Lawn Battles

The rivalry between armies is strong,

Equal in strength and number.

Every battle is 90 minutes,

Each ending in one’s demise.

The armies are only 11-strong

And carry no swords or guns,

Yet they come out bruised and bloody;

Sometimes, it’s even worse.

When the 90 minutes come to a close

And a whistle’s shriek sounds,

Some heads are high and some are low,

Yet both armies talk as friends.

Knowing Her Worth

She is seen.
She is the candle in the night.

She is strong.
She is the wind in the sails.

She is valued.
She is the amaryllis in the weeds.

She is important.

Who Are They?

He's the quiet person at the back of the room
He's the quiet person who doesn't talk much
He's the quiet person who has plenty of ideas
He's the quiet person who never lets them be heard

He's the noisy person at the back of the room
He's the noisy person who can't help but talk
He's the noisy person who doesn't know what's going on
He's the noisy person who needs help following along

He's the lazy person at the back of the room
He's the lazy person who is never prepared
He's the lazy person who wants everything easy
He's the lazy person who can't wait for the day to be over

She's the busy person at the back of the room
She's the busy person who is running on 3 hours of sleep
She's the busy person who barely has any personal time
She's the busy person who never takes a break

She's the open person at the back of the room
She's the open person who has no secrets
She's the open person who doesn't care what others think
She's the open person who has all the friends

She's the private person at the back of the room
She's the private person who struggles alone
She's the private person who no one really knows
She's the private person who never asks for help

Untitled (May 2015)

She's left alone on the floor

The room, cold and dark around her

No one seems to understand

Her world deteriorates as they leave

Each person in her life vanishes

She has no one to talk to

The world grows smaller and darker

No relief in sight

But he's been watching her -

He knows the pain she feels:

Stabbed in the back and shattered heart

If only she knew she's not alone

She sits on the roof at night

The man in the moon looking down on her

The moon's light is her sun

The darkness - her blue sky

The creaking of the roof startles her

She spins around to see him

Her eyes - blue as sapphire

His eyes - green as jade

They sit together on that roof

Their hearts pour out like rain

At last, they're not alone.

At last, they have a friend.

Last Goodbye

She and I sit in the dim room,

Laughing and sobbing on her book-covered floor.

“When do you leave?”

Wanting no reply.

“Tomorrow morning,” she replies

With a tear racing down her soft, smooth skin.

I take her up in my arms,

Holding her as tightly as I can.

My sleeve dampens from her pouring tears

And the brush of her long, blonde hair

Plastered to her rosy cheeks.

“I love you,” I want to tell her,

But I know it’d only hurt worse,

So we sit there in silence.

“Alexis?”

The silence becoming too painful.

She looks up. “Hmmm?”

I look into those hazel eyes.

“I promise this won’t be the end.”

Freedom in the Light

The sunlight creeps over the horizon,
All the days of pain are finally done,
I start to feel released from the darkness,
I start to feel freedom from the distress.

I ascend from valley to mountaintop,
When I see the beauty, I start to sob,
Not for the light I thought I'd never see,
But for the beauty strewn out before me.

When I look around me; oh, what a view!
Hundreds of birds filling the skies, so blue,
And each mountain peak clothed in blinding white,
And prairies below, gold with morning's light.

I may have been consumed by night's dark veil,
But I know the light will always prevail.

Running Through the Black

The darkness encroaches from all around,
The evil surrounding me is torture,
The light I once saw's nowhere to be found,
The good I once felt has since been murdered.

For every sun I see, I'm more alone,
And every moon, I find I'm more depressed,
When everyone's asleep, I'll flee from home,
For when I'm at home, I'm too stressed to rest.

I'll run through the dark streets and black alleys,
Evading searching eyes in the deep night,
I watch as each shadow slowly dallies,
And silhouettes made from the light behind.

I can't stop feeling lonely; I'm a mess,
Happiness is gone; I'm drowned in darkness.

Love is Stubborn

Those affectionate feelings have returned,

But this time, they seem like they want to stay,

This time, the feelings aren't shared; I'm concerned

That this time, they will not just go away.

Last time they came, things were so different:

We'd basically just met, almost strangers,

But this time they come around, we're best friends,

This time around, things could get much stranger.

These emotions try to make my eyes tear,

They spin me in circles, getting dizzy,

The words I heard last year ring in my ear:

"Maybe later, but right now, I'm busy."

I thought this attraction had, at last, past.

Now it's telling me, "Hold on. Not so fast."

It's All Over

I have destroyed everything, I’m sorry,

All that I can do is cause us to fight,

Our relationship’s gone, dead, and buried,

I’m sorry I can’t do anything right.

I remember the times when we would dance,

I remember when love was in your eye,

I know now I don’t get another chance,

I know now that all joyous things must die.

The loving times we shared just came and went,

I told you that all I can be is cruel,

But I let myself think it wouldn’t end,

Why did I think it would last? I’m a fool!

I find myself living all my worst fears,

No one can help; I’m drowning in my tears.

Look Again

You feel alone, you feel like you're unloved,
You don't sense hope, you lack that happiness,
You love the seclusion of your cold loft,
You feel the darkness of life is endless.

What are you feeling when you lack a friend?
How do you think you can get rid of hurt,
After all, every life comes to an end,
Every life, hid under heaps of warm dirt.

But what if you could have a second chance?
What if there is a chance you never knew?
A sliver of hope, missed by your first glance,
A friendly voice, it's calling out for you.

"Oh love. My love. Why won't you run to me?!
"Come fall into my arms; I'll set you free!"