I've written of heartaches and other sad things
Of broken hearts and the pain that it brings
I've written of death and of those that grieve
Of women abused but too scared to leave

I've written of sorrow and people who cry
Of those who are cheaters and of those who lie
I've written of tears that can fill the sea
Of people that's lost their serenity

I've written of children that's lost their way
Of husbands and wives too jaded to stay
I've written of depression that people feel
Of those giving up for they've lost their will

I've written of love that didn't last
Of people who live their lives in the past
I've written of poets who spill their soul
Of many things that we can't control

I've written of dying and of suicide
Of those who lose, even though they've tried
And though I've written of all this stuff
There's much more to say, I've not written enough

Wisdom is earned through many years
Built on heartaches, trials and tears
For it takes a lifetime to become a sage
Growing ever wiser each day they age

There's not many things that they haven't seen
Their bodies grow older, their minds staying keen
With answers to questions that we haven't learned
Working each day for the wisdom they've earned

Sometimes we think that their just out of touch
But they've seen it all and we haven't seen much
Sometimes we say that they don't understand
But the things that we know has come from their hand

Teaching us things through the stories they tell
Some will grow wiser, while others will fail
Wisdom is something that cannot be bought
For time is our teacher, it can only be taught

I'm the music and you're the song
You're every breath I take
You're my dream when I'm asleep
And my comfort when I wake

I'm the canvas and you're the brush
So paint me as you will
I'm the words the poet writes
And you, the poet's quill

You're the potter and I'm the clay
So shape with your hands
Without form I surrender all
Mold me to fit your plans

I'm the question and you're the answer
To everything I've known
I'm the shadow following close
You'll never be alone

You're the reason God made smiles
He just couldn't help Himself
He saw the world was sad and lonely
So He took you off the shelf

I'm the music and you're the song
You're every breath I take
You're my dream when I'm asleep
And my comfort when I wake

I'm the canvas and you're the brush
So paint me as you will
I'm the words the poet writes
And you, the poet's quill

You're the potter and I'm the clay
So shape with your hands
Without form I surrender all
Mold me to fit your plans

I'm the question and you're the answer
To everything I've known
I'm the shadow following close
You'll never be alone

You're the reason God made smiles
He just couldn't help Himself
He saw the world was sad and lonely
So He took you off the shelf

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

The Song
A Poem by Whiskurz

When does a poem become a song?
Does the music make it real?
A melody makes us sing along
But the words are from the quill

Without the words the music's blind
It can't see where to go
For the words are how a song's defined
And the music's just for show

Wrapped in notes and chords to tease
It's meant to entertain
But it always takes the words to please
Or the music's played in vain

The words are there to touch the heart
Or the music might be missed
For it only plays a minute part
If the words did not exist

Some has said that poetry's dead
But they couldn't be more wrong
For the poet sees the music's fed
Or there couldn't be a song
© 2013 Whiskurz

He went to have his future read
For he wanted his fortune told
So he went to a witch, a psychic of sorts
Who was said to be a hundred years old

She told him all he wanted to hear
She said, "By thirty you will be rich"
He tried to leave before he could pay
And in doing so angered the witch

"By thirty years old you'll have your wealth,
But your days are numbered at best"
"For when the last leaf falls from the sycamore tree,
You'll meet with life's ending rest"

Well the witch finally died, as the years went by
Her corpse now buried and rotten
Summer was ending as the leaves start to fade
And her prophecy all but forgotten

While raking his leaves that fell in his yard
A leaf came tumbling down
The very last leaf from the sycamore tree
That evening his body was found

They said that his heart just quit working
He turned thirty the day that he died
A million dollar check came in the mail
Life insurance, paid to his bride

A poem is just a teardrop
A form of liquid pain
Released to pen and paper
Our words become a stain

The hurt that's bottled up inside
Can come out through our eyes
Promises made, but never kept
Are nothing but liquid lies

As the teardrop hits the paper
The words begin to form
Releasing all the pain inside
To calm the coming storm

Heartache is just another word
That's written by our tears
The pain becomes the writer's quill
'Til a little relief appears

A poem is just a teardrop
That's worded carefully
Liquid pain becomes a stain
And sets the poet free

A shadow lives inside my heart
A place where nothing's real
Where echoes reign with endless pain
A place I used to feel

Where everything I love, I break
Sooner or later is found
A hollow shell that feels like hell
But never makes a sound

And endless trail of a broken past
With tiny drops of pain
Where it always seems my hopes and dreams
Are almost daily slain

Twisted excuses litter my path
No matter where I go
A love that's bruised and been misused
Always seems to show

I'm sorry never seems enough
To cover each mistake
The things I touch , I love too much
Somehow always break

The longer we live, the harder it is
To remember our fading past
Our memories somehow slip away
Destined never to last

Have you ever wondered what happens
To the things that we forget?
They're handed down in the stories we tell
To people we've never met

As time goes on they start to grow
Each time that they are told
Sometimes our memories are written down
In a book that might be sold

While others may turn to legend
Growing bigger every day
Some are told a thousand times
Each time a different way

Our memories start to fade with time
But they're not finished yet
People will know the life we've lived
In the things that we forget

The whole world watched
As they fell to the ground
A multitude was lost
Only a few were found

An unseen evil
Came from the sky
Innocence, the target
We're left asking why

Mothers and Fathers
Sisters and Brothers
All lost their lives
And so many others

He came from the east
With death in his heart
He thought he would break us
And tear us apart

It only made us stronger
When the Twin Towers fell
For we trust in God
They're screaming in hell

High on a mountain in a foggy mist
He buried his treasure one night
He laid it down in the cold dark ground
Beneath the bright moonlight

A tree is where he placed his X
To mark where his treasure lay
A mountain man who lived off the land
A place he was destined to stay

All alone just him and his treasure
It had been that way for thirty-five years
But late at night by dim moonlight
He would often be brought to tears

Each day he would check on his treasure
Beneath that lonesome oak tree
In an old wooden box then covered with rocks
For whoever passed by would see

He cherished his treasure that only God gives
And he would for the rest of his life
Until one day the man passed away
And was buried beside his wife

Another X was made on that tree
Her treasure was finally found
Years have passed but he's home at last
Beside his treasure in the ground

She wasted her talent for most of her life
Buried down deep in her soul
Knowing she had the words to heal
But no one would ever know

She could see inside a person's heart
She knew how to fix their pain
She could even find the rainbow
Each time that it started to rain

And though she had never been there
She could still understand their grief
She knew what each one was looking for
And could offer a little relief

She was more than your everyday poet
For she had such a special gift
She could always bring her words to life
To set our souls adrift

There was something about the words she chose
That was simple, with understanding
Her words were kind and well defined
Suggesting, but never demanding

How many lives could this poet have touched
If she would have only followed through?
Don't be afraid to write what you feel
For this poet, could even be you

You never choose to be a poet
The words somehow choose you
Sometimes you can't escape it
If it's what you're meant to do

A poet is always filled with pain
When they feel the need to write
They search for words all night long
'Til they finally get it right

For a poem is like an unfinished task
A never-ending need
A journey that always needs to grow
From inspiration's seed

For a poem is like a long lost friend
That always brings you peace
A burden you've buried so deep inside
You write to find release

But you never choose to be a poet
The words just fall in place
It's either a curse you can't turn away
Or a gift you must embrace

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

Pieces of my imperfection
Lie hopelessly on display
The inner me I've come to know
Breaks a little more each day

The air I breathe is poison
Contaminated by my fear
Each breath I take, my lungs reject
Knowing you're not here

Loneliness invades my crippled mind
And deprives me of my sleep
The night, reserved for reflection
All the memories that I weep

I'm not whole without your smile
And your touch that says I'm real
An empty vessel cracked and worn
Too damaged to ever feel

The you in me gave me life
I was the lost that you had found
I was the one who died today
Though they laid you in the ground

You asked me to tell you the truth
About what I felt inside
This cancer that I've been hiding
Was growing too big to hide

The words that I've been looking for
Were found among my tears
But I've quickly wiped them all away
And hidden them for years

You've sealed my lips with a thousand kisses
Kisses I didn't deserve
I wanted to tell you a million times
But I couldn't find the nerve

So today I finally told you
"I don't love you anymore"
That's when I felt your heart break
It ripped my very core

The cancer suddenly disappeared
And now it sits benign
But still I die a little each day
For you're no longer mine

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

Nothing will ever look the same
When you're told you're going to die
The things you took for granted
Will no longer pass you by

The flowers become more beautiful
'Cause you take the time to smell
And the things that went unnoticed
Now live to say farewell

The things you touch seem different
While marveling at the feel
You wonder why you have to die
To make things seem so real

The gentle winds that kiss your face
Now bring you to your knees
You never notice until it's too late
The joy that's in the breeze

The past becomes your future
Remembering your mistakes
You live each day to right the wrong
No matter what it takes

The hardest part is saying goodbye
To all the people you love
One more day is all you want
It's all you're thinking of

You're amazed by God's creation
While counting every breath
The world will never look the same
As you look through the eyes of death

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

She picks up a photograph
And cleans it with her dress
A smile, stolen from better times
Strewn among the mess

A coffee cup with a broken rim
An earring covered in gold
Tiny pieces of who they were
Memories, she can hold

The dream they called their loving home
Lay scattered upon the ground
Her joy becomes her agony
With every piece that's found

A mirror stands without a crack
Reflecting the morning sun
The twister chose to pass it by
Among the damage done

Her future ripped in tiny pieces
Her husband, now lay dead
A day before her birthday
Her wishes turn to dread

She finds the family bible
Its pages wet and torn
All alone she stumbles on,
In silence, begins to mourn

Another day has come and gone
For this lonely widowed wife
She tries to find her way back home
Through her tiny pieces of life

Today I saw a diamond cry
For your beauty stole its shine
The flowers all began to sigh
For you make them all benign

The stars no longer reflect the moon
For you have become their light
Even the sun is not immune
For he chases away the night

Your shadow makes the sun rejoice
He follows where ever you go
His love for you has bound his voice
Or he would have told you so

Even the breeze whispers your name
Just to touch your hair
Your shadow tries to share your fame
She follows you everywhere

Today I saw a diamond cry
For your beauty stole its shine
Not a day goes by that I don't ask why
The Good Lord made you mine

Today I saw a teardrop
Just resting on my sleeve
He said his name was "Heartache"
And he came to watch me grieve

He showed me many horrible things
This drop of liquid pain
I tried to wipe this tear away
But it turned into a stain

The stain said, "Look a little closer,
And tell me what you see"
The more I looked the more I tried
To rid this stain from me

Another tear ran down my face
And was sitting on my cheek
My sleeve again wiped it away
Then he started to speak

He said his name was "Past Regrets"
"And the things you see are true"
But as I peered inside this tear
All I could see was You

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the hills
The kinfolk were drinkin' and tending their stills

The longjohns were hung by the chimney with care
No stockings were found, just underwear

The children were nestled so high in their bunks
Their quilts made of skins from rabbits and skunks

Granny with her false teeth and gun on her knee
Was waiting for Santa as she sat by the tree

From out of the barn there arose such a noise
We thought it was Grandpa drinkin' with the boys

But what to my wandering eye should appear
It was just cousin Cleatus in mama's brassiere

And then from the rooftop we heard it at last
Like the sound of thunder or a shot gun blast

We have Christmas dinner, it's finally here
Granny kidnapped Santa while we shot his deer

Venison all covered with onions for stew
And even old Santa enjoyed some too

His belly was full when he walked out the door
But he couldn't resist when we offered him more

Well that's the story of our Christmas here
Merry Christmas to all 'til the same time next year

Oh lady fair, of twilight mist
Why must thou leave so soon?
What beauty will thine eyes have missed
Beneath the coming moon?

Thou hath never seen the dark of night
Neither the stars so high
Thou hath never seen the bright sunlight
That kisses the eastern sky

Trapped between the night and day
In a place thou can't escape
Never to see the magical way
The shadows change their shape

Just a prisoner of the inbetween
That vanishes in the night
A legend told, but never seen
A mystery to the light

Though fleeting is thy life long curse
Thou art blessed never to know it
For thy name hath inspired many a verse
To many an unknown poet

Oh lady fair, of twilight mist
Why must thou leave so soon?
What beauty will thine eyes have missed
Beneath the coming moon?

As passion burns, my heart starts to melt
Consumed by the flame that is you
A fire so bright that the sun starts to fade
Confused, it knows not what to do

Your breath on my skin can offer relief
With the warmth, I feel in your touch
The minute you smile, the light blinds my eyes
If I stare at your beauty too much

The moment you speak, a whisper of love
Can offer a kind gentle breeze
The beat of your heart makes time stand still
And can bring me to my knees

Each time we kiss, the embers awake
Surrounding our love with your fire
Alarm bells ring, when we finally embrace
From the overwhelming heat of desire

The love that we have, no one can touch
Two fires, with ony one flame
For no one has felt the love that I feel
And I know that you feel the same

As passion burns, my heart starts to melt
Consumed, by the flame that is you
A fire so bright that the sun starts to fade
Confused, it knows not what to do

Your breath on my skin can offer relief
With the warmth I feel in your touch
The minute you smile the light blinds my eyes
If I stare at your beauty too much

The moment you speak a whisper of love
Can offer a kind gentle breeze
The beat of your heart makes time stand still
And can bring me to my knees

Each time we kiss, the embers awake
Surrounding our love with your fire
Alarm bells ring when we finally embrace
From the overwhelming heat of desire

The love that we have, no one can touch
Two fires with only one flame
For no one has felt the love that I feel
And I know that you feel the same

I buried an angel on top of the hill
Under the magnolia tree
Her wings are long since silent
But she still means the world to me

The magnolia's flowers cover her grave
Decorated in majestic white
She said the scent was Heaven's perfume
And their smell was pure delight

I was married to this angel for forty-one years
Before Heaven called her away
I knew she had to leave this world
Even though I begged her to stay

I know that my loss is Heaven's gain
I guess they were one angel short
I know they wouldn't have taken her away
Unless it was their last resort

Sometimes when I start missing her
I can't wait 'til the magnolias bloom
We can sit and talk for hours
While smelling their sweet perfume

She said, "This is as close to Heaven
as anyone could ever be"
So I buried her on that hillside
Underneath the magnolia tree

Is a poet still a poet
if his words should go unread?
Or is he just a dreamer
with words inside his head?

Does a poet keep on writing
though no one knows his name?
Or spill his soul 'til his fingers bleed,
searching for his fame?

Does he dream of Poe as he writes his verse
in poetic harmony?
Or Count the Ways like Browning did
in sonnet forty-three?

Does he Take the Road Not Taken
like the late great Robert Frost?
Or take the road the others take
to find out that he's lost?

A poet is a poet
if his work should go unread
His words will stand the test of time,
in something that he's said

Sometimes hidden behind a smile
We can find our darkest places
The laughter will last for only a while
For it's something the darkness erases

No words exist to even explain
This feeling of total despair
You try your best to hide the pain
And pretend that it's not there

It steals the soul in tiny pieces
Until there's nothing left
And though your joy slowly decreases
Your mind is aware of the theft

That's when life seems closer to death
Than you ever thought it could be
You ponder each and every breath
While hoping it sets you free

We should consider depression a crime
It replaces the joy with lies
It has a way of distorting time
Until the laughter dies


  R.I.P. Robin Williams

I watched the sun come up today
Its beauty made me cry
I watched the sparrows fly away
They flew so very high

I stopped to pick a garden rose
And held it in my hand
I marveled at the one I chose
Its stem too weak to stand

I smelled the rain before it fell
Before it made a sound
I've really learned to love that smell
Like nothing else I've found

I watched the moon begin to rise
As the sun began to set
A beautiful glow lit up the skies
Something I won't forget

But I'd trade it all for one more day
When you were here with me
It's really a very small price to pay
For the way it used to be

Have you ever heard a teardrop fall
As it scars a innocent face
Heartbreak cries with bloodshot eyes
As pain begins to race

A tear is full of emotion
Not the other way around
Tears are heard without a word
Though it doesn't make a sound

A tear is a broken promise
Or maybe it's a lie
A tear will fall for one and all
When love has said goodbye

A teardrop has a purpose
They call it liquid pain
Cleansing the soul each time they flow
Though it always leaves a stain

So listen to a teardrop
Though silent it may be
The sound you hear from a single tear
Will tell its history

No one knows where the wind comes from
But we see can it in the trees
There's nothing there we can touch or hold
But we can feel its gentle breeze

The wind is made of voices
Just whispers in the night
From those who've long since passed away
Reaching, for the light

It sometimes comes in a sweet caress
From lovers who have died
A gentle kiss upon our cheeks
From a husband or a bride

A melancholy wind will sometimes blow
A whisper of the past
From broken hearts who've died alone
A love that didn't last

We sometimes feel that angry wind
A lost and tortured soul
Cursed to shout in a whispered voice
That time cannot console

So when you feel that warm spring breeze
Listen close and you will hear
The wind is made of whispering souls
From voices, no longer here

In a brand new box of crayons
A love begins to sprout
Black and White would finally meet
When the box was emptied out

Black was used each time he fell
While White was usually ignored
The other colors would go unnoticed
For it was White that Black adored

On a cloudy overcast afternoon
A wedding of sorts takes place
Black met White in clouds of gray
As the two would finally embrace

It was a drawing of utter perfection
On paper of purist white
The roses were made by the color Red
While Yellow would draw the light

Silver and Gold would draw the bells
That rang throughout the land
Silver would be the color of choice
To draw the wedding band

A rainbow of colors would soon appear
The grass and leaves were Green
A colorful wedding would soon take place
To finish this beautiful scene

The box again becomes their home
As they're gathered back inside
This colorful wedding is finally over
With Black beside his bride

Enter a land of shattered dreams
And cast aside desires
The gates are built on broken smiles
And promises made by liars

A place where love's not welcome
For it simply cannot be found
A land of crushed and hollow souls
Where screams don't make a sound

A place where hope does not exist
And compassion cannot survive
Where second chances are just a myth
And pain and heartache thrive

A land where lakes are filled with tears
And memories once made, now lost
A bridge that leads to nowhere
With a void that can't be crossed

A place you've made with years of hurt
Your priceless work of art
An empty shell of a broken man
Welcome to my heart

Enter a land of shattered dreams
And cast aside desires
The gates are built on broken smiles
And promises made by liars

A place where love's not welcome
For it simply cannot be found
A land of crushed and hollow souls
Where screams don't make a sound

A place where hope does not exist
And compassion cannot survive
Where second chances are just a myth
And pain and heartache thrive

A land where lakes are filled with tears
And memories once made, now lost
A bridge that leads to nowhere
With a void that can't be crossed

A place you've made with years of hurt
Your priceless work of art
An empty shell of a broken man
Welcome to my heart

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

It seems that life refuses me
I'm followed by my past
I run but still my eyes can see
The shadows that I've cast

Traces of the man I was
Gets closer everyday
I no longer do the things he does
But still he makes me pay

No one knows who I've become
They see the same reflection
Because the things I've done to some
I'm mired in rejection

The price I pay is way too high
It does not fit the crime
But all my good has passed me by
I still must do the time

What comes around goes around
How true can these words be?
Though the things I've done are in the past
They're catching up with me

A poet will hear a sad song
As the rain falls on the tin
They write the tears that no one hears
In the places pain has been

A poet will hear a whisper
In the early morning breeze
They write the call of the coming Fall
As it's talking to the trees

A poet will hear a love song
In the waves that caress the sand
They write the kiss that most will miss
Or maybe don't understand

A poet will hear a teardrop
As it's falling down your cheek
They write the sound when a tear is found
For its voice is much too weak

A poet will hear most anything
That others may not hear
From the very start they listen with their heart
And this makes it loud and clear

My wife says I'll never be famous
'Cause Whiskurz is a stupid name
I said, "That's not what my parents called me"
She said, "Your real one is just as lame"

"You'll never be a William Shakespeare,
Longfellow, Frost or Poe"
"You won't even be a Dr. Seuss,
I hate to have to tell you so"

I said, "Whiskurz is easy to remember"
She said, "That's just a dumb excuse"
I said, "At least I don't just make names up,
What is a Dr. Seuss?"

She just shook her head and walked away
While I pondered what she had said
I yelled, "It doesn't really matter who they were,
'Cause like Elvis, they're all dead"

So I'll change my name to Elvis
But if I get sued, she's the blame
I still think Whiskurz is easy to remember
But I guess it won't bring me fame

Behold the silence when a butterfly dies
That's heard throughout the land
For a gentle hush will start to rise
That no one can understand

Each time a butterfly falls from the sky
Another heart has been broken
The wind inhales and begins to sigh
For fate again has spoken

Can the butterfly feel the pain that we bear?
Or is it the other way around?
Does heartbreak come as they fall from the air,
And gently float to the ground?

One thing's for sure when butterflies die
The pain by both can be felt
The truth is we'll never know why
We just play the hand that we're dealt

Behold the silence when a butterfly dies
That's heard throughout the land
For a gentle hush will begin to rise
That no one can understand

When diamonds are born they're named after you
For you're the most precious thing on this earth
You're the most priceless thing, that God ever made
Diminishing the diamond's worth

You're even the reason that God made smiles
For without you they wouldn't exist
The sun even smiles when he sees you walk by
For he simply just couldn't resist

God made the oceans as blue as your eyes
Not the other way around
And I was the lost that no one could find
Until you became my found

Even the rose petals become your reflection
For that's the only reason they grow
They even asked God to be as special as you
But He simply told them no

Some might even say that I'm a little selfish
For I won't even let people stare
But when the Good Lord above gave me your love
He told me never to share

A letter is hidden inside each tear
As the pain escapes our eyes
A poem is born inside our souls
Whenever a poet cries

Sometimes they're tears of sadness
Other times, tears of joy
They're filled with happy endings
Or words that can even destroy

A tear can look like a broken heart
Or maybe a gentle smile
It can even look like temptation
Tears that are meant to beguile

A tear can be a new born child
Or a loved one who has died
Ink will flow through a poet's veins
In the letters that we've cried

A letter is hidden inside each tear
In all the words we seek
A tear will give the letters a voice
Until the words begin to speak

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

When poets bleed they fill their quills
And write their words in red
The letters scream each time they're made
In the hope of being read

The page becomes a sounding board
A mirror to the soul
A reflection meant to bring them peace
To comfort or console

They choose their words so carefully
Not wasting a drop of blood
Writing words that lift them up
As tears begin to flood

They'll write with true conviction
Each time they start to weep
They write sometimes to clear their minds
Before they get to sleep

When poets bleed a word is born
Trying to appease their need
Shining a light to the whole wide world
And all who want to read

Today I watched a shadow cry
His sleeves were filled with pain
He wept the tears of love gone bad
That left an empty stain

His tears screamed out in silence
For they didn't make a sound
His cheeks were wet with memories
As they tumbled to the ground

Have you ever seen a shadow cry,
When love goes incomplete?
He'll stare into his liquid pain
That puddles on the street

Deep within the puddle's tears
The shadow starts to wade
The love he knew has said goodbye
His reflection starts to fade

Today I watched a shadow cry
As it drifted out to sea
I could feel the pain this shadow felt
For this shadow belonged to me

I followed my shadow to see where he went
To see all the things he would see
I've often wondered how his day was spent
When he wasn't busy following me

We walked to a place in a crowded park
There were people everywhere
I sat down beside him on a empty bench
In the middle of a busy square

We waited for probably an hour or two
And then after a little while
Something by the fountain caught his eye
And that's when he started to smile

Another shadow came walking our way
A girl, as pretty as she could be
I just couldn't help but notice her beauty
But she didn't even notice me

That's when my shadow stretched forth his hand
And the two began to dance
I watched from my bench as the shadows kissed
'Til the air was filled with romance

They danced all day 'til the sun went down
And then went their separate ways
And needless to say I follow my shadow
A little bit more these days

Sparrows bleed as trumpets scream
They fall to kiss the earth
Crimson proof it's not a dream
For death has given birth

Darkness smiles with broken wings
A feathered wake of sorts
When death is born no one sings
For joy somehow distorts

Devils dance and act a fool
Just barely out of sight
Shadows watch and start to drool
While laughing at the light

Empty tears, for no one cares
It happens every day
Far away an angel stares
There's nothing left to say

Twisted fate, we don't ask why
For death will come to all
When death is born, we must die
As sparrows start to fall

When Winter dies it's always sad
The clouds begin to cry
The flowers grow to let us know
That Winter has said goodbye

Winter held on as long as she could
But she caught that Spring disease
Try as she might she lost the fight
To make her subjects freeze

When all of her snow begins to melt
It's more than she can take
She begins to fear her time is near
As Mother Nature plans her wake

Summer and Fall begin to watch
For they share the very same fate
They're already there as both of them stare
As Winter's arrival is late

They bury her somewhere far away
Away from prying eyes
Today rejected she'll be resurrected
Once again to rule the skies

Today you wrote a letter
Intent on saying goodbye
You packed your things and moved away
Without even telling me why

You said the words began to cry
When the tears mixed with your ink
Your mind was confused and cloudy
You could barely even think

You told me that you're sorry
To have to leave this way
You hoped that I would understand
You simply couldn't stay

I've always loved the written word
Even letters I couldn't face
I tried to find the reason why
But found an empty space

Now words no longer have meaning
They're just an empty lie
I never thought I'd see the day
When words would simply die