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 2500° 
Nat Lipstadt
early morn (5:00am) scanning, scrolling,
unrehearsed searching and the question
appears in a “loves that got away” column,

(why do all these descriptors start eith S,
I think I know!)


and off on another self-effacing, investigative determination, a mental biopsy of another hopeless cause,
that results in poems too long

though the body and mind are rested,
with six hours of uninterrupted sleep,
and volumes of dreams,
the quest bags a burr in the bed,
(yes, rhymes with head)
but n o t h i n g pops in with a grin,
and a bell ring, stating presumptuously,
why that’s me
and the fault failure fear
in me
engorges

this  really distresses,
with & in a deep sense of awful,
how can I not recall this momentous
illustrative precious precision
proof of why life is worth living,
and worser still,
don’t I get to choose,
isn't this an interrogatory,
suitable for a pre-provided
Multiple Choice Answer?

a pause to collect myself from a
falling into a hole of nefarious negativity spiraling,
suddenly
recalling so many
kind and gentle touching brushes
of your comments re my poetry,
which provoked warm tears


^and one more tine,
poetry has saved
a life
^

5:37am Saturday 2-15-25
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/14/well/valentines-day-lost-love.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
 870° 
JRF
Here you go.

I present to you

My simplest and most
complex, confused, and conflicted  thoughts

Just for your
Consumption.

Enjoy.
 435° 
Traveler
I don’t love being wronged but my love still beats strong!
I don’t love to exercise
but I love being fit and alive!
I don’t love sour grapes,
but if they’re good for me
I’ll take a plate.
I don’t love death and Gore, and I surely don’t love war, But I do love a strangers smile, won’t you come and sit a while?
Traveler 🧳 Tim
 357° 
Archer
You’ll never eat alone
If you’re a cannibal.
 332° 
Aimée
I enjoy my lab and goggles
I love my church and scripture
But my soul longs for ball gowns
And my heart awaits adventure

I'll make a good scientist
A faithful wife and Christian
But still I dream of princes
And righting unrightoeus dominion

For while I have a scholar's mind
And all I've ever learned is reality
I was born with a writer's blood
And would rather breathe in fantasy
 288° 
Nat Lipstadt
a common enough expression,
lightly spoken, easily surrendered,
wishes become hopes or prayers,
depending on the gravity of urgency,
right, know that wishes are
gravity-resistance,
rising up to the atmosphere, where any
cruel, fate-focused, looking to be
amused, lousy lounging-around gods,
always cruising
for some real entertainment, might
snap
into action,
upending plans, ruining futures,
or tickling your fancy
with a run of fabulous luck,
by, due to, their fanciful footwork

in the near future:
I hope to live to serve tomorrow,
feel the
ingenuity of love’s aroma,
as fresh as a new morn born
fragrant croissant

in the near future :
I hope I hear
Rhaposdy in Blue
being played live
through an open window
and be joined by my fellow
sensualists in a spontaneous
street festival

in the near future:
I’m going to go on a slightly
oh so lightly
planned road trip,
domestic and international
to visit friends I have netted
in my butterfly catcher,
the human kind,
whose flowers of words I have
suckled the nectar thereof,
and thank them properly
with hugs, fresh fruit
and gifts that will
tickle their fancy
fanciful wordswork

and make it home,
a safe return
to those called family
and find them
happy healthy
and never complain ever again
about that
stupid grin
on my face
that just seems impossible to
erase
200am 2/13/25
 288° 
Shadowfang
I tried suicide
Mom didn't like it that much
I'm better off dead
 273° 
SøułSurvivør
~~~






a lone
heart like is a
crystal vase
without a
l
o
n  
g  
s  
t    
e  
m
e
  d
  r
o
s
e
 215° 
lizie
valentine’s day came and went,
but i barely noticed—
too busy drowning in a loneliness
i can’t even name.
 203° 
Safana
Sadiya sailed through with sound success.
And all her knees bow to knowledge.
Doubled it, learning science and Islam.
In a straightforward and difficult manner.
Yelling at ignorance and misconduct.
Around her life's circle forever.
 188° 
andy fardell
When all you have is time

Laying there in the darkness of day
I feel the heat blister my skin
Thoughts wandering this life
Life taking my time

Ebbing away consuming my day
A lust for the truth
My mind be all confused
To be more than this
Time stealing this wish

Clock ticking the day
My mind falling away
One want for more time
A must for I cry
Give me a chance
 174° 
Raffael
i thought of you
while cleaning the dishes

realizing
that you
probably
dont think of me

anymore

but i sure do

i wasnt paying attention
so
i dropped my favorite cup

shattered
into countless
little pieces

now its gone

forever

just
like
you
 157° 
Mica Wood
Poison in my veins
Thoughts I cannot shake away
Slowly I’m fading
 151° 
rac1
I Dug Myself A Grave
And Lay Down in It
I Shovelled back the Dirt
And now I Am Finished
It felt So Good
To Be Part of the Earth
It was all Downhill
From the Moment of My Birth
JUST A DAY...

Just an ordinary day
to some not so ordinary
so I won't be boring
and repeat myself
too much...
-
I'll just bring you verses and rose petals today and tomorrow
and yesterday...
-
Because every day we love
is so special...
 149° 
Sam Lawrence
I seek my refuge
Somewhere always degrading
In other refuse
 138° 
Endless emotions
Who needs a Prince when you're already a Queen.
Seen in somewhere......#queen#line
 122° 
showyoulove
Can you see me?
Can you feel me right beside?
I am standing in the doorway
Will you welcome me inside?
I am looking
Deep inside your soul
I am longing
To come and make you whole
Can you see me?
My eyes, so soft and warm
Can you see them?
My love a whispered wind, a wild storm
Do you feel it?
Eyes so deep and calm
As to drown and disappear
In the depth and breadth of my love
Part One. The Question
 119° 
Kate
my biggest fear is being like you
the person I saw in the mirror only a few years ago
the time went by fast
but the chance is vast

see you used to think life was a struggle
wonder why you could possibly be here
wonder what purpose this pain could have
wonder what difference you could make in the world

now you know
now you see
the little things matter
and the hurt turned to empathy
your heart grew and your mind got stronger
and you learned how to make it in a world full of anger
 116° 
Graeme
What’s with the incessant cacophony? Commotion? Noise?
Why stimulate oneself with content, clip after clip?
Why play music in silence that needn’t be filled,
speaking when no words need be spoken?
It’s rather silly, isn’t it? It’s not your fault.
Since there’s no need for any of that…
let’s take a moment to pause.
Yes, just like that.
Slow down,
breathe.
Now…
rest.
Written on 2025-02-14.

I thought of the beginning and end of this one evening, seemingly randomly. I typed it out as quickly as I could, realizing the idea I’d gotten was a poem that “quieted down” as it got to the end, both visually, linguistically, and topically, right down to the ellipsis making the penultimate line just a bit wider than the one below.
 105° 
Thy
Tha
if only our souls can translate
you would have never left
for then you'll understand
that every rhythm was urs
 91° 
zoe
Us
It was always us,
Your the oldest, I'm the middle, and he's the youngest child.

You were always happy, He was always rebelling
And I was always hiding

Hiding in both shadows,
Like I didn't exist at all
Always pushing me aside.

You always blamed your problems on me,
He was always fighting with me.

I accepted everything blamed my self for everything,
Hating myself.

I was always judging myself
hating my body,
Face,
And life.

I didn't feel anything anymore, and
Now I tell myself I'm okay
I'm not.
Just a poem about siblings always pushing one away and making them hate and blame themselves
 86° 
kitty angel

i wanna give him everything
but hes not my everything and im not his anymore
i have other life than i had when we were close and were one person
so does he
eating together, breathing together and living each others lives
everything is gone
everything is my fault
everything

20/12/2024
for p.
 86° 
Pratibha
When the day arrived—
We smiled through tears,
Lost in the wonder of each other.
But the moment was only a candle’s glow,
Melting quietly into the end.
 82° 
J Wendell Coplin
I walk along an endless beach,
waves lapping at my ankles,
soft sand beneath my feet.
The world is a quiet peace.

I glance back and notice,
to my surprise,
two sets of footprints
trailing in the sand behind me.

I know He is here,
rejoicing in my joy,
walking beside me
because I have welcomed Him.

But one day, the wind rises.
The sky darkens, torn by thunder.
The waves crash, drowning my cries.
I stumble, unable to go on.

My life is unrecognizable—
rubble and filth,
pain and sorrow,
a world shattered by the storm.

And when I look back?
Only one set of footprints in the sand.

Why?

Am I truly alone?

I sit in silence,
lost in the weight of abandonment.
I search for understanding,
but all I find is emptiness.

I look up to the sky and cry out—
“Why have You forgotten me?”

Only then is the truth revealed.

Not my footprints, not my strength.
Every step in the sand was His.
Through the storm, He carried me,
through the waves, He walked.
Not a single moment alone.

I was never forsaken.
I forsook Him.
But he still carries me to the end
10
Ma sœur, écoute-moi ! je vais t'ouvrir mon cœur...
Mais détourne un instant ton regard scrutateur ;
Pour mes quinze printemps, ne sois pas trop sévère !
Tu promis de m'aimer à notre vieille mère.
Un ange aux blonds cheveux déjà te doit le jour :
Étends aussi sur moi l'aile de ton amour !

Si de la vie, à peine, il voit la première heure,
Moi, je suis faible aussi, je me trouble et je pleure.
Dans ce monde joyeux où j'avance en tremblant,
Comme des pas d'enfant, mon pas est chancelant.
Tu cherches à sonder les replis de mon âme,
Tu crois me deviner et ton regard me blâme ;
Ne crains rien si parfois je soupire tout bas...
Je t'assure, ma sœur, que je ne l'aime pas !

L'amour, c'est le bonheur, doux, riant comme un rêve,
Et dans les pleurs pour moi le jour vient et s'achève.
Jadis, j'aimais le monde et ses plaisirs bruyants,
Et devant mon miroir je m'arrêtais longtemps ;
J'aimais le blanc tissu de ma robe légère,
Et de mes fleurs du soir la fraîcheur mensongère ;
J'aimais, d'un bal brillant la lumière et le bruit,
Et ce choix d'un instant qu'aucun regret ne suit :
Mais, au lieu du bonheur qu'on dit que l'amour donne,
À des pensers amers mon âme s'abandonne...
Ne crains rien si parfois je soupire tout bas,
Car tu vois bien, ma sœur, que je ne l'aime pas !

De celui que l'on aime on chérit la présence,
On bénit le moment qui fait cesser l'absence ;
On se plaint **** de lui de la longueur du jour,
On veut presser le temps pour hâter son retour.
Lorsque j'entends la voix ou les pas de mon frère,
Je souris, et je cours pour le voir la première ;
Mais quand c'est lui... ma sœur, je frémis malgré moi...
Sa présence me trouble et me glace d'effroi !
Lorsque j'entends ses pas, tremblante, je m'arrête,
Et pour fuir son regard, je détourne la tête.
Ne crains rien si parfois je soupire tout bas,
Car tu vois bien, ma sœur, que je ne l'aime pas !

Quand je vois le bonheur briller sur ton visage,
Je bénis le Seigneur qui chasse au **** l'orage,
Mes yeux suivent tes yeux, je souris comme toi ;
J'aime quand ton cœur aime, et je crois de ta foi ;
Je confonds doucement mon âme avec la tienne,
Je veux que ton bonheur, comme à toi, m'appartienne.
Mais, comme lui, ma sœur, jamais je ne sens rien ;
Sa gaîté me fait mal, ses pleurs me font du bien.
Lorsque j'entends louer les traits de son visage,
Je voudrais qu'il fût laid et je pleure de rage !
Lorsqu'il part pour le bal, mon cœur, cruel pour lui,
Voudrait qu'il n'y trouvât que tristesse et qu'ennui ;
Je hais tous ses amis, je m'afflige qu'on l'aime,
Je voudrais l'isoler, l'éloigner de toi-même...
Ne crains rien si parfois je soupire tout bas,
Car tu vois bien, ma sœur, que je ne l'aime pas !
 73° 
Kate
This is the moment when you left
And the moment i knew you would never come back

It was the sight of watching a loved one go away on a trip
When you are young you wonder why you can't go with them
But they have to go any way for work, family, or death

It was the sound of your favorite song being paused halfway through
But you cant ever turn it back on

Worst of all it was the feeling of losing a piece of myself
I search everywhere to find

I try to fill the void
I try to forgot your voice

But I know what you were
And I wonder what you could be

Now you are probably looking down
Saying don't cry about me
I made it to the heavens
And I'll always have you with me

I'll always have you in my mind
In my heart
And in my pocket at the least

The streets are golden
The people are kind
And there's a spot next to me
Waiting for you to arrive
 71° 
Beda Flores
“They say love is forever
But for me love is
When I get to see the happiness in your eyes
When you say my name my heart skips a beat
This Valentine’s Day is extra special
Because I get to spend it with you
Even when we’re together
I still wish there was more time
In the world to be with you “
 67° 
jeffrey conyers
My heart so into you.
That to my friends I been called a fool- (concerning you)
But I feel I found this jewel so true.

So, a fool I rather be and I'm not the only one.
My eyes only see you.
And that's the way it should be- (concerning you)
And I'm not tripping.
Because I'm in love.

If many would only admit truth that they are seeking?
Exactly what I have now.
And I'm not tripping.
 65° 
Paul Glottaman
I believe in love now,
in ways I couldn't explain
to myself as a younger man.
I can just about wrap my
head around the ending,
at least I think I can.

We're not made to suffer,
even if it seems that's
what's most likely to be true.
We're made to come out
the other side limping but
knowing what to do.

I don't understand forever
because I don't think any
of us ever really can or will.
But I'm familiar with right now
and what it means to love you
not for forever but still.
 64° 
Nisio
The flaws of mine are all I look to
their the most obvious
the only thing I really see
Somehow you scavenge any beauty in it.
 62° 
AM
The words slipped out-
"I don’t want this anymore"
Had I blinked,
I wouldn’t have said it.

And just like that,
they took shape,
sharp as thorns,
wilting his smile
as they struck.

And just like that,
I stood alone,
Had I blinked,
he wouldn't be gone.
 60° 
Ylang Ylang
& to be frank
You got it,
That’s point blank,
them highest rank
(is yours, is yours
  to have)
They will wail to You
all them nights thru’

But
Will You still laugh, me?
I am no longer-

So play them icicle notes
Draw from half-asleep memories
To dance amidst todays’ worries
(Which do not exist, if You think about this)
And i want You to think about this
While we…

I know You will
I know You will
 58° 
Sia Harms
When I doubled over,
Knees landing hard
On the gravel,
I imagined I was an
Art installation--
A prospect of pain
For people to marvel at.
 58° 
Kalen Doleman
My heart is charmed
My mind is caught.
You have something rare, a certain type of beauty,
What I call
A beauty that never grows old.

You shine like the sun,
The brightest star in the solar system—
My system.
With my great independence, I was still caught in your orbit.

Your smile touches me.
It embraces me like the warmth of the sun on the first day of spring.

And I can never forget the comfort of your gentle voice,
Parting the clouds on an overcast.
You’re that bright ray that shines through.

After a storm, a rainbow.
Your mind and your personality show—
Colorful, beautiful, and radiant.

Neither land nor portrait,
Neither spring nor summer,
Can capture your essence, your aura,
Your eternal beauty,
A beauty that never grows old.
I frequently eat noodles with a fork when I'm forking around
with a bowl of pork, fresh from a pig, a lifeless pig, a pig
of no consequence, a swine with no name. Oh Monster
Rogers! I never liked Joe Negri. He made
my grandmother's *** tired.
 55° 
Joginder Singh
दुनिया
सेंट वेलेंटाइन के सद्कर्मों की स्मृति को
जन जन में याद कराने ,
विस्मृतियों से बाहर निकाल कर
स्मृति में बसाने की गर्ज़ से
उनकी याद में
वेलेंटाइन डे
मनाती है ,
पर
मेरे देश में
कई बार
इस दिन
अचानक
छुप छुप कर
मिलने वाले
प्रेमी युगलों की
शामत आ जाती है।
इस बार भी
कुछ ऐसा घटित हो सकता है,
प्रेम की आकांक्षाओं से भरे
युवा और वृद्ध दिल
टूट सकते हैं
वह भी संस्कृति को
बचाने के नाम पर।
शायद
वे अजंता एलोरा की
कंदराओं में
दर्ज़
काम और अध्यात्म के
जीवन्त दस्तावेज़ो को
भूल जाते हैं ,
जहां जीवन का मूल
कलात्मक अभिव्यक्ति पाता है।
हमारे मंदिरों में प्रेम का उदात्त स्वरूप
देखने को मिलता है ,
हमारे पुरखे काम के महत्व को
गहराई तक आत्मसात कर
जीवन का ताना बाना बुनने में
सिद्धहस्त रहे हैं।
फिर हम क्यों जीवन के इस वैभव से मुँह चुराएं ?
क्यों न हम
इस वेलेंटाइन डे पर
प्रेम भाव का प्रचार प्रसार करने में
पहल करें !
कम से कम
हम प्रेम के कोमल भावों को
नफ़रत की कठोरता में
बदलने से गुरेज़ करें ,
बेशक हम अपने मन की शांति के लिए
अपनी संततियों को
संस्कारों की ऊर्जा से
जीवन्त करने का प्रयास करें ,
बस प्रेम में आकंठ डूबे
प्रेमीजनों को अपमानित करने का
दुस्साहस न करें,
उनका उपहास न करें।
आज सुबह एक युवा स्त्री को
बस सफ़र के दौरान इंग्लिश बुक हेट पढ़ते देखा
तो मुझे मूवी हेट स्टोरी का ख्याल आया।
मैंने शहर और गांव में भटकते हुए
वेलेंटाइन डे मनाया।
आप भी कभी जी भर कर
उच्छृंखल होकर
जीवन जीने का प्रयास करें,
क्या पता कुछ अचरज़ भरा घटित हो जाए !
इस दिन कोई जीवन में नया मोड़ आ जाए !!
तन और मन में से तनाव कम हो जाए!
आदमी निडर होकर सलीके से जीना सीख पाए।
१४/०२/२०२५.
So how’s this Valentine stuff work
Must it be a mutual deal
Or can I claim you as my Valentine
If to you it isn’t real?
From afar, unbeknownst,
Someone sending love notes
Every single day
Obviously, whatever the time
You are my Valentine
I don’t have to be yours for you to be mine
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