We don't see unity
We are right
     They are wrong
We have truth
     They do not

We divide over the simplest of things
We are straight
     They are not
We are white
     They are not

We hate
We block
We hurt

Why must we betray each other?
Why?

Think about the people you hurt
Is it really worth it?
What is it about this world?
Why would you leave it?

This is my plea:
     Live
     Hope
     Love

Don't try again
Please

Can this be how I worship?
Not through song, but word?
Is it still worship?

I hear the flute
Its joyful melody.
I see my wife
Our daughter Melody.
I think of my wife
And her full of life
With our daughter, Melody.

I hear the crash
And then the tuba.
I hear naught else
It's just the tuba.
I think of the life
Who destroyed my wife
Our cursed daughter, Melody.

I hear trombones
It's getting better.
I see the day
It's getting brighter.
I think of the life
That destroyed my life
My blameless daughter, Melody.

I hear the horns
Their far-spread high-notes.
But mostly horns
And mostly low notes.
I think of my wife
And the love of her life
Our damning daughter, Melody.

I hear the trumpet
The different rhythm.
It has some movement
But mostly rhythm.
It's not the same
But it'll do
My beautiful daughter, Melody.

I hear clarinets
Their soaring melody.
Reminds me so much of
My daughter Melody.
Who came out of strife
To salvage my life
My angel daughter, Melody.

Was it their fault?
Were they in the wrong?
She made her choice
Was it their responsibility?
She thought it through
Were they supposed to control that?

They did everything right
But some things are out of their control
Can they be responsible for everything?
She didn't follow in their footsteps
Instead

She turned away
She went against her upbringing
It saddened them
They tried to bring her back
Yet she would not return

'Where is justice?'
She would ask
But she'd never listen

Then she fell
Well,
She jumped
She tried to escape their loving hands
Forever
But failed
Thank goodness

It couldn't have been their fault
But they would have felt it
Nonetheless
They still feel it now
But they will
And so will she
I hope

This disease that plagues so many
It kills
With bridges
With pills
With knives
With guns
It seems there is no escape
It seems to affect any

But love
It breaks down walls
It saves so many
It heals
It gives hope
It stays
We could save so many
If we just love

You are the only one
No other gives life
I am just your pawn
You'll lead me through strife

May Your kingdom come
Through my desires
I want to succumb
You'll lead me through fires

I submit to You
My God, my only
Your word is so true
You'll lead me through folly

I know you won't go
Like so many do
You'll never let go
You'll lead me through You.

I draw a banana on my leg
Every day
Just so that
Something is constant

It doesn't hurt anyone
It doesn't hurt you
Don't be scared of it
Better it comes out now than later

You want me to take off my clothes
The clothes of my soul
You want me to turn around slowly
Standing bare in front of you
So you can get a good look at everything
You want me to show you everything
But I know what you'll really see
You'll see my
Scars
Bruises
Darkness
Things I've long locked away
Letting few if any see
But I have one question
When I am laid bare
Will you run away?
Will you see how many
Scars
I have and worry they'll cloud my view?
Will you see my
Bruises
And wonder if I'll give you any?
Will you see my
Darkness
And worry that it will spread?
Or would you look past all that
Search for my perfections
They are there
Just few and far between
And if you see my imperfections
(Which I know you will)
And my perfections
What will you decide?
Will you stay?
Or run?
As so many have

This disease that plagues so many
It kills
With bridges
With pills
With knives
With guns
It seems there is no escape
It seems to affect any

But love
It breaks down walls
It saves many
It heals
It gives hope
It stays
We could save so many
If we just love

A tree,
A jacaranda tree, once tall, majestic,
Its purple blossoms littering the ground,
Its fern-like leaves bring shade to all around.

The rings,
We count the rings on the stump,
As the lumberjacks drive away,
Leaving stripped branches and leaves to decay.

Years will pass,
As leaves decay, years will pass,
But not all is lost, and as the life fades away,
Something new sprouts up, something here to stay.

Dead father,
It draws life from its long-dead father,
Using its nutrients, being fed,
Life, sprouting out of stump long thought dead.

A shoot,
A growing, flourishing, feeding shoot,
Only one thing that it could be,
A massive, flowering, majestic shading tree.

All this,
From a stump, a remnant of a tree,
Life, sprouting from stump thought dead,
Replacing something very old with something new instead.

This is how I process
My thoughts
My feelings
My ideas
My beliefs
My actions
My trauma
Everything
So if you find not what you seek
I'm sorry
It's just how I think

We have bad poems too
We just don't publish them

I left You
I can't live now
Will You let me back?

I don't know what to do
She said she loves me
Do I?
I need help
I don't know
What are the signs?

If we share
Yes
The more would have less
But
The less would have more

If we care
Yes
We might have less time for ourselves
But
People without will feel better

If we love
Yes
We might be spread more thin
But
Others would have more to spread

But

If we ****

All is void

All is round
The globe
The earth's orbit

It all repeats
Our history
The moon cyle

Yet it adds
Some reliability
It is predictable

Where is it?
The originality?
The free will?

If everything just
Cycles continuously
Where is change?

Is it possible?
Can change
Happen at all?

To God I pray for all her life
That she would stay inside this life
I know You'll come but don't know when
I pray refine her before then

That she may be in life past death
That You will bless her every breath
That You would bring her home once more
That You would give her life once more

Right now she's flat she has no hope
I pray You'll guide her from above
And
Keep her safe
Please

This is how it started

I shook her up
She was ready to burst
When she was ready
I opened her up
And she exploded
Thoughts
Emotions
Interests
Secrets
It was all too much
So I dropped her

That is how it ended

Quesí saberte
Tú eres muy bonito
No cuido qué ellos te digan
Tú eres muy bonito

I leave You
I cheat You
Then wonder why
You aren't there

Then I say
I didn't leave
I didn't cheat
How come, I ask
You aren't there

But I know now
I left You
I cheated You
I now know why
You aren't there

But now I say
I want You
I need You to
Keep coming back
When I leave
Because nothing thrives when
You aren't there

I'm blind without You
I need Your sight
Guide me

Todas mariposas
Estuvieron oruguitas

My works feel
Sloppy
Untrained
Sub-par
Like I'm using my non-dominant hand

Like an avocado
It is cold and hard if rushed
But melts at a touch after too long
Yet it's so worth it
For if timed right it is
Soft
Comforting
As it should be

He comes
     he follows
     i can't escape

Everywhere
     that's where he is
     all the time

Loosen my collar
     he asked for it
     he's going down

Perhaps not
     he got me first

Newly birthed
Green
Like everything around it
As it matures
It wants to
Stick out
Yellow
But quickly realizes
Its brethren did much the same
All are
Yellow
Now
Saddened, it turns
Black
Moody
Then
Dies

The grass withers
The flower fades
Will anyone stay?

Twenty-three and counting
They've all left
Will I be left alone?

It's not their fault
But they still left
Who will be next?

Yet I keep remembering them
Only their bodies will truly leave
Will I see them again?

I've left some too
It was so hard
Will they remember me?

So perfect on the outside
Unblemished
Façades
That's how we survive

So hard to come by
Unless you know where to look
Have you found that place?

We are all naked on the inside
Where we can roam free
What about on the outside?
We can't be because of society
We are forced to put up a façade
We can't show our true naked selves
We would be ridiculed
Why is this?

From far away we look so
So perfect
Unblemished
Nothing ever comes between us

Until you see us at home
So petty
Our bickering
Anything could come between us

Me besa
Quiero sentirte
Me ama
Quiero conocerte
Porque
No puedo vivir sin tú