Stories We Tell For Other People

We give false narrations to strangers lives

like they're characters we've made from scratch

putting them into fictional stories that reach the

best selling list for weeks on end

We give false personalties to match our interests

like they're the hero of their own story but the villain in ours

no matter how hard they try to subside, they'll fail to revive

as the good guy in our lives until we say goodbye

We give false voices to those who will remain voiceless

like their voices were always ours to create

it was never up for debate or to outright hate

because we silence those who we never say hello to

★

We see people everyday

people who we do not know

people who we will never know

for our paths were never supposed to cross

However

we create scenarios and situations with people

we judge their motives without ever hearing them

we give them a life they do not live

we silence them without hearing them speak

It's not fair to judge or misinterpret people but we do

We're human

★

Should we give people the benefit of the doubt?

Should people be allowed that?

Should we watch their actions first?

Do actions speak louder than words?

Or do words speak louder than actions?

★

The stories we tell ourselves keep us sane

but they also disadvantage us

from being open with others

We can't believe everything we read

We can't question everything we see

We can't know someone if we don't know them at all

Tell all the stories you'd like

but leave room for the truth

in this new year

Be kind

Be honest

Share your own story

let others share theirs too

A Normally Silent Night

The Shepard boy heard

bells ringing in his sleep

He stayed calm but knew

something had happened


For the blue star

in the glistening night sky

was brighter than before

making him smile with great joy


Anticipation in the air gave him chills

as he stared up at the unknown universe

captivated by the blue star


As the bells from afar continued to ring

bringing noise to a normally silent night

Gifts of the Season

Gifts of snow
blanketing the earth
welcoming this joyous season

Gifts of happiness
around a sparkling tree
children opening their presents with glee

Gifts of new life are breathtakingly beautiful
a new soul welcomed into a world
unknown to their gorgeous eyes

Gifts of family
people who love you no matter what
sometimes sharing blood
and sometimes not

Gifts of struggling things about yourself
what you cannot change
you cannot run from yourself your whole life
so you examine what cannot be changed
and learn to love what you once hated

Gifts of challenges that help you grow
into who you're meant to become
what once scorned you in the moment
but are extremely grateful for later down the open road

Gifts of tears falling down your emotional face
when you're moved, frustrated, or sad
those tears make you stronger
embrace them fully

Gifts of learning to embrace each day
not to let the negative little things
get in the way

Gifts of giving gifts
thinking of someone you care for
getting them a present
that will make them
happy, warm, or thankful 

Gifts of the innocent children
who are filled with great joy

Blank Painting

He was determined
to make a name
for himself

From what he could not say
for he did not know
what he wanted to do
or who he wanted
to become

Life was a blank slate
and he couldn't decide
what colors he wanted
to use or what picture
he wanted to paint 

The Wonders of Late Autumn

blue sky painted by clouds slightly gray
flakes float through the breeze
never landing on the fallen snow
as though they're memories
that will soon fly away
moving in a snow globe
only to be shaken when a child
grabs it at a christmas party
then looks up pointing to geese
flying west into the sunset
over the snow covered mountains
lit by colorful lights of the season
reflecting in the blue eyes of the young child
amazed by the out of focus lights he will forget
just as a flakes falls onto his little freckled nose
blue sky now dark gray lit by the glistening stars
the boy cannot comprehend beyond the green and red lights
ignoring the universe's beauty
as music sung by artists
long gone fill the air with a jazzy tone
on a beautiful evening day
before santa will come to
light up the child's world
as the light captivated his every attention
his sea blue eyes will dream of shooting green and red stars
guiding the geese to a warmer place as the world sleeps peacefully

The Beat Plays

Follow the beat

Hear what's underneath

Close your eyes

Dream different stories

Through the jazz

In your ears

Write down words

Inspired by thoughts

Paint with colors

Capture a moment

With a click

Follow the sun

Under the stars

Structure suddenly vanished

Allowing dancing in

Moments to flow

Likely to occur

I see characters

Walking all around

With unique stories

Waiting for me

To share them

Rainy New York

Glitter in Paris

Boats in Venice

Books I've read

Stories I have

Yet to discover

All run through

My inspired mind

Inspired by poets

Inspired by jazz

Inspired by now

What inspires you

While the beat

Plays on Sunday

roses fall in the city of love // roses tombent dans la ville de l'amour

On November 13th, 2015, Paris was attacked. 130 innocent people lost their lives. When I read the headlines, I instantly turned to writing. A year later, I read this poem and am reminded of the terrifying time our world was facing. This poem is dedicated to everyone who lost their lives that night and all of those who were affected by the attacks in the city of love.



innocent night turned violent
peace is broken, borders are closed

mayhem unleashed by evil souls

the sane will never understand

tears stain the romantic sidewalks
tattooed on by blood that should
have never been there to begin with
humanity is questioned
hate is apparent in the city of love
rest in peace, the innocent ones
who woke up daydreaming
in a magical city
to saying goodbye in a moment
a blind man never saw coming
red roses fill the streets
as the humans who mourn the loss
caused by tragedy are left
wondering how stop what should
never be thought of

nuit innocente tourné à la violence

paix frontières brisées sont fermés chaos déclenché par les âmes maléfiques la saine ne comprendra jamais larmes colorent les trottoirs romantiques tatoué sur par le sang qui devrait ont jamais été là pour commencer l'humanité est mise en doute la haine est apparente dans la ville de l'amour repose en paix , les innocents qui a réveillé la rêverie dans une ville magique pour dire au revoir à un moment un aveugle n'a jamais vu venir roses rouges remplissent les rues que les humains qui pleurent la perte provoquée par la tragédie sont laissés se demandant comment arrêter ce qui devrait jamais pensé


(translated by google)

11.13.2015

Goodbye Stranger

It was meant to be for that moment

But now that moment has passed 

We have changed

Grown apart

Off to different adventures

Our friendship was powerful 

Helped us grow in uncertain situations

We were family when we lost our ways

But it's time to accept that it's best we fly free

Perhaps we'll meet again as different people

Sometime in this lifetime

You'll do great things

Accomplish many goals

I'll smile when I see one

I'm sure you will do the same for me

We are ships in the night

Who should never be docked

Think of me often as I will think of you

Remember our good times

They will always be alive

Goodbye Stranger

I hope to see you soon

Last Halloween

October 31st, 2015

It doesn't feel

like Halloween

I look out to

a dying tree

with burgundy leaves

The crisp in the air

vanishes on this

spooky day

Scribbling down

what I see

how I feel

As Adele's Hello

adds the soundtrack

of the day

It's hauntingly

beautiful

Dreaming of kids

trick-or-treating

tonight when the

ghosts come out

to play

The coffee shop

where I'm writing

these words

is now empty

along with my

cup of chai tea

Two older woman

taking in chairs

across the room

as I sit at my table

crumbs from the

sugar cookie now gone

lay on the wood

The table in front

of me left with crumbs

from two different

woman who were there

when I sat down here

well over an hour ago

I admire my

dirty sunglasses

as I sit

thinking of all

the words I've

read and written

since I've been here

No one bothers me

nor I them

As I sit at

the table

mind wandering

back and forth

between being in

Mexico with Patti

and in my own stories

as Adele continues

to block out the

life around me

At peace within myself

in my own universe

writing and reading

my day away

with a smile

on my face as

the people around me

leave me be

Nasty Woman

You call her
"such a nasty woman"
when she is indeed
the opposite of what
you pointed her to be

You see,
she is more ready
then you'll ever be

You say you respect
women
but then contradict
yourself
You call her out
only hurting
yourself

You don't do what you say
you do what you do
More cameras on you
than you can probably
think through

You've shown this pattern
again and again
Revealing your true colors
'til the very end

there's one and there's the other

people are temporary
art is everlasting

i wrote the second line
after i read the first

truth meet truth

the truth of life is
that we all must
one day leave it

the truth of life is
that we can leave
behind traces of
our souls in pieces
of art

art comes from
creative thoughts
inspired by
everything
or
nothing

art can be perceived
a million different
ways

depending on the eyes
viewing a departed soul's
work, it can be seen as
beautiful or ordinary

a piece of art is how
the dead artists stay
alive after death

their ideas linger
amongst the living
inspiring to create
new work

art is everlasting
people are temporary

Thoughts I had on a Sunday

If everything was meant to last until the end of time

There would be


No change

No birth

No death

No seasons


Life would be dull

The days would be endless

Time would stand still

Moments would not exist

★

Adapting to the fact
Life is no longer
What it once was nor
Will it ever be the same again

★

The bodies will breathe

A final breath

But our souls will never die

Our stream of consciousness lives on

Interacting with other souls

In new ways than we can now

What we leave behind

Is the only thing

That will stay

Writing Away on the Memory Train

The pain is gone
The memory fades

As the words ink the page
My hand feels lighter
The pen is looser

My grip is apparent, aware
Of the pain riding away

Into the night
Miles behind my feelings
I grasp all my thoughts

Preventing them from
floating away for good

As the sun says goodbye to the stars

Early Springtime Musings

Snow falls quietly and quickly vanishes

After colliding with the warm

Spring ground

Cold enough to snow

Hot enough to melt

There's something peaceful about it

Gently blowing medium size branches

Off trees as newly red blossomed flowers

Shiver against the cold evening breeze

Birds gather around a full feeder

Before flying off in search shelter

Somewhere away from the frozen rain

 ★

Blow

Blow

Blow

Goes the snow as it blankets the newly

Awakened grass and waters the road

Reflecting the headlights as I drive

Towards home

Gentle and silent

The wind blows the snow

Little statue looking west

Gets covered all in the back

Facing away from the breeze

As it

Blows

Blows

Blows

Snapshots

death
must
occur
for
new
life
to
begin

the
leaves
must
float
away
in
autumn
for
new
ones
to
grow
in
spring

negativity
must
back
down
positivity
must
step
up

some
friendships
must
end
to
have
new
ones
begin

you
must
love
yourself
before
anyone
else

Third Person

She was different
always has been
From the second
she greeted the
world before it
was ready for her
grand entrance 
She was captivated
by different stories
Living amongst the world
invisible to most eyes

She could see
the beauty in what
most souls found
sad
Her perspective
was different
Her words
stammered
off her tongue
She slowly
learned not
to let that
stop her
from sharing
her thoughts

Her light doesn't
reflect through
spoken words but
rather through
words written
Her mind delays
sometimes when
she has something
to say
Her speech abruptly
disconnecting from
her thoughts 
Leaving her to
repeat the word
she's already spoken
three times more

farewell to summertime

the breeze blew
the high grass
near the shore

summertime

where heaven is
apparent in a
dreamlike state
a blurred vision
of time through
rays of sun and
everything's alright

beauty is present
roses in fields
that you and i
ran through every
year when time
left us until
the sun said
goodbye
we'd stay until
the rays faded
everyday

the stars guided
our way home
shooting throughout
the universe as
we discussed our
lives years ago

i come back
every summer
walk down
the road
in the new
roses
by the show
in the tall grass

i am not
who i once
was

i'm someone
better

but i carry
those memories
with me

for those
years
with you
under the
sun
dancing
in the
warm rain
helped
me see
the person
i would
grow to be

A Stranger's Relationship

I


She looks at him
He looks at her
She stares at him
He stares at her
She looks away
He looks at her



II


She calls him a name
that's probably not his

They play this game
everyday

Speaking through
stranger's eyes

Their conversations vary
in length and time




III


She walks in one day
smiling about the place
until she realize she doesn't
see her stranger's face

Where is he?
She wonders, feeling
kind of displaced

Feeling empty
in their little space

She questions herself,
had she been replaced?




IV


She looked at him
He looked at her
She stared at him
He stared at her
She looked away
He went away
to another cafe
stayed all day