Thanksgiving 2015 (A Working Title)

Thanksgiving 2015 (A Working Title)

You never told me
How much you love me
Because from the very first night
It wasn't love
It wasn't true
And you knew
It'd never be... me and you

Take me to the beginning

I wrote the love letters
Held your hand
But it must have been too tight
I guess I should've just texted,
Emojied my feelings,
And clicked like

Bring me to the bridge

We made the memories
Filter free
Just you, me, and the scenery
Too bad we didn't Instagram it
Because now those memories
Reside strictly in my heart and mind

Now, the turn...

You laughed and you smiled
Sharing with this world
Your unspeakably beautiful soul
Thank you for not making for yourself
A life made of Facebook status updates
Thank you for your in-person timeline

Hold my breath

So, you've probably figured me out
Figured that the opening was the beginning
Of my growth in not only understanding
But in appreciation
So, thank you for being kind, compassionate
For being so very genuine

Exhale to the truth

Let me bring that past beginning
To the present enlightened gratitude

It's over
It will always be over
And
I'm grateful for your genuine love
I will always be grateful

Remember to breath

Now that I know
How wrong I was
To not say thank you
I'll put it into words

Whether those words be in ink
Or in type on the screen
You hold in that hand
That once held my heart
And so graciously gave it back intact

These words will be here
These words will cascade
Across the reader's lips
In rhythm with the heartbeat
You empowered

We never had Paris
But we'll always have
What was so very real

The beginning and end both in the past

Exact Same Coin

Exact Same Coin
What grabs a hold
Of a downward gaze
Shifting a saddened despair
To an unseen hope in the stars?

Could it be
That the unknown
Is not humanity's greatest fear
But its greatest hope?

After all
It's from what we know
That we define and develop our fears
And it's in mystery we discover new hope

We fear for our lives
So we find hope in an unknown future
A future with the potential
For something better

If only people who feared the unknown
Would find hope
In knowledge
A new understanding

It's not about being
Open-minded
Or even open-hearted
It's simply about hoping

Hoping to know

The Princess Born of Two Moons and No Seasons

The Princess Born of Two Moons and No Seasons

There are four seasons to the year
The beginning in its new life, Spring
The sun in its high sky, Summer
The moon, crooked in its harvest crest, Autumn
The light, gone cold as all other things, Winter

There are those gifted with elemental control
So chosen by powers unknown
The nature of their element decided upon
When they were born
However...

There is only one day a year
This day does not belong
To any one of the seasons
This day has a night as bright
With two moons replacing one sun at day's end

Those born to this day
Have a potential for an absence of power
But an immunity to the four seasons when generated from mortal hands
A power granted for being born
Outside the seasons

Legend states it as thus so long as the moons
Both glow without the union
Of the ends of light's spectrum
However, if one moon should glow diamond
The other glow onyx

A child born of those two moons
Outside the four seasons
Such a child will be one with the power
Over all four seasons
A power, not of generation, but of control

From the spirit of this child
No power will flow
But from within the strength
Of their spirit
They will control the presence of the four

This power to control
When held in the hands of purity
Can be the key to humanity's
One true goal:
The happiness found only in peace

Such a power found in purity
A purity nurtured by love
A love provided both from within and without
This is purity
Not perfection

It is not asked of the child of two moons
To be perfectly pure
Without the slightest blemish to their soul
It is asked that the child be one who loves
With a pure, unconditional heart

This child will save the world
With their heart

Accurate Analogies from Capitol Hill

Accurate Analogies from Capitol Hill

Dreams are like people
They are not to be
Bought
Paid for
Sold
Nor leveraged

Dreams are not like politicians
Who are blatantly, obviously
Bought
Paid for
Sold
And leveraged

So, logic would dictate
A simple conclusion:
Politicians are not people

Now how can the voice
Of the public
Be expressed by those
Who are without dreams?

For the Silenced, I Offer Words to Remind You of Your Great Potential

For the Silenced, I Offer Words to Remind You of Your Great Potential

There's no time left
For your loveless lies
Deliberate absentmindedness
And callous carelessness

You've broken your hands
On your watch
And on my face
Until you thought there was nothing left

You live debt free
Because your conscience
Was the first casualty
Of your fear and weakness

Or perhaps you don't deserve
The excuses of a coward
Your burdens were consciously constructed
By your own heartlessness

So now, right now
You look me in the face
Into my eyes
The eyes of someone strong

You just try and say it
Say goodbye
Like you actually care
And know I don't believe you

But more importantly
Know I don't need you
Even more importantly
I won't be you

It is not arrogant
For me to claim
That I am and will always be
Better than you

It is the responsible thing to do
To place upon myself
This goal
To be better

So, on second thought,
Keep your gaze
For the failure in the mirror
I am me

No one can take that
From me
No circumstance can take that
From me

I am still here
I am not hopeless
I am loved
I am inspiring

With Every Promise, Every Tear, Every Time

With Every Promise, Every Tear, Every Time

It's in gratitude
That I clock in
Each and every day

It's in gratitude
That I laugh
And smile my big, goofy smile

It's in gratitude
That I cry
Tears of joy

It's in gratitude
That I bring
My energy and personality to the classroom

It's in gratitude
That I write
Letters of recommendation

Before I finish
Let me dive
Into the tears I shed for you

You will find anger
Over the injustices done against you
In my tears

You will find sorrow
For the pain you feel
In my tears

You will find joy
For the smiles on your faces
In my tears

You will find pride
For all that you accomplish
In my tears

You will find hope
For the better future you can make for this world
In my tears

You will find gratitude
For being the best students and amazing people
In my tears

What you will never find
In these tears
Is so much as a single drop of shame

When you fail
I don't cry
I cry in awe when you try again

So why don't I drown
In so many tears?
Well that question brings me to the end

Like the unstoppable oceans
Of this vast and endless world
My tears have strength

However, it is a strength
From without, not within
It's a strength given to me by you

Thank you for giving me the strength
To lift trophies, wear medals, hold certificates
The strength to cheer, smile, and beam with pride

Thank you for giving me the strength
To say with confidence
That I love you all and always will

It's in gratitude
That I finish this poem
With this promise:

When I say I will always
Be here for you
I mean it with every tear I shed

Lied To Laws of Forced Apathy

Lied To Laws of Forced Apathy

We were told
The world would be left
In the palms of our hands
Like a precious jewel from the depths
Of its greatest oceans

But that was the lie
To keep us spinning
The wheels of their industry
Broken and bought leaders
Warped, downright evil priorities

The truth is
The world has been harvested
Left with craters of devastation
To be filled with the stolen purpose
Of the next generation

We will inherit less
Than what once was
By the we-know-betters
Of the past
Who made promises while missing their sold soul

They stomped our idealism
Creating a reality in which
A heart that has stopped beating
Cannot be brought back
Even by the once unstoppable power of love

The sad irony
Is that had the love
Never been taken away
And deemed weakness
The hearts of the youth

Could have beat forever and ever