"candids" poems
THIS is what love is.
banana bubblegum and magnetic poetry
the crickets on my front porch at three in the morning
making origami cranes out of butcher paper
even when I forget whether it's mountain fold or
valley fold and my crane turns out looking like a
seamonkey in a blender
wildflowers!
striped button-down shirts and plastic dinosaurs
singing Juanes at the top of our lungs
(Gah, you know
I can't speak Spanish.)
laughing at the serious parts in movies
having the patience for when
the words don't come out
and I have to stop
and think
(for a very long time)
and half the time it doesn't make sense anyway.
impromptu dance sessions on the side of the road
doors flung open, radio up
chocolate chip pancakes
out-of-town adventures
mailboxes. LOTS.
balcony raves with lots of glowsticks
and let me borrow that top!
just letting me sleeeeeeep
the smell of new pointe shoes
of New Orleans
of bluebonnets
telling me when I look awful (please)
making me eat things that I don't like
SNUGGLEBUNNY TIME
drive-thru people who hate our guts
That's What She Said's.
praising Buddha naked
dysfunctional kites
paying in change at Chicken Express
late night phone conversations
when I sound drunk
(but I'm not,
I'm tired. I just would rather
talk to you
than sleep.)
silence.
cupcakes, uniform closets
not shaving our legs in the winter
shadow puppets, rap songs,
Slumdog Millionaire
making once-in-a-lifetime faces
looks that speak oceans
pecan pralines and symphony orchestras you'll
never play with again but for that night
you're family
and you'll never forget it.
matches (aren't always for candles)
thousands upon thousands of candids
and the not-so-candids
saving kisses in your pocket for later
Neverland, Disneyland, cats
yellow dresses and stage make-up
watermelon Jolly Ranchers
saying my name like it's wrapped in blankets
and knowing that
even though I don't say it
as much as I should:
I do.
Apr 27, 2010
Apr 27, 2010 at 1:51 PM UTC
she told me i should put my heart in a box and so i did
lined with alstroemerias and ever-closing eyelids
breeze rushing through hair thick with bleach and memories
blowing the dust of his handprints from the backs of my arms into the wind
first driving lesson dreaming of san diego sunshine
catch me outside in a year's time
lana del rey record playing in the 4x4
hand out the window california dreamin' eyes
ocean roaring far from my little 20 zone
i always did fantasise about being an optimist
never quite managed it
but she told me i should put my heart in a box and so i did
lined with alstroemerias and polaroid candids
and i still dream of sunshine and straight roads on a daily basis
even if i don't get to have all that i want and still get to be his
i've wasted too much of my life being bitter for me to feel the world's sweetness
but driving home under dusk could perhaps fix the rust while i'm sleeping
'cause on highways nothing's sad and nothing matters
even if the earth shatters, you just keep one eye on the dash and one in the sky
you can keep the speed, i'll keep the romance
rosy perfume surrounding me like a fortress
because she told me i should put my heart in a box and so i did
filled with old dreams filed under no longer relevant
and as much pain as i have felt i am lighter for it
can't help smiling as i reach for the coffee and start to pour it
Mar 19, 2019
Mar 19, 2019 at 9:09 AM UTC
it's the stupid things
like how when i had to draw a self portrait for art class
and i asked you if you had any candids of me. . .
you said no.
it's the stupid things
like how you'll take a while to respond to my texts
and leave me wondering
what i did
it's the stupid things
like how you don't call me by my name in conversation
but say her's like it's a holy word
it's the stupid things
like how when she talks
you look right up
but when i talk
your head stays down
it's the stupid things
like how you tag her first
and then me second
in those dog pictures
that we both like
it's the stupid things
like how you used to lift me up when we hugged
but now
my feet don't leave the ground
maybe they're not so much stupid things
but little things
that truly mean so much
Nov 15, 2015
Nov 15, 2015 at 1:32 PM UTC
I wish I had candid prints of my parents
I wish they got along
I wish they didn't make me feel so embarrassed
All the other kids had both of their parents
It's just me and my mom
I never gave her PTA papers cause she was too busy playing both roles
There's a hole in my heart and she knows
I wish I had candid prints of me with my parents
But no one captured the pictures
Everyone was too busy
I've been the man of the house since I could speak
Why did it have to happen to me
Did I deserve to be a pawn
Was there something in my last life I could control at all
Momma, Was I a villain
How come all these kids know what it's supposed to be like to have a real family and I didn't
Tears fall on my cheeks
I've been crying for weeks
I've never been selfish, I've never made it bout me
Momma ain't happy and I feel like that's all on me
It's my fault she ain't get to life out her dreams
I hope my kids see their mother as a queen
As I praise her every day on two knees
Even if I'm broke and don't have enough money for a ring
I still promise to love her more than anything
I wish my kids will never have to wonder what I looked like as a teen
Having photos in a shoe box of me since 16
And a red room full of photos of their mother before and after pregnancy
Thousands of home videos from birth to graduation
I wish I had candid photos of my parents together
Ive never seen them together
Except when they exchanged me for a week or whatever
What a life as a kid
Spending weekends with my cousins
I never had my own brother
It's just me and my sister
All of us half related due to another misses or mister
And they've all grown up now
It's been so long since I've seen their faces
We've all been busy living in different places
I try to keep in contact
But I never get a call back
Momma am I the villain
I've watched everybody leave us
Why they all wanna leave us
Why everybody only call when they need us
Why nobody helped us out when we ain't even have a home to sleep in
Momma am I the villain
I've been taking these photos to remember where I came from
And when I make my life into something I'll have everything I need to humble myself
I'm trying to capture the beauty in all my friends because one day they'll need us
And one day they'll see us
I wish my candids prints will be world famous
I wish my candid prints will teach my kids that everybody can be somebody if somebody said they would never be famous, that's real.
May 19, 2015
May 19, 2015 at 2:27 PM UTC
I want to travel the world with you and see the way your eyes light up when you see how beautiful it is, and when you see it I want to feel your hand tighten around mine as if to say are you seeing this, are you! I want to travel the world with you and look back through the pictures only to find that my favorites are the candids of you with another change of scenery in the background. I want to travel the world with you and pinpoint on the map every place I fell in love with you all over again. I want our love story to go as far and wide and deep as this world will allow.
let's get lost
Nov 11, 2013
Nov 11, 2013 at 12:56 AM UTC
Take a picture! It’ll last longer.
No really, come on! Cause while your friends are invested in a feeling of joy masking unrecognizable shallowness
Your focus was on the focus of your shattered iphone 6
But, it’s fine, because if you don’t take a picture it didn’t happen.
Last week, you were right over there,
Passed out on the couch,
And everybody knows it happened.
Because a picture is worth a thousand words
A thousand words you did not speak
A thousand words,
But not one of them sounded like, “No”
A thousand words you’re praying you can white out with a thousand more. So, you’re back at that disgusting house smiling at people who won’t bother to ask your name.
But that’s fine,
Because at least they think you can have a “good time”
Take some candids! No really,
But make sure you know,
Because you would never want them to see that the twinkle in your eye was from the glint off of tears that appeared when the camera was turned.
But as long as you got a good shot.
Too bad that sometimes
The shot of a camera stings worse than that of a gun.
Feb 22, 2019
Feb 22, 2019 at 11:30 AM UTC