Imagine climbing a mountain
With stairs built into it
There’s more than one path
But only one person can use it
You can meet your friends at the top
Where all the stairs converge
Share your triumph and exhaustion
But you won’t know when you’ll emerge
Each pathway up is different
They take various amounts of time
The obstacles within them
Will either help or hurt the climb
You’re alone on this journey
No one to help you maintain
Battle wounds will grace your body
Part of your mind will go insane
So pay attention closely
To each step your foot finds
Prepare yourself from within
To meet at the top with mankind

~kb

Sullen face
Faded eyes
Pointed up
Midnight skies

Light stars
Heavy heart
True love
Lies apart

Shattered glass
Broken dreams
Tattered souls
Ripped seams

Moon glows
Sun’s mirror
Thoughts slow
Mind clearer

Now living
With stars
Moon love
No scars

No darkness
Just light
No you
In sight

~kb

Seeking my mind
Hoping to find
A shred of dim light
Get me through one more night
The run and hide game
Played by my brain
Has me crawling in pain
Seeking light once again
Just a glimmer of hope
Ankles bent and broke
Outstretched arms on the floor
Graze demons’ dark gore
This shadow touching
Is usually nothing
But this night feels eerie
And I’m far too weary
To take them on
Their hiding places gone
They’ve woken up
I’m on the floor curled up
Tonight won’t be a night
When I can reach the light
So I’m prepared their long
Drawn out deafening song
And my eyes won’t close
Until the sun shows

~kb

Let me be who you compare yourself to
and feel better because I’m less than you
Let me be who you get angry at
and feel better because I shy away from that
Let me be who you talk about
and feel better because your
mind blanks out
Let me be your personal self-help book
and you can feel better
knowing your own brain’s a crook.
Let me be your honesty:
You’re falling apart, honestly.

~kb

I’m writing this letter
to tell you today
that your black and white existence
has now become grey
The rose petals have worn
down to thorn brittled branches
I’ve gathered every trinket in a locked wooden box, taking no chances
Douse the box in kerosene
vibrantly watch the pyre
until all that remains
are the ashes of a liar
I’m not writing you this
to give you some kind of rise
I just want to tell you
after thousands of tries
You have finally become grey
a neutral position
Neither hate nor love
steps up to position
I am rid of your physical
and the emotional lessened
thoughts finally followed
and I’ve learned my lesson
You’re finally gone
and I’m in heaven.

~kb

Sometimes
when I’m talking to someone
I ask them if they like
music
They say yes, and maybe
name a few artists
Then I ask them
if they like
poetry
and they say
not really
never got into it
And I silently laugh to myself
yet break a little, too

~kb

Meet me at the blue stairs
at Little Lake Park.
Just dress normal.
1AM sharp.
You said we should do this,
it’ll all be okay.
I have what we need
and I’m on board all the way.
Love you.

I shuffle in my pockets
and stare at the clock.
1:20AM. She’s late,
what a shock.
As the twenty ticks to fifty,
I’m one hundred percent sure.
She’s not coming.
She wants to stay in this world.
I text one last time
just to try.
I guess I’ll go home
If she wants to live, so do I.
I thought we could leave
this awful world together.
But maybe she has plans
to make our lives much better.

I haven’t gotten any messages
but I’m here at the park.
This blue slide looks black
when the night is so dark.
I’ve waited for almost
an hour at least.
I just want to ****
our minds’ biggest beasts.
Maybe you had
a change of heart.
But I can’t continue to live
in a world so dark.
I’m sorry we couldn’t
do this together.
Maybe you had false thoughts
that this would some day get better.
Love you.

I thought he was with me
we were on the same page.
This world was pure nothing
and our lives a big stage.
Or maybe he doesn’t
want to die with me.
He’s hoping some day
he can be set free.
But the world doesn’t offer
much to people like us.
So we suffer so greatly
and feel shame for an illness.
The mental anguish
is just too much abuse
I hope the wild doesn’t get me
before the noose.

~kb