april 2015 pad challenge day 30: bury the old

bury the old
behind the cellar

carve up the pain
then let it go

don't look back
at the struggle

don't let it grow

the only way to go
is forward

the only way to be
is true

the only way to grow
is to grow stronger

with or without you

(but mostly with)

bury the old

and live 

(so)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-30

april 2015 pad challenge day 29: unknown

she hides a frown
behind a smile

for old time's sake

she turns a noun
into a sentence

and makes no mistake

she looks through
stain-glass lenses

and ducks behind trees

who is she to me?
i'll never tell

but i'll carry her with me
forever

(among)


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-29

april 2015 pad challenge day 28: nothing matters

i talk
nothing matters

i try
nothing matters

i hold
i lean
i caress

nothing matters

no matter what
i do

nothing matters

can you even see me
anymore?

nothing matters
nothing matters
nothing matters

only you

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-28

april 2015 pad challenge day 27: looking again, looking true

dead straight
in the eyes
you always looked at me

as you snaked your
firm hand around me

guiding me close

i never felt
more like a princess
than i did
with you

letting you
rule over me
was the most beautiful
compromise
i could ever make

and even now
when i hear
that determination
in your voice

the rise up
to fear
that you do
unconsciously

i stop
and lean on every word

empowered again
by your strength
and love

from far
to near
and back again

(see)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-27

audio version here: https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/looking-again

melody

lady
with the far away eyes
looking off to sea

tell me the mystery
of your yearnings

if it be sweet
if it be bitter

if it makes you cry

sing on
and i'll try
to pass on the tune

every june
'til november

i'll remember
your name

(listen)

wrecked

in silence
the imagination
runs wild

is he dead?
is he hurt?

in darkness
the grief
tumbles out

i never really
deserved him
anyway

what once
was rational
becomes
unbelievable

is this what's
left of my life?

the sorrow
always there
the pain
always felt

the love
always missed

what brings
happiness
so fulfilling
then makes
sadness
so quickly?

see it through
even if
there's nothing
at the end
for you

(gone)

april 2015 pad challenge day 26: 'twas always thus

i ranted and
raged

across the
page

focusing on the
deafening sound
of my own silence

in the birthplace
of my own private
loneliness

you, a beautiful
barefaced piece
of baggage

came scuffling down
tranquil lane

frugal in your words
but mighty in your
green-eyed presence

catering to my
fleeing attentions

in a madcap way

when did i become
so jaded to your charms?

when did i stop
pandering to your every whim?

has it become
unfashionable to repeat

all the zany things
you bleat

every time you
interrupt my
gloomy thoughts?

(thus)


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-26

console

don't know
how to stop the cry

don't know
the reason why you're angry

don't know
if i can make it all better
again

but stop
just a moment

trust

and let me try

(please)

april 2015 pad challenge day 25: afar

i want to
reassure you

to tell you
that i remember
us

that i wish
i could be there

even for a little while

but i'm afraid my words
will only make things
worse

i don't want to open
healed wounds

i don't want to hurt
the very heart
of you

and i have to protect me

so i watch
from afar
and i love
from afar

and i pray for your protection
each night

but i wake in
the days
and i walk through
my haze

bottling up what feelings
i feel

what's real is always
down the street

(live)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-25

april 2015 pad challenge day 24: memory traced

moments lost
in the darkness

memories forgotten
in the haze

looking down
and pausing
at each word

trying to remember again

what was
and could be
what is
but can't see

traveling up to
the end

what times do we spend
retracing
what we've been

before we can
walk ahead

(said)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-24

april 2015 pad challenge day 23: soon

it's only for a little while

please smile
my darling

it's only for a few days

think of the ways
i love you

when you look at the stars

and how far
your love is

i'll be looking at the moon

and how soon
i'll see you again

(live)


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-23

photographer of picture: Alfred Eisenstaedt  

april 2015 pad challenge day 22: flexibility

i wish
i could bend
like a branch
in the wind

i wish
i could see
the storms through

to be flexible
and strong
as i listen
to birds' songs

living out
my destiny

in a world coloured in mystery

(see)


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-22

the wanderer

he owns the porch
of every house

and is the terror
of every mouse

he is the fan
of the rising sun

and is the stranger
to no one

i envy
the graceful ease
of existence

that makes
this feline live
most insistent

door to door
and
window to window
this one appears

not a fear in sight 
as he ambles through
his sun-filled life

(on)

april 2015 pad challenge day 21: not what you see

i'm not
your saviour

(even though
you need saving)

i'm not
your father

(even though
you need comforting)

i'm not
your genie

(even though
i will give you everything)

i'm not
who you think
you see

i'm human
and my own man

and you're going
to love me

for me

(know)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-21

new eyes

what a
beautiful time
when you look
through life

with her eyes

when you care
enough to catch
the world
to please her

when you want
enough to change
the past
to comfort her

when you dare
enough to dream
the future
to keep her

it's all different
now

she'll show you how

(grow)

15 word: life

i didn't
but i wish i did

i won't
but i'll wish i did

life

april 2015 pad challenge day 20: my story, the beginning

she was quiet
but full of sound

hiding inside
the shadows

she was willing
but told to keep still

avoiding life
hour by hour

when others had
their story written

planned to the
number of pages

she would wander
through the chapters

lost in the artwork
of the ages

(search)

poem inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-20

something from the drone

OK,
listen.

I didn't think
you were going to be
some 24 hour
job.

I can't even say
"Goodbye"
without you
simpering and
sniffling.

Sometimes
I wish I could just
end a conversation

Just.
Like.
That.

and get some
peace and quiet
by myself

so I can figure out
things
by myself

without having to
listen
to your dreaming
and considering,

wondering and
rambling,

babbling
over just about
nothing

for no reason
than to
fill up air

and entertain me

with
what you think
is logic.

Just....
turn yourself off
for a moment.

Live in silence
for a few hours.

Maybe you'll learn
something from
the drone

instead of just
going on and on

like you do

all the the damn time

Bye.

wrong

i used to know
how to please
you

i used to laugh
without worry
talk
without caution

breathe
without guidance

now i worry
how i'm being
seen

i wonder
how my words
leave you
when we part

i sit
night after night
thinking about
how i could be

to soothe and
calm what you're
feeling inside

failing at you
makes everything i do
meaningless

what did i do
that was so wrong

to turn you away
from what's left
of my song?

(gone)

april 2015 pad challenge day 19: selfless

try
to keep it cool

attempt
to understand

realize
that he knows
himself

live up to his demands

become his one
and only prize

and maybe by then
you'll realize

what it really means to live

(go)


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-19

april 2015 pad challenge day 18: text in the wind

i get ewe
ewe get me

i see wht is ewe
ewe wish 4 wht 2 be

whisper wht ewe wnt
& i'll give ewe
wht ewe need

even if wht ewe need

is the very end t'me

(we)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-18

sleep

in slumber
the peace
so hard fought for

sneaks up
and tucks you in
as you sleep

(warm)


picture source:  http://www.grafolio.com/creator/detail.grfl?creatorId=puuung1

whispers in the dark

whispers
in the dark

promises
of the heart

tales told long
between lost friends

where the beginning
is the closing

and the start is
the end

what holds true
when the sun
is away?

love and
humility greet
the dawn of
the day

sleep, weary eyes
your time will rise
again

(dream)

audio version here:  https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/whispers-in-the-dark

april 2015 pad challenge day 17: swing dance

they used to swing dance
'til the morning light

they used to swing dance
and everything was
all right

people would pass
and say
"what a sight"

they used to swing dance
'til the morning light

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-17

april 2015 pad challenge day 16: memory

a memory
is made up of
scents and
feelings

sights
and emotions

hurt and healing

you know
when you step
into a room

just what you felt
months ago

and even though
i'm a bit shaky
on the science
of it

the feeling's always there
even if you don't
remember it

the ghost
of what you were
outlines the path
of where you're
going

as you walk
step by step

towards the
coming sun

(run)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-16

april 2015 pad challenge day 15: quiet

i used to be
quiet and shy

no one knew
what i held
inside

people
would always
look at me
and sigh

never knowing
what storms
they were passing by

pity


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-15

april 2015 pad challenge day 14: imaginary

if i was
honest
with myself
then i could make you see

the struggle that is me

if i was
true
to our love
then what's above the sea

wouldn't rain down on me

if i was
real
in our life
then i would learn to be

a little less imaginary

(true)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-14

april 2015 pad challenge day 13: in telling

waiting
to tell you

what you didn't
want to know

wanting to show
you

what you didn't
want to see

hinting at
the indiscretion
waiting for
the protestation

wishing i wasn't me

starting all over
again

(tell)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-13

go

you weren't meant

to save me

for yourself

but learn from me

and my torturous ways

take the lesson 

of my days

and make your own nights

(go)

april 2015 pad challenge day 12: damaged

sometimes
the damage
that's happened
to you and i

bleeds into
the us
that we've built
to-gether

and no matter what
i say
and no matter what
you do

i feel
too much in your words
and you see
too much in my thoughts

causing us to walk
down the paths
that aren't us

just to get away
from the pain
that comes from
each other

(alone)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-12

april 2015 pad challenge day 11: spring

spring
season of sneezes

explosions of
hope in the air

promises of
growth in the future

a time when
the sun
remembers its heart
again

as it learns
to warm
the earth once more

shine on 

(grow)

poem inspired by this prompt:: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-11

april 2015 pad challenge day 10: how

how
am i so willing
to open to you

when you close
every door
in spite

how
am i so able
to look to you

when you turn
your back
in anger

answer
don't ignore

i tire so easily

listen
don't spurn

i'm too human
sometimes

teach me how
to be perfect

like you

(do)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-10

april 2015 pad challenge day 9: in between the lines (a resume)

stacks and
interfiles

finds and
grabs

answers and
listens

to what a day you had

information and
anecdote

to suit most every mood

but in the mind
it's playtime

beyond the shelves
and tomes

(work)

 poem inspired by this prompt: :http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-9

april 2015 pad challenge day 8: dare

dare to be alive

dare to walk
one step at a time

away from the
comfort
that's holding you
back

away from the
insecurities
that nightly
attack

away from the
sorrow
that once was
so real

away from
people
who won't let
you feel

be the one
who makes it out alive

thrive for eternity
if you dare

(do)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-8

april 2015 pad challenge day 7: can't

there's a kind of a love
that isn't

a sort of an affection
that won't

a little bit of healing
that can't

....just can't....

allow me
to hold out my hand
just to let it drop

there's comfort in the fall

and all is right
again

in futility

(no)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-7

april 2015 pad challenge day 6: let go

things don't
add up

things aren't
what they seem

when you walk
in the reality

but live in
the dream

(release)


poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-6

april 2015 pad challenge day 5: peas

we talked
into the night

about plans
and things

and did the
back and forth
again

in wordy
symphony

i told you
i was allergic
to peas

(i'm weird, i know)

and i felt you
pause
and take it in

repeat
and marvel over
this nugget of
important information

storing it away
carefully
in the recesses
of your mind

for later review

the care
that i barely notice
you have for me

comforts me
in its exactness

and even though
i contradict my life
away

i feel you stop
and guide me
back

to the right that's us

keeping me whole
in the support
you give me

hold me close
and let me warm up
at the feel of you

i've been cold for so long

bring your strong
to me

precisely the way
you are

(know)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-5

april 2015 pad challenge day 4: leaving me

taking a
departure
from what i was

making myself
perfect for you

taking a
trip away
from what i am

polishing up
all shiny and new

taking the mask
that was darkness
and gloom

walking away
from the loneliness
room

stomping off all
the dust
that was me

to be the one
who won't 
make you leave

(change)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-4

the lesson

take steps
to walk away

slowly

take care
to say "goodbye"

warmly

please learn
to tear a heart out

gently

and i'll learn
to understand

the coldness
at the drop of a hand

(be)

april 2015 pad challenge day 3: tin man

how long
in the rain

standing tall
standing sane

how quiet
in his lot

silent musings
silent thoughts

how much pain
can one man endure

trapped by
his own steel

waiting for a cure

(beneath)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-3

april 2015 pad challenge day 2: in secret

it seems
like my life's
always lived
in secret

buttoned lips
downward eyes
no expression on my face

it seems
like my world's
always turning
in shadow

storming clouds
shaking ground
no forecast on the horizon

what will it take
to reveal
the spirit again

what can i do
to brighten
the darkened skies

how can i feel
the feelings
that have gone astray

when the whisper
of their memory
has faded away

(find)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-2

april 2015 pad challenge day 1-- resisting

it has
too many buttons

it has
too many lights

i want
the way it
used to be

i want the past delights

no matter how much
you show me

the future

the past is all i see

let me be with
the moonlight

and leave the
lasers
to thee

(go)

poem inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2015-april-pad-challenge-day-1

call to me

call to me
from where
you are

trace the
patterns
from where
we've been

circle the
moments
you want
to remember

there and back again

and we will
come back into being
once more

(call)