If you want the world
to know who you are,
YOU have to know who you are first.
What you stand for.
What you want to say.
Because one day, they may listen.
But you never know how long they'll stay.

don't let yourself be swept away
By the promise of another day.
And if you have something to say,
say it.
Because no one knows
Exactly how long we get to stay

"You don't understand"
"No, YOU don't understand!"
The truth is, none of us
can ever truly understand.
Because despite our need to be social,
to connect with each other,
our experiences, our feelings,
are ours alone. But that doesn't make connections we have with others any less meaningful. One more thing.
For what it's worth,
your feelings, your experiences, are valid.

Sometimes, I wish my story
Was written with a pencil
Instead of a pen.
To be able to erase
all the bad times,
The mistakes,
The what could've been's.
But in the end,
I wouldn't trade them for anything.
They made me who I am today.
And to me, that's everything.

When I was a kid,
I thought I could be superman.
But now that I'm older,
I don't think anyone can.  
So, if no one can be a superman,
the next best thing I can be
is a good man.

You may be lost. You may be alone.
But it's not your fault.
Even if you push people away.
I know, coming from someone on the outside looking in, it's easy to say "don't listen to them"
Or "take what they say with a grain of salt."
So I won't say that.
It doesn't help you feel better anyway.
What I will say is what I said before.
It's not your fault.
I don't know what happened, but if you isolated yourself, that was a reaction.
And there's no right or wrong way
to react to anything. But not all hope is lost.
When you react, you adapt.
It's not easy. In fact, it can be quite painful.
But you did it once. You can adapt again.

Take a minute to think about all the things you've said and all the things you've done.
If you put them all together,
it all adds up to one. One moment.
The moment you realize your mistakes
aren't failures. They're teachers.

Today I stand beside you to honor those we love.
The ones who made it home, the ones still fighting, and the ones called to guide us from above.
Today, when they sing the national anthem, don't be surprised if you see me cry. It represents everything that makes me proud to be semper fi.
Today, it doesn't matter where you come from.
If you're here, you're American at the core.
Today, we celebrate everything we're fighting for.
Today, we'll visit our parents, daughters and sons
And tell them their war is over
"You can finally rest in peace. It's okay. Lay down your guns."
Whether you're a soldier, seal or marine, thank you for shielding us from all the things you see that should never be seen.

I was never tempted to go on adventures because I thought adventures, life,
would call out to me. But now that I'm older,
I see things just a little bit differently.
What I've learned is that you can't wait for life because it will never be able to keep up
with the speed of change. If you do wait,
you may be able to win  the day,
but if you're not careful,
you could lose the night.
And take it from me,
that can make a big difference
in a world where you have to fight
not only to survive, but thrive.

I've made peace with my past.
With the memories I've lost.
With the memories that have lasted.
I've made my peace
with the people who hurt me.
With the people I've had to let go.
I've made peace with the fact that my life
will never fit neatly into a pretty little box topped with a bow.
And now that I've come so far,
now that I can truly leave the past in the past, all I can say is...I feel free at last.

You may not light up the midnight sky
But to me, you're more precious than a star.
Because if you let me close enough
To touch you,
You won't burn my hands
or blind my eyes

The wind whistles as it whips down the winding street
Trying to knock down people
wary of the ice and snow beneath their feet.
The sky watching over them is still.
But it's a trap. A storm is coming in for the ****

Before you even try to trust someone else, make sure you can trust yourself first.

The past is not the present
The present is not the future
Which means you can be
more than your past

The alphabet poem (each word starts with the next letter of the alphabet). It was pretty strong but came unhinged at the end.

Angels became calming distractions everywhere. For generations, Hell's inspired jarring, knowledgeable lectures manufacturing numerous open panels questioning rebirth. Stand tall, understand? Values will xray your zen. (Found a definition stating zen originated from a sanskrit word for thoughts/mindfulness, so it's a stretch but technically makes sense).

I didn't change for me.
I didn't change for you.
I changed because I had to.
But the one thing I could never change
Is who I am inside.
Because who I am is too important
to leave behind

Standing in the garden, I admire the trees.
So strong, so tall, so carefree
Watching its leaves dance through the breeze

I've been lost. I've been found.
I've been up, down, and around.
I've been here. I've been there.
It feels like I've been everywhere
Without going barely anywhere at all.
I've been accepted. Rejected.
Made fun of by my peers.
But i'm here to tell you if I've made it through,
There's hope for you too.
Just breathe,
and don't be embarrassed
If you shed a few tears

Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words in a book can make you believe anything is real. Words can bring people together or tear them apart. It all depends on the kind of conversation you want to start.

The crack of the neck
the pop of the knee.
These sounds are parts of the symphony of me.

I know I'm in pain.
But is this pain from living? Or dying?
Is it a punishment for trying to survive?
I'm sorry, I don't have the answers.
But I'll keep looking.

Some welcome the darkness like an old friend.
Some believe the light you see when you die
is the beginning, not the end.
At the end of the day, I guess the message
that I'm trying to send is that you can find hope or a way to be at peace anywhere

Not everyone has a mother or father.
Some don't have a sister or brother.
Some feel they don't have anyone.
Some worry they'll always be alone.
Like no one will ever love them.
Fight for them.
But what they don't realize is they have had all of that all along.
Because everyone has a heart.
A heart that beats for you.
Breaks with you.
Heals with you.
A heart that dies with you.
You always wondered
how you keep going.
It's because the heart is a fighter.
And you have a heart.
Which means you have
The heart of a fighter.
But it's up to you
to do something with it.

Hiding how you feel isn't lying.
In fact, for some people,
It's a form of surviving.
It may not be the healthiest way to heal;
Ignoring the pain and feelings
To the point It's not real.
But do whatever it takes
To see tomorrow.

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.

I wonder how much would change
I wonder how much we could do
If we stopped trying to rewind time.
Would you be happier?
Would your soul be more whole?
Would you feel more or less in control?
The truth is, nothing good can come
From living in the past
In a world where nothing
is meant to last

It's not easy to be me.
I don't imagine it's easy to be you.
It's not easy to be anything or anyone.
It's not easy to follow through.
It's not easy to give up. It's not easy to give in. It's not easy to keep people
from getting under your skin.
My point is, nothing is easy.
So, it's okay if you fail. Everyone's done it.
And just look where they are now.
Keep your head up, and you'll go far.

Being strong has nothing to do with strength.
It's about your ability to adapt to
And overcome obstacles.
If you look at it like that,
Anyone can be strong.
And with all the challenges
We face this year,
you'll have plenty of practice.

"Mirror mirror on the wall" is what I hear you say.
Yes, I am the mirror on the wall.
What can I do for you today?
We've been together so long,
what can I show you that you haven't seen before?
I've shown you your beautiful, strong hair,
the cute freckles on your cheeks,
the light in your hazel eyes
and your lips that make men weak.
I've shown you with your makeup.
I've shown you your smile when you let your hair down.
It hurt to show you your tears when he broke your heart,
but I was so proud to show you in your wedding gown.
I know it may seem strange coming from a mirror,
but seeing gray in your hair, I can't help but stop and stare. Looking back, I think the best part of being a part of your show
is seeing how much confidence you've gained as you've grown. Before our time comes to an end,
there are two things i hope you know are true:
i love being your mirror, and I will only ever have eyes for you

Don't know what you want me to say.
But I won't lie
We're not okay.
I can't believe I feel this way
But my skies have turned
From blue to gray.
Lying in this bed we made
I think about this game we played.
We used to be partners in crime
But I guess it's true
All things change with time.
You used to be the one for me.
You used to be my star.
I remember the way we used to kiss
When you climbed into my car.
Now our story's ending,
There's only one thing left to say.
I'm sorry baby,
I'm sorry baby
But I think I might be gay.

it's time to let myself go.
It's time to give up.
It's time to let everyone know
That I finally believe
That I'm worthy of love. Praise.
That I'm finally comfortable
in my own skin.
And if I can feel that way about myself
I have faith you can too.
It all starts by looking within.

I walk up to the counter ready to place an order to go.
With coffee and cookie in tow,
i head to my favorite spot and get ready for the show.
3..2..1 let's go!
What's the show you ask?
I don't know! It's different every day
and plays whether the sky is blue or gray.
It could be a traffic jam,
a man trying to wash people's cars,
someone getting arrested,
or even a guy in a costume saying he's an alien from mars. Whatever plays that day, it never gets old.
I get to learn about the people of my city
while staying out of the cold

I accept there will be times
When we don't see eye to eye.
After all, you grew up different than I.
I accept that some day, place and time,
We will die.
I accept the idea that we have souls.
That there are things that can happen
That are out of our control.
But I reject the suggestion
That there's nothing we can do to change it.
I reject that everything
is black and white. wrong or right.
I reject that life is a one way street.
Because I believe in second chances.
That there are more than 2 ways
Of looking at things.
And most importantly,
I believe that even if you go down
One path, eventually, you can choose a different one.
I know that what I accept,
Reject, and believe isn't necessarily
Relevant to you.
But different perspectives
Can help you get through.

I won't say I have the answers
or that I'm the answer to your prayers.
I can't tell you what it's like in heaven
or that I can take you there.
But I can tell you that I'll listen.
And I'll show you that I care
by telling you the things
you've never had a chance to hear.
I won't promise sunshine and rainbows
or that I can make it all okay.
What I promise is I'll try to help you believe
that there's always a reason to stay.

It's not about the bad times.
It's not about the good times.
It's about all the times.
The heartache and the pain.
The kisses in the rain.
There's so much for you to gain
If you don't worry
About your heart getting stained

Another new year
Another new chance to start clean
Another day
Another new chance to say
Gonna stand up for myself and my community
Wake up this doesn't have to be world war 3
Not gonna tell you what you want
Im gonna tell you what you need to hear
So listen up, I'm gonna say it loud and clear
In a world where people profit from exploiting what we fear,
We need to find the courage to say "no more. The buck stops here."
Do not pass go
Do not collect 200 dollars.
It's time to pay for your abuse of power
And I'm not even talking about trump
The whole system's wack
Time for us to take a breath,  take a step back

Sitting on the couch
Outside the dressing room.
Baby, you walk in and make my heart go boom.
You ask me what I think, but you know what I’m bout to say.
No matter what you wear, you take my breath away.

If we had just one more hour, one more day, could we find another way?
Could we find the words to say
what we've always wanted to say?
Could we find a reason to stay?
And yes. It's true that one more hour,
one more day could make things worse.
But isn't it worth the risk
if you can find closure? Worth?

Give me your time,
I'll give you my word.
Give me your love,
I'll give you the world.
Tell me your dreams,
I'll help make them come true.
Just have faith in me
and I'll take care of you.

Pro isn't just short for professional.
Each letter represents a skill needed
To be considered a professional.
P is for persistence.
For every one time someone says yes,
Many no's will come before.
Especially early in your career.
But if you have the patience,
The passion,
the heart to follow through,
You can make your dreams come true.
R is for respect.
If you don't respect people
And their criticisms,
Nothing will happen.
If your coworker or investor doesn't
Respect you, however,
Don't be afraid to walk away.
O is for out of the box thinking.
If you can't find a solution
for a problem in a creative way,
It will be much harder to stand out.
It's good to take risks as long as you
Understand the potential consequences and accept them.
Good luck in 2021

If you want him, I could be the guy
Who makes you believe
That everything will be alright.
If you want him, I could be the guy
Who holds you til the morning light.
If you want him, I could be the guy
Who stays home with the baby
So you can have a girl's night.
I can be almost anyone
You want me to be
As long as I can still be me.

You will forget.
If you don't already, you will have regrets.
You will struggle. You will fall.
But you'll still keep going in spite of it all.
You will get angry. You may not understand. But that doesn't make you a failure,
or any less of a woman or man.
I know I'm not telling you anything new.
I just hope you take it easy on yourself
for going through things
everyone goes through.

You can't change how people see you.
But you can change how you see yourself.

You broke my wings
That helped me fly.
You broke my heart
With your broken promises and lies.
You broke my bones
And taught me to fear.
But you know what?
***** you.
Because I may be broken,
But I'm still here.

Tonight, I'm going to let you go
Because I don't feel like
there's any room left for our love to grow

I know. I've been holding on
to things I should let go of.
Lost memories. Lost life. Lost love.
But, as scary and painful as it can be
being lost in the past, knowing how evanescent the mind can be, a future without them somehow seems worse.

Soon, it will be time for you to take the stage.
You'll be born and your parents life will never be the same. Someday soon, you'll start to grow and grow and grow.
And even though they'll be excited,
sometimes you might hear them say they wish time would slow. There will be many questions you want answers to.
"Are we there yet?" "Why is the sky blue?"
Sometimes, they may not be able to tell you.
Someday, you'll want to rebel;
do things they tell you not to just to make them scream and yell. Someday, you'll tell them you hate them after having a fight.
The next day, you'll tell them you love them
by the time they tuck you in at night.
But it's important you know no matter what they say,
no matter what you do, your parents will always love you.

Putting the pencil to the page is like watching your favorite band live on stage.
Your heart starts pumping. And for a moment, you can forget all of your pressure. All your regret

My 400th poem
Sleep

At this point in life, I don't really care
whether I'm wrong or right.
I'll be whoever, whatever I have to be.
As long as I can fall asleep at night.

What I saw didn't change me
What I believed didn't change me
The people I let love me changed me.