To be a daisy maiden
with fragile fingers in my hair,
Is not who I came to be,
though strength lived inside this vessel fair.

So burdened I was, with thoughts of
clever rapport and satire deeds.
Catching the intense beauty all around
not just looking within me.

I walked barefoot on muddy journeys,
collecting trinkets too precious and plain.
Graceless bellows of happy words shouted out
never caring for judgements name.

So when I came across a devilish looking man,
a humble heart in disguise.
I surely followed that tether
feeling my solitude world's final demise.
.
What I saw was a bit frightening, slightly...
only because of his eyes.
They were not uncommon but still unique,
something behind them I recognized.

They held secrets and wonder,
twisty worlds and something familiar.
Showed me tales and revealed quiet emotions.
I swear they were something of a mirror.

So when he disappeared from my sight
but called to me with his lingering light.
Laid out subtlety but inviting none the less.
I started after, caring not for the rips of my traveling dress.

Climbing up toward his castle of
vibrant colors and crests.
Venturing inside to find where the human delight
my sticky heart believed had come to rest.

Finding him sitting front row waiting docile in a chair,
I proceeded ahead with a confident flare.
Unbeknownst at first while focusing on the one
I was chasing.
There was an obstacle in waiting like a beast's heavy pacing.

Past lives and insecurity followed this creature about.
Like wasps hunting a victim waiting to make them shout.
A mask of confusion clouded this face simmering with doubt.
Trying to reach toward me, to let go and get out.

He said there was hope in his heart
but demons he still had to conquer.
He was so lonely and wanting to love
but feared he was too tired.

I responded that
if it's your evils that chase you
down to the pyre.
Well, I guess we are meant to be,
for I am a dragon slayer
And I too, breathe fire.


*©NDHK

Can you imagine a world where
The most beautiful girl
Would be the one who never cried,
Because every single tear
That would drop on our face
Would leave scars
On our upper cheeks.
Therefore the happiest girl
In the whole world,
The one who would've never cried,
Would be the prettiest
And it would be wonderful.
But then on the opposite,
The girl who'd suffer from depression,
Would be hiding alone in the dark,
Ashamed by those deep red marks
Tattooed on her face.

We know it by the
Huge blinking lights
From rides that
Tend to make people
Throw
Up
Dairy Queen.

We know it by
Those big, intricate
Winding tatoos
That snake up the arms
Of half of the attendees
That have a message
That I can't read.

We know it by
Little children
Clinging,
Terrified,
To the hands of their
Irresponsible mothers.

And we know it
By inhaling so much
Secondhand smoke
That we're almost positive
That a little lung cancer
Has invaded our privacy.

We know it by
The Herndon Festival.

And we love it.

The rain falls like tears,
slow and steady.
These clouds loom overhead.
I can see the light fighting to peak from behind....



There is a gentle release.
The rain is washing the world,
as these tears wash the soul,
leaving a crisp luminosity.
Tender with the reflection
of the areas the light fails to reach.



The area where they meet,
the light and the rain,
the smile and the tears...
Reveals a rainbow.
A spectrum of emotion and color-
with no reachable end.
So beautiful, so touching.

Human nature.
Humanity, and nature.
Complex reflections of one another.
Unending uncertainty,
and unrivaled relentlessness
shows unparalleled misunderstanding.

Sitting in the corner of a room. Your smile   hanging. The   bully   pasted by  with their fists in the air. Your vision cloudy. Thoughts   left   true.  Thoughts of   broken   clotted memories yo tried to block out. The   night you tried to  forget  your  pain. staring down a rope.  It feels  like  everybody  is against you. your mind pointed you to    hell . A  strong feeling. Your sick of the bully beating you. You go to your parents seeking a listening    ear., but they don't care. your fingers cross a gun. Rolling the thought through your head. "Does anyone really  care?" You   pushed  the  wish of death off for a little longer. Your   hand  is covered in scars, scars of self harm. It makes you  sick. Your heart is pounding. A single tear rolls down your face. You think to yourself "Ill be  doing  everyone a favor, never to be seen again." You shut out the thought and run outside. Rain hitting the pavement. You try to talk yourself out of the idea. Swinging your head back and forth. The  rain drops cover your tears, but your eyes say the whole truth.  You take a step back. You run inside. Your body   hurts . Your   eternal self tells you to take some pain pills. You take more than you should. You lock yourself in your bedroom. Thinking of your memories as a    kid. Your mother and father in the next room see the pill bottle on the floor. Spilled out, and the gun lying next to it. They come running, and bang on your door. You walk your groggy body over to your closet and close the door. Your   waiting for the pills to work..and overdose you. Your    chest is burning. You are handling more than you can deal with. You stand up and open the door. Dissy. You fall over leaving a blow to the door. Your father breaks open the door. He sees your lifeless body on the ground.  Him and your  mother praying you're alive. She runs and calls 911. You are dead. Your father knows and tells your mother. She falls to the ground screaming and crying. You mother runs into the bathroom and grabs the gun. She falls to the ground with a single bang  Your fathers eyes widen. He knows what has just happend. The parametics arrive and so does the police. The life of a father has been destroyed and left to wonder. *Where did I go wrong?

i pray these feelings will pass
sometimes your words cut like glass
and leave me so broken, so alone
in this place i try to call home
and i wanted more than this
how it hurts with every kiss
and sometimes i just feel afraid
picking apart all the decisions i've made
because is this me
who i wanted to be
or did i fall short, full of mistake
pain in every breath i take
when i feel worthless, empty
and the tears fall plenty
and i just wanna sleep
fall into the dark & deep
or grow wings and fly away
why even bother to pray
when it doesn't change
everything looks strange
it all starts to shatter
i just wanted to matter

hello, anxiety
welcome to my humble abode
tell me you're doing well
you seem to be thriving
in this poor excuse for a body
I wish I could say the same
my love
my constant companion
my greatest weakness
I see you've made yourself at home
please, enjoy your stay
I'd offer you coffee
maybe tea, or just water
but it appears I have forgotten how to ask.

You muttered lies and empty threats
With the intention to collapse all that we’d built together.
Our empire was structurally sound
And flawless to the last detail
But you've crumpled it
With your angry footprints
And your inexplicable ability
To reek havoc upon the unsuspecting citizens
You created dysphoria in city streets
The muffled screams of children pressed into the breast of their mothers
Clinging to their shirts
For all the life that their tiny bodies had experienced
Appeared to be crashing down.
In a nanosecond everything changed
Our quiet halcyon would erupt into a volcano of misery
You played your violin on the rooftops
Listening to everything you had ever known and come to love, disappear
It spread like wildfire and soon your music was no more
Soon we lived in desolate silence
You and I
Spoon feeding the masses our hollow heap of endless lies
“Hush my people, everything will calm once more if you only do as we say.”
That night we all passed bitterly away
The cold overtook our shaking bodies
And curdled our blood like sour milk
My last sight was you
A sinister smile spreading across your chapped lips
“The end” you whispered, as you grabbed my hand
“Is here.”