Cross

Silver around a finger
with an image of a Cross.
To believe or not?
I can't fathom the loss.

Worn as a symbol
of eternal devotion.
To the Man himself
with undying emotion.

At a glance it is vain
with lustrous tone.
But a reminder
you are never alone.

Phoenix

Dropped from my wing:
One small feather.
Sinking into ash.
Red-orange in color.

Snuffed out by the wind,
blowing forth change.
Quick in the moment-
to be reborn is strange.

New energy and essence
as I shoot to the sky.
Ash flaking off my body-
as I will never die.

Dreaming?

I find you,
and your ways,
very distasteful,
as we revolve for days.

Rocking away,
on the raft in the puddle.
The real intentions...
they begin to muddle.

As the roots sprout
from my fingers and toes-
this planet is my home
and I do not want to go.

Unable to awaken
from this lucid dream, I turn.
Staring faceless in the mirror,
yet my eyes they still burn.

Work

To negate your value:
that is what I opine.
It's very easy, see,
you will pay one small fine.

Be sure you are ready.
You can never go back.
Once it is said,
humility is what you lack.

Do not fret of the Lord,
and how His judgement skates.
We'll teach you the terms
and precisely how to hate.

Step One is quite simple:
To me you will give your soul.
You won't need it for what's next.
Consider it sold.

Step Two is not easy.
Your emotions will be fake.
Start your mighty witch hunt.
Verbally drown them in a lake.

If you pass this step
you may proceed to the tower.
Continue with hubris,
it should take no more than an hour.

At the precipice
there lies a Troll.
A keeper of the network,
the bell he must toll.

The ringing commences,
as your words travel on.
There's no taking them back,
or telling the damage you've done.

Saving Face

Carve down your being
until only your shell remains.
Look at all you are.
You must be tamed.

You can't be fat.
Lose the weight now-
but wait!
Not like that!

Every pore blurred,
deleted and altered.
Look into my eyes,
you mustn't falter.

Your brown eyes?
They're cool,
but the trend
is now blue.

Convictions I spat,
of sales and addiction.
The words make you matte,
without any affliction.

Make sure you are thin,
with assets "just so."
Skin like porcelain.
The ivory tower grows.

There you are!
I'm so glad you stayed!
Look into my mirror,
and watch it all fade.

It knows no Surface,
or of the face you've pasted.
Beauty runs deeper than that.
Look at the time you've wasted.

Rat Race

Welcome to the race,
as inevitable as it seems.
Dissolve all you know,
and watch your past gleam.

Eighteen is your ripe age,
with your "glory" years ahead.
The prospect of success
will make you feel far from dead.

First things first!
We will make you get a degree.
The carrot in your face,
be sure to get at least a three.

You'll have to start now.
You can not wait.
Time is of the essence.
You can't escape fate.

You don't know what to study?
Or quite what to do?
No worries my sweet child,
We'll  choose what's best for you.

You'll graduate in four years.
Any addition would be too much.
Your major and minor?
All trivial stuffs.

Again I congratulate.
Welcome to the Race.
The loans you are left with...
you are not a special case.

You need that paper
worth one hundred grand.
Don't fret young rat,
do not drop it from your hand.

The hours you spent
where you studied and sat:
you will be blessed with the dream,
asking, "would you like fries with that?"

We want fresh graduates
with five years experience.
You scoff with entitlement,
but we are serious.

Potential? What's that?
You'll have to jump the fence.
I'm sorry you weren't qualified.
You lacked the experience.

Let's revisit that loan,
for a second and see,
chained until you are fifty,
you will never be free.

Burn up the dream
of owning a home.
You will never afford that.
You have your life loan.

Welcome to the Race.
It goes until the end.
It's everyone for themselves,
it'd be best if you can blend.

Unbattle

For The Unbattle Project
San Diego, CA

Uniform on.
Arms in place.
You must remember it's over,
but your mind continues to race.

Take a pill
and quell your mind.
Try to break the memories
that torment and bind.

They aren't just memories,
they are the real thing.
You can still feel the pain,
every hot flesh sting.

He whispered with demand
as Sam held out his hand.
"Come with me young man,
I have your future planned."

He said, "We keep score,
protecting this earthly dome.
I teach you to go to war,
but not how to come home."

Me

I wish you to know
this is not what I want.
I'll strip down for you 
and unravel my thoughts.

Vernacular imprinted,
so I peel back each cloth.
Down past the skin,
to my spirit, a moth.

My soul, it pours,
to the paper and down.
Screaming in warning,
without an utterance or sound.

You will not see me.
Not even my face.
While you read every word
at an uneasy pace.

Take it slow.
Let it heal.
My subject:
it is all very real.

I write just for me.
Not for show.
The pen, my ally
offers a place to stow.

Tattooed to my essence,
it is not what it seems.
Tangled in the web
now falling from the beams.

Mangled are my thoughts
as I exhale them out.
Seeping into the page
with every emotional bout.

I wish these to stand
as a reflection of me.
oozing to the page
with mirror to humanity.

Ladies Best Friend

My sister and she sat.
Both of the same age.
Hair as dark as a bat,
demeanor of a sage.

They grow old together,
but one at ten times the pace.
Twenty-one years and counting,
both with beauty and grace.

"My best friend," they thought.
My sister and she sat.
My sister was beaming,
accompanied by Lucky, the cat.

For Arianna

With swift hand He came,
sunlit palms as He took,
the spirit of you
with a mere second look.

We will miss you Ari,
each memory we hold,
your actions of the heart
gilded with gold.

I look up to the sky
and see your sweet face.
I can feel your laughter,
your charisma and grace.

I wish you to know
you are so loved my dear.
And will never be forgotten-
through each passing year.

We pray and wait
for His unwavering dove.
Until we meet again
in the heavens above.

He Likes You

Through the screen
he longs to feel pride.
Scrolling and posing,
to the world he lied.

Placing and restless
he loves through the App.
Seduced by Medusa,
why not double tap?

Arm wrapped around her,
tech-fection in hand.
She grew tired and lonesome,
she took a stand.

But where are you going?
My like for you beams!
without you I can't be
the perfect man through the screen.

She Likes You

I'm losing my connection,
and expectations of you and me.
Are we going the proper direction?
We must consult The Great Network Tree.

Hold me close
Be still for the selfie.
but not that tight.
They all want to see.

Trans to the screen,
while holding your hand.
To them it doesn't matter,
who you are as a man.

Hold still.
Tilt left.
Shift right.
Get the perfect light.

But where are you going?
They all want to see!
Without you I can't be
the perfect woman through the screen!

1085

The sky beams blue
as the grass regains its hue.
Such a beautiful day
with nothing to do.

Days like these,
they are rare.
Peace and serenity.
Not a worry or care.

I want this to last,
and hope no one will bother.
One thousand and eighty five days-
Flint still has no water.

The Modern Rabbit Hole

I thumb,
therefore I am.
We click,
yet thrive on spam.

It attaches and pulls.
Attention.
Love.
Affection.

In love with the gleam,
and instant satisfaction.
Scrolling through life,
guaranteed unlimited attention.

Check in an grace importance,
"Standing Rock: We oppose the greed!"
Twenty three likes later,
I have done my good deed.

Severing our reality,
emotionless conversation.
Making easy instability,
Hashtag Selfie Nation.

People Like Me

For Edward.

It does not matter the term,

the confidence is what I lacked.

It's not contagious,

But stares I could feel behind my back.

See, my hair was spotty,

from an irresistible urge.

I wanted to see,

if there truly existed people like me.

Scrolling one day

through the endless feed.

I stumbled upon,

a community seed.

Hesitant I joined.

Connections, they grew.

All the people like me,

I wish I earlier knew.

Like a fortress we stand.

Together we see,

all around the room

they are people like me.

Global Village

Deliberation on lives,
while the time you take -
however long -
she almost dies.

He came to you Liberty
with his life in His palms.
This promise: to be free.
Few and narrow qualms.

A hundred years former,
and he spiritually remains.
The poor man
Who had luxury and came.

Dearest Liberty as you sleep
the island you now guard.
All while your children weep,
a monument of the part.

She comes to you Liberty.
For asylum and a life.
The race you associate,
will only shape her plight,

While our voices are strained,
our ancestors they are guidance.
With our Wall  of arms,
we will never be silenced.

Sky Top

On top of the world,
she sat like a queen.
Basking in the warmth,
and a heart full of green.

The hawks they soared,
through the cobalt sky.
Gliding with great ease,
she wished she could fly.

The breeze tickled her ankles,
while Present longed for attention.
grazing her mind.
Enticing with indention.

Hazel with flecks of blue
only saw what she could touch.
Ignoring all the details,
it wasn't really much.

All she saw was the surface,
like a decaying fixture.
Can you prove it truly happened,
if you didn't post the picture?

To Whom It May Concern

Man of sincerity,

with a billionaire continuum.

Space between each character,

tweets the news like bacterium.

Bound by the free,

yet home of the Brave.

Scared by my right to be,

color blind folded by pleas.

We all have that dream,

of being able to thrive.

...To beam.

...To succeed.

In love with hate,

To divide,

we debate.

Keep talking that talk.

With finesse, thumbs ablaze.

It's time to walk the walk,

with NO reward or praise.