My heart is a ravenous thing

a black hole in my chest

a vacuum forever wanting

with the vigor of a starving child

presented a loaf of bread

and the aplomb of a fat king

on his throne sat to feast

My heart is a ravenous thing

never wholly satiated after the chase

craving the next thrill before

peaking the climax of the last

like a catfish gorging itself to bursting

thinking only of the next meal

but never stopping to taste

My heart is a ravenous thing

an undiscerning sinkhole

opened up massive in the Earth

consuming whole cities in its wake

disimpassioned to the screams

of the unsuspecting swallowed up

whole in the safety of their beds

My heart is a ravenous thing

never subjected to choose

a greedy little goblin

fat sticky fingers forever reaching

pockets already spilling over

shoving more inside its clothes

refusing to make a trade

My heart is a ravenous thing

a great screaming cyclone

tearing across the land

twisted up between earth and sky

incapable of releasing either

from its unrelenting grasp

hurling despair as it devours them both

My heart is a ravenous thing

never worn on my sleeve

you don’t know the way it aches

deep and echoing in my breast

or the sorrowful song it sings

to the metronome of its steady beat

longing and envy and want want want

My heart is a ravenous thing

nothing you deserve

clutching with sharpened talons

to the soft safety of your flesh

hungry for security and

starving for new dangerous lands

it will never let you go

My heart is a ravenous thing

and I fell prey long ago

to its monstrous appetite

step back my love

do not stand too close

if you let your guard down

it will consume us both

#poetry #freeverse #emotional #alittleemoidk #thatsjustwhatimfeeling

What is it about the chase?

And why don’t we trade it for love?

Why do we only want things until we have them

And then they’re not enough?

Why do we always crave

What will only ever hurt us in the end?

What is it about the unattainable

That captures so much of our attention?

Is it the thrill of victory?

The sweet taste of the win?

Is it on the power and control

That we ride high until the end?

Do we self sabotage or is it

Our arrogance whispering that we’re the exception?

Is it human nature seeking new heights

Or the fear that something had can be taken?

#poetry #freeverse #thoughts #selfsabotage

Your shadow haunts me

On bright, sunny days

When the warmth on my skin

Should be enough to thaw

The ice you left in my veins

You tower over me in my sleep

Figure shrouded in darkness

Looming at the foot of my bed

I hide under my blankets

But you follow me into my dreams

Your rage is pestilent

A virus toxic to its host

Spreading infection with your fists

I’ve found no vaccine for this disease

Spitting contagion with cutting words to their throats

Your eyes sear my skin

Even now miles and years away

Their brand is a burning thing

I try to cover with ink layers deep

But I still feel them scorching

In all the empty spaces that remain

#poetry #freeverse #personal #childabuse #trauma

Your shadow haunts me

On bright, sunny days

When the warmth on my skin

Should be enough to thaw

The ice you left in my veins

You tower over me in my sleep

Figure shrouded in darkness

Looming at the foot of my bed

I hide under my blankets

But you follow me into my dreams

Your rage is pestilent

A virus toxic to its host

Spreading infection with your fists

I’ve found no vaccine for this disease

Spitting contagion with cutting words to their throats

Your eyes sear my skin

Even now miles and years away

Their brand is a burning thing

I try to cover with ink layers deep

But I still feel them scorching

In all the empty spaces that remain

#poetry #freeverse #personal #childabuse #trauma

Your shadow haunts me

On bright, sunny days

When the warmth on my skin

Should be enough to thaw

The ice you left in my veins

You tower over me in my sleep

Figure shrouded in darkness

Looming at the foot of my bed

I hide under my blankets

But you follow me into my dreams

Your rage is pestilent

A virus toxic to its host

Spreading infection with your fists

I’ve found no vaccine for this disease

Spitting contagion with cutting words to their throats

Your eyes sear my skin

Even now miles and years away

Their brand is a burning thing

I try to cover with ink layers deep

But I still feel them scorching

In all the empty spaces that remain

#poetry #freeverse #personal #childabuse #trauma

It fucking sucked

like real bad

Middle of nowhere cow town Georgia

More Words to make 15

They told me when I was young

'Baby girl, when you die

God will judge you for everything you’ve done

Listen up now, no one can be perfect

But if you want to go to heaven you have to try’

'Cover your figure

Don’t scar ink over your skin

Your body is his temple

Don’t muddy it with sin’

'Marry a God fearing man

Be tender, be sweet, be mild

Honey, it’s your righteous duty

To bear him a child’

'Don’t covet thy neighbor’s wife

Or any woman at all

Don’t day dream about her smile

Or her strong body, warm and tall’

'Keep your legs closed, girl

This one you should know

Sex is only between husband and wife

Stay pure as the driven snow’

'Honor thy father and mother

Always do as they say

Faith is blind, child

Expect only answering silence when you kneel to pray’

'Turn the other cheek

Your bishop knows best

Forgive all trespasses against you

Even the atrocity of incest’

'Count your many blessings

Name them one by one

Then put your tenth in the bowl

And hope that for your dinner you’ll find the funds’

'Read your scriptures every night

Don’t lie or gamble or steal

Wrap your individuality up in muted cloth

Fake your smile until it’s real’

'Last thing, but listen close

This is the most important one

Repent for your sins and never repeat them

The way out of hell is his only begotten son’

I cried myself to sleep at night

Afraid my sins had turned me black as coal

I hid my face in my pillow tight

So I couldn’t see the shadows of branches on my bed

Like demon fingers creeping up to snatch my soul

I don’t cry for my salvation now

Because I know it’s too late

I’m too far gone and I don’t know how

To cleanse my hard, filthy heart

Of all the taint

When you touch me

Does it dirty your skin?

When you look, can you see?

Does it shimmer on my flesh like a brand?

Am I good at hiding my darkness within?

It’s not fair to ask

There is only one way for this to go

I need to peel off the mask

Kneel at my feet, bow your head

Will you pray for my soul?

Baby, will you save my soul?

Can I save my soul?

#poetry #weirdrhymescheme #religious #guilt #issues

They told me when I was young

'Baby girl, when you die

God will judge you for everything you’ve done

Listen up now, no one can be perfect

But if you want to go to heaven you have to try’

'Cover your figure

Don’t scar ink over your skin

Your body is his temple

Don’t muddy it with sin’

'Marry a God fearing man

Be tender, be sweet, be mild

Honey, it’s your righteous duty

To bear him a child’

'Don’t covet thy neighbor’s wife

Or any woman at all

Don’t day dream about her smile

Or her strong body, warm and tall’

'Keep your legs closed, girl

This one you should know

Sex is only between husband and wife

Stay pure as the driven snow’

'Honor thy father and mother

Always do as they say

Faith is blind, child

Expect only answering silence when you kneel to pray’

'Turn the other cheek

Your bishop knows best

Forgive all trespasses against you

Even the atrocity of incest’

'Count your many blessings

Name them one by one

Then put your tenth in the bowl

And hope that for your dinner you’ll find the funds’

'Read your scriptures every night

Don’t lie or gamble or steal

Wrap your individuality up in muted cloth

Fake your smile until it’s real’

'Last thing, but listen close

This is the most important one

Repent for your sins and never repeat them

The way out of hell is his only begotten son’

I cried myself to sleep at night

Afraid my sins had turned me black as coal

I hid my face in my pillow tight

So I couldn’t see the shadows of branches on my bed

Like demon fingers creeping up to snatch my soul

I don’t cry for my salvation now

Because I know it’s too late

I’m too far gone and I don’t know how

To cleanse my hard, filthy heart

Of all the taint

When you touch me

Does it dirty your skin?

When you look, can you see?

Does it shimmer on my flesh like a brand?

Am I good at hiding the darkness within?

It’s not fair to ask

There is only one way for this to go

I need to peel off the mask

Kneel at my feet, bow your head

Will you pray for my soul?

Baby, will you save my soul?

Can I save my soul?

#poetry #religious #guilt #personal

I can’t stand the noise

It’s always too much

Constant suffocating symphonies

Of voices, clangs, and bumps

The room is too small,

Their smiles too bright

I can’t think through the chaos

My ribcage holds me too tight

Their sounds steal all the air

I need order to breathe

If I run with my keys now

How far will I have to go to be free?

I know I must be crazy

So enraged that I am close to tears

From listening to squealing laughter

And the scrape of shuffling chairs

But I feel dizzy

nauseous and hot and wild

My heavy heartbeat drowns out my reason

They look over at me

I force a smile

#poetry #sensoryoverload #anxiety

When the world was quiet

and the people hidden away, nowhere to go

our souls whispered to us in the stillness

and if we paid close attention

we heard the melody of our heart’s song

tinkling through the trees,

harmonizing with the babbling creek at our feet

lifting off the page as we scralled

our words across the paper, lyrics to our lives

dancing in the colors we smeared across canvases

giving shape to our passion

We heard it low and sweet

in the voices of loved ones

separated by miles

in the smiles on their faces

and the warmth in their embraces

in the strum of a guitar

the chime of pressed keys

the soaring of our voices

the vibrations of drum beats

Remember

When the world was quiet

Remember

When the distractions slipped away

Remember

this time and know

Remember

that when the world was still

we craved the sun

and the grass and the trees

Remember that when the noise was quieted

we were artists

#poetry #nonrhyming #covid19 #nature