OPEN MIC ARCHIVE

Up-dated April 16, 2000

~*~

Forever hunched over
Julie

There's a bow in my back
My head it leans forward
I struggle against it
long to stand tall
To feel the sun on my face
But the earth it calls
beckoning 
It's arms will embrace me 
Will immerse me in peace
I hear it's call 
I want for it's comfort
but
I have 
Jobs, responsibilities
people not to let down
so I stand straddling
two worlds
being pulled both ways 
forever hunched over
~*~

Funny Universe. 
AndreousX

Some people can be so unwise. Running to and from, job, 
kids, taxes, whatever. 

Yesterday I saw a homeless man peeing on a wooden fence. While people spat their filthy advice at him. "Get a job you smelly bum". He just smiled.
~*~

just this last time hustle
just this last time scam
why you look so worried baby?
you know i got a plan

we'll cross the border at midnight
down to old mexico
i sure hope your coming
but you know i gotta go

time is running short for me
waters crashing over the levee
the sand in the hourglass
is getting bottom heavy

i'll pack the car
you grab the kid
let's apologize up front
for things we haven't even did 

sorry about your demons 
i wish that they were mine 
but the carribbean sun is shining 
and i think we'll be just fine
this time

 noah garrett graham 

~*~

Philosopher Jones
Charles Albert
Pray, do not give oy to Philosopher Jones,
For I fear that he isn't quite sane,
He genuflects skyward in gurgling moans
For each inchworm that drowns in the rain.

No, do not pay heed to Philosopher Jones,
For he isn't quite right in the head.
Every evening he carefully borrows his loans
So he'll own himself after he's dead.

Keep your daughters away from Philosopher Jones,
For he hasn't the faintest of morals;
He found one stout lass who must weigh eighty stones
And then spent the night tracing her whorls.

If you open the door to Philosopher Jones
On a night when you're having a feast,
He will drink all your wine, gnaw your meat to the bones,
And then cry that you love him the least.

Above all, don't vote for Philosopher Jones,
Though he's promising barrels of ale.
He conducts his campaign with such high noble tones
That you almost forget he's in jail.
~*~

A Solitary Candle, Lit
David Koepke


A solitary
candle, lit. It

sits on the bare
ledge of a window

in an old white-
washed adobe wall.

Outside it is
night. There is

no wind. The flame
stands against the

celestial velvet
still as metal.

~*~

the watch
the watch that my father wore,
was not expensive but he adored.
it was dull and not clean,
a wash rag it had never seen.
It went everywhere i wanted to go,
even if it was to the bank or store.
every night before he slept,
he'd set it in the case that he keep.
And another day goes by,
that i never seen the watch cry.
For what reason would it be mad,
he owned every thing that my father had.
Now my father sleeps forever he's arest,
and i inherited the best.
His last words before he notched,
"You better take care of my old watch"
but i didn't want the god damn watch,
all i wanted is to be loved by my father.

I thank my parents for their love and support.
-Chad Lawrence

~*~

My gift to you 
of friendship true
A life of love
I give to you.

May all our days
Be blessed with love
And watched upon
By, The one above.

In all our nights
We lye there safe
Held in warmth
With our embrace

The morning light
Brings, one more blessing
A brand new day
To start caressing

 PStonesoup
~*~

The Ride
Jean M. Spaulding   April 11, 2000

The sun slowly falls
as a ride,
a million radiant
colors paint the sky.

The air is fresh there's a
calming peace here,
a time to reflect upon 
all I hold dear.

The special people, family
and friends,
things we've done, places
we've been.

All the blessings I have
in my life,
alone with my thoughts
here as I ride.

~*~

GOD’S THUMBPRINT IN THE SKY
Bob Fiddaman 

God’s thumbprint in the sky alongside
Stationary pinpricks of light,
Some blinking, twinkling.
A black duvet with countless punctures
Hiding the light beyond infinity.
There’s a question mark tilted,
Maybe it holds the answers?
When the sun sleeps
The sky explodes with dot to dot images.
Tonight they are clearly visible,
The cotton wool balls are somewhere else,
Sprinkling their waters, putting up blinds.
Someone, somewhere, shoots bullets across the sky,
I see them flash by.
There’s only one colour behind the duvet,
Where there is no night, no darkness.
Light beyond the realms of understanding,
The holes giving us hope.
God’s thumbprint a continual reminder
Of what we are and where we are going.

~*~

The Woman's Seasons - To Keats 
- Jos Manuel Accapadi, 2000 © 

Four seasons do indeed fill the measure of the year;
There are four seasons in the heart of the woman.
She takes upon the bloom of Spring, when beauty brings
The nurtured flower to bear what love must and can.
She has her Summer, that eyes alight
In the company she keeps, her moment's delight;
Be it what days spent together, what quiet nights
When moonlight shines down. Myriad of colors,
Her depth of self be her Autumn, when change
Comes upon; would remember, as is memory's wont,
Springtime's mist and fog - that'd rain among
The places where his memory haunts.
She has her Winter too of pale misfeature,
For no longer be such gentle touch to reach to her.

~*~

THE MOVE
By: Erica Skrip

My life was going great.
I always thought that it was my fate.
But then my mom gave me the new.
WE were moving and I had everything to lose.
I would have to say bye,
to my friends that I thought I would be with until I die.
I would leave my house that I have spent my whole life in,
and in a way it almost seemed like a sin.
Moving day came like a punch to your face,
and I was on my way to my new home in Cedarlace.
I claimed my new room and unpacked my things.
Then my mom told me to be patient and see what this new move brings.
I was full of doubt and wanted to cry.
I almost felt like I would rather die.
I decided to give it a day,
and then see what I had to say.
After a while a surprise came across me as I was walking along the bay.
I was beginning to like this place some how, some way. 

~*~

Overtones
Kenneth Hoffman

From Beethoven to Garner,
From Eubie Blake to Bach
A keyboard was needed for
Symphonies or rock.
The King of the Instruments
Is my cup of tea;
Tho I'll never play Carnegie
Or a genius be.
I don't need an orchestra
Or a string quartet,
Just you and me playing 
A piano duet. 

~*~

where the soul comes to rest
F.Booley

My nomadic soul collided with yours,
its rusted windows opened and captured
one glimpse.

~*~

THE SKY
Kevin Spear

The sky is beautiful tonight isn't it?
The stars shine with such delight
All the little people sleep soundly in their beds
As God safely watches them from above.

The sky is beautiful tonight isn't it?
Fireflies dance and light up the dark.
Playing tag and other games, not know when to stop.

The sky is beautiful tonight isn't it?
All the lights are off
The world is asleep
no more worrying, no more pain
just a peaceful slumber
with maybe a little rain.

~*~

TO AN ATHLETE, DYING
W. E. Brice

I heard the jogger died last night,
Sudden heart attack, they say.
So now the calloused feet lit quietly
in polished shoes,
Feet that bounced him Monday, Wednesday,
Friday mornings down our street.
Neither rain nor sleet, you know the type.
And is this hint of flee that walks my mind
vindication of my indolence,
Or is it knowing yet again man lives by faith,
not works?

~*~

They will always be there,
when you'll need their tender love & care.
With all the bad things you may do,
they will always see you through.
When you ask for money they always say no,
but that's ok because now you really know (why!)
Parents more reliable than friends, 
being there to the very end.
Tyyra Smith

~*~

For Mike & Shannon
In memory of Mike Nelson (1982-2000) and Shannon Knapp (1986-2000)
By Casey McGovern 

You left us today,
You weren't meant to stay.
None of us were.
Our lives are fires,
They are strong and grow,
Yours had a most radiant glow.
Like snow,
Pure, white, beautiful,
That is life.
But fires are extinguished,
And snow melts.
They fall to a higher power,
a God?
Snow melts to water and returns to the ground,
Ashes become one with the soil.
Ashes to ashes,
Dust to dust,
You have returned to where you came from.
You are home.
With God.
Someday we shall join you.
~*~

SPRING
Zainabou 

As the clouds return dark,
The land becomes thick with dampness,
When the children tend to play in the park,
And when the parents spend the night in bliss.

Spring is when the I hear the birds sing in the trees,
Then when I soon see them fly over the horizon,
As the sun shines over on the seas,
And the sea creatures look for new water to dive in.

Sunny days, humid, and hot,
Those days that we do enjoy,
When the campers sleep in their cots,
When each baby gets their first toy.

Spring,
When the day grows long,
When the people are filled with love,
When you would hear the birds' beautiful song,
When you feel as pure as the finest dove.

Spring is the time.
~*~

Leaf!
By Robyn de Jager 

Starting as a small bud
perhaps covered in mud?
Growing, growing continuously
without water, grievously.

Finally, flat and thin
not knowing sin,
green, green as nature can be
in the heart of a jungle, beside the sea.

Now and then, comes the rain,
water, has the plant to gain.
Drawn in by the roots,
the amount, whatever the plant suits.

In Autumn, a colour change,
yellow, brown, red ....... how strange!
Then the leaf comes tumbling down,
to die upon the cold, hard ground.
~*~

If you inhale you may not exhale
you might get a letter in the mail.
Telling you that you have a disease 
that's a lot worse than just a sneeze.
Paul tried some weed
he thought it was a need.
he thought it was cool to drop out of school.
He went on wreaking his life
until he died and left his wife.
As friends and family gathered round
they buried him next to the mound.
The mound he sat on while school in session
the mound he sat on through years of depression.
He needed someone to give him assistance,
he needed someone to teach him about drug resistance.
Jenny Smith

~*~

i am a dry pen scrawling
murky nonsense on the smooth walls of a darkened room
and i am a broken record caught like a plastic bag
on the memory of a sticky-breathless august day
when the wind wheezed, gasping, in the sky's blue glare
and the sun splintered into dazzling pieces 
in the bloody finger-branded glass
that you threw careless to the concrete
and your cold happiness spilled like wine on the black road
and your fists fell like stones on
broken bottle shards on stark pavement
bleeding black ooze in slow raindrops onto dry dark ground
when the sharp repulsive beauty of your pain
crawled into you a shapeless, promise-dripping phantom
and pushed out creeping threads and twisting roots
and nested there
a shadowy smokehaze on your horizon
and i looked into your soul but i found nothing
in the empty green-gray mirror of your gaze

ruth jackson

~*~

Taste The Rain
By Wallace A. Zard

Puffy white clouds
Oozing acid rain
Eating at the health
I will never see again

Toxic oceans bubbling
Carcinogens and blood
Crystal lakes long ago
Turning into mud

Cutting down the evergreens
Clearing out the land
Wildlife at one time thrived
Taken by command

Autos belching eaten fuel
Fowling out the air
Drilling land for oil rights
Without a fucking care

The earth may have no sympathy
It may have no distain
At one time it looked beautiful
But never will again…

~*~

Aspects of Life
-D.M

Birth = Happiness
Happiness = Childhood
Childhood = Joy
Joy = Adolescence
Adolescence = Strength
Strength = Love
Love = Sorrow
Sorrow = Death
Death = Nothing

~*~

AM I AWAKE
T.Marrett

It was a dark still night 
Suddenly I awoke with a fright
There was this loud constant roar
Something was happening to the floor
My bed was moving all around
The house was making a creaking and groaning sound
I pinched myself am I awake
Bloody hell its an earthquake

~*~

Hopes And Dreams
Danielle DuFour

What do you do when your hopes and dreams go crashing to the ground?
When there's no one to turn to,
You're lost and feel like you can't be found.

When the people you care about the most seem to disappear,
The ones who knew your hopes, dreams,
And even your biggest fears.

When you think there's no one there to love you,
And think about you, miss you,
Or even care what you do.

When your life seems to be going down the drain,
There's no one left,
And you want to end all the pain.

Don't throw your life away,
There's always someone who cares,
And there's a new adventure everyday.

Pick yourself up, start over again,
Find new people to love, new places to go,
Learn from the bad, and from where you've been.

It's always worth it no matter what it seems,
So love who you are and who you'll become,
And as always, follow your hopes and dreams

~*~

Heart and Soul
 Adam Baratz

When the wind blows I cry.
Not tears of pain, but those of joy.
So many tears of sorrow one must cry of joy.
Not me I've never cried of joy.
I wonder what it would be like,
to be so happy that you cry.
One day I will know, one day.
Once I get away from here I will know.
Oh yes! I will know just as others know.
Why don't I cry?
Tears are healthy, good for the soul.
My soul is non-existent, one day it will be found.
Found amongst the pieces of broken hearts 
of yesterday and tomorrow.
My soul lies along side my heart.
One day I will get out of here.
When that day comes I will get back my heart and soul.
~*~

Remember Me 
by Jill Lines

It's time to put this fairytale, this fantasy to end.
It's obvious that I could see, but you just couldn't understand.
The differences between us have become like grains of salt,
the spring has become a river, the cleft a raging fault.
The sameness has become greater the differences so few,
if only you could see my heart and know that all I say is true.
I stand her silent,
though shouting I want say, "Look through me and see "me" not 
at me and turn away.
The sands of time are ever changing, always slipping by,
and for this reason I must say good-bye.
I can not hold what refuses to be held 
and can not forever yield my heart and hope.
So, I will pack away my things and go along my way,
to another place, another day.
Till on the other side in Heaven or here on Earth wherever it may be,
we meet again and You remember me.

~*~

Light
Libby Walker

i feel no breath, no blood, no life. my heart is cold and blue; somewhat shriveled. i stand amidst the cold dark silence of this room; this room i hate. i see a small beam of light that grows as it draws nearer. this beautiful light comes closer and i've never seem anything so magnificent or unique.. i dare not stare for fear of being hurt again. however, the light is drawing me nearer into itself. in my head though i need this light; i want it. i walk closer, slowly, opening my arms to the brightness. i draw it into me, feeling a sudden shock at first embrace. the light feels so good. it warms my innermost being. soon it places its lips upon mine and begins to breathe itself into me. each breath brings my body to life; i feel the blood running through my veins; i feel my heart beat again. i am alive! this is the best feeling i've ever experienced. as it is breathing its breath of light into me, it becomes forceful, and instead of breathing, it begins sucking the life out of me. i try to pull away, but i can't.. i am in this state of abnormal shock, a trance. in its eyes i see death, as it sucks the last breath out of me. the blood stops pumping, and life stops, yet again. the light leaves, and i am left again in this dark cold room. i feel another hole being formed in my heart; each time some light comes into my life, i am left used and hurt and it leaves a hole in my heart. people think they see light in my life, but when the light comes, it leaves, and i am never left the same. how much space do i have left in my heart? 
~*~

The Promise of Tomorrow
 manda constable

They say that separation makes the heart grow fonder,
But I reflect on how this can be so, as I watch my broken heart beat its final rhythm in a pool of tears upon the floor.

I hear your name roll off a random tongue and my thoughts begin to wander:
What will happen when you find someone new; 
Someone you’ll say is a lot like me, but so much closer to you.

The passage of time, I fear, is far to slow for what we have to last.
I worry the day will come, too soon when you’re nothing more than a peaceful image; a dear friend in my past.

They say that distance lends enchantment, and allure,
On the contrary, I feel that all it has to offer is affliction and pain.
The fact that we’re apart makes my life seem pointless and obscure.

I often wonder if there is balance to my endless sorrow,
I know that even though the tears fall today, we will be together again, and that is why I’ll always believe in the promise of tomorrow.
~*~

BEYOND THE RISING SUN
Marie Jackson

Beyond the rising sun, further than the eyes can see..

Beyond the blueberry mountains and strawberry seas,
there is a mansion waiting for me

With a throne of gold, and a vision of white, 
he is now in sight..

The joy I feel, I can’t explain, His love so real
His grace at my side with all the world at my feet..

I am finally free

To step, through those pearly gates, 
knowing that heaven was my fate

Beyond the rising sun, Lies my soul, My every breath

To be with the saviour, with harp in hand
beyond the rising sun, on every shore
on any island, any place I may be

Beyond the rising sun.
~*~

time's to sit and wonder about life
time's i feel that im under the knife

time's you have a need to kneel down and pray
to ask the lord if he can show you the way.

time's of love to hold someone
a way to release stress when your under the gun.

time's of walking to think things out
a way to find in your heart what life is about.

time's of sadness when you lost a friend
a time to begin and a time to end.

time's i am lonely with sadness upon my face
and im looking for someone but i cant find a trace.

i think when im alone these thoughts cross threw my mind
and for an answer for all of them i just can not find.

so deal with it please as my feelings come out
and if you understand what im saying you know what its about.

that i am a person with alot bottled up inside
but i am only human and im along for the ride.

so take my rhyme and hear what i say
to release all my feelings that this is the way.

by JOEY GUN

~*~

Removed
 S. Keller M. 

I,
like a feather
in a stream, 
float,
current weary,
from high 
above
to...

rushing 
vacant
to the sea.

~*~

If I Can Dream
butch hutchings

If I had wings, I could fly,
Play in the wind, touch the sky,
Cut through clouds, never touch ground,
If I had wings, my soul be found,

If I were a God, I could see everything,
I'd push aside mountains, make bells ring,
Catch lightning, or dig rivers by hand,
If I were a God, I would understand,

If I was a child, would I see the view,
Through innocent eyes, what could I do,
About love and hope, and about honesty,
If I was a child, would I really see,

If I was rain, I'd wet the earth,
Make it fresh, feel it's worth,
Make things green, feed the soil,
If I was rain, I would not toil,

And, if I can dream, then I can face,
A world of change, and find my place,
See the colors of life, see everything,
If I can dream, I will have my wings.....

~*~

MY Colored Past
by Allison Palser

Look at all the pretty colors
Red and Orange, Yellow and Green
Look at all the pretty colors
At this perilous scene
Stare at all the pretty colors
Watch them sail away
Wave at all the pretty colors
See them all decay
Bathe in the dreary colors
They cover your skin with gray
Dance in the dreary colors
Who'll see you anyway?
See him pass in pretty colors
With all the fun of Now
See him leave in pretty colors
How could he leave you? How?
Splash in the pretty colors
They won't be here for long
Drink in the pretty colors
The taste is like a song
Draw with the dreary colors
Gray and black, white and gray
Write with the dreary colors
They'll be yours always

~*~

"The Art of Life"
Dana Bridgman 

What if the sky was as red as fresh blood?
What if your pain could drown you in a flood?
The sunset at dusk brings the birth of the moon.
But what if the sun arose far too soon?

A creature once a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
But that kind of beauty can soon wither and die.
Beauty in truth is held deep inside,
brought to the surface through those we confide.

These cycles of life may be morbid but true.
But that's the art of things seen only by me and you.

~*~

"Allie In Cali"
by ~Reaz~
I look up to the clouds
And I see her face up there
My head is in the clouds
I like it best up there

Sleeping in a holy bliss
Feel her presence in the wind
Close my eyes to feel a kiss
Get a chill from deep within

Waking up on the ground
Open my eyes to see
See roses all around
And my true love Allie
~*~

Time
by Jennifer Lavigne

Time passes by,
But what does it pass?
Is time seemingly taking away your chances,
Your opportunities?
Is it taking away friends,
Or taking away love?

Time was made by man,
Yet time seems to make a man.
Are we, the people then to be blamed, 
For the creation of time?
Time forces us to rush, to hurry,
Maybe to pass things by.
Time controls a man.

Do people die because of passing time?
Is that our excuse, our reason?
How could it be the reason when we made-up time?
If time heals all wounds,
What then did we do before time?

What would it be called if there never was “time”?
When people want to grow-up,
We say, “Give it time.”
But is time ours to give away?

Time controls us.
Time has no mind..
It seems to be like a programmed robot.
Never changing.
Never giving a those few extra minutes to get up,
Or to wash your hair. 

Have we created a monster?
Has our creation turned against us?
A time machine the never seems to end?
We’ve entered hopeless battle
With an invincible, yet non-existent force.
Is life better because of time or are we worse off?


Are we, the people, time, or just the creators?

What then, is time?

~*~

The Wonderings of Despair
By Darin Maner

Lonely back streets all around you
You wander down the broken path of reality
The deafening sound of silence
Echoes through your senses
What once was sincere will never be again

Everywhere you go you see constant reminders
Of yesteryears past and broken friendships
Solitary regret has taken over your days 
With no where to flee, and no place to transform
You stumble throughout your life of gratitude.

You try to hide the uncertainty, but that can never happen
The constant reminder is rippling through your sanity
Fighting the anguish only makes you suffer worse
What was rendered as truth, can not be dismissed
The essence of time can not heal the wounds it created

~*~

a mutually created continent*
 Amado Ona Tandoc III

love happens in time
and in no time
without semblance of sound
too often
without words

it resides deep
in disarming silences
which tell us to
bridge our gaps

cross boundaries
of blood, space,
covenants

only that we are both rational

so we meet across hallways:
strangers today, lovers in other lifetimes,

unaware of each other's touch,
making distance as constant as 
the air we both breathe,

our tolerance, a mutually created
continent

neither of us can span.


*title culled from Max Garland's short story "Chiromancy"
~*~

"Sea of Sorrows"
Amber Dawn Wimberly 
Searching and searching, for unfinished details.
Craving the feeling of solute.
Trying to make sense of my insecure emotions.
Lingering onto situations that can't be changed in anyway.
Holding onto dreams that will vanish if I don't clasp tight enough.
Wishing, dreaming and hoping, that all my past problems will disintegrate in my mind.
Being afraid to love so strong that you could be pulled into a wave of never ending fluster.
Drowning in my Sea of Sorrows, I will come up for air.
In my struggle to find serenity, I will keep fighting this undertow called life. 
~*~
MISSING YOU
Michelle 

When I met you
I knew I had met a great person
We were great friends
We had good times, never bad
We went to each other when we were sad
And comforted each other
We were both glad of the great friend we had
The day I found you were to leave
It broke my heart into two
As I knew our friendship would never be the same
Although we weren't exactly speaking at the time
I wish I could turn back the hands of time
So that we could have said a proper goodbye
You know, the one with the tears and wet eyes
I wish I wish I wish we could remain the best of friends
And I wanna see you again
To give you the goodbye we were meant to have
I miss you I miss you I miss you
I hope you feel the same for me
And then I know our friendship was meant to be
Even if we never see each other again
I’d really like to correspond with you
So our friendship will never end
If I saw you again I would give you a hug
And tell you that you are one of my best friends

I wanna talk to you again
About the guys, music, everything
In closing I want you to know I thought we were extremely close
And no matter what I hope we still are
Get back to me
So I can tell you everything
Everything we have missed out on in the months before you left
So we can rekindle our friendship to the very end
I want you to know I love you as a friend
And no matter what I will always forever
Never forget what friendship brings
Closeness, love, great times, and memories
The end
~*~

DEVIL OF SEDUCTION
Alix Senior

Today the devil was inside me,
It's body enwrapped in mine.
I felt its' head inside my head,
The clawing fingers at my eyes,
The burning of the soul alight.
Tonight the devil is inside me,
It yearns to crawl throughout me.
To make love to the sins that I commit,
The passion is making me sick.
Kissing my powerless lips,
I succumb to the wrath of it.
The devil likes me warm beneath the sheets,
I was raped by the devil tonight.
I liked the sin because I like to fight,
The devil was my air tonight.
~*~

Philanthropy.
Lawrence Manion.

With all societies ill's and evil's our country asks,in power of state,25 percent of our wage.
Our church asks 10 percent.
Totaling a better part of one third,which goes to fund the war against our own misgivings,greeds and needs.
Collectively we all concur this to be the remedy.
Yet I believe,that only one pure thought,given the mind through the heart,in one man,would do better than all those taxes taken in our nation in one day.

~*~

I feel it in the air,
the desire like a fire,
burning a hole in my soul, 
to join the masses those asses,
The hypocrisy.
The pressure building,
Malignant pressing on my mind,
Weaving into the crevasses,
I fight futilely,
telling myself to try,
try to make a difference.
And for expressing myself
I find myself in a jail,
A jail with no walls,
It's prisoners souls,
The only refuge,
delve inside my mind,
to the deepest regions,
but it is growing, 
DEEP BECOMES SHALLOW.
prisoner of freedom

~*~

LOST
Kathleen Frosty

Your emerald glittery eyes
Sparkled in the moonlight
You mocked losers
And it was funny until
You mocked me
Yet I still loved you
Now that your gone
I cry at your grave
And feel the words carved in stone that bare your name
Your beautiful name
I'll remember it forever
Even when you didn't care about mine
I could have sworn you loved me
But fate never lies
And I was wrong
But when you cried for me
I thought it was real
Love is so deceiving
~*~

Rape of the Innocent
-Ben Zweig


The fatigue and exhaustion of incessant labor 
Raped the adolescent of his childhood.

The extent of work 
Diminished his concealed life. 

The extremities of production
Eradicated his knowledge.

The deafening machinery 
Smothered his flames of bliss.

The murky air in the ambiance 
Charred his outer shell and emotions. 

The nauseating stench of excrement and smog 
Robbed him of his last breaths. 

The needles of excruciating pain 
Disfigured his deprived body. 

The Industrial Revolution 
Vanquished his purity and virtue. 

~*~

Who Can I Trust?
Amanda

Who can I trust
Will I ever know
Friends, family
Will it ever show

I'm a closed up person
As some people can see
But all they do is try to take advantage of me

I need someone 
In whom I can confide
Tell my life's whole story
With all my pride

Will that person ever come
If he do we can join as one
Love can make us real
So both of us can feel 
That the trust we share
Will always be real!
~*~

Hearts Can Die
Jennifer Owens

Never thought my heart would die, until I saw it in your eyes.
One day you came and took my love away. Year after year I still feel
you near, Yet I know my heart died long ago. Cant be happy ever again,
unless my mind told me I could win. All the time in the world wont 
wont bring you back to this life you had. Things were never really
bad. You were lost and had to bail, leaving me behind to read 
your mail. Letters came and tears would fall, I was thinking you 
were never coming home after all. Just keep the faith and you'll be
fine, so everyone says each and every time. Never thought my heart
would die, always think about that night. Cant I ever go to bed, 
and dream about you being dead? Then my mind would ease, and life 
would be a breaze. Never thought my heart would die,
Yet it died indeed.

~*~

As time slowly passes I sit and wonder why
Why you just can't love me or even give us a try
Why you don't care for me the way I do for you
Why you don't need me as bad as I need you
Why I can't be loved or even cared for by you
When I feel I've done everything you've ever asked me to
Why I'm not the one who makes you smile
Why I'm not the one who makes your life worthwhile
Why I'm not the one you'd want to run home to 
Why I'm not the one who makes your dreams come true
Why I never had the chance to steal your heart
Why was my world the torn apart 
Why I can't be the one you'd want always by your side 
And why did I believe you every time you lied
Why I'm not the one you dream of kissing 
Why I'm not the one your always missing
Why your the who can so easily make me cry
And why it feels my love for you could never die
And why does this question keep going through my mind
It's the only thing I can think of , The only questions WHY?
Kim Perkins

~*~
DARK
-cinder

Lost
wondering around in the
Dark
skies are blinding my
Way
out nowhere I
Sit
and wait for me to
See
not what you can but what you
Will
you love me before you 
Leave
this scared and frightened girl
Alone
sitting here in the
Dark

~*~

~Sweet Love~
~B.N.S
Your kiss is so sweet and so is your touch
I want to love so very much
My eyes cannot resist,
My heart belongs to you
I know that our love is more than true
My palms start to sweat when you are near
Your voice is so soothing for me too hear
I want to hold you so very tight
I want to love you the rest of my life
~*~

"Love"
Karnisha N.Byrd

"Love"is patient and kind;love is not 
jealous,or conceited,or proud 
or provoked;love does not keep
a record of wrongs;love is not
happy with evil;but is pleased 
with the truth.
"Love"never gives up;it's faith,hope
and patience never.....failed.
~*~

----------------------------JUST SAY NO---------------------------------------- 

Just say no! you'll be a better person. You have got to make a stand for something that you believe in. Just say No! YOu don't need to be part of the croud. Let it be heard say it loud; I don't want to be part of the croud! You can stand tall and be proud of what you did; Because now you can live! 

Darlene Jane Shaffer

~*~

demons demons lurking everywhere
in my clothes and in my hair
whispering softly keeping me sane
plunging my hands deep in my brain
guiding my footsteps and turning my head
finding new ways to make me dead
Infinite Wanderer

~*~

lost in pain
joe

i am a man that is lost in pain
and from all this there is nothing to gain.

i go through life, with my head held low.
but to stay happy i remain on the go

you see i love a girl that lives far away,
and i think of her face day after day.

i found this beauty on a chat line,
the day ill be happy is when she is mine.

i see her in my dreams when i rest my head,
and i think of her face when i get out of bed.

her unbelievable black hair and her wonderful smile,
the way she dresses i love her fancy style.

but i don't have her, only a picture and a name
so i will go on as a man that is lost in pain.

thank you
it's been fun, 

~*~

Someone Heard
teirney humberson

Come out of the darkness
into the light,

seems like everything
is new, is bright.

The sun hurts my eyes,
but thank god someone
heard my cries.
~*~

"Devlin"
Stephanie A. Allen

Things happen and I have nowhere to turn
I sit and watch my future burn
All I ever wanted was a true friend
One to walk by my side until the end
All along I thought he cared
But I found that life isn't fair
Now all I can do is look on the streets
For the only one who will make me complete

~*~

What's Going To Happen?
Meghann

Although we just met,
It's time to say good-bye;
You're moving soon,
I feel as if I'm going to die;
The sweet sound of your voice tears me apart,
sitting here wondering if we're going to part;
One month to go,
wondering what's going to happen,
My heart heart tells me I love you,
but my mind tells me it's not going to happen;
What can i do but sit here and wait;
Let love run its course?
I guess it could be fate
~*~

It has, can’t, will, won’t and is.
Amanda Langton

It has to be today
It has to be tomorrow
It has to be tonight
It has to be eternity
It can’t be forgotten
It can’t be yesterday
It can’t be regretted
It can’t be left.
It will be our future
It will be remembered
It will be two hearts
It won’t be left behind
It won’t be a broken heart
It won’t be hurtful
It is love
It is ours
It is forever
~*~

Black Belt
By Chris Matei

Sheer, fluid power pressed into a human mold
Slides gracefully across the floor
Punches, blocks in fluid motion
An intricate dance
flowing in time 
~*~

A Bleeding Rose
Justine Napodano

in it's deep ruby droplets,
it distilled it's painful right,
the nocturnal air induced it 
tired,
anxiety with an eye to 
what might transpire,
the windless utterances through
reveries evanesced apace,
desired not ever to bloom,
spell it's head,
be shown,
with bond's wonder,
with attachment's suffer,
about the matchless thing,
that restrains the rose
from standing,
but the belle only cried,
of seeded tears, 
of severe hurt,
of quondamly existed that 
little quaver of fun,
direct jealousy, and madness,
bleeding via her merciful petals,
her glare monotonously out,
her fearlessness squeezed.
~*~

I gaze upon the grassy knoll,
Each single blade that makes the whole.
In the breeze they gently sway,
“There must be billions there,” I say.
And there they shine in green delight,
Fighting for sunshine with all their might.

They twist and turn, they squirm and writhe,
Vying for light to increase their size.
And some will grow with haughty pride
While others in their shadow’s hide.
Alas- their efforts are in vain,
For the mower will cut them equal again.
Brian Crabtree

~*~

"Young Beauty"
Bryan McKay 

A young beauty as delicious as you
Devoured by those who love not

She kisses him like a woman
Open and long and slow

~*~

Eternity
Ron Solevo

She plunged from above,
Soaring through the air,
Manipulated like flower petals,
Blowing in the wind.

She remembered the fire,
The flood of tears,
Then,
She tasted death.

A lake of white light shone,
But turned to black,
And she fell into the fire,
Again,
This time for
Eternity.
~*~

Mirror
Pete England

Mirror Mirror on the wall, 
that face i can see, 
doesn't look like me at all.
Too ugly, too fat, 
i felt sure that i didn't look, 
like THAT.
Too big, too loud, 
i don't want to have to stand out.
Is that really what people see, 
when they look at me?
~*~

True?Real?Forever?
SUNNY_MILL

Can this be true?
Tell me,can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was complete
I thought I was whole
Maybe I didn't realize that I needed you
Now you're gone!Can I get you back?
Is there a chance?Can I keep you till life is ended?
Maybe I wasn't worth anything to you,
Or just maybe you didn't love me.
~*~

In a place that I do well, I met a boy I like so well.
He told me that he'd never lie until the day he set me free.
Then I saw him on one knee, telling her things he never told me.
My father came home that very same night. I my room the door he broke,
he saw me hanging from a rope. In my jeans he found a note: Dig my grave
and dig it deep, with two doves to show the world I died for LOVE!!
By:Jessica J.

~*~

-YOU- gave me all i ever wanted,
i hoped our love never died.
It seemed to end so very quick,
i want -YOU- again by my side. 
Everytime -YOU- held me i would feel this pain in side, 
just the thought of losing -YOU- always made me cry.
Your still the one i long ta love even though your far away, 
thinking of -YOU- is all i do, and all i wish to hear -YOU- say is... 
"i still love you till this day!"
 jackie ott

~*~

My boyfriend's name is Clay,
I think of him night And day
And when I lie abed at night,
I see his face full of light
I know he thinks of me,
Oh, but can't you see,
how much I love him,
Cherish him.
Well, anyways, I love him.
Amy Slankard

~*~

"Chained"
Kax Athame

I'm chained to the wall,
With nowhere to go,
Where torture and and time,
Pass so slow.

I'm chained by the shackles,
That won't let me leave,
Where my life's torn apart,
And I find it hard to breath.

I'm chained at the wrist,
The ankles and the waist,
While all I wanted of your love,
Was just a little taste.

I'm chained away from life,
Away from the world, away from love,
With only your kisses,
And touches to think of.

I'm chained to hells gates,
Tell I pay you a toll,
But you've taken all of me,
Leaving me only a torn soul.

~*~

Twin Suicide
-Jeff Green

Remember how we use to laugh, 
But all we do is cry
I think we’ve lost our smile,
So now we say goodbye,

As the night closes in
We depart together
For when we meet in heaven
We’ll be friends forever

~*~

Our World
norman love

Our world is like a shallow grave
Everyone is dead and peaceful
Our life is like a blooming rose 
When the sun sets I shall disappear forever
But when the sun arises I shall be reborn
So come walk with me on the life that’s given
And follow the footsteps that we 
Have chosen. 
~*~

ALLISON:
timmy g. 
how can i say i love you, its just three words, seems like so little, yet means so much,i wish i could use other words, words that arent used so much, but i cant, i want to say more because my love for you is worth 1000 words but i cant, but just 3 is all i can say, i love you, when i wake up in the morning your the first thing on my mind, when i walk around alone, im wishing you were there, when i watch TV with out you , there is no point cus i need my arm around you to make it complete, and in the night, i think of you last before i go to sleep , but when i sleep i dream of you.. and only you , my wish in my life it forever to hold you and have you, all to my self all to my own, i love you allison with all my heart and adore you with all of my body, i love you.
~*~

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART
BY RENEE HOWBURG

THE BEAT OF A PEOPLE
LIKE THUNDER IN A STORM
WAVES OF WAR LIKE A FALLEN
SOLDIER - BAYONET LOST
CREATURES OF UPRISING
AGAINST A GREAT AUTHORITY
A HAND THAT GUIDES A NATION
WHAT UTTERANCES DO WE HEED
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART
YOUR HEAD HEADS
~*~

I heard people say
We shouldn't be together,
I heard them say
We both don't even bother;
We don't look nice
We don't look twice,
People around us isn't fine
About us;
You said you don't care
But somehow I do
'Coz people say we both knew
But we kept on pretending
Everything's just fine and new

I Love you so much
I couldn't let go of you,
But it's much better hearing 
The truth than a lie,
Though it'll break my heart
Like a pie.
Antoniette Gonzalez
~*~

you told me that you wanted to, and i just didnt know what to do.
it took me a while to figure it out,there was no way i had a doubt.
so i went down and told you yes,and you told me you were getting a divorce.
i have to admit that i was scared, but i went on and did it,"i had an affair".
I loved you so much it hurt inside,no one ever new,
but they should have relized,they could have seen it in our eyes.
there's just no way for us to do, the things we said we wanted to.
i know now our love has been denied,thats why he must have took your life.
your mother called the other day,and she told me you were leaving your wife.
I know now that you were changing your life,now i know that i could have been your wife.
I loved you so much,and i still do.
but now that you are gone, i've made up my mind, i have to move on.
wendy elliott

~*~

MOTHERS
Renee L. Stone

A mothers heart is the most precious commodity she owns
She is often stronger than anyone gives her credit for,
She endures all the heartaches her children come to know
She will wait up til dawn to know they are home safe once more.

She connects with her child from the moment she gives birth 
A gift from heaven she holds close to her heart
She understands all their heartaches
And misses her children when they are apart.

A mothers arms are made for comfort
Her tears are the purest mix of salt and love,
When God created mothers it was his most precious invention,
Sent to Earth for all of us to admire and love.
~*~

What can be said to you
For which there won't really be.
With my shrine facing a new
There never is a thing to see.

Corrupt within a similar glow
So brilliant, but yet so dull
A single flame in utter silence
Makes not your passion be compliance.

Steady now, steady she goes
Don't overflow her path
She's going good, just a little more
Hold on tight, it's not far now

Hunger seems to reach a peak
Achieving the righteous seems so bleak
A sweet nectar whispers in her ear
Slip by the snake and start it over.
Nick Gills

~*~

ALONE
Maja Compton

I am all alone 
through plight 
and crumbling stone.

I have no where to go.
No where to seek 
a friend or foe.

My world is shrinking
extremely fast.
Only to be crushed by
hard facts.

Doctors say it's spreading fast
The priest prays for mercy
upon my soul.
I just want to be left alone,
like I've always been before. 

~*~

West Side
Written for the one who knows who she is..
By: Tom Riggle

As the world turns we go through life's trials.
some are short and some last for miles.
The people we meet depends on who we are,
some we see outside and some we see in a bar.
The one i can think of is the best of the best,
because all the others seem just like the rest.
She is funny, smart, pretty and probably has them standing in line,
but as i sit here through the days i think what if she was mine.
I think no way, what would she want with a guy like me,
but when it comes to that i close my eyes and don't want to see.
i cant compare her to any other thing on this earth,
for i cant see anything around that has her worth.
Some day I may go and run, run far away and hide,
or turn around and find her on the West Side....

~*~

THE VULTURE:
KEV*

The vulture watches with his eye
His senses are so keen
He waits for you to die
He waits to pick your bones clean

The vulture is perched above
As you stagger by
No further can you go
You lay down to die

Barren is the land
Death is in the air
Now the vulture swoops down
To pick your carcass bare

~*~

As a mother bird spreads her wings
She starts to sing
To her tiny children peeping
Please oh please do not cry
As you wait the time will fly by
As I'm gone don't make a peep
The best thing to do is to go to sleep
As you wait, it will come true
Patience is a virtue
Charisse

~*~

The Blue Tear That Rolled Down My Cheek
Melissa Alfrey

A blue tear has rolled down my cheek
Everyday that you have been gone
Every night I have cried myself to sleep
While listenin' to our song
I didn't believe you'd come back to me
But I prayed that I was so wrong
As I sit alone from day to day 
I think I have waited too long

Gazing through the open window
Waiting for a smile to come upon my face
Thinking of nobody except you
I'm wishing you will come back to me
Knowing that it was all up to you 
I truly hope you do make the right decision this time

Ever since the day you walked away the same blue tear has rolled down my cheek.
~*~

things I won't do
~~Nicole Kleppinger

I am not sitting here, thinking about you.
I am not wondering about what might have been,
because I know that I was the one
to say no.
To say that I could not handle
the possibilities of love.
The world around me feels empty and still
as I contemplate when I will be ready.
I can't move forward...we spoke about 
it and you taught me the word stasis.
That is me. Stagnate, waiting, trying not
to slip back, but keeping myself from 
moving forward.

~*~

Why does your hand go up my thigh so
And, 
why does my hand press your back like that 
we all do crazy things
But this is the craziest 
Thinking that we have love 
Sex is my only obsession 
How about yours 
I'm assuming that it is love with you 
we wouldn't all give ourselves to another 
would we??
I definitely do
Quashier Flood

~*~

Ballet
Heidi Cohen
In the shadow of thee eyes from very few
among the dancing room
a stranger took my hand
~her skin so soft and tender
though I couldn't make out her face
all the features were there as we danced
among the very few...

It was dark so I held to her tightly ~desire
in our "pinkness" we danced
just as graceful as expected
not a man among us
I felt her warmth as I stepped into dance...closer
her deep blue eyes

I knew "this" for years in the back of my mind
rouge roses and dim candles lay upon the floor
as she pulled me closer and
she whispered to me "je t'aime." ..and the roses fall from my dreams.

~*~

Limited Life
Jennifer Lemieux

It's very bright
in my glass cage
the light burns
my blinking eyes

It's dark all around
outside my life
I know they pass by
Look-and move on

My stage is cold
hot tears from shivering
and breathing in
limited space with limited time

They stand staring
only for a moment
to see me gasp....
my hands pressed against the glass

They won't dare touch me
but I know they're there
You see, I feel them all
standing on my heart

~*~

An Understanding Lost
By Rebekah Terry
~Confusion burns a blackened scar onto her fair skin
It is a knife stuck in her, forever twisting, driving deeper
And so she is cast out and unloved
With only the memory of what used to be
And yet she knows not why
She reaches out in a black room
Reaching, searching for an understanding that isn't there
And as the room grows colder, darker, she reaches something
A feeling of comfort drenches her as she grasps what she is sure to be the
love she lost
And then emptiness breaks over her as she gazes blankly upwards
For hatred now stares unforgiving back at her
And so the knife drives deeper, and hatred pulls her down farther
And now she is made to wander the burning plains of hunger and despair
Forever carry in the weight of her unknown sins
Never finding that understanding she craves above life itself
But it is too late, for confusion burns a blackened scar into her fair skin
Marring her beauty and forcing her to scream out in eternal silence.....
~*~

THE TRUE ESSENCE OF ME.
Darlene J. Shaffer

I'm on the inside looking out; know one truly knows the essences of me. Why can't they see I'm here inside of me? I reach out but know one is really there for me. Know one knows the true essence of me. Does any one really care for me? I'm care giver to all.; But does all care to give or care for me? I'm known as mother, daughter and sister to all; But does any one heed my call? I'm a kind loving person; but does anyone care to be kind and loving to me. Why oh why can't they see I'm here inside of me? I have hopes and dreams to; but they all have been dashed. If you cut me do I not bleed? Why doesn't anyone see the true essence of me? I have feelings ,there here inside of me. Every one's to involved with them selves ;To notice that I need love and I need help. This may sound selfish, But I thought I'd take a few moments and write a poem about the essence of me...
~*~

Lord of the woods
Ramesh Dohan
Lord of the woods
From the deep woods,
He came ,
Emerging from the shadow
Antlered , he appeared tame
For a moment, 
His gentle grunt,
Punctuate the silence
Thinking that I a menace
Oh gentle beast of the field
I am but an ardent admirer
Of your gentile beauty
You are a noble deity
My heart sings of piety,
I proclaim only 
to be your humble devotee
Behind the brown hollow tree
Now to live forever ,
In my memory
~*~

"If You Only Knew How Beautiful You Are to Me... (I wish...)"
Jason Shaffer

I wish you could see what I can see, every time I look at you,
I wish you could feel what I can feel, every time we touch, 
I whish you could hear what I can hear, every time you talk, 
I wish you could smell what I smell, every time you're near...
I wish that once you could feel, this burning in my heart,
that drives me to write to you in poetry prose and art,
I wish you could feel what i feel, watching you in your sleep, 
seeing you so beautiful, peaceful as you dream.
I wish you knew just how much, your sneeze drives me wild,
or just how much i long to dance, with you for just a little while, 
I wish you knew just how much I long to be with you, 
to hear your voice, to feel your touch, to be graced with your smile..
I wish you knew just how much, I wish I could (well) kiss you, 
to not say something stupid, and drive you away from this child, 
I wish you knew what it's like, the feeling I get when I hold you, 
or the satisfaction that I have, knowing that I love you.
I wish each day I, I wish each night, oh how I do wish with all my might,
that I wish you knew my love is true, and come to hold it tight.
~*~

tired
alex o'neal 

Confused and diseased like an intoxicating joke
a selfish and calculated joke (but it makes you think)
makes you wonder why
and I still think about you and i still remember you
but it's all over i left it to long
and I just can't respond (i feel sick) thinking about it
I wish I could apologize to you
I know it would make no difference
It was all a game we both knew it
I can only hope that time 
will give us another chance

all i could possibly desire (all that i ever wanted)
smile for me again
and I'm still here
waiting my whole life seems strange to see you again
but i can only hope (hope and wait)
if the time comes and I'm not ready
I'll not blame you
hiding in disgrace
Don't be embarrassed waiting for your smile
~*~

Tears of a Rose
 kassanna

Have you ever seen the tear's of a rose
Touched by the dew of morning mist
A flower so fragrant and deep in her color
her hues are the blush of a fairy's kiss
Yet the velvety petals which she has borne
Is nothing compared to a secret she bares
For to reach out and touch her you will soon see
The rose in her innocence produces a thorn

The thorn by itself, not as pretty as she
Was placed to protect her with all his might
together, forever, the two live as one
The rose as his Queen, the thorn as her Knight
~*~

Goddess
matthew Saliormars
A Goddess is a daughter dancing in a delicate summer dress to the music, rhythm of a delicate symphony

~*~

What am I?
 Kevin Yarkosky

Do you really know me?
What do you think I am
You seem to know everything,
So tell me, what I am

Am I the one you loathe?
Insignificant to you
Will your hatred be forever shown?
You do not want to regard me

Am I not a person?
Something that doesn't exist
You truly like to treat me as such
And i cannot stand this much

You care not about my feelings
To you I'm just a joke
So tell me my tormentor,
To you, is my life just a joke?

Do you really know me?
What do you think I am
You seem to know everything,
So tell me, what I am
~*~

Love
Mike Galvez
Love is unique love is grand
love can walk with you hand-n-hand
I once was in love
with an angel from above
but could not show my need for her
so the one above took her away
but i have faith that she'll return someday
and on that day the doves shall sing
and all the heavens bells shall ring
for two angels have been reunited
to live in the gates of gold, never again to be left in the cold
Those who wish shall receive
and those who receive shall never grieve
so be thankful that your prayers are answered
and that you've found your love
never betray their trust, cause he's always above,  he'll be looking down upon you
watching everything you shall do
love is more precious than diamonds and gold
love wont leave you when your old.....

~*~

Don't
Angela Manfetano
Don't make promises tome when you have no intention of keeping them,
Don't smile at me when it's not sincere,
Don't look me in the eyes if your not going to see me,
Don't talk to me if your not going to listen to my side of the situation,
Don't pretend that you want me when you really can't stand to be near me,
Don't tell me you don't need me and then ask if you can hold me,
Don't come and sit next to me if your not going to let me kiss you,
Don't watch me from across the room if your not going to speak to me,
Don't say that everything is fine and then pull away when I try to touch
you,
Don't tell me I can have you one day and then the next day change your mind,
Don't treat me like I don't know what's going on,
Don't brush against me and then pretend that you didn't even notice,
Don't lean in to talk to me if you won't let me hold your hand,
Don't kiss her lips right in my face and then act like you didn't see me,
Don't tell me about all your others,
Don't make me feel like I'm not good enough,
Don't make me feel like I'm not worth your time,
Don't ignore me one minute and then act like everything is okay the next,
Don't keep doing the things you know hurt me.
~*~

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Page Copyright © AHApoetry.com 2000.

Go check out the AHA Archives for more poetry.
If you would like to send in your poem to Open Mic.

Go to the AHA!POETRY Homepage for new ideas.