OPEN MIC ENCORE
August, 2000

“Plow deep the fallow ground of the heart” Old Shaker Saying
 Linda Hanley

from whence this mind 
this grey soul of fallow ground awaiting 
the planting of another season’s run?
to whom the allegiance, 
the reporting of deeds done and those left undone?
we whisk ourselves to this place 
from formless grace.
masterful jaunts in energy form, 
to roam with the beasts and consume the riches of plants, 
to feed the matter so rough and callous.
~*~

Humid Time Slip
Lena Brodersen

Have you ever heard your parents have sex?
Listened to a calf wrestle with corn?
Helicopters do that when they raid your home in a circle
When I was a kid
They would come and my mother would send us to the yard
To cover her plants, To cover my ears
Eye glasses and tangerines
When I was a kid
sticky buns were a common invention
like clotheslines and G. I. Joes. Faces didn't change much
I'd sizzle with my insecure sisters who ate roast beef on sundays
When I was a kid
Crawfish nibbled toes and red mud masked the rain 
With seaweed as an elephant who gave me a shower with his feet
Have you ever gone dancing in a barnyard?
On hot summer days that make you remember what laughing was
When you were still dying
Dying sweat in the sun
And tasting the colors of sand.

~*~

Edgar Allan Poem
Daniel Howard

We all have birds that torment us...
a fat pigeon 
begging for popcorn 
in the park, a parakeet
that regurgitates 
bedroom talk in front of in-laws,
a pterodactyl 
or dodo 
banging its bones at midnight.
Perhaps its a spot 
on a tuxedo or washed car.
We all have something pecking at our foreheads,
that roosts 
in our open chests 
like a mother hen, hatching the egg 
that suits our misery.

I sighed, and set down my quill pen.

~*~

Pop-Pop
by Nicole Kleppinger

He was always loud, sitting at that card table with his brothers
playing pinochle and swearing under his breath
(cheating bastards!)
He took us to Phillies games, bought us popcorn, and soda.
He always took the time to speak to us, the kids
like we were real people, not just little people.
I could always fall asleep, resting my head on a pillow 
on his lap, with him stroking my hair.

Pop-Pop isn't quite the same these days.
The younger grandkids won't know the man 
from my memories.
He sits on the sofa, falling asleep at any given moment.
I don't think I ever see him playing cards any more.
His glasses, too big for his face, slide down his nose.
His eyes are the palest shade of blue I've ever seen.

At family functions, like parties and barbeques, his family
leaves him alone in a room, bored with his repetition I guess.
He still loves to talk about horse racing.
He still loves to hold a baby while they sleep.
I've seen this former Marine weep.
I've held his hand
and kissed his cheek a million times.
Mortality is catching up...
Run Pop-Pop!!

~*~

layover
bridget guildner

i am scared
that four short days
isn't nearly long enough 
for me to check you
like luggage,
and though my plane will touch down
on solid oregon soil,
i will remain
circling the airstrip
in baltimore

~*~

Uncommon Change
Mark Houck

Dreams are made
in silence.
They find birth
in quiet car drives
to common places - 
The mall on main street
with its neatly placed
window designs and sale announcements
or the warehouse grocery store
(neon lit - OPEN 24 hours a day)
where you've bought 
2% for the last six weeks
to see that cute blonde 
in the checkout line
(12 items or less)
the scanner's beep 
like the voices at night
who shout when you've finally bought
something you really wanted.

~*~

LIFE 
malidavis

Do you have something to say
Why don't you tell me today
What does it mean, where did you go
What does this world want me to know
what are you afraid of
Why am i still waiting here?

I don't think you know what to say
Why does it matter anyway
What do i want, what do you know
Why do you always go
What are you made of 
why am i still chasing you here?

Are you still listening 
Or just bitching
Or sitting there wishing you could know?
~*~

Green Peace
-David R. Graves
I resign my anxious thoughts and embrace the peace of knowing that no man can love you as I do. 
Alyssa, go, seek out him who would be my equal and bring him to me, I am unafraid. 
I will take him down to the depths of my devotion and drown him, as I struggle, lungs burning, to go deeper in my resolve. 
To the highest peak we will climb and leaping higher still, upwards I shoot, suffocating him in the thin air of my ecstasy, breathless with the very thought of you. 
Into the blackness of my sorrow I pull myself along, and he follows, yes he follows, the stark aloneness pressing in, crushing him and yet I am sustained by hope. 
And into the forest of my longing he foolishly enters, as I set the woods alight in fulfillment, burning in the fire of my passion he is consumed. Yet I am not scorched, I stand still, my desire kindling a more ardent flame. 
Who is my equal? He and I are one and the same. We shall be found by you. Therefore I stand before you unafraid.

~*~

A Father's Love
Robin K. Niven

A father's love is from the heart , It has no ending and has no start
It begins the day he looks in their eye, And they know for this child they would die
They praise the lord everyday for this blessing, And they know as the get older they keep you guessing
If ever they need there's no limit to what he'll give, They will love him and call him dad this is why he lives
In their time of need he's there like a friend, As a shoulder to cry on he's there to the end
There's never conditions or times he gives his love, Every waking moment he gives his love from above
Many men walk away from this gift never to know what they miss, Cause there is no explanation for your child's goodnight kiss
Just one touch is enough to make your heart melt, I know cause I can remember the exact way I felt
There is no way to pay back this gift from above, Except the day you give your child "A Father's Love"
~*~

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A DOG?
Joel Bjorling

How long have you been a dog?,
I asked one day
As a fluffy, white-haired dog
Came upon my way.

Little dog, you've certainly learned
some things,
So, can you tell me
How a dog can smile
In the face of adversity?
Dogs always have a happy face,
But how do they
Keep from grumbling
And walking away?

A dog jumps on your lap
And wants to play,
Even though your head is exploding
And you've had a bad day;
He doesn't mean any harm,
He says, let's play ball,
You need to relax
And rise above it all.

You dogs are wise,
Though you've never been to school;
You carry in your heart
The secret of the Golden Rule;
Through eons of history
And to the end,
You've learned what it means
To be a friend.

~*~

Rest With Me
Cicily White

Come with me into my world
a land filled with dreams and dreamers.
Where death only exists to make you 
laugh, with her golden curls and smiling 
turquoise eyes.
Compassion and Hope can heal any wound,
with golden threads of peace and love.
Rest with me on an eternal spring day,
we can speak with angels, and see
heavens open gates.
Come with me into my world, where children
laugh, and innocence is never lost.
guilt, shame, and anger never tread on these paths.
Laugh with me, cry with me, you are welcome here,
because you are perfect in my world.

~*~

The restaurant
rob cheatham

They bubble, and crack, and run all day. 
They move at a pace unimaginable and seemingly impossible. 
I can’t figure out what keeps them doing it over and over. 
There seems to be much better things to do. 

The brown haired guy with sideburns fills the tea urn and practically runs the length of the restaurant 3times in what felt to me like 30 seconds. 
But he stares at the world inside with a curious, hopeful, beautiful possibility.
He has youth to be caught up in. 

Just then, the new plain faced girl yells for some help running food, and again he’s off tearing up the length of the restaurant. 

With tired eyes all of one generation, they look with me into tomorrow for a reason they don’t see.

See, their not moving to the beat, 
But simply moving. 
To youth perhaps.

~*~

Paradise Implant
Martin Rutley, England

The cardboard citizens of nostalgia
The American paradise implant junkies
Slaves to the yellow noise of locust music
A symphony for the disney faith
Songs of analysts programming defeat
As kid astronauts snatch at the golden serpent
High above the offices of the hunger cult
Heroes of national slum fashion
Pawns to lifestyle design
Exchanging global fantasies of animal fiction
Theories for the caramel war
A television voyage through antique scams
For born-again virgins in the second escape
Under the solar masters of rebel luxury
The temporary histories of the super-elite
Media version seventy-three considered

~*~

DAISY
~meggie~

I love you, I love you not.
He loves me, he loves me not.
Think about when you pluck the petals from the pretty daisy you find,
How much it hurts to wait to make up your mind.
It hurts the daisy to get her petals ripped out,
And it hurts the person, their emotions played, waiting it out.
~*~

DANNY
Heidi

My window calls to me...
the opening in the curtains blowing,
revealing a passage in time.

The leaves are dancing
as the heart of a young girl
when she felt her first love.

Wind whispering across my body
where I revel in the tender, mystical moments
of where love began.

~*~

The Lungfish
David Koepke

Riverbank clay
tightening to this present
red drought cement.

Below, down a foot,
the lungfish--
wound like a clock

inside vase hard walls.
He does not dream
but his cells, his

lobed, old worldly
flesh waits...
Another mother rain--

Another birth wilding of mud
and the wide drum 
of the thunder.
~*~

I'll stand tall against the gods
If that's what I desire
I'd walk through the darkest hell
And dance within the fire
I have the will to face the gods
The will to fight my foes
I could face down anyone
Enduring all their blows
I have walked through flames
I've felt my share of pain
I have killed my arms and legs
Not once did I complain
I've drawn out my own blood
I've had steel toes pound my head
I've killed myself for five nights straight
And still I am not dead
But there is one thing I cannot face//One thing I can't endure
There's just one thing that holds my mind
Just one thing
It's her

dan allen

~*~

The Chat Room
Tango

In the chat room was where we met
You sounded as nice a person as one could get
Age twenty three fair hair and eyes of blue
But of course none of it was true
Everything you told me was a pack of lies
Even your gender was in disguise 
Like a fool I sent you money
Boy I bet you thought that was funny
So you people out there on the net
Beware for often what you think you see is not what you get

~*~

Thalamus' Ink. - Three Haiku

1)
morning minuets
portable plummed radios
flit and chirp and sing

2}
if it itches - scratch
but if it feels at all good
put time in the frig

3)
kisses of sugar
now have that honey flavor
as your legs surround
T'I. 
~*~

Dreams Never Tell
Roseanna Amatangelo

If dreams could speak
They'd always tell the truth
And when we fall asleep
Then we see the proof
What's in the back of our minds
As we're about to fall asleep
The dream will open up
And let us take a peek
So, have a pleasant rest
And always dream well
But never speak about your sights
Because dreams will never tell. 

~*~

A Day in Spring on the Yorkshire Moors

We walked on a windy sunny morning, the air touching our cheeks, animating us to breathe her deeply. 
Consciously we tasted her freshness as we strode over the Earth;
with the wind in my back, I felt like shouting into the Sky and I reached out, to touch the clouds, touch the Earth, kiss the World. 
The very air filled my spirit with new energy, making me feel alive again. Every fibre in my heart sang with joy; God was smiling down on me. 
My body became part of the wilderness around me. The Moors scratched my ankles, my beloved Moors made me part of their mystery - and even the wind whispered secrets about Life and Death.
I laid down on a rock and kissed it: the blue Firmament touched my head, so I closed my eyes and smiled.
It was a moment of Eternity.
Esther Bonte-Sylva

~*~

Oh Who Can Paint the Skies? 
Vicente Reyes 

In tandem calls I’ve seen paintings on walls of beauties captured by the brush, 
As if sketched in confidence by passionate artists for us to watch and say 
Yes she was beautiful in her day and so I wish she was here now for me. 
Their eyes follow though they are stiff and hollow and not like yours, 
Sweet silky skinned Princess of Midnight Joy, Madonna of Magical Kisses, 
Your twin windows are so clear when I hold you near that I see heaven 
And feel the touch of angel wings if my eyes I close and you express 
By your tender caress a love that has melted the ice of a loneliness 
I traveled so far to flee from. In my rapid flutter and city flight, 
Pursuing gold at dawn and sometimes digging in the dark, I see 
That the paintings by the greats of old silently call to me. 
Oh I know that one; and I know the other; and her kiss must also 
Have been sweet when met in her blooming rosy-cheeked hour. 
But the only reason such beauties taunt and haunt is because they 
Were there when I was alone in my travels and in quiet hotels when 
Alone by the windows I sat with tea and poet’s pen. 
They followed me and looked in when I was with her and her and then 
They saw my tears when through the years I saw the river bend 
At the time when I wanted a bridge to tomorrow that God did not send. 
There were others who later came and they too had a moment like you. 
They read my love letters and shared the golden coin of the realm, 
For as you know it is the laughter and the joy that I cherish so, 
And it is such a feeling of timeless, almost eternal, joy you give 
As we share the wine and little things like when in a gallery we speak 
Or argue about what the artist meant by that color or the shape 
Of the woman’s profile and the innuendos in that frozen smile. 
So when your warm hand in mine makes me remember we are one, 
As your voice in my mind fills the carriage when we or I go for miles, 
As passersby look at me and I beam on them for you light up my heart, 
I forget what its like to be far from all and you whom I so love. 
Give me the cities with the buildings made of cookies and clear candy, 
Take my many joys. They come in little boxes and they come like flowers 
Will return in Spring and when with the sudden word to you I bring 
News from a foreign country because once shared I think we will recall 
Beyond Summer and Fall that which in cold or heat we can truly call ours. 
Oh I with wonder seek the melody of eternity’s sparkling waters and before 
We say good-bye for the night or for a fortnight shut the door, come close. 
Know there is space on time’s moving wall you fill for your lovely colors thrill 
And your scent makes the night sweeter yet than the finest incense as it glows. 
I love to caress your hair and hold your face as we draw the dew of Paradise, 
Whispering secrets and songs until the liquid fingers of dawn paint the skies.

~*~

Best of Friends
-AJ Siegel

In our life we keep much to ourselves
Hidden in our minds, diaries, and journals
Stories of love, stories of hate
Memories of happiness, and memories of tears
These secrets are kept for years
Staying within that invisible barrier
Unbroken by all except the creator
But one day someone walks along
And crosses our path
This person finds a hidden entrance,
Through that barrier
And into our most deepest secrets
They now know our most sacred trusts
But they didn't find this by force
They found it through love and patience
Caring and time
They found it because,
They were called our best friend.
~*~

~Inside Of Me~
Jennifer Luise Haas

I am neither who you saw yesterday or today,
I wonder who actually knows me,
I hear a voice in the back of my mind,
I see a woman in the night,
I want to be free from fear,
I am neither who you saw yesterday or today,

I pretend I'm a little girl,
I feel happy to be alive,
I touch my hair and pull it back,
I cry for what I had,
I am neither who you saw yesterday or today,

I understand why I feel this way,
I say "Whatever I fell is right,"
I dream of the day of true bless,
I try to achieve from day to day,
I hope for faith to guide me,
I am neither who you saw yesterday or today.

~*~

sitting in the kitchen
she looks across at me
giving me words of wisdom
so i can learn more

here eyes so bright
her mind full of knowledge
she lived her life to the fullest
but her time has come

in the hospital room
looking at her husband
she says she loves him
even though you can't hear...you see it

she has reached the end of the road 
her daughters all holding her hand
her soul is taken to heaven
she rests

I LOVE YOU NANNA
Beth Falini

~*~

I take your heart and cup it in my hands
And gently touch my lips upon your cheek.
I try to stop the flowing of the sands
Of time as ever onward it does leak.
I, in my futile human weakness, try
Turning tides of the parting of our ways
And out of frustration start to cry
O'er the passing of our sweet yesterdays.
Tho' forward I'm resigned to ever go,
I'll carry with me ever in my heart
The love that you so selfishly did show
Torn me from that which was our loving start.
And as I do I'll ever all the while 
Greet the next caring person with a smile.
Michael Bahm

~*~

Fo My Sanity Go
By Peko

A lifetime of bad decisions.
That's all I can say.
That "every dog" thing is crap.
I still want my day!
There were times I had it all, 
but in turn lost my soul.
So that there ain't bout -hit.
And I'm still getting old.
Man, ain't that -hit cold?
I ain't even got "my piece" (of the pie)
'Cept' a piece of their minds,
And an impound release.
My folks think I'm trippin 
But they surely don't know
That I'm one step away
fo my sanity go.

~*~

The Voice
Sargent 7/2000

It is late, the old soldier sits in silence
As a tear finds a crevice in his weathered jaw
He is more lonely than just being alone
Reminiscing of lost loves and better days gone by

He drifts into an uneasy slumber
The sights and sounds of war return
The sea of blood, the moans of fallen comrades as their souls depart
Sweat pours as he wonders why he did not die

Suddenly there appears a soft white light
From it, the caressing voice of what must be an angel
Is it finally time for him to join his gallant friends
The most beautiful face smiles and assures him, "Not now!"

He awakes very warm and peacefully relaxed
Then sits on his bedside and hangs his head
Just another apparition of false hope
Being without love for this long is more than one heart should allow

One day, during a typical business call
The most extraordinary event occurs
The voice that haunts his dreams is heard
It is real, and on the other end of a long distance line

His heart leaps into his throat
Her every word steals his anxious breath
Down deep long gone emotions begin to stir
Could it possibly be, oh please don't let this be a lie

Days, weeks, and months pass, still the voice remains
Each chat is more genuine and warm
Every sound of her voice more enchanting than the one before
As she laughs, he daydreams of her smile

Never seeing her, not knowing of her appearance
His heart surrenders, he doesn't even care
He is being healed, and standing so close to the edge
Youth returns, he has never felt so alive

She sends a photo by email, "Wow!"
In front of his eyes appears a gorgeous angel
He is dazed, taken back, blown away
He gladly sends her one, wearing a big grin

His dream unfolds into a vision of reality
Once again he is on a mission
This one for the sake of two lonely hearts
That are even now, as one beating within

Before they ever meet
They have fallen madly in love
A few weeks later, they finally rendezvous
Over a year they have awaited that first kiss

The days and nights that follow
Paradise is discovered to be real
Love, for the first time by either is understood
Releasing all inhibitions, true romance must be just like this

Both had great expectations
But neither expected what they found
Finding each other was a miracle in itself
True love was not even believed to be real

They shall no longer take anything for granted
Life has taken on an intimate and new meaning
Their passion would take volumes to define
In love, the old soldier and his princess embrace their reason to be

~*~

Gray Skies
C.M. McKeegan

Gray skies ahead,
One did say,
They're coming again,
This cloudy day.
Thunder and lightning,
The whole works,
Around the corner it will lurk.

No one knows when or why,
No one knows if it will pass by,
All we can do is look up,
At the clouds passing above,
The lightning bringing the sky up in flames,
The wind putting every tree to mercy,
The clouds, blacker and blacker they get,
The sun, hidden by angry ones,
And now all is left are gray skies.

~*~

Scared
christina white

Don't be scared I said to myself,
I don't know where I am and it's dark,
But don't be scared.
Chills creep up my body, or is it breath?
I'm left shivering, should I be scared?
I feel ice on my back, but fire on my chest,
I'm getting scared!
I feel pain, or is it hate?
It's easing through my body, but I like it,
Is this the feeling of scared?
I feel two heartbeats, I only hold one,
Is the other heartbeat scared?...no,
I don't think I'm scared,
It's only dark because my eyes are closed,
I open them to see you, Now I'm terrified!
I'd rather just be scared. by....
~*~

The denizen of the catastrophic culture.
The denizen of the catastrophic culture burdens his spirit contemplating the oblivious of memories of years gone by.
what dwells on his belief?.
his sentiment?.
Lament?
Rapture?
On a voyage of pure credence, looking for a sacred desire, hoping to find his true mind, he has squandered his verve on his wanton cause,
no applause,
he is not illustrious,
just treacherous, meaningless,
harsh? unjust?
genuine, don't trust,
The denizen of the catastrophic culture, feeding like a vulture.
bernard o'doherty

~*~

Moving down
the ancient street
Angel's sing
'Till heaven weeps
Feel my body
dip, dip, sway, 
Can you remember 
sweet yesterday?

The sun has hurt me
beauty lied
I'm drowning now
beneath the tide.
Yet, I love you
Heaven deep
Moving down 
the ancient street.
Aimee Hausselman

~*~
Edge Of Sanity
T Scott Smith

Edge of sanity, where does it lie ?
Frustration, anger, out loud I cry !
Push the bulge back, plug the hole with a finger ?
The danger of bursting, still it will linger !
Who's at the helm, steering this ship ?
He's fallen down on the job, lost his grip... 

~*~
THE PICTURE
LINN

THERE IS A PICTURE IN MY MIND 
ONE THAT ALWAYS MAKES ME SMILE
IT WARMS ME UP WHEN I AM COLD AND CALMS ME WHEN I'M WILD

TO EVER THINK, I'LL HAVE A THOUGHT OF ANYONE OR THING
AND THEN ONE ENDS UP IN MY MIND AND CAUSES ME TO SING

SO GENTLE TO A HUMAN MIND, I'VE KNOWN NONE BY HEART
IT'S A GOOD THING TO FIND A PICTURE NEVER TO PART

THIS BEAUTIFUL PICTURE IN MY MIND SO PURE AN SO TRUE 
IS A PICTURE OF NO OTHER THAN A PICTURE OF YOU
~*~

The Perfect Embrace
by Arthur Moore

Does she feel the way he does; do they feel the same
Like the waves of the ocean rolling onto sand
They came together and all fear was gone
They were together, they swayed and they moved
They felt each other, perfect unity
Nothing sexual, the perfect embrace
For a moment they were one, total understanding
She made it easy, their bodies knew what to do
Nothing sexual, the perfect embrace
Like your favorite song or the whisper of the wind
The emotion is the melody; the words are touching skin
Nothing sexual, the perfect embrace

~*~

...breakfast
morning
crowded bus
sleepy faces
cough and bus

road to the office
traffic-light
empty thoughts
wrong or right

sudden flash
her frightened eyes
opposite me
fire or ice

my instant gaze
without reply
her attempt to suppress
smile or cry

how to ask
where she goes
about her name 
God only knows

to break the rule
what does it mean
to be a fool
or losing the win

another stop
her getting off
something is lost
but my hateful cough...
Oleg V. Semonov

~*~

I will always love you!
Aleisha Harris 

~ Look into my eyes so you can see how much I love you, how much i care and how much i look up to you!
~ Wipe my tears because i am crying becaue of all the hurt i cause you, the hurt i you cause me and the hurt i cause myself.
~ Hug me to let me know I am not alone, that i am not as crazy as i seem and that you feel the way i do.
~ Touch my heart because it hurts because it knows that it isn't loved by you or anyone else.
Listen to my mouth so i can say you mean the world to me, I am nothing without you. If i can do anything that will make you realize that i hurt, cry, laugh and smile for you i would
but most of all listen to my mouth, heart, my body and soul say
I will always love you!

~*~

DARE 
Synnøve Tilrem

Shadows closing in the wages of sin
Something weird and wonderful that
Colours the iris of wolves
Me; I’m sailing the wind
Light as a feather 
Burning too bright in the cold
Looking for something that don’t exist
Until we are together-

Featuring madmen and Dumb Brain 
Leaving you Sad Sam and wet rain
Freedom is riding a ghost train
If I just close my eyes I can feel no pain- 

Drops of salty water drowns my conciseness
Something bad and bald that
Makes lions run
Me; I’m trapped with emptiness
As nothing would matter 
Just for fun
Looking for something that don’t exist
Until we are together-
~*~

When faith and hope are lost,
And cannot be replaced at any cost.
When despair and sorrow lurk near,
And joy abates in boundless fear.
When the light is dimly fleeting down,
And Man has tarnished his most brilliant crown.
When knowledge is replaced with wicked thought,
And concepts fail and are all for naught.
When law serves not justice, but serves the few, 
And oppression reigns with misleading cue.
When bartered are souls for worldly things,
And Men’s hearts are sold for evil gains.
When is now, for all this does indeed take place,
And not so near to a god is this human race.
 David Owens

~*~

The Box
 Sharon Norton 

I sit here looking at photos
I've taken over the years
Each one tells a story
Of those who are so dear
Some are faded 
It's hard to see
But I know them all and what they mean to me
Granny with her grandchild
Scotty with his hair so wild
The cake that she baked
The day at the lake
The day we decorated the tree
So each time I think of old memories
I pull out my box and I see
The photos I have taken
Of those so dear to me

~*~

Mitchell
Niki Saunders

Mitchell has a special place
In your heart and mine.
And though he's not with us now,
His spirit will always shine.
I know he's standing next to God
And looking down on you.
Hoping that in time you'll heal
And know his time here was through.
I remember the way he laughed
And the video games he loved to play.
I know he's talking to God about everything
Saying all he has to say.
So remember in this time of grief,
That what I say is true.
Even though he's not here right now
His spirit will always be with you.

~*~

WHAT'S MISSING?

I've got friends who would be there for me in seconds if I asked.
Family who no matter what, always have my back.
Possessions, which aren't that important, but somewhat of a need.
My god whom gave me his creed.

I have food in my stomach,
Clothes on my back,
A roof over my head,
Much more then a shack.

Yet a feeling inside, 
Leaves me searching for more.
I love I do seek,
My heart I long to pour.

Yet there is no one I have met,
At least not yet,
That has stolen my most valuable possession,
Which is my hearts obsession.

When others look at my life, 
They wonder how I could want more,
But all I truly need,
Is some one I can adore.

So if anybody out there, 
Is lookin for a girl,
Please give them my number,
And I'll give them a whirl.

Hollie Flygirl

~*~

flavors
ndgoflo

chocolate thunder
caramel delight
a mocha sensation when your holding me tight
luscious sweet kisses
choco cream lips 
deep dark mesmerizing eyes and coffee colored fingertips
the velvet in your love 
the cinnamon in your sweat
the intoxication of your passion are all things i won't soon forget

~*~

first off i would just like to say that my brother is fighting for custody of his son whom he loves dearly but is rarely able to see because of the mother of the child is always being awarded custody of this beautiful child,that she doesnt even want,she once gave him up but the court still gives her custody which she doesnt deserve,as this child has done nothing wrong to deserve the pain of it.

A man stands in a corner of darkness,spreading his arms out wide to embrace his son,who stands alone looking from his father to the woman who stands on his left with no emotion or love on her face to show her son,her arms folded across her chest.

A hand reaches out and pushes the child toward the woman,who still stands with her arms folded across her chest and has no right to be called a mother as she shows no love,no devotion.
And as the child is pushed to the woman,he looks back to his father who reaches out farther as the distance between him and his son gets larger the more he screams out"I LOVE YOU!"
The child cries in confusion,in want of a father,in need of a mother,but the woman he sees is not a mother,just a woman who brought him into a world of pain and denies him something he wants,something every child needs,something every MOTHER knows,a parent.
 lovey~lola

~*~

they do not love the knightly tale 
that you i know keep close to heart
oh where lies now the holy grail
doomed to oblivion covered by dust
buried to concealing darkness thrust
where rays of sunlight can be never cast

but not us no we can't forsake 
the dream of our long vanished youths
for we were born in times of wake
and long for them and yearn and weep
just you and i cause men have gone to sleep
just you and i whose torment is so deep

i rather like it this way though
if left alone we have each other
and our two souls hum songs so low
that none of them can ever hear
a secret drawing us my dear
with each elapsing day so near 

lirio amarillo

~*~

trivialities
Jail LeFleur

Everything now is
built and utterly formed upon
everything that has ever happened;
the coincidences and
terrific subtleties that
seem to exist are
merely the sneezes of
past distant kings,
the footprints of
long extinct beings,
the patterns on shells
eroded to white sand beaches...

you and I are built
with the very atoms of stars
long since expired
from an unseen corner
of the universe.
~*~

I'll Be There
Jeff Nix

When the time is near
And you begin to fear.
Just remember to care
For that I'll be there.

If you need a friend
One, which will defend.
For that you can depend on
When the love of your life is gone,
Just remember I'll be there.

When you fell sad
Just be glad.
That there is someone out there
For you to share.

No matter how you feel
Remember that this is real.
For someone is waiting on you,
This you should know who.

With this one your mind
You should find.
That I'll be there
To help shed a tear.

~*~

Pain in you 
deefollett

I can see it in you eyes
All you have said is lies
Once again a love gone
And I am here all alone
I want to hold you 
but i am left here to be blue
My heart starts to race 
When I see your Face
I know i hurt you 
And i left you blue
oh there is going to be so much i miss
you leave me with one last memory a good bye kiss.

To L. B. I love you now and forever. -Dee
~*~

BLEEDING
nifer

I have always had an untouchable soul
Have you become that close to me?
I stand in front of you
With nothing to say
The silence is saying so much
But yet my heart is bleeding before you
Revealing nothing and everything
Standing here before you …..
Bleeding before you
~*~

LOVER'S BOND
~Kashmire

As I feel your sweet, warm breath against my neck,
you are building a raging fire inside of me.

Looking into your eyes, I can see into your soul,
I lavish your silken skin against my body.

Here is where you and I have our special place,
a place where only you and I can experience.

Close out the rest of the world right now,
for we are free to be ourselves in this moment.

I want to give you everything that you need and desire.
The threads of our souls intertwining.

~*~

My Love
Alex Stone Cruise Deveraux

I ne'er was struck before that hour with love so sudden and so sweet, her face, it bloomed like a sweet gentle flower and stole my heart away completly. when she looks what will i say, my life and all it seemed turned to stone.

i never saw a face so sweet as i stood there saying in a whisper my love.......

~*~

"I Must Leave"
 Stephanie Doan

You always promise tomorrow,
After breaking promises today.
And the "I love you's" that I never hear.
Place my heart in utter dismay.
Common sense tells me to leave you,
My love for you tells me to stay.
But I am shivering,
To your cold, distant eyes.
They pierce through my soul,
I see though your lies.
Adios,
Adieu,
Goodbye,
Mon cherie.
I am strong,
I need love.
Not from you.
I must leave.
~*~

A Land Long Forgotten...
Michael Kojakmp

Waves of Hatred beat against my shores.
The sea of Sorrow drives them forth.
Encompassing are the mountains of Woe.
They block off all light sheathing this harbor in darkness.
The lighthouse stands as a nightly vigil.
And a constant reminder of the absence of day.
The soil that once interred the past is now infertile.
Here it is now as useless as the sun.
For that will never reach these corners.
And as the winds of time die…
I am reminded once more of my heritage.

~*~

You
ajrementer

If I could touch the sky with my heart 
I would write I Love You in the clouds
If I could touch the sea with my eyes
The waves would stop and admire you
If I could touch the trees with my soul
All the leaves would shower down on you

If I could taste the colors of a rainbow
It would taste like the passion in your kiss
If I could taste the light from the stars
They would taste like the Love in your heart
If I could taste the bolts of lightning
It would taste like sparks from your touch

If I could only savor one moment in time forever
It would be any one of the times we are together
~*~

"With Every Drop Of My Blood" (13 June 2000)
T. Campbell

Open up your eyes and heart
I'm slowly slipping away
You ignorance shut me out 
Leaving me with nothing to do or say
Still I would swim across oceans
If you asked me to
My soul longs to be whole 
I am but half without you
Sweet breath of an angel 
Fills up my lungs
Can I let go now? 
I want to see what becomes
Our story incomplete
Will this curse grow or fade?
I think I'll turn and head back to shore
Of this I am afraid
Afraid of you perhaps giving up
If you ever tried at all
Remember my soul belongs to you
Even when for another I fall

~*~

a dying try~
~jennifer miller

As I sit here thinking about what I have found with you
I wonder if it's all worth doing I am only contend when I am with you
Staring in to your eyes (Sends a wonderful chill through me)
Listening to your voice (Eases my soul)
Touching your body (Lights a fire inside of me)
What we are doing is wrong We both have others
But the love I have found Can only be found when I am with you
You know me so well (Like no other)
I feel I can not exist without you (Need to be with you)
I long and cherish every second That I can talk to you 
(I need to talk to you)
That I hear you (Listening to every word)
That I can touch you (Love every inch of you)
Right or wrong Please tell me it will never end
I would give my soul to an early death just to 
Have a little life with you! I do know that is all worth doing!
I am yours for eternity.

~*~

She sits, still
With a willing heart.
They cling to each other unable to part.
Never was one so happier than they,
The sun blessed and glorified their every day.
The only rose, kissed by lips,
Clung not by thorns, but, a lover's grips.
A love that none had ever felt,
In the heat they melt.
Melissa Anne Leigh

~*~

WATER CONSPIRE WITH THE SKY IN REFLECTED SLEEP
TAGGING RAIN IN DAZZLING BEJEWELED DROPLETS WITH FIRE 
BURSTING DELIGHTFULLY IN NAKED FROLICK RAGE.
FETUS CHILD

~*~

i saw her standing in the back row
blowing kisses in the air,
if ever there was a girl who deserves a love poem
it is her. 
before you go could you turn the
lights out, 
remember
where you where.
I would write you a love song,
but i don't know the words
 Delicate

~*~

To Be Accepted 
By Myriah Hagen
I drown myself in agony
Choke on a love i can't receive
Kick myself when i'm down
Starve my body and my soul
Keep the evils deep inside
Cut off the healthy things 
Replace them with the ones that aren't
Crumble down to the dirt
Make sure no one else can tell 
Don't let anyone see your pain
Never show your weakness
Never let them see you cry
Die each day to yourself no one else needs to know
Never let anyone see how fat you really are
Put your mask on everyday never take it off
Pretend your not interested
How you feel is not important

~*~

Why the locust sings.
-carrie viohl

Wait
in earth's still womb.
A human fear;
encased in tomb.
Small and blind,
bound by time.
A decade or more
(by lore)
before,
on shining amber wings:
erupt!
With vibrating, rushing sound,
the locust sings

~*~

Affirmation 
Rabia

Lost in this haze,
Trying hard to find a way through this maze,
Not thinking before making that turn,
Only to learn of another dead end,
Another detour,
Finding yourself once again at the very beginning,
Learning that you're still standing,
Stagnating where you've always been,
But this time the pieces just don't fall into place,
Where's the missing piece?
You ask yourself,
Search within you,
That is where the answer lies,
The answer of a truth you're not willing to accept,
A truth that is bitter but real,
A truth you've always been running away from,
Losing yourself in this horrid maze of haze,
This maze weaknesses and acceptance,
Acceptance of the fundamentalities,
For unless you don't acknowledge,
You'll never break free,
Never succeed in your pursuit of the coruscate silver lining,
The lining Always promising you peace forever,
Peace apparently distant and far away,
It is only you though who doesn't comprehend,
And appreciate how near it really is,
Very much within your reach,
For sarcasm prohibits you,
Or is it fear???
Fear of finally knowing the unknown,
Of untangling the corrugated complexities,
Terrified of yet another covert mirage,
But little by little,
Step by step,
You still endure and move on,
Struggling to enhance your beliefs,
Persevering to build up on your strength,
Filter and purify your faith,
Knowing that one day,
Victory shall be yours,
And mesmerized you'll come out, 
To make a new beginning,
This time-THE RIGHT ONE!

~*~

Please stop taking my @ss for granted because I shared my body under the pretense of intoxication.
I knew what I would do with you after 5 minutes in your presence, 
and 5 hours later I was doing it 
through with it,
and waiting for the next ride,
with your sweaty head against my chest
and the disappointment of your bone-crushing best replaying in my minds theatre over and over . . .
and I'm searching for that exact moment
when you got what you wanted and I lost what I came for
Then you walked me to my car
Back to life. Back to reality.
Back to feeling how special I really am
not much more than that WHAM BAM thank you m'am
Life's a bitch and then this bitch dies
that's why we deny all the pain we inflict upon our souls and all the tears we squeeze from each other
We all live to take
I'll take from you and you'll take from me, but I see 
and I've analyzed the ring we all dance in
The mother ship has landed, so please, stop taking my @ss for granted.
Karen Henderson

~*~

A badly drawn love heart
Its got one side bigger than the other 
and wobbly edges
A switchblade through the stillness if you're fond of empty pledges

A word made of plasticine
Twist it back and forth until your eyes are stung by daylight through a hole
A laugh through the silence if you're sitting in the mould

So strike poses like lightning and walk the tightrope
For the past is just too distant, before you know it you're too old.
 Jenifer Stevenson

~*~

The Monsters
Tara rae Babcock

As a child, the words
"sweet dreams" were ominous.
Mother would leave you
alone with the monsters.
In the closet, under the bed,
lurking in the darkness,
waiting to devour you.
You would duck under
blankets, lie as still
as possible, praying
that morning would
come soon, banish them
into the dark corners
with its purifying light.

I am no longer a child,
but I am still haunted
by monsters. They live
in my mind, whispering
that I am not good enough,
making me so afraid to live.
Light does not make them go away.
They thrive where my uncertainty prevails.
~*~

Inspiration Desperation
Mary Dunston

Dive a little deeper into today
Fear not fear to fear the flame
Close your eyes and all is gone
Whose death have you stumbled on
Suffocate to which you lose
All the chances you abuse
Listen to the voices in your head
Pray that tomorrow will soon be dead

Inspiration has let you float this away
Remember the playground where we used to play
Desperation has led you to believe
Without anybody you cannot succeed

Scratch and claw your way to the door
You know you'll always beg for more
The pain inside that seems to cease
When you're tangled in the sheets
Classified as another mistake
How many mistakes are you going to make?
~*~

Taking Boy Abuse
Tiffany R

The tears plunge down my eyes, as I am pushed around.
Bruises all over me, broken arm, and black eye.
I back it up and say I plunged down a series of steps.
But still I am pushed around like a cat thrown around the room.
And still I back myself up every time.
Thinking he will change and we could be happy together.
But everyday I think that he might kill me.
I try to tell someone, but he’ll find out and will really do something.
I see people trying discover what is really happening.
And tell me he not safe.
I took my chances, and it took the rest of my life paralyzed.
~*~

"GOD BLESS THE CHILD"
Sherrah 

The child was beaten constantly physically abused.
Mentally, socially and morally used.
She went to church for a little while;
and all they would say was "God bless the child."

The teachers saw her bruises a new one every day.
They would simply shake their theirs head turning their eyes away.
Sometimes they would comfort her; caresses oh so mild.
Only then to walk away thinking, "God bless the child.

What of her neighbors, who seemed to have a death ear.
As their conscience beat them with every cry they would hear.
"It's not our business", is what their minds reconciled,
"Lets just sit here and pray for God to bless the child.

Now here they sit viewing her body in shame.
For her untimely death, they all share the blame
Their hearts are heavy, tortured by the soul they defiled.
Each know if they had only helped God could have blessed the child.
~*~

Are your feelings mutual?
Do both of you have the same intent
IS one of you upright and is one bend?
One is in love and the other is fueling the feeling
the passion goes so deep that you don't realize what is really happening
by the time you do it might be life threatening... God
omar burton
~*~

The First Time 
Jill Ladner
When I saw you for the first time
my knees shook.
When you talked to me for the first time
my words were stuttered.
When we hugged for the first time
I felt assurance.
When you said "I love you" for the first time
I felt whole
When we kissed for the first time 
I felt love.
when we broke up for the first time 
It was strange, I felt Loss and Gain.

Loss of a Love
And the Gain of a friend
~*~

"BREAKING THE SILENCE"
 Elizabeth A. Swartz 

How can I break the silence;
How can I talk to you about
The secrets hid deep in my life
That are so hard to get out?

The secrets that I'm hiding
Hurt more and more each day-
I want to get them out, but
I don't know what to say.

As time goes by, the secrets 
Sink deeper into my life,
Leaving behind feelings of
Loneliness, pain, and strife.

Then, late one night, the secrets
Decided to come through-
That night, I broke the silence-
I told them to you!

~*~

THE CACTUS
AMBER WILLIAMS

THE CACTUS STANDS SILENT, IN IT'S HIDEOUS FIGURE. 
IT'S THORNS PRICK AT THE GENTLEST TUG. 
IT'S SKIN LOOKS DRY AND DEAD. IT ITSELF APPEARS DEAD. 
KILLED BY THE BURNING HEAT. KILLED BY THE SUN'S HOT BREATH. 
THE HEAT, EVERLASTING, HAS KILLED THE CACTUS. BUT, IT IS ALIVE! 
THE FLOODS HAVE REVIVED IT FROM IT'S DEADLY SLUMBER. 
IT NOW STANDS LIKE A SOLDIER READY FOR BATTLE. 
ONCE CUT, THE WATER BUBBLES FROM THE DUSTY CACTUS SKIN. 
INSECTS LEAVE THEIR WATERY PRISON, INTO A WORLD OF DISASTROUS HEAT. 
THOUGH SILENT AND THORNY, THE HIDEOUS CACTUS IS FLOWING WITH WATER. 

~*~

Here I am an this is my life.I all ways had to put up with not knowing how or why or even 
me.I done things wrong so much i can not outdo. No i'm not what you are thinking.I have love this place but know one wanted to here me or see,
me in all i have to offer.This is hard for me to do and you can read why.I don't want to ever understand anyone as long as I live and I never want to say its o.k,  because its not.
All the wants have been wrong and all the desires are to I dont know where i am going but it has to be better then here.
kodakwood

~*~

Princess Of Wales:
Jade
It happened to her,
why oh why,
she showed much bravery,
yet she died,
the princess of whales,
was her nickname,
the world was at ease,
with her in it's name,
the reporters wanted her picture so bad,
they destroyed her life,
with one little crash,
so many people regret that day,
her funeral was a mess,
so many paid,
so now that she's gone,
now that she's left,
we all wish her the very best.

~*~

the ruthless ambiance of sick abundance and your secret compulsions have nonetheless remained as a standard placid winter in my ponderings. forgivance is my ultra-illusion. thank you again my great father for the childhood of psudo claymation figures which resonate today amidst the corridors of my mind. hit me again tell me i am worthless. the void is immense, thank you for my new found pain. thank you for destruction and hate and rage and dysfunction and obsession. i am suspended in this brimstone due to your arrogant nature. i cannot find the title for this movie. as i stand to find my new grounds i hope to conceive a way to generate wavelengths of sound or light. never lock me up. why the years of impossibility which i want to forget. do not destroy my heart.
nathanolsen

~*~

The Best Things in Life
 Cindy Bagg

The best things in life are the people who care
The best things in life are the ones who are there

The best things in life are the moments we savor
The best things in life are all in God's favor

The best things in life are sometimes looked over
The best things in life could sometimes be bolder

But the best things in life will be with you forever
Because the best things in life are the moments we treasure
~*~

Love
travjr

I blindly place, 
a hand within the stack,
a sudden prick draws blood,
I've found the needle.

~*~

Master of roads
show me the right way
I don't know where to go
and it's so dark outside here ...

I see so much roads
to where will they lead ?
And what are the odds ,
that I could succeed
I see only fog ...

and I know I must choose
the best road of all
but I'm afraid to lose !

So give me , just once
at least a small clue
just give me a chance
to find out my truth .

Andrey

~*~

"Short One"
Melanie Piekema

Gliding over a sleepless road
paved with post-twilight daydreams
and coffee with too much saccharine

Focus on those little diamonds stuck 
in the asphalt, that twinkle in the potholes
like a geode...

I always wanted to carve them out,
and make myself a nice wedding ring so I could
marry my own inertia.
~*~

Psycho
by Isaac M. O'Bannon

And yet you seem so much more together than I.
But still, some call you that.
And I want you nonetheless.
But I do have at least one qualm-

He's still in your heart.

In your mind I could have accepted,
but you said that he was gone,
and so I assumed he was out of your heart, at least.
~*~

Shadows
Mel 

In the shadows, learking just beyond sight, a monster sits watching.
Its eyes are not seen, but felt,
They follow every movement - the lion stalking its prey.
Terror strikes the heart; the instinct is to run,
But with every step back, the monster grows,
Becomes larger, stronger, meaner,
Until it IS the darkness.

Trapped in the circle of light, surrounded by shadows,
The only way out, the only way to survive,
Is through the evil just created.
Bold steps born out of desperation lead into the unknown world.
Fear tugs at the heart trying to impede the journey,
But the mind is made up - now is the time.
Closer and closer, the layers of darkness peel away,
The monster revealed, a mirror stands before me.

~*~

For Sonny 
Mary Jane Tenerelli

I watched my father die and it was gentle;
A simple cessation of breath
After so much suffering.
I grieve for my loss, but not for him.
He is in some celestial poolhall
In eternal Brooklyn
With a full head of hair
And a sharp suit.
Later he will grab a cab
To Manhattan to see Sinatra
And dance at the Copa.
Dawn will find him on a bridge
Tossing coins into the mythical Hudson.
One for Jack, to keep him safe;
One for Kate, "Be content baby";
And one for Matthew, "Stay warm."
Then he lifts off for Japan
After the war.
The sun glints off guardian wings.

~*~

Flowers
Asma M. Ahmad

You gave me flowers,
And i was struck cold,
As if i had left my body,
And watched from above,
The forced smile,
The silly meaningless words,
The eyes with nowhere to look.
Flowers? What for?
The answer seemed simple,
But foolish me.
I needed time,
Before i could react,
As you wanted me to,
And the words you wanted,
Trembled on my lips, died.
You turned away disappointed,
And I....Flowers?....
~*~

Ode to Josh
Medlin

What who and where am I
She was everything and now she's gone
Here I am , by myself
I'm alone and everyone can see me
All I have are my cigarettes
but she took the lighter

~*~

REMEMBERING MY FIRST LOVE...
CHRISTIAN
Words left unspoken...after ties have been broken.
silence...can be bad. Unforgiveness is so sad.
If I had him near me now
I'd express a deep apology
without expecting one in return...
because he meant that much to me.
He was my first love.
I can still recall the joy that I would feel with him...It was a little
bit of heaven on earth.
But now I also recall the last we spoke...and the angry words...that gave our
friendship a finality. I somehow wish I could turn back time...to set things strait that ended up out of line. Well in the Lords hands I leave my tears and I hope that the years will be good to us both. I never thought we'd end up this way. Time, has taught me to accept failure, to learn from it and to move on , and that hope is what keeps the broken hearted strong. 

~*~
WOMAN 
Elizabeth Padillo Olesen 

Are you the Eve
that tempts Adam
or the snake that
hisses around 
to spit its venom
on its prey, the man?

Or are you the woman
in the Garden of Eden
born out of the womb
of your mother, 
clothed with the wings
of your freedom and passion?

Are you the woman
proud of your culture and origin
who cannot be damned to hell
by the white man’s heaven 
of long-waged patriarchy? 

~*~

Unmistaken Love
Shelly Elwell

I can tell you I love you everyday
but its hard to confess what I need to say
I promise I will never stop my loving heart
for my love for you will never part
The sun may fall and shatter to the ground
and birds that sing might silence their sound
But my love will go on forever
The rain may dwindle and the river run dry
The wind might dissipate and the flowers die
But my love will go on forever
Bright moon might grow dark and winters hard
Polluted cities and the rainforest charred
But my love will go on forever
People might hate and murder and run away
Sweet innocent child is being baptized today
But my love will go on forever
Nothing matters long as you are standing near
Because I love you and will always be here
To know that I hold you close in my heart
regardless what tries to pry us apart

~*~

"MY LAST PRAYER"
Manda Elise

As I lay my head to this pillow,
I pray that you remember me.
As I close my eyes,
I pray that one day you might see.
I wanted to tell you,
So many things you need to know.
I’m too scared,
Too scared to let these feelings go.
My emotions are weak,
yet my passions are strong.
And I wanted to be with you,
Be with you for so long.
You see me smile,
And you look into my eyes.
But can you see the pain,
From all the tears and goodbyes?

~*~

A Kiss
Michelle Henley

Two mouths slowly reaching.
Two sets of eyes locked, searching.
Two hearts pounding in anticipation.
Two souls yearning to touch.

Finally their lips meet,
And their longing is fulfilled.
Their eyes close, savoring the sweetness of the moment.
Their souls caress,
Becoming entwined together.
Their hearts ache,
Knowing this cannot last.

Their lips part,
And their tongues meet.
The moment is sweet rapture.
Slowly they pull away,
The taste of each other still on their lips.
Their eyes afire with passion,
Their hearts thindering with desire.
Their souls cling to each other,
Bound by a single kiss.
~*~

One Thousand Years
Roger J. Robicheau

One thousand years, becomes one day
One last hurrah, one last hooray

We live our life, by what we know
This passing time, should help us grow

God watches us, along our route
To see if we, live by our truth

Some die too young, we all agree
But what we are, is all we see

We're judged by time, spent in each day
To help or hurt, it's all our way

We can't control a thousand years
But faith can help us, fold our fears

This life we live, is made of choice
Rise up first day, to just rejoice

You'll love some words, which sound so dear
Good will to all, happy new year

And now I'll say, farewell to all
Please frame this work, my curtain call

~*~

A Dreary Moth by Streetlight
by Michael Charles Mullins

A darkness descends like a cool damp sheet, 
The safety is cast off, 
Alone to travel, and babble and greet,
To fortune comes the moth,

Flitter by the moonlight, the firelight,
Alight upon the hearth,
Flee from the biting, and the pain, and spite,
Here, where he is not cursed,

Shall truth rain down from the leaves of the trees,
(or) Foliage turn into bowls?
It would take thunder to create the sea,
To fill the vessels whole,

A brittle black moth sticks out from the home,
While onward they evolve,
And to the most a core not known,
And to the white he falls.
~*~

Umbilical Cords
Domenica Ciampini Pulcini

Invisible as they may seem
They are so very real
Their tentacles are long and binding
Overpowering me

I have cut one with a tiny pair of scissors
That was not at all difficult to do
The others are not as easy 
For their grip weaves through and through

I have used an ax to cut at one
It almost cut right through
Next time I will be a little stronger
And surely be able to

For the other I used incredibly long cutting hears
It was so hard to do
I didn't quite succeed 
I am not surprised because this one is the hardest to do

~*~

PERHAPS THE TRUTH WAS THIS MARRIAGE
Rica J. Romero 

No more deep will the breath be from my lungs,
Or perhaps deeper it would be if 
I should woo you no longer.

I feared not early, I was too optimistic.
Bethought naught shall be repugnant
In this bond I wanted to create.

But it was crippled too soon,
When I fortuned in his company,
And to think I was happy,
But screamed when I heard.

~*~

You and me
That sounds so nice
But it hasn’t happened yet
Who knows if it ever will

I want you to be with me
Right here
Holding me tight
Making me feel as if there isn’t a problem in my whole life

I love the feeling that I get when I am with you
It’s like being in heaven 
For those 30 minutes
That we spend in each other’s arms

But now it’s summer
School’s out
After nine years 
I don’t get to see your beautiful face every morning
Next year will be torture

No one that we know understands our relationship
It’s rather funny
We even don’t “get it”

Friends?
Yup 
Anything more? 
Who the hell knows

But you send me mixed signals
“I kinda like her and I kinda like you”
Well baby I am sorry
I don’t work that way
You know that

I called
I called
I called
I called
You sent me a message through an idiot friend
I was crushed though I didn’t show it
You are one of the few who can see my true feelings
through my “mask”

Why don’t you put some effort into the situation 
Try to make it work
To at least stay as close as we are

I am not begging for affection 
I am not asking you to love me
I am not asking you to forget everyone else
I am only asking you to call
Jenn Bartlett 

~*~

Melancholic Tears
 Abbegail Ross

sitting here without myself
and looking in upon me
terrors clinging deep inside
and looking out with envy
crying silent tears of fury
frustrations all in vain
I slowly curl into a ball
and slower go insane
the merlin of my mind has sought
to hurt me as he can
with his claws he tears apart
my body with his hands
my bloody veins flow yet with love
my darkened eyes defeat
I clutch the tattered threads of my soul
who feed on my deceit
the truth is in me screaming
left to fend the world alone
my sanity I lost it somewhere
somewhere I can't call home
I'm trapped in my own prison
deep inside my mind
left with only tears
and scars I cannot hide.
~*~

why 
james price 


we met that 4th of july 
and when you died 
i asked god why 
he had to take you to 
that heaven in the sky

and this is what he replied 

i know you loved her ever so much
but it was her time to come up above

so now i am writing you this letter
i don't know why 
i guess to make me feel better 
but it will never be a lie
may flights of angels 

~*~

MY True Love
Brandi LeVan
You are my one true love.
I think about you always.
When I see your picture or hear your voice,
I begin to cry.
Knowing that you'll never feel the same way.
I can only hope to just be friends with you.
And maybe someday mean more to you.
Never changing my love. 
And thinking of you always.
Constantly listening to your voice.
You are everything to me.
I dream about us going out.
I can't stop thinking of you.
My heart and soul belong to you.
My heart will never stop loving you. 
And waiting for you always.
Knowing someday we might be more than just friends.
Us hooking up might not happen tomorrow.
But it'll happen.
Always waiting for you.
And always thinking of you.
~*~

DREAM GIRL
 justin cope

Mature innocence
childish character
with beauty so foreign
not in the shape of breasts but of heart

there goes something beyond as she is noticed
such as the dawn's arrival 
and parts like the appearance of nightfall
presence is a prayer answered

with such a presence
is it easier to fall in love or not
you can't help but wonder, does she count the same stars I do

~*~

Water Mirror
 Stefania Forner

Last night I went for a walk
Thought I saw you crying in the corner
The reflection in the water made me see a sad face
The tears running down
The mistakes made
The things that never should’ve been said
The fakeness
The time lost in fantasies
The rotten soul wishing to die
Suddenly I realized it wasn’t you
Proving once again I lied to myself
~*~

great day by andy bembridge

walking into another world. A different place with a slight sprinkle. The look to the sky took me to another side. The color was so real, the tree was so alive, let this be my last battlefield, i have flown too high on borrowed wings. Reality just isnt what it used to be.

~*~

Here With Me
Kelly Lynn

If every wish I ever made
Would all at once come true
You would be
Here with me
And I could forever hold you
If every dream I never chased
Were to turn around and find me
I'd stare in your eyes
Sunset to sunrise
And it would always be you that I see
If every prayer said in the night
Would suddenly have a reply
You would be
Still, here with me
And every tear shed would be dry...

~*~

Angel Face
simmdogg

I long for her presence, to caress my face
Waiting and wanting her, to be at my side

The very sight of her, has consumed my heart 
She takes me to a place, I wish not return

Her sensual touch, my body desires
Hoping to feel her, if for only a while

Only she can fill, this hole in my heart
That feeling I get, when she's not around

So I'll sit here waiting, patiently
For that moment she comes, running to me

If that day never comes, I will deal with the pain,
But now to know her, I wont be the same.

~*~

Downpour On A Summers Day
Lynn Isaiah

Clouds burst.
Lizards run.
Limbs bow.
Gutters flow.

Sun breaks.
Puddles stand.
Flowers drip.
Birds bathe.

~*~

Hell
Emma Blackbourn

As I passed through these tarred gates of Hell
Charred remains I could taste,
rotten flesh I could smell.
Moist air did surround me suppressing my breath
Flames all around me, deep sense of death.

Within this inferno far underground
Where damned demons were dragging me down.
I listened intently for all I could hear
Were screams of compassion all wrapped up in fear.

I gazed at the furnace
Watched the shadows wave
Saw the restless souls in their perilous grave.
Felt the pungent embers-scarlet red
This unearthly chasm-place of the dead.

This prison of carnage
So close to my skin
My soul was in limbo screaming within.
I turned to leave this abyss of doom
Knowing inside i'd be back soon.
~*~

Freedom
Jenifer McLaughlin

Freedom,
What is it to you?
To me freedom is like a bird flying in the sky,
Flowing along in a wonderful way.
Free to do whatever,
And not listen to what others say.
Freedom is like a fish in the sea,
Swimming far from others
With no worry at hand.
Freedom is like a newborn baby,
Sparkling, shiny, and full of joy.
Freedom is like an angel,
Free from parents and all the rules.
Can you tell me, 
What this world would be like without
FREEDOM!?!

~*~

Paradox #1
 Erin Finley

There is a comfort in your breath. And
Even the mechanical and necessary process--
born with cell reproduction and bone fusion--
strikes in me a sentient nerve.
your Sleep reveals your content nature,
constructing wooden props for irony's stage.
and you Fall around a city
of all-night vigils
and infamous homicides,
and graffiti and gutters and grime--
of rich history
of inevitable poverty
of guillotines and commerce . . .
then you dissolve into dream:
a flounder of silk and wit and charm.

deer-colored skin and waxy lids
melt into collage.
and your breath remains, with bouquets
of grace at it's side.

~*~

INFERNO
Julia Ritchey

Drunken Men in a Beer Brawl. 
Sexy Latino Men with their shiny chests and all.
Brazen Red Heads with unknown goals.
Unhappy Husbands with Wives in hidden holes.
Hot Guys with stubble and an ogre-like glare.
But still Little Girls just love to stare.
Fiery Pepped Preps with nice pierced upper ears.
And Moms who pretend not to hear.
Raving sounds that their prodigies make with no diversity.
Burning Infernos I here like symphonies.

~*~

((HORROR))
Charles Marks

What is your meaning of horror?
Could it be dreaded pain inside a castle of torture
Which screams and clouds your mind of nightmares
Receiving frightening thoughts of despair
Upon a dark silent dwelling tomb of hell
Whom rings and echoes your thoughts with banging bells

Scattering and dividing your sacred love from hate
Exiling that love which becomes murdered and staked
Condemning and trapping that raging hate to become new
Only leaving that emotional pain of hate to dwell upon you-
Or maybe it's that ugly cringing dismay scary terror of fear
Creeping silently and slowly amongst your soul being so very near

Binding and twisting that soul of purity upon a never ending
Twining chain of cold chilling sabering spikes within painful disliking
In the mean while no one hears or even knows you exist at the time
Your being flung around darkness of sin within a hideous crime
You scream and yell but someone has took your voice away
And now you are nothing but evils hand of victim death clay!

~*~

*~*When Tomorrow Starts Without Me*~* 
~~By Bill Cross 

When tomorrow starts without me, 
And I'm not there to see; 
If the sun should rise and find your eyes 
All filled with tears for me; 
I wish so much you wouldn't cry 
The way you did today, 
While thinking of the many things, 
We didn't get to say. 
I know how much you love me, 
As much as I love you, 
And each time that you think of me, 
I know you'll miss me too; 
But when tomorrow starts without me, 
Please try to understand, 
That an angel came and called my name, 
And took me by the hand, 
And said my place was ready, 
In heaven far above, 
And that I'd have to leave behind 
All those I dearly love. 
But as I turned to walk away, 
tear fell from my eye, 
For all my life, I'd always thought, 
I didn't want to die. 
I had so much to live for, 
So much yet to do, 
It seemed almost impossible, 
That I was leaving you. 
I thought of all the yesterdays, 
The good ones and the bad, 
I thought of all the love we shared, 
And all the fun we had. 
If I could relive yesterday, 
Just even for awhile, 
I'd say good-bye and kiss you 
And maybe see you smile. 
But then I fully realized, 
That this could never be, 
For emptiness and memories, 
Would take the place of me. 
And when I thought of worldly things, 
I might miss come tomorrow, 
I thought of you, and when i did, 
My heart was filled with sorrow. 
But when I walked through heaven's gates, 
I felt so much at home. 
When God looked down and smiled at me, 
From His great golden throne, 
He said "This is eternity, 
And all I've promised you." 
Today for life on earth is past, 
But here it starts anew. 
I promise no tomorrow, 
But today will always last, 
And since each day's the same way 
There's no longing for the past. 
But you have been so faithful, 
So trusting and so true. 
Though there were times you did some things, 
You knew you shouldn't do. 
But you have been forgiven 
And now at last you're free. 
So won't you take my hand 
And share my life with me? 
So when tomorrow starts without me, 
Don't think we're far apart, 
For every time you think of me, 
I'm right here, in your heart. 
~*~

You left
Lori A. Perry

Starlight dreams in a black shadow,
Of tomorrow, and essence of a spark,
Of our life, was it the night,
In our fright, did we see it
Coming, our eyes speak the words,
So, many others say, in one touch,
A motion in the darkness, we knew it.
but, why couldn't our minds carry it.
did we say, "Goodbye". 
When the moon smiled, did it know our,
Destiny, or id our emotions pay the fee,
an arrow that pierced, right throw,
Our hearts, maybe, an angel flapped his wings,
We must never say it, did the dove of love,
Take us, to height that night, 
That we couldn't define, even yourself.

~*~

This Poem I’ve Read
by Sean Scaramella

Here I lie upon the ground,
Under the sky,
Above the sea.

Grass grows around the stone at my head,
On it’s engraved "This Poem I’ve Read."

And here I lie before the sea,
Wanting it to be a part of me,
And my thoughts drift in with the tide
Thinking of the day I died.
Then of my life in which I was loved,
And then of my family in which I do love.

Thinking of the day I died,
More thoughts drift in with the tide
And wanting it to be a part of me,
I still lie here before the sea.

Under the sky,
Upon the ground.

This is where I wish to lay,
At this beautiful time of day,
On this beautiful earth we stay.

And on this stone,
Above my head,
There is engraved the poem:
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