Rhetoric

You can know a book
like the back of your hand
but still be unable
to let any faith rest
in what you read.

Whether you think the world is round
or flat doesn't change it's actual shape or size,
only your perception of falling off the edge.

You know, pigs can fly right?

No, they don't have wings.

But hell,
I'd fly too if you launched me
from a catapult.

Today is all I can see,
but come tomorrow,
today will become yesterday
and so the cycle continues.

Yesterday follows today,
and today crawls into tomorrow
every day until our sudden
or perhaps gradual death. . .

And then what?

Does anybody know?

It's not a question that can be answered,
despite how strong your faith may make you.

When someone else shows their doubt
don't steep in pride and arrogance
when you know deep down
you have the same question too.

The World is Thoughtless

I want to see myself 

as the world sees me.

I imagine I'm small,

insignificant, menial,

but to me, I'm all there is. 

The only important things 

are those in my life I hold 

greatly above all else;

a husband, a dog-

the family I grew with,

the family I grew into.

These things mean nothing

in the eyes of a grand scheme, 

whatever it may be. 

I hold on to trinkets 

from years passed 

and never let them go 

when they signify a moment 

I thought I may somehow 

learn from in the future.

That blue button 

I found on the sidewalk

the day you found yourself in prison. 

I mourned the loss 

of your friendship because I knew 

we would never speak again.

I put my head down in prayer for you

as useless as you thought that was-

it never hurt though, did it?

Even a button, 

no matter how trivial 

the world thinks it may be

had so much meaning

in my insignificant eyes,
but the world?

Time to Heal

Am I sorry?
Yes and no.

We can't change
what we don't already know.
I sit in frustrating pain,
hurting when I move.
I've had a charlie horse
for at least a day now, you know?

What do I do with this pain?
Work it into courage,
build back what I've
so painstakingly lost.

I don't need to be weak forever,
just long enough to get me
through this freezing cold weather.

I'm Okay with Being a Grain of Sand (Imagine a Should Shrug)

Friend,
a term that I can tell
doesn't mean much to you.

Call me one,
seems like many do,
it’s not a bad idea.

I fell right through your fingers
like a grain in a handful of sand.
A grain that fell,
then blended well
with the rest on the beach.

Bet you never thought
of me that way, did you?

Good luck finding me again.

We're not exactly friends.

Use to be,
sure, but
what exactly
do you know about me?

Forget what you use to know. . .

WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW?

What’s that I hear?
Radio silence. . .

I'm a book open as wide as it can be,
yet how is it you know so little about me?

A relationship like dead air-
all I’m hearing is static.

Don't you understand?

I don't know you anymore,
I haven't for quite some time.

Choose Your Poison Carefully (Sometimes You Need To)

There's going to be a lot of
temptation in this life.

You can't give into all of it.

You can only take the temptation
of the opportunities
that speak out to you.

Because what doesn't benefit you,
will bring you down in the end.

Keep This in Mind

I spend so much time worried
about what the words say
that I don't even worry
about the delivery. . .

Sloppy.

You can have the worlds
most important message
and completely destroy it

with nothing but a bitter tone of voice.

Slammed My Finger in the Door

We're more than human,
we're emotion,
we're energy.

We're thoughts of guilt,
shame and animosity.

We're temples of the mind,
sometimes, 
slaves to sick bodies.

We're dangerous, murderous,
yet loving, giving.

Selfless and selfish at the same time.

We're all hypocrites
just doing our best
to practice what we preach,

and when we're the best at giving advice
we're always the worst at taking it.

I never got the chance to point it out.

Where Exactly is the Worry?

Perspective is a difficult thing to get past,
for fear of becoming like another.

Stepping into to someone's shoes
doesn't change the size of your feet,
or even the way you walk,
so never be afraid to see things
through someone else's eyes.

Becoming someone else isn't the goal,
but becoming a better version of yourself is.

Understanding another is one of the
greatest gifts a person can have,

and how can it ever hurt to earn a glimpse
of what the world looks like
through another set of eyes?

If Not Now, When?

Imagine if,
for every time you felt disdain;

you wrote it down,
boxed it up,
put it away.

How many boxes would you have?
Would you forget in time?
Throw them away when the right time came?

What if the boxes were so vast
they blocked the view of the sunlight
coming through your window panes?

What if they started to mingle
with the boxes of good memories?
Making it impossible to ever see
any situation in a positive light.

Sometimes, you've just got to sit down,
sort through the things that hinder you,
and empty out your full house.

Where Do We Begin?

A beautiful sight,

it may be,

but sleep too long and you'll see

the havoc it will play.

Toying with your mind to be,

nothing but a symphony

of fear and frustration

for not being able to move on

from this place I'm in.

It hovers over me,

above my chest,

like sirens in the night,

out to steal your soul ....

“I am your shipwreck,”

she says to me.

“forget ever trying

to see the shore again” she said

“because you are bound

to drown with me in agony.”

I'd like to be able to say,

that you don't have any

power over me Anxiety,

but she leaves me listless

crying like a baby,

"Oh how will I ever

be able to overcome this?"

But wait, I am not helpless,

I have some power over you too.

I can't stand here,

letting you drag me to drown,

while I’m so busy fighting the battles

going on in my own mind,

that I’m unable to see

a watery grave surrounding me.

There's always time to save yourself,

but sometimes the question needs to be asked.