Inside

you can change what you do

and you can change what you wear

but you can't change who you are inside

it's who you are

it's your life

it's your pride

it's everything you worked for

your whole entire life

nobody can change that

not even you

nobody can change

what you've been through

your memories

are too far deep

to touch and change

or even see

what makes you who you are

is just a little too far

beyond the minds

of the greatest kind

einstein and newton

they've all been through it

discovering things

but that don't mean

anyone'll see

what makes life tick

what's God's trick

to making each of us

unique

or why we are

who we are

or why we've all

come this far

or if we can ever

be a little different

and still be who we are

inside

HT  (^-_-^)~

Sharp Words

they call it sharp words

when you snap at somebody.

but those are not sharp at all.

sharp words are the words you hear

every day.

the cussing,

the names,

everything.

because sharp words like that

can cut your heart in two.

right and wrong,

fight back or run away,

live or die?

they slice you down the middle,

and you’re not even yourself anymore,

because half of you is missing.

they don’t know how bad it hurts.

they don’t think that a word can hurt.

they don’t think it will make a difference

in the life of a person

who takes it everyday.

but it does.

every word another dagger

deep into your soul.

how many more

will it take

to push you over the edge?

what little threads of hope keep you

clinging

clinging with everything you have

to the things that you’ve always known?

and why do people laugh?

would they laugh if someone

plunged a sword

into your heart?

do they realize that that’s what they’re doing

when they laugh?

do they even know how bad it hurts?

those sharp words

that can ruin a life

and a million more with it.

those sharp words

that slither like a sly snake

and make everyone think

they don’t hurt

when they do.

those sharp words.

where do they end?

HT  (^-_-^)~

Normal

silence in the shadows, she waits
for a day when she will be normal
a day always coming, never here
like tomorrow
so close
but she will never feel normal
because normal will never feel her.
she's too good for normal.
normal just can't step up to her level.
normal waits longing to claim her
to maim her
with it's unoriginal pain
but she's too good for normal.
she's waiting for something that'll never come
because she's too good for it.
what makes her who she is
are the things she thinks
make her abnormal.
but she'd never be the same
if she were normal.
she wouldn't be that girl
that we've all come to love.
she'd be normal.
but is that really what she wants?
to leave behind a life of color,
ups and downs
for a life between the lines,
black and white,
nothing more, nothing less
than average?
she's too good for normal.
and normal just ain't the same.


HT  (^-_-^)~

Colors

grey says whatever.

black says goodbye.

white is so carefree it may as well fly.

red has a temper.

blue is quite calm.

yellow's so silly... and obsessed with palms.

orange likes to joke.

purple's athletic.

pink is quite shy, and kind of pathetic.

green's on the scene.

brown's on the ground.

spots you might see if you go to the pound.

plaid's full of stripes.

stripes are just lines.

checks are certainly no favorite of mine.

HT  (^-_-^)~

Moonflower

when the sun rises

I hide my face

until the soft light

comes with night.

I am a moonflower,

and I shine brightest

in the dark.

I prefer to grow

on my own

away from the noisy crowd,

oh peaceful solitude.

I am a moonflower,

and I shine brightest

all alone.

the others think me strange,

I seem so out of range.

earth to moonflower!

moonflower’s on the moon.

I am a moonflower,

and I let my imagination

run wild.

I am a moonflower

and I’m different.

but that’s alright,

I don’t care.

I am a moonflower,

and I am beautiful

just the way I am.

HT  (^-_-^)~

Ten Years' Time

In ten years’ time,

Will you remember me?

I know I’ll remember you.

I could never forget someone

Who really cared.

I have friends

And family

And people in my life

Who I’ll never forget.

And I just want to know,

Will they remember me?

Will you remember me?

Or will I fade,

No longer a memory

In ten years’ time?

I’ll see your face

Will you see mine?

I’ll hear your voice

All of the time

But I want to know

Will you remember me?

Or will I fade,

A forgotten memory

In ten years’ time?

HT  (^-_-^)~

Why the Flag Flies Backwards

Today, I saw a soldier

On my morning bus.

He wore an army jacket

And simple blue jeans

And I heard him speak

About the flag.

He pointed to his shoulder,

Pointed to that flag,

And said to the bus driver,

“People say,

‘That flag on your jacket

Is backwards.’

But I say,

‘We’re always moving forwards’

This flag flies backwards for a reason,

It shows us moving forward,

And the wind blows the flag backwards.”

The soldier spoke with a southern drawl,

And a glint in his green eyes

And a smile on his face that never faded.

His jacket had two pockets,

Above one, the words

“U.S. Army”

And above the other,

“Moore”

He was so congenial

So happy and friendly

With that glint in his green eyes.

And now I know

Why the flag flies backwards.

Today, I saw a soldier

On my morning bus.

HT  (^-_-^)~

America, Born Again

blooming, bursting, breaking into life

tearing down walls of assumption and opinion

tearing through places unknown and unseen

climbing mountains, crossing streams

trampling over tyrants and kings

bringing change, changing life

new ideas are here to stay

what will we find in this new day?

what will we make, who will we help?

going places new to the world

we charge onto the battlefield

with peace and strength and hope and guts

we force our way out of the dust

we always stay true to ourselves

you can’t break us, change us, put us down

you can’t stop us, we will prevail.

when day is done, our task completed

peace and kindness roaming free

our hearts will sing of wonderful things

and we’ll run for the eastern shores,

where America began,

where we first claimed land

and we’ll remember the then and now

and look around and how we’ve changed

and remember who we are

and where we come from

forever.

HT  (^-_-^)~

Ocean Free

Like birds through the air, manta rays glide.

Sharks stare with ferocity in their eyes.

Reefs of coral are colorful and bright.

Seahorses play, oh what a sight!

To leave the land of gravity

To simply float right out to sea

To live in the water where everything is free

Free to move up and down and here or there

Wouldn’t it be lovely?

To see the wonders of the sea

To see a great anenome

To live with the ocean so close by

To leave all of your worries behind

To be as changing as the tide

And never have a need for time

Where water’s free and so are you

I’d love to live there.

Wouldn’t you?

HT  (^-_-^)~

Dear Pencil

dear pencil,

            you free my tears

            tears, tears, tears

                        from my mind

                                    to my arm

                                                out my fingertips

                                                            into you

            and into the world.

                        you are like an escape route

            for all my thoughts

                        and feelings

                                    and tears

                                                a precious escape route

                        you keep me from bursting

                                    from exploding

                                    from breaking

                                                into a million tiny pieces

                                                            of heart and soul.

                        oh, pencil, you keep me whole.

            and when my mind is open

                        in the world, on the paper

                        you’ve saved me, freed me,

                                    from myself,

                                                and my thoughts.

                                                            thank you.

HT  (^-_-^)~

Downhill

the silence waits

holding it’s breath

until a single whoosh is heard

then silence again.

the blinding light

what a sight

as it rushes forward

to greet me

meet me

I see a turn

coming up

to greet me

meet me

trip me up

another swish

a swoosh

a flash

more white

in front of me

but I didn’t fall.

my skis are gliding

but every time they stray

slip away

for just a moment

I wonder

will I go down?

will I hit the ground?

but I don’t.

as I skid to a stop

at the bottom of the hill

snow flies up

into the air

to greet me

meet me

congratulate me.

I made it.

sometimes it’s hard

sometimes I’m afraid

sometimes I want to quit

or cry

or scream

but I push on

and I know it’s worth it.

I wait in line

to board the ski lift

and the silence waits

and holds it’s breath

again.

HT  (^-_-^)~

That Feeling

do you ever have the feeling

of wanting to be noticed
wanting to be heard
wanting people to see you
and know you
and know you exist?
do you ever have the feeling
that people don't care
and that when they say they do
they lie
and when they say they don't
they're just asking you to leave?
do you ever have the feeling
that when you mess up
everyone sees you
and when you succeed
they couldn't care less?
do you ever have that feeling?
the feeling where
you could fly
but no one would care?
the feeling where you want to do anything
anything at all
to be noticed?
the feeling where
you see everyone else succeed
and you fall behind
and you just want to cry
or perhaps die?
do you ever have the feeling
where you just want to stand out
and be noticed?
I have that feeling all the time.
do you have the feeling
where you're invisible
and no one wants
to see you anyways?
I do.
do you ever have the feeling
where you try and try
but no one cares
no one sees
no one wants to care
no one wants to see?
I want to see.
I want to care.
I want to give what I lack
but I don't know how.
I want to see you,
but I wish you would see me.
I notice you, but you don't notice me.
I smile at you, but you look right through me.
and I wonder,
do you  ever have that feeling?
maybe you don't.
but I do.
I have that feeling.
do you?

HT  (^-_-^)~

That Girl

there is more in me

than just to be

“that girl.”

I can’t be summed up

by just

“that girl”

there is more in me

than just to be

that girl you love

that girl you hate.

that girl.

there is more in me

than just to be

that girl who laughs

that girl who cries.

that girl.

and there is more in you

than just to assume

that’s all there is to me.

that’s not me.

don’t you see?

I’m not 2D,

no perfect polly.

not left or right

or up or down

I’m somewhere inbetween,

just like you,

and everyone else too.

there is more in me

than just to be

“that girl”

I can’t be summed up

by just

“that girl.”

can you?

HT  (^-_-^)~