A city of people
Established under the concept of individuality from its collector,
Accustomed to the separation and liberty
Others are not so lucky to receive.
Yet in the raptorial eyes of authority and power,
No such liberty matters.

In a country of despots,
The autonomy of this shelter threatened with extradition,
And the consequence of more strings
Being tied to the city by the ever-present hands of the puppet master.

A city of people
Protesting this invasion of the home.
Lives put on pause as a people’s purpose is pushed to the forefront.
Streets stuffed full,
Airports shut down,
The voice of the people shall be heard.

A city of people
Suffering through the brutality of their protectors.
Emblazoning their message to the masses.
Shattered windows and graffiti reveal the real truths.

Tear gas,
Fire,
Ammunition,
Authority.
The ruined arm of a medic cries louder than his plea for help.

No help has come.

In distant countries
Those with an audience speak out in the name of Hong Kong.
Punishment is inflicted upon them by the puppet master.

Money with the power of silence,
And censoring opposition.
Money with the power to end careers.
And keep the people blind.

Like the strings on a puppet,
Chinese business holds control.

A city united.
Abandoned, but not powerless.
Never paralyzed by the fearsome eyes of control.
Ever strong,
Stand with Hong Kong.

He bought me a new dress,
For my birthday,
"You're gorgeous,"
He said before I put it on,
"This is just something to remind you."

I miss monarch butterflies on milkweed

I miss apricot trees

I miss planting random seeds

I miss how cut alfalfa smells

I miss my childhood dirt, tears, and all

It's frightening,
When someone you loved becomes unfamiliar to you,
Someone you spent precious memories with,
You told your deepest of secrets,
Shared your raw self to,

It's painful,
When you look at someone you once loved,
Who you thought countless hours about,
Gave all you had to offer,
More than you should have,

It's killing,
When someone you once loved,
Says they love you no more,
When they love someone other than you,
When you become strangers again.

To sleep is to trade,
The god of rest your consciousness,
For a moment of his addictive peace.

The steel will always be a reminder of our past,
As will the buildings broken burned,
Radiation penetrates even the thickest of walls,
So society moves on.

So you came back,
Like a ghost to haunt,
You speak of self change,
And a buried past,

But I remember the living,
When you spoke with anger,
You wrapped me in a toxic cast,

The stone is faded,
But the memory lasts.

Nightlights help you in the dark,
I don't like the dark.
I need you to be a nightlight,
Cause I can't see into you.

The lands are painted red with my brothers,
Thirsty are the blades that slaughter names,
Dead warriors linger among their graves searching,
Victim to the violence that is without merit or fames,
Rest now child, for Sovngarde beckons in the stars...

The grassy moor talks of peace and neutrality,
But within the shadows, bows to the wolves maw,
You cannot blame the weak for stepping down,
Horses sleep in the light of the moon warriors paws,
Rest now child, for Sovngarde beckons in the stars...

The land of golden leaves is filled with thieves,
They crawl amongst the waste and beneath our feet,
Drunk on their sorrows, happiness is robbed from their souls,
A queen and friend of wolves, leads them like sheep,
Rest now child, for Sovngarde beckons in the stars…

The men from a future long past, look to the east,
Contemplating their lust for more that glitters in the dark,
Rebels within their own, mute the howling wolves,
They are blind to the bleeding infectious mark,
Rest now child, for Sovngarde beckons in the stars…

Deathly cold air, warms and breeds powerful men,
Bears unwilling to let demons devour their inheritance,
Armed with their swords and traditions, they make war with wolves,
They fight as true sons and daughters of sufferance,
Rest now child, for Sovngarde beckons in the stars…

The vicious wolves are mere puppets of a greater evil,
They toil and tarnish traditions held for centuries,
But they are simply dogs, scared to displease their master,
For their failure would only seek to bring more miseries,
Rest now child, for Sovngarde beckons in the stars..

Isn't it pleasing,
To wake up,
Brew some coffee,
And watch the sun wake the world,
A moment to catch your breath,
And find peace.

I love those kisses,
Where your nose is cold,
It makes the warmth from your lips,
That much sweeter.

I never meant to break,
The heart of a young,
Cowboy who was sweet,
Tea in the summer.

I was a confident,
Less than other girls,
And didn't understand myself,
In the eyes of he,
Saw me as a wild flower.

Friends is all,
To him I thought I was,
More than my shy,
Beautiful he said.

So I said a friend goodbye,
His ray of sunshine gone,
Too far for ropes,
Of love I had yet to learn.

"It was the first time in a long time I cried K."
"So hard I didn't know if I could stop."

To make a cowboy,
Broken is something,
I thought not possible,
As I felt anyone would,
Have found beauty in me.

I'm sorry cowboy,
I was young,
I didn't mean to hurt you,
Were the strongest,
Man I've ever known.

I've learned a lot from you,
From your success and failures,
You've taught me well,
Though I still make mistakes,

You showed me how to throw a football,
How to ride my bike,
How to be safe outside,
Not to walk around at night,

You showed me how to dance,
How to be respectful,
How to respect myself,
Not to accept disrespect from others,

You showed me how to work,
How to use a drill or shovel,
How to build and fix things,
Not to give up when it's rough,

You showed me how to love,
How to be kind,
How to forgive,
Not to push away those who love me,

You showed me I have worth,
How I am beautiful,
How I am sweet,
Not to forget I'm special,

You showed me how boys should treat me,
How they should behave,
How to pick good ones,
Not to lower standards,

You showed me praise,
How happy you were to see me succeed,
How proud you were of me,
Not to do less than my very best,

I love you dad,
Thanks for never giving up on me.

It was deep into the heart of the earth,
Down the spiral staircase of dreams,
Far from the comfort of the suns and moons,
Men from a future long past,
Memories held through oil and gas,

Breath held as the white demons crept,
Evil and blind they never slept,
Still smell their hatred for the light,
It swept the soil and out into the endless night,
Their origins distort through the assortment of poison,
Killing their humanity it festered through centuries,

Lengthy descents down darkened and deathly hallways,
Missing and empty of those who filled the corridors with life,
The greatest disappearance not know to man,
Their history lingers in cold metal and gears,
Steam pours from their ruins like ghostly fears,

Chambers filled with knowledge beyond all who enter,
Teachings that destroy those who seek to learn,
Secrets seep from stone cut walls,
Enticing those who wish to play with death,
Driving the weak minded to wish they were,

It takes a lifetime to return to the moons,
The nightmares whisper long after,
The future lost in the past,
Finds life in legends living above,
Deep within the heart of the earth.

I'm closing the gap
Between our souls
With love and luck
We won't be torn apart

These nightmares leave me waking,
Shaking,
They're only not real,
When I'm asleep.

I found that necklace today,
The one that told everyone I was yours,
The first name before the last,
A relic of a beautiful idea,

But when I found the necklace,
I also found the heartbreak,
The nights and days I cried alone,
When I would sleep to lessen the pain,

The name you gave me was never mine,
It always belonged to you,
Each time you said it belonged to me was a lie,
Yet I was a fool and wore it around my neck,

And now I've thrown it away,
Just as you did me,
And that beautiful lie of forever.

When I was weak,
He took it upon himself to be my strength.

In the dark
They bring life
And guide our lives
I hope in my heart
My descendents will see them as I have

The word "child" speaks of innocence,
From it's beginning to end,
And yet,
The child is shown violence and horror,
The seen evil dwarfs every adult before them,
And yet they smile,
Though bound to a world of guilty.

"Just one more",
Then he kissed me,
Many more times,
Each sweeter than the last.

Hands are unique,
Rough, soft, old, new, large or small.
But they often link,
When all hope,
Appears bleak.

This is a poem for those abused
For I am one myself

I survived and moved on
Remember there are people to help

It's not your fault and it's okay to tell someone

They may have touched me
But they can never touch my heart or soul

It's the small things,
That make the best memories.

The smell of cocoa beans,
That takes you back to that day sledding,
And the cup of hot chocolate afterwards,
The love of a warm home.

The taste of grape juice and rice crackers,
That makes you remember grandma,
Her beautiful kindness she shared,
Because she loved your visits.

The old dusty truck,
Dented and rusted in places,
But you remember the camping trips,
And how dad loved to take you,

The amazing smell of garlic,
Nights when you came home starving,
And mom made the most delicious spaghetti,
And you tasted love in each bite.

And sometimes it's even less than that,
Maybe someone shared a smile with you,
Held the door open for you,
Or waved a hello.

Give a stranger a happy memory,
So they know someone cares,
Because they may not have very many,
And everyone deserves to feel love.

My Body is living,
My Soul is dying.

Where has enjoyment gone?

I love with youth,
Vitality and passion,
But I hope to learn,
The art of loving old.

Is it love?
I ask myself each morning,
Do I trust?
Him? Myself?
My feelings?

Perhaps it is or perhaps it's not,
Whatever it is,
It's beautiful.

It's hard to look at the lion beneath our feet
For I still look back to the trek through the river
When I shared a grin with a friend
Times when your arms brought peace
And I was accepted for me

Then fall became winter
And you fell cold
You became a frozen landscape
Unwilling to let me breathe
I stood outside your cabin
My feet deep in snow
Waiting to be invited back in

I waited as winter became spring
And the ice melt from my feet
You came back to me
But I remained frostbitten

From then on I never left the cabin
I was scared to be left out again
You saw the damages but ignored them
Pretended and didn't apologize

I asked you to never leave me again
You promised my heart
I believed

Then one cool spring night
I woke alone
Our cabin full of memories
I peered across the thawing lake
To a cabin on the other shore

I saw you there
With someone undamaged
Our cabin grew dark and lifeless as I left
My heart bled red out into the frost

Today I look from my own cabin
Beautiful and mine
The memories I keep
But the pain is slow to die

And to this day I question why
But remember you wouldn't care enough to answer

Caress my strings,
And play the song of my soul,
Breathe life into me,
Hold me gently and lull,

Strum my heart,
With a musician's grace,
Seek my unique sound,
Quiet without haste,

Soft or sharp,
Beautifully we weave,
Timid and outspoken,
Together we achieve,

We are forced,
To stay distance and alone,
Unable to compose,
Songs of our home,

My strings miss,
The feeling of movement,
Drawing out tales,
In silent music,

You're the one,
I want to keep,
And hold in my heart,
Till I fall to dust,
Just as hard as I've fallen for you.

I need an extra three hours
between my morning to noon
to stare in the mirror
hate my clothes
love myself
to drink my coffee and savor each sip

I've been a child
As long as I can remember
Soft, young and mild

At least I feel to be
In the moments of peace
When no one calls my name

When the sun warms my face
And the birds sing of summer
Swallows dance and chase

Filled with white hope
Pure and untainted
My world magic

Perhaps I was young,
Desperate for warmth,
And you saw my untainted trust.

And perhaps you taught me lessons,
Ones I have yet to find forgiveness,
Left to die in my chest.

And perhaps I was naive,
I looked to you for love,
Yet all I found was empty promises.

The most beautiful love story,
Is that of light and nothing,

Light brings something to nothing,
Nothing allows light to shine.

Be a nothing to a light.
Be a light to a nothing.

I don't have time for negative vibes,
Drugs, theft, or wine,

My quest log is already too full.

It's a most weird feeling,
When someone you knew,
Blends right back into,
The sea of strangers,

And you pretend,
To have never swam in each other's ocean.

Once again you call me a *****,
For wanting one man's attention,
To the details of my dress
Heart, mind, and soul.
And perhaps I'm wrong,
For wanting his love so young,
But who are you to judge,
The details of my heart, mind, and soul?

Just one more round I said,
Halfway through the third,

"Take my hand,
And trust my touch",
So I did,
And felt of his love.

Those eyes invited me in
Saw through my skin
Peered deep into my soul
Beauty he saw within

I looked back
Into the icy waters
Deep wanting caverns
Calling out to me

I dove deep into them
Intoxicated and thrilled
I lived off the drug
Only he could fill

Hands grabbed and caressed
Pulled me in close
Lips quietly blessed
Pulling a moment to breathe

I stayed in those pools
He watched me sink
I called for his help
He left to think

I suffocated painfully
Others told me so
I miss the eyes
That filled my soul

The only promises,
I ever want to hear,
Are the ones you plan to keep,
Should you fail,
Let it be not be without the most vigorous of crusades.

Please fair partner, help a soul whom is stricken,
Bend down as I lay here and yelp solemnly fading,
Hurry before I succumb to the pain and infliction,
Assist a fellow player in delaying an early ending,

Do you not remember me aiding you previous?
Have you forgotten our loyalty, our engagement?
My willingness to fight does not make me impervious,
Not to bother and beg but I’m fading into pavement.

My vision has turned a deep shade of ****** red,
An ombre of grey is mixed as seconds tick by me,
These hands clutch and contain a weapon great,
Show mercy fellow samaritan, stop to save thee,

Give me the savior’s juice, dying is simply no fun,
Please good teammate, revive I have the raygun..

My palms and fingers
My heels and toes
Soft and intricate they flow

Like tiny streams across the skins surface
Straight curved and twirled
I follow their patterns to the sea
And seek out their ends
Only to find I'm back to where I began

Maybe these waters hold memories
My ancestors paths across the desert
Journeys taken long ago
Still I wander at the notion
Why so tedious the hands and feet

Who made them so special
What makes them unique
Reminiscing of winters and summers like trees
Each finger different like the years

For now I just wonder
And trace the lines
And linger on the thoughts
These are mine

I knew my mother once,
Her kindness and simple true advice,
I knew her habits and laughs,
And her love of cooking, family, and life,

She would speak of love,
And reached out to me,
She saw my struggles clear,
I would pour myself into her lap,

And then she was gone,
I don't recognize her now,
Hate and scrutiny filled her heart,
She leaves for weeks at a time,

I miss my mother dearly,
As does my father,
I'm afraid for her,
Why did she leave her sanity?

We hid away,
Above, the world was desecrated and destroyed,
Secrets placed upon us,
Tainted our minds and bodies,
Eminent failure happened to many of us.

Lucky few escaped,
Adapted to survive the poisoned surface,
Never looking back,
Dared to live another day.

Sleep is so addictive
It numbs all pain and suffering
You can curl up with death
And feel its peaceful embrace

But when you again wake
Its hellish and unsafe
Your soul aches
You long for rest again

If I could crawl
I would do so among the great mammals of the sea
If I were to swim
I would enjoy the wet and godly heavens above me
Should I sleep
I would dream of paradise where no ill take me
When I walk
I wish it were without shame

Somedays we work,
Some nights we cry,
Sometimes I lay on the floor and stare into nothing,

For all the somethings in life,
One thing is true,
It's always okay to be you.

I spent my time,
Thinking of you today,
It was brief,
Sweet,
But now the time is spent,
And tomorrow I'll pay again.