Within doctrines of the former realms Secular atonements when you cannot reap Our distorted narratives no longer at the helm Parched souls shudder when you cannot sleep
Notebooks wrapped in twine, lubricating my dreams Thinly veiled entitlements, rushing to meet the golden hour Misplaced refugees; tugging on our heart seams Stomp on rose colored lenses/before the vine turns sour
Standing tall amidst populism, still reading banned books Rejecting capitalism before you win a shopping spree Your enemy’s dilemma might be worth a look While upholding the realization of love’s prophesy
Embracing goblets of celebratory wine & errant notes Time to return to glory; fire dance upon wooden boats
Get those hands out of your pockets
& love someone
Spread flirtatious innuendos so she’ll firmly understand
Whispers roll off my lips upon naked skin in the sun
& she knows this passion is worth all the misplaced sand
Drinking black coffee out of Delta cups The cheap seats listening to Empire Burlesque Mixed metaphors crawling in the night Still pondering why a raven is like a writing desk
Dislodged tea parties & cries of Nevermore The world swiftly swirling all around me Reducing myself into my words Hiding now within punctuation & necessity
Unsure of our place in time Triangulations are stretch marks on the soul Society wants me to be all shiny But more often than not, I’m tired & dull
Where do we find our inspirations The formulations upon our existence Personalities discarded to the rubbish pile Pushing us further away within time & distance
Seeking a spiritual remedy For my soul isn’t quite whole Burnt out & emotionally drained Tea cup’s empty & I’m no longer in control
Midcentury motif & I’m peeling paint Shrinking violets & closing in walls Pushing back against our growing pains Energy to create, but my life remains a free fall
The summer is already sweltering
I’m trying to survive, so I have nothing on
The neighbor lady won’t stop staring
Perhaps I shouldn’t be out here watering my lawn

Finding refuge in my dreams Traipsing through Baudelaire’s flowers I sing a silent dirge to my soul Tracing her petals within Summer’s shower
Caught in the currents of missteps Former words no longer voiced Lightness of a delicate vision We heard the morning’s rain rejoice
Politely declining a dreadful umbrella Walking out, always been man enough to weep Soaked; tears all the way through Drowning; maybe now the sunset will let me sleep
Hanging out a local’s joint Homegrown & authentically bonafide The rupture of a coming Summer Basking in the heights of a rising tide The heartbreak of loving a society girl Though it’s worse when you realize That lovely creature never lied
Finding the energy to jump up To start the day in the sunshine Collecting smiles from fresh faces & always returning to the love that’s mine
Pouring another coffee to revive my soul The blacker the better; deeper than the sea Knowing secrets which youth will always deny That happiness is real & it’s forever free
Nonsense & miscalculations they always spew For they see glitter & everything they never tried But experience will tell you simple is better & anything worth fighting for is kept on the inside
Snark doesn’t make you what you want to be You’re infatuated with being cool throughout Constantly proving your wit for all to see Reality is you’re hiding & putting your soul in doubt
Sitting here at the end of the world Running my fingers through the sand Watching the weight of the waves Finally time is a theory I can understand
Stripped down without societal guilt Seeking answers down along the shore Confused it took me all these years Yet, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still more
I know you don’t want to be looked upon
But I can’t help keeping your beauty in view
You feel self-conscious
Though I’m whole heartedly in love with you
Please do not hinder my sight
I want you to always be at my side
You’re the nearest thing to perfection
I’ll be devastated if you run off & hide
Welcome the heat Sunshine reigning down Everyone loses clothing Summer finally around Ice cold drink clinks Leaning into my relaxing smile Allowing for a subtle tan Get used to it, gonna be awhile
Quiet, unassuming Knee deep in your chores Content in your blessings But once dreamed of more Passion fizzled with stress Domestically kept & cared Cloaked in suburban life But I see beauty in there
Discounting the overland wages
Discarded notions of an empty word
Dripping coffee on innocently blank pages
Drudging toward all the invocations misheard