bringing life back to the dormant.
Blink, then blink again, reacquaint thy eyes with anew
Reach out; allow the sinew that binds around thy bones to become malleable
Smell the sweet allure of what’s to come
Young buds waiting to burst in an array of colors, painting last season’s neglect
The faint sound of the highest keys, musically tapping into an ensemble
of nourishing delight.
Shifting winds, cleansing the earth of its ice incrusted shell
Meadowlarks, blessing the transformation with their melodic calls
Bathe, in the new day of Spring
Feb 2018 · 344
Shadowed Figure
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Shadowed Figure…by Jessie 7/06

Shadowed figure in my thoughts
Shadowed figure in my dreams
Shadowed figure taunting me
I wake from my own screams
I never see the shadows face
Although I see his blade
Taking violent swings at me
My life begins to fade
Drowning in the shadows pull
No escape perceived
Reminded by the way I lived
And all my ***** deeds
Shadowed figure won’t retreat
Shadowed figure fierce
Shadowed figure on to me
Silent screams that pierce  
Shadowed figure calling me
Stand and ******* blade
Shadowed figure comes for me
The shadow I had made
Feb 2018 · 210
Rise and Fall
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Rise and Fall… by Jessie 7/06

Indigent and barefoot, walking down the street
Sidewalks hot
Head hung low
Savings all deplete
Hungry from not eating; unshaven and unkempt
Tattered clothes
Need a bath
Hair below his neck
Nails framed by blackened dirt, digging through the trash
Find a meal
Fight the flies
Intermittent memories
Flashing from his past
Once a man of dignity, an executive at his firm
Grand existence
Had it all
Until the tables turned
Hair thin line from there to here
Separates us all
Higher up you rise
Farther down you fall
By the grace of God go I
Feb 2018 · 691
She is
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Radiant in her appearance
Illuminant in her glow
Translucent and iridescent
Light and airy as she goes

Captivating and fixated
Locked within my eyes
Invoking and inspiring  
Probing through the lies

Overwhelming beauty
Graceful and direct
Commanding sense of inner strength
Only I detect

True and straight
Pure of gold
Peaceful little dove
Always in my heart
The one I’ll always love
Feb 2018 · 306
Procrastination
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Procrastination… by Jessie 2/07

I’ve sat…I’ve thought…Then thought some more
Strategically dissecting every move
Looking from every angle
Contemplating the task at hand
It’s evident what needs done
As I solidify my stand


Motivated by end results
Charged in anticipation
I’m getting ready to get ready
But first, I’ll review my notes
Never put off until tomorrow
One of my favorite quotes

I’m pretty sure the plan is good
As I check it five more times
Tentatively reluctant
I’ll sleep on it tonight
Bright and early tomorrow
The time should then be right

I’ve eaten breakfast
Had a bath
Feeling strong and sure
Confidant, dedicated, prepared
Wait one minute, what is this?
Something just seems weird

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to wait
Let’s give it one more day
What’s the rush?
Let’s think this through
Clearer days tomorrow
When plans can be made new
Feb 2018 · 270
Peace
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Peace… Jessie 3/05


Standing in an amber field alone with my thoughts

Catching the faintest hint of autumn leaves carried on a southbound breeze

Looking up I feel the warmth of the mid-day’s sun beating down upon my face

I am a wick soaking up every detail of the day

I close my eyes and in my mind I see how things should be

I am no longer me but have become the experience of the moment

I am one of the million stalks of grain swaying in the gentle breeze

I could stand here all day engulfed in the solitude of natures hug

Here I feel welcome; here, there is no need to stand guard

The burden of maintaining the walls of protection can be eased

Here I want of nothing and I offer nothing

Here I am at peace  

Regenerating the mind, body and soul

Happy will be the day I don’t have to leave
Feb 2018 · 223
Open Up the Wound
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Open up the Wound…by Jessie 7/05


Time has healed the wound
The scar thick and numb

News came today
Picking at the wound

Tearing at the flesh
Until the bloods released

Memories close at hand
Feelings unappeased

Am I still attached?
By this single thread

Is his blood half mine?
Have I been, deceived?

Do I want to know?
Was everything a lie?

Open up the wound
Memories will not die
Feb 2018 · 412
Nose Prints
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Nose Prints…by Jessie 2/07

Little nose prints on the glass
Evidence of curiosity
Mesmerized by goings on
Intriguing and captivating
Holding long bouts of attention
Ten little finger prints on the glass
Stationing, for a closer look
Starving to see more
Intensely interested
What charms tantalize the senses?
Focused in daydream
Invisible to those who see you
The moment has passed
You are on your way
Left behind… little nose prints on the glass
If you have ever gotten angry from cleaning glass your kids touched...think of this.
Feb 2018 · 180
Night thoughts
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Night Thoughts… by Jessie 6/05

Longing hearts and promises, to comfort in the night

Dreams of love, to caress the mind, and futures burring bright

Silky skin, and eyes of blue, cradles every thought

Experiences from younger days, the lessons all been taught

Time stands still when all alone; A man can barely think

Fill my cup to over flow; from it I take a drink

Written in the book of life; information shared

Intersecting pages; connections now compared

Possibilities endless; probabilities short

Plugging holes within the walls, protecting unmanned forts  

Options weighed and calculated; clutter every space

Endless opportunities; tails being chased

Close your eyes and slow the speed, of your beating chest

Focus all your energy; letting chaos rest  

A smiling face and open arms welcome and invite

Dreams of love caress the mind, sustain me in the night
Feb 2018 · 195
Where's the Little Girl
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Where's the little girl?…by Jessie 3/o4

I’ll pose a question hard to hear        
with an answer not in sight              
A question asked by a little girl        
at bed time every night                      

How can a father give a life            
then take it all away?                          
But that's what happened to that girl
one dark and troubling day

Her father looked into her eyes
and that little girl looked back
But emptiness was in her eyes
right after her attack

Somewhere deep inside the shell
that little girl dwells
Trying to hide, away from him
and her living hell

She crawled within her heart and mind
Trying to get away
But no matter how deep she went
The memory was there to stay

Trust and love was taken
Half a girl remained
Now she lives that dreadful time
Every day in pain

What exactly happened,
There is no need to know
Just the fact it cause this pain
That continues to grow and grow

Making up excuses
Just to get her by


Whatever happened to that little girl
Peering through those eyes?
This is the story of a girl I knew
Feb 2018 · 233
Moment in Time
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Moment in Time…by Jessie 4/06

Close your eyes, stopping time; transporting self away
Existential experiences, mind wondering off to play
Look around, nothing moves, dissecting what you see
Embracing and appreciating all of what could be
Senses sharp, all five of them; tasting, touch and smell
Ears wide open, eyes are too; in the moment, is where you dwell
Arms out to side, feel the breeze, penetrate your form
Sunlight reflects and bends the rays, as if the air was torn
Birds in flight but never move, study while you can
Why we never see these things, is hard to understand
Close your eyes, stopping time, transport yourself away
See the things you never see, while rushing through the day
Past and future, occupy, all our space and time
Present, just a notion, resting on the thinnest line
An elusive little moment, compiling our very lives
A compilation of experiences, none of which of trite
Enjoy every moment; the next may be your last
Close your eyes, stopping time, and breathe your final gasp
I wrote this after watching a little girl stop in the street to to embrace a breeze
Feb 2018 · 316
Menagerie
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Menagerie…by Jessie 6/06


Too many days are all the same
The will has left, the inert pendulum silent, no longer marking time  
Glass menagerie collecting dust
A ghost town of frail figurines
Lifeless the sheen, pail from coatings of yesterday
Not even the trace of a fingerprint to announce interest
Tawas a time, excitement from the prospect of a new-collected piece, while much deliberation was given to its placement
Diligently, maintenance provided, dusted and polished
Imagination carrying fantasies of amusing situations and images  
Laughter recounted when viewed by innocent eyes
Now the foundations mirrors will not reflect what was or what is
Each days accumulation, another layer, each layer a little duller
Soon the only connection, a web, thin and translucent, linking one to the other
Paralyzed fragile pieces of glass, drowning in a sea of negligence
Your name whispered into a box of mementoes
Awaiting for renewed curiosity of another generation
Feb 2018 · 297
LOST INNOCENTS…
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
LOST INNOCENTS…by Jessie

Children, the tiny seed of man; their innocents won’t last

For all the history of the fathers

Present to the past

What's sad is children never mean

Kind and pure of heart

People take that innocents and tear it all apart

The hopes and dreams of years to come

Placed within their hands

Expectations way to high

For them to understand

Pressures put on the child, from an early age

Just so fathers get the chance to stand on center stage

Weighting down the children’s will

Boot tight on their throat

Trench dug deep around their soul

A finely crafted moat

Children grow to be adults

And do as they were taught

While all along the fathers words

Sit within and rot
Feb 2018 · 202
Life's Secrets
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Life’s Secrets …by Jessie 2/06

There are certain secrets to this world
I’ll share with you today
It may help you understand
The rules and how to play
First… all the things you think you know
You don’t really know at all
Don’t ever plan for failure
But trust that you will fall
See all the people for what they are
Don’t expect any more than they can give
Know that they will change the rules
To justify, the way they live
Know that people will want from you
Agendas they all have
Misery loves company
Down with you they’ll drag
A smile is but a way to cover
Deceits that they all hide
Look way past the ****** masks
To their souls down deep inside
If a favors offered to you
Ones, expected in return
Offend a person but one time
Your back, you best not turn
Agree, if asked a question
The truth who wants to hear?
Never give away…
The things you want, or fear
Time has all the value
You can never get it back
Knowledge makes you powerful
In case you are attacked
All things take a second seat
On a list of things, your one
If any, tell you differently  
From them you better run
There are quite a lot of secrets
These are but a few
Suffice to say the rules change
The game is won or lost by you
Feb 2018 · 269
Journey
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
Journey…by Jessie 11/05

Entangled emotions, ball of string
End, connected to the beginning
Knots throughout
Super highway of events; create the maze of discombobulating
Weaving in and out of it’s self; until there is no trace of either end
One day I will attempt to unravel this sphere of confusion
This mass of braded calamities and happenstances  
Then I will lay the line with all of its imperfections and knotted recollections
Straight and true as any crimp line can look
Attempting to move forward… I walk the line back
One step at a time
Two steps in
I look at the line
My eyes follow the thin strand as it leads away
Sharpen clarity no more as it fades into the distance
Paralyzed to move
Fearful of what transgressions may be found
Quickened pulse, courage summoned
One more step to truth
One more step to reconciliation
One more step to peace
Hardest journey taken
Deep within one’s self
Recoiled line, remembers shape
Journey never done
Feb 2018 · 312
I'll Know
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
I’ll Know…by Jessie 10/05

Sitting and waiting, watching and learning
Sizing you up as I go

Hearing you talk as I dissect your words
If you are lying, I’ll know

Look in your eyes and watching your face
What will give you away?

Can you remember the stories you tell?
Or will you forget what you say?

Talking and laughing, relaxing yourself
Forgetting, you’re talking to me

The others don’t care; they see what you want
But I’m not blind, I can see

It bothers you so and I understand why
It’s like walking a verbal, mine field

Blame yourself; you planted the mines
Don’t ever expect me to yield

Some say it’s a gift; I challenge the thought
It’s hard to ever have friends

Never get close; the view will get blurred
For this my safety depends
Feb 2018 · 149
I
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
I
I…by Jessie 7/05

I don’t belong of the flesh or the mind
I don’t belong from the beginning of time
I don’t belong in a thought or a word
I don’t belong

I find myself running from place to place
I find myself looking for me in your face
I find myself searching where no one will look
I never find myself

I cry for the pain that burdens the world
I cry for the tearless boys and girls
I cry for the suffering that plagues every man
I cry

I hurt, even though I am numb
I hurt so badly, I want to run
I hurt to point of feeling no pain
I hurt

I wonder if things will ever be good
I wonder if things will be like the should
I wonder if I will have what it takes
I wonder
Feb 2018 · 319
I Will Not Cry
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
I WILL NOT CRY…by Jessie

I never seem to understand

The pain that fills the world

An endless supply of agony

From every boy and girl

The problem is I feel the pain

In everyone I touch

From the very core of every soul

There seems to be so much

And even though the pain I feel

Hurts me deep inside

I rather feel the pain of theirs

Because mine I always hide

I know the thoughts of everyone

Their secrets and their needs

I know my thoughts as well you see

Like wounds they always bleed

I cry at times

Though no one sees

For those that are in pain

But I will not cry for myself

There is nothing to be gained
Feb 2018 · 256
I Recall
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
I Recall… by Jessie 10/06

Recall the day from whence you came
When endless days were not the same
Take hold and care
Do not let go
For I recall

Black and white and hues of gray
Recount the dullard of the days
Eyes reflect of empty stares
Untouched, remote
As I recall

Both corners of the mouth
Turned, neither north nor south
All affect was lost, cast into the night
Twas but the shadows, which changed the face
As I recall

Turtle days, creeping by
If only I, knew how to cry
Swallow hard
Choke it down
Yes! I recall

Then, sun lit rays seeping in
Stained the room, and cleansed the sins
Melted heart and heightened senses
Colors now abound
As I recall

Tranquil peace, this stranger’s name
Known by more, but all the same
Intervening, locking heads
Saved me from my tortured cell
As I recall
Feb 2018 · 376
I Need You
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
I Need You…by Jessie 4/05



You are not here but I feel you
As I roll over in bed and stare at an empty pillow    
I see you
Lying peacefully next to me, like an Angel
I reach out and you are gone
As I walk the early morning preparing for the day
I hear you
You are in the wind, the sun, and the air I breathe
A warm breeze from the south blows in
I touch you
Vaporous and transparent yet substantial in it’s caress  
As I walk the fence line of honey suckle
I smell you
The sweet fragrant essence of what I know is you
As it begins to rain, I lift my face to the sky, open my mouth
I taste you
The purity of the morning rain
Soft and delicate as it hits my tong
I look around, you are not there
I sense you
Holding me, loving me
I need you
Feb 2018 · 236
I am Lost
Jessie Schwartz Feb 2018
I am Lost…by Jessie 7/05

I’ve walked a narrow path all my life and never veered off the trail
Curiosity my companion; temptation an unwanted guest
Somehow along the way I forgot who was talking
I blinked
Distracted and confused
I slipped
Tumbling down the hill
I stand, to a new trail, a new view, a less understood, and yet a more interesting trail
I’m lost and unable to trace my way back
Not even sure I want to go back? Or do I and don’t know if the trail will be the same?
Stay and wait to be found? Or continue on?
Trying to listen, trying to follow the inner compass
Calling out, soft echoes of yesterday, but the sound is faint
Nothing is working
I am lost
Who will find me first?
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