write a forever

how quick
do you want me
to say how much

i love you?

how long
do i have to
let it all out

and convince you?

in mere moments
i can describe to you
how smooth your voice
is

when you sneak in
a "hello" at work

in small seconds
i can relay to you
how pleasing the lights
play on your eyes

when you smile at me
from across the room

in about an hour
i can tell you
how much i rely
on what you say
when you don't say it

and what you feel
when you don't mean it

and what you are
when you don't even know
what you're thinking

this i believe
to be true

i could write a forever
with you

audio version here:  https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/write-a-forever

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-29

important message

there was always
an important message
hidden in her eyes

but he never knew
how to extract it

so he just let it go

there was always
an unspoken feeling
playing on her face

but he never knew
how to attract it

so he just let it pass

then one day
there were no thoughts
that danced in her eyes

and that day
there were no feelings
that showed upon her face

so he just walked away

that's all that's left to say.

(end)

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-28

took off

she took off
her ring
to-day

she let it fall
to the floor
and bounce away

the weight
she felt
flew off her shoulders

and she grew bolder
again

walking away
with the changing wind

(send)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-27

surrender

love sometimes
means

doing what you don't
want to do

being who you don't
want to be

and living the way
you never thought
you could

just for a little peace

(do)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-26

the gym

i lost control
of the situation

life didn't give
like i hoped it would

and the wind 
blew on

i needed control
of myself

life took away
all hope inside

so i went to the gym

at the gym
i run out

all the hell inside me

at the gym
i stretch out

all the tension around

at the gym
i'm in control

all the time i'm there

a safe haven
of steel
and torture

keeping the troubles
at bay

(away)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-25

lost me

used to think
i had to entertain
to go insane
to keep someone
near

used to think
that what i did
mattered more than
who i was

used to think
that the shadow
of you
walking past
my soul

was all that i needed

i lost
my mind
for you

when did
sensibility
come back?

i lost
my nerve
for you

when did
vulnerability
go away?

i was so little
so little
so little

how did i grow up
so fast?

(past)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-24

the slipper

did you never
look up
into cinderella's eyes

before the prize ran away?

did you have to
rely on
the slipper you found

after she ran round the corner?

did you never
think to
remember the face

before she had the grace to fall?

did you have to
trace all
the steps she ran

before you planned your future?

(seek)

poem inspired by: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-23

star drop

"did you see
the star drop?"
she asked

excitement in
her gasp

"Don't you mean
a falling star?"
he asked

looking up from
his game

"no, i meant
a star drop!"
she said

with a little
too much
impatience

"All right. Don't
get mad at me."
he said

sighing at her
silliness

she looked down
and away
straightening her
expression
to nothingness

stay calm stay calm

she had meant
star drop
like a teardrop
from the sky

but it was too late
to explain this
now

she held in
the uniqueness
the strangeness
of her mind

one more time

and fell silent
in the hope
of normalcy

just let it be

(done)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-22

the rain

i know
you never meant
to make me cry

i know
the thought of you
will never die

i know
when there's memories
there shouldn't be
any pain

but why did the rain
have to fall so soon?

(sing)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-21


rest well, prince

better left unsaid

she's in mourning
a close relative
has died

she went to the funeral
yesterday

yet on her face
is a half-filled smile

nothing to show for her grief

he's in trouble
with the the wife
again

he begged her to stay
all night

yet in his voice
is a strong-willed promise

acting like work's a relief

two worlds
that turn in
turmoil

unspoken on the outside

two hearts
that burn in
bedlam

anchored apart, side by side

(mute)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-20

cool rain

were you mesmerized

by the sound

of the raindrops

dancing on the roof of your car?

did it punctuate

the rhythm of

what you wrote

did it make the memories go far?

did you miss 

the calmness

of your tearoom

did it shorten your song?

or did the interior

of the traveling

four-seater

help your meter along?

may you know
the truth
before it's spoken to you

may you always have time to roam

as your mind travels

down roads

that are kind to you

heading surely on home

(safe)

audio version here: https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/cool-rain

inspired by this poem: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-19

to pen

lattice

he whispers
his wisdom
in sardonic tones

she murmurs
her insights
over the phone

he brightens
his bearings
to strangers and friends

she looks
for darkness
in the coming wind

mere sketches
of a symphony
surrounded by books

all weaved
in a reverie
of respect and sly looks

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-18

a poor woman's haiku

winds howl a reply 
to a question i know of
but haven't asked yet

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-17

allies

in the middle
of the meal
he leaned in

and whispered a kiss

setting the tone
for the night
in a movement
of surprise

she took his message
to heart
and snuggled in
to his gesture

living the song
of his delight
in a movement
of reprise

in a moment
they were allies
one to another

(be)

audio version here: https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/allies

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-16

walls

what's important
to me

is gaudy to you

what's true
to me

is unreal to you

paper can only listen
so much

am i always
to keep a blacklist?

i fight
tooth and nail
for a little peace

but the calm
i get
lies flat
at the bottom of
my heart

while lavish praises
ring in my ears

from vessels
in my past

i'm at a crossroads
between what
i am

and what i wanted
to be

fleeing from
my natural self

just to fit in
a square
i may never see out
of

what's the truth
in that?

(blind)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-15

the voice

when i escape
it isn't to
somewhere

it's to 
someone

there are times
when i don't feel safe
anywhere

and
even though
you're far away

even though
i may never see you
again

you're my hiding place
you're my touchstone

you're the one
i can come home
to

to clear my head
from all the grief
to hide my face
from all the pain

to keep a thought
just for myself

a thought that says
you are sane
you are good

you are the one
that matters to someone

so much

even if
the connection is weak
even when
the clouds are stormy

even when
everything in me
says "no"

something in your heart
says "yes"

silently

and it sees me through
until the sun
rises again

(soon)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-14

pace

i know
what sanity is

it's me

i know
what the right
words are

i say them
every day

but when i'm
near you

when i see you
eye to eye

i can't seem
to say anything

good and
right and
pure

like you do

i don't think
that means
i'm the wrong one
in the world

i don't think
that means
that you're better
than me

i just know
that there are times
when i feel
in last place

in a race
i never knew
started

finish with me?

last time

this is
the last time
i explain myself

in the future
when things are rotten
i'll let you think
whatever you want

and let you be
whatever you can

and i'll breathe
the way you desire
and i'll live
with just your fire

and i'll bleed
your colours
all through the land

for just a little peace

(please)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-13

let go

you get
too serious
sometimes

as if
every word
has to mean something
profound

why can't we
laugh
like we did before?

why does everything
have to be
earth shattering"

put down
the dictionary
put down
the manual

put down
the pen

and look at me

capture
what i am
with actions

they speak louder
than any word
you write

and last longer
than any poem
you create

in the dead of night

(do)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-12

remote

what once
was clear

is out of focus

what once
was close

is out of pocket

too far
to see
too hard
to hear

too easy
to remember

don't try
and forget

and romaticize
what isn't there

the only one
who cares

is you

(blue)

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-11

clouds

every morning
in the dawn of light
i rise up

and i think about
the day

what needs
to be done
and what should
be done

to continue my life

and
right before my eyes
a cloud forms

silently
and thoroughly

and whatever sun
i see
and whatever warmth
i feel

becomes this cold, dark
shadow
that surrounds me

no matter where i go

oh, i can forget it
sometimes

when a friend
compliments me
or i help someone
in need

but as i live and breathe
i hear
this whisper
with every good word

tempering me
and
tapping me down

reminding me
of who i really am

and who i will always be

maybe it's there
to humble me

to keep me
just behind all the praise
i don't deserve

maybe it's there
to protect me

from the trouble
i'd get into if
i believed i was good

maybe i'm supposed
to write this all down

to help others
look past
the clouds ....the rain....

what's left of the pain

so they can see
the sun again

(maybe)


audio version: https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/clouds

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-10

blanket promises

i'm sorry

my head is where
my heart should be

i trust you
but i don't trust me

am i even ready?

go slowly

my eyes are where
my hands should be

i love you
but i don't love me

am i even worthy?

be patient
i'm sure it'll all come out
in the wash

the blankets
the pillows
the sheets

my soul

all aglow
in this dim light

(right)


audio version: https://soundcloud.com/jamison99/blanket-promises

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-9

watched

my mother
would always write letters
in pencil

in graceful loops
and beautiful curves

and she would have me
proofread her
words

since english was not
how she naturally
thought

and as i scanned
and erased
and corrected

she drew
refined ladies
on the paper
next to me

upturned noses
fluffy hair
beautiful lips
white skin

(much like
she made herself
to be)

nervously
i would try
to perfect her words
as she planned out
how she would look

on the outside

always serene and
peaceful

never shouting
or yelling
(oh no)

always agreeable
and ladylike

silently waiting
and watching
it all

(close)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-8

caricature by al hirschfeld, of lucille ball for publicity of the movie "as thousands cheer"

urban connections

only have
a few minutes
to write this

that's all
the time
my job allows

up and down
these same
few streets

every day

only have
a few moments
to think this thru

i'm not
being kind
from what it sounds

round and round
these same
old places

every day

i'd tell of
my troubles
but you haven't heard me

for so long

i'd ask for
your patience
but i haven't found mine

for so long

wait a minute
darlin'
there's another call
on the line

(bind)

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-7

spied on

i never looked

so straight and proper

did i?

you never seemed

so stiff and serious

did you?

we never looked 

so robotic

and felt 

so idiotic

did we?

oh, that can't be us

anyway

we weren't at the beach

that day

were we?

were we?

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-6

art:  Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatee by Georges Seurat

what

what made you
believe
in what i could be?

i never showed you

what made you
love
the person you see?

i never told you

my words
fumbled in the air
like leaves that flew
everywhere
in the fall

why did you fall for me?

i'll never know

(show)

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-5

heart tour

he put a map
of their country
on his wall
one night

and he spent
his quiet hours
tracing the miles

over his mountains
and under her clouds

around his cities
and straight through
her farm fields

to the edge
of her house
and the beginnings
of his dreams

and even though
there was never
enough money
at the end of the day

his mind
would take
his emotions away

through the blues
of his nights
to the reds
of her days

priceless hours spent
in what was yesterday

and what could be
in the forever sunshine
of someday

(soon)

inspired by this prompt:  http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-4

three words

three words
you said
that day

three words
that changed
my way

three words
that uncovered
your heart

three words
that made
a new start

three words
that lead me
astray

then brought me
back again

closer than
i'd ever been

to happiness

what could
have been
became
what will be

in just three words

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-3

buffet

what don't i do?
asks the new flavour
in his mouth

what do i care?
asks the new shiny
in his eyes

people only love you
until you become
competition

wise words 
wise words

how can i ever compete
with the carefree
and wild?

the tacos
that surround me

are all he wants to see

(blurred)

you don't say

i guess i don't know
how lucky i am

you don't tell me
with your eyes

i guess i don't know
how much you care

you don't show me
with your words

i don't know
if i'm the best
i don't know
if i'm the worst

i don't know
if i'm touching you

when i'm not there

where are your thoughts?
i can't see behind
drowsy eyes

it's old news
but i want your syllables
all over me

reminding me
that i'm yours

brand me
with the adjectives
burn me
with the nonsense verbs

at least i'll know for sure

even if the answers
are to questions
we should never think

let me drink in the sounds
of your impossibilities

(please)

inspired by this prompt: http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-2

foolish

didn't think
i'd be the fool
for this long

i thought
you'd be strong
and walk away
much sooner than this

didn't want
to waste your time
on the likes of me

but i did

you spoiled me
at first
with word and deed

you looked to me
for wisdom
and clarity

you carried
my love
close to your heart

now your eyes
keep us further apart

now i want to start
to end it all

even if it means
the end of me

follow the shadow
to the grave

follow the darkness
like a slave

follow what's left
of a dying heart

never start
what you can't finish

and deny it all again

(can't win)

 











inspired by this prompt:
http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/2016-april-pad-challenge-day-1