A stranger.
A stranger lies in front of me
but he didn't used to be one.
This stranger used to look at me
but now he looks at no one.
He used to talk and laugh with me
and hold me when I've broken,
but now our bond is shattered
and words remain unspoken.
I look at this stranger
with longing and regret,
Why did it have to be this way?
It's like we hadn't ever met.

There is nothing that I recognize
about this stranger that I see
He looks the same, speaks the same
but there's hardly familiarity.
He doesn't have the spirit
that urged me when I struggled
Nor the warmth and understanding
when I melt into a puddle.
There's no happiness in his eyes
no matter how hard he tries.
Instead he found new outlets
as his soul inside dies.

The man I used to know
is nowhere to be found
instead this stranger takes his place,
I cannot make a sound.
This stranger looks at me
without emotion
and departs with one swift motion.
But the clock is ticking
as I am picking
the pieces of my heart off the floor.

In this point in life it’s time for change,

sure at first it will feel sort of strange.

Sit through the bad and stay a while,

and you’re sure to find a reason to make you smile.

Try not to dwell too much on the past,

because the present is here and will go by fast.

Or is it the future? It was but not now. Wow.

On this journey called life, hold on for the ride.

The one game you cannot win, although many have tried.

Let go, and live for now you see;

this is your time to simply be free.

A hot summer’s day, cold drink in hand.

Hold on to the youth as long as you can.

There are times where life isn’t so pretty,

who am I kidding, it can be ******.

Take a deep breath and just keep swimming;

this chapter’s closing, it’s the last inning.

One door closes and another appears;

it’ll keep happening all through the years.

Never lose the way that you laugh and smile;

everything gets better, it just takes a while.

What’s to come next simply can’t be known,

that doesn’t change just because you’re grown.

Eighteen, twenty-one, even thirty-four;

surprises are plenty and there will always be more.

At the end of the ride you can look back and say

Hey, I’ve sure come a long way.

Through the tears, the drama and all the ****,

it still gets better...just never forget.

driven and driving
to penetrate your darkness
to explore your depth

i'm original
in my style of plagiarism
a brand-new bottle