Joyful melancholy.
Decades since you left me,
Messages, but only if you're happy —
Warming yourself
On the still glowing ember
That once was not enough.

Secondary motivators,
Hands of fate
Forcing our actions —
Of all their
Manipulative ways,
The most tragic
Is compassion.

Friendzoned entourage —
Predictably dependable,
Desperation palpable.
I'm here for you, babe.

Caught in the undertow,
The ballad of
Three bottle carpet rides
And miserable landings —
Happy ending happy hours
To forget the day to day.

Scripted justification
With deliberate omissions
On endless repetition —
Too smart for my own bullshit,
But will I ever learn?

The coward’s way —
Pull the pen.
Thoughts like live grenades,
Volatile emotions
Trapped in woven cages
Of defused words.

Paths, branching out,
Hard rights and heart junctures —
Full throttle,
Never back to
The mess I've left behind.

Not yours,
The right,
The prize,
The time,
Broken winnings,
Broken trust.
Greed a teacher
Showing us that
Worth lies not in having —
Such is
The paradox of taking.

At the basis of
Both failure and success
Believing is repeating —
Say that again.

Solitude in happy doses,
Planned vacations from the grind
Of all that includes others,
To reset the I.

Kindred souls inside
Clustered bubbles of tainted light,
Sharing an amiable hatred,
Watching the world distort.

If you're happy
And you know it,
Teach me how.

It's hard not to love,
But harder not to hate
When life seldom gives,
And everyone takes.

A spark of sin
Like Winter's heart
Undergoing global warming —
It's not glowing yet,
But give it time.

Happiness impervious,
Abortive bids to shine —
All aboard the mimic-gimmick
Yellow central line.

Raised on values,
Right and proper —
Moths compelled
To artificial light,
Opposite the true horizon.

Time, forever marching,
Mortal coils unwinding —
Only memories rewinding,
Seeking warmth to mute the cold
Of every dimming light.

Social calculus
Never agreed with me.
Negative squared —
Mirrored truths won't carry.

Bonsai morality,
Trimmed to please —
Less is more.
Ideals cost,
And sears are cheap.

Stressful,
Unhealthy beyond reason —
Invigorating nonetheless.