OPEN MIC

There is more if you click on Encore.
Up-dated June 30th, 2001

JAVA
Phil Warburton

If you've got to grab a java every morning right a ten,
Then you sir are no loser, you a man amongst such men.
But if your filter is off kilter then your java is all wrong,
But we love cappuccino, it can never be to strong!

If you're faffing about caffeine then its de-caf, sir, for you,
No longer is it stronger, its an ordinary brew.
Stop your huffin' get a muffin, cap your java, let's away,
And I'll grab ya for a java in the morning and I'll pay!

~@~

I Sing a Song
Corey Hall

I sing a song
but it does not rhyme.
Rhyme, does it have to be,
Could I sing without the idea?

I sing a Song
but my voice worsens the quality.
Quality, does it have to be,
Could I sing without the idea?

I sing a song
Lovely and wonderful
to me,
Isn’t that the way is should be?

~@~

Boo's Discrimination
Tom Barrett

A little boy runs off his yellow bus
Happy in the knowledge that his work day is done.
I say to myself 
Alright! Boo Boo's home!

Look how happy he is today
Look at his joy, he smiles and dances as he says hello to everyone in our home.
He must have had a really great day!

Then you look closer, you'll notice his words, are "not quite right".
You see my son Boo Boo talks more with his heart in one word, then you and I can say in an entire day!

How dare you say he's retarded! He is not the retarded one, WE ARE!
We had to teach him how to be violent, It took him along time to learn.
He had to teach us how to love, he is an excellent teacher
They say he cant talk right! I say they Can't hear!

How dare you treat him as a leper!
You're the leper you narrow minded son of a bitch!
His mind has no choice. Your's dous.
His disease is not contagious, unless you want to catch it!

How dare you Feel sorry for me with my retarded child!
I say you are the worse for never knowing him or the thousands like him.
I say he is a blessing unto my house, and unto this world.
If he is a curse, well then I want to go to hell!

How dare you tease him for being what he is.
He is godlike in his innocence
Childlike in his love
ancient in his understanding.

How dare you disrespect him!
He loves you, he cant understand hate no matter what you do!
when you hurt him he cries till the pain is gone
then apologizes till forgiven for being him.

A little boy runs off his bus with joy in every movement he makes.

~@~

Where are you?
Katrea Hemmert 

I thought of you once again today,
my mind just started to run away.
I can't turn around and go back,
my heart's alive, don't let it crack.
Seeped in slowly filling this hole,
crept in deeply, saw to my soul.
I dreamt you swam with me to the sea,
my lips yearned for you to kiss me.
I can't help but wonder if you'll ever come,
will you love me after all is said and done?
I was gonna tell you, I'd be there through thick and thin,
with everything I wanted to say and everywhere I've been.
Give anything to have you whisper in my ear,
make my life become so crystal clear.
I thought I would try to carry on,
I turned around and you were gone.

~@~

Grandma
Mandy Williams

You were always so strong and kind,
with others always on your mind,
your dark eyes were always wide,
and you were always by my side.

But your life was like a wilting rose,
as our relationship was brought to a close,
on that fateful August day,
in that horrible and tragic way.

Now I just have to wait,
live my life and await my fate,
then I will cut through this mist of gloom,
and I will once again see your rose in bloom.

~@~

Blooming with the flowers,
Rising with the sun,
I love you even more.

Failing with the leaves,
Chilling with the water,
My breaks once more.

Running with the animals,
Laying in the meadows,
I love you even more.

Swimming with the fish,
Crashing with the sea,
My heart breaks once more.

With every step I take,
With every breath I take,
I love you once more.
Veronika Evans 

~@~

THE GARDEN
Sheri Ford 

She's somebody's mother, somebody's daughter
She lived by the lessons her daddy taught her
She had a home not long ago
Now she walks the streets, her belongings in tow.
Once she had her own garden to ten
Now the city park is hers on lend
She's there everyday, in the sun and rain
People pass by but don't see her pain.
She sits among the flowers, sits in the dirt
In the rain they can't see her hurt.
Silently tears run down her face,
Sadly she lowers her head in disgrace.
Summer is over, the cold wind blows
Her first winter outside, her panic grows.
No room in the shelter, and none in their heart
she's just a bag lady pushing her cart.
The winter was long, the winter was cold
The bag lady is gone, her story untold.
She died in the flowers, laid in the dirt,
Just a bag lady, no one cared if she hurt...

~@~
Iti s no wonder...
By Lasanthi - Sri lanka 

It is no wonder 
How you reached 
The bottom of my heart
Without capturing 
The essence if it....
There is no reason than 
The great gap that parted us
To the almost two horizons 
Which was although one as a whole.
The gap which was created 
Due to the paradoxical characteristics...
Mine which crept behind it's mask
Affected your attitude of me
And yours so openly seen and felt
Blinded my eye.........! 

~@~
Upon a windless night
by Neil Dressler 


When all was still
the moon was nil
And every gate was locked

So magically she came in
So quietly she watched
Swiftly I woke to a whispery breath
Her voiceless tongue as cold as death


What of this childish fright
Perhaps an angel, who’s come to watch me sleep
Or a witch to wish me weep

O why have you chosen to veil yourself within the shadows silently
Have your wings tired from this windless night

Only darkness has brought us near
Are you my love
Who’s hand I once held dear


Come close
Closer still, till the bright of dawn
And dance with me 
Let me dance with thee
Before the sparrows begin their cheerful song’s
Before the morning light has come and gone
~@~

looking past the mirror i see someone i never knew 
but now i do 
i see him before he sees me 
and i see how happy my life can be 
i met you today yet everything stays the same 
but funny as it may be i don't know your name
we fell in love today 
then we had to say goodbye and walk away
i'll never forget you 
because i know my love will always be true
just remember that i truly do love you

 joshua slickerman
~@~

Slow Motion
© Mike Lane

Let's make this thing last forever-
Every hug, every kiss, every desperate little wish-
Let life slowly spill across our minds like the morning sun gently crawls across your tender lips-
Always moving, never gone-
Let's slow down, make it last-
Never leave each others side-
Never very far from the past-
Everything you do replays over and over in my mind-
At the speed I so choose-
Be my slow motion bride-
~@~

*This Moment*
Skye Roe 

Morning daylight breaks
Casts a soft, glazed glow
Onto your rough, pale skin
And me, 
Watching you breathe
Sleep-deprived
I lay
And caress you with my eyes
The hardened muscles of long days work
The faint smell of cologne
After-shave even
On your sleep-filled face
Your hair, a ruffled mess
Suddenly, you interrupt my love-induced gazing
Taking my hand, 
You whisper,
"I love you"
You wrap my arms about you
And me,
Starstruck in love,
Could stay in this moment forever.

~@~

Read To Me
Gblay 2000

‘Read to me' she asked
and he did, telling her a tale which
took her from chores and cares
to a dawn where the sun split the clouds apart,
quickly dispersing the rising mist, that hung, ethereal, 
like a spider's web
from the wild hawthorn bush.
To a countryside where they could walk
for miles unnoticed
sharing a day
where no-one came near.
He told her of a day and a night
where they celebrated their love
giving to each untempered passion
where they spoke in whispers
unwilling to violate the spell.
‘Read to me' she asked
and he did.
Validating belief with sonnet,
increasing trust with touch,
her head spinning, infused
with sensations yet withheld.
Their forbearance rewarded
the night yields to early morn
and sleep disturbs dreams.
~@~

my pets
  mor levy

today i m very happy 
i got a little puppy 
today i m very sad 
he peed on my bed

i went back to the shop
the sales man got a shock 
he gave me back my money 
instead i bought a bunny

the bunny made a mess 
i liked him less and less
mommy sent him back
now i have a duck

the duck hated every one 
and bit us one by one 
mommy told me: "no more pets!"
so i found outside two cats 

the cats were nice and furry
i called them Rat and Merry
my mom loved them so much
with her tender touch!

~@~

Spring
Tyler Williams

Trees blowing in the breeze,
Flowers blooming,
The sound of bees humming through the air,
Humming Birds sipping sweet nectar from a flower,
The sweet smell of freshly cut grass, 
Birds singing,
Children playing in the street,
Yes, 
Spring is here.

~@~

"Reflection" 
-Kassie Farcas

The most beautiful thing to me would be a mirror in the sky, because everyone looks up above with hopes, fears and feelings of why. It would stay blue or gray for those who don't like change, but would also be a mixture of colors for those who feel that they are strange. It would be your favorite color whenever you are sad, It would shine so bright you'd forget about crying and would always be glad. For those who fear life alone or are just scared to go on living, The skies colors would be so radiant you would feel the love that it has always been giving. Every time we would look to the sky we could never feel rejected, because if we were all the same all of our colorful personalities would have never been reflected. 

~@~

Graduation
Micah Klein

As I step to the podium 
to collect my prize
I look into the stands 
I look into my grandmother's eyes.

I see what she is thinking
I see her happiness and her tears
I see what she has been longing for 
these long strenuous four years.

Look up for my grandfather's cloud
which I have looked at in the sky
I see him smiling down on me
I feel his joyous cry.

I see my mothers laughter
for her son is truly done
high school a stage in the past is over
in my family high school graduation ... completed only by one.

I see my sister proud 
sitting there clapping her hands in her seat
proud of her younger brother
for never backing down... never admitting to defeat.

I look at my father 
who is a great man all above
I see him holding in his tears
I see what I will always love.

To thanks to all my family
to thanks to all my friends
for always being there for me
from here on till the end..

~@~

To the Sky I look for You
 acidrain

I see you in the stars
For those are the very same stars
That twinkled in your eyes
I see you in the moon
For it gives the very same smile
That grinned at me in the darkness
I see you in the sun
For it sheds the very same warmth
That shined on me through the fog I see you in the clouds
For those are the same clouds
that clouded me when you passed
I see you in the birds
For the sky is their freedom
Freedom you now have...

~@~

EVERY TIME I SEE A RAINB0W
OR A BRIGHT STAR IN THE SKY.
I THINK OF YOU MY FRIEND,
AND KNOW YOU'LL ALWAYS BE CLOSE BY.

FOR RAINBOWS YOU DON'T SEE EVERYDAY,
AND STARS YOU ONLY SEE AT NIGHT.
THINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE GONE,
JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT OF SIGHT.

IF I'M FEELING BAD, AND ALL ALONE,
I OFTEN DO...
I'LL HUG A FUZZY TEDDY BEAR
AND MY TROUBLES I'LL TELL YOU.

OF COURSE YOU MAY NOT ANSWER,
OR HUG ME REAL TIGHT,
BUT IN MY HEART I'LL KNOW YOU HEAR ME.
AND THANKS TO YOU I'LL BE ALRIGHT.

LISA POPEJOY

~@~

Keeper of souls:
katrina warren

I am your leader
i am the troop
i am the soldier
i am the droop
i was made to seek and find
i was created to stop time
lather me in riches
bury me with the poor
let me dine with the kings
may i drink with bores
worship me and live thru me
scorn me and die meeting me
i am the keeper of souls
place me in the whole

~@~

WHAT CAN BE SEEN BY OUR EYES
NOR HEAR BY OUR EARS
IS NOTHING WHEN COMPARED
TO WHAT CAN BE FELT BY THE HEART...
 brinnan

~@~

Don’t Ask Why The Night is so Beautiful 
(For my friend Ahmad Shamlu)
By Arash Daneshzadeh

Don't ask why the night is so pointlessly
beautiful. That jazzy blue sensation is the cloud inside of you
relating moments and sealing all pain like dust 
in your hand’s grip gone
from one quick swipe of wind.

You haven’t been cherishing. Not until the sun wakes,
and the vampires creep back to their caves and coven. You’re missing some beauty but
searching, itself
is a source of tasteless scenery.

Because at night,
that which is known as the heart
is one carriage of blood
and a thousand lonely thoughts.

Night comes so easily and so
deliciously it inspires, it leaves as
quickly, rightfully so.
It can't betray every secret

for it is one mindless miracle.
Night is pointlessly beautiful like a
poisoned stem blotched with masked
generations of amber fevers, blossoming.

Night is pointlessly beautiful
and I am its suitor, the stem bending
towards its morning light. An eggshell of perfume breaks
and I follow the bouquet of eternity till dawn.

Like a mother tending to all her kin
resilient like a coiled spring, stars come out again.
Freckling the sky, glossed like a smile, unmasking itself
I fall deep into the gaze of those floating fireballs

and reflect on lost days in the luster.
The night is my superhero – it burns.
It stays firm to its hue, no matter how you curse it.
The night is there to absorb the flooding of flustering seraphs

and scheming scamps, after each day is torn through.
When the world topples over me, 
like a mass of penguins parachuting
at night, I play like I still believe in fate.

Tonight love is recycled my darling.
A Crunch Bar face resuscitates taste and hides behind the club’s strobe light.
Even witches can find a place for solace. The night do not befriend.
In sleep digest poetry, until we rise again.
~@~

PHOTOGRAPHY OF MY SOUL
DOUGLAS L LUKE

ON THE BOUNDARY WHERE CIVILIZATION MEETS NATURE
THAT'S WHERE I FIND PEACE WITHIN MYSELF
WHERE THE CHIRPING OF THE BIRDS IS AUDIBLE ABOVE
A DISTANT HIGHWAY ROARING IN THE VALLEY BELOW.
AND THE SUN-WARMED HILLTOPS ARE HALF BLANKETED BY TREES
AND HALF DECORATED BY THE PINES OF NEW HOMES.

I FIND THIS BOUNDARY ON A PARALLEL BOUNDARY DEEP INSIDE
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN MY HEART AND MY MIND.
IT IS MY CHILDLIKE SELF JUXTAPOSED TO MY ADULT IMAGE,
THE PLAYFUL BEING WITH SERIOUS THOUGHTS IN A CONSTANTLY
SEARCHING SUBCONSCIOUS. NO ONE CAN BEHOLD THE MEANING 
AND TRULY UNDERSTAND UNTIL THEY TAKE THE TIME. TO
SEE IT FOR THEMSELVES.

THERE IS A BOUNDARY WITHIN ME, LIKE THERE IS IN
EVERYONE ELSE, THAT LONGS TO BE FOUND AND RECOGNIZED. 
IT IS THE VERY CORE OF BEING; IT
REPRESENTS ALL THAT WE ARE MORE THAN ANY
PHOTOGRAPH CAN PORTRAY. THERE IS A BOUNDARY
WHERE CIVILIZATION MEETS NATURE, DEEP INSIDE ME,
IT IS NONE OTHER THAN MY SOUL.......
~@~

Mom, the word's I'm about to say to you, come from deep within my heart. 
I want you to always remember, we may not see each other every day, but we never are apart. 
When I was in your stomach and our 2 hearts beat as one, you gave me so much self worth, 
For you gave me so much love and courage, just by giving me birth. 
God truly blessed me when he picked you to be my loving mother.
Cause of all the woman in the world mom, God couldn't have picked any other. 
You gave me all the gifts which a daughter could ever with for, which mean more than all material things. 
You taught me love, respect, kindness, and the greatest bond this kind of love brings. 
Nothing on this earth, yesterday, today, tomorrow could stop me from giving you all of my love.
You are the most beautiful hearted woman that God could have ever sent a daughter from above. 
I hope God made you happy, joyful and proud that He gave you me. 
For the day God made me one, I can only explain to with a grateful heart and full of glee. 
I wouldn't be the loving, kind grateful, giving woman I am today, by saying without hesitation or delay.
That I live, breath, love, care and respect, and most of all honor you each and every day. 

Cathie Battyanyi

~@~

2000 Chaos
Teasa

With 2000 worries we have 2000 cares-
Because 2000 buries causes 2000 fears.
With 2000 smiles there are 2000 frowns-
Because 2000 highs end in 2000 downs.
With 2000 chances to better our lives-
There are 2000 voices given off cries-
Because 2000 jobs we just didn't get. 
So 2000 crimes we had to commit,
2000,
3000,
4000, 5
Let's just try to keep the Human Race Alive.
In the year 2000, let's follow our dreams
and do away with meaningless things

Stop the chaos for 2001 
Because if we don't - We're already Done!

~@~

Fallen words on thee
Fahad M Koumaiha 
( aka ShadowPoet )

So, she decided to elude me with fallacies
Distracting them with a diamond stud in her ear
And some may hide well our prancing ness
The difference between us for eternity
I walked down a foggy lane, motion dead for all
Begging a greater being for guidance
But she is the one who saw my words
Drifting away shattering the eloquence with a glass of wine
All the times I could feel insecure for them
Leaving a burning sensation on the inside of a poorly lit god
The tasted of dried blood as I escaped our ritualistic lust
Fallen the time spent with thee
Swaying motions to start again 
The Great Masturbator on my dinning room wall
Ants in the background swallowing the differences on fake canvas
The better of me left colliding with bodies of water
Practicing your sounds to make it perfect
Leaving me with a feeling of guilty coming and escape
I adhere not to your lies have them fall on someone else
Its all because of you I feel the way I do, intricately
~@~

open eyes
arthur pujols

with open eyes i gaze towards the skies
looking up at clouds from a world of lies

with my eyes open staring down from heaven i can see your smile
wishing i could be apart of you but i feel like a little child

if u had open eyes u can see i'm your angel sent from above
ill comfort you at hard times and drown u in a pool of love

god has touched me with a special gift........you
your an angel with no wings is it possible...........yes its true

everything you do is great and filled with care
when i'm with u i can do nothing more but look in your eyes and stare

stare and realize that there are angels on this corrupt earth 
you've been blessed and were an angel from birth

i'm sure you've noticed all the wonders of life
besides all your problems, pain, and strife

with my eyes open i can see through you 
and i know everything about you is true

you have good intentions and no need to tell lies
and with your truth is where i get the strength to open my eyes
~@~

I WANT REAL FRIENDS
Troy Edison Tiu Yaw 

I want real friends that care
Friends who wouldn't put me in a snare
People who would go through with me in my ups and downs
People who would give me more smiles and laughters than frowns!

Friends who're real are what I'm looking for
People who wouldn't laugh at me when asleep I snore
I want real friends who could provide me faith, hope, and love
May my longings be granted by our Father above!
~@~

Empty Space
Tom Michalski

At night, when I am sitting alone, I gaze at sky, feeling piece and calm.
When stars are twinkling and moon is shining I feel the empty space, deep inside me.
That space inside me which replenish can only you is tranquil and shy because of
feeling for you.
My feelings are mixed but indentured to you because I love you like no one never do.
~@~

He is to Her
 Stace

It was an anxious passion to raid
Her deserted sidewalks 
A narrow minded idiots breaking
To grasp the rightful form of Lucidness
To hear the raving hum of a broken lord 
Screaming his unlighted knowing 
Of consequences to come
Welcomed by her weakness 
Vulnerability
Her obsession to disintegrate her sanity
He An elusive greatness 
spirited by his Creations Bringing wonderment 
Pain 
His wickedness brought her 
Burning visions Of dark lusted vanities
This brilliant demon of mad laughter 
She mastered out of awkward insanity 
By comforting scars reopened
Blindly She gave her freedom 
To him 
A beautiful minion

~@~

A GIRL IN THE DARKNESS...A GIRL IN DISTRESS...SO VERY...SO VERY...SAD...
A VIOLET IN HER WHITE...HAND...A BLANKET ON THE SAND...A TEAR IS FALLING...
A VIOLET IN THE GREEN...GRASS...A RAINBOWS REFLECTION ON THE GLASS...
MISERY...MISERY AND DESPAIR...A KITTEN SLEEPING ON A WHITE CHAIR...
A GIRL IN DISTRESS...SO VERY SAD...A DIME IN HER HAND...SHE WILL NEVER...
UNDERSTAND...I SEE A RED...SKY...AND DARK BROWN EYES...NOT...FOR ME...
AND I AM WEARY...A TEAR FALLS...INTO MY...HANDS...CLOSING...SHAKING...
FROM THE FEAR... 
RACHEL B. SWEET 
{AKA RICK SIHLER}

~@~

more than ACTS of love
FELECIA 

HEART TO HEART SOULS TOGETHER
THE WAY I WISH TO BE FOREVER
HERE IN A DREAM 
TAINTED: PERFECT AS IT MAY SEEM
ALL YOU DESIRE IS LESS THAN ALL I CAN GIVE
TOGETHER THIS WAY, THE WORST WAY TO LIVE
I LONG FOR YOUR HEART AND SOUL
YOU PROVIDE WHAT ANYONE CAN KNOW
WHAT I ASK FOR IS WHAT YOU DON'T WISH TO GIVE UP
I WANT YOUR AFFECTION, WHAT COMES WITH LOVE
TOGETHER OUR HEARTS SHOULD BE
ONLY US
JUST YOU AND ME

~@~

FATHER HOOD
By Robert Sanford

I will be a man,
I shall not use my hand,
to my son,
I shall not shun,

To my daughter,
I shall be a good father,
love is my oath,
that is not a joke,

to raise my child,
not to be wild,
my love is their mother's,
I will hug her,

If they did wrong,
I will sing {a sad} song,
for a punishment,
I shall not hit,
but they will sit,

My heart belongs to them,
that does not mean {I'm not a man}. 

~@~

Memories
FancyAngeleyes

Rainbows and falling stars
Oceans, that seem to be endless, and reach so far
Moonlight walks under the moon, happy times going by so fast,
and end far too soon.
Holding hands, snuggling, with the man of your dreams,
These are the costless simple things.
But all combined, we put them away, in our hearts, memories
we saved.
And we can look back on each and every one, and know in our hearts we share a gift, of love.
We have stayed together, through the good times and the bad, through those times that made us laugh,
And even struggled a bit with the ones that mad us sad.
But we made it and here we are, sitting on our front porch, and gazing at the moon and stars.
Still holding hands and snuggling too, these, are those costless simple things that we still do.
We look into each others eyes as though there were no yesterday
Holding true to those vows we did say.

~@~

A Coke Please 
by Damon Lenahan


Feeble is our wants and shallow our needs.
I hate being bored, so I kill the time that kills me.
You rest awhile wanting more.
You waste away behind closed doors.

A wasteful society, you and I.
High on consumption, low on meaning of life.

Is it a show, a movie, who knows?
We're burning the place down. 
So just prop up your feet and enjoy a coke.

~@~

Pearl Harbour
Jessica Au

A sudden blast of noise took me from my trance,
The Japanese had arrived.
Their marked fighters had been signed with their hearts, 
But with duty and mission they had to complete,
America woke at once to smell the trespassing stench,
Bleeding men's souls sunk along with their ships,
Men gasped, men cried, men panicked, men fought with honour as servants,
Minds focused onto targets, destroy,
Like robotic warriors they fire at will,
One last craving hope, 
Victory, Honour and Glory,
May live in the hands of men. 

~@~

The Woman Left Behind
- Mona

She lifts her feet cautiously and carefully so her husband does not hear.
Walking six paces behind for fear of five being too little, and seven too much.
Never talking more than her share, but working way past her duty.
Too fat chubby boys playing in the fields.
A smile runs across her dark unattractive face,
and she looks down with shame.
Suddenly grabbing her chest, she realizes that the pearls are gone.
A tear slides down her face and hits the dirt beneath her, clumsily.
Fear suddenly encompasses her and loneliness fills her heart.
For her only friend is strength.
Her dark, ratty hair blows in the wind and her feet 
carried her along the endless path. 

~@~

Nightmares
C. Fullin

What I have not the courage to speak,
I write.
What I have not the courage to write,
I think.
What I have not the courage to think,
I dream.
~@~

**THE COLOR OF YOUR HEART**
By Philip Garret Marshall

I have seen many colors; reflections of your heart
it is blue like a sky when rain clouds part
it is red like a fire; flames blazing bright
it sparkles with silver, like stars in the night
your heart is like the sun; fierce orange and yellow
pink like a rose; soft and mellow
your heart grows like ivy; spreading vast, brilliant green
sometimes hiding in blackness, hoping not to be seen
your heart is hazy purple, like late skies in the west
your heart is pure as gold, always glowing for the rest
your heart has shown me color I never dreamed I could see
but color is a perception, what I see is up to me
make your heart transparent; make your heart crystal clear
let go of your heart’s worry; don’t let your heart fear
let your heart shine; let your heart glisten
let your heart speak
my heart will listen

~@~

YOU ARE...
Hannah

You are my sunshine,
and you are my rain.
You are my laughter,
and you are my pain.
You are my devil,
and my temptation.
You are my angel,
and my inspiration.
You are my power,
and my weakness.
You are my boldness,
and my meekness.
You are all my dreams 
and worst nightmares come true.
You are my girl,
will you let me love you?

~@~

I'LL BE THERE
Peishan

I'll be there 
when the sun stops shining 
I'll be there 
when the moon don't rise 
I'll be there 
when the wind stops blowing 
I'll be there 
when the birds don't fly 
I'll be there 
when you are crying 
I'll be there 
when you smile 
I'll be there 
when the whole world's gone 
I'll be there 
until...we are gone. 

~@~

Away
pj buchanan

There’s something about the dark that always scares me.
There was a time, I walked out of blazing sun into cool darkness
and my world fell apart.

"Where’s Cy? " my dog/brother, companion for an only child.
Slow motion, my father’s footsteps trailed off down the hall
oddly out of time with scuffed shadows.

I turned back and then, the words: …
"Cy ….he’s not here …we had to put him down…"
Something else died before the tears began.
numbness first; then, swimming through a veil, upside down…
first hot taste of loss…blisters on my tongue.
Have they ever really healed?

So a hard first step into life….
Years later, on a bright sunny day, I found his overgrown grave.
I left the darkness of my car… 
Left him biscuits….I was home
felt the old ache and cried for him …. For us.

~@~

CONFUSED

I THINK I'M HAPPY
BUT I AM SAD
OUTSIDE I'M JUST FINE
INSIDE I'M MAD

I WANT TO GIVE 
BUT ALL I DO IS TAKE
I TRY TO GIVE 
BUT WAIT...IT'S TOO LATE

YOU'VE GIVEN ME YOUR LOVE
BUT LOVE I CAN'T GIVE
YOU WANNA GIVE ME THE WORLD 
WITHOUT ME, YOU SAID YOU CAN'T LIVE

HONESTLY I TRY TO LOVE YOU
BUT NOTHING YOU DO APPEALS TO ME
MAYBE I AM TOO SHALLOW
TOO SHALLOW FOR ONE SO DEEP

MAYBE MY HEART IS CLOSED FOR BUSINESS
MAYBE YOU, I SHOULD LET GO
MAYBE I SHOULD JUST RETHINK THINGS OVER
MAYBE I SHOULD...BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW
THE UNKNOWN-

~@~

CRYING
Stacy Lynn Pettingill 

Everyday I have to suffer
staying in the same building 
with these people who make me feel 
so bad about myself that all I can do
is come home lye in bed and cry
they find the stupidest things 
to tease me about 
like how they don't like
my friends, boyfriend, hair, shirt
ok so I'm different 
is that a reason to make me cry 
should I be the one crying or should they 
they're the ones that is making someone 
feel so bad that they just want to die
so if I kill myself 
they're the ones that will be sad 
they're the ones that will miss me
and they're the ones that will cry 
at me funeral
not me

~@~

The Royal Path
Gareth Maher

A young Prince has everything,
His life always has a future,
From the best education to the throne of the King,
He follows the royal path,

Money and power he always had,
But true love was his ambition,
Scrapping his duties,
He went in search of turning his dream into realism,

And like a cool breeze on a summer's day,
He found a girl who could show him the way,
But maybe that way,
Was away from the royal path,

The Prince's heart thumped with excitement,
As the love of his life, he had found,
But the King and Queen did not approve,
And arranged for his love to be overruled,

With anger and frustration,
The Prince turned into a spoilt child,
But never underestimate the power of love,
And a mind that turns wild,

The royal path was dimmed by sorrow and sin,
As the Prince took many lives,
To prove his love and sensuality,
The King and Queen were murdered brutally,

Realizing his sins and feeling remorse,
The love-struck Prince pulled the trigger once more,
To close the final door,
To the royal path,

~@~

LIFE
by Robert Sanford

Death will come,
so let it be done,
every one thought that I was dumb,
but they are the bums,

I will laugh at their lies,
because I know they will die,
when I rise,
to their demise,

they say I'm weak,
but I'm just meek,
the truth are just lies,
for my demise,

my revenge shall be swift,
I shall not miss,
their graves will be deep.
they shall not creep,

their spirits shall rise,
but they will still lie,
their misfortune,
shall be my fortune,

they have no honor to speak of,
their voices shall be muffled,
by my shovel,

I will not be caught at the crime,
I shall never do the time,
I rather die before I am the convicted,
because I'm the victim,

Is this in my head,
or am I dead,
I shall never know,
and never show,
my true feelings,
they are all on the ceiling,
~@~

The Story of Life
Whiteydodge

You've never known the truth, until you've recognized the lie.
You've never felt pain, until you've said good bye.
You've never seen the light, until you've been lost in the dark.
You've never been in love, until you've felt the spark.
You've never been free, until you've let go of everything.
You've never felt wanted, until you've been needed by something.
You've never known yourself, until you've sat in silence.
You've never been a man, until you've showed your patience.

I Resume....

You've never been a rebel, until you've stood against the norm.
You've never known trouble, until you've weathered the storm.
You've never been scared, until you've looked yourself in the mirror.
You've never known God, until you've sat side by side with her.
You've never seen ignorance, until you've seen discrimination.
You've never seen incompetence, until you've seen procrastination.
You've never felt emptiness, until you've felt absolutely nothing.
You've never known frustration, until you've failed at something.

I Resume....

You've never been proud, until you've held back your rage.
You've never felt glory, until you've been on the stage.
You've never been happy, until you've met your goals.
You've never known relaxation, until you've been in control.
You've never been tired, until you've worked for a living.
You've never been nervous, until you've been through a delivering.
You've never had a soul mate, until you've taken the first dance.
You've never had an opportunity, until you've taken a chance.

~@~

HOPE
Lori Denoly 

Far away, in the deep recess of what was my mind,
I saw a space that was once my heart.
A place now vacant, so barren and burnt,
That nothing will ever fruit again.

The soil is unfertile and stones lie where once lay clay.
No drops of moisture dwindle there.
And no digging will ever produce growth.
A naked field of abused earth.

There once lay a landscape so beautiful it hurt the naked eye.
Poppies moved gently to the caressing wind, 
And under them grew daisies.
The sun shone so brightly, the mind screamed with joy,
And the soul rejoiced.

Oh my heart, my mind, my soul, don't leave me now.
For without your sunshine, heat and power
I slowly die, and will never flower.

And yet, there remains a seed, the last one of all,
In the deep recesses of what was once my heart.
Take it, nurture it and give it light,
So my mind may shine and once again become bright.

~@~

Healing
Aaron Lowe

These silent days
My feet pad against
The wet dirt underneath
And I kneel to the edge
To dip my hands in
The water before me
Deep crystal blue
Washing at the shore

These silent days
My arms curl into
My sides as I walk
Down a street on
A rainy day when
The water above me
Gray tattered shreds
Tapping on my eyes
~@~

Eyes From The Cell
becky.w aged 15

The life through the eyes on a man in a cell,
Sadistic little figure ,he didn't jump ,he fell,
Silently screaming , he fades away into a colourless hell,
Life sure isn't pretty for a man in a cell.

They say every mind has a pilot ,well his must be dumb,
He took the life of another for sick pleasure and fun,
And now he sits smiling but his smile wreaks glum,
It sure is a wonderful life for some.

The bars are everlasting and the mirror reflects his fears,
The days move around him, the wardens change his gears,
And all that over shadow him are black eyes and evil sneers,
Clocks never move when your eyes are full of tears.

~@~

suburbia -- or living in a small town
kristjanne

the streetlights paint flowers
on the sidewalk a garden of electric lights
fluorescent tubes and neon colours that
drown out the stars the night
is shining like the jewels in the crown
of kings and queens and the air
is soft as down but filled with the scent of bar fights
and brawls and alcohol and exhaust
and yellow light

and the clouded sky
and the unknown of wind
is drowned out by the highway
the mundane is inescapable

grasp for creativity and
intelligent conversation and
you’re bound to come up empty-handed
or with a fistful of feathers that
are insubstantial anyway

and liquor flows freely amber in a bottle
at the beach on a friday night
discoloured by the city lights there must be
something for us to follow besides
the candy-coloured vomit that
tiptoes through the pipes
in my mother’s bathroom i will find no salvation
buying slurpies at the petrocan
and we mutter about the price of chocolate bars
as we reach into our pockets for a taste of mars
outer space outdated planets once we were cowboys lassoing dreams
and now we are nothing but a couple of slacker teenagers
wandering drunk down first avenue
in the mirror there are demons and we have become what we once despised

~@~

Does it rain
Kari

Does it rain there
Like its been raining here

Does time fly by
Like it does here

Do the days pass by
Like it does here

Does it make you think about the past
Like I do here

Do you want a different future
Likewise resurrect the past

Does it rain there
Like its been raining here

~@~

Rat cage summer,
He had a razor under the mattress
Waiting.
Sun through blinds
Peaks shadows interest,
Misery is defined.

Where art thou the
Humble hostess?
Drowning in disregard.
Pitching a fit in
Poisoned splendor-
Perverse planets
Align.
Roderick Walt 

~@~

Blessings Come Flowing...
 chardwick

Divine spirit,
Compassionate light,
Passing all understanding...
Heaven-sent messengers,
Loving hearts,
Angels here,
A silent night.

Hope and compassion,
Gentle presence,
Internal blessings abounding...
A world in turmoil,
The starving children,
Hear them calling,
For what is right.

Laughing people,
Crying memories,
Constant craving,
Will be satisfied...
Blessings come flowing,
Wounds are now healing,
Power and purpose,
The time is tonight...
Angels are singing,
Sweet spirits in flight.

~@~

What is life, without death?
What is pain, without regret?
What is the sun, without the moon?
Why do some people leave us too soon?
They may no longer be here,
and yet to us they feel so near.
Try to live you life to its fullest,
Try to forget some of your pain,
Don't live with too many regrets,
Even though at times all you'll think about is death.
Just because some people leave,
We have to learn to believe,
that there is hope, and we have to open our hearts and minds in order to see,
that yes, there is hope for you and me.

Ginger

~@~

Another day
David Bielicka

Break away fair sun and give ease to my growing misfortune
Set so that you may no longer bring light on my love in another mans arms
Relinquish the warmth you bring forth so that my tears may flow freely and not dry as my eye calls them forth
I beg you once more do not shine, so that my fiery emotions are no longer in sight of my friend and family
Let the stars bring dreamy thoughts of nights passed i spent with my love
Let the moon bring just enough light so that i might see hope another day
Then let it be dark, dark so that in that one moment i realize how much worse things may be
Rise!, then you shall rise again and shine so brilliantly on a new man born again
In love with life and for what one has
A man thankful for Gods glorious gift as the light he brings forth engulfes him in realization all sorts of love will come again

~@~

NO TIME FOR YOU
Ozan HELVACIOGLU

You've left lovings into tomorrows
Shy, honest and respectful
All your friends
Have known you wrong
Even if a short time is enough
For telling all
Feelings of your heart have remained
Where they were born first
Because of the unfinished problems
But you've never hoped so
You've dreamed of long times
It's been ugly to talk about love
In short times
For you
Who have never thought
How quick the years pass
In daily hurries
At your secret garden
The colourful flowers have been blooming
Alone and wet
Either they've been little to be given
Or no time you've had

~@~

'SILENT SORROW'
 MLEEMJL

SNOW FALLING ON A FROZEN POND
INTRICATE PATTERNS EACH OF THEM UNIQUE
DISTURB THEM IF YOU MUST
THEY WILL NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES

RAINDROPS ON VIOLETS
SHIMMERING ON A SUMMERS DEW
SUCH BEAUTY TO BEHOLD
O FEW DO.

THE GOLDEN FALL WITH COLORS
THAT ARE WOVEN BY ANGELS
WHEN WILL THE FAIL TO PROVIDE US 
WITH PLEASURE, PERHAPS NEVER

I LOOK AT THE SKY ABOVE AND I SEE YOUR FACE
BUT I CAN O LONGER TOUCH OR BE TOUCHED
BY YOU.

WHEN A BEAUTIFUL CHILD IS BORN
IT IS A MIRACLE AND YET I CAN WEEP ABOUT
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THEM ,SWEETNESS AND
SORROW, BUT MOSTLY SORROW

~@~

YOU
Violy 

i'm afraid to love
to love a man
'coz man was born 
for there to hurt
and leave a woman with broken heart

so i will choose not to love
not to feel how to love
not to see the beauty of love
and the colorful world of being in-love

'coz i don't want to feel the pain
the ache of getting hurt
and i don't want to see my face
running with crystal tears

i will love a man why not
but he will never know
only me and HIM alone
that the men i love is YOU...
~@~
Hurt
Jess Barber

As i Feel ... 
That i am hurt , 
u push me down ....
and split my tears , 
i feel so empty , 
so alone and sad ... 
I honestly wasn't even trying ; 
to make u mad . 

But somehow i Failed to be , 
anything that's right , god dam me . 
I feel so bad , 
but i don't even know ;
if i am really so evil , 
as u make me to be ... 

I am hurting so bad , 
and yet u watch and think this is right , 
how my feelings are crawling ,
and so hurt tonight. 
~@~

Never
Epheni Lowle

Never do I want again
Never will I need
My time is coming to an end
The pain inside me screams
Eternal rest I come to thee
Take this hurt away from me
Why should I live?
Why should I stay?
Those who cared for me
Have all gone away
~@~

ugly on the inside
by jzka

driving me crazy
making me insane
all this madness
causing me pain

put on a happy face 
force on a smile
it leaves a bitter taste
i'm better off gone for a while

can't stop the tears 
or the piercing screams
wanting to rid my soul of fear
nothing is ever what it seems

it's ugly on the inside
the beauty is just a mask
it speaks to us at times
just ignore its sinful task

~@~

I anxiously wait all day, then day turns into night, I want to cry, but my love for you fights....the night you were there, but your mind was not, the words in which I spoke, you very soon forgot...you lock me in in frustration, my heart now aches...one word of appreciation, to sooth my heart of break...
skipper

~@~

"The Club"
Sargent 6/2001

An elite crowd like no other one
No parties no reunions damn sure no fun
Cost of admission is far to high for most
Never find a member unless you see a ghost

Cop knows much pain his gun the ticket in
Rich boy can't cope don't care if it's a sin
Impoverished and abused sign the bottom line
Vacancies available whenever a soul decides

Such an arrogant choice of final despair
Exclusive club is open anytime anywhere
For each new member a single payment due
Faceless doorman awaits will the next be you

Suicide Club for rich and poor alike
Dead end membership grows every night
Suicide Club a life the price to join
Eternal fraternity where no one goes home
~@~

MISTER TELEVISION
Troy Edison Tiu Yaw 

Compared to common people, I watch tv more often
Watching tv makes me feel like I'm floating in Heaven
"Mr. Television" is what they call me
For I watch tv 24/7!

Program schedules are what I've memorized
Addition of new channels is what I fantasize
I've got several tv sets at home which are expensive
I just hope no burglars know of 'em or I'll get burglarized!

~@~

What a fool I'd be
If I didn't follow You
When Your way leads to freedom and life!
What grace have I found
That You view my sinful self
Through the blood of Your perfect Son!
Lord, I am hungry for more of You!
 James 

~@~

Bullets from heaven
Monica Lyon

raindrops hit the pavement like bullets from heaven
I melted into the wetness
Whiskers sniffed the air at my disappearance
clearly, she could hear my untraceable scent
Eleanor Roosevelt stood on the corner
I am so solid it hurts and she sees me
we sang songs of hate and remembrance
dancing like hoochie mamas
you were hungry because you ate your dinner
that's not a bad habit, it's a good one
the accidental president of conscience is my captive
so I hung up the smiling mask of death and happiness on the coat tree
skipping yoga class to kill baby birds
Baby girl was relieved by the end of their suffering
we will be running tomorrow's bar tab into the ground next week
I feel the heavy downpour pressing my eyelids firmly shut
whimsical whores shopped like it was an emergency
and I led them weeping to salvation and lower prices
awed, Bobby laid down in the road shouting "VAYA CON DIOS"
but the hammer clicked meaninglessly and chattered about the weather
It's my turn now; is there one more empty chamber?

~@~

I see her in day mares.
The daughter of a voodoo queen.
Imprisoned by the lions lying dormant on the doormat to her mind.
She spoke with her eyelids. blinking innuendos. Blink blink, blink blink.
Spoke soft sonnets of regrets and sunsets never seen through her angelic
eyes that hide full lips which speak to me in a language I fail to comprehend.
She cries silence.

The lord knows that I know loose women who lose venom in lost thought thinking of lost days and days lost in thought and I think to myself that no woman
will ever make me lose myself like that child of a voodoo queen.
The hunter of thoughts. The keeper of secrets she secretes through her hidden lips.

There is suffering in her smile which can only been seen when shes isn't sleeping because when she's sleeping her secrets and regrets go hidden in the day mares that cause sunbeams to walk beside her and moonbeams to hide inside her. 
Gypsie Collins

~@~

Collect Yourself and Return
Alissa Murray

You're losing your grasp on reality.
Stand back, your little world is swirling and spinning all about you.
The universe is so surreal and looking more and more abstract. 
Everything is going gray; all hope is almost out of reach.
But almost is not completely, 
so don't give up your noble fight and hold your head up high.
Don't let the world know your private pain, but show make-believe strength and pride.
"All the world is a stage", and you a budding actress.
You're existence is a masquerade of paper hats and makeup.
When the black mascara tears run down your swollen face,
and your costume's ripped and torn,
I shall be far down the road, watching distant and removed, .
Your hurt, bewilderment, even the chaotic numbness, are all familiar to me.
I can save you no more than , I could have been saved.
I believe you will one day forgive me for my quiet exit.
Know though, that as long as you can see me looking on, I am am waiting for you. 
Waiting for the day I know will I come back to us, the day I know you will collect yourself and return from the evils of self exploration.
So patiently wait, struggle, move past, experiment, learn, be free, be suppressed, be in danger, be safe, be alone, be depressed, be overwhelmed, be over joyed, hope....
and then you will know how to be.

~@~

There's a pain deep down inside 
It makes me weep it makes me hide
No one could ever brighten my day 
at home on my bed is where I lay
I don't know how I don't know why
It makes me sick my body is dry
My stomach is weak I can hardly breath
This is not a joke you've got to believe
My mind is full it's in a clutter
I can't talk straight I always stutter
I'm losing my voice it's going quick
I'm growing a cough it's getting thick
I feel drowsy my world's in a trance
I'm getting dizzy I can't see my hands 
A doctor can't save me I'm not lying
It's not that I'm sick it's because I'm dying. 
April Reyes

~@~

CURSE
Robert Wheeler

Oregon, the word now sticks
on our strangled tongue,
like Hitler's sweaty brown-shirt--
soaked not by work, but anal juices
of Fondling, forging, academics, & teachers.

Treason in the halls,
murder in the libraries,
fools gagged to the walls.

Oregon, Smart-assed, 54th, mocking..
stoolie, for Oppression, slavery, Worldwide.

Hospital, morgues, adoring
corpses, serial killers,
assembly-line Treason.

Chicken-farmer legislature,
unfit for the world.

~@~

The Two Who Brood 
Kat Cook 
Verse extolling Ernest and Deidre

The two who brood,
Who take up room in corners,
Whose smokes dangle, unlit
In the space of selves,
Are like the dead men, walking,
When the whole remorse is empty,
Because the end is coming 
Of the ME.
She will always match him,
Her braying of exploit,
The inflatable sex,
And his sad whys,
His smirking shame
Wallows in her yellowed eyes.
But there will be music
Always when they meet,
The guttural bellow of a horn
At his place when she parks
Away from sight
As if anyone cares for the vulgarity
Of their gnashing.
They will always wonder
Of each others’ girls and women,
And sweet boys that surround them both,
The fatty minions of a confus’ed feast.
The two who brood are so affixed,
So wed in the eyes of God,
As we who love.
There is no other, nay any,
Perfectly as these who match,
Pound for pound,
Making dunces of all sense,
And making love like tusk’ed boars
That lend no purity to the air.
The wonder of THEIR alchemy is lead,
Heavy, worthless, which never shines.
The two who brood,
Who rub their stretching skin,
Who make gluttony of what tastes foul,
Are called sweet, and she, true,
By the snickering betters.
I see them, as I’m looking back
Like the wife of Lott,
And I could turn salty
Were there any divinity in their next.
The two who brood
Are lighting up for free,
Showing nightly, all but us, what we know, 
People are, are all not equal ,
As they who murky
Discharge, in the space of selves,
In the corner.

~@~

The emptiness that is my heart, was complete now fallen apart, 
I thought that we were getting nearer, but now it is the end of our era, 
No more can i feel your finger tips, no more can i feel your tender lips, 
Now that we are no longer together, an empty space in my heart forever, 
a lonely life with nothing i can do, and a space in my heart saved always for you.
 Michelle Hinton 
~@~

The hands of death come storming through the gates. Powerful bursts of resentment and regret follow as this evolving mass grows in strength. Forgiveness, no longer an option. Mercy, for the weak. Fate has been chosen.
 Cason Dekle

~@~

now you're gone - far away;
reached a new dawn - it's sad to say.
led me along your crooked way;
and now it's to late to repay. . .

and you think you have it all, 
but your back's against the wall, 
now all you have is pain, 
and a life that's filled with shame. 
 Tom

~@~

ALONE
Andy Geimer 

I stood alone, by myself, with no one else around.
The wind blew hard and the lightning cracked, and the rain came pouring down.
The sky went black, then strobed with light, as it filled the storming sky.
I felt the same inside my soul, something I couldn't hide.
An outward manifestation of all I felt inside, the storm was more of a comfort, a friend, so I didn't run and hide.
When the thunder roared, I roared back.
When the lightning struck, I struck back.
And when the Heavens opened and drained the skies...I fell to my knees and started to cry.
And as the world was raging all around, I sat there, still, and on the ground.
Then the storm died off, and so did the pain.
It was all washed away in the drops of the rain.
I stood to my feet, and a chill hit my bones.
As I looked all around, I was still alone.

~@~

The Storm
 Lane L. 

The crack of lightning in the skies 
Reflects the turmoil in my eyes
The rolling thunder with mighty boom
Conflicts with the silence of this tomb
I'm walking now in the cold hard rain
The things I shout drowned out in vane
The lightning strikes inches from me
I cared for a moment...but then...I could see
The thunder low slammed in my ears
I haven't heard now these long years
Yet I still walk in the rain and storms
For pleasure can take its many forms
It's possible to joy in the ecstasy pain
It's possible to joy in the cold hard rain
I start out young and then grow old
This story is the same and always told
The rain just falls as life goes on
But does the rain go through the dawn?
I stand now, listening to the rain at my window
Listening and hoping to forget what I know

~@~

Silence
Robin Elmore

Silence enveloped by darkness, inevitably altered with floaters that increasingly cluster together, forming a faint glow that grows until it illuminates all that is and all that is to be;
This enormous entity of a hazy glow is interrupted with a subtle humming that evolves into incoherent muttering, coupled with disorganized rhythm which enters the glow with a force of energy that with no place to rest, turns within and transcends the unnamed boundary and now physically is.
This is the moment of conception and the offspring is the light, the color, the smell of a sunflower basking in the warmth; the warmth that is yellow, not orange or red, but sedating and pleasing.
Blue like a violet only seen in the blue cast of the moonlight reflected off the water; blue like the sky that holds the moon in infinity-space-or nothingness;
silence.

~@~

Sweet hallucination,
leisurely drifting further into thought,
Barricading passageways to an already impenetrable fortress of bliss,
Hardly a lack of motivation,
but rather an absence of stimulation,
contently lodged between REM and consciousness.
 Casey Gary

~@~

The Real World
Ashley

I'm here today, 
looking through the eyes of God;
At myself and the decisions I've made-
Only to see what's really happened.
I've hurt myself-
through love, sex, alcohol and tobacco.
"But I've had good reason," I tell myself.
The untimely deaths of Bryan and Eric-
The removing of hundreds of innocent souls.
From this earth they are taken-
through self-abolishment, illness or
the selfish will of hurt, angry, lonely "kids."
We all say that the choices we make
are of our own free-will;
But to me - it is false.
It is out of sadness and anger
for those innocent souls.
I think to myself, "Why not me?"
"I could have taken cancer, if only to save Bryan" 
or "If only I had known - seen the clues.
I could have helped Eric."
I would have taken a bullet to save another soul. 
Why does life have to be so unfair?
I sometimes think that I drink and smoke to feel their pain -
But there's nothing I can do.
Only to change my mistakes 
and help others in need. 
"But it's not that easy," I say.
I cannot change the past - 
and angry, lonely "kids" will do
what they set their minds to.

So I come back to life - 
looking through my own eyes.
I pray to God -
"Please Lord, save these innocent souls;
help those who are lonely and try, Lord,
to make this world a better place."
-Amen- 
~@~

The parent trap
andrew richards

I decide if I should visit the hospital,
and as usual curse and demystify the tone,
until Sandra asks for a fag,
I get out of the car.

So I should cry for him, and words fall to the page.
Mum talks about how nice the nurse is, and declines another cuppa.
My sisters talk along these lines, "it was going to happen," he shouldn’t of, he shouldn’t have...
We are led to a broom cupboard beside casualty, and everyone tells me to think about work, I hope it doesn’t...
We laugh plus I crack old jokes, ya know.
The walls support the room quite well.

We hand round a packet of crisps, plus Dad smiles through his oxygen mask.
I try to think of a one liner to stop me from touching his skin
plus the black blood on his chest, and tubes, have you heard the one about tubes.
Mum strokes his hair...I didn’t know they were that close.

~@~

LIFE
Elizabeth Agiantritis

I love the way
The sun rises and sets.
I love the way
The moon shines up above.
I love the way
The sky reaches down to touch the ground.
I love the way
The world turns around.
And I love the way
I still live.

There is more if you click on Encore June 15, 2001.