Today, I'm going to give you a chance
I never gave myself.
A chance to understand that you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else.
A chance to understand that you are enough, you've done enough, and you will do enough
to make your life worth living.
You may not feel like you deserve this chance. But you need it.

Of all the days and all the years,
All the laughs and all the tears,
All the love and all the fights,
All the mornings and sleepless nights,
Of all the life we've been through,
My most precious memories
Are every day I spend with you

Dear stranger: it's no secret
that times have been hard for everyone.
But you're not everyone, are you?
Maybe you lost someone.
Maybe you lost yourself.
Maybe you've been asked to do more
than you signed up for. Whatever's going on,
I know it may seem like you're losing control. Like you don't have a choice.
However this poem finds you,
I hope you come to find that you DO
have a chance to have a choice.
A chance to raise your voice.
I hope that someday, you accept
that you are worthy of love.
That you stop feeling guilty you survived.
But most of all, I hope that someday,
you wake up and find yourself grateful and happy to be alive

When you were a kid, you were given 2 choices: "you can make this easy,
or you can make it hard."
Only to come out realizing no matter which one you chose, you'd wind up covered in scars.
But it's OK. You couldn't have known.
And I'll tell you a secret. Everyone has scars. They're proof we've grown.
These scars don't have to scar you though. Just call them by their name, and let them go. The names you won't soon forget,
these scars are named mistake and regret.

What do you do when you don't know what to say?
What do you do when your head tells you to stay but your heart says to walk away?
Who do you go to when things don't go your way?
Is it getting harder to get through the days?
Once you figure out the answers, there is only one question left to ask
What will you do differently today?

I have decided that today,
I'm going to try.
I'm going to try to not be afraid
of what people say to me.
What they have to say about me.
My strategy is simple:
anticipate, accept, and understand.
If you anticipate someone will say something mean or disrespectful,
you can prepare yourself.
Then, if they do say something, you accept. Accept that's the way they feel about you. Finally, the most important part: understand. Understand that it is not your responsibility
to try to make them feel differently
or prove them wrong.
I did all this today hoping that tomorrow,        
you find the courage to try and do the same.

the goal was to survive.
but the dream was to live.
I was ready to give it my all.
I just had to stay alive.
then, one day, my whole world came crashing down.
first, I lost someone I loved.
then, I lost myself.
cutting through my grief,
the demons in my head suggested I was better off dead.
but another voice said "you know that's not true."
that's when I remembered.
she always told me
"the goal is to survive but the dream is to live."
I was ready to give up.
but if it means I can keep her dream alive,
I will live. I will survive.

Sometimes I feel blue.
Sometimes I see red.
Sometimes I smell orange
Or eat yellow bananas
when I get out of bed.
Sometimes I'm green with envy.
I'm sure there's indigo and violet
Somewhere in there too.
But just because the only color you see
Is the color of your skin,
It doesn't mean you don't have
A rainbow within you.

You can keep your secrets.
You can keep the past in the past.
Just tell me what you need.
Because I think we have something
That can last.
All it takes is your smile
to make me smile too.
All I need to be happy
is to see you happy too

it always seems that life is happy to remind you
that it doesn't owe you anything.
it doesn't owe you happiness.
or friends.
it doesn't even owe you an explanation
of what happens at the end of your story.
but guess what?
you don't owe life anything either.
you don't owe anything to anyone except yourself.
it's your time. your happiness. your choice.
because it is your story.

As cold and lonely as the outside can be, there's a lot less drama and pressure;
You're free

You thought you'd left the days of make believe behind by the time you were nine.
And yet, years later, here you are
making yourself believe you'll be okay
so you can make your baby believe the same.
Somewhere along the way,
we seem to correlate imagination
with maturity.
But what if it has less to do with growing up and more to do with surviving?
What if it's a defense mechanism?

Today, the world was cold.
It's people mostly cruel.
So it's time to say goodbye. Good night.
May tonight be the night
The world begins again.

I miss how you used to laugh
And inspired everyone else to do the same.
I miss your fearlessness.  Your curiosity.
I miss how much you loved
to run and play games.
I miss a lot of things.
But what I miss the most is how pure you were.
Like the light from the midnight moon.
You were gone too soon, Innocence.

Would you rather be the sun or the moon? Before you answer, let's recap what they do. It's been said that "with great power comes great responsibility." This just so happens to describe the sun perfectly. It provides plants and people with life and energy. But too much can make your savior your enemy. The moon is a security guard. It keeps things running, and it can be dangerous to people who work on the water if it's not out, but it can relax and enjoy when people say "it's stunning." In the end, I guess the question is, do you want to be admired for your power or your beauty?

Yes, we are part of the united States of America.
And yes, it is important to be proud
Of where you live and come from.
But it doesn't matter
how united we are.
We will always be divided some way.
But that's okay.
Because we still work together.
We're still human.
I know you're probably sick of me
Saying that word.
But the fact is, we can't be proud
Of where we live, where we come from.
We can't make social change
Until we're proud to be what we are.
Beautiful, fallible humans.

We live in war
But die in peace.
Doesn't matter if your face
Is full of wrinkles
Or caked in grease.
We live in war with ourselves
With emotions
And strangers
With finding hope
When every corner you turn
You only find a new danger.
But death is proof that war can end
So don't give up.
Stay strong, and know that you won't break if you bend.

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.

It's been said that the eyes
are windows to the soul.
If you believe this is true, remember:
windows can be tinted.

I don't know where I began.
I don't know where I'll end.
But I don't need to.
I know where I am right now.
I'm with friends. I'm with you.
And to me, that's a pretty
great place to be.

We all make mistakes. It's just a fact.
So why beat yourself up when it seems someone's always ready to kick you
when you're down?
Give the fires in your head a chance to die.
The stress and fear already make you
want to cry. But you know what?
It's okay to take a minute
and try to forgive yourself.
To let yourself off the hook.
Because you aren't responsible for everything that happens in your life.
And one more thing.
Remember that you'll never get the full story
on the first look.

Gravity and reality are one and the same. Both will bring you down regardless of your name. But staying grounded isn't the worst thing to happen in a world where people can clip your wings as they make you think they're help you fly to the heavens.

congratulations. you made it through today.
that's something not everyone got a chance to say.
tomorrow, I hope you stop staying silent
just because the words keep getting lost along the way.
but for now, congratulations. you made it through another day.

so, I decided to challenge myself and write a poem that included the titles of 20 of my favorite songs. and I did it. this might be one of my favorites. see if you can find all the titles. check it out

I thought I’d have to go to another world
to find somewhere I belong.
I felt powerless. Alone. A broken man in a carnival of rust.
My friends always tried to make me feel wanted
by saying “someone’s gonna light you up.”
But I always felt like the only thing people saw
were my imperfections.
They wouldn’t have tried so hard to break me
if they saw how good of a person I tried to be, right?
Or is it the opposite? They didn’t want one more light
in a world that was already so dark?
Well, they almost won. I almost tried to see heaven.
But I’m still standing.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m a simple man
or because I decided to stand in the light,
but I was given a second chance. Now, I don’t worry about a thing.
Because what I’ve got is all I’ve ever wanted.
Every time I look in her angel eyes, little by little,
the black of my iris gets lighter.
And now that I can see how beautiful life can be,
I’m not afraid to follow you wherever you will go.
I’m forever yours…faithfully.

When someone asks you
"what did you do today?",
I hope you know it's okay
if your biggest accomplishment
is being able to say "I breathed."

I've said hello. I've had to say goodbye.
I've said a lot of things in my time.
And I'll say a lot more.
Because you taught me
that what I have to say matters.
And now it's time to share
what I've learned with you.
What you have to say matters.
What you WANT to say matters.
You listened to me.
So, I'm ready to listen to you.
What do you want to say?

Not my strongest work,
but this is my first poem since March.
Irrational fears

Sometimes, I look up at the stars and ask "where do I go from here?"
But the only answers that are ever offered
Come from my Irrational fears

Have you ever watched someone
look at themselves in the mirror?
It's heartbreaking.
They never see what you see.
But that's why it's important for you to be there.
To make them feel beautiful.
Like someone cares.

Three words can change your life:
"I need help."
Three words can make your day:
"I love you."
Three words can make a difference
In so many different ways.

It's just another day in the life of me.
Just another day; nothing new to see.
It's just another day in the life of me.
Just another day I wish I didn't feel this way.
It's just another day in an endless war.
Just another day my heart feels sore.
It's just another day, but it's almost done.
Just another day I pray that tomorrow
will be more than just another day.

If, today, someone walked
up to you on the street and asked "would you rather be seen or heard?", what would you say? Would you humor them and stay? Would you simply walk away? Growing up, I always heard kids say "I wish I was invisible."
Maybe it was because
they were shy.
Maybe bullies made them cry. Maybe they were embarrassed about how they look.
Maybe they just wanted
a safe place to read a book. Whatever the reason,
I can't help but wonder...if, today, someone walked up to you
on the street and asked "would you rather be seen or heard?", what would you say?
Would your answer be different than what it would have been as a kid? Or would it be the same?

If the rain fell like my tears,
I wonder if I would ever
See the sun, the sky, the moon again.

Remember when we were kids,
you asked me
"boy, what you wanna do
with the rest of your life?"
I said "have a couple kids
with you as my wife."
Then you started laughing.
Said "that ain't never gonna happen." Ten years later,
now we both have rings.
Got the house and money
for baby things.
Getting ready to be parents
for the first time.
I say "I know right now,
things are going our way.
But baby, if I ever lose my way,
will you take me back
to my first broken heart.
Take me back to when I didn't know where to start.
Take me back to the country roads. Take me back to the town no one knows.
If I ever fall too far off track,
Baby, take me back.

there's nothing wrong with living in the moment
when you know you're dying by the second.
and, while it's true that you can get hurt
if you let your guard down,
there's nothing wrong with living like tomorrow's going to come.
because it will come whether or not you're here to see it.
but you never know when your time will come to an end.
so why not let yourself hope?
let yourself dream.
because life isn't always peaches and cream.

I can't stand being alone.
So, to cope, I remind myself
That sometimes,
there are some things you have to do alone.

As my body gets weaker,
my mind grows stronger.
But I can't help but wonder how much longer my heart can hold on.
Hold on to the faith, to the dream.
But more than anything,
I wonder how much longer the love in my heart can hold on to me

Chances are I'm not the man I think I am. Chances are I'm not the man
I make myself out to be.
Chances are I'm somewhere in between.
Chances are it's the same for you too.
Now, whether that's a good thing or bad thing, that's up to you.
But whatever the answer, Chances are,
you're amazing just the way you are

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

Almost out of energy.
Almost out of time.
Almost out of patience.
Almost out of rhymes.
Almost out of love.
Almost out of space.
Almost ready to give up
and leave this wretched place.
But every time I feel I'm ready to say goodbye,
I think about all the people
I'd have to leave behind.
I think about all the memories
that would be erased.
Some good. Others bad.
I think about all the adventures
I'd never get to have.
Life can be exhausting. Painful.
So I can understand why you'd want it to end.
But take it from me.
You never know what you'll miss.
You never know who will miss you.
And you never know
What's just around the river bend.

Whether you Wake up to
silence or a rooster call,
darkness or light,
love or a fight,
You still woke up.
Day or night, even if your hope is gone,
You woke up. So keep moving on.
Because however it happened,
You woke up.
And that's another chance to change things. Another chance to live.

I've seen it all before
And I'm sure I'll see it again.
But I don't know if I'll ever meet
Someone as special as you, friend.

I'm not sure exactly where I stand
When people ask me if I'm a boy or a man.
But does it really matter?
You're going to see what you want to see.
You're going to say what you want to say.
So while you decide, I'll be standing on the side
Just being me.

Forgiveness will mean nothing
If you will not forgive yourself
Because it's okay if it's your fault.

Time. Death. Faith. Hope.
Sometimes, the things we can't see make the biggest impact on the things we do.

Anxiety can **** you.
A community can save you.
You save yourself when you ask for help.

If you know you're wanted,
Please don't take that for granted.
Because someone you know
Doesn't know. Doesn't believe.
Has had peers tell them
They're a burden.
They hear it so much, they believe it.
If you're reading this,
And you're feeling this way,
Let me be the first to say...I want you.
I want you to live.
I want you to not be afraid to love.
I want you to find courage and pride.
I want you to rise above.
Because I've been there.
And you deserve to feel wanted.

You've been waiting for life to begin
not realizing it's already begun.
You've been waiting for love to let you in
only to realize you need to let love in first. You've been waiting for a chance to win
not realizing you've already won.
If you've gotten this far
and still haven't found what you're looking for, take a closer look around.
You might have had it the whole time.

My clothes
My body
My identity
These are not reflections of me
They're extensions of me

Are you afraid? You're not alone.
Are you hungry? Cold?
You're not alone.
Are you barely making it
between paydays?
I'm sure you can guess
where I'm going with this.
You may not want to
connect with anyone.
But just know:
You may have been alone before.
But things have changed;
Your boat's not empty anymore.

I don't know if I can change anything.
But I have to try. I've seen too many people
let their dreams fall by the wayside.
And for what? A chance to survive
long enough to see their children thrive?
No. We deserve better. For ourselves.
For our loved ones. For everyone.
Like I said.
I don't know if I can change anything.  
But I have to try. I've seen too many people
let their dreams fall by the wayside.