It can pull you together or tear you apart,
With a shattered soul or a broken heart…
A young man lost to the ravages of war,
Or a girl abducted on her way to the store…

The pain is real and it won’t subside,
You wear a mask but it’s hard to hide…
Friends will ask how you are doing,
You say you’re fine but a storm is brewing…

Fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers,
Each grieving differently than the others…
Some will sit quietly not saying a word,
Or scream in anger at what has occurred…

Tragedy…

It can pull you together or tear you apart,
With a shattered soul or a broken heart…
A young man lost to the ravages of war,
Or a girl abducted on her way to the store…

The pain is real and it won’t subside,
You wear a mask but it’s hard to hide…
Friends will ask how you are doing,
You say you’re fine but a storm is brewing…

Fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers,
Each grieving differently than the others…
Some will sit quietly not saying a word,
Or scream in anger at what has occurred…

WALKING OUT

I wonder if I am now coming to the end
With only just a little money left to spend
To pay the ferryman, who will comprehend
Across the river Lethe, memories destroyed
No finish line, just one last step into the void
It is just fate, so no need to ever get annoyed
Leaving a lost life that’s not worthy to extend
Into the depths of Hades, ready to descend
None there to welcome me, nor to befriend

An act of bravery
Is painting with every colour that is in your soul
Splashing life on your canvas
Honouring emotions
With no thought of what others will think of your creation
Not TRYING to make it meaningful
Modern, pretty
Commercially viable
ACCEPTABLE
Just bursting out into the greater you
With total trust

On the box written in red
Do not open, that's what it said
A plain brown package, what's inside
We are dying to know, what can it hide

An animal is too big for a box this size
Maybe a present, a nice surprise
A forgotten birthday, a gift belated
Just waiting to be opened still we hesitated

A mystery delivery with no sender and no name
If it blows up a building who will take the blame
The suspense is killing, the room went black
Inside a small voice said : "help I'm Jack"

who do you want me to be?
tell me and i’ll become her.
clingy,
detached,
reassuring,
i can play it all.
i’ll read from my script
merely a puppet pulled by your strings.
i’m afraid of rejection,
have you figured that out yet?
i’ll play my part
to keep you along
until i hold the upper hand.
i want you to want me
unless i decide i no longer want you.
who am i really?
that’s for me to know.
for you, i’m whoever you want.
unhealthy, yes, but who the fuck cares?

Examine your shadow self
A darker side that lives in stealth
In unguarded moments it shows
What’s hidden inside, only the Shadow knows

A dark clusters of thorns
That strangled the rose
Why it didn’t survive
Only the shadow knows

Waging an internal war
When friends turn to foes
An ugly side reveals itself
Only the shadow knows

A fighter hawk descends on a dove
Why are you at war with what you love
There will be remorse after the abuse
Too weak to resist, there’s just no use

I was a collection of pixels
In the information age
A fancy bunch of font
Just a character on a page.

A typographical error
That has now been erased
Look back at my text messages
I'm sure you'll be amazed.

It is with a heavy heart
That I announce my demise
A few epithets to myself
Now it's time to eulogise.

I know it's just hyperbole
So forgive me while I enthuse,
No one can follow in my footsteps
Or begin to fill my shoes.

ACCEPTANCE

I have within my small abode
A collection of books,
A library,
A retreat from the daily life I lead.

The books that I read leave a vision in me
Of places now far, far away.
If I could paint, a picture I'd leave
Of places I've been to and dwelt.

England, Russia, Germany, France,
The words, they draw me in
To places I have never been,
But books have drawn me in.

Am thankful for the ones who write
Both now and in the past.
And teach me things I do not know
My knowledge now increased.