OPEN MIC ENCORE!

Up-dated June 1, 2001
(poems submitted May 15 - 31)

~+~

Graduation Is Coming Near
geracie

Graduation is coming near,
Certainly I will shed a tear.

I never thought this day,
Would ever go into play.

Graduation is coming near,
What do I have to fear?

Friends will come and now will go,
Emotions will definitely show.

With nothing left to say,
I will be on my way.

Onto a new life I'll go,
Remembering the graduation show.

~+~

For fifty-three years 
Anson Beau Cavell

For fifty-three years 
they were coupled to love.

Now he wanders room-to-room 
filling them with thoughts of her.
His rambling whispers trail 
discarded shards of pointlessness.

Now he makes their bed in broken sentences,
tracing her formless body on fitted sheets.
His questions fluffing pillows with no reply, 
final shadows of what was severed.

Now her smells linger in the air,
a phantom itch prevailing in his mind.
His eyes, candles too wet to be lit again,
well their pain to stain his face.

Now in her absence he sits beneath
their only child, a twenty-two year old tree,
his place to be, 
diffused in vapid light.
~+~

Meaningless Writing
Chad Harlan

Another meaningless paper
Writing for school
Why do I do it?
I gain any pleasure from it it is merely for a grade
I can not reveal my true thoughts with out being embarrassed
I am sitting in the library thinking of a topic to write about
What will be the easiest topic to write about?
Which will get me the best grade?
I don't know
I can't even think of a topic
Here in the library pressed up against a cold hard chair
Typing on the stiff keyboard with letters worn away by students writing with out emotion
Writing to get an A
I can't concentrate
I pretend to type
While, I listen to the gossipers next
To me they are talking about the latest news
And my mind wanders
I think about lunch and the Spanish test I just took
Then I remember the paper I have to write
I can't think of a topic and there are only five short minutes until class starts
i will surely flunk if I can't think of anything quickly
Then the idea comes and I type away 
When the bell rings I am just about finished
And I print the paper I have saved myself again
I have written another meaningless poem

~+~

DEAD-WORDS-BLUE-BIRDS-BLUE-BIRDS-I-AM-SAD-
GO-AWAY-GO-I-AM-A-MISTAKE-GOODBYE-DO-NOT-CRY- 
 RICK SIHLER
~+~

Dear Mother 
Desiree Bellio

I step out the door 
And wave good bye 
Tears of joy fall from my eyes 
I'm leaving the home 
That I've always known, 
For a new kind of love 
That i have never known 
They say it was strong 
They say it was good 
But this incredible power, 
I never understood! 
Who could have known 
That one fateful trip 
Would hold the key to my destiny 
My future but that is not it 
You are my angel 
who gave me this gift 
My future husband 
And all my happiness, 
How could i thank you 
for all that you have done? 
You have given me 
and in life i have won 

~+~

*WITH THIS RING*
 Michael Jones

Holidays over
But not for me
Because of woman
I'm about to see

With winter snow
Fall lightly placed
Upon her shoulders
Cold air erased

From this mind
So focused here
In sync with eyes
Of yesteryear

Today and night
As church bells sing
It's tune for all
Who give this ring
~+~

A WOMAN'S BODY
Troy Edison Tiu Yaw 

A woman's body is a thing of beauty
That is why it needs a lot of care
Her chest is her pride
That is why supportive bras she should wear.

From her head down to her toes
She's a thing of beauty with her pantyhose
Her lips are sweet and her nose is cute
She's an amazing creation and that's what everyone knows!

A treasured part is her clitoris
An organ that could put her in bliss
She shows her love not through a lick but through a kiss
You'll seldom see her walking on the beach in one-piece!

In her body's deep
A spot where men ought to creep
She's still a thing of beauty even when she sleeps
A woman's body is appreciated by all peeps!

~+~

Dreams,
long, creamy as
milk, cleaned to
the core.
Dreams,
kisses as sweet
as soap opera chocolate.
Dreams,
toast, crusty as 
woodchips on a
summer day
Dreams,
you need them
for reality and fantasy.
 Laura 

~+~

When Clouds Play
Brent William Rose

White silken clouds before my eyes play.
History Faces' portrayed upon a theatre of sky.
Enacting the shapes of my imaginations creativity.
Narrating the story of memories gone by.

Clowns tumble, laugh and joke through a circus of time.
Leading ladies smile once thought lost to the past.
Obstreperous friends i made, dance to music and wine.
Ushers' tear tickets to dreams, destined, never to last.
Days of woe and joy replayed together combine.
Sonnet poems' verse overtures of lament entwine.

Porcelain relationships. molded so easy to shatter.
Loves tragedies re-enacted in their own sad way.
Audience and witness to my own life's' drama.
Yearningly, I close my eyes, when clouds play.

~+~

Love & Hate
Rhett Hewson

A loving partner,
A feeling of joy,
Something we need.

A despising foe,
A feeling of hurt,
A deep repression.

Some we want,
Others we refuse,
Try to love...
~+~

ALWAYS SPECIAL TO ME
Angel

She was always there for me,
Even when she wasn't needed.
The nicest person,
With a bunch of care.

Someone very special.

She always had surprises,
Each and everyday.
Although she didn't say much,
I knew she always loved me.

Someone very special.

Now that she's gone,
I miss her very much. 
But in my heart,
She will always be my Great-Grandma.

~+~

Love
 Jessica Cunliffe

Love can sometimes be a crazy ride
Feelings and emotions high and low
A man taking his sweetheart to be his bride
Two people being shot by cupid’s bow

The two people meet and discover their fate
Their spirits, soaring high like the dove
What a beautiful story, they found their mate
The couple, wandering about in love

He takes his wife and walks down the aisle
As time passes on, they become one
A confession of love, not in denial
They both realize the cycle’s not yet done

Becoming more beautiful as time flies by
Surviving love, continuing as they die

~+~

Storm in a Tea Cup
By Hillol Ray

I woke up in the morning to drink some tea -
But suddenly I noticed a strange honey bee !
She was buzzing all over the room,
So I picked up a long yellow broom !
Soon I chased her out but she stung my face,
’Cause she was mad to follow a broom race !
Out of fear, I jumped on a too small table,
When my leg slipped and broke the TV cable !
Tea was spilled and I got a strong hiccup,
What a mishap ! A storm in a tea cup !!!!

~+~

Dreaming of Dreaming
Jeff P.

I'm in the pros at age nineteen,
Fresh, hopeful and ready to join the big league team.

Dreaming of times when I'll win the game.
Dreaming of what it will feel like to be immersed in fame.

Pondering about what my average will be,
Dreading the sound of deep crunch and crackle of bones, a career ending injury.

Dreaming, dreading first and final at-bats.
Funny how in a game you love the end can be bad.

Dreaming of playing a game forever……
Until it seems forever has ended.

Will I break any superior records?
Or will I go unnoticed like dust under the rug?
As someone who tried their hardest to make it.

~+~

Why Brothers Die
Edward Brown

God blessed us all with the gift of life,
A heart and soul for every man.
Yet between us all lies contempt and strife,
Not the brotherhood within his plan.

I see the hatred in so many eyes,
The sign of poison within our thoughts,
The product of age-old fears and lies,
The need for the truth that must be taught.

We stand as one upon this earth,
A home and a right common to us all.
Brothers by the will of God at birth.
Yet still we watch as our brothers fall.

And as we reach out with our last breath
To hold on to life as it slips away.
We look not to each other to escape death,
Though we may never see the light of another day.

And as we fall I look into his eyes.
I see my face, much like his own.
“Our blood is the same,” he sees as he dies.
We lie in our hatred as we die on the stone.

Two lives lost for reasons untold,
With more yet to come and so many gone before.
How could our hearts have been so cold?
If only I had loved my brother more.

God sees his children lying lifeless on the ground.
With all his heart he begins to mourn
And from the horizon, we hear a sound,
The storm on which God’s tears are borne.

And as we watch the rain hit my face
We both see the lesson we should have learned:
God meant for his sons to exist as one race
With the gift to love and be loved in return.

~+~

MY CAPTAIN AND ME
travis fergerson

We've searched the evil and erie 
We've sailed across the sea
Many a thing we've done but it's always been you and me 

We've searched for many lost treasures 
We've lost many lives you see
But in my heart and by the sea i just thought you should know that never the seas be restless as long as my captain you be

We've been captain and mate since long ago
We've dreamed the same dreams my captain and me
We've been two bodies one soul but we both know where our hearts lay my brother my captain i know you so well and i know where your heart lays beside mine out to sea just like us and may we always be

~+~

consequence
-Isaac M. O'Bannon

there've been many roads under my feet.
unfortunately, most by consequence, rather than choice.
But my destination has remained true to my intention-
I am here because you are here-
I am here because of you.

and the cobblestones that have met have met soles,
have not changed the purpose of my soul-
i am here.
i am here- only because of what i think your love is
and what it means

there've been many roads under my feet,
and, with great fortune,
they have led me back to you.

~+~

“I Found You”
Brandon James Gutierrez

All my life,
I hoped and prayed for someone just like you.
And, now I think god, that it finally came true.
I really love you,
Truly, madly, deeply.
I wish and prayed,
That you do love me to.

I thought I’d never fall in love,
With a stranger.
You’re all I ever think of,
Your sent from up above, 
I truly love you.

I can never, ever, find another girl,
Another girl as beautiful as you.

I think god,
My dream finally came true.

Now all I can hope and pray now,
That you love me the way as I do you.

As I move on,
I can’t hold this question any longer,
So here goes,
“Will you go out with me?”

~+~

DEDICATED TO MY 2 BEST FRIENDS-
MICHEAL LEE NESTER-AUGUST 29, 1998
TIMOTHY MICHEAL GIBSON-DECEMBER 1, 2000
KRYSTAL PORTER 


ON A DARK AND STAR FILLED NIGHT, 
BOTH OF YOU TOOK YOUR HEAVENLY FLIGHT.
I NOW REALIZE THAT I CANNOT BRING YOU BACK
THOUGH I TRY WITH ALL MY MIGHT.

TO SOON YOU BOTH WERE GONE,
I WISH YOU WERE HERE,
I TELL MYSELF, YOU'LL NEVER BE BACK,
SO I'LL JUST SIT AND CRY, TEAR AFTER TEAR.

I'LL SEE YOU BOTH,
THAT ONE SWEET DAY,
SO UNTIL THEN I'LL SEND YOU BOTH MY LOVE,
AND FOR ME , I WILL PRAY.
~+~

LOVE
777

Inside these walls, I am screaming.
I am dying
I am killing,,, only those things which don't deserve breathing,,, myself.

~+~

Price of Fame
By KRB

The room small with one windowpane
It with four corners covered with white paint
A chill filled room we all look through the pain
So many others crowed to watch in vain
Just me there and I don’t even know his name
They walk him in slowly as to establish his fame
Know one speaking as if I could even have him to blame
I can now hear the cries of his victim’s families
He now remains silent as they strap him to the chair
The sweat falling from his forehead like a stormy rain
It hits the cold concrete floor as it flows to the drain
The black cloth now placed as if on a fancy frame
Its now getting closer and he will have nothing to gain
Those families sitting watching him die will not feel his pain
As he speaks his last words with so little compassion
I sitting there just as a spectator but without popcorn
I wonder if this life lost will have any remorse
The count down will soon begin and with this simplicity
Life will now end but with a flip of a switch
Like so many others that had come before him 

~+~

To Job: 
Jessica Guzman

Pleased to be me. 
Wear my sin embroidered on my bosom. 
He forgives. 
Adultery, theft, lies. . . murder.
Listen fellow martyrs:
Thou shalt not lie. 
This common fault 
Do you deny? 

Neglect to repent. 
Condemned to red, roasting place. 
He forgives? 

Masterful manipulator. 
Ultimatums carved in stone. 
To do or not to do? 
That is the question. 

Pray for me Catholic mother. 
By the way, 
Were you at mass last Sunday? 
Or the one before that. . . 
Or before that. . . 
Or before that. . . ? 

Thick volume full of fantastic fairytales. 
Jesus plays protagonist. 
Carries the cross for my sins? 
Let me play Bildad the Shuhite, 
Were you so perfect and upright? 
Quit covering your cobra-filled crevices. 

Mother Mary, 
Gave miraculous light to Jesus. 
Venerable Mary. . . 
Virtuous virgin? 

Thou shalt not lie, Jesus. 
What do you hide? 
You were mortal; 
Mortals repel perfection. 

~+~

My friends think I’m crazy
Because I love you
I admit I am crazy 
Crazy for you

From the first time we talked
I knew it was love
I can truly say
You were sent from above

It grew each day
Stronger and stronger
I knew it was love
I couldn’t be wrong

When we’re apart
I long for your warm embrace
I can’t wait for the next time
I see the smile on your face

Courtney Reece

~+~

He’s big and white and puffy
And wearing clothes that seem to perfectly exude an aura of unholy pilgrimage 
His expression is the combination of a shady sort of smirk
And a half grinning arc of contentment
A lethal combination
Lethal is what he is
Smashing the city apart with flying fists of fury
He laughs
A deep rumble, originating from the inner core of his very being
But still having the essential characteristics of a giggle
Consuming block after block, he is an inexorable juggernaut
More and more and more and then comes the critical moment
In that instant his balance is lost
He cascades downward to the earth in a slow motion almost graceful flight
Until he strikes the ground in an earthshaking thunderclap
And all of cosmos goes straight to hell
Detonating in a swirling firestorm of white slightly sticky hail.
He was the giant marshmallow man, no more, no more

Nakul Vyas

~+~

Innocent Freedom
-Mona

Trudging through the wet, muddy fields.
Wandering aimlessly hoping, wanting something not yet known.
The mud grabs her ankles and creeps up to her soft peach dress.
As she walks, a slim shadow of innocence and sorrows is left behind her.
An escape from the work, the chores, the children.
A sensation of almost happiness is experienced and a smile appears upon her chocolate colored face 
Gently, she places her perfectly tanned fingers on the hard, rough structure.
Slowly as if scared, she peers through the wooden structure that holds her in.
Trapped, a prisoner, hoping for something not yet understood.
Beauty surrounds the halo she creates.
Her eyes glance upward as if waiting, wanting, longing.
Recklessly she grabs the pendant on her chest.
A tear crawls down, and a strand of hair falls across her innocent face.
She is strong, for she is a woman, and must return to the fields.
However, she stays one more moment to experience the comfort of freedom.
~+~

Warm Regards
CFJ Mills 

You sent your regards,
And they were like icy daggers in my heart.
You sent sincere regrets,
But I am not one who easily forgets.
What were you thinking?
Leaving my side when the ship was sinking.
How selfish of you!
Turning your back on me when I was through.
You went a long way-
As I lived to die some other day.
I doubt you ever cared,
Since compassion was something you never shared.
At least not with me-
It seemed like there was somewhere else you wanted to be.
I wish you would've just went,
So I wouldn't have to worry about more regards being sent...
~+~ 

Unheard
Barbara Blood

For plain and sensuous
ears sing trembling
virtuoso moments of

gilt edged ribbons
mouthed forward falling
silent tongue rests behind teeth.
~+~

It's like Chinese telephone.
BlueGirl

Full moon illuminating me, 
It's me, illuminating telephone,
Full, like Chinese moon.
I no longer feel sorrow.
Fear is why I fall, 
To mystify what is real.
Real fear is to mystify.
I what? I fall why?
Chinese obsession we longer feel,
To fear is illuminating fall.
Mystify what sorrow I have.
Full me, Full moon, Full fear.
No fear to feel...Why?
Full moon illuminating me....
I no longer feel sorrow.
It's like Chinese telephone.
~+~

Love*
Ashley Rudisill

Love is a flower, when the leaves begin to bloom,
Love is a river that flows quietly in June.
Love is a smile upon someone’s face,
Love is the hand, along with the warm embrace.
Love is the fairy-tale your mother reads to you at night,
Love is the warmth you feel, when someone holds you tight.
Love is the little things that make you want to cry,
Love is the way someone special doesn’t just say goodbye.
Love is the best medicine you will ever need,
Love is the way you look, when you feel like you are free.
Love is the secret your friend keeps from you,
Love is the way they won’t tell you unless you want them to.
Love is the melody, that you beg someone to play,
Love is the soft tune that comes from their place.
Love is the daydream that you have everyday,
Love is the message someone leaves for you to play.
Love is a physical and a mental thing,
Love can be deceiving and make you think bad things.
Love is very hard to find, but if your careful,
Love will find you in no time.
You don’t have to go out looking all the time,
If you’re destined to fall in love,
Oh it will be so kind.

~+~

My Trust In Him
Jude Adebosoye Ogunade

The almighty is the strength of my hopes.
Better than the taste, the scent of any dope.
The almighty is my daily brook of joy.
Happy am I, for of this I continually enjoy.
The almighty is the foundation of my life,
How can I ever fret for any stubborn strife,
The almighty is the owner of my everyday,
How I keep every fear and foe at bay.
God is my trust, I mind not the nervous night
God is my trust, I sorrow not in any plight.
For the moon that shied away behind the cloud
Will so soon shine away from it no doubt.
The trials may seem to be many,
I trust in God, I trust not any.
The trials in my path will so soon disappear,
Smooth stones will so soon pave my track.
My joy has come now it is near.
My heart is now seasoned with joy.
The pain that was is no more there.
My light now shines, I can now enjoy.

~+~

TWILIGHTS GONE BYE
Robert Lutman

Take us back
To the wilted flower of tomorrow
Lost we are in multitudes of sorrow
Forever gone we steal and borrow
Enthusiasm pellucidly cryptic such vapid horror
Lithe demon nostalgia is my diamond
Billowing dismay from the broken hymen
She walks to her death in sad array

Cold still morning came our way once more
Watching as death walks right threw the door
Luring the pale dawn jubilantly along
Witnessing winter sing her sad song
And all the while I feel this insulting clay
This divine swine
Of smashing idols
So sad beneath the echoing sky
Some vast lyre of twilight's gone bye

Follow me into the sea of azure
The goddess of darkness shall be our guide
Space unfathomable
Steaming vortex
Of fetuses and embryos in 
The depths of 
The cradle of natures bosom's
We will surmise
With hollow socket surprise

~+~

By my side
Sylvia Correa

Every morning, I miss her so,
I want to run and hide.
Then I see how beautiful the sun rises,
It's then I know she's by my side.

At noon it's hot and the pain
Burns like a sharpen knife.
A shady tree does bring me comfort.
It's then I know she' by my side.

In the evening, when loneliness comes
A tear will drop from my eye.
A gentle breeze, dries my tear.
It's then I know she's by my side.

I'll pray at night, for gentle breezes,
Shady trees and a beautiful sun rise.
For these are gifts from heaven
So that I can know she'll stay by my Side.

~+~

In Her Shoes
-Nitya Kumar

The yellow shoes caked in mud;
Her frolicking days as a child.

The dark purple shoes with an always tapping toe;
Her meditation in school.

The silver shoes with graceful swan-colored sequins;
Her devotion to fun.

The bright green shoes with spike heels;
Her freedom in adolescence.

The brown felt shoes with green leaf print;
Her peace of mind in nature.

The fiery red shoes with the golden lace strapping;
Her passion for life.

The blue shoes with the soft black velvet design;
Her sorrows from death.

The white shoes sprinkled with gold and silver confetti;
Her love and constancy for him.

The black shoes with the thick supportive straps;
Her ethics in work.

The rainbow shoes with all colors;
Her whole life threaded into one.
~+~

Forever In a Day
-Jared Coffman

Forever in a day, a day is forever,
Stopping only for whoever
Takes the time to notice it passing by,
And never once asks why

~+~

Time Stopped
tammy martin

If we could stop time from moving forward, what would we do with our past? If time never moves then our past exited. Then where would our love start, our pain end, our joy live, our sorrow reside, our hatred end, and our heaven start? within our place in time?
~!~

"If"
Melissa Ann Beem

Don't say NO-
I don't know the word No
Blind eyes kept closed to unwhispered words
To days that could have been different
If she had the strength
If she had not
If she had
If she
If

~+~

Forever and a Day
Rene' Bennett 

I woke up this morning
thinking of you,
reached for your warmth
as I always would do.
But your side of the bed
was empty with fold
pillows in place
untouched and cold.
I did not smell coffee
the news was not on,
things seem so different
since you are gone.
Your sweet smelling scent
is fading away
so I cling to your memory
in every possible way.
Motivating myself
is a struggle to do
hard to see sunshine
when feeling so blue.
They say it gets better
as time goes by
to look for the good
at least give it a try.
Something happened
at work today
I started to call you
right away.
Sadly remembering
I hung up the phone
you were not there,
God took you home.
My heart is hurting
my soul cries with pain.
Got nothing to lose
got nothing to gain.
Time is one asset
I have plenty to spare
holding on tight
going no where.
I'm looking for good 
as I have been told,
reaching for warmth
yet shiver with cold.
Darling, I miss you
in every way
and still loving you
forever and a day.
~+~

I thought you were the one for me, the one that I'd hold close,
I thought I was the one for you, the one that you loved most.
But then one day when she walked by, it all became very clear,
That she was the one you really loved, the one that you held dear.
It was all a lie I should have known, that the things you said weren't true,
And even though you stopped loving me, I'll never stop loving you.
The way you used to look at me, I know I'll miss so much,
But the thing that I will miss the most is the feel of your gentle touch.
I can hardly remember a single thing, the whole talk was a blur,
All I recall are those seven words, "I only want to be with her."
The tears poured down as I covered my face and the hate filled up in my heart,
Hate for you, hate for the world, hate that we were apart.
I'll never forget that feeling, that feeling of wanting to cry,
I'll never forget that feeling, that feeling of wanting to die.
 Catryna

~+~

Waiting for that day
Molly Narburgh Hotty

Destined to find your hospitalized love,
Kaput… Shattered to Pieces
Like a Doctor stitching your heart as one.
Affection Adoration Devotion Passion
Angel from above
Unified as one, 
In sync ‘till death do we part.
Mountains burly and high,
Like feeling public to yours
Changing-
Winter melts to spring,
Spring heats into summer.
Still no sign
No maps to Pin point your soul, 
Sailor lost at sea.
Left alone
No enthusiasm
No liveliness
So I lie here hoping to die.
Depressing Distressing
Heartbreaking Heartrending
What was spoiled?
Like a slice of old bread
Was it me?
Why do you flee?
Oh how could you deceive me?
Remember-
You gave me your word,
You’d never leave me.
Anger Building up,
Life isn’t fair.
So I sit here waiting for the day,
When you will come and sweep me off my feet,
And take me to a land of dreams.

~+~

Untitled
rajesh mahtani

Etched by painters
Mulled by scholars
Penned by bards
Trailed by seers
Yearned by lovers

The glitter I gaze
A vain passion
Resplendence
And distance
~+~

"In the Song of Songs of Love"
Albert W. Sheda

Inside my heart untouched by guile 
A void that yearns to see your smile
But not so much it can't be filled
There is a fondness that grows each while

And in the song of songs of love
The caress of your voice massages my dreams
As twinkling breaths of fantasies sleep
So deep in somber with blissful sweets

Although your voice I've never heard
It is your spirit that whispers to me
And I beseech the wisdom of Solomon
To satisfy you in all of your charm

I love the thought of just being yours
I love the thought of just you my dear
I love the thought of just knowing you know
That you my dear are my sweet bliss.
~+~

Something About You
Amanda

there is something about you
when I look into your eyes
my heart begins to speed
I feel so safe
harm could never come my way
I realize that there is no other
no one like you
I love you so much
when I hold you
I don't want to let go
I found the man in my dreams
my Romeo
I dread the thought of letting go
although I know I must

~+~

Sunshine
Skrybe

You say I should trust you, because there is no reason
not to
But when you come in at 4 in the morning, tell me what
else am I to do?

If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times;
my love can only endure so much disappoint-- Sunshine.

I've played the silent role over and over again, see-
just to appease you I've denied myself; I was someone
other than me.
Too many games for one man to play all at one time... 
but when I dared to speak on it I was threatened with
that:" I'll just leave" line.

How could this be? this strong soul rendered weak and 
blind- A heart taken and reshapened at the hands of -
Sweet Sunshine 

~+~

"I know more than you think I know....and I think its funny :) "
n.d.nate

everybody's all right, but I feel ashamed,
as I think of how much i've changed
criss cross the cross, and minus the loss,
to think id be the one they'd actually toss,
chip off the old block, if they only knew, six feet under, only with you
the pain from the rain, burns my skin, makes me so happy, where to begin
the dark from the light, tells me i'm rite, to damn the man, and his masterplan
more is less to understand, when the blind can see, and the dead can be
only in bed, will u be yourself, when you know the dead, move in stealth
anti-depressants for us to share,
adolescence, ill meet you there
wasted time, just in time, this is all starting to rhyme
sunburnt inside, dying for you, I hate the liars, but just the few
my bleeding skin, my forgotten way, so long ago, just yesterday
~+~

I shed my skin
and fled
nothing else to hold me down
my shell, now empty, abandoned as my dreams
i cried and died
a small sacrifice
a price i was all too willing to pay.
I shed my skin
and fled
nothing else to keep me here
away i am and so lonely
but finding i am not alone
surrounded by the depth 
of your stoned gaze
i try to move, 
but my skin finds me still
awake now
in this dreamland 
screaming, i shed not my skin, 
but my life

 Jessica G 

~+~

This life we have, needed sharing and I did not know. 
Things you have shown me, Love I now know
Could never survive any place else.
Gentle compulsion moves me toward you,
Ever my creed, until such devotion, Was easy to read:
Such love never becomes reality,
Spirits could never exhibit such animation.
And now I am lost within you.
Alone at times and daunted by life-sized love
Real love, parted now and hurting.
Wearied days launch themselves
At me and I cannot contend with their needs
Nor want to, it's true.
I needed you here to loosen my thoughts,
Regain piece of mind.
It's when I am with you that we can cast off our skin,
Emerge, blinking into the light of our passion,
Free for a time from this careworn cocoon,
To be butterflies, just for a time,
To be butterflies.
geblais

~+~

CRIES OF THE SOUL
Musarat Shehzadi 

I see
A black rose
Crumbling
Into so many pieces
And in this
Dark night
Far in the distance
I hear
Cries of the soul

~+~

TAKE ME...TO THE LIGHT...TAKE ME TO...THE RAINBOW...ABOVE...
I AM...ON FIRE...CALIFORNIA...IS A NIGHTMARE...TOO MANY...
DARK RED LIGHTS...CHERRY...TREES...TREES AND FIRE...
THIS POEM...THIS POEM...IS DOOMED...FIRE...BLACK...WATER...
DRAGONFLIES...DEAD...TUMBLE...AWAY...CRUSHING DEAD GREY...
CRUSHING...AND SIFTING...INTO BLEAK NONSENSE...CLOSE THE DOOR...
OPEN YOUR...FROZEN EYES...NO TIME...WATCHES ARE MELTING...
...NO...MORE...WORDS...KILL THE GERMS...IN YOUR EYES...
THIS...IS A DAY...IN MAY...PAIN...IS...GONE...INSIPID FLOWERS...
DARK RED AND PURPLE VIOLETS...SEE...ME...AND YOU...DEADLY BLUE...
DEADLY WHITE...PUSH...TOUCH...AND DROWNING WILLOW BIRDS...
WILLOWS BIRDS MAKE HER CRY...FLESH OF THE PUPPET IN HIS MIND...
DANCING...CRIMSON BURDENS...I KNOW YOU WILL NEVER...UNDERSTAND...
STAND AND CRASH...SILENTLY...UNTANGLED...HER SHIRT IS BLUE...

 RICK SIHLER

~+~

A pearl floats in the cloudy water
try to catch it
catch it before it floats away
before the beauty is lost forever
into the hands of someone undeserving
the treasure will disappear
its beauty will never be discovered
with that fragile beauty,
so mysterious
it hides as if it holds the deepest secret 
that could fade into nothing
at any second
Amy 

~+~

Remembrance
Jim Miller

When I here your name,
I picture you in a chair.
Reading me a story,
or combing my hair.
Playing games,
doing puzzles,
I see you now your doing
well. I can see the stubbornness
you carry so well.

That was then this is now
you sit and
play games,
do puzzles.
When i visit there is always
something new to share,
we sit and watch.

Today you sit, tomorrow
you will never fade from my
memory.
~+~
Eyes
by David Bielicka

You ask why i do not look into your eyes
I will explain and the answer to you i confide
The reason i don't look into just anyone's eyes
It was said once that the eyes are the window to the soul
I believe this to be true and wise thing to be told
In those eyes, tears swell and fall
When you see that special someone
When you fear that certain something
In the love you feel
In the pain you know is real
All can be seen by those eyes
Any emotion any feeling they express
They also can not lie, Words can change but your eyes confess
So now you know the reason for
My eyes failing to reach your so far
Your words or actions i do not ignore
Just truly looking into your universe, will take more time than to write this verse...

~+~

We Were Angels
Becky Bessinger

The waitress
with the tight dress
balanced dirty cups
and half-eaten dinners on her hips
and sashayed towards the kitchen
with the boys following her
hoping to get a toothy smile
from her cherry blossom lips.

They left us stranded in the booth
to look over their burgers
with our pouty eyes.
We reached out vengeful fingers
and grasped the meat of their dinner
covering it in a blizzard of salt.
Shoving our evidence under golden buns,
we slid in our chairs 
keeping cool
acting like angels.

~+~

The day I found out
Amanda

The day my life was ruined,
I found out that,
The guy that has my heart,
Likes someone else.

I can't believe it I won't believe it.
He can't but he does,
He likes another girl
I feel crushed my heart is broken.

Why couldn't she fall,
Off the face of the earth.
Why did he like her,
She is dumb and young.

But he does,
He likes someone else.

~+~

UNREQUITED LOVE
Christina 

Unspoken words
linger in my soul
Hidden in my chamber
ones never seen before
Shadows of my dignity
my mind, heart, and soul
Crushed by the words you've spoken
ones never heard before
Left behind to find
the will of your way
Never meant to unravel
but these words I had to say
Teased by your outside
a mesmerizing walk
Fooled by your inside
sweet, smart, and soft
Still left behind to find
the will of your way
Never meant to unravel
but these words I just had to say
~+~

Life the Way He Sees It 
-Christopher DeJesus

Life is but a piece of ourselves.
We see each other as we wish to be seen,
But do not treat each other that way.
Should the blazing sun set on us and scorch our minds,
Our world would end incomplete.
The lives lost would be infinite, 
For everyone would perish into the mind of the maker.
But why should we go to our creator if there is not one at all,
And we have only created our own.
The Lord is what we call Him,
And perhaps he resides above us all.
Should we believe it or not is up to each individual,
His or her beliefs are unique.
But life will surely end the same, 
Whether or not you take these into your own conscience.
I believe, but that is not the point.
We will all see the sun set the same 
As our world becomes part of the unknown,
And we once again cry for forgiveness.

~+~

STREETS
Robert DuBose

The streets raise us strong but take us quick. They have fed, clothed and even sheltered my adolescence. Now, like everything else, they've turned their back n me. Why? Because I'm determined not to be what you're trying to make me? At one point in time the streets were all I had. Shaping my mind and molding my body into what IT wanted me to be. Selfish, money hungry and uncaring. A parasite to my own existence. Feeding off of others weaknesses. This way of life is raping and pillaging my thoughts. This gun is getting too heavy to tote. At some time or another things have to change. Whether for better... or worse. I feel my time has come. PLEASE... bare with me!!!

~+~

"WALK ALONG THE BEACH"
Patricia.Smith

Calmly I walked along the beach, as if it were my first time.
There was water as far as the eye could see.
Surging waves pounding, beating blue sudsy waters,
Against the cliffs...the rocks...the sands...
The sands of time I'd long forgotten!
Now the sands from the hour glass run swiftly...freely,
Time is running out...grain by each...grain.
How I would give anything right now!
To recapture the noise of the sea gulls...smells of the oceans,
To ride once more upon the waves.
Fill my glass full of sand again!
Oh! To go back living life to the fullest!
Fearlessly pushing all the limits...standing on the edge!
To feel the peace and comfort of loving arms,
like the waves that wrap the driftwood below.
To feel the velvety grass of home, like the sands beneath my feet.
The fading sands...of time rushing out...being pulled by the tides.
As the waves move out to sea...I too must leave!
For the glass has run out! My walk along the beach is done! 
The End.

~+~

Lighthouse of my fear
built coldly in an undistinguishable fog
Lighting up through the window of my soul 
showing opaque but profound mental pictures
as the blood in my veins struggle to get to the end 
hiding from the light
only to come back in a stale and monotonous circle

JOSEJO

~+~

Seedling
Erik Stonikas

Something in You is ancient-new with me.
Your smile (oooo...please kill me, 
drown me in your richsweet beauty)
Sends a false familiar velvet seed (featherfloating like the dandy-lions 
i wished on when the sky was two feet further)
which nuzzles itself into the far-from-fertile soil of my Scar (dumbfounded, 
my waters part for the entrance of our fu 
[perhaps wrongfully, i claim part of you unseen time 
for my self, for Us in the name of L...] ture).
and there it will blossom (with glorious petals -
and the bees will take the nectar therefrom
and they will join the singing birds, 
even if these nectared bees have no song of their own...
*giggle*)
.
Something in You(me) is ancient-new in Me(you)...
~+~

CIRCLES
bbroussard

I have people who circle around me A lot :) ...and those round 
who I circle....
circle, "is that what I do?"
ah yess, I do see more, than "1 side of U!"...
side?

but I am not square, have no sides nor edges, only roundness appears...
yes sides- to A circle......
.... and sides of A sphere, 
but without the insides,
no shell would appear....

there R sides... but within the circle they hide.
blending around so U can't really tell where 1 starts and finishes...

1 front and 1 back,
bottom and top;
but yes they do meld....
no start, and no stop.

~+~

Culturosity
 Roger J. Kenyon 

In sand rests an oyster
at the bottom of a sea.
Knowing nothing about culture 
except pearls.
That will later be worn by 
uncultered rich women from 
all three coasts.


The mother-of-pearl producer
at a coming out ball.
Will be consumed in style
on the half shell.

~+~

CURSE
Robert E. Wheeler

Oregon, the word now sticks
on your strangled tongue,
like Hitler's sweaty brownshirt--
Soaked not by work, but by 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, slave labor, worldwide!

Hospital morgues, adoring
corpses, serial killers,
assembly line treason.

Chicken farmer legislature, unfit
for the world. 

~+~

Soldiers
michael miller

They march in unified order,
They carry pride and their lives into battle,
Leaving their past behind,
They will go forward hence,
Fighting in the trenches filled with dense smoke,
Hearing the shouts of triumph and the cries of death,
But only the strong willed can survive till the end of time

~+~

My Time Has Come
Kimberly K.

His hand is warm, He leads my way.
It's in His plan, I'm going home today.
It's funny, life and it's unexpecting turns.
He has so much to teach, we have so much to learn.
Keep your faith, we're in His hands.
He is my Father.
I am home now, in His Promise Land.
It's beautiful, beyond belief.
Beyond any word, I am at peace.
Look up, I'll wave.
I'm that twinkling star.
Keep me close, for I am not far.
See you all soon.
I'll visit in your thoughts,
I'll visit in your prayers,
It's beautiful, see you.............
See You All When You Get Here.

~+~

If I Should Die Tomorrow
 Nicole H. 

If I should die tomorrow
tell the angels to prepare
I'm on my way to heaven
it won't be long until I'm there

If I should die tomorrow
don't mourn for me that day
for I will still be watching
I'm not too far away

If I should die tomorrow
tell my best friends through their tears
that I never dreamed so much love 
would guide me through the years

If I should die tomorrow
tell my sister who I adore
that she has given me so much
and I couldn't ask for more

If I should die tomorrow
tell my parents that I care
and that my spirit will be with them
every moment, everywhere

If I should die tomorrow
these requests fulfilled will set me free
before I'm walking through the clouds
with the Lord's hands guiding me.
~+~

Reversed
Andrew Arnett

In a world where simple is complex and complex is simple
It would be complex to tie your shoe
Complex would be the term to describe addition,
And reading kids books would be complex too.

In a world where simple is complex and complex is simple
It would be simple to say I love you.
Simple would be the term to describe cryptography,
And the cure for AIDS would be simple to find too.

In a world where simple is complex and complex is simple
All the simple minded would rule the world,
And when the day of judgment has cometh
The complex minded will be the fool.
~+~

Hurricane 
Michael Bond

No she said I don’t wanna talk about it anymore…
No she said, there’s nothing you can say that’s new….
And it doesn’t matter, because I’m screaming out
And she doesn’t wanna hear anything but herself.

It’s always overcast and she always here.
It’s always overcast and she’s always here.

She paints me a picture,
Of all that’s wrong with me,
She paints me a picture,
Of all the things I’ll never be.

I am a canvas splattered,
See me as two-dimensional
See me as what you want me to be,
I am a canvas splattered

Strip away the villainous tones, and she is underneath it all.
Strip away the colours of gray, and she is underneath it all.

She is dying, bleeding into her canvas,
She is dying, and dragging me under,
Except I am not there,
But she never felt any depth but her own.

~+~

Tilted head understanding the music generated from within
"Umm bop di dee bop," sung over and over
Each time drawing you closer to the edge of your seat
Each time sending vibrancy through your tapping feet
After its all been sung, your toes will remember the tune
"Umm bop di dee bop."

Breeolla

~+~

"I Wish"
ruff ryder chic

I wish for a guy
to love me for me,
I wish it could be.
I wish I was finer,
I wish I wasn't a minor.
I wish I was a little older,
Hoping to find a guy to keep
me warm when I get colder.
I wish my life was filled with more,
Like it was long before.
I wish things were just right,
So my life would be filled for 
the long night.

~+~

SPRUNG!
Randi Eileen Fisher

When I think of you
there's nothing i can do!
I dream of you 
While I'm in school
I can't pay attention
I'm in a third dimension!
This sucks
But in all I'm stuck!
I guess I'm sprung
and now I'm done!
I want you 
That's all I can do!

~+~

It's such a waste to be wasted 
In the first place
I want to taste the taste of
Being face to face with common grace
To mediate on the warmest dream
And when I walk alone I listen
To our secret theme
John L

~+~

The place where I grew up
In the cul-de-sac with all our friends
The hoop we all played on
The place with the playroom
The dress-ups and the toys
The hill where we use to sled
The swing set in which we amused our self
Where my family stays
It’s changed now, gone forever
This is where I use to live
Ben Skidmore

~+~

Night's Ruler
 Shelle

Her soft rays fly through the night,
And continue to float 'til the first light of dawn.

We sleep the night while she stands among her diamond subjects;
To guide our dreams through foreign lands.

We sigh and sleep, or out of bed we'll creep
To see her face, pale and bleak.

So rise again, silver lady of the night
Only to fall to the strength of a king.

~+~

Stars
 Michael Miller

I glance at them,
Standing out in the elaborate sky, 
Visible from the outer most regions of space,
Their extravagance amazes us,
The beauty will leave all who witness in awe,
They are mysterious and lurking for reasons unknown,
Not knowing when they will expire,
Stars,
Mysterious as they are

~+~

"Melanie Flowers"
-James

We will always remember your smile
Your passion for God will have a lasting impact on all of us
We continue to love you even though you are not here
Because we know that we will one day see you in heaven
In the glory of the Lord we will rejoin you
Our only regret is that we don't have you now
We love you Melanie!

~+~

OUR HEROES ARE ONLY HUMAN BEINGS
Troy Edison Tiu Yaw

The heroes we look up to are only human
They're from different races like Spanish or Cuban
What sets them apart are their talents and hearts
They possess overwhelming beauty and extraordinary smarts!

Celebs or athletes and "idols" are what we call 'em
They urinate everyday and their throats also have phlegm
They've reached their goals and what is best for our lives
They've worked hard and that's why society set 'em apart as gems!

Our heroes may look perfect but they really have flaws like us
Like ordinary folks, they could lie, confess, and cuss
None if any of you ordinary folks could live better
I'll give him or her a thumbs-up and a plus!