The branches we trim
And the nature we nurture
May change our path,
But never that
Of the sun.

Not all is love —
Some are drawn
To fire
Out of an affinity
With ash.

Infant hopes,
Unrecognized,
Dreaming of the day
They'll be acknowledged,
Whispering sweet nothings
In deaf ears —
We are here,
Do not be afraid
To hold our hand
And take a stand
For what you want.

Wisdom comes with age?
I don't know, it's hard to say.
I've slowed down, but I don't mind —
Just know that
I've stopped playing games
That I can't play in my own time
Without falling behind.

Comply —
What I believe,
You should too,
And I'll harass
Anyone
Who does not think
The way I do.

I am
Still reeling,
Thoughts stuttering,
Shards of trust littering
My every waking moment,
But I think I can tell that we —
Not yet, but eventually —
Will reach a place
That might feel
Somewhat
Okay.

Words yanked back,
Swallowed
Mid-pronunciation,
Bitch-slapped by reason —
You'd never hear the end of this.

I wish I could go
Abracadabra
And make it all okay —
I wish, I wish,
But the world's no longer
Wired that way.

My heart, a map,
Heartache carved
In grueling detail —
Here be dragons,
Here be death,
But where could be
My place?

You took a broken dream
And made it shine —
Shards radiant,
Reflecting, refracting
A beautiful inner light.
Congratulations.
You found the meaning of life.

An ancient lie,
Unquestioned,
Paraded in plain sight —
We
Don't need
To be led.

Days blending with the gray,
Enthusiasm waning —
Waving trees can't compensate
My chronic lack of sun,
Nor for the cold September rain.

Homecomings and sweet goodbyes,
In absence we become ourselves —
Welcome back, you have changed.
But then again, so have I.

Long for warmth,
Reach for cold —
Gilded dreams
Until we're old.

Ikea sentiments,
Assembled with prepackaged
Nuts and bolts —
Take a stock opinion
That still feels like it's
Your own.

Hearts tread on
Like a shell path —
Crunch on,
Sensitivity be damned.
Where there is a selfish will,
There is always a way.

Primal fears
And existential love,
The flame
And the powderkeg —
Hold me close
And light our world.

Pull a thread
And watch it
Fall apart.

Impatient
In absence,
In anticipation —
Involuntary knots
At the bottom of
The emptiness within.

Caught in a haze,
Gray moods
On a sunny day —
How does one fill
Emptiness?