As I climb
The mountain of road
On my sleek steal, bony bike
I glance back in my mirror
At the rich-reds, Oxy-intensified oranges
And burnt-brown trees and leaves
Lining the streets that dance;
Snow-capped Mount Kosciuszko in the background,
Wind whiplashes my wide agape
Mouth as I scream:
I am alive —
Euphoria!

An electric force,
more resonant than
ten thousand suns

filtered a rhythm,
from universal fabric
the tear caused a glimpse,
into the infinite

he the sinner, he saw a star
something beyond the chains
and far from misery

catch this electric
and vibrate it from
your fingers

an electric frequency
more confident
than doubt

venture forward,
and trust in time
this magic force
of
synchronicity

3 a.m.

the dying town, dark moon,
the wolf lurks in a concrete tomb.

fallen friends and picnics at the graveyard,
empty stores and sidewalk ******.

streets of sorrow--
one-way roads to no tomorrow.

shadowed eyes, whispers in bars,
fallen angels, shooting stars.

sirens wail the ****** night,
and in every traffic light burned red
time never stops for the dead.

the ****** on the corner.
none to morn her fate,
a wink and a whisper,
"do you want to go on a date?"

the black butterfly,
soul of sorrow,
no echo, no refrain,
lost in silence, bound by pain.

I vape sometimes.  I am into
Self determination.  No drinking
I thumb my nose at the 50s.

I'm old now. I float you Mother
There are no cocktails.  You

were a dream of mid century
hedonism. I saw you as the
Cleopatra of Barberry

Drive.

My milk tastes of you.
I vape occasionally
and walk to the edge
of tomorrow.

Take me O Lord. Let me
not know.  Push my head
into nights endless abyss.

Let tomorrow anoint my
scrambled hopes that
even tonight I

dare

you to be

Real

My love


Caroline Shank
May 28.2025

After flooded land came drought.
Green leaves is what white dove brought.
Still, wars loud from silent despair.
Once again world went mute for mankind.
Women praying one more time.
For peace on earth and dove to fly.


Shell✨🐚

I feel it when it’s beginning sometimes slowly sometimes in a rush,
Never prepared as the walls break and then the gush.

Heart beat racing, out of breath, mind a blur.
I whisper we’re safe but my body does not concur.

Not even sure what started the fear and anxiety. But my skin is crawling and i can’t breathe.

Focus, connect with what is real. What can you see, hear, and feel?

Regulate your breathing, calm your heart, let the tremors subside hit pause then restart.

Too much sound, and Too much to take in.
One step at a time control is very thin.

My heart is still to fast but the day doesn’t stop. Like Holding a ball under water hoping it doesn’t pop.

Empty and debauched,
that hollow space
inside of me,
the cavernous
void that I tried
to stuff with
*****, drugs,
****** galore
turned out to be
the exact shape of
the Creator.

I smelled the stale
breath of death coming
for me on the
nightmare wind.
Life tasted like rotten
meat.
Maggots ate away at
my soul, and all I
touched felt like
cracked cement and
broken glass.

Always lost
forever searching.

I'm glad I found my
way home to the
sublime symphony, life can be,
should be
will be, if I don't wander
to the barren places, and
pitch a tent.

Velvet echoes in these faded places,
Plastic smiles on porcelain faces.
Whiskey tears in crystal glasses,
Dead-eyed queens and faded masses.
And it’s eerie, but oh, it’s sweet;
My dying dreams feel most complete.
Masking my hurt behind the glamour,
No more dawn and no forever.
Hard to voice, too numb to break,
I'm dancing in circles putting the F in ache…