OPEN MIC ARCHIVE
Up-dated September, 1, 2000

And if elected, I ...
Rene A. Martin 

And if elected, I promise to free the overburdened middle class
and the downtrodden and oft forgotten working class
from the oppressive tax burden under which they have labored for so many years.
You are the backbone of this great land,
but a backbone that has been bent and strained for far too long.
Good people, give me a chance to lead, to serve you -
I who know your pain, who understand your anxieties and frustrations, your hopes and your dreams,
I who share your vision of what this country could yet be
under the right leadership, the leadership that
I solemnly pledge to you today I will provide,
the leadership that you fine people deserve, have always deserved, but have seldom found, the leadership that no other candidate, certainly not my draft dodging, tax evading, drug sniffing, philandering opponent with his toupee, his face lift, his elevator shoes, and his crotch enhancement could ever begin to provide you.

I am your only hope.
Don't be taken in by empty promises. 
Set yourselves free. Vote for me!

~^~

Castles on the shoreline
By Art Lander

Through the dense cool morning fog
as if suspended in mid-air
A distant unformed shape appears
amorphously transforming there.

As the outline slowly sharpens
parapets begin to climb
Piercing in an upward spiral
vagueness giving way to time.

With the sun’s relentless warming
shrouds of mystery melt away
Images start crystallizing
bringing forth another day.

Behold the castles on the shoreline
standing tall against the sky
Greeting all who chance to view them
welcoming the passers-by.

~^~

To Mars, From Venus
~Kashmire

Your voice is the color of the moon
To hear you laugh is the shimmer of the stars
Talking with you is the serenity of the sunset.

~^~

I FEEL SO STRANGE
NOT A PENNY IN MY POCKET
I AM DANCING WITH A FORCE UNKIND
I AM DANCING WITH MISERY
I FEEL SO STRANGE
THE LIGHT HAS DISAPPEARED
I AM IN A DARK PLACE
IS IT TIME FOR THE HEMLOCK
IS IT TIME FOR THE HUSH
I CANNOT REMOVE THE SHARD FROM MY HEART
I FEEL SO STRANGE
IS MISERY COMING BACK
WHO IS THE CULPRIT 
WHO IS THE WOMAN IN THE BLACK SILK DRESS
IS IT TIME FOR THE HEMLOCK
THE THE THUNDER CLOUDS ARE IN THE SKY
I AM BEING IRRADIATED WITH MISERY
MAKE IT STOP IF YOU HAVE THE POWER
I HEAR A MELODIOUS SOUND COMING FROM THE CRIMSON SKY
I DARE NOT LOOK...I DARE NOT LOOK 

 RICK SIHLER 

~^~

TEEN-AGE MOTHER
Kelley

You loving him he loving you
and before you know it 
in nine months you due
high school and college is last 
on your mind
but you call him up all the time
the more you call the less he talks
until he eventually jumps up and walk
scared as hell with no where to run
the end of your freedom has just begun
no money, no diapers just questions of why
can't find a solution so you start to cry
you work minimum wage jobs nine hours a day
just to get frustrated from lack of pay
looks for a better job but there's no other
welcome to your reality of a teen-age mother.

~^~

Hey, Grandma!
Travis Alan Haight

Why on earth don't you care
Hurts my mom so much, she wants to pull out her hair
We've given you so many invitations to come see us
But you make so many excuses, it makes us wanna cuss

All of our other relatives don't care, they think they're too hot
And you live so far away, but you still care...not
One experience long ago, which was really bad
Now i've never seen you again, since I was a little lad

Seems like you couldn't care less, makes me wanna shout
I could die tomorrow, and you still wouldn't come out
Always try to ask you why, but never really can do that
Always use the same old excuse, which I know is a bunch of crap

Your health really can't be that bad, why don't we take a look at the stats
You don't drink, you don't do drugs, and your house can't be infested with rats
Always say you love me, but I know that's not true
When i've invited, and you've rejected, until my face turned blue

I know what i'm gonna do, when i'm of the age
Gonna let out my years of worth of built up rage
Gonna come to your house, and get an answer for real
Then i'll let you know how I really feel.

~^~

This Spread Hand
by David Koepke

Noon.

The shadow of the crucifixion
closes to a dark bud

where the cross cracks 
hilltop.

Along the horizontal plank,
farthest left,

this spread hand:

Gold sky
beads upon each

finger tip's hovering
eclipse flaring

edge.

~^~

When The Girl Of 16 Turns 25. 
Aban Lam

It may seem puzzling 
To read after 16 years comes 25;
But here’s my story 
Of all the years in between.

When I was 16 he came along,
An age at which I was naïve, young and wanted to dream on.

With him came the sunshine and the rainbow,
All of which touched my heart and made me glow.

The days of my teens were filled with laughter and dreams,
I envisioned myself as a partner of a loving and giving team.

But my relationship broke and my dream got messed;
My unfulfilled hopes were laid to their rest.

I was picking up the pieces and nicely pulling along,
Till a few years down the line and he once again came along.

My unfulfilled dreams again ignited and started,
I was overjoyed at my destiny and for me what had been slated.

This time around I knew it was meant to be,
So I gave up society ,family, career and all the things that had previously mattered to me.

And now love was definitely in the air,
For we had become an inseparable pair.

Happy and content with every sphere of my life;
I patiently waited for the day when we would become man and wife.

My love for him had surpassed family and social ties, all of which I had chosen to give up;
But alas! see my destiny, my fate for those very same reasons my man was now giving me up.

That day a broken woman stood a face before her mirror,
She peered in and reviewed the memories of her man
With a piercing arrow in her heart and tears in her eyes; She realized the sorrow she felt for loving the wrong man.

So now to the present day I awake,
With all other roads and options closed as I had myself previously made.

I wait for the day when the twilight in my life turns to sunshine
And all my blues to hues,

For now I know that the love of my family, friends and well wishers will slowly cover and seal my pain,
And like a sphinx from the ashes I will rise again.

~^~

HER PERFECTLY FLAWED HAND
(c)2000 Nikki Isaak

hip hop melancholy, laughing
lemon blood while they sleep.
heart beating only to rend
itself further, sour rills
on jagged ventricle edges,
serpent-jizzed futures jinxed;
still hungry for that indefinable
something, swaying frail,
little candle flame.

~^~
The sun bled today, the eye of a golden godess gouged out
stored in a tiny bottle on an old man's dusty shelf
the love of your life a trendy drug, are you satisfied with this outcome?
Do you like what you see? Have you finally located everything you want to be?
Such confusion where none is needed
Everybody's got it figured out and everyone else is wrong
and these my worn and weathered hands, can they touch without touching?
for i still see through my eyes which are sewn shut...
I sing to you while you sleep, the fly on the wall is dead.
maybe you do hear, maybe not, maybe is somewhere between origin and destination.
Two trees in an immense forest converse about the weather. Within and without
the rain still falls in thick sheets. The tiny bird on the twisted branch 
whistles wise sayings to the infant wind. I wish glue could fix everything.
wasted wishes on selfish stars glowing just out of reach.
The clenched jaw as you feel it circulating through your frail form.
so much stronger, braver, smarter. A role model for today's tots.

Margail O'Connor

~^~

Lysol
by Roger Ellis

smell is powerful...
when you left
your scent lingered on
filling the emptiness
mixing with loneliness
linked to heart-ache
leaving a heavy stench
thank God for Lysol

~^~

ROLE MODELS
KELLEY HUDSON

Maya and Booker T. just to name a few
Giovanni and Hughes did what I want to do
express myself with the power of words
not only with my writings but my voice be heard
because communication is the key for us to get along
singing together to that one love song
like Maya, Hughes, Giovanni and Booker T.
they had something to say just like me.

~^~

HAIKU
Quentin Clingerman

Faded Rose 

Faded rose, leaves dead
Once the glory of the room
All glory soon fades

Birds Delight

Birds twitterringly
Stop by the birdbath
Sharing gossip

Robin Convention

Flock of robins
Gather in the backyard
Politics as usual
~^~

"Dreams"
Tifany Laffin

A maze through which I twist and turn;
A place where my heart indeed does burn.
Both at once, shivering and scared;
Caught like a star-crossed lover with my heart bared.
A realm of fantasy where I can play;
Where the subject is anything I wish to say.
Lost in my very own eyes;
I'm the palace that begins to rise.
Scenes of snow fluttering down to kiss my face;
With the feeling of a warm breeze waiting for my embrace.
The vibrant hues;
The meaningless clues.
Such a world for me to lose my mind;
Where people could, but wouldn't be very kind.
And now, when my vulnerability is at its best;
It leaves me as though I were a poorly sought jest.

~^~

buttermilk
tom shedrick

I don't care about the reasons here,
denied at nine my logic is gross,
the petals of your flower keep falling off,
so make a promise, i'll hold you to it.

the dog is off the chain, the crying ceases,
scratch with your claws, the chamber of my heart,
I trained my eyes to look away,
way past your disenchanting glances.

Plug in the cord and listen to it hum,
The sum of my shortcomings is close to one,
I need to have a dream before the dawn breaks,
everything inside me, I cannot speak.

~^~

A Mother's Day Poem
James W. R. Stills

A father's ignorance can run
Much deeper than we'll ever know
So burdens weigh you by the ton
A Mother's Work is Never Done.
How Can I begin to show
My gratitude on this, your day?
For even as I write you go
And work too hard for pay too low.
And all so little Desiree
Our daughter, full of innocence
Can have a comfy place to lay
And toys so she can laugh and play
Your love and strength is so immense
I can't imagine anyone
Possessing courage so intense
A Mother's work is never done.

~^~

STORM 
Robert Schumacher

A storm has come and gone leaving in it's wake torn hearts and hurt souls. But We must wade through the puddles of tears and wait for the clouds to part, for the sun will shine down on us again, the eagle will again join our souls as he ever so softly soars above us. I miss you as I hope you do me. Hand in hand we must walk through life, keeping our heads held high, the future will bring more storms but with the passing of each one we will become stronger until we are one.

~^~

mirror mirror
Alan King

NOW mirror mirror on the wall, who's the coolest of them all
its me of course if i'd only look, our love for me is an open book

if i could learn myself to love, the truth revealed from up above
my strength will come from air that's free, then i'll will hug my favorite tree

why do you love me i hear me say, i haven't looked to see the way stare at yourself the mirror asks, i know it is a daunting task

thirty days it took for me, to look and see what others see
and when i found my inner self, with fortune came abundant wealth

at first i looked then turned away, i couldn't face that daunting prey those eyes they know the pain of sin, for they alone know where i've bin

but wait wait a bit now i can see, those eyes HAVE shared it all with me to look inside is quite a task, now i'm ready... remove the mask

myself and i are joined as one, now WE can start to have some fun oh mirror mirror on the wall, thank you so much you heard my call

~^~

Carnal
A.O'Neal

The fire and the laughter
Almost like the words weren't real
Never seen much like this, like you
Take it all - seems so much like home
Forgiven - you know it couldn't last
You know I'm finished with all that matters
Could tell you how sorry I am, but how would that matter to you?
Surprised it was so soon, fills me with this feeling of so much burden
Remove this from me
Take that from me, you can't laugh at that, not even for trying
Scratching and scraping
Hold this and send it away, Take this and draw it out for all your worth
Your energy and
your passion, take this so much further
A level that was new to us
A level that is so much nothing to us now
Because we weren't meant to hold back on this
Normal and in question
Take your time, sit down. Think you should explain yourself
Dialogue of seclusion, teach me your style, please be my teacher
Give me nothing, just show me how

~^~

Back of me hand…
By Wallace A. Zard

Love is a joke that’s tempered with greed
Needed to love, loving to need…
Wanting to touch, attempting to feel
Getting the shaft, raw fucking deal…

Love is not happy, love then is sad
Love is not good as it’s peppered with bad…
Love is not pretty, nasty though too
This is the love that I’m putting you through…

Think back to times that were happy again
Chances are best you were single back then…
Smiling faces, nothing to fear
Its truly then love that has stranded you here….

Fight back the feelings but still have the sex
Eat fatty foods and still write those bad checks…
Live for the moment, a wise man once said
“Live for today for tomorrow you’re dead….”
~^~

Moon Swimming
allan 

come to the earth
we burrow deep in the brown treasure
we snake through jungles green and soft
swim flashing rainbows in the translucent night
fly as swallows bending the air smooth arrows
being as babies gurgling under swimming suns
soaring as souls each night a new story to unfurl
lie stretched each nerve sighing in summer fields
and in a balmy Indian night swoon in the mystic
to rhythms sensual and hypnotic
pure hymns to our blissful sleeping spirit
catching orange flecks of burning clouds
turning the world to dreams of scarlet
curling like a puppy to sleep
we smile and let go
drifting slowly
far from earth
but happy to be
lost in this magic
~^~

Ambrosia
Thomas Granger

Ambrosia sings its subtleties, nectar of the gods 
Bringing with all certainty the need to face the odds
The odds always being one more chance that I can get
A piece of your tranquility, the peace I can't forget

Surprising to remember realms of supple, calming waves
I go with my conscious undaunted, all of that Love saves
but drag along those memories of the times I went astray
Sometimes when I dream all of my sorrows fade away

I picture in a forest rows of massive, towering trees
Bowing down to welcome me to enter as I please
Relax into another world of temporary bliss
and slip away with only dark to make me feel like this

The whistle blows and then I stop my forward steps in life
Together with divided thoughts about my long, lost wife
but in essence of the last part, forever will I stand
The one not in attendance for someone to understand

As night-time drifts off willingly into another rise
Of the sunlight that so brilliantly reflects within your eyes
Someday I will wander into likes that I've not seen
Taken with my every thought to everywhere I've been

~^~

CHOICES
eva-maria hedin

We all here on earth are trying to keep ourselves alive as long as possible

You can-
keep your eyes closed real hard
stick to your anger, suspiciousness and fear
be a prisoner of the past
let your life be poor and gloomy

or

You can-
open up your eyes and be a pioneer of the future
be aware of that you are unique
feel joy and love, share, give, care
let the horizons open up
look at all the beauty life can bring
and see the higher purpose of your existence

~^~

"Do I Know You?" 
Leeza 

Do I know you?
Are you my best friend?
Are you my worst enemy?
Who are you?
Do I know you?
~^~

I walk into the dark night with myself.
The moon howls harsh words.
The trees snicker behind my back.
I know they cannot feel my pain.
Why do they say such things?
Joe Bond

~^~

Chumbawamba
KatriSeppa

Said a man on the street
He was a mystery walker
From a train called Seattle
Fly! You wanna try?
In my cabin on the sky
He said
And suddenly I heard
A maniac laugh
So I ran
Ran past the sycamores
Down the lane
Where the car horns honk
Geronimo and the prairie
On my backyard
Kept silent in the crowd
My feelings this day
When present turned into past
My mother was sailing

~^~

"AFTERSIGHT"
T.Mulligan 

I look back, I fall back,
I drown in the past we made.
your eyes don't blink as memories don't,
as death won't when it comes for me.
Do you wonder as I do, 
what we could have been if we'd tried?
Forgetting the present,
would I miss you if I hadn't kissed you,
at that moment the notion seized me?,
would your turn to me burn right through me,
with those eyes that I have failed in forgetting? 

~^~

Passion
Robert Burton

It lies in all of us sleeping, waiting...
Although unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open it's jaws and howl. 
It speaks to us, guides us...
Passion rules us all. 
And we obey. What other choice do we have? 
Passion is the source of our finest moments,
The joy of love, clarity of hatred and ecstasy of grief. 
It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. 
If we could live without passion, Maybe we'd know some kind of peace...
But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. 
Without Passion...we would be be truly dead.

~^~

Belvedere House
Andrea Santillo

The wall just stands there, a visual barrier
Between brothers, between rivals and is part
Of nothing but spite. It has been renovated
But will always remain unfinished like the
Day the workmen put down their tools. Beyond
The confines of the house, the world went on
And the country went through much turmoil.
So there I stood, looking up, waiting for the
Tram to take me for a fast go round of this
Estate now in public hands and for whatever
Reasons, it was built from an innate need.

~^~

schizophrenia
Roxanne Cowles-Macphail 

he crept in. past your bastions, your pride, your child smile. i think he slid in through your half-lidded eyes, in fitful sleep. or perhaps hiding under one of those springtime kisses from some unknown college girl (you always were a looker) . they say he was always there waiting to appear. but i never saw anything moving around under your flesh. and you were known to me. then you appeared one day in a skin i had never seen. Watchman eyes that looked upon me for the first time. your mouth a chasm of rage, gnashed its stalactites at me, and your spittle was on my face. speaking angry words in a foreign tongue, you demanded questions for answers i never gave you. and ran away when i tried to speak. i saw you later and you looked at me through the broken panes of the windows of what once was you. you pointed silently at the no trespassing sign near the demonic Watchman chained to the porch, and disappeared inside yourself. i have never seen you again. occasionally the Watchman asks for a cigarette, and we smoke one together. and when I ask where you are, the Watchman raises an eyebrow, and says,” What? I’m right here.” but he lies. he lies.

~^~

What is love?
ERIK D. HOWARD

When you cross my mind you make me smile,
when I think of you my heart beats wild,
I daydream now of things that may never be, 
I think of you and my head gets light,
to hope for a wish, to wish for a dream,
to dream of a future that may never be,
when I see you I can't help but stare,
my blood runs hot, my heart beats faster,
my mind begins to wonder over the possibilities,
what would life be like with you there always,
to hold you and whisper those sweet nothings,
to wake-up and know that no matter what you are there,
the way your hair moves and your eyes sparkle,
lord help me you drive me wild,
when I think of you I know of happiness,
when I think of you I know what love is,
love is being with you.

~^~

You entered my life in slow, steady measure
you came unsure
unsure of what to expect, of what you
wanted out of all this
Now that you're here
you have my heart
you've left footprints
too deep
too stable
too concrete to erase
I'd do anything for you.
I owe you
You've brought me so much pleasure
joy
ecstasy
I'd give up everything for you
Whatever you want under
one condition
please don't leave
my heart broken.
Meg Rainbow

~^~

My Angel
Adam Kurylo
She has the softest voice I've ever heard.
The sweetest smile I've ever seen.
And from her, so much I've learned
Helps me to see what I can be.
She's like a miracle on this earth.
If you knew her you'd agree.
Money can't amount to how much she is worth.
My heart is on lock, but she holds the key.
And I can easily describe her with just one word. AMAZING.
She makes me happy just like a child.
With her i am never sad.
I feel her wings wrapped round me tight.
I'm so glad.
I hope she's there for all my life.
She's all I have.
She's my angel for you all to see.
I pray she's always near me.
She's my angel

~^~

In Love With Her
 Abdaeal

I’m in love with her
Not madly in love with her
Nor passionately in love with her
Mere rationally, thinking in love with her
Which will endure
When passion ebbs away to leave an empty vastness
Of unfulfilled desires and guilt, and
When sanity returns with the blood-freezing
Blast of icy reality that follows.
Love will endure.
It is a bad time to be in love
In these days where I stand tormented
By waves of darkness and confusion.
Still, she is the indestructible sand in my 
Raging ocean, keeping me afloat with 
Her thoughts.
Her words.
Her face.
I’m in love with her.

~^~

The Moon's Pull 
-Ryan Smith

-This world as we see it does not exist,
just a series of images to which we assign names.
It is ours alone. Shaped by our own limited perspective.
-The fog recedes, I am connected. Mind to the world, body to soul.
I watch as the moon slowly creeps across the sky.
-My body crashes and my soul is lifted,
I watch as the moon disappears,
Into the blackness the sun has left behind.
I yearn to follow, and so I shall
-On the wings of a phoenix I travel, A fiery ball streaks across the sky
Yet I am not burned
I witness life and new possibilities, I am not what I am but something better.
-I return from my journey, bleary eyed and confused
with images of a world that exists, if only for me.
The memories of my travels are illusive, as is their origin
But I shall return, for even now I drift back to sleep.
~^~

RISE ABOVE
KELLEY HUDSON

I thought I was dying it wouldn't go away
but I took another look and here I stay
that silent killer was loud as a dove
but you have to be strong and rise above
self pity kills you like a neck in a rope
it becomes more addictive than that hard core dope
it makes you fiend for attention you don't need
and cuts like a knife until your heart bleed
but no one beside god can give you the greatest love
so get on your knees and rise above.

~^~

Before we all come to order,let me sort myself 
Damn.wherethe?you gotta lighter?
Matches...butane...gas stove.. we need help! 
I spell re-habit with a high-fun . 
A pair of plires,cleartape,a zippo,& some sissiors
F*ckin figures! no flame .! then screw it...I quit. this bullshit!! 
Hey, need anything im goin to freddys real quik. !jesterno
steppin-stone

~^~

“Pappa”
Matthew Don Partain

Whenever I needed you, 
You were there.
Whenever I needed a friend.
You always made me feel special,
Right up to the very end.
I know that you’re still with me,
Even though I can’t see you there.
Your memory always lives with me,
Through honesty, love, and care.
You taught me how to be a man,
Through things I saw you do.
Nothing could prepare me,
For the feeling of losing you.
And although you may be gone,
On this earth no more.
Just know I’ll always love you,
Even though we’ve shut the door.
My heart could never forget you,
And the things you did for me.
I promise to make you proud Pappa,
I promise, someday… you’ll see. 

~^~

The Chair
Jenny o'Connor

Sitting alone in empty room,
Dreaming only dreams never dreamt before.
Searching for more than empty fantasy,
Finding only tears
there's nothing left here.

All alone with my pain,
Darkness falls-
I cry again.

Why am I alone?
Always by myself?

~^~

FIRST LOVE
KELLEY HUDSON

I can't define how I feel
but I felt your love and that's for real
I did things I normally wouldn't do
and I did them all in the name of you
then all at once it came to an end
I guess after all we where never friends
but I got on my knees 
and thanked the lord above
because there's nothing better
than that first love.

~^~

One thing I am sure of
the way I feel for you
the depth at which my heart aches
for the moment I can tell you
the change of which your face makes
the lowering of the casket
the cracking of the wood
the thumping clumps of sod
the weeping and cold silence
as I lay this thing to rest
I do not love you...
...at best!
Frog

~^~

HUNTED DREAMS
ELENA FALAGITIS

She comes to me but only in my dreams
I often wish it wouldn't be like this
But now she's far away, so far away
I used to look into her eyes
and saw the pain I caused her from my lies
Now I know much she meant to me 
but now it's to late cause she's far away.
In my dreams she calls out my name
I can hear the love in her voice, trying to hide her pain
I had the chance to tell her how much I loved her
but how can I make up for that time now that I don't have her?
She was perfect in so many ways 
the image of her beauty holds my heart in chains.

~^~

I AM IN A DARK PLACE
I AM IN A STRANGE PLACE
MY EYES ARE BLUE
MY EYES ARE SAD
I AM IN A DARK PLACE
I SEE THE SKY SO BLUE
I SEE AN IMAGE OF YOU
I SEE THINGS I HAVE NEVER SEEN
I AM LOST AT THIS MOMENT
TONIGHT I MAY DREAM OF YOU
TONIGHT I MAY SCREAM AT YOU
 RICK SIHLER

~^~

LIGHT TO BLACK 
Jamon Nelson

I surf on a sunbeam.
It takes me to the depths of a flowing current in the ocean.
Drags me to Canadian winds north of the border.The winds
carry my body to the outer edges of the eye of Elijah,as it heads back to the ocean, on the very entrance of the Bermuda.
Spinning on the Triangle, the jello-like water sloshes and dances between my toes.
Scary lightning blasts the heavens, seems as the angels guard the clouds for dear life from each threatening bolt.
Yet a tsunami over the horizon collides with me and takes me under, winning the battle.
These waters are cursed, I can't swim upward
I sink slower with each breath growing shorter.
What started my day with a bright sunray
has ended with dark suffocation.

~^~

inspiration
eli neider

my writings come to me slow and chaotic 
like the twisted meandering voice 
you know the one he whispers 
just at the edge of consciousness
never understandable 
crying almost silently one moment
only to start laughing hysterically the next
welcome to my head 

~^~

Mystic Healing 
Mark Moghab

Through childhood eyes fluttering over crystal springs 
The magic scene pirouetting 
With lightening bugs and fairy maids in silken wings 
Elfin Princess weaves dreams on golden looms 
Consents to the seasons color 
Pleading with the Earth to find her own secret missing pieces 
Outside where birth gives newborn hours I am 
Beset upon in tragic conflict, lost I swoon and faint 
Unable to love, made entirely of stone 
Moments, hours, years, decades, even centuries pass 
Songbirds bring her news and she turns to powers long hidden 
Blest by her deliciously chaste elfin embrace 
Caressed by her selfless forgiving soul my will to live restored 
She traced the wounds in my heart 
As if a butterfly drinking nectar from a flower 
Parted gently her smooth outlined lips 
With each kiss whisper 
I breathed for you 
~^~

Don't You?
Rae

Do you cry?
Do you hate the long night?
When the phone rings-Do you hope?
Do you feel sad?
Don't you love me still?

~^~

Revelations
Jeremy Silver
Fires burn, the end is near
Run away and cower in fear
The water is bitter and the are is stale
Saint John foretold this living hell
The wrath of God, the mark of the beast
The dead are no longer resting in peace
Neither in the black of night or light of day
Is a place for you to get away
From the Dragons mouth came a flood
The alter is covered in sacrificial blood
Wings of an eagle so she can fly
Curses of the Dragon because she didn't die
The beast of the earth, beast from the sea
Most people stayed and passed their chance to flee
The chance they passed was not of a secular nature
But the chance to remove their soul from danger
But they chose to stay and worship the beast 
So now their souls will never rest in peace
The beast may be drugs or may be sin
Whatever it is it comes from within

~^~

Coffee seems:
Anna Stapleton

coffee books and coffee dreams 
line the seems of endless dreams

coffee books and coffee dreams
remind me of forgotten themes

coffee books and coffee dreams
never say what they mean

coffee books and coffee dreams
are never more than what they seem

~^~

oblivion...
andrei sanchez

i stare at the oblivion before me
looking sideways to see no ones around..
i look unto it, only to see it stare back..
and i remember how sweet it was..
i walk closer to the void..
ready to jump and fall...
i plummet clumsily, hitting every rock and stone...
but it seems i am not falling down..
instead i'm going up, spinning all around..
i brace my self to meet my fall..
only to see your eyes all in all..
you are the oblivion and i am the fool..
who is so ready for the fall..
will no one break my fall?
i will let no one break my fall..
~^~

Dreams
Gina Laughton 

When I go to sleep at night, 
I know everything's going to be all right.
Then I start to drift,
My thoughts begin to shift. 
I can see the colors of my dreams, 
Nothing's real or so it seems.
My emotions start to stir,
My vision becomes a blur.
I put my hand upon my heart,
The real world seems to fall apart.
As I'm pulled awake,
My heart begins to ache.
Longing for the time,
When I was yours and you were mine!
~^~

i found out all the reasons
maybe i'll find another way
find another day
with all the changing seasons
off my life
maybe i'll get it right next time
now that you've been broken down
got your head out of the clouds 
back out on the ground
you dont talk so loud
you dont walk proud
anymore. and what for.
short stumpy man

~^~

THE EYES OF A CHILD
Elizabeth Margo

Maybe you think that the choices you make
Only concern and will affect you.
But you should remember as you go along,
That someone is watching what you do.

Though to you it seems to be small,
A mistake by you could another life destroy.
So you must be responsible and careful, too
That intelligence, decisiveness and discretion is employed.

How can you teach one lesson by mouth
And then by action the opposite do?
If it's wrong for the follower, how
Can it not be wrong for the leader, too?

So don't ever fall into a wrong snare or ditch
And lay there to "wallow" or enjoy it awhile.
Because it may seem it's acceptable to do,
When looking through the eyes of a child.

~^~

"Secrets and Lies"
 Holly
She said she was my mother.
I was abandoned.
He said he could be trusted.
I was abused.
She said, "Friends Forever."
She lied.
He said he loved me.
He left.
Although I am strong, I cry
Because all that surrounds me
Are secrets and lies. 
~^~

PRINCESS GRACE CAPTURES MONACO
Diana Lynn Frybarger Pen Name: "Pink Sugar" August 22, 2000

Variegated red, and green Caladium demi-toe
upon ruffled purple tulips enrapturing
PRINCESS GRACE unto fertile MONACO.

Sunrays infiltrate golden glitz
empowering the Princess of Paradox
to uplift chariots; they tower
over every little pretty flower.

Seven white gardenias revolve around
seven tiers igniting her radiant face.

Princess Grace of Monaco recalls
blossoms of love in full bloom.

I became an exotic Egyptian dancer
sent from the past.
I bowed down to Leo's fiery sun;
when I passed through eternity
I made love to Prince Rainier.
I worshipped unconventional love-
just between us--
I seized him forever more .....

~^~

"THE ONE" 
-Darcie O'Shea-

HE HAS MY STRENGTH, HE HOLDS MY HEART
HE HAS MY HUNGER, AND PULLS APART
THE LUST FROM LOVE, THE GUILT FROM TRUTH
THE BURN FROM THE FLAME, THE EVIL FROM ITS ROOT
I AM BORN AGAIN PURE AND NEW
AND HERE HE SHINES OUT OF THE BLUE
THE MYSTERIOUS LOVE FROM THE AUTUMN RAIN
CASTS HIS SPELL OVER ME AGAIN
NOT FATE OR CHANCE BUT POWER AND WILL
HAS HE RETURNED TO SLOWLY KILL
THE BLACK THAT LIVED WITHIN MY SOUL
THROUGH TRUST AND LOVE I'VE LEARNED THE ROLE
OF ANGELS ON EARTH AND THE ONE I SEE
WHO BELIEVED IN MY FUTURE AND SET ME FREE.

~^~

Left Alone
Japie Evans

The worst betrayal comes from someone you love.
When the icy tendrils touch your heart,
As realization wraps her hated arms around you.
A word shared between two 
Reveals an opening, an excuse, a meaning to go,
To run to another.
I cannot sleep under this icy blanket you have given me,
But as I stare at blank nothingness
That thing worse than betrayal
Takes my love.

~^~

Roses are red and I feel like stale bread, as I touch my lips to his and kiss passionately. Your eyes, your hands, you make my heart soar with untamed love. The distance between us is getting closer with each new second of life. As the sun sets with sweet nothings, you touch flees like the wisp of the gracefulness that lights up your every move. Your voice comforting, and emotions pronounced.. it is here I say to you that I give you my greatest gift of them all.....my love.
I love you
you know who you are!
Megan 

~^~

Heidi 
you should of just killed me, 
you i can still feel, 
good or bad,
I don't know,
leaving me feeling cold,
like snow,
was I too attached,
it felt like a lash on the back,
 tj
~^~

a-confessional-tone-meant 
james warner

i'm just a little boy
denying my face.
24 but i feel so old,
i lie in the shadow
of experience
struggling at 
its foothills.
and when i speak
from the shade,
to those younger than i
standing in the sun,
they are blind to my words:
sunlight burning eyes and skin
and i pull them into the shadow
i tell them to move without
fear knowing to know that
i'm as scared as they are
i'm just in a different place
and i don't want to be alone.
~^~

just friends...
ev weaver

My hearts trying to hope
but my mind wont let it try
little pictures and memories of you
yet i will them aside,
though i'll admit this to know one not even myself
that for that second i let you in....
i smile, in spite of myself....

~^~

CHILD OF GOD
VANESSA WARD

Another child of God's died today
with the help of God, it was her own way
She kept her dignity, That's all she wanted
beyond her illness, a smile she fronted

At such a young age, six children she'd bare
and from another six more to share
Her heart so full of Love and care
this woman God made was very rare

The pain we feel with our Loved one gone
If its only for our loss, then its wrong
Cleansing our eyes, and relieving our pain
makes saying good-bye, easier to gain

When God says "Child come home with me
pain and suffering will no more be"
This woman I speak of, known as none other
Then the Heavenly Angel, I call my Mother

~^~

Fading Into The Darkness
Josh Williams

I wish I could forget you
But your words remain engraved in my mind
I wish I could say "I don't love you anymore"
But that would be a lie

Your gift of love to me quickly turned to betrayal
My gift of love to you is burning strong and will never fail

And where were you?
When my heart fled from my chest
And where were you?
When my emotions were racing longing for rest
Get out of my life and my mind
And stay away
Get out of my heart and my memories
And fade away

Into the darkness
Where your existence is but a dream
And fade away
I will miss seeing your beautiful eyes gleam
My lips will long for yours, my arms will ache to hold you tight
But remembering my broken heart everything will be alright

~^~

The Tests of Life
Darla Varga 

It seems that life is so unfair
Just how many challenging experiences must we face to grow?
When do life's ruthless tests end?
I know that it is faith which will get us through, however there comes a time when i am not so sure.
I am thankful to have everything that i have been blessed with yet am not sure why some must face constant struggle and misfortune while others seem to breeze through without having the face the harsh realities that life brings.
What have we done to deserve this?

~^~

For Brian
megg bry

It seemed like it was just yesterday,
him sitting there with his hair all messed up,
with his laughter in the air,
his eyes were sparkling, 
his hair was shining with gold.
But that was yesterday.
Now he's gone.
Gone forever.
And it just seems like it was yesterday that I last saw him.
When it was really a month ago he died.
Maybe he's still in my dreams, 
Laughing forever more.

~^~

Forget me
tim shenk jr

A true story to tell. Christine sell your heart and our love that's so lost in memory. fading in our ever forgotten hugs and blind in our smiling eyes! I'm so alone I must be blind. When you cut me I bleed in hope your hope so hopeful it makes me squirm. I have the key to your door. I have the answer to your every question and when you blink I'll be in sight and when you scream I'll be your heart. Forget to forgive yourself in every LOSS you made and every blank promise you gave. I'll be around love and when you feel alone think that your in my arms. Think about holding my hand and hearing my voice. Think about how I stay awake until 2 listening to our favorite songs. Think about how I love you and of how I'll never hold you again. 
Love, such a memory, such a thing to drain my heart. Where can we meet? In the room on my birthday eating the cup cakes you made me... Where do our minds connect? In the mall admiring old couples... Where do our fears cross? In nothing but love and God...Where do we lie in death? In our beds dreaming sweet dreams of a family with swings and walks in the night air..... In a dream I jumped into a river and heaven and all of my lovers drown with with me.
~^~

Without You
Carolyne Truong
Living without you is like an ocean without waves, a sky without stars, a storm without rain. How can I live this way, Nobody in my life i can love, Nobody in my life to think of. Now I know how it feels like to lose someone you love. Someone who is always there for you no matter what, Someone who you trust. I don't understand where we went wrong, Our love for each other was so strong. Then one day everything started crumbling down, The sky is empty with no stars in sight, The storm is over me, but no rain is falling, The waves is as rough as can be. How can this happen to me, I'm loosing someone that I cannot live without, You're slipping away from my hand, I'm trying to hold on but I can't. All I see in your way is a blur, And I know that I'm loosing you for sure, But without you in my life I don't understand why I should live. You are the a air that i breathe, You are my sun in the morning, You are my stars in the sky, You are my rainbow after every storm, There's only 2 things to say to you now. I hope you'll be in my life in the future, And forgive me for what I had done wrong.

~^~
Surrender
siham

My melancholy is not unique
It plays a tune with rhythms
Most common and meek
But a monster is ready to leap
When the harp shatters and the strings bleed
With tearful eyes I turn to the sky
For that day not to come by
I can stand a groan, I can stand an amorous lack
Even a tearing sob I can gulp back
But I cant stand your eyes
Baring me, searching for sighs
I cant stand your tips feeling my lips
For my heart throbs and my veins totter
When you clasp me to your chest, mine so tender
Tasting my neck, cushioning my very figure
The monster then will be released, but as a sinner
Derided by desire, driven by hunger
Not to linger
Only then my tune won’t be any longer
A common glimmer
Hummed by a meek chanter
It’s when I can no longer resist
Alas, I’m afraid I would surrender

~^~

Inner Faith
Gerard 
In a hour of praise , I raise my standard. I am hearing loud voices echoes in my stubborn head. I stayed in my comfort zone, on my own. My heart was filled with inner joy even when people me down. I my mind , I am the king with a crown. I may sound cocky or maybe conceited, but in this world , inner peace is needed. I breathe this , so I can create life, instead of living pain and strife. I see a vision and make it become my reality I create new ideas that broaden originality.

I walk through the storms of life , hold a umbrella confidence that overshadows the pain in my soul. Temptation arises , guilt brings much surprises, as you hear inner and outer criticizes , But deep in you realizes you got to try to change.

~^~

Forever
Merry

The Sky is velvet blue
With pinhole eyes
Glittering and watching 
Forever

The Earth is deep green
With a patchwork apron
Embracing and comforting
Forever

The Sea is satin teal
With a gown of shells
Rocking and dancing 
Forever

Time is inevitable
Omniscient and omnipotent
Gently pushing us forward
Forever

And we fit into this being 
Quietly and stealthily
slipping in and out 
Forever

~^~

deadsleep
reigne knight

I sit here in the middle
of the universe
In utter silence in the darkness
of the night
My soul is grounded 

as the roots of the willow
Inside of this black shell
heart beats... 
beats slowly...
fading...
My mind screams in complete
terror
All is lost in the silence
here
In the darkness 
of the night

~^~

The Marigold
(Rebecca Harris)

The stream flows freely by the forest wall
Splashing playfully among the rocks.
In the distant silence you can hear the songs of spring
As Mother Nature caresses this moment.
Amidst the solace, a lonely flower
Clinging to the deep, rich earth.
So foreign is this forest floor.
Where did you come from flower of sun-kissed gold?
Did you cling to the butterflies, or birds, or bees?
Have you traveled on wings that suddenly took flight?
Or did the warm, spring breeze beckon you to sail so far from home?
You stand alone.
Yet, proud and content to be in this unfamiliar world;
Carpet of soft pine, walls of majestic trees reaching to heaven;
Streams of sunlight dance on your bloom, as you bask in the solitude,
Consoled by the freedom you've embraced
In your sanctuary.

~^~

My heart soars with happiness
My body overcome
My soul is left unguarded,
and my barriers undone

You have traveled oh so far
To a place I've never known
It must have been so scary
For in there, hatred sown

There must have been a flicker,
Or something to lead the way.
For you went straight for my heart,
and in my heart you will always stay.

-Ryan Smith

~^~
As i walk back down the familiar hallway
It seems like nothings changed
But so many things are different now
for once your here with me
But i know that we are going to drift
For you are new to this

I feel like a cat, who cant get wet
And you the boat drifting out to sea
And all though i can admire you
I can no longer see you in the same way

Your eyes will wander far from mine
And you will slowly change your mind
And your eyes will fall upon someone else
And i will be silver to rust and they will be gold to shine

All i can do is admire our time
And hope for one more day
You will still remain mine

For i don't know how i would to handle you not being there
I don't know what i would do
For You are the boat, i am the cat longing to share your sea
but And all i can do is watch you
As you drift away from me.

 Katie Dandylion

~^~

THE PRETTIEST BIRD
 Joel Skaistis

PRETTY YELLOW BIRD
WHAT'S YOUR SONG TODAY?
PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LIKE TO SING
ABOUT THE COLOR GRAY

OR MAYBE YOU WOULD SING
ABOUT FLYING THROUGH THE STARS

AND PASSING THROUGH SHINY MOONS
OF JUPITER AND MARS

BUT REMEMBER PRETTY BIRD
SINGINGS FINE FROM NOW ON
BUT DON'T FORGET PRETTY BIRD
FORGET TO SING YOUR SONG

~^~

Cool breeze gently caresses
Tall grass sways as if in a dance
The colors fade in the twilight
The sounds of leaves as they sway

This is where it started, and where it will end
A place without sorrow, disease, helplessness, anger
To no longer deal with these curses
Just a beautiful peacefulness

A bright light beckons
The blades of the fan turn in rhythm
Sounds intrude, a slow methodical beat
Trapped again in this shell

Paradise is lost
Back again in this massiveness
Another day, a helpless drone caught in an endless cycle

Glenn Morris

~^~

Rely on me when times are rough,
I'll be here when you can't be tough.
Rely on me when you need a friend,
I'll be around to help your heart mend.
I love you only for who you are,
not for your face or fancy car.
You held me close when I was sad
and made me laugh when I was mad.
So in return I give you my heart,
just please promise you won't tear it apart.
I'll reward you faith and show you me,
the person that no one knows me to be.
Rely on me when you can't stand,
I'll pull you out of the deepest quicksand.
Rely on me when you can't sleep,
I'll give you anything you intend to keep.
I love you only for who you are,
not for being attractive or a movie star.
Would you like to know why I love you? 
Cause you rely on me and I rely on you too.
 Violet

~^~

One Beer Over
 Roger Kenyon

From each ear flew a sparrow 
With wings unfolded fully 
Through the mirror 
Around the room then back.
One in each ear hidden 
From the violated mirror and me.

~^~

you give me poison
ritz

what is this poison I give into?
the more I try to avoid, the more I find myself drinking
I try to find the antidote and after I do
I throw it away
why does this happen?
how can i make it stop?

~^~

What I Am
Farrell Sumner

Who am I? I am nothing and therefore need no introduction.
Is it of great importance to anyone that I be anything more?
If so then…

… I am the emptiness after the anguish of first love.
I am the broken heart.
I am a dying dream.
I am the tear that falls from the eyes like cold winter rain.
I am my own best friend and yours.
I am time.
I am regret.
I am a little white lie that means much more than you think.
I am the place where hearts go to die.
I am solitude.
I am hate.
I am the unbreakable wall.
Who am I? I am nothing and therefore need no introduction.

~^~

A LIFE WITH NO MEANING
Stephanie Riley

Persistently enduring,
The pain within,
Futile corpse,
Full of sin,
Corrupt soul,
Mind blank,
Heart coal,
Love sank,
Constant hate,
Lots of rage,
How can one keep up at this rate?
Shaking with anger,
Too Selfish for tears,
Can't afford to look in the mirror,
One day it will come,
When I least expect,
A life I no longer will neglect.

~^~

A glance
Is it possible for all of ones emotions, thoughts, and feelings to be put into one glance?
A quick meeting of the eyes, to tell you that I am thinking of you.
Can you envision the thoughts in my head as they swarm around without any order? 
I wish minds could be read as easily as body language. 
Deep inside I know that you know how I am feeling. 
A smile says it all, as earlier with a glance. 
A glance that is quick, that says so very much.
A glance to end the pain of not being able to touch, hold, or kiss... 
I would run far, to get that glance. 
Just knowing in my mind that so much lies ahead for us. 
What we don't do now will be made up for later. 
Oh but to hold that glance in my arms, to see my love smile... 
The waiting is so very worth it. 
I will never let any doubts come into play as how much those smiles and glances mean to me... 
I can only hope you know what I feel when the timing isn't perfect. 
But in my heart I know you do. 
We don't always need to hear it, touch it, or proclaim it ... 
We know that it is there. 
For the two of us. 
With all the love I have.
My glance is true.
With all the love I have,
Love me
Joshua Vincil

~^~

Nature’s Face (for Sharon)
As I gaze upon the majestic rock formation in front of me,
I am awed by not only her stature, but by her warmth, wonder and beauty,
God’s creation known.

Warmed by the sun, reflecting upon me, coming to life.
The gentle breeze blows to and fro, brushing warm kisses from her face to mine
Causing the hair on my face, head and neck to flutter. I love what I see, and feel. I am immersed in it. I feel so alive.

That strong mountain, standing there for ages,
has been shaped and formed by God’s hands.
It is His very own masterpiece. He thought long and hard about the placement of each crevice, each out-cropping, how to use each feature to emphasize His character.

How can it be that beauty is placed upon beauty? Intensifying the experience. His placement of trees of green on her face, sparkling like jewels on a crown. Calling me ever closer, loving me, comforting me. How infinitely beautiful! This must be why birds of the air seek to perch upon their branches.

This rock must know the Rock, the one who has invested so much into her creation. The one whose characters live in her beauty. How could she not? She has felt the Father’s hands shaping and nurturing for time unknown.

Has He finished His work? I think not. There is so much of His person still unrealized. I want to stand here, until the Father no longer enables me, and my flesh can no longer see nor stand, watching as our loving Father places the finishing touches on her beautiful, incredible face.
Jeffrey Shute

~^~

~Fool's Paradise~ 
Jennifer Luise Haas

All I see is a fools paradise,
We all seem to be trapped like little lab mice,
All we think of life is a happy place,
But it just might be a made up space,

I am not happy with this world,
I feel as if I were bunched up and curled,
All I see are people with far off dreams,
But they just end up sowing seams,

What is going to happen here?
I always feel like no one's near,
Every time I try to hide,
It seems like I'm at someone's side,

I feel as if I were never understood,
But complaining never did no good,
What is going through my mind,
Some shall never, ever find.

~^~

Drowning
By Amy Russell

I feel A pull on my body and I have no sight.
I got all my problems fast it seems like overnight.
Bubbles in my life float above my head.
They pop at the top seeming to know soon I'll be dead.
I pull on anything my hands will touch,
But all that pulling is never enough.
I'll give up and say my last goodbye's,
I'll tell you not to forget me and not to cry.
Then as I try to go in peace and no pain
I think of all the people in my life with no name.
I begin to hate my dying more and more
I pass out with hate and fear and awake on the shore.
I stand up shaken from what just happened.
I start to walk away thinking it's finally the end.
Too soon I come to realize what I'd just dreamt.
I fell to the ground and died in my own shame.
My body floated by feeling so hollow.
My soul and heart left behind and not to follow.
The End

~^~

NO Other Name
Quentin Clingerman 

No other name...No other name
Repeated firmly, makes its claim
While others deeply philosophize
Still others reverently theologize
Above all the other voices
Loud and clear among the choices
Comes One Name above all others
"The Father and I make all men brothers." 

~^~

MY SEASON AND YOUR EYES
SABITA C.V
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed
But then begins, a journey in my head
For my thoughts from far, where I abide
And keeping my drooping eye-lids open wide 
Intend a jealous pilgrimage to you-
Looking on darkness, which the blind to see
Then being asked, where all the beauty lies
It's said within your own deep-sunken eyes
From your eyes my knowledge derive
As truth and beauty shall together thrive
Shall I compare your eyes to a summer day?
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may
Sometimes too hot the eyes of heaven shines 
And true my real happiness, hence it decline
May I compare your eyes to a spring?
Oh! Then my spirit goes high, and heaven it swing
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Reminds me of your stern still look
So, the circle of season in my life
Is commanded by the motion of your eyes.

~^~

Child Abuse
 MCD

My name is Misty
I am but three
My eyes are swollen
I can not see

I must do good 
I can not do wrong
or I am beaten all week long

I must be bad
That's the reason I've heard
for I am punished with cigarette burns

An accident, yes that's the word
And an expensive gift that's for sure

Be quiet now I've heard a car
My daddy's back from Charlie's Bar

I hear him curse my name he calls 
I squeeze myself against the wall

I fed the pain again and again
Oh dear Lord please let it end

My name was Misty 
I was but three 
Last night my daddy murdered me.
~^~

i hate this time of day.
the sun is directly overhead
so there isn't even your own
shadow to keep you company.
the fresh cuts on my arm
overlap some of the old scars.
each one is an abstract sorrow
in the shape of bleeding flesh.
i used to have pretty arms,
now i wear long sleeved sweaters
to hide them from people who
might not understand why i would
do something like that.
i scratch my face out of pictures,
the ones of me as a child.
i hate her because she grew up.
tara rae 

~^~

"All I want is YOU"
Dedicated To Leo, my only love...
Milly Phillips 

Our hearts are on Fire,
wanting each other for so long,
You pull me closely to your body,
Penetrating my soul.

When I sleep I dream of you,
Slowly slipping into ecstasy,
The strength of you draws me,
Pleasing my own perversity.

Only in my vivid imagination,
Your dreams lighting my fire,
Lovers who are eager to explore,
The mysteries of intimate desires.

Dreams are wishes and desires,
From the deepest corner of your heart,
My dream is but a simple one,
All I ever wanted is YOU...

~^~

acushla
Jon Sanders

i would do anything for you except die for you
for if i died for you i would never see you again 
unless you're truly an angel like i've always thought
i would do anything for you except die for you
unless your life was in danger i'd die for you then
because in this great, big world you are all i've got
i would do anything for you except die because of you
because even with a broken heart i'd never see you again
unless you're truly an angel like i've always thought
i would do anything for you except give up all i have
because in this great, big world you are all i've got.

~^~

"MY DARLING CHILD"
Nancy Torres

"My darling child that has been sent to change my life and lift my head, to wash away all old regrets, to put a close to a family pattern that has been set. "My darling child you will have a loving home, two big sisters, two parents that will love you endlessly, and with that all the time and space you need to grow beautifully.
"My darling child you will be a constant reminder of the love shared between me and farther, and the miracle it is for me to be your mother.
"My darling child, my precious moment, my angel of light and love that has been giving to me to cherish and raise, from now until the end of my days.

~^~

SUGGESTION BOX FOR GOD
Janet Styer

if there was a guy in the sky
who really wanted to help
humankind thru this dream
he'd team up with Salvation Army
on a life-time basis - I mean
suicides who are done with this life
could leave their future in a small box 
at the door where the good and determined
to live in spite of crippling pain or 
disease could shop among the wares
for another box of days so when
this one runs out the spare on the shelf
could add to their allotted time on earth.

~^~

Our Heavenly Father...
Sean McGuckin

In a world full of so much despair
In a world full of so much hatred and spilled blood 
How can you possibly still sit there with your hands folded in prayer?
How can you teach about this Supreme Being? 
Who cares so much?
About all his children
Don’t you think that by now if he cared he would have shone his face?
What heavenly father watches his children pick each other off with such hatred
What heavenly father watches his children bleed and suffer like dying pigs 
What heavenly father fills his children’s heads with insanity and watches them be cast from a merciless society
Does this sound like the ultimate caregiver to you?
Or does it sound like our heavenly father might be a two-faced liar
Who doesn’t give two shits about his creation?

~^~

do something pretty for a while
don't fall asleep
the world owes you big
so close your eyes and count your sheep
you know the world was made for you
so don't sweat it
your time will come
you'll get it
i'm wondering are you free
for some coffee 
maybe tea
take sometime 
and think.
your running away from the world
that holds you 
what happened to that face
that said lets go get 'em
this time and place 
just don't deserve me.

logan

~^~

I reap the happiness of others. I have none of my own.
It's a desperate man's just reward.
When your life has been handcuffed to the Lord. 
Jerry Garafolo

~^~

I had to have you!
Desiree Taranto

Since the first time I saw your face,
and the first time I felt your sweet embrace,
it was then I knew
I had to have you!

The first kiss you left on my cheek,
it just made my body weak,
it was then I knew 
I had to have you!

The times we didn't see each other,
and the days went by,
you told me you missed me,
and that you would never lie, 
it was then I knew
I had to have you!

One day you saw my tear,
you pulled me close and whispered in my ear,
"I love you"
It was then I knew
I finally had you!
~^~

Emancipating Showers!!
Nicole Alexander

I'm bound to Hades I thought.
Knotted, tied, bolted for sure,
to live eternity in flames
of such red and blue colour.
Forks of pain thrust through my
organs, pulsating beat irregular.
Triggered by fear and ignorance
Life seemed parched from me forever.

At the bottom of the furnace with
yet more sinful sparks in me,
a cool, refreshing spirit poured
His Word - Freedom came so joyously.
For the Lord had seen me burning
and sent his LOVE to quench my pain.
Jesus soaped away my sooty soul
and rinsed me in God's rain.

~^~

"Winter"
Christine Pallant 

The smell of the fresh, crisp air as you breathe,
making your soul feel frozen from within.
The numbing of your body as the cold air lands on your skin.
Looking at winter, I see a picturesque canvas of white.
The crunching the snow makes under foot.
I see glistening twigs of ice, swaying in the bright sun,
only to come crashing to the ground.
Heavy are the branches that hang so low from all the fallin' snow.
Peaceful; a quiet white not offering much motion.
Winter...
Jack Frost's home of beauty and elegance.