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Zack Ripley Mar 2021
On the surface, love and hate
May seem black and white.
But that's not quite right.
They're feelings.
And feelings can change.
They're also like humans.
On the surface, people may seem
Scary or really nice.
But give them time,
And they may make you think twice.
First impressions are important.
But take them with a grain of salt.
And if you get fooled,
Just know it's not your fault.
Zack Ripley Mar 2021
The air is cold.
But I don't notice.
Because as I walk across the frozen lake,
I know I can't afford
to make a mistake.
The longer I look
At the fish that swim below,
A feeling grows inside me.
It's not fear.
But fascination.
We always say we wish
Time would slow.
And walking on water
Makes me realize it does.
We just don't notice.
Zack Ripley Mar 2021
For some, the world is black, white, and gray.
For some, the world may be gay.
For some, it can be hard
To find a reason to stay.
For some, the world is big.
For others, it's small.
For some, the world has
a billion people.
And for others,
there aren't many people at all.
For some, faith and love for God
Can get them through the darkest days
Some have other ways to cope.
Whatever world you live in,
It's one and the same.
Your world, my world, the world,
They all exist on the same planet
With the same name:
Earth
Zack Ripley Mar 2021
You never knew how I felt
Cause I didn't want you to know
But now you're ready to leave
and I don't want you to go.
You taught me to laugh
When I wanted to cry.
You're not just my love;
You're my sun, stars and sky.
How can I tell you how I really feel
When every time I'm with you
Nothing ever seems real
Zack Ripley Mar 2021
You don't have to be alone
To feel alone.
I still struggle with that
Despite how much I've grown.
I still have my friends,
My family, my fans.
But when I look down, all I see
are my empty hands.
Zack Ripley Feb 2021
You wore your heart on your sleeve
Until you couldn't take the pain anymore.
Then one day, it shattered on the floor.
You could pick it up
And put it back together.
But you can't help but wonder...
"What for?"
Your frustration eventually brings
Tears to your eyes as you realize
That all you want is to feel okay again.
But you're worried if you do,
You could let your guard down
And your heart could break again.
Here's the thing: it doesn't matter
How high or thick your walls are.
You will get hurt one way or another.
So why not let yourself be happy
For awhile.
Go ahead. Have some fun.
Because as far as we know,
You only get one.
Zack Ripley Feb 2021
When I left home,
I was broken and bruised.
Daddy took it out on me
When he fell victim to the *****.
I thought when I graduated,
I'd finally get to choose.
Find a world where the bars
played rock instead of the blues.
The day everything changed,
There was a fork in the road.
There was a wise old man,
And this is what I was told.
"If you go to the left, you'll stay in hell.
But you'll get your revenge
when he dies in a cell.
But if you don't want revenge,
go to the right.
You'll travel the world,
you'll make a difference.
But it will be hard to sleep at night."
I didn't even think. I ran to the right.
He told me it would never be the same
If I ever had to come back.
But I was okay with that.
I had everything I needed in my sack.
Five years later,
I woke up alone in bed.
A purple heart hung above my head.
Even though I am where I am today,
I don't regret it.
Because when I go to my grave,
When someone is asked to describe me,
They'll say "he was brave."
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