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"cowering" poems
I am no longer the Steady thrum of heartbeats When issues against women are Comically displayed on televisions. Like there's something to Laugh, guffaw, snicker, snort-- Tell you what, I can name a little Too many synonymous words And I can slap them all to your face, too. I am no longer a suppressed voice, Unable to tell you and all the other people That as a girl (and a woman, later), I have the right to be here. I have the same rights to life, To be alive, to be secure, To have a good life! And yet, you, who calls yourself a Man of power, tells me, "You are nothing." I am angry with the absurdity Of it all. Men continuing to abuse, Women constantly cowering down-- Why are you so intent on showing power When you are not God? Why are you so afraid of fighting For yourself? I am seething with rage For those who refuse to accept Feminism just for the reason That they do not want to be labeled-- Well, guess what? They have already Shoved you underneath Weak and Submissive. Who taught you that you are born To impress men? Who taught you that you only exist To please them? I will not have any of that **** I am a person of my own. I am a human being, with rights. And I AM FIGHTING to have The same rights as you do. Whoever told you that that's Never gonna happen, can shove it up Their ***** I will not sit still on my chair while The next police officer Asks "Well, what were you wearing?" To the next **** victim. You and I both know that is not The issue here. No girl should hung their head in shame That they got touched without consent. It's not their fault! No one Deserves to be ***** And no, it's not snuggling, for you who Even thought **** jokes on t-shirts Are funny. It's not. I am for Gender Equality. For both men and women, Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, To be treated with equal respect. With equal opportunities. With equality. With no judgment. Why must you counter that? Look, I've been sitting in that same chair For too long while issues spread and get Larger like the plague. I thought, let them handle it. I thought, a small voice would be of no help. But when did sitting down and staring Get people somewhere? When did any of passivity help us? We already have everything to lose So why not fight? Bruce Banner told the other avengers The secret of Hulk. And I tell you the same: Get angry. Smash inequality. I will always be right behind you.
0
Sep 27, 2014
Sep 27, 2014 at 2:42 AM UTC
I am fighting.
I am no longer the Steady thrum of heartbeats When issues against women are Comically displayed on televisions. Like there's something to Laugh, guffaw, snicker, snort-- Tell you what, I can name a little Too many synonymous words And I can slap them all to your face, too. I am no longer a suppressed voice, Unable to tell you and all the other people That as a girl (and a woman, later), I have the right to be here. I have the same rights to life, To be alive, to be secure, To have a good life! And yet, you, who calls yourself a Man of power, tells me, "You are nothing." I am angry with the absurdity Of it all. Men continuing to abuse, Women constantly cowering down-- Why are you so intent on showing power When you are not God? Why are you so afraid of fighting For yourself? I am seething with rage For those who refuse to accept Feminism just for the reason That they do not want to be labeled-- Well, guess what? They have already Shoved you underneath Weak and Submissive. Who taught you that you are born To impress men? Who taught you that you only exist To please them? I will not have any of that **** I am a person of my own. I am a human being, with rights. And I AM FIGHTING to have The same rights as you do. Whoever told you that that's Never gonna happen, can shove it up Their ***** I will not sit still on my chair while The next police officer Asks "Well, what were you wearing?" To the next **** victim. You and I both know that is not The issue here. No girl should hung their head in shame That they got touched without consent. It's not their fault! No one Deserves to be ***** And no, it's not snuggling, for you who Even thought **** jokes on t-shirts Are funny. It's not. I am for Gender Equality. For both men and women, Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, To be treated with equal respect. With equal opportunities. With equality. With no judgment. Why must you counter that? Look, I've been sitting in that same chair For too long while issues spread and get Larger like the plague. I thought, let them handle it. I thought, a small voice would be of no help. But when did sitting down and staring Get people somewhere? When did any of passivity help us? We already have everything to lose So why not fight? Bruce Banner told the other avengers The secret of Hulk. And I tell you the same: Get angry. Smash inequality. I will always be right behind you.
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81
Faced with the great shroud of encroaching unknown, Cowering beneath dark clouds with nothing else but your own. Just know that what gnaws on us is the looming uncertainty. Fruits of undesirable truth may hurt but still it would set you free...
0
Oct 4, 2014
Oct 4, 2014 at 1:38 PM UTC
Uncertainty
And if you think I'm oppressed, covering my hair with a silken headdress- And if you think I'm forced, beaten, to lengthen my sleeves and elongate my shorts- And if you think I'm afraid, cowering under the protection of black linen shade- You 'most certainly take note of the society's improprieties, that the abaya I wear is thrusted upon me, that the niqab my sisters practice is only for he; No. My hijab is my personality, my promise to honour my femininity, to never allow anyone, any man, to use me; I am a woman, a human, a feminist: no man will control me.
0
May 23, 2015
May 23, 2015 at 9:13 AM UTC
Hijab
The city spearheads the futures we sincerely sold, As it pluckers your pennies and your coins of gold. I felt poor amid the auras of their fearsome metals, Cowering in the clothes of our daily struggles. I am destitute enough To bleach out the interests of my cards, To shatter your savings for a disabled future, To rummage the stock markets for apertures. Yet within you exhales tentacles of the color Yellow. Yellow as in, The scattered stars that scorch the injured sky, The mellowing voices of neon artificial lights, The apex of fire alight in frostbitten nights, And the yolk of hope my cheers rely. So while you chase the sun with your copper-clad hands, remember but this: all that glitters is not gold, It’s the color Yellow in these eyes I behold.
0
Aug 31, 2017
Aug 31, 2017 at 10:56 PM UTC
The Color Yellow
Introduction There they stood; keeping silent company. Yet of His face, wept searing electricity. To the lovers of life Here they stand, keeping silent company. No utterance dealt; yet clear in both their minds A single, brilliant truth: He longs for her with a savage delight. And it cries from every fibre, exalting! It is in the bearing of his eye; Rifling through her tender flesh In search of what he knows, from voices ages old, is there: That her heart will beat for no other as it beats for him right now; That in this moment, their Souls are bared To each other’s glares- naked, and blemished, and cowering- Yet his eyes remain fixed and sure: And for this, she loves him. For they have seen each other for the First of Times, Truly! And as with many the Ancient Laws unfurled, They stand aware, in lack of ever being taught, Aware with every atom, every straining tendon tight That their time's so very short. And so they drink… wordless To each other, to their youth, and to their bodies Shining like never before in the noonday air Garbed in cloth that snaps and furls around their waists. They imbibe with electric eyes, Eyes that are new born to this world of light And come out screaming, living, and sensitive For lack of ever being touched. They revel in their new-found joy; Pouring from Her figure, Of Her sleek, supple waist and the arch of her back, Bristling with delight, Of His strong hands and easy smile, That spoke of laughter scattered Across countless campfires of summers past. Their light does burn intense as any fire, And when their brimming anticipation Overspills its crimson chalice The silence shall SHATTER. To find peace again in each other's arms. Fumbling in sweet darkness- Of heavy lids, of earthy flesh, With lips embraced... In ravenous finality.
0
Jun 29, 2015
Jun 29, 2015 at 5:14 PM UTC
In Garbs of Light Unfurled
Introduction There they stood; keeping silent company. Yet of His face, wept searing electricity. To the lovers of life Here they stand, keeping silent company. No utterance dealt; yet clear in both their minds A single, brilliant truth: He longs for her with a savage delight. And it cries from every fibre, exalting! It is in the bearing of his eye; Rifling through her tender flesh In search of what he knows, from voices ages old, is there: That her heart will beat for no other as it beats for him right now; That in this moment, their Souls are bared To each other’s glares- naked, and blemished, and cowering- Yet his eyes remain fixed and sure: And for this, she loves him. For they have seen each other for the First of Times, Truly! And as with many the Ancient Laws unfurled, They stand aware, in lack of ever being taught, Aware with every atom, every straining tendon tight That their time's so very short. And so they drink… wordless To each other, to their youth, and to their bodies Shining like never before in the noonday air Garbed in cloth that snaps and furls around their waists. They imbibe with electric eyes, Eyes that are new born to this world of light And come out screaming, living, and sensitive For lack of ever being touched. They revel in their new-found joy; Pouring from Her figure, Of Her sleek, supple waist and the arch of her back, Bristling with delight, Of His strong hands and easy smile, That spoke of laughter scattered Across countless campfires of summers past. Their light does burn intense as any fire, And when their brimming anticipation Overspills its crimson chalice The silence shall SHATTER. To find peace again in each other's arms. Fumbling in sweet darkness- Of heavy lids, of earthy flesh, With lips embraced... In ravenous finality.
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46
where am i? how am I to write when I am no different from those gaseous ephemeral words who lie prostrate upon the pages of my dictionary carved plainly into those battlefields strewn across the wartorn country my heart the despotic dictator whose primal drumming carries no tune and no rhythm and throws of explosions grenades that black out the world for a brief moment until it careens back and slams into me disorientated i should have been born twice for how could i have both my body and that intangible inexplicable something inside it stirs at the molten core of me that chasm that forged those graven images that first gave way to a pictographic language and offered me a voice to explain that immutable all powerful urge lust to throw myself on that red button and detonate burst into a million pieces and finally relieve that nauseating pressure of adipose smushed between holy bone and saintly skin interloping in that space and separating two lovers barriers create madness walls box me in and yet i grow an expanding balloon girl macy’s day parade and candy littered streets and razor sharp edges to steel walls pressing harder against me than my supple skin could ever possibly press back i can’t breathe there is no room for my lungs to expand and feel the fresh sun filled meadow of crystal air delivering oxygen to starved alveoli and i can’t find your chest to guide me in impossible respiration i’m suffocating in my own skin from no outside force but my body itself turns inward and shouts its dominance at my cowering self sniveling in the corner of my dusty half used heart where no blade could possible land a blow deep enough to silence the torment and particular personal poison a torture to course through every part of me activating every single neuron and making me hyperaware of my shame and noxious venomous corpulence a reality i never wanted you to see but is written plainly in fiery script across my forehead and in every fold of fat.
0
Jun 21, 2015
Jun 21, 2015 at 10:22 PM UTC
body dysmorphia
where am i? how am I to write when I am no different from those gaseous ephemeral words who lie prostrate upon the pages of my dictionary carved plainly into those battlefields strewn across the wartorn country my heart the despotic dictator whose primal drumming carries no tune and no rhythm and throws of explosions grenades that black out the world for a brief moment until it careens back and slams into me disorientated i should have been born twice for how could i have both my body and that intangible inexplicable something inside it stirs at the molten core of me that chasm that forged those graven images that first gave way to a pictographic language and offered me a voice to explain that immutable all powerful urge lust to throw myself on that red button and detonate burst into a million pieces and finally relieve that nauseating pressure of adipose smushed between holy bone and saintly skin interloping in that space and separating two lovers barriers create madness walls box me in and yet i grow an expanding balloon girl macy’s day parade and candy littered streets and razor sharp edges to steel walls pressing harder against me than my supple skin could ever possibly press back i can’t breathe there is no room for my lungs to expand and feel the fresh sun filled meadow of crystal air delivering oxygen to starved alveoli and i can’t find your chest to guide me in impossible respiration i’m suffocating in my own skin from no outside force but my body itself turns inward and shouts its dominance at my cowering self sniveling in the corner of my dusty half used heart where no blade could possible land a blow deep enough to silence the torment and particular personal poison a torture to course through every part of me activating every single neuron and making me hyperaware of my shame and noxious venomous corpulence a reality i never wanted you to see but is written plainly in fiery script across my forehead and in every fold of fat.
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95
From my perch,spanning the vast, fathomless sky at night, where 100 billion galaxies vie with one another, for foothold, shoals of fish on the swim in diverse forms of being ( or nothingness of various kind) in cycles  of birth from dust, growth, death in dark holes and rebirth. I now see only  a lone star above, cowering at a far corner, in silence anxiety ridden  as she's alone in this celestial grand opera house. Wonder, where had gone all, the spectacular display of star power, profligacy of fish of  ocean above proudly displaying just yesterday. Lessons, on equanimity perhaps, nature teaches,writing on the night sky.
0
Dec 11, 2015
Dec 11, 2015 at 7:42 AM UTC
Lessons on equanimity written in the starlit sky
I let go too soon, of these three fingers pinning a white dress to my knees, such a strut they possess, and psychic for the waggle I do on my tulip-days: mama said that the lace came from an elves’ head, I could not wear it. I put it in a dresser drawer, as I lost my appetite for marriage and friends. She said that father wanted to see it, I should parade my red, pulsing veins. A torpedo, it became, cowering until liftoff  and glory hallelujah first kisses. Was it not funny when I, poor chap, kept garbage in my teeth and laughed when you slithered your tongue inside, like Friday penetrating the weekend? You are a Leo; I am far from such, but I understand why you may be insulted, as mama garbs turquoise as the sky and all our daffodils burn like rubber. Each says it is because they love me, railing cat-scratches with a stitch – but I do not want that, see earthquakes that hammer on  our tulip-days, dear.
0
Nov 1, 2012
Nov 1, 2012 at 5:22 PM UTC
tulip-days
1242 To flee from memory Had we the Wings Many would fly Inured to slower things Birds with surprise Would scan the cowering Van Of men escaping From the mind of man
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6.3k
To flee from memory
The temple bell Silently calls my soul Echoes, all over the deep forest In prayers of silent lotus song Temple Waits Buddha too As the pond whispers From the surface calm Alone in the deep forest, I am prostrate in devotion And search Before your shore's Of love, life and living Laboriously moving, in every steps of sigh, Pregnant with leaves, roots and Residual karmic earth -Lotus pond in deep in thought- Wondering why The flowers have to wither and fall Before fruits can burst forth; in living Why love and loss results, only in the end, An acceptance, Cowering in depths of empty soul? Why Life regains calm, Only, after It has flowered through pain And bonds? Why Lotus can only flower After breaking through -The sludge of senses, In the depths of love From the depths of pond The laughing Buddha Smiles With laughter in His heart Pond, all alone, in the darkness of night Softly sighs Goes back to living On the temple’s Shore Yet! The silent Buddha Is not so silent, you see Just listen with laughter in your heart The lotuses do sing The beautiful life's love song
0
Dec 25, 2010
Dec 25, 2010 at 11:37 AM UTC
The Lotus Pond
Sea settling, Birds flying, Air whistling, Storm coming. People leaving, Raindrops falling, Clouds gathering, Storm coming. Sun hiding, Wind howling, Waves thrashing, Storm coming. Lightning striking, Dogs cowering, Thunder rumbling, Storm coming. Tree's creaking, Lighthouse flashing, Ships crashing, Storm coming. Rocks falling, Fear heightening, Rage frightening, Storm coming. River flooding, Forest flattening, Landscape changing, Storm coming.
0
Jan 19, 2015
Jan 19, 2015 at 12:59 PM UTC
Storm Coming
. Watching the rise and the fall of a kingdom Walls once rebuilt again tumble the ground Allowing the beasties free reign in the village Bellowing out o’er the wickedest sound Pacing the streets, seeking out bits of garbage Leaving their stains on the innocent few Leering in windows where children are hiding Tender young things and so easy to chew Thieves in the night lurk about come the morning Stealing the sun at the break of the dawn Drinking of sewage a’ flow in the gutters Checking off names as the many are gone Peering ‘round corners, down alleys, in shadows Seeking the favor of all who do grieve Laughing in spite of the torment now growing Licking their lips in the hope you believe Roaming in groups so the followed outnumber Say what you will for the king does not hear Lost in his throne made of mirrors that flatter Shivering, cowering, caving to fear Deaf to the villagers asking for reason Blind to the pillage befalling this land Dumb, well I guess that just goes without saying Nary a care what the people demand Feasting on turkey, potatoes and gravy Raising a glass to the enemy proud Taking a stand against those who support him Locking the front doors while yelling aloud ***“Carry your torches, your pitchforks, your honor It matters not for this evil shall win Even when gone there are echoes of anger Lingering on till they come back again Give them your all, what you’ve poured your heart into Down on your knees, bow to them one and all Step over rock and the piles of rubble This castle will stand even when the walls fall Shout all you like as no change is forthcoming Accept it or flee, you think I give a **** When you are gone many more will replace you Now pass those peas and a slice of that ham”*** So roam the beasties, their teeth ever sharpened Fanning the flames as so many are burned Tearing apart what the people envisioned Silly to think that they somehow had learned Nothing so happy with no ever after Always the same, it will happen again But unlike some other long winded stories Sadly in this I can not say “the end” Watching the rise and the fall of a kingdom Walls once rebuilt again tumble the ground Thankfully I can peruse from a distance Witnessing all without hanging around
0
Jul 8, 2016
Jul 8, 2016 at 9:25 AM UTC
Nothing so happy with no ever after
. Watching the rise and the fall of a kingdom Walls once rebuilt again tumble the ground Allowing the beasties free reign in the village Bellowing out o’er the wickedest sound Pacing the streets, seeking out bits of garbage Leaving their stains on the innocent few Leering in windows where children are hiding Tender young things and so easy to chew Thieves in the night lurk about come the morning Stealing the sun at the break of the dawn Drinking of sewage a’ flow in the gutters Checking off names as the many are gone Peering ‘round corners, down alleys, in shadows Seeking the favor of all who do grieve Laughing in spite of the torment now growing Licking their lips in the hope you believe Roaming in groups so the followed outnumber Say what you will for the king does not hear Lost in his throne made of mirrors that flatter Shivering, cowering, caving to fear Deaf to the villagers asking for reason Blind to the pillage befalling this land Dumb, well I guess that just goes without saying Nary a care what the people demand Feasting on turkey, potatoes and gravy Raising a glass to the enemy proud Taking a stand against those who support him Locking the front doors while yelling aloud ***“Carry your torches, your pitchforks, your honor It matters not for this evil shall win Even when gone there are echoes of anger Lingering on till they come back again Give them your all, what you’ve poured your heart into Down on your knees, bow to them one and all Step over rock and the piles of rubble This castle will stand even when the walls fall Shout all you like as no change is forthcoming Accept it or flee, you think I give a **** When you are gone many more will replace you Now pass those peas and a slice of that ham”*** So roam the beasties, their teeth ever sharpened Fanning the flames as so many are burned Tearing apart what the people envisioned Silly to think that they somehow had learned Nothing so happy with no ever after Always the same, it will happen again But unlike some other long winded stories Sadly in this I can not say “the end” Watching the rise and the fall of a kingdom Walls once rebuilt again tumble the ground Thankfully I can peruse from a distance Witnessing all without hanging around
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53
Through so many years I ran Afraid and ever cowering The darkness always at my back Voracious, all-devouring Through my mind its black claws reached And picked apart my sanity They scraped all chance of joy away With endless inhumanity Through the days and months and years it chased and clawed relentlessly Eventually I wondered why I ran unending breathlessly Through the dark I turned and looked Pursuit suspended nervously I granted it a name and face It glared with vicious fervency Through its threat I held my gaze And ventured forth an inquiry Its flare of rage could not repress My newfound curiosity Through the long nights we conversed Debating, chatting, bickering The darkness that devoured my life Shrank back, diminished, flickering Through the darkness I now saw With unexpected clarity We spoke as friends, no longer foes Embracing newfound parity Through the dark I look, and laugh My friend now laughs along with me Despite how it had always seemed The darkness is a part of me
0
Nov 29, 2014
Nov 29, 2014 at 2:11 AM UTC
Through the Darkness
My dreams whisper sweet things And surreptitiously speak to me My waking words are rote and empty -spilling with hypocrisy Yet their comforting embrace Simply bring smiles to my face Filling my mind while I'm asleep They send messages lined with silver That vanish when I wake To bring about a dull and listless form Who is shaping my last mistake You see I wake in a storm Simultaneously feeling constrained To my bed I can't get up while there's no filter For the rush of noises in my head If there's a difference between What you know and what you believe Then why is it not as easy To imagine my reprieve Why can I only experience a vivid life While I sleep Then once again wake up To this Fear Doubt and Anger Choking me Invoking me by pushing buttons Of their endless promises To for certain be found in youth While my vision is livid sinning Contemplating and pinpointing Who too close is uncouth You sit there and feed my veins An explanation to your lies With all the compromised Washed up water Memorized methods Coping mechanisms While it's your heart that remains Aloof Then sit there in desperation Reiterating as if you know The deep introspective answer When any fool can see your wisdom Is wrought in the vanity Of a talented dancer If you lost the truth of sanity Would you retrieve it for ten cents Or would you search inside Before hiding from the confines Of a necessary moment I'd rather die or sacrifice my life Before cowering from what's hidden The message so raw That counts your flaws Like there was some proof In what is missing But ultimately I guess It comes down to the small decision The chip on my shoulder That became a boulder When I reached out For my inner vision. So while I feel so disparate and alone In the trenches losing my senses Will I be the hero or be the villain Will I let the poison make me it's toy Or take the penicillin *Some days my life feels as heavy As that last breath left over From how loudly I shout But I guess a general synopsis to you Of how I sometimes feel inside Is a decent first step to waking up While I'm down and out*
0
Jul 3, 2017
Jul 3, 2017 at 4:53 AM UTC
Waking Up
My dreams whisper sweet things And surreptitiously speak to me My waking words are rote and empty -spilling with hypocrisy Yet their comforting embrace Simply bring smiles to my face Filling my mind while I'm asleep They send messages lined with silver That vanish when I wake To bring about a dull and listless form Who is shaping my last mistake You see I wake in a storm Simultaneously feeling constrained To my bed I can't get up while there's no filter For the rush of noises in my head If there's a difference between What you know and what you believe Then why is it not as easy To imagine my reprieve Why can I only experience a vivid life While I sleep Then once again wake up To this Fear Doubt and Anger Choking me Invoking me by pushing buttons Of their endless promises To for certain be found in youth While my vision is livid sinning Contemplating and pinpointing Who too close is uncouth You sit there and feed my veins An explanation to your lies With all the compromised Washed up water Memorized methods Coping mechanisms While it's your heart that remains Aloof Then sit there in desperation Reiterating as if you know The deep introspective answer When any fool can see your wisdom Is wrought in the vanity Of a talented dancer If you lost the truth of sanity Would you retrieve it for ten cents Or would you search inside Before hiding from the confines Of a necessary moment I'd rather die or sacrifice my life Before cowering from what's hidden The message so raw That counts your flaws Like there was some proof In what is missing But ultimately I guess It comes down to the small decision The chip on my shoulder That became a boulder When I reached out For my inner vision. So while I feel so disparate and alone In the trenches losing my senses Will I be the hero or be the villain Will I let the poison make me it's toy Or take the penicillin *Some days my life feels as heavy As that last breath left over From how loudly I shout But I guess a general synopsis to you Of how I sometimes feel inside Is a decent first step to waking up While I'm down and out*
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71
Marissa Ann was a firecracker of a little girl. For her, there was no fence too tall to climb, no bully too mean to face, no street too busy to cross. She was all tangled hair and toothy grins. And she'd yank the book right out of my hands and say, "Gabrielle, we have more important things to do than read." In the jungle of our lives, Marissa was a lioness, queen of the pride. I was a mouse not indigenous to these parts of the second grade. The world was a terrifying place, and I had no problem cowering in the corner, knee-deep in a pile of Nancy Drew. I tried to stay huddled behind my words, drowning in the ink, attempting to let the pages be my armor. Marissa would not let me. When I allowed bookshelves to be my shields, she came guns blazing, and kicked them all down, then stood me back up on my feet. She'd grab my hand and pull me head first toward adventure. Marissa was tough, and everyone knew it. There was not a soul alive brave enough to pick on Marissa Ann. But me? I was an easy target. The other girls said I was "weird" with my enormous wire frames resting atop full cheeks, and my frayed jeans, a glowing reminder of my mother's lack of wealth. I heard the whispers on the playground about the chubby girl who read, (can you believe it?), chapter books. Brianna was a demon of a child. She'd bat her pretty little eyelashes and everyone would melt. She had the entire second grade class wrapped around her tiny little finger. She'd corner me on the soccer field and do everything she could to remind me that I was different. But one day at recess, she was nowhere to be found, until I made my way through winding halls, back to the warmth of our classroom. There sat Marissa with a devilish glint in her eye, waving me over to sit in the desk beside her. Behind us, a sniffling Brianna, looking forlornly at the teardrop stains on her pink lace skirt, her mouth pulled tight into a perfect straight line. I looked back at Marissa with a curious glance, then intertwined her hand with my own. The sound of stifled sobs behind us and the warmth of her skin on mine sealing an unspoken vow between two girls with puzzle piece fingertips that only fit each other.
0
Mar 11, 2014
Mar 11, 2014 at 2:21 AM UTC
The Many Adventures of Supergirl (and her dorky bookworm sidekick)
Marissa Ann was a firecracker of a little girl. For her, there was no fence too tall to climb, no bully too mean to face, no street too busy to cross. She was all tangled hair and toothy grins. And she'd yank the book right out of my hands and say, "Gabrielle, we have more important things to do than read." In the jungle of our lives, Marissa was a lioness, queen of the pride. I was a mouse not indigenous to these parts of the second grade. The world was a terrifying place, and I had no problem cowering in the corner, knee-deep in a pile of Nancy Drew. I tried to stay huddled behind my words, drowning in the ink, attempting to let the pages be my armor. Marissa would not let me. When I allowed bookshelves to be my shields, she came guns blazing, and kicked them all down, then stood me back up on my feet. She'd grab my hand and pull me head first toward adventure. Marissa was tough, and everyone knew it. There was not a soul alive brave enough to pick on Marissa Ann. But me? I was an easy target. The other girls said I was "weird" with my enormous wire frames resting atop full cheeks, and my frayed jeans, a glowing reminder of my mother's lack of wealth. I heard the whispers on the playground about the chubby girl who read, (can you believe it?), chapter books. Brianna was a demon of a child. She'd bat her pretty little eyelashes and everyone would melt. She had the entire second grade class wrapped around her tiny little finger. She'd corner me on the soccer field and do everything she could to remind me that I was different. But one day at recess, she was nowhere to be found, until I made my way through winding halls, back to the warmth of our classroom. There sat Marissa with a devilish glint in her eye, waving me over to sit in the desk beside her. Behind us, a sniffling Brianna, looking forlornly at the teardrop stains on her pink lace skirt, her mouth pulled tight into a perfect straight line. I looked back at Marissa with a curious glance, then intertwined her hand with my own. The sound of stifled sobs behind us and the warmth of her skin on mine sealing an unspoken vow between two girls with puzzle piece fingertips that only fit each other.
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25
Direct, Physically dominant. Unargueably aggressive, Yet, So unnoticed. Recognisable colours, Hidden behind, Covering deceit. Deceptive courage, Fake smile, Grimacing strength. Cowering, Submission is granted. Obvious circumstances, So misunderstood, Retreat, Access denied. Apologies don't exist, Escape artist, Mascuerading as the helpless, Only the strong, Survive in, Shadows. Sudden movement, Hard, cold floor. Casualty, More questions, More lies, No truth, Is ever uttered.
0
Jan 16, 2012
Jan 16, 2012 at 4:05 AM UTC
Dominance
One year can change it all It can make you rise, it can make you fall. One year can blow your mind Into the dust of forgotten land mines. One year can **** the soul Shrapnel holding together broken whole. One year can bring you hell A gaunt face with no good stories to tell. One year can make you search For bad answers that leave you in the lurch. One year ago today I left for doom As the demons lurked waiting in my room. Yes, one year can change things Cowering in fear of what the future brings. Weathering out life's **** Trying to get up once again when hit. Every day a battle Of a mere calf against the best cattle. Is it won? I know not I’ll only give it everything I’ve got. Oh it hurts, will I find What I’m looking for, leaving past behind? These are small questions I can put out there As my fingers work till they’re worse for wear.
0
Aug 26, 2016
Aug 26, 2016 at 2:38 PM UTC
One year
Kindness is not nice. ‘Nice’ is soft and inoffensive ‘Nice’ is careful and non-assertive ‘Nice’ is easy and effects no change she’s cotton wool trying to soften the pain but not stuffed tight, just resting on the surface ready to be blown away or pressed under a muddy boot of disinterest ‘Nice’ is a damp whisper a mouse cowering in the corner hoping you will blink and miss her lest she attract your notice lest she presume too much and cause a whisker of offence Kindness is not like that – Kindness pushes in, quick and nimble a hero with no mask, unasked unexpected, dodging the turmoil leaving nothing unsaid and little undone in her pursuit of creating a counter-disruption Kindness defies convention Kindness carefully aims her weapons of choice and advances relentless and regardless of any and all obstacles in her way Kindness perseveres all the love-long day Kindness doesn’t delay Kindness is gleeful for the chance of invasion ready to disarm with expert compassion with her regiments of patience armed to the teeth with gracious placing tanks of good faith on all fronts Kindness confronts Courage is her currency, boldness her language, trust and hope are her passports to lands long unexplored happily wearing all-weather clothing for any and all unexpected storms Kindness transforms Kindness weakens all defenses and challenges all camouflaged pretenses Kindness pours itself out to fill unhealed wounds and on shrapnel-seeded battlefields she - blooms Kindness is not 'nice' Kindness isn’t in this for the likes Kindness bites She’s a take-on-all-comers, undefeated delight Kindness never bails from the fight never fails, never takes flight Kindness is nothing casual, nothing incidental This Kindness is elemental She is Avengers-Assemble, End-Game-level monumental Kindness is not 'nice'. Kindness is loving awe-ful.
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Oct 12, 2020
Oct 12, 2020 at 8:45 AM UTC
Kindness bites
Kindness is not nice. ‘Nice’ is soft and inoffensive ‘Nice’ is careful and non-assertive ‘Nice’ is easy and effects no change she’s cotton wool trying to soften the pain but not stuffed tight, just resting on the surface ready to be blown away or pressed under a muddy boot of disinterest ‘Nice’ is a damp whisper a mouse cowering in the corner hoping you will blink and miss her lest she attract your notice lest she presume too much and cause a whisker of offence Kindness is not like that – Kindness pushes in, quick and nimble a hero with no mask, unasked unexpected, dodging the turmoil leaving nothing unsaid and little undone in her pursuit of creating a counter-disruption Kindness defies convention Kindness carefully aims her weapons of choice and advances relentless and regardless of any and all obstacles in her way Kindness perseveres all the love-long day Kindness doesn’t delay Kindness is gleeful for the chance of invasion ready to disarm with expert compassion with her regiments of patience armed to the teeth with gracious placing tanks of good faith on all fronts Kindness confronts Courage is her currency, boldness her language, trust and hope are her passports to lands long unexplored happily wearing all-weather clothing for any and all unexpected storms Kindness transforms Kindness weakens all defenses and challenges all camouflaged pretenses Kindness pours itself out to fill unhealed wounds and on shrapnel-seeded battlefields she - blooms Kindness is not 'nice' Kindness isn’t in this for the likes Kindness bites She’s a take-on-all-comers, undefeated delight Kindness never bails from the fight never fails, never takes flight Kindness is nothing casual, nothing incidental This Kindness is elemental She is Avengers-Assemble, End-Game-level monumental Kindness is not 'nice'. Kindness is loving awe-ful.
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56
Incessent drumming and the roar of raindrops Keep me from sleeping past dawn Welly boots step into the cold, wet day as the sky weeps for the loss of summer. The wind takes the wheel, driving water up trouser legs, into socks, under hats Blown out beş lira umbrellas discarded on the overpass A graveyard of useless metal spiders. Still, Still it rains Impromptu lakes form from the spontaneous rivers flowing in every street Bosphorus babies, cleansing the heart of the city People look like street cats; Soaked, preening, cowering under any shelter they can find And still, Istanbul. Still she rains.
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Oct 29, 2010
Oct 29, 2010 at 1:33 AM UTC
Long May She Rain
Today my long tall tulip fell His pearl-pink bulb had dared to swell But blushen hung now like a bell His slim and slender stem once towering Arced to earth with posture cowering Burdened by his glory flowering How quickly he had seemed to climb To bask in sudden sunlit prime The longest flower, the shortest time His adolescent orb once closed With youthful promise, then exposed More beauty than we all supposed And eager straight he stretched to see The furtive squirrels’ revelry And blue jays jostling high in tree His handsome head became a hand Outstretched to welcome wide and grand We who’d pale beside him stand But now his palm points to the ground Where loyal subjects once were found A fallen king with withering crown I saw you flower – be sure of this Your scented cheeks I bent to kiss Nor did a day of beauty miss Though brief your waxing and your wane Your colours left the purest stain That in my mind’s eye does remain In all the world where flowers grow We sallow souls rush to and fro Preoccupied, we miss the show But when we pause to smell the blooms Held captive by arresting plumes Forget the sundry that consumes Thus precious harried minutes take Our reverie to gaily break I noticed you -- make no mistake I studied you that rare of gift You gave my care-worn spirit lift Then cut its soaring hopes adrift Today my long tall tulip fell Surrendering to Nature’s knell And left us where he deigned to dwell
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Feb 26, 2014
Feb 26, 2014 at 7:21 PM UTC
Tommy the Tulip
I cower in your shadow, shivering despite any acuity of my own. (your words are like loaded icicles, beretta rounds fired through my false logic and fake religion; it scares me.) The truth is I'm not fearless, I'm pale and lily-livered and only so heathen as the other stars. (maybe it's good you're in college, it's closer than you were growing up. when we were young, you were short yet rough. I was the younger, and, my shepherd, you were faithful; I only got lost 8 times.) I don't think I ever really knew you in any possible perception. (I know I knew the talk of you, the hustle and bustle at home and abroad of your mighty intellect, your crushing wit, your driving polities a war machine and your gleaming smile its patron god.) How could I ever compare, though, to the goddess of mind and body, brains and war? (the truth is I am but a defiant priest, crooked nose and ashy eyes. I think the reason, even today, for all my insecurities was due to you.) Appeasement was a method used by the vain and weak to protect against the humble yet brilliant. (I feel your ********** take me over, I feel it acid-wash into my skin, de-porous my bones and my imagination structure. I feel it sink me up to the top, drowning me in your air, in your sky and your perfect chemistry. your burning gold catches me, smothers me in hands too big for such a small person.) How is it you are so tall when you come up to my chin? Why is it that I shiver and shake at your light foot falls? Answer to the shadows and my cowering will not respond.
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Feb 27, 2010
Feb 27, 2010 at 11:07 PM UTC
Athena, Graceless
I cower in your shadow, shivering despite any acuity of my own. (your words are like loaded icicles, beretta rounds fired through my false logic and fake religion; it scares me.) The truth is I'm not fearless, I'm pale and lily-livered and only so heathen as the other stars. (maybe it's good you're in college, it's closer than you were growing up. when we were young, you were short yet rough. I was the younger, and, my shepherd, you were faithful; I only got lost 8 times.) I don't think I ever really knew you in any possible perception. (I know I knew the talk of you, the hustle and bustle at home and abroad of your mighty intellect, your crushing wit, your driving polities a war machine and your gleaming smile its patron god.) How could I ever compare, though, to the goddess of mind and body, brains and war? (the truth is I am but a defiant priest, crooked nose and ashy eyes. I think the reason, even today, for all my insecurities was due to you.) Appeasement was a method used by the vain and weak to protect against the humble yet brilliant. (I feel your ********** take me over, I feel it acid-wash into my skin, de-porous my bones and my imagination structure. I feel it sink me up to the top, drowning me in your air, in your sky and your perfect chemistry. your burning gold catches me, smothers me in hands too big for such a small person.) How is it you are so tall when you come up to my chin? Why is it that I shiver and shake at your light foot falls? Answer to the shadows and my cowering will not respond.
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50
Somebody call Ben Affleck We got phantoms in this ***** This endless haunted mansion Their presence pervades No company In this lonely labyrinth Only phantoms The only figures resembling humanity Are the corpses of those before Who couldn't navigate this torturous structure And of course, the masquerading phantoms My soul they aim to puncture I tried closing my eyes But I just kept running into walls I tried sleeping through it But I just sank deeper into the basement When I attempted to join the phantoms You were there You waited until I was hanging there On the rope And eviscerated everything Lycanthrope The rope in shreds Your heart then fled Leaving me alone again Lying in my exhausted blood The phantoms sensed my desperation And took advantage of my disorientation So I ran to the darkest recesses of the basement To retrieve my blindfold and sledgehammer But is my hammer powerful enough? Will visual impairment abstain the trickery of ghosts? I put Sisyphus to shame With the determination I utilize to demolish these walls But the phantoms are devious They ***** new facades Thicker, sturdier, with odder textures I destroy them all the same It just takes a bit more time And time means nothing To a man who's sole purpose is knocking down walls And cowering from apparitions Yet a man means nothing To a time ruled by phantoms
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May 24, 2017
May 24, 2017 at 11:54 AM UTC
Phantoms
Kindness is not nice. Nice is soft and inoffensive. Nice is easy and effects no change, it's cotton wool - not stuffed tight, but just resting on the surface ready to be blown away or trodden into a muddy disinterest. Nice is a damp whisper, a mouse cowering in the corner, taking up as little space as possible, lest it be noticed, lest it presume too much and cause a whisker of offence. Kindness isn't like that - Kindness pushes in, claws out, quick and heavy, uninvited, unexpected, taking pleasure in disturbance, in leaving nothing unsaid and little undone in its pursuit of creating a disruption of difference. Kindness counts everyone a target, anybody a likely candidate for a three act matinee and evening performance of loud Kindness. Surprise is its currency, smiles its language, common humankindness its passport to lands yet to be explored, to vast red territories with drumbeats of gratefulness for the opportunity to march in with regiments of compassion and to leave a signature devastation of brutal Kindness. Kindness is not 'nice'. Kindness is loving awe-ful.
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Dec 24, 2019
Dec 24, 2019 at 3:37 AM UTC
Kindness is not Nice
Thunder roars its booming wrath, lightning splits the darkling sky, Ground trembles, mountains shake, raging waves rise in fury, to dash to pieces the trembling man, cowering before the wrath, the raging storm, Begs for mercy, cries in pain, lightning smites his prostrate form, earth cracks and swallows him, waves falling, rushing in, Man is gone, destroyed in fire, and the earth stills, the clouds depart, the waves recede to ocean deep, this the fate of he who walked the sacred ground, my only son.
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May 16, 2015
May 16, 2015 at 7:42 PM UTC
The Wrath Of God