Bones roast on an open fire Bile boils in a cauldron Grind my teeth to dust Add a pinch of despair to the potion Twitch in my eye Tug at my skin Gnaw in my stomach Bitter tongue in my sour mouth Nails ripping off skin Shivers of disgust Pangs of envy Doubts warp into distrust Tar builds up in my arteries Steadily spreading through my body Constricting my motion Restricting my expression Viewing the world through candy-gre...

I recall a time when I used to view the future clearly Planned out every minute detail purposefully To ensure my life was lived successfully I laid every brick intentionally Nothing could have prepared me, When the boulder rolled down the hill suddenly And when I turned around, the space it once held was empty I broke out into a sprint attempting to halt the inevitability Fixated on the chase, I could not see A cavernous...

I pigeonhole myself in these roles Forcing circles into square holes Pursuing hearts that are unspeakable Clinging onto the unfeasible Contorting to fit their mold Yearning to be worthy enough to hold Breaking every bone in my body In hopes that they’ll find value in me Unable to unshackle myself from this pattern Unable to stop riding the rings of Saturn Swallowing air without oxygen, repressing heartburn While assuring...

He seduces smoke silhouettes Compensating for the loss of his duet Desperately attempting to see past the vignette During lonely hours, he clings to his rosette He lies among the ashes Memories splatter through his mind in splashes Perceiving a monster through rose-colored glasses As every ounce of trust leaks out of emotional gashes He quests for human connection To quell his dichotomy, he turns to physical affection Doi...

I want to watch as their eyes light up when I walk into the room I want it that when they catch a glimpse of me the rest of the world falls away And I am the only one left in focus I want deep late-night conversations about our dreams I want lazy afternoons and 3 AM walks I want laughter in the rain and soothing cups of tea I want to cook warm meals and dance with them as I do it I want someone to see me in my entirety St...

I polished my heart Placed it in a gift-wrapped box Topped with a handwritten note I left it on your doorstep You picked up the package Put your ear to it and rattled it Shrugged and put it in the closet Left to collect dust in the shadow Days into months into years I bore cracked lips and hollow eyes Shaky breaths and achy bones I needed to get back what was mine When I returned to ask for it back You denied ever having...

Empty stone footsteps echo Opaque windows line the hall Ancient vines creep up the wall In the stillness, I can let go Spontaneously, I let down my hair My arms sway in the midnight air My hips swing with a ghastly flair I dance with the night, without care Stars above me glisten Grand ivory statues listen The moon follows and stares As I waltz audaciously around my lair Lilac petals cascade down And shadows flutter aroun...

Soothe me with midnight tranquility Wipe away my tears with a maple leaf Paint the skies with serenity and Shelter me inside the trunk of a tree Bathe me in the pale moonlight Cleanse me from the decay Bundle me up in warmth and Leave me among the stars Wash me in cosmic forgiveness Pluck away doubts of significance Sprinkle stardust in my eyes and Release me into the astral sea Let me be at peace Without the world crashi...

Fresh wind tangling my hair Packed soil under my feet Climbing the tallest peaks Chasing the promising dawn It seems like so long ago I would welcome the mornings Planted new beginnings Watered them and watched them grow It’s been years of Tripping over oak roots Trudging through mud Searching for shelter from sandstorms It’s been years of Scraping my knees on the river rocks Slipping on black ice Suffocating on forest fi...

Watchful eyes upon a ticking clock Pace around the room and I’ll check the lock The wood groans, it won’t hold tight “I don’t think we’ll last the night” It’s coming for us, dead or alive There’s no fighting, no way to survive Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide It’s coming for us, it's there outside Candlelight twirls in your eyes A somber dance, I recognize There’s no hope left to reprise This morning was our last sunrise S...

You read the terms and conditions Written in fine print were my inhibitions You had no qualms or questions You made your own decisions You set out on a journey To discover my entirety When you find mental diarchy Will you show me mercy? Each sign is carefully laid out Neon with bold letters Specific safety measures You know the ones I’m talking about You pass each one without caution Determined on your mission You opened...

Burdened with my own pain Countless theories without gain Drowning in a simple rain Swirling soul down the drain In the shadows, I reach for the blade Knowing full well, I should call for aid My mind is boiling over and I’m afraid Another bloody disappointment made Gasping is how I breathe Silence is how I leave Isolation is how I grieve Extremes is how I perceive Swallowed whole by sorrow Clinging on for tomorrow Hand me...

My legs dangle in the abyss How much longer can I handle this? My fingernails dig into the cliff-side I reach out, wide-eyed I’m running out of breath I would do anything for assistance Except to tell you, to confess Yet all that you offer is distance My arms are quivering I plead out to you, whispering, “I can’t do this, please help me Take my hand and set me free.” Your silence is rigid and stiff As I hang from this cli...

I take a deep breath The air is glass Slicing through my lungs I’m choking I lay my head down The bed is made of nails Piercing through my skin I’m weary I drift off to sleep Hands grab at me in the black Ripping at my sides I’m petrified I awake and grab a glass of water The acid stings on its way down Blistering my insides I’m suffering I smile in the mirror A twisted reflection appears My teeth clatter in the sink Surv...

I am shackled to the back of your mind For a reason, you cannot find Why do you keep me locked here? I wish your intentions were clear I can go days without sustenance Surviving on the crumbs of your existence Gnawing on the bones of your effervescence Starving for your celestial presence Didn’t I earn redemption? Am I not worthy of salvation? Blood on my hands from a crime I did not commit Sentenced to life for something...