A hidden place where smiles are born
Is tucked inside your hearts
It's touched by joy and begins to grow
That's where it always starts

But before the smile can ever be seen
And show upon your faces
It travels through your minds and souls
And stops in many places

It will pause and kiss your funny bones
To see if you need to laugh
If not, it travels a little bit farther
And chooses a different path

It stops in a place called second thoughts
Where it sits for just a while
And once your minds have thought it over
It moves on towards a smile

When it finally makes it to your face
It stops right where it's at
And I hope that after you've read this poem
I caused it to do just that

Why dost thou tempt me so?
Doth my protest go unheard?
'Tis thy smile I've come to know
Temptation without a word

Your glances feed my soul
Each day as you walk by
My hunger I can't console
Growing weak as you draw nigh

You feed this fire that burns within
But yet you're out of reach
I watch this blessing turn to sin
A place my heart can't breach

Alas, I turn and look away
Still knowing you are there
I cannot bare to look your way
A moment we can't share

I feel your stare as you walk by
I hide my adoration
But when you're gone I softly sigh
Consumed by my temptation

I want to love you in slow motion
So the world feels our emotion

A love the whole world can see
Frozen in time, just you and me

With a kiss that lasts for days
Witnessed a thousand different ways

Where every second is used
And time itself is confused

'Til eternity gets a new name
Our slow motion love, the blame

I want to love you in slow motion
A frame by frame devotion

I was blinded by your beauty
I couldn't look away
The silence stole the air I breathe
There was nothing I could say

Even the wind forgot to blow
The birds had lost their voice
The flowers watched with envy
They didn't have a choice

The sun above turned his head
Your smile was just too bright
The stars reflect your beautiful eyes
The moon gave up the night

The angels cried the moment you spoke
It caused the Heavens to rain
Your voice was like a Heavenly choir
A sound I can't explain

There are no words to best describe
The way you made me feel
The first time I laid eyes on you
Was the day that time stood still

Long ago, before words were known
Sound simply didn't exist
A smile was the only thing needed
Or a tear, if someone were missed

Love was then, the language of choice
A silent show of affection
Until that day when sound was invented
The heartbreaking cry of rejection

A teardrop had finally found its voice
The silence was broken in two
A broken heart had finally spoken
And the people knew not what to do

No words of comfort could pass their lips
For words were yet to be known
So the sound of heartbreak spread like cancer
For those, who would suffer alone

Words would one day come to fruition
And comfort would finally be found
But the silence was silenced forever more
Because the invention of sound

I can no longer think, eat or sleep
Even my thoughts seem to stutter
Captivated by your radiant smile
And by every word you utter

I'm trapped by my wishful thinking
Wishing you will someday be mine
I see visions of happy endings
That were formed by Heaven's design

My love for you is now malignant
Growing stronger each waking day
I no longer have a sense of direction
Your perfection causes my reason to stray

The person I was has somehow vanished
Tomorrow's become where ever you lead
My wants and desires have all disappeared
And filled with this thing that I need

I'm lost in a world that no longer matters
And this is my heart's true confession
I'm not me and you're not you
You're simply my heart's obsession

Time is a lot like distance
When a memory is concerned
The older we get the further we are
From the things that we once learned

One more day is another mile
From the way that we were taught
The priceless time when we grew up
A memory that can't be bought

The day we finished high school
We thought that we were grown
One more mile and another day
As we set out on our own

Then the day that we got married
We would walk a few more miles
Another day and further away
As we faced our troubles and trials

Time is a lot like distance
Every second that we roam
It slips away a little each day
'Til we're a million miles from home

Life is like a runaway train
Never knowing where it may lead
The curves in the track can't slow us down
For there's no way to adjust the speed

The twists and turns are enlightening
And some make a wonderful surprise
While others are sorrow and heartache
Just broken promises and lies

Though we've never seen the conductor
Our tickets have already been taken
We take our seats and close our eyes
But we never get used to the shakin'

Though we have no sure destination
We marvel at every turn
The scenery we see, is pure destiny
As we ponder the things that we learn

This runaway train that we call life
Rides on the tracks of time
And just when we think it will last forever
We reach the end of the line

I wish I knew where tears come from
The eyes are where they show
But what goes on behind the scenes
That makes a teardrop grow?

Are they planted by emotion,
Then picked when they are ripe?
Are the shirt sleeves only purpose
To catch the tears we wipe?

Are they always on the surface
Or buried someplace deep?
Do our teardrops have a number
That's counted as we weep?

And what about those tears of joy
That mixes with our smile
They're always few and far between
Then only last a while

I wish I knew where tears come from
And if you're wondering why
I'd rid the world of all its pain
So we would never cry

The poet waits for his muse to arrive
His words are in disarray
He tries his best to right them down
But doesn't know what to say

He feels the words inside his heart
But his quill is barely used
He wants the words to bring him peace
But his words have all refused

Then inspiration slowly arrives
To put his words in place
She whispers the words he needs to say
As he writes her words with grace

The poet slowly writes his pain
His muse close by his side
Without his muse his words are lost
Though many a poet has tried

They call this place a writer's block
And the poet will always lose
But inspiration will never come
When we write without our muse

Cast aside, not fit to be read
Silently collecting dust
Are all the words not good enough
With meanings we didn't trust

Words that were written before their time
Before we found our muse
We tried to write what we felt inside
With the words we shouldn't use

Everybody has a page or two
They try to hide away
Poems written with pure emotion
But we didn't know what to say

Silent words that will never be read
Words without a voice
Words that have a lot to say
But never given a choice

Stuffed in drawers and notebooks
They're laying everywhere
Words that will never be read out loud
Words we'll never share

A poet knows where words are grown
And where a poem starts
A place where just a thought is sown
A place inside our hearts

Some words are from the days of old
From poets of the past
Words that's meant to be retold
Making sure they always last

While other words can only be found
Inside a single tear
They're silent words without a sound
That only the poet can hear

For only a poet can write a smile
They've rescued from their pain
They'll use the words in such a style
That only they can explain

A poet knows where words are grown
The words that are hard to find
For poets somehow have always known
It's the heart and not the mind

Your love is like a foggy mist
That fades into the night
Or maybe the darkness that runs away
When it sees the morning light

It's somewhere in the middle
Hidden, between good and bad
I just couldn't tell the difference
For it was all I ever had

You didn't know commitment
It was a word you never used
When I asked for reassurance
You just silently refused

When I told you that I love you
You could only say, "Me too"
When I told you of my problems
You'd say, "Whatever you wanna do"

I've finally learned my lesson
Though this decision I've made is tough
If this is truly what you call love
It's just simply not enough

I write with pain and paper
The tears become my ink
I live each day like it's my last
While standing on the brink

My words become my saviour
They tell me where to go
Tomorrow has no meaning
A place I do not know

The paper is my shelter
It hides my past mistakes
My heart will tell me what to say
Before it finally breaks

My soul cries out in sad remorse
But no one hears me cry
No one offers a helping hand
They only pass me by

A poet's words will always scream
Before they disappear
A thousand people will read my verse
But none will truly hear

One heart is forever scarred
The other, oblivious to the pain
One heart feels a terrible loss
The other, no loss or gain

One heart feels hopeless regret
The other, no regret can be found
One heart cries out with blame
The other, not even a sound

One heart keeps looking for fault
The other, no reason or rhyme
One heart hangs on to the past
The other, no concept of time

One heart keeps looking for answers
The other, not wondering why
One heart looks for a second chance
The other has said goodbye

She lies in her bed night after night
While crying her satin tears
Her satin pillows, her only comfort
Her husband's been gone for years

He went away to fight in a war
In a far and distant land
He didn't come home like he promised he would
For he died alone in the sand

People would say, "It gets better in time"
But her wounds grow deeper each day
Her scars from a war she didn't even fight
Simply, just won't go away

Those satin pillows retain his smell
But each day his scent grows weak
She holds the pillow close to her heart
As she nestles it with her cheek

She talks to the pillow from time to time
It mostly calms her fears
She cries herself to sleep each night
In a puddle of satin tears

Somewhere beyond the dying embers light
A spark of hope will rescue me
Though the flames are now long since gone
The smoke still sets me free

An eternal flame now forever silenced
But a breeze of redemption blows my way
The darkness steals your name from my lips
But you memory still beckons me stay

The fire still burns within my soul
My breath filled with the ashes of rejection
The love I feel envelopes me whole
'Til the heat has scorched my reflection

Consumed by the flame that warmed my heart
As I burn but will not die
The smoke of regret fills the empty night
As it settles through this hollow sky

A spark of hope is all that I seek
To raise these embers once more
A gentle whisper will ignite the flames
'Til again this fire shall soar

Wilted flowers standing side by side
Candles with melted wax
One shadow cast where ever you go
Now just one set of tracks

A whisper can no longer be heard
No promises to be paid
Closets get larger with plenty of room
A bed is easier made

One straw stands alone in a glass
There's always an empty seat
There's more room now at the table
With plenty of food to eat

Yesterday seems like so long ago
Tomorrow? there isn't no hurry
The phone doesn't ring, you could care less
You don't have a reason to worry

This is the way a relationship dies
It's been this way for years
Life goes back to the way it was
Sometime after the tears

I wander through a land of pain
Not knowing where it leads
Facing things I can't explain
My soul so torn it bleeds

While trying to make excuses
To justify my need
I find no satisfaction
No one to intercede

My prayer becomes an empty mist
A vapor, nothing real
No words were ever written
To describe the way I feel

Even my reflection screams
My glass dreams start to break
I cannot find a purpose here
My life, a mere mistake

Death is still a mystery
He will not look my way
Unless this life is truly death
I'll die some more today

How can you tell me you know who I am
When part of me doesn't exist?
Maybe it's something that's not really there
Something you couldn't resist

An emptiness is born inside of my soul
A void that I'll never fill
Just broken pieces of what used to be
Pieces that will not heal

Like the sound that's lost in the distance
I've somehow lost my way
I keep trying my best to buy my way out
But I can't find anyone to pay

I tell you, "I'll change" but you know it's a lie
You think you have figured me out
I will be whoever you want me to be
But that's not what love is about

How can you tell me you know who I am?
How can I tell you, "You're wrong?"
I'm broken and used, it's too late to change
I've been this person too long

Chained to all my past mistakes
I drag around my pain
The cries from my wicked past
Has become my ball and chain

I dare not beg for mercy
For mercy I gave none
There isn't enough forgiveness
For the terrible things I've done

My conscience that condemns me
Fills me with regret
Reminding me of the pain I've caused
Making sure I never forget

My memories make me weaker
A man who once was strong
The loneliness is what I hate the most
Punishment for all my wrong

I've burned the bridges that life has built
So here I must remain
Chained to all my past mistakes
Dragging this ball and chain

This color is yet to get a name
Though most have seen its hues
For some this color is not yet known
For they've yet to pay their dues

There are no words to help describe
This color we carry inside
It's never seen the light of day
In darkness, it chooses to hide

Though many have tried to define it
None can comprehend
You need the light to see the colors
But the light cannot decend

Empty spaces and hollow dreams
Encompass its outer core
Shadows of what used to be
Block the only door

This color though it has no words
Will tear your world apart
A color that has no name at all
Is the color of a broken heart

She always loved the purple rose
The hardest rose to find
I said they were always just like her
Truly one of a kind

Every year when her birthday came
I gave her a purple rose
But when she died I couldn't find
The flower she always chose

I looked the earth both high and low
But the rose was no where in sight
They said the flower had disappeared
Stricken with some kind of blight

The first time I went to visit her grave
With flowers in my hand
I saw a sight that I'll never forget
Something I don't understand

Her grave was covered with roses
Growing right out of the ground
The only place on the face of the earth
Where purple roses are found

She always loved the purple rose
The hardest rose to find
I said they were always just like her
Truly one of a kind

I scream but no one listens
I cry but no one cares
I crave anything normal
Friendship? no one dares

The air I breathe is poison
I try to hold my breath
I know only one emotion
But hate won't bring me death

Everything I touch will break
I've seen it in the past
Even my shadow ran away
It's loneliness that I cast

I've given all I have to give
A breath away from falling
Death won't even look my way
I suffer while he is stalling

Tomorrow is just an illusion
Another reason to die
I wake up every morning
Just to live another lie

I think I'm leaking inspiration
It's running off of my page
Or maybe I'm just forgetful
And I'm only starting to age

Maybe the doctor can help me
Get back to feeling young
Give me a shot in one of my arms
Or a pill to put under my tongue

Words don't seem to fall in place
They keep dripping onto the floor
I've got buckets sitting everywhere
I just can't write anymore

Whenever I write, I fall asleep
I guess it's because I'm bored
Waking up, scared half to death
Only because I snored

The doctor has to help me
There has to be something to use
I'll get him to give me a prescription
Maybe a bottle of muse

Silence calms the evening breeze
The flowers all standing tall
The mountains tower above the trees
Making them all look small

A mountain lake reflects the sky
The clouds all wiped away
A place where time itself must sigh
For it's such a beautiful day

Untouched by man, it's plain to see
Corruption no where in sight
The way the land was meant to be
Surrounded by the light

Places like this are a special kind
It's beauty can be seen for miles
No wonder it's so impossible to find
For this is the place God smiles

I've read a lot of broken words
Wounded beyond repair
Sadness wrapped in tears and ink
And stories of despair

Poets are truly a special breed
They write the things they hide
Showing strangers they've never met
The pain that lives inside

Hiding their souls from those they love
Choosing paper to be their friend
Telling their secrets to a special kind
In places their hearts can mend

Hoping that someone can understand
The meaning of their grief
Where an unseen friend will extend a hand
And offer a little relief

Poets are truly a special breed
Through words that's never spoken
Though some are sure of who they are
Most are simply broken

We buried a muse the other day
For a poet laid down his quill
He said he'd never write again
For he simply refused to feel

Muses came from miles around
To tell their friend goodbye
Inspiration was everywhere
You should have heard them cry

They buried her in a special place
Up on Inspiration Hill
Paper flowers covered her grave
Her tombstone, the poet's quill

No one knows where muses go
When poets refuse to write
Maybe they simply disappear
Or maybe follow the light

The next time you get your writer's block
And you're feeling empty inside
Your inspiration has gone to a funeral
For another muse has died

"Daddy look at all the sandcastles"
"Aren't they all so grand?"
"Who could have known a king and his throne,
Could simply be made out of sand"

"Look at the beautiful towers"
"I wonder if a princess lives there"
"I'll bet she is kind, they're so hard to find,
With beautiful long flowing hair"

My daughter loved to go to the beach
She loved the sandcastles the best
But she didn't know her heart was too slow
And soon they would open her chest

It's funny sometimes how time can fly
It only seems like yesterday
There was a major complication with her operation
And my daughter has passed away

I still go to the beach from time to time
To see the sandcastles on display
I still close my eyes and part of me dies
Each time I hear her say

"Daddy look at all the sandcastles"
"Aren't they all so grand?"
"Who could have known a king and his throne,
Could simply be made out of sand"

I watch your kisses fade away
Your smiles all disappear
You thank God I'm home to stay
But indifferent, when I'm near

The love I see within your eyes
Are remnants from the past
I'm no longer your heart's prize
The promise didn't last

You gave your country all you had
They gave you back a chair
That's all you see, you're always sad
But war is never fair

I'd rather they shot me in the head
So I wouldn't know your name
They took away your life instead
But I'm the one you blame

I watch each day as our love dies
Crippled, I've stolen your joy
You look at me with pitiful eyes
Like a child sees a broken toy

My passion has become my pain
I ache to hold you tight
My days are long, no longer short
And lonely is my night

When you're not here my heart will break
It's mended by your touch
They say it's the way it's supposed to be
But I miss you way too much

I'm crippled when you say good bye
And seal it with a kiss
It reminds me of the things I've lost
And what I'm going to miss

I didn't know that love could hurt
But I guess it always will
A two way street that's good and bad
One we all must feel

My passion has become my pain
Divided by a line
The only peace that makes it right
Is knowing you are mine

I know he breaks your heart each day
I see it when you cry
You see him look the other way
When a woman passes by

And I know you think he's cheating
But you still believe his lies
Another piece of your heart will break
I can see it in your eyes

And I just wanted to let you know
I'll take whatever he breaks
I'll mend all the broken pieces
And keep the promises he makes

I'll hold your smile next to mine
And make it stay that way
If you'll give me your broken pieces
I'll chase your tears away

Whenever he breaks what's left of you
And your love for me increases
I want you to know that I'll be here
With all your broken pieces

Shadows still, as Fall laments
Winter claims its prize
It happens slow, in increments
Death is in Fall's eyes

The things of nature begin to age
It happens every year
It's time for life to turn the page
And slowly disappear

Winter demands a final reward
Seeking to steal Fall's breath
Death will come, it's never ignored
This is the way of death

Memories last as long as they can
Of the things that used to be
Winter is Death and Fall is Man
And it comes for you and me

Winter takes the things we've done
And leaves behind the crumbs
No place to hide, no where to run
For Winter always comes

I saw a poet the other day
Just sitting with his muse
He said he's getting too old to write
So he gave her to me to use

She was filled with inspiration
But mostly filled with tears
She missed the poet she used to inspire
She was his for sixty-five years

I tried to write a poem that day
But the words came out all wrong
My muse was always distracted
She'd been with him so long

Again, I passed my poet friend
Just sitting on the street
He looked like he lost the love of his life
He was tired and wouldn't eat

I told him I couldn't use his muse
She was his to do as he will
That old man began to smile
As he dusted off his quill

As I peer into my failure
All I find is grief
My hopes and dreams all mired down
Swallowing my relief

An echo slowly follows me
Reminding me of my past
I can't escape my past mistakes
Nor the shadows that I've cast

I dare not beg for mercy
For mercy I gave none
I've traded my forgiveness
For things that I called fun

A trader to my future
My blessings done long spent
My conscience has forsaken me
I know not where it went

The world keeps right on spinning
Filled with endless pain
When I'm gone this place will be
Minus one more stain

Thoughts trapped in ink, scar the paper's white form
As the poet gives way to her quill
Letters falling down, not making a sound
As they bend and bow to her will

She watches the words that's now taking shape
As the ink starts to flow from her veins
Her paper of white, hold the letters so tight
Making sure that its captive remains

Thoughts trapped in ink, now a whisper of life
Born from the lost poet's soul
Her words come alive as they blossom and thrive
Refusing to relinquish control

She relies on her muse as it shouts out commands
Telling her quill what to write
Her poem is finished, when her pain has diminished
As she writes 'til late in the night

Thoughts trapped in ink, are silent, yet loud
The only way thoughts can be heard
All has been said, when her poem is read
Her thoughts, becoming a word

An infection grows inside my soul
That love can never heal
A malignant growth of broken trust
Now keeps my heartbeat still

A fatal hand has made my bed
Where I'm supposed to sleep
I've tried my best to change my fate
But I'm buried way too deep

Deprived of truth, I'm filled with lies
It's running through my veins
Broken promises clog my heart
Where infection still remains

I'm holding on with all I've got
But I die a little each day
You keep asking for forgiveness
As you turn and walk away

An infection grows inside my soul
I've lost the will to fight
I try to tell you how I feel
But you're gone again tonight

I dreamed last night you cheated
You didn't even try to lie
When I said, "I felt defeated"
You wouldn't even ask me why

I dreamed I said, "I Love you"
You just turned and walked away
I said, "Tell me what I need to do"
You had nothing else to say

I dreamed you packed up everything
And headed toward the door
You offered me your wedding ring
Then tossed in on the floor

I dreamed I begged you not to go
But you never heard my plea
I said, "What'd I do?, please let me know"
You said you're done with me

A dream can drag you in too deep
There's no help when you fall
But that's the night I couldn't sleep
It wasn't a dream at all

Goodbye is a different language
Spoken with regret
Often used, sometimes abused
A word we'll never forget

It's known to **** a thousand dreams
Dreams that wither and die
A permanent scar that goes too far
And leaves us asking why

Goodbye is such an un-natural word
That's filled with fear and dread
It leaves a heart that's ripped apart
Because of the way it's said

It's always the meaning of distance
When one person walks away
The maker of tears that can last for years
As we die a little each day

Goodbye is a different language
Whether a lover or a friend
It's never kind if it's you that find
You're on the receiving end

There is a song that few have learned
That make the fairies dance
A secret spell that must be earned
That puts them in a trance

Late at night, when the moon is full
The queen will soon appear
All the fairies push and pull
In hopes of standing near

For tonight, the queen will choose a king
When the song is sung outloud
As all the fairies begin to sing
She passes through the crowd

They bow their heads as she walks by
But each one steals a glance
Their wings point high toward the sky
As the queen begins to dance

They sing her songs of romance
In the meadow where fairies dwell
Hoping the queen will give them a chance
As each one casts their spell

Her king is finally chosen
The queen has picked her king
The fairie's voices are frozen
'Til next time the fairies sing

A darkened veil of endless pain
Cover the eyes of my heart
Like a poet imprisoned without his quill
Or an artist, without his art

Complacent in all of my choices
But reprobate to a fault
Torn asunder from the rest of the world
Scarred by endless assault

An open wound with infectious bile
A ***** that will not heal
Confused and alone, I've lost my way
Broken, I cannot feel

Like a puppet on a lonely stage
My strings are in your hands
Cursed to follow and never to lead
Just following your commands

A crooked shadow, never quite right
A place to wipe your feet
Bent in the line my heart has drawn
Never to feel complete

To help them mend a broken heart
Or maybe make them smile
A new beginning, a place to start
Or maybe accept denial

To help them feel they're not alone
A reason to wipe their tears
To soften a heart that's turned to stone
Or calm their deepest fears

To help them find tomorrow's sun
When things aren't looking bright
Help them forgive the wrong they've done
And help them make it right

To help them find their hopes and dreams
That's faded by the way
Show them it's nothing like it seems
To tell them it's okay

To help them grasp their inner peace
To make it like it was
To help them know their pain will cease
That's what a poem does

I've tasted tears from broken hearts
I've known my share of pain
I've worn the shoes of crippled souls
With the shadows that remain

My sleeve has tried to comfort me
As it wipes away the past
The memories trapped inside a tear
Were destined not to last

I've heard the sound of shattered dreams
Drifting farther out of sight
While promises fade away like mist
Disappearing into the night

My hand still reaches across the bed
Expecting to touch your skin
Finding nothing but a broken heart
Where your body should have been

I didn't know love hurt this much
Until you said goodbye
Now I'm supposed to forget your name
Tell me how, I'll try

Today she lives on memories
Morsels of her past
Betrayed by time and left to die
Death's shadow has been cast

The wrinkles on her lonely face
Tell stories of joys and pains
A map of sorts, of who she was
Is all that now remains

She has no need for future things
No need to understand
Living now because she must
Beyond the things she'd planned

No one to tell her stories to
They start to fade away
She sadly waits her time to die
While living in yesterday

Trapped between this life and death
Her tears begin to speak
Another memory she won't share
Starts running down her cheek

She's now become invisible
It's like she doesn't exist
But when she's gone, it won't be long
Until she's truly missed

She had so much to offer us
Wisdom that we refused
Silently slipping through the cracks
A treasure that we abused

She paid the dues that life demands
Then quietly disappears
Left alone, she fades away
The wrinkles and the tears

I hide my screams so no one hears
A breath is all it takes
I swallow all my loneliness
I hate the sound it makes

My heart keeps beating I don't know why
I know I'm dead inside
My tears won't fall there's nothing there
My pain has somehow dried

The mirror no longer looks at me
I hide my face in shame
It's me that made myself this way
I fully take the blame

Death won't even call my name
I'm not worth his time
I cannot hate what doesn't exist
My existance is a crime

One more day I have to breathe
I'm not worth the trouble it takes
Oxygen to me is only temptation
For one of nature's mistakes

I didn't know the moon could cry
But I saw it with my own eyes
It looked like rain the day you died
As tears fell from the skies

Some people said it was only rain
But I knew the moon was sad
It rose each night to stare at you
'Til the jealous stars got mad

These days it doesn't shine as bright
As it did for you back then
Sometimes it won't come out at night
Its sorrow keeps it in

The sun shines a little longer now
To cover for the moon
Some people say it's longer days
But it's because you left too soon

I saw the moon the other night
Just before the rain
But we know it wasn't rain at all
It's tears from all its pain

I breathe the air of discontent
I fail in all my goals
I walk the path that never ends
Not knowing where it goes

My hopes and dreams are buried deep
In a place that I can't find
I follow voices only I can hear
Within my infected mind

I tell them my soul is not for sale
But yet they beckon me come
I peer into this place unknown
That's too unholy for some

What have I on earth to trade?
A failure since my birth
Even hell would turn its back
A scar upon this earth

Cursed to walk this world alone
An illusion, nothing real
Friend to me is a foreign word
Too numb to even feel

A stranger lives inside of me
One I do not know
She sees the things I cannot see
She often tells me so

I sometimes recognize her voice
It's one I've heard before
I listen 'cause I have no choice
A ghost I can't ignore

I pray for peace from day to day
But she will not hear my plea
She says that she is here to stay
She's become a part of me

She whispers things 'til late at night
My soul can find no rest
It's useless when I try to fight
But still I do my best

I've tried to **** this voice inside
My quill the weapon I use
But nothing helps, for all I've tried
I still can't silence my muse

I found a place where love can't go
The silence is heard for miles
A place where dreams will never grow
In the land of broken smiles

A land where love has been replaced
With lots of empty things
The only sound that's been embraced
Is the sound a heartache brings

A land with echoes far and wide
A lonely and hollow sound
A barren place where hope has died
With smiles all over the ground

A land where trust is just a myth
A place where lies have grown
Where scars are built to justify with
For that's all I've ever known

Happy endings are cast aside
And stacked in tiny piles
The only place where love's denied
In the land of broken smiles

I was going to write a sad poem
But my nephew shot himself
So I'll guess I'll wait 'til later
And I put it on the shelf

I finally took it down today
But before I started to write
I got a call from a friend of mine
His daughter died last night

So on the shelf it went once more
To wait 'til grief has passed
Again I took the paper down
To write my sorrow at last

But as my muse began to cry
A knock came at my door
A neighbor came to me in tears
Her husband killed in the war

I never wrote that sad poem
It sits upon the shelf
Sadness needs no poet at all
It somehow writes itself