"prioritized" poems
Before all of this, even after all of this, I will forever be a patriot.
Before the poet in me matured and I started talking like a parrot,
The dogs of war barked and I climbed exile's fence on my own
And there I have dwelled, with nothing tangible to bring me down.
I have been on this fence so long and I will remain there forever!
Especially since the premature child is still in the incubator.
From this vantage point, I have learned never to trust any politician
I've always looked at them with mistrust, disdain, and suspicion,
Before all of this and before I ran and climbed the exile fence,
I was once mercilessly flogged, dragged and made to dance
By drugged up and coerced child soldiers with a rubber cable
They tied and spread me like a dog on the market table
I watched as innocent people were killed with a rusty knife
There, I vowed to become a fence dweller for the rest of my life!
I've been a patriot all my life but I have done it from here..safer.
From here I have seen blood spilled, hearts broken, hopes dashed,
progresses stalled, mullions embezzled, promises broken, lies told
people changed, games played, party surfed, interests prioritized.
And from this vantage point, I have learned never ever to trust any politician
I have always been right...though I have looked on with disdain, suspicion,
and operated with caution but through it all, I have remained a true patriot and a fence dweller.
.✍️©️✍️IvanBrooksPoetry.✍️©️✍️
Jan 24, 2018
Jan 24, 2018 at 8:03 PM UTC
(the hours in between)
It is the morning after reuniting, wining and talking...the stirring of the curtains transparent, become slow moving hands and calming whispers of a hypnotist, blending perfectly with the gentle whiff of a breeze...and the soft sounds of one who has just woken...a hint of a breath of life...there is much gratitude.....these early morning whispers could still be heard...quietude is a swaying hammock, but sleepy eyes peep through the window, gazing far, enthralled by the horizon...red, orange, purple.....merging.....against green and brown of the mountains...and from all these mix of colors, finally emerges a sky so blue...a new day is born, the Almighty is most kind...but something else unsettles the mind of one who has gone through many arduous journeys...asking:
"How did I fare"? Can I still...? Will I...?"
Now shining bright is a list of
Things yet to happen...intentions---
Disguised as questions.
Though this has long been conceptualized,
There's this pressing feeling, they must now be prioritized
Pray they soon be realized
Before exit from this world has materialized.
Can I still -
Be brave enough to swim? drive a car? ride a bike?
Meet with distant friends? learn new languages?
Write with more depth, even when I turn 80... and older?
Fly in a plane with my son as the pilot in command?
See my granddaughters finish college?
Will I still be able -
To satisfy this wanderlust endlessly stirring within me?
To ride a camel in the deserts of Morocco?
To feel the sun, the air, even the rain, while walking the cobbled streets in Tuscany?
To spend an evening in Florence?
To visit Greece, Spain, Ireland, Wales, and relive stories read?
To feel and breathe the air there, brimming with adventure?
We walk through various labyrinths in life, so absorbed in our own worlds...hours, days, become prosy, they move oh, so slowly.......still, when the dark is upon us, we sit and reflect...wondering:
Will we see another day unfold before us?
Do we get to witness
The Blue Hours of another sunrise and sunset,
And further be enchanted by the day's breath-taking
A L P E N G L O W ?
How many more
A L P E N G L O W S ?
Sally
Copyright August 2014
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
Mar 7, 2015
Mar 7, 2015 at 7:39 PM UTC
i opened my mind the other day
and saw that it was a mess
i unlocked the door
turned on the lights
and cracked open some windows
fresh air cascaded in
and taught me how to breathe again
it had been too long
since i swept those floors
they were ***** and grimy,
covered in life’s sticky sweat
a tornado
of captured times
and stolen moments
had blown through
so i reorganized
and prioritized,
filing fun under urgent
and fear under forgettable
once i was done
there was so much empty hardwood floor,
i just knew that i was ready
to fill it up with more
Nov 4, 2012
Nov 4, 2012 at 9:06 AM UTC
Hie Yamaha Wegman ****** voyager, voted vonage valuable, unrepentant TIME Magazine subscriber. Spotify sportsman Snapchat smartly. Sleuth slenderman silences Shutterfly schvitzing. Saxby sassy Santander sais sage rues rudimentary router rotorooter.
Royale Rococco rigged remarkably regular referee reefers red reddit reeder recuperating. Reconnaissance recluse really rabid. QVC quotient quoting, quo quoi quivering quite quirky. Quisling quipped. Quintuplets quintessentially quiet. Quids Quicken questions.
Quartermaster qualified quaint quaffing quadrilateral Pythons. Pyrex pylons put purdy purposeful puny punsters punching. Pumpkin pumice publicized prudential protean pros properly pronouncing prolific prodigies.
Proletariats professors' problematic. Pro privileges prioritized. Principle primates prevaricate. Preppy pregnant, praying prattler possibly Porgie. Poseidon pooping poodle ponders poppycock. Plum? Polite poison pods ply pitiful pinterest.
Pinhead Pillsbury pillager Pi. Pigskin pierce petsmart pests permanently. Perdition percolates peppered PennState pedigreed PearlJam Patagonian. Pastor pastes passion passably. Papas' paginated orbitz okayed. Nutty node needs money.
Next netzero nee naugahyde. Nattering nationwide nabob Moxie Molly McGee. Monosodium livingsocial joyus je kickstarter. Identityguard Huffington GMO. Gluten Glutamate footloose fancy free footlocker. Fingerhut fetishistic fabrication Cingular.
Feb 3, 2018
Feb 3, 2018 at 9:47 PM UTC
:
..
....
........
...........
As often as a human's breath,
deadlines and restrictions pop up
simultaneous with emergencies
chores, and necessities...all in a fast
pace, many things are prioritized
...though, most are unnecessary and
occupy precious space in our lives...
everyday, we struggle...silent battles
and tribulations stir the soul...
for some reason, some things cannot
be changed...some people play deaf
and stay the same.....neither could
thoughts towards them, be altered...
sometimes, our ties with useless stuff,
and useless people...need to be severed.
moments come when, we've had enough
..............of rules and regulations.
...................we just get fed up...
life is precious and short.....a part of me
....awaits a break......a cold phase,
.........when all my discontent would freeze
..............when all queasy feelings
...................this fidgeting within,
........................would turn to ice
..............................permanently.....
.......................
...................
.............
.........
......
....
..
.
Sally
© Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
(an old unposted poem from 2014)
Apr 11, 2019
Apr 11, 2019 at 7:35 AM UTC
Everyone thinks god is here to
Answer All Our Prayers
& Save Us.
No.
God is here to help us learn to stand on our own.
Our prayers don’t go unanswered,
they get ‘Prioritized’.
It is in those moments
that we become strong
and find god is there
to do the heavy lifting
when we need it most.
I cannot think
of a single thing
done alone
that I was not
strong enough to bare
and I know the impossible things
that would be left undone had I been carrying
the weight on my own.
No prayer is ever left unanswered;
God will always be found
in those empty places
of space
which we ourselves
cannot fill.
Apr 26, 2014
Apr 26, 2014 at 11:39 AM UTC
i think i have finally understood the concept of moving on for people like me, for people who have a heart like me and also for the ones who love the same way i do.
you see, when you end up loving someone the same way i love - you can never really get over them even when it's over.
when you've integrated someone into your life, making them a part of your life, it stays. they don't just leave your life like that, even when they're already gone.
when you've made someone one of your main sources of happiness and when they stop becoming so - sure, they're just one of your main sources of happiness but just like wifi, full signal is always better than half even though it still works, right?
moving on is never being able to completely look at someone and feel nothing even when you've shared a past together. it's about accepting the fact that you'll never ever have a chance with them ever again, no matter how much you want them. it's crying at night because you can't turn back time to fix things or to feel how much they once loved you. it's seeing them happy with someone new and softly whispering, "if you're happy, then i'm happy too." it's constantly torturing yourself with wishful thinking and hopelessly dreaming about another chance, for them to reconsider their choices of leaving you but feeling suffocated because you know, hope isn't even an option anymore - it's just pointless wishing. it's about understanding that you will never really understand why things didn't work out. it's about putting their well-being and happiness before yours because you know that if yours were prioritized, or even cared about, they wouldn't be as happy as they are today without you. it's about looking forward to go to bed because you can finally see them in your dreams but not being able to fall asleep because the thoughts of the past are flooding your mind like a tsunami.
i could go on for days, but i think you get it.
i think you understand that moving on does not mean you don't love them or care about them anymore, but it means you love and care about them enough to let them be because if leaving you is what makes them happy, so be it. even though it hurts.
so even if i have moved on from you,
(here i go again with the wishful thinking but)
if one day you decide to come back,
please know that i will always welcome you back with open arms and i will whisper, "i have been waiting for you."
Jun 5, 2016
Jun 5, 2016 at 2:10 PM UTC
Crimes gone on and on and against all humanity with a refusal to ever scrutinize
Twist the rule of law to accommodate the blatant lies they prioritize on both sides
That's the American dream, can only be seen behind closed eyes
Allowed to look but can't touch the prize, that's the hook, the bait and switch slight of hand is no surprise
A separate set of law books slipped in on the sly, guess the compromise
One for the citizen and one for the almighty enterprise, just dollar signs in their eyes
All for one and one for all, false bravado, see what happens when a nobody tries
See how quick a global problem is prioritized to keep in check a global unrest notably on the rise
Also on the rise, fear of a population turned unbiased congregation then weaponized
Who exactly are the good guys? If it's a non zero number I'd be surprised
Who would have guessed that building an enterprise on the lives of the little guys would be a possible demise?
🎼If you go into my neck of the woods prepare for a big surprise
A lone baby cries it's own lullabies through innocent eyes as innocence dies
The evil in people is all that thrives, it's never been the best of times🎼
©2023
Dec 13, 2023
Dec 13, 2023 at 6:30 PM UTC
It’s the sugar on your tongue.
It’s the ignorance at your side that encourages
The cane to slither off that flavorful muscle.
I don’t remember how it tastes. I obtain no desire to.
What happened old chap?
You used to own the world with that sickle.
Does it hurt?
That prioritized thumb
Pinning your will with darts.
Wriggling your way into false self-explanations
As to never admit defeat. But old pal, you know it’s true.
You've hit the bulls eye,
You've met your match.
Walk the tracks.
Feb 8, 2012
Feb 8, 2012 at 1:18 PM UTC
Decisions
are prioritized
Answers
align
The mind
is focused
I am the hunter--
emboldened by the stone's vibration
to prey upon my indecision
and apathy.
Jan 31, 2012
Jan 31, 2012 at 8:55 AM UTC
An empty coffee mug.....
Could evoke impending sadness
between you and the empty vessel,
are some private, reflective moments
It could mean,
it is time for you to stand up,
away from the coffee table
and start your daily grind
face another day in your life...
An empty coffee mug
could lead to
the end of a long exhausting day
the end of a conversation
the end of a relationship :(
Coffee is gone,
lots of things have to be done
maybe, It is time to leave an old life
old beliefs, give away old clothes, old books
some goodbyes have to be said
to old friends gone...old self, and
to old pricking, stabbing pain...
move to another house, for a new life
new opportunities, new friends
new surroundings, await
Each season segues to the next
yellow-green, brown, fuschia pink
red-orange, purple, even aqua-blue
slowly, but surely, they all turn to gray
the lovely colors of Spring,
Summer and Autumn,
become ashen...and die
but... after a while, they surely give way,
a springing of new life
could never be held at bay
.......................................
out of the coffee shop
or maybe, outside your room...just stop,
it could be a stretch from your scope of view
you are faced with the birthing of everything new
there is sun shining
for sure.....a moon rising
.........................................
An empty coffee mug
could mean,
the end of your break time
stop wallowing
quit postponing
focus back on work and
things to be prioritized
now is the time...got to move on.....
Sally
Copyright September 2015
Rosalia Rosario A. Bayan
Oct 10, 2015
Oct 10, 2015 at 1:14 AM UTC
I got scolded, got debouched
For the love I had that you didn't care for.
I failed many times, gave up everything I had
For the wrong thinking that you love me too.
I adored you, prioritized things that are for you
For the thought that you're heart is mine.
I procrastinated what must've been done first,
Became stupid in the eyes of other people
For the love I thought is true.
I feel stupid, ashamed of myself
I'm so broken, so dead
So afraid to love again
With this procrastination for love,
Everyday is a dead rain.
Dec 21, 2011
Dec 21, 2011 at 5:48 AM UTC
Look at how I've controlled your little mind
I find humor in when you think that without me you won’t please yours or any other eye
I can manipulate you into believing that in my absence that word pretty you will never define
Chanel, L’Oreal, Maybelline
what else of me have you prioritized
of what I offer, you own a collection so wide
from your dresser
to your pocket
or in that bag you carry by your side
contouring so you can attain that distinct jaw line
or black winged liner to change the shape of your eye
why haven't you realized?
that you're gradually making me a necessity in your lives
though
of this you have no clue
due to your false judgment which has convinced you to assume
that your flaws should be hidden because they don’t make you, you
The richness of the colors I offer
will keep you satisfied
The cherry red on your lips that feels every breath
you take in
one smudge and you’re ready to reapply
why
do you act as if nature has done some sort of crime?
Let face it if there’s anyone who should be fined
it is I
for deluding you to ignore the innocence of your face
whose beauty you've chose not to embrace
and have resorted to me as your only escape
leaving with what’s beneath to suffocate
making you confident
like fulfilling some need
only for a period of time
I succeed
so on me don’t be too dependent
for I’m just a temporary lie
step outside
keeping in mind
that true beauty radiates from what’s inside
don't take to heart on what they criticize
do not get used to me
because dear
I do not define
Aug 28, 2014
Aug 28, 2014 at 12:12 PM UTC
The cold western wind scurry hurries in
while a 4pm sunset languidly paints
rush hour traffic with hues
of gold, of orange, of purple,
of autumn.
A breeze that nips of winter,
cooling hot summer passions;
commanding the tourists away,
ordering local lives to be prioritized.
A wind so cold yet soft sun so warm,
with a glow that reassures;
inviting the holidays to approach
and hibernation mind to draw people near,
away from the fear of being frozen alone.
This is autumn's gift.
Nov 27, 2013
Nov 27, 2013 at 4:23 PM UTC
There once was a time,
When children could play outside,
Without their parents fear or cries.
In this time, the world was big,
But at least the little child,
Could explore it to his delight.
In the shroud of childhood,
The sunset is much more intense,
The greens of the trees much more serene.
And when you jump in the lagoon,
With you’re friends beside you,
You look back, and sigh, knowing you once had paradise.
But those days are gone now.
Sheltered lives, and internet.
We dive into the web, with false lives, and lies.
Where once their was honesty, decency,
And a Hard day’s Play.
Now, no more.
Sure, racism is just a joke for the comedians,
But what happens when it is our kids who grow up,
Each getting a trophy for losing.
I think they become the joke.
I think when we started to take out tough love and consequences.
When we started to believe our kids over our teachers.
When we kept them inside during the summer’s days and nights.
When we prioritized effort over victory, over success.
That failure was an acceptable outcome.
When its really, really, not.
That’s when the time we once had,
The golden age of America.
Faded, away.
But what do I know,
Hush now, I’m off to use,
The interweb machine.
This time I’m a thirty-four year old Asian female.
See you on the other side.
Jul 20, 2010
Jul 20, 2010 at 11:27 PM UTC
how quickly
thine priorities
abandon
me
stop telling me
how good my hair smells
stop
twisting it
around
your finger
like that
**** it up
and spend some real time
with me
i'm not an idiot
i get what happens
you get scared
and you opt out
go pray
for some guts
or something
Mar 14, 2013
Mar 14, 2013 at 11:21 PM UTC
I have been at rock bottom
the beauty of it is that it was there
that i found the rock
the one i can stand on
i can't fall any lower
i wiped the slate clean
i prioritized my lovers
he picked up the pieces
rebuilt my heart from the rubble
filled the cracks with cement
he said what he meant
and he meant what he said
my heart is alive
and not just my head,
he is everything to me,
that i couldn't feel when i was dead.
he is rock steady
and i want to rock steadily
heading where he sends me readily
i can't wait to live the things he's imagining
I mean, he had the audacity (thankfully)
to imagine me.
he loves me incredibly
this ground is so solid
there is nothing to discredit me
rock, steady. rock steadily.
Jan 26, 2014
Jan 26, 2014 at 1:41 AM UTC
And I know we are far gone
When your “later” is code for “never”
And I’m the one desperately trying to start a conversation
I know we are far, far gone
When everything else is prioritized before me
I know we are gone forever
When you’ve not only stopped telling me your secrets
You have stopped telling me anything
I know that there is no turning back
When I haven’t seen you in months
Even though there is only an eight minute walking distance between us
I know that we have materialized into nothing
When all the conversations I have with you are held inside my mind
I know that we are gone
Jun 14, 2014
Jun 14, 2014 at 6:19 AM UTC
Eleven years since I enrolled.
Eleven years I've been a part of this system.
And with open arms I would finally like to thank you
For what the school has offered me.
So thank you
For preparing me for the world.
Needing to prove in six lines or more why line A is parallel to line B
Will surely serve me nicely when I'm on my own and need to write triangular comparisons.
And although I don't know a thing about taxes,
I know to fear not,
Because mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell,
And that is the only thing that will be on the test.
And I trust your all-knowing judgment because you have never failed me before.
So you must be right when you say my little brother doesn't need to write in script
Because , as you put it, computers are the future.
There is no need to learn to write.
And I can't forget the ever-so-loving atmosphere distributed to me all those years.
I had learned to have a sense of humor at the young age of nine,
Because it was a joke to you when the other children told me to end it with a slash.
And all the assessments have served us greatly.
The loss of a history class to learn how to use a keyboard for testing
Could not have been time better spent.
Real life skills do not need to be taught,
Not when useless test scores are prioritized and focused on
Rather than a decent life lesson,
And all because they equal money in corrupt superintendents’ wallets.
That is what I have learned after all these years.
A sincere thank you is in order for the education supplied.
I have surely been taught well.
Apr 16, 2015
Apr 16, 2015 at 9:04 AM UTC
my self control is failing
those tiny moments of happiness have been prioritized over the hours of analysis and regret
Jun 21, 2016
Jun 21, 2016 at 12:13 AM UTC
Loyalty and Honesty
Are such old fashion qualities.
Now Hatred and Envy
Are real celebrities and followed by paparazzi.
These celebrities have made us blind,
Destroying this world that was just fine.
They were first created in our mind
And flows down to our heart via our spine .
Now the devil is laughing and saying lol,
We have prioritized these qualities above all.
We do not understand that we are all equal
We have stoop down so low to find everyone's faults.
Many are teaching about goodness
But practising in our daily life is the hardest.
Injustice, bloodshed is what we witness,
But have no power to stand against evil's greatness.
No power doesn't mean we are weak
It means we are allowing the devil to play hide and seek.
Right in our minds, hearts and cheek
We have becomes fans of the worst freak.
J. Mathew
Jun 25, 2020
Jun 25, 2020 at 12:36 PM UTC
I can feel every voice inside of me screaming,
sound waves bouncing against every cell,
clashing with every heartbeat,
and colliding with each aching muscle,
but all I hear is the swish of the ceiling fan’s blades
as they slice this stale air.
I have no voice externally.
You’d think I would be used to this by now,
but I don’t welcome a home
that tries the beat the life out of my joy,
that takes every loving moment I feel
and replaces it with a reminder that I’m unnoticed,
Forgettable.
I want my real home again,
where my walls don’t form massive brick barriers
ready to cave with any gust of wind,
where the fence that surrounds me
won’t shock me when I try to escape.
I want to feel life in my fingertips again
and wake every morning to a day worthy of sunlight.
I want to be seen.
I want to grip every worry,
every fear,
every smile,
every laugh,
every vulnerability
so tightly in my fists
that my fingernails cut holes in my palms
deep enough for me to bleed out all of my insecurities,
and then I want to hold each hand out
toward anyone who claims to care
and release the muscles that are trembling so softly from grip,
so I can release uncertainties that have shaken me so swiftly from flight,
and I want you all to watch as each part of me
presents itself before you as it falls from my grasp,
each part of me that you didn’t know,
each part of me that I thought died,
each part of me that I’ve worked intensely to build,
and each part of me that you look over,
because every move I make
and every piece of my soul
is like a light breeze
in the midst of autumn:
invisible,
lacking importance,
nice to have,
but unnecessary.
Sep 1, 2014
Sep 1, 2014 at 3:55 AM UTC
i was thinking of you and me
in our pieces and places
thinking about our own selves
not thinking about each other
until time space place things
put us where we breathed air
in same situations here-there
what a strange conspiracy
would place us here to down
grade the importance of selves
ours mine yours each others
we did not prioritize so
this world put us at number
one for each others for some
time leaving us without options
we made do with companionship
some brief moments of time
where we prioritized each other
then time space place things
moved without us a tidal wave
of shifting things so we shifted
too and moved to others priorities
but you were fortunate enough
to take a plus one for these
black-tie events while i carry
the heavy space around me as if
it is an option a conscious choice
no one rsvp-ed as my plus one
thus no witnesses to call me out
when i don a new face to greet
the faces i meet prepared to leave
every second every day- i barely
remember those i met a minute
a blink a movement ago but
music forges ahead life brims
knowledge is added and crushed
into dust by the relevance of time
disallowing for anyone to put any
hold onto it with intellect or paper
my song remains empty silent fake
lights fake smiles fake laughs fake
fake tears fake companionship so
helplessly temporary i feel the
drowning air of words unsaid anxieties
untested in my bones at my lips as i
slowly nervously keep moving always
being rushed in as a late attendance
by an impatient usher too busy with
bigger details to explain the rules
of a party where i always arrive late
with none to take my coat at the door
i remain hopelessly dressed in red
dungarees worn since i was three
my version of a skintight red dress
painfully obviously underdressed
Oct 3, 2017
Oct 3, 2017 at 1:22 AM UTC
I feel like this more than you'd know.
But how would you know?
How much do you care?
Enough to make me feel like this.
Alone.
Ostracized.
On the outside,
it's called The Time Of My Life.
On the inside,
I hear your laughter without me.
And I know the secrets you keep.
The jokes I'm on the outside of.
How do I prioritized the Great Unknown?
To not be so alone?
Unknown.
Apr 12, 2014
Apr 12, 2014 at 10:08 PM UTC
It's really hard to feel loved; when there is no one to love;
How to be hopeful, when there's no hope left to begin with;
Unable to feel prioritized, because priority was never a thing;
Give me a heart full of content, tired of feeling heartless
My life is a series of compiled fabrication of missing feelings and emotions;
Every breath I sip, every step I take, every blink I make;
Are all figments of my imagination;
Nothing but fabricated lies;
Lies;
And more lies
Feb 24, 2018
Feb 24, 2018 at 11:47 AM UTC