I wish I could plant a forest
where every tree is a memory
that we share.
mostly good and not bad.
then you and I
can live there
off the grid,
just us,
living amongst ourselves
and every moment
that made us... – by Joe Strickland | 96 Views added 2 months ago
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then,
like a sunrise
after a storm,
I saw in your eyes
the reflection
of my own,
a love
mirrored back,
a validation
long sought,
in that moment,
time stood still,
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 16 days ago
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whine,
a razor's edge,
carves through flesh,
a crimson vow.
syringe's needle,
a cold cross,
dulls the pain,
a temporary peace.
flickers of light,
amidst the void,
hope's echo,
in despair's home.
but darkness lingers,
... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 20 days ago
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incessantly,
back bent
like burdened beast,
laboring against the weight
of living.
sweat, struggle,
muscle and spirit strained
in the brutal dance of earning.
when the day is done,
the spirit undaunted,
strengthens,
a fire... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 28 days ago
| Rating
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lies
spread like wildfire,
through the cracks
of truth they seep,
twisting,
distorting,
manipulating,
until they become
the fabric of reality.
they fester
and grow,
infecting
every corner
of our minds,
creating a web
... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 29 days ago
| Rating
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I am
a human being,
and I am doomed
to live in uncertainty.
but even though
I don't believe,
I still think.
and because I think,
I know that I am.
I am a thinking thing,
therefore I am.
cogito ergo... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 29 days ago
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year's end
nears,
boardroom brats
bloom
into yuppies,
casting aside
the commune's creed
for lucre's
lustful grip.
greed's hold
tightens,
choking the spirit
of free love,
replacing it with the cold,
plastic swipe
of Visa and... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 29 days ago
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all do it,
every last one of us.
we graze on feelings,
like cattle in a field,
our herders,
unseen,
yet their presence felt.
they dine upon
our love,
a tender steak,
often rare,
our hope,
a rib,
its meaty flavor
sweet.
... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 1 month ago
| Rating
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I wish I could plant a forest
where every tree is a memory
that we share.
mostly good and not bad.
then you and I
can live there
off the grid,
just us,
living amongst ourselves
and every moment
that made us... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 3 months ago
| Rating
|
water holds its currency,
there exists a tear,
treasured beyond imagining,
its value untethered
by the laws
of surface tension.
it's not mere water,
but vessel of emotion.
a single tear,
an ocean of sentiment distilled,
its... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 3 months ago
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through a bottle of wine,
I say farewell,
you lovely lady,
harbinger of grace.
like petals dancing
in a gentle breeze,
you flit away.
melancholy veils
my inner shores,
as you depart,
to dwell where echoes sleep,
where fickle... – by Joe Strickland | 37 Views added 3 months ago
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the notion
of ink and verse,
my imagination
finds home,
the blank page
welcomes
my every thought,
because poetry
is the vessel
I have chosen,
to hold both joy
and misery
in one embrace.
like a stringed instrument,
my pen... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 4 months ago
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a morbid childhood.
I remember
walking throughout
the cemetery
that my daddy
worked at
trying
to become accustomed
with what
would be
my true future.
and thus,
I saw the dead
sought rest,
still as leaves
beneath fierce... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 4 months ago
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I wish I could go back,
to February 11, 1963
in London, England.
I would have given my life,
to save Sylvia's life.
her head,
in the oven,
because she couldn't
wrap her head around,
how important
her poetry
would be to me.
the... – by Joe Strickland | 20 Views added 4 months ago
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is a part of life,
as we all know,
a fact ingrained
within our mortal bones.
no labels
of good,
or bad,
or right,
or wrong.
such judgments fall beyond
our feeble and naive
understanding.
this world we occupy,
third rock from... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 4 months ago
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love,
an elusive specter,
a wisp of smoke,
floating
in the vast expanse,
disappearing with a blink,
ungraspable,
intangible,
a phantom that haunts,
stirs the soul
yet often
leaves us
... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 4 months ago
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a room, barely lit,
the key to problem rests.
not the solution, no,
but the hinge, the lock,
the click and turn that
unleashes questions, riddles,
and the untidy snarl
of tangled threads.
it hides in plain sight,
just there,... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 4 months ago
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My soul
Finds itself
Stunned,
Entwined amidst
The shattered
Fragments
Of emotion
And longing,
Burdened by
The tumultuous
Weight
Of a wounded
Existence
And I feel
So blessed
To be alive.
It's better to hurt
Than to... – by Joe Strickland | 15 Views added 6 months ago
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My eyes are worse,
I'm getting older,
doctor says.
Unhappy,
Less joy.
Look at my girls,
Always lit up.
They see magic.
Now I get it.
Kids find magic
Because
They look for it.
When did I,
Become a cynic?
Goddamn,
I need a... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 6 months ago
| Rating
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Morning breaks,
The dawn's embrace
Begins,
And light,
Like blood,
Spills over
Night's demise.
In darkness' grip,
A scarlet haze
Now gleams,
In wait
For Terpsichore,
Swift in her race,
Across blue heavens,
Marking time's
... – by Joe Strickland | 15 Views added 8 months ago
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Morning breaks,
The dawn's embrace
Begins,
And light,
Like blood,
Spills over
Night's demise.
In darkness' grip,
A scarlet haze
Now gleams,
In wait
For Terpsichore,
Swift in her race,
Across blue heavens,
Marking time's
... – by Joe Strickland | 59 Views added 8 months ago
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As the music
Fills the room,
The beat resounds,
Reverberating
Through the walls
And across the floor.
With each passing moment,
The rhythm
Grows stronger,
Echoing out the door
And into the world beyond.
The river
With it's... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 9 months ago
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Stiff and stagnant days
Meld into the next,
Pain intertwines
With the ticking clock,
A metronome of agony,
Relentless,
Unyielding,
Smeared like ink
Across the pages of existence.
Whispered echoes
Of throbbing pulses,
Each beat a... – by Joe Strickland | 15 Views added 9 months ago
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Give me the raw essence,
The smell of fresh ink,
A blank page
Yearning for expression.
Not relics polished
By the hands of antiquity,
Not tales of dusty triumphs
And defeated dreams.
I seek to mold
The unwritten,
To sculpt destiny
With... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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In the realm of nothingness,
I lost myself—
Dropped the weight
Of all knowns,
Found contentment
In the dim light of negation.
Nihilism,
My wayward companion,
You stripped me bare,
Whispered secrets of the void,
Where galaxies weep ... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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Phantom promise,
Etched in air,
A whispered declaration,
Barely heard,
Quickly discarded.
Like smoke dissolving
Into nothing,
I chased the trace,
Ephemeral,
Elusive.
A mirage of hope,
Feathers scattered
By the wind,
Slipping... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
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The mark of age tattooed
On our skins,
Pockmarked reminders
Of battles fought
On desperate bed sheets.
Unfolding scars
Like chapters from a book,
Each line a memory
Etched deep.
Lipstick smeared
Across the collarbone
Like blood
On a... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
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In the molasses light
Of an eternal summer,
Glimmers of a pastel nation
Come alive,
A watercolor map etched
On tender skin,
Where borders blend
And hues converge.
A cityscape awash
In cotton candy dreams,
Where pastel skyscrapers
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
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Sunset paints the sky.
Cityscape bathed in gold hue.
Buildings reach for stars.
Silhouette of dreams arise.
Eternal beauty,... – by Joe Strickland | 1 View added 9 months ago
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Shaken confidence
In the city
Of broken hopes,
Where neon lights
Flicker and stutter,
Like my imagination,
Casting shadows
On the faces
Of the lost
And disoriented.
Belief evades me,
A slippery eel
Wriggling through my grasp,
... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 9 months ago
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The heart,
A puzzle,
A labyrinth of desires,
A confounding maze
Of contradictions,
Seeking solace
In another's gaze,
Yearning for connection,
Yet fearing vulnerability,
Aching for love,
And afraid
Of the pain it brings. ... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 9 months ago
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There is no safety in the streets,
In a quiet dream of home.
Buoys in the arms of sleep,
The embrace of the learned.
No haven lies
In the cracks
On the pavement,
Traced
With the brief elation
Of a zephyr’s gentle urgency.
But come,
Let... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
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Free will whispers soft,
Choice woven like fragile thread,
Paths diverging wide.
In our hands, the power lies,
To shape destiny's embrace.
Fate's winding pathway,
Guiding us towards our path,
Fortunes intertwined,
Though our steps may be... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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Idle letter,
Lost in the recesses
Of a crowded desk.
The ink, once vibrant,
Now faded, sun-bleached,
A ghost of forgotten thoughts.
Words linger on brittle paper,
A whisper on the edge of memory,
A melody lost in time’s symphony.
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
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January decay,
Nature's beauty
Fades away,
Trees stand,
Leafless,
Bare.
The cold winds
Whisper their cries,
Life's cycle,
Death's sweet
Despair.
January decay,
Winter's
Icy grip
Unfolds,
Leaves fall,
Trees stand bare.
... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 9 months ago
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In the lethal garden
Where roses bleed,
Thorns pierce skin,
And violets whisper
Secrets in the wind,
The tulips sway,
Intoxicated by the sun,
As lilies hide
Their poisoned tongues.
Butterflies,
Fragile and ignorant,
Dance on the petals... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 9 months ago
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Quiet shrine
Of whispered dreams
Softened whispers
Linger in the air,
Veil of serenity
Draped gently
Over tender hearts
And weary souls.
Delicate whispers
Embrace the sacred space,
As stillness calls forth
The essence of all.
In... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
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Darling embers,
A symphony glowing,
Flickering grandeur.
In the hearth of my thoughts,
They ignite secrets untold.
Whispers intertwine,
Mysteries enfold,
As memories unfold.
Embers dance to secrets known,
The secrets of the world.
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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White tide rolls in strong
Crashing against sun-kissed shores,
Whispering secrets.
A blanket of pure, serene,
Nature's art, forever pure.... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 9 months ago
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In the hue of twilight's hazy rapture,
We plunge deep into the vast void,
Sensual whispers caressing empty walls,
Aching for connection's radiant mirage.
Strangers passing by, bodies craving touch,
Yearning for oblivion's tender dance,
Where... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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Lilac Thrills,
Abandoned in the verses,
Amidst the whirl
Of fluttering syllables,
Alluringly elusive,
Dancing on the page.
Once upon a time,
Petals whispered secrets,
Unfolding tales
Of forgotten dreams,
Yet now they lie scattered,
... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 9 months ago
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One of the greatest forms
Of self-sabotage?
Surrounding
Yourself
With those who think
You're dreaming too big,
Those
Who clip your wings,
Hold back
Your flight,
Force you to conform,
To shrink
Into a tidy box,
A humble cage
Of... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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Pale smoke whispers soft.
Mist tendrils dance through the air.
Silent mystery,
A ghostly veil upon calm
Secrets lost in gentle haze.
Pale smoke rises high,
Trailing in the midnight vault.
Whispers of secrets,
Lost dreams within its... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 9 months ago
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Fading memories,
New paths rise from ancient roots,
Future's tapestry.
Legacy behind,
Carve a path unlived and new,
After, we transform.
Legacy lives on
In the hearts of future kin,
Eternal impact .
Legacy lives on,
Memories... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 9 months ago
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Our wine autumn,
Still,
Sweetly fermented
Embraces.
Golden hues
Of grapes
Swirl
In the autumn
Breeze,
Whispering secrets
To the harvest moon.
Leaves,
Discarded
Like shattered glass,
Adorn
The vineyard floor.
A thousand... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 9 months ago
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I watch the prostitutes walk by,
Their tired eyes hidden
Under layers of makeup.
I can't help but wonder
If they ever dreamed
Of something more
Than this,
If they ever had a chance
To spread their wings.
I pass by the old factory,
... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 9 months ago
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Reflections
Taunt me
Mirrors hold
My hidden
Fears
In darkness
I hide
Avoiding
Truth's
Cruel glare
In shadows,
I find... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 9 months ago
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The parents,
Rich kids,
Their roots,
So deep,
Fostered a fervor,
A pride
Etched
In their DNA's
Blueprint.
More patriotic,
They appeared,
As if patriotism
Could be measured,
Tallied,
Weighted on a scale.
Yet their wealth,
... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 9 months ago
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I was alone again,
Solace
In solitude's embrace.
Wrapped
In my own skin,
I'd find comfort
In the grace
Of being just
Myself.
When you're alone,
The noise
Of the world retreats,
Leaving a space
Where only echoes
Of your thoughts... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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Open-mindedness
Can unfortunately
Transform
Into an absence
Of critical thinking.
The vastness of thought
Curdling into void,
Where boundaries blur
Into nothingness,
And ideas dissolve
Into a haze
Of indifference,
Lost in the... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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Maybe I was lacking,
In the dark corners
Of desire,
The unsatisfied
Longings,
That tangle
Through the night.
It was possible,
To search for
Skin on skin,
To crave connection,
And yearn for
Release.
I often felt inferior,
In... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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Through fragile
Layers
Reflections
Capture instinct,
Whispers
Of desires
Contained
Behind glass
Prison,
Instincts echo,
Yearning
To be... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 9 months ago
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The moment,
Pure and crystalline,
Like a serotonin high—
But what happens
When the haze
Of serotonin clears?
When the dopamine subsides,
And reality creeps in,
Do we return to the void,
The darkness that lingers?
Serotonin moments,
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
A turtle inches its way
Across a lonely road,
Movements deliberate,
Purposeful.
As cars whiz by,
Barely acknowledging
Its existence,
It carries on,
Unfazed by the world's haste.
This turtle,
An allegory for the human spirit,
... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 9 months ago
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Why?
Buzz.
Human beings talking.
Senseless.
Senselessness in the buzz.
Talking buzz of senseless beings.
Why? ... – by Joe Strickland | 15 Views added 9 months ago
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I harbored no resentment
Towards society,
Given that I didn't fit
Into its confines.
I had long ago adjusted
To that fact.
The constant dance
Between belonging and exclusion,
A repeated refrain.
A nomad in the vast wilderness
Of... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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Sundays
Are not the
Days of rest
They once were,
More like
Time traveling
Through moments
Of prolonged,
Existential dread
Where we ponder
Our mortality
And curse
The relentless
March of time
From the moment
We open our eyes
To the... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Being right about anything
But myself,
Really has very little
Interest to me.
I wander through
The labyrinth of existence,
Seeking to unravel
The enigma
Of my own being.
I navigate the tangled
Webs of perception,
Peering into the... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
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Winter's icy breath
Froze my ambitions,
While time's relentless hands
Ticked away,
Each second, like a grain of sand.
Days stretched like shadows,
Slipping through my fingers
As life raced ahead,
Like a bullet train,
Leaving me behind.
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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In dreams,
The truth harbors
A breathless secret,
Where all good works
Dance in the moon’s
Ethereal embrace.
The embrace
That awakens
The frisson of possibility,
Where absence
Becomes the fertile
Soil for creation.
Caress,
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Sanguine joy,
With its ember glow
Entwined in the marrow
Of longing,
A vein of crimson
Undulating
Through the pulsating
Fabric of time.
But to grasp its essence
Is to taste
The bittersweet nectar
Of desire,
To risk thorns
... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Cherry Virtue
Gleams
Ethereal grace,
Pure sweetness,
Her spirit
Blossoms
Through trials,
She remains
True,
A beacon
Of virtues'
Light. ... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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|
In sweet harmony,
Melodies
Interweave
Souls,
Perfect synergy,
Each note
Tinged
With love's
Pure hue,
Serenades hearts,
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
It ended in madness,
Whispers scattered,
The strings of reason
Stretched too thin,
As if reality
Were a fragile glass,
Shattered into splinters
Of doubt.
A mosaic
Of fragmented thoughts,
Each piece
Lost its meaning,
The jagged... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Where do shallow endings lead
Until the brain jumps?
A dishfilled day glistens.
Who decided these lexicons
Are available
When lazy dreaming allays?
Awakening in the midst
Of beauty
Once where reality feels.
Where do shallow endings... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
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Through the cracks,
Moments leak
Like winter chill seeping under
The door,
Invading this sun-spangled room.
A cold daydream wanders
Through my mind's labyrinth,
Shivering whispers
Curling around
The edges of my thoughts.
I trace the... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
In the smoldering heat,
A moistened thirst
Clings to the air.
Lips,
Teased by droplets'
Embrace,
Quiver in anticipation,
Aching
With a throbbing desire.
The earth,
A hungry canvas,
Craves the fertile
Strokes of rain,
Each drop
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
In the hue of a cult,
A pigment
Of devotion
Disperses thickly,
Soaked into every layer,
A tapestry
Of beliefs
Spun wide.
A chromatic
Allegiance,
Cast from embryonic
Trusts,
Staking claims
On retinas,
Seductive
In its allure.
... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Painted tears
Fall from
Etched eyes
Onto an
Empty canvas.
Each drop
An echo
Of love
Whispered,
But not held.
Brushstrokes
Trace
The contours
Of longing
Unfulfilled.
Colors bleed
Into the
Gaping void.
A portrait
Of despair
... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
How do I explain
The untold connectivity
When not too many people
Delve into the depths
Of being,
And grasp
The intangible threads
That weave us into
A tapestry of existence?
Can they see
The shimmering essence
Within
That... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Casualties at dawn,
Casualties at dusk,
I bear witness
To the casualties
Of love's war.
In my world,
You are my only love,
But in yours,
I am merely
A nameless... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
In the ever-unfolding
Tapestry of existence,
Man is but a mere stitch,
A transient phase
Woven into the grand design
That is Nature.
He is no island,
No isolate entity,
But rather an intricate strand,
Entangled in the cosmic... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Sitting on a high balcony,
My eyes gazing
Upon the might,
Of lightning
Dancing over the ocean.
Suspended moments,
Whispers in the dark,
Winds serenading
The mystic sparks.
Thunderous applause
Of nature's art,
Unfolding secrets
In... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
The sand castle rises
Like a momentary tongue
Licking at the feet
Of the tide,
An architectural dream
Half born from the sand,
Half washed
Back into the sea.
Each grain an invitation
To be lifted
By Cupid's gentle breath,
Yet here I... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Like the lake,
She appeared calm
And peaceful on the surface,
Her waters still as glass.
But below, chaos brewed,
A war between fishes,
Each devouring the other,
Desperate to survive
In the depths of her soul.
She wore a smile, serene,
... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Lately,
My thoughts
Have been winding down
A path less traveled,
Away from the glimmering,
Elusive facade
Of happiness.
It seems we have
Become prisoners
To its whims,
Forever chasing after it
Like a dog chasing its own tail.
... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
We're all billions of years old today,
Carrying ancient stories
In our bones,
Ancestral wisdom
Etched into our DNA,
A genetic tapestry
Woven through time.
We emerge from stardust and fallen skies,
Cradled by the hands
Of the universe,... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
After the storm, the rumble
Of thunder fades,
Replaced by the whisper
Of raindrops on rooftops.
I am hanging on to the words
That slipped from your lips
Like petals falling
From a dying flower.
The world spins on,
Oblivious
To the... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Downtown bar,
Dimly lit,
Smoke-filled room,
Whiskey-stained hope.
Losers and loners,
Married to the night,
Seeking solace
In alcohol's embrace.
Bartender,
With tired eyes,
Pours another round,
Free of judgment.
The jukebox croons... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
In the power of words,
A great experiment
Conceived in a time
When the sun dimmed.
The tyranny of monarchy
Grips tightly
Like the weight
Of a thousand chains.
We hold these truths
To be more true
Than others can imagine.
"Endowed... – by Joe Strickland | 18 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
In the cave of unspoken truths,
He waits,
Tracing the hollowed echoes
Of their fights,
Twisting,
Corkscrewing,
Unwinding his mind
In search of reasons,
Excuses,
A flight
From the city of doubts she plants
Like blood-red roses
In... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Love is a sensation
That can be likened
To a rose.
It is beautiful,
Captivating,
And enthralling.
However,
Like the rose,
Love carries its own
Painful thorns.
It can bring joy
And contentment
But also,
In its beauty,
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Fuck it.
To hell with the truth.
What is truth but a fallacy?
A fleeting notion,
A fading memory,
A whisper on the wind,
A passing thought,
Ephemeral
And evasive,
Easily forgotten.
As the history
Of the world unfolds,
The truth,
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
The higher we soar,
So I've heard it said,
The smaller we appear
To those who cannot fly.
But, how they underestimate
The dreams that take flight
In a wisp of exhale.
I guess they can't fathom
The strength it takes,
To rise above the... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
| Rating
|
Every deep thinker is a cup
Reaching for the bottom,
The hull pressing
Into dark water,
Afraid of what lies within.
They say to be misunderstood
Is a bitter pill to swallow,
But to be understood,
Well, that is a blade
Sharp enough to... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 9 months ago
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I often think the night
Is more alive than the day,
When shadows dance
In the embrace of moonlight,
Whispering secrets,
Enticing us to stray,
From the paths we follow
In the glaring sunlight.
In darkness,
We find freedom
To be... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 9 months ago
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There was a void within him,
A vast, cavernous emptiness
That stretched across his existence.
It gnawed at him,
Hungry for something
He could not quite grasp.
He was a man devoid of spirituality,
An atheist in a world
That seemed to... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 9 months ago
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My children,
Stars bright,
Their magic
Ignites my soul.
Love binds us
In flight.
Through valley's,
We're entwined,
For eternity.
My breath.
My religion.... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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I don't really understand that process
Called reincarnation.
But, if there is such a thing,
I'd like to come back
As a star in the cosmos.
A flicker of light unbound by time,
Suspended in eternal expanse.
To be a celestial body,
Holding... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 9 months ago
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Some of the best plans
Still have bullet holes
In their well-crafted layers,
The lines destined to fray
And threads that couldn't bear
The weight of execution.
Yet, somehow,
Sunlight finds its way,
Shining through
The tattered remnants... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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I used to think
That anyone doing anything odd was odd.
In packaged boxes,
I tucked my curiosity away,
Bowing low to the scripts laid out,
A mastered routine.
But now,
The hinges creak,
Split loose,
And I'm opening,
Bending like a... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 9 months ago
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As long as you hate,
There will be people to hate.
And so the wheel will turn,
The jagged edges
Rotating upon atrocities.
What good does it serve,
The venomous division?
Don't ask the sky for answers,
That's a waste of time.
Wars do... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 9 months ago
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Success was my aim,
Not seeking fame's golden crown.
In shadows I thrive.
Quiet triumphs speak my name.
Obscurity is my refuge... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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While Protestants prayed in pews,
Their tattoos labeled them as heathens.
Another morning, a fresh offering
Of discrimination and prejudice.
Yet they refused to be silenced,
They refused to bow
To the crushing weight
Of religious bigotry.
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 9 months ago
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Typically what happens is,
The sea retreats, its shoreline
Dragging back grains of memory
From an old set of logics,
Forgotten footprints on the sand.
Somebody drags an idea from the past,
A treasured shell, once polished
By the waves of... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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I coined a word the other day,
But I forgot what it was.
It slipped through my fingers,
Danced like sunlight on water.
A good one,
Born in the womb of dreams,
Nestled deep
Within the folds of my... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
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Step over ants,
Their tiny bodies curved
Like crescent moons on the sidewalk.
Underneath your feet,
The world hums,
Each step a staccato
In their minuscule symphony.
Put worms back in the grass,
They are architects of the soil.
They... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 10 months ago
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There is a silence
That hangs between the tongue
And the throat, like a thread
Unraveling, a secret whispered
Only to be swallowed by the dark,
And in this silence, we learn
How to be prisoners of our own making.
They never told us, did... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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Of all the things I've lost
I miss my peace of mind
And ambition the most.
There was a time when
My thoughts were like serene waters,
Flowing effortlessly
Within the boundaries
Of my own existence.
But somewhere along the tides
Of... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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For every line I follow,
There are a hundred others
Left behind,
A patchwork
Of missed opportunities
And roads not taken.
I am a traveler
Caught in a tangle of choices,
Stumbling through
A landscape of lost dreams.
But still,
I... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
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The mind is a dark theatre of vanished scenes,
Where the words remain among the ruins.
Words like ghosts, wandering, searching
For their bodies, for their relevance.
In the shadows, half-crafted emotions linger,
Abandoned fragments of an... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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In the clandestine corners of the barroom,
Where the dark-desired souls
Gather amidst the haze
Of smoke and their own
Broken reflections,
A drunkened devil lurks.
A tempter draped
In the shredded garb
Of debauchery,
His lips... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
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The sky,
A dark bruise
Hung above us,
SIlent
And unforgiving.
You moved,
A storm
That tore through my heart,
Leaving fragments
Of love,
Of longing,
Scattered in its wake.
I tried to piece them together,
But the puzzle remained
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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We never expected it,
Not from you.
The laughter
That danced in your eyes,
And the comforting words
You would imbue.
Life seemed so gentle,
Devoid of disguise.
But like a shadow,
Darkness settled in.
Your smile no longer
Reached... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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In our hurried lives,
We often overlook
The symphony of nature
That reverberates around us.
We trample upon verdant fields
And leave our carbon footprints
On our path,
Unaware of the fragility
Lingering beneath
Each blade of grass.... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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In the tangled thicket
Of family trees,
My weary heart
Sings an ache,
I'm now a father,
A son of sorrows,
Where blessings often
Hide beneath curses.
Generations past,
Their faint echoes linger,
Rustling through bloodlines,
... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
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In the shallow depths
Of my porcelain smile,
The cracks reveal
The shimmer of deceit,
A facade borrowed
From the world's
Repertoire.
Behind closed doors,
Intricately veiled,
A masquerade blooms,
Puppeteer’s game,
And I,
The... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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In the opaque realm
Of postmodern existence,
Where the boundaries
Of perception blur
And intermingle,
I stumbled upon
A lifeless silhouette,
Its fading presence
Etched in the fractured fabric
Of my consciousness.
A riddle,
A... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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Listen.
Listen carefully and you'll hear
A young girl's voice,
Suppressed,
Silenced
By the chains of poverty,
Her dreams left abandoned
On the cold concrete,
Her potential fading
Like graffiti
On forgotten walls.
In the corners
Of... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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With the weight
Of unfinished melodies
Soul's echoes
Trapped
Within hearts.
And as their breath
Whispers through
The cracks of existence
The universe hums
A forgotten rhythm.
Each note holds
A story untold,
A symphony
Lost in the... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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In the realm of glassy surfaces,
I stand by
With my lonesome eyes,
Framed by lashes
Where sorrow takes root,
And silence is my fate.
Within my cavernous sockets,
Worlds collide.
I witness nature's splendor
And cruelty so vast.
Yet,... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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Everyone will love you
When you're sleeping
Six feet in the earth,
Or at least that's what they say.
But I've come to realize,
There's no love
Like the dead man's love.
It's when you're gone,
Surrounded by smoke
And soil,
That... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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True freedom is when
You can no longer remember
How heavy the chains were,
No longer recall
The weight of the metal links
Dragging you down
Through the depths of despair,
And the depths of desire
When your mind is cleansed
Of the iron grip... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 10 months ago
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I'm just another lost soul
Wandering through these cold streets,
With the weight of humanity
Bearing down on my weary shoulders.
A secular humanist, they call me,
Because I proclaim
My love for fellow men and women,
But deep down,
I... – by Joe Strickland | 15 Views added 10 months ago
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Tell me, what should I do with this bruised heart?
A blade of grass, both fragile and fierce,
Whispering secrets of whispered fears.
I feel my pulse racing, a wild horse running,
As the world collapses all around me.
A cacophony of thoughts,... – by Joe Strickland | 32 Views added 10 months ago
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My ambition, crippled and naked,
Lazily sprawls, hungry for action.
A sensual dance, a primal tango,
Nervously shivers within my bones.
The flame that burns, unfulfilled desires,
Taunting, teasing, seductive whispers.
Eager hands, slip and... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 10 months ago
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I'm determined
To never writing a poem while sober.
I like drunken words,
An artful blur,
No boundaries,
No sharpness,
Just a haze of syllables
Escaping my lips
Into the night.
Liquid courage
And liquid inspiration
Flowing through my... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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They said nothing lasts forever,
But they only whispered it,
Afraid of the truth echoing back,
Of echoes that linger, refusing to fade.
They fear the longevity of love,
The endurance of passion and joy,
Because in their shallow hearts
Love... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 10 months ago
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Scarlett O'Hara was a woman
Of fire and passion.
As a gifted cosmetologist,
She had an eye
For beauty
And a talent
For transforming
Her clients
Into breathtaking
Works of art.
But strangely,
She despised this talent.
It was... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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Through inner thoughts
And dream like,
States of
Consciousness.
Imagination,
That fierce flame
Which burns,
Bridging realities
And fantasies,
It yearns.
In its depths
Lies untold power,
A kaleidoscope
Of hopes,
Each... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 10 months ago
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Quandary.
Thoughts in all directions.
My memory is failing me.
Did I hear it thundering?
The question echoes
In my mind
As I listen to the soft
Pleuvisaud of the rain on my roof.
I believe it's playing Mozart.
The sound is calming,
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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The slurs I hauled
Into my mouth like a sailor's net,
Heavy with hate,
Leeches of ignorance
Clinging to my tongue.
How easy it was,
To fear what I could not comprehend,
To label love as unnatural,
To close my ears
To the song of... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 10 months ago
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The regret assumes its stance,
Hunched,
A shadow cast
By the sun's disdain,
It laughs and twirls,
A wicked dance,
Encased in solitude,
Like a burning flame.
I, with fractured wings,
Fall from grace,
Whispering forgotten melodies,
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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In the shimmering shadows,
Where wild winds whisper secrets,
We stand alone, a solitary tribe.
Bound by reason, not belief,
We tread softly on this unyielding earth.
But the land remembers,
The ancient songs
Woven by unseen hands,
Tales... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 10 months ago
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The world becomes
A language forgetting itself
In drops of letters reaching
For the sun's fingertips.
The cat's purr
Drops like a tune
Without a melody.
Silence becomes
A handful of stars
Falling into darkness.
And we, too, become
... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 10 months ago
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When we were young,
Everything felt infinite.
We could walk
For hours,
Discussing
Our dreams
And the adventures
We wanted to embark on.
We spent
Countless nights
Traversing
The main street
Of Woodruff,
Taking in the sights ... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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I'm staring out the window,
Watching the world go by,
And I'm thinking to myself,
"What planet is making
Me a lunatic right now?"
Is it Jupiter?
Is it Mars?
Is it some distant galaxy,
Wreaking havoc
On my already fragile
State of... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 10 months ago
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The men
With the pistols
Turned their attention
To the man
Holding a machete.
He smiled a toothy grin
And they all chuckled
At something unsaid.
To anyone else,
It would have been
A terrifying moment,
But they were all
... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 10 months ago
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The rain
Came down in sheets,
The droplets
Tapping
Against my window
Like an army
Of fingers,
Each one trying
To worm its way
Inside.
But I didn't mind the sound.
I welcomed it,
Actually,
Because it was
The only thing
... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 10 months ago
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In the morning
When the coffee
Is hot
And the dreams
Are still fresh
In my mind
When the bathroom mirror
Reveals the truths,
My longing
For you
Is a fire.
When the busy streets
Start to clog
With folks in a rush
When the bird... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 10 months ago
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There was this woman,
You see,
Who had a hold
On me
Like a vise grip.
It was tighter
Than a sailor's knot
And deeper
Than a grave.
I was wrapped
Around her finger
And I couldn't
Break free
Even if I tried.
And believe me,... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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My damn aspirations
For glory and fame
Aren't like theirs.
I'm not after fast cash,
Or fast cars,
Or fast women.
I just want her to say
She's damn proud of me,
And actually feel it
In her bones,
Actually fucking mean... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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Written words,
Prose,
Songs
Have always found
A way
To speak to
Whatever soul
I may or may not have.
And you,
You're my favorite... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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In this city,
No one reads anymore,
No one lingers
Long enough to browse.
They're too busy
With their own tales,
Running down the streets,
Chasing ghosts.
And so,
She remains untouched,
Her pages unturned,
A protagonist waiting
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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Dropped like a strand of silver,
My body's anthem
Twisted into knots,
Chronic pain,
An unwelcome tenant.
I am a field,
Shattered by my own roots,
Digging deep,
Burrowing into marrow,
Each ache a testament of fragility.
In the realm... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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The wind whispered secrets
As the waves crashed,
A symphony of forgotten words.
But I was deafened
By the thunderous silence,
And my pen fell from my hand,
No longer able to translate
The ancient echoes.
Lost in the vast expanse,
I... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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When we quit the basis of sensation,
All is in the wind.
Everything’s in the wind.
The mind, a lonesome wanderer,
Dreams of terrors and uncharted realms.
In shadows, whispers reside,
Their haunting echoes, desperate to be heard.
The veil... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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There is a place
That exists
In the depths
Of the human
Psyche,
A purgatory
Of sorts,
Where emotions
Run rampant
And consume
The soul.
It's a dark,
Foreboding place
Where even
The strongest
Of individuals
Can be... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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Remember when Lennon said
"Imagine there's no heaven."?
Hell, there's no need to imagine.
I've been living in purgatory
My whole damn life.
But yeah,
No fiery pit,
No sweet angels
Playing harps.
Just us,
Struggling on this earth
... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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She marvels
At the intricate
Patterns and shapes
That dance
In her view,
Twisting
And weaving
Into something
Almost magical.
As she blinks again,
The colors shift
And change,
Creating a new scene
From the one before it.
... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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The wind whispers
Softly in my ear,
As I wander
Through the trees.
I feel like I'm lost,
Drowning in the noise
Of the world
Around me,
Struggling
To find a way
To quiet my mind.
But then
I hear your sigh,
So deep
And full... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 10 months ago
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The rise of magic
Came like a thief,
Stealing away
Our disbelief
With its elusive might.
The world
Was transformed
By its mystical glow,
And before we knew it,
It had us all.
Society
Was marveled
And awestruck,
At the power
Of... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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Don't leave me guessing
Like a rat.
I can't decipher
Every carillon.
You should know
Me better than that.
I don't have the patience
For your chatter.
I'd rather spend it
On my wine.
You should know
Me better than that.
Your... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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We pour our hearts
Onto canvas,
Or into words
That we write,
Hoping someone
Will see the beauty,
And validate
Our endless soaring.
But sometimes
The world is unkind,
And our art
Is left unheard,
Leaving us
Feeling lost
And... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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The mirror's surface
Is smooth and clear,
But the reflection
It shows
Can often blur.
Like a chameleon,
It changes its color,
Creating an illusion
That feels
Brand... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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Lines and angles,
Intersecting and twisting
In a world
That's both
Strange and familiar.
A man
Walks on the ceiling,
Another on the wall,
While orbs float
Weightlessly
Around them all.
Staircases
Lead both up
And down.
People... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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The world was too noisy
And I couldn't find quiet.
My thoughts were jumbled
And I needed to clear my mind.
So, I ventured out
Into the rain,
Letting it wash over me,
Hoping it would help me
Think clearly again.
That's when I heard
... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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She split him up,
Left him in pieces.
But still he loves her.
He confesses this
To anyone that listens.
She saved his life,
Turned him into
Everything he is.
He owes her everything,
His heart to ignite.
She made him
Who he is,
With... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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As I saw her fade
Off into the great wide open,
I couldn't help but feel
A sense of profound awe
And reverence.
Because in her,
I beheld the very essence
Of what makes us human,
In all our tumult and strife,
Our unyielding perseverance,
... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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In a box
For a lone wolf,
I lay my thoughts
To rest,
Gone
Are the days
Of howling,
As I suppress
My feral nature.
In this small,
Confined space,
I try to make sense
Of it all,
Feeling trapped
And isolated,
As I struggle
To... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
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I've seen it all before,
These leaders
We admire,
Reflections
Of our own flaws,
But what's behind
Those closed doors?
Exploitation,
Manipulation,
A power trip
Of domination,
No empathy
Or connection,
Just a cold sense
Of... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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The rain,
It washes away
My affliction and sadness.
The darkness I hold
Joins with me
Through each moment
Like a heavy cross.
No one knows
The plagues I face.
Ive tried talking about it.
She won't listen.
The raindrops
Mask my tears
... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 10 months ago
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I walked the streets at night,
Through the neon glow and cigarette smoke,
Lost in the cacophony of voices,
The beat of the city pulsing in my veins.
I saw the faces of the forgotten,
The invisible ones, the outcasts,
The lost souls wandering... – by Joe Strickland | 25 Views added 10 months ago
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I sat at the bar,
Nursing my drink
Like it was the last goddamn thing on earth.
The neon signs buzzed above my head,
Like soothing lullabies
From a world
I could never fully understand.
I watched the people around me;
The sad sacks
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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She dances to the beat of her own drum,
A spirit untethered and free.
Her hair wild like fire,
Her eyes bright like an eclipse.
They call her Gypsy,
Because she has the soul of the wanderer,
Always seeking adventure
And never content to be... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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Looking into the mirror,
Penelope couldn't help but feel
Like a ghost.
The reflection
Staring back at her
Was not that of a person
Who was truly present
In this world.
The eyes lacked the brightness,
The face held no expression,
... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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Greed, you wildfire.
You destroy everything in your path.
An insatiable hunger
To own it all.
A thirst that can never be quenched.
You take and take until nothing is left.
The world suffers at the hands of your avarice.
The forests... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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For the ones
Who departed
And said
Their goodbyes.
Now
In the silence
I hear
Their last words.
My heart is heavy
With sorrow
And memories
That are too real.
In this solemn place
I bid my... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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|
I woke up this morning
With a raging headache
And a feeling like
I'd been hit by a truck.
My mouth was dry as a bone
And there was a sour taste
In there that wouldn't quit.
I peeled back the covers
And swung my feet over
The edge... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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|
He saw the best minds
Of his generation
Destroyed
By madness,
Starving hysterical naked,
Screaming out
To a world that wouldn't listen,
Trapped in a cycle
Of pain and despair.
Their souls were like shattered glass,
Scattered
And... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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Keep on scrapping,
Keep on thrusting,
For the nation's burning urge.
Hoist that flag up high,
Bare your might,
Never eject yourself.
Sacrificed like sheep,
Whispers of mirth
From clandestine dens.
Yet the mighty
Remain untouched
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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They are haunted
By the ghost
Of love lost
And the painful memories
Of what could have been.
The love songs
That once held
A promise of hope
Now leave them
With a sense of loss.
Another year has passed,
And little has changed.
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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|
The worship of needs,
And wants,
And desires,
And ignorance,
Greed,
Is what I disdain.
From preachers
And writers
They fall in It's trap,
Unknowingly
Causing people pain,
Leading astray
Those who know the way.
It's a curse
That... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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Love may draw
The naysayers' frown,
And magic lacks
Belief a bit.
As I dream,
I'm left alone.
Please don't wake me
From this blissful fantasy.
I'm content
With the joy I've... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
As the night falls,
Unleash your wings
While others slumber deep.
Feel the breeze.
It will soothe
And ease
Your wings'... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
Let's not worry
About the end destination,
Because it is just a point
In time.
Instead,
Let us focus
On the life we build,
Which is the culmination
Of our experiences,
Our passions,
And our efforts.
We have a beautiful gift,
... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
The beauty of life
Is that it is constantly evolving,
And we are never
Bound to any particular course.
Whether we choose
To take risks,
Explore new opportunities,
Or change direction completely,
We have the opportunity
To create... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
Shadows dance and creep.
Haunting dreams with chilling fear.
Nightmares grasp and hold,
Trembling in the darkness deep.
Escape eludes, consciousness folds.... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
In that instant,
I knew
I wanted to hold on to it
Forever.
The way you looked,
The way you moved,
The way you spoke.
You were alive in your madness,
In love with the night.
I had never seen you like this before,
So passionate
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
It was a moment of tranquility,
With the stillness
Of the evening air
And the gentle breeze
Brushing past the trees.
Everything around
Seemed to be in a state
Of perfection,
As if the world
Had paused to appreciate
The beauty of... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
The way we present ourselves
To the world
Says a lot about who we are
And what we're capable of.
We often put on a façade
To impress others
Or to conform
To societal expectations.
But, when it comes to our children,
There is no... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
| Rating
|
When pain is chronic,
It's hard to keep up resistance,
It chips away at our security,
Until we become something else entirely
A stranger to ourselves.
The cruelty then creeps up,
A way to protect oneself from the constant sting,
But... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 10 months ago
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Silhouettes and symbols
Linger in the mind
Of the dreamer,
Haunting them
With memories
Of what was
And what could have been.
The words spoken
By that special someone,
So long ago,
Remain etched
In their memory,
Like a scar,
A... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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As I stare
deep into the water,
I am met
With a blurry reflection
Of myself.
It seems
That love has submerged
Beneath the depths,
And I still feel unsure
Of what lurks below.
I rise to the surface
To take in life's renewing air... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 10 months ago
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Through the misty veil
Of early morning,
A glimpse
Of the future
Comes into view.
A world of possibilities
And destiny
Unfolds before my eyes,
Revealing the paths
That lay ahead.
I can see the challenges
That are waiting for... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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As the nights wore on,
The dread only grew.
The shadows danced
Tauntingly around her,
Their tendrils reaching out
And twining themselves
Around her sanity.
Nightmares and night terrors
Plagued her,
Leaving her gasping for breath
... – by Joe Strickland | 31 Views added 10 months ago
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In the hazy moonlight of the night,
We danced in the darkness.
As I held your hand, I felt a thrill,
Like grasping a memory,
I embraced the moment.
You were enamored
With the night,
With its mysteries and its glimpse.
Your eyes glittered... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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Let go of worries.
Don't dwell on the end.
The destination's not
What really eclipses.
With every step,
We construct
Our own fate,
The life we fashion.
It's never too... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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Depression is a son of a bitch.
My ambition
Is hindered by my melancholy.
I sleep too much.
To keep myself alert,
I merely read
and read,
Despite the fact
it robs me of life,
it serves as a splendid... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 10 months ago
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The town stands still,
Its buildings
Empty and decaying,
As if frozen
In a time
Long since passed.
The wind whips
Through the dusty streets
And the boards creak
With the weight
Of their own history.
Almost as if breathing.
But... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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As the cool breeze
Rustles through the branches
Of the towering pines,
Their foliage waves
Like a gentle hand
Waving at the passing winds.
But it's not only
The rustling of leaves
That can be heard in the forest.
The pines whisper
... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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If my affection was put to the trial,
Would you hold onto me?
Words alone can't suffice,
To make our union a nirvana.
Can your actions
Speak louder still,
And show me
That your devotion is certain?
Even in the absence
Of those words,
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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I dread returning
To that former mill village,
Where Recollections
Of sorrow linger.
Such a heavy weight to bear.
It was on your bike,
Passing by,
That hope and aspirations
Opened.
But the greatest ache,
A deepened murmur,
Was that... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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In this moment, I am
Attempting all that I can,
Clutching tight to who I am,
Playing the part of defender,
Fighting to remain
Rooted each day
As chaos threatens to mislead.
The nights sag on forever.
Still, I'm reciting this venture,
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 10 months ago
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Seven years ago,
A little life was brought forth,
My sweet daughter came,
With eyes full of curious light,
Eager to explore the world.
In whispers of breeze
A treasure map now unfolds
Paths leading afar
But she appeared too belated,
A... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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His love for her surpasses
all the memories of the past.
She is greater than them all.
His fondest
and most cherished memories
pale in comparison
to the love
and affection
that he has for her.
She is the light.
The bright... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 10 months ago
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Finally,
He reached
The point
Where
He had exhausted
Every possibility.
There was no
Event,
No trauma,
That could have caused
His erratic behavior.
He was left
With the realization
That this was simply who he was.
It was... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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Maybe her future won't be glamorous,
But that's okay.
She'll find joy in the mundane,
In the moments
That make up a life.
And who knows?
Maybe
She'll find
That the future
She never planned for
Is more beautiful
Than anything
... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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Let your heart open wide,
Embrace the feeling.
Let the love flow,
Let it guide,
Let go.
Feel the passion.
Let your spirit take control.
Dance in the rain,
Go for a promenade,
Become whole.
Get lost
In the moment.
Swim in the... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 10 months ago
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I desire
To witness more through my eyes,
So that I can fix
All that is broken inside.
Time moves quickly,
Slipping away,
And you might miss the part
Of me that will stay.
For a lengthy time,
I have been struggling
To carry this... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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Tiny fingers wrap
Around my heart and soul
Welcoming my world
A new life born into mine
A daughter for eternity
Pacific blue... – by Joe Strickland | 43 Views added 10 months ago
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Fields, where I so carefully played
Disappear as I make my way
In between, they're lost to sight
And with each step, I bid adieu.
My shoes, now worn and tattered
Tell the tale of paths I've been through
But the fields, they aren't just mine... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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He recognized the game was fruitless
Yet despite the risk, he indulged in the forbidden,
Succumbing to the allure, he abandoned his resistance.
Now he seeks refuge in a humble plea.
Yearning for his supplication to soar above the rooftop.
... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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Ever since you entered my existence,
Complications have been on the rise.
Old masks and poses lose their relevance,
Fading away with each exhale of your suspires.
The challenge to adapt to your mind's pace,
Unveiling new depths with every... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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I long to be free.
To escape the chaos and noise of this wretched existence.
To leave behind the boorish and ill mannered crowds,
And find peace amidst the majestic mountains.
In a cabin nestled deep in the wilderness,
I dream of... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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Stuck in stubborn ways,
Never changing our hopeful hearts.
Fools we may be called.
They'll all call us that.
But love never fades away.
It's like a deity we worship.
I'm a goddamn... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 10 months ago
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As the sun ascends, existence commences anew.
In your DNA, the universe frolics and imbues.
A billion years of history embedded within you.... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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In the stillness
Of the melancholy twilight,
Two bodies connectied as one
In pleasure,
Elation,
And ecstacy.
The world fades away,
As they sway in passion's undulate.
Their love is a sacred ceremony,
A peaceful giving
Of themselves to... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 10 months ago
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The years,
They come and go,
Rolling by me evenly,
Steadily measured.
Reminding me of all the time
That has passed
With each toll of the bell.
I'm older now than I was before,
And still younger than I'll ever be again.
But this is... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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Once they thought themselves a perfect match,
Two people intertwined by their shared love
For knowledge.
Inquisitive minds
And intelligent souls,
They lost themselves
In questioning the mysteries
Of the universe.
And yet, as time... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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There's a young beauty right in front of you,
Her aura bright and her smile is sincere.
Her eyes flicker with a gleam of interest,
And you're caught up in her charm, impressed.
There's a spark of attraction that ignites,
Drawing you together... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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With every word,
I try to capture
The essence of you.
But in the act of description,
I lose something
Of your substance,
As if trying to hold the wind
In the palm
Of my outstretched hand.
You are a mystery
Unfathomable,
With depths... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 10 months ago
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To whoever reads these words,
I want you to know this truth.
No matter where you are,
Or what challenges you face,
You are enough.
It's easy to lose sight of this fact,
To feel like you're always falling short.
But I am here to tell you,
... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 10 months ago
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To whoever reads these words,
I want you to know this truth.
No matter where you are,
Or what challenges you face,
You are enough.
It's easy to lose sight of this fact,
To feel like you're always falling short.
But I am here to tell you,
... – by Joe Strickland | 61 Views added 10 months ago
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The wind carries a smile,
A whisper from a distant friend,
A gentle touch that erases the gloom
And fills me with a sense of belonging.
The sun's warm embrace,
A kiss on my cheek,
Dispels the memories of past pain
Leaving only hope and... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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Some days I'm an oak.
Others, I'm a willow.
I'm strong.
I bend.
As a tree,
My leaves sway in the gust,
My roots grounded.
I remain delivered.
Outside,
I face a world
That feels unknown,
A place
Where I may not belong
Or have... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 10 months ago
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Pens scratching paper
Ideas fly like butterflies
Minds in harmony
Brainstorming together we
Create something wonderful
Fingers dance with ease
Unleashing the thoughts within
Pages come alive
A creative symphony
Free writing sets the mind... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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The world spins
In a symphony of chaos,
A never-ending dance of light and darkness.
Colors swirl and merge,
A kaleidoscope of emotions and feelings,
Each note a unique expression of the human soul.
The sun rises and sets,
The moon waxes... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 10 months ago
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Injustice
Is a cruel mistress,
Hiding in the shadows,
Waiting to strike.
She often walks among us,
Unnoticed,
As we go about our daily lives.
Yet, when injustice touches us,
Only then do we take notice of her.
We walk through life... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 10 months ago
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The city streets are a battleground
With the downtrodden
Fighting for survival
Against the vices of urban life.
The air is thick with the stench of decay,
The sounds of sirens,
And the muffled cries
Of those being crushed
By the... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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Metaphysics is the bridge that binds,
The seen and unseen,
A mystery entwined,
Between the known
And unknown,
A realm uncharted
That has yet to be shown.
Finite boundaries
We strive to define,
Infinite unknowns
We seek to align,
A... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Love is the light
that guides us through
the darkest nights
A beacon of hope
that shines bright
in the midst of chaos
It's the thing
that keeps us going,
even when we feel like giving up
A force so strong,
it can overcome anything
... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 11 months ago
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To follow your own advice,
Is a mark of wisdom,
A level of understanding,
That comes from within.
It takes humility,
To see the truth,
In the words you speak,
And the actions you choose.
It requires trust,
In your own intuition,
To make... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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The curtain of mortality
falls on us all,
a final act we cannot escape.
Yet we do not use this knowledge
to weave the threads of love tighter.
Instead, the trivialities of life take centre stage.
We hunger for
status,
possessions,
... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 11 months ago
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Prose and poetry,
Two mediums so unlike,
Yet they both speak
Of words and world, in their own light.
Prose, the simple language
Of every day's chore,
A story teller,
a descriptive clamor.
It flows like a river,
Uninterrupted and plain,
... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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Books have a way
Of stopping time
In a particular moment,
As if to remind us
To not let the memory fade.
We turn each page,
We're transported
To another world,
Where the characters live
And breathe
And the story unfolds
And unwinds.
... – by Joe Strickland | 19 Views added 11 months ago
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The things we love
Are not merely objects,
They're pieces of our souls we've collected.
In our hearts,
They find a permanent place,
Becoming a part of us,
And now we can trace
Our paths back to the moments
We discovered
How these things... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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Eternal delight
Nature’s beauty all around
Blissful peace within
In summer we find
Bliss in warm sun on our skin
Tranquil ocean waves,
Soft sand between our toes and
Laughter shared with cherished friends.
Bliss is a feeling unlike any... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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Vengeance is a tempting game to play,
A fool's errand to find satisfaction.
Instead of finding peace in forgiveness,
We choose to fuel the fire of retaliation.
The cycle of revenge never ends,
Creating wounds that continue to bleed.
The... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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She moves with a ferocity,
As if there are forces inside her
That I can't even begin to comprehend.
Driven by something wild,
Unpredictable and untameable,
She's like a force of nature
That can't be contained.
Maybe it's love that has... – by Joe Strickland | 26 Views added 11 months ago
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Real,
The word that stifles imagination,
That constricts
And confines us
To mundanity.
A word
That negates the possibility
Of dreaming
And exploring
Beyond what's seen.
What is real
But a limiting label?
A dubious denotation
That... – by Joe Strickland | 15 Views added 11 months ago
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Our greatest fears arise
From the darkness of our soul,
The wickedness within us
That we can't restrain.
We see monsters in the night
But it's our own kind
Whose deeds give us horror
Their madness and crimes.
We proclaim to be civilized
... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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Love,
A tempestuous force of nature,
Akin to the ocean's waves,
A volatile entity that we cling to,
A frenzied passion that shackles.
It starts as a flicker,
A spark of attraction,
A desire that ignites within,
A wild fire of interaction.
... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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We're all chasing illusions,
Hoping to catch the slippery dreams
That dance before our eyes,
Elusive and tantalizing.
We lovers, dreamers, and artists
Are particularly susceptible
To the glamorous call of the illusion,
The promise of... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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In the wilderness,
there is no noise
But the rustling of leaves,
the gentle breeze
The twittering birds
and the buzzing bees
Here, we leave behind the world’s joys
The trees tower above,
touching the sky.
Their branches a sanctuary
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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Silent sentinel of the sea,
the lighthouse on Hunting Island
stands tall and strong,
a beacon that guides ships home.
Its light pierces through the darkness,
casting a glow that soothes the soul,
giving hope to weary travelers,
and a sense... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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The bar smelled
Of stale cigarettes,
Cheap cologne
And spilled beer.
The air was thick
With the sound of voices
Drowning each other out,
Of pool balls colliding
And the jukebox spitting out
Some old Hank Williams tune.
It was the... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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Behind the trees, the sun starts to set
Its warm rays fading from view
The sky transforms to shades of red
As a certain darkness starts to ensue
Birds retreat to their resting places
As the first stars twinkle in spaces
The sun's departure... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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America,
Nation of liberty.
Where dreams come true,
For us all,
Or so we've heard.
A place of endless possibilities,
And opportunities
With ease.
But, beneath that shining facade,
Lies a truth that's hard to applaud.
Apathy,
A flaw... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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His heart is heavy with a burden he can't bear.
He's madly in love with a woman
He can never claim as his own.
Her beauty is like a ray of sunlight,
Illuminating his world with every glimpse of her.
Her eyes sparkle like diamonds,
... – by Joe Strickland | 20 Views added 11 months ago
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Two adults sat back-to-back after a row,
The tension was thick, their emotions aglow,
Their pride and resentment, a formidable foe,
Yet, deep down inside, an inner child craved a hello.
With age come the gifts of wisdom and grace,
But it also... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 11 months ago
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If I gave myself to you, so willingly,
And let you do as you please with me,
Would I find myself filled with regret,
Or would our encounter be one
I won't dismiss from mind?
Trusting someone who's hardly an acquaintance,
Leaves me wondering... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 11 months ago
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Self salvation calls
A task for every man's grasp.
Find strength within self.
Enlightenment, a rebirth.
Breaking free from all burdens.
Ever evolving,
Nature's law of change endures,
Nothing stays the same,
The impermanence of life,
A... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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The mind’s a playground for fantasies,
A place where anything can come true,
A place where every desire’s fulfilled.
But when reality strikes, it can be cruel,
Confusing and misleading judgment.
Hiding our clarity under a shroud.
The veil of... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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As we said our goodbyes, I knew
She'd return to her husband's arms.
But I couldn't resist her enticement,
Her touch sent shivers and allure.
She touched me
In a way I had forgotten,
A way I hadn't known
In so long.
The whispers of the new... – by Joe Strickland | 38 Views added 11 months ago
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If you feel invincible, well then
You're strong enough
To handle all of my affliction.
If you think I'm crazy, go ahead and laugh.
I've got evidence to prove I'm sane.
You can come around to fuck anytime.
I've got no plans, no place to go.
... – by Joe Strickland | 31 Views added 11 months ago
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The sky, wearing a cloak of black velvet,
was adorned with twinkling stars.
The moon, a glowing orb suspended in mid air,
cast its ethereal light upon the world below.
The trees, silhouetted against the night sky,
swayed gently in the... – by Joe Strickland | 24 Views added 11 months ago
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I stare at the blank page,
cigarette in hand,
my thoughts scattered like the ashes
that fall from my fingers.
My mind wanders
through the back alleys
and dive bars
of this gritty city.
I've seen it all
the drunks, the losers,
the... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 11 months ago
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Water, flowing endlessly
Endless depths, forever untold
Its endlessness a reminder
Of how she feels, under loved
A weight on her shoulders
Like a wave crushing her down
Pushing her deeper
Into the murky depths
The current pulls her in
The... – by Joe Strickland | 30 Views added 11 months ago
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Injustice raging, society screams for change
Abuse of power, police brutality reigns
People of color, discriminated against, always
Cries of anguish, silenced with violence
A system broken, in dire need of reform
Urgent calls for action, in the... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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You are the dialect
I strive to understand,
But your words trip up
My tongue,
Stumbling like a newborn fawn.
I rehearse and repeat
Morning, noon, and night,
And still your essence
Is out of view,
Like dreams long dead.
I pour over your... – by Joe Strickland | 133 Views added 11 months ago
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The weight of failure hangs heavy
On my tired, beaten shoulders.
I hesitate, unsure and unsteady,
Floundering in the face of loss.
I try to keep my head up high,
But sometimes it feels like the dome
Is crushing down upon me,
Mocking my... – by Joe Strickland | 19 Views added 11 months ago
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The city lights are bright and bold,
But beneath them lurks a dim form.
The streets are lined with broken dreams,
And the stench of sorrow always rises.
The buildings rise up to the ether
But they can't hide the pain that lies
Within the... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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A young man, burdened by the weight of past mistakes
Endlessly repeating the same trial, until he stings
Exhausted and worn, a shadow of his former self
Lost in hallucination, his mind lost in a mirage of prosperity
He longs for change, but... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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Crafting a handful of worthwhile verse
Is born of despair, discontent, and worse
Illusions fading, leaving stark truth
Only then can we pen a worthy proof
Not all are meant for this poetic art
Some will struggle, while others play their part
... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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Experience is a fire that burns within,
Emotion a storm that rages without,
And imagination a knife that cuts deep.
Together they twist and turn and moan,
Lascivious and obscene and raw,
In a violent dance of lustful desire.
The body aches... – by Joe Strickland | 26 Views added 11 months ago
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He stumbled into the liquor store,
Holding up a an old rusted kitchen knife.
"Give me what I'm after," he slurred,
As he demanded the bottle he chose.
The clerk was taken aback,
Thinking he had a thief to fight.
But the drunk just wanted his... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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The barstool is my throne
The bottle my scepter
I sit and drink and ponder
Life’s many injustices
The job I hate
The bills I can’t pay
The women who won’t stay
All haunt my mind
But in the dim light of this bar
I am king
Pour me... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 11 months ago
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Questions without answers,
Impossible to solve,
They linger in our minds,
As we try to evolve.
What is the meaning of it all?
A question asked for years,
We search for the elusive answer,
Through joy, pain, and tears.
Is there a God up... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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In a bluebird's nest lies a tiny egg
Belonging to a wren, small and fragile
It seems out of place, amidst blue feathers
But a twist of fate, and it now resides
In a nest not its own, a foreign home
Where it will hatch, and a new story unfolds
... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Endless days turn into nights,
Enduring love and all its fights,
Eager eyes that seek the light,
Elevated thoughts that take flight.
Ephemeral moments come and go,
Euphoria felt from head to toe,
Enigmatic dreams that we bestow,
Enraptured... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Disgruntled, he's staring at the stack of rejection letters,
Piled higher and higher, like the bills that he can't pay.
He checks his email, but it's the same old story,
Rejection after rejection, every single day.
"We don't publish poems... – by Joe Strickland | 19 Views added 11 months ago
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Deadlines bind tight, a prison of time,
Chains rattling with every tick of the clock.
A play of words, a never-ending song,
A cacophony of voices, clamoring for attention.
Amidst the chaos, a yearning for release,
A respite from the madness,... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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It's like watching a slow-motion train wreck,
The horror of cancer taking over their body,
You see them slowly melting away,
Becoming just a mere shell of their former self.
It's hard to fathom that this is the same person,
Whose strong... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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I'll be here for every child that needs
My love and care will never fade
For those who feel their true selves aren't seen
Their voices stifled, their hearts restrained
Whether they're atheist or gay
Or just want to chase dreams in their own way... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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The whiskey burns
As I scribble on paper
Words flowing freely
Like the booze in my veins
I hear the city
Breathing outside my window
Its heartbeat echoing
In the silence of my room
My mind wanders
Through memories and regrets
Broken... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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To everyone I've known, I say sorry
For the bitterness that has hurt you
My broken pieces matched your wounds
My pain echoed yours, it wasn't fair
Though I failed to love myself
My love for you stayed strong, for eternity
My presence was... – by Joe Strickland | 21 Views added 11 months ago
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The lake, once pristine and full,
Now lays barren and empty.
Its depths hidden beneath a surface
Of decaying algae and mud.
Every drop of water that once flowed
Now held tightly within its grasp,
Refusing sustenance in a battle
Against an... – by Joe Strickland | 134 Views added 11 months ago
| Rating
|
The lake, once pristine and full,
Now lays barren and empty.
Its depths hidden beneath a surface
Of decaying algae and mud.
Every drop of water that once flowed
Now held tightly within its grasp,
Refusing sustenance in a battle
Against an... – by Joe Strickland | 2 Views added 11 months ago
| Rating
|
The lake, once pristine and full,
Now lays barren and empty.
Its depths hidden beneath a surface
Of decaying algae and mud.
Every drop of water that once flowed
Now held tightly within its grasp,
Refusing sustenance in a battle
Against an... – by Joe Strickland | 56 Views added 11 months ago
| Rating
|
A moment frozen, suspended in time,
Warm breeze kissing skin, blue skies above,
A peaceful park, a moment sublime,
No worries or cares, just peace and love,
Birds chirping with unbridled joy,
Watching children play, freedom to enjoy.
... – by Joe Strickland | 19 Views added 11 months ago
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Small towns of the open road,
How many stories untold you hold.
I glimpse your welcome sign, I slow,
Your dusty streets evoke a glow.
What history lies behind your quaint facade?
What secrets in your creaky doors are locked?
Do tales of love... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 11 months ago
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Dear Oscar Wilde,
Injustice is an ugly beast,
Which robs us all of pride and peace.
It took its toll on you, dear friend,
And caused your heart to break and bend.
You suffered greatly for your love,
A love that society would shove
Into a... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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What is on your mind, my dear friend?
Is it a weight that’s hard to shake?
Perhaps it’s worry that you can’t escape,
Or a memory that haunts you without end.
In moment by moment, we all deal
With pressure that can’t be denied,
It fills our... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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The open road stretches out ahead,
No fixed location to be sought or led,
I travel purposefully towards a dream,
An elusive destination, or so it seems.
The path may twist and turn and bend,
But onward I move, with each step I ascend,
To a... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 11 months ago
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In the depths of a forest,
Lies a church, weathered and old.
Its walls, etched with memories
Of those who once called it home.
Beyond the church, a cemetery,
Where forgotten souls lay at rest.
Their names obscured by time's embrace,
Lost to... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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Liquor is a symphony, playing on my tongue
Each sip a note, a melody to be savored
A symphony of flavors, a harmony of scents
A symphony of colors, a feast for the eyes
I love the way it dances on my palate
My heart races, my senses are... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 11 months ago
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The underground poet, shy and insecure,
Was asked to read in a big gymnasium
But fear hijacked his voice, made him unsure
He agreed to go only if wine helped him
The crowd fell silent; he began to mess
Up phrases, stammering like a drunken fool... – by Joe Strickland | 3 Views added 11 months ago
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The arguments were always the same,
A broken record stuck in my mind,
She thought that love needed leisure,
Time to savour every single moment,
While I found pleasure in working, a bum,
I knew that I wasn't the only one.
I'd honed my skills... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 11 months ago
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Loneliness is something I've never been bothered with,
For I have always craved for solitude's touch;
A covetous yearning, a deep-seated desire,
For a moment of peace, a quiet retire.
In the hustle and bustle of life's busy lane,
I find... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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The factories churn out endless days
That waste away without much meaning
Bosses and idiots watch the clock
As workers toil in slow brutality
Their lives reduced to mere production
In this never-ending cycle of waste
The air is filled with... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 11 months ago
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I like to complain and do nothing to act
I blame my parents' generation for their past
And how they almost achieved social change
Before the media and government's deface
Using the Manson's and Hippies as propaganda examples
Taking away from a... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 11 months ago
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In the alleyway, a man resides
he's scraggly and unkempt
he's always hungry and cannot hide
from the glares of those who've contempt
they think he's a burden, an inconvenience
but they don't know his life's predicament
The world has been... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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She sits alone at the bar,
Staring into her drink
A cigarette hangs lazily
From her lips
She's seen it all,
The highs and the lows
From gutter to glamour
And back again
A scarlet woman,
A queen of the night
A siren's call,
A woman... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Charles, an elderly man with a heart of gold
His wife Becky, slowly losing memories to hold
Dementia's grasp is getting stronger
His love for her, nothing could conquer
They've been together for six long decades
Through thick and thin, their... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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I’ve always been skeptical of heaven
A place where souls ascend to after death
Where the pearly gates open wide
And streets are lined with gold
But what if a soul doesn’t make the cut?
Do they remain in a void of darkness?
Is death the end... – by Joe Strickland | 24 Views added 11 months ago
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Rex and I had our differences
But respect was always there.
We'd run into each other at the bar sometimes.
Occasionally things would get messy,
A misunderstanding or a wrong look.
She smiled at me instead of him,
And the brawl would begin.
... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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It's never quite right.
We search and we search,
for love that will complete us,
for meaning and purpose,
in a world that seems to suffocate.
We fall in love with the wrong people,
we chase after fleeting illusions,
and in the end, we are... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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The damned find pleasure
In fleeting moments,
Be it in the gaze of a faithful pup
Or a square of wax melting slow
They revel in the destruction
Of cities, countries, and continents,
In the flames that devour
Maidens and monsters alike.
... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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I'm jealous of her brain.
Her poetry
How it cuts through the soul
Bringing grown men to their knees
Weeping like broken hearted children.
Her brain, a wonder to behold
Words flow like a river, untamed and bold
Verses that slice through the... – by Joe Strickland | 23 Views added 11 months ago
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The belly-side of contemporary life
Is a place of desperation, pain, and strife
Where each soul struggles to survive
As they navigate their own unique path in this life
There's a deserted husband, lost and alone
Wondering where his... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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From my window, I see luxury high.
A tower of wealth, it looms above me.
Each window a glimpse of their lavish life.
A world I long for, yet can't afford.
I yearn to leave my humble apartment
And rise up to their grandeur in the sky.
Their... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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The unknown poet, a legend in his time,
Runs three hundred hangovers in a year,
His sex drive stronger than men half his age,
His words are like poetry in motion,
The world knows not his talent, his passion,
But he continues to write with... – by Joe Strickland | 21 Views added 11 months ago
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He wakes up to the sound of a roach skittering on the floor
The sun peeks through the window, baking dust on the worn hardwood
His head is pounding with the remnants of last night's binge
The empty bottles, needles, and pills littered about the... – by Joe Strickland | 18 Views added 11 months ago
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Another goddamn morning,
Head throbbing, dread hanging heavy,
The weight of life on his crooked spine,
Thirsty for whiskey, the demon's levy.
Alcohol is his only friend,
The numbness that stops the pain,
Yet he knows it's killing him slow,
... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 11 months ago
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Amy, the bibliophile, browses through the stacks
Of the local used bookstore, on a hunt for new tracks
She scours every shelf for hidden gems to find
And perks up at titles that grab her curious mind
She believes in the magic that lingers in... – by Joe Strickland | 10 Views added 11 months ago
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Thunder rumbles loud,
Electric charge fills the air,
Startled, we jump up.
Turbulent feelings
Boldly faced with steady mind
Emotions made calm
Heavy clouds above,
Lead to a heart filled with gloom,
Loneliness consumes.
Heavy heart,... – by Joe Strickland | 18 Views added 11 months ago
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In the darkest night,
When all else is still,
The raven takes flight,
With secrets to fulfill.
Black as coal,
Its feathers gleam,
A creature of the soul,
With secrets unseen.
In the folklore of old,
The raven was a sign,
Of fortune or... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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Each day is a chance to start anew,
Embrace the possibilities that ensue.
Leave behind the past, with all its pain,
And step forward, unburdened, unchained.
New beginnings are like a blank slate,
A chance to rewrite our own fate.
We can... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 11 months ago
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As the sun sets in the west,
A group of cowboys take their rest,
Camping under the starry sky,
Sharing stories and a hearty fry.
They gather ‘round a campfire bright,
And use their words to ignite,
A form of art that’s free and loose,
Free... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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I walk through the city streets,
slick with rain and neon lights.
The crowds move like living waves,
each person a story untold.
A man playing guitar on the corner
fills the air with sweet melodies,
while a couple argues intensely
in a... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Magical realism, a world beyond our own
Where myths and legends thrive, and truth is sown
Stories of beings, otherworldly and strange
But are they just tales, or do they truly reign?
Rito Blin, a name whispered with awe
Part Irish, part... – by Joe Strickland | 20 Views added 11 months ago
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So what's your hurry?
Why rush through life like it's a race?
Slow down and take a breath,
enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.
The colors of the sunset,
the soft petals of a flower,
the laughter of a child,
the warmth of a... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 11 months ago
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I sit at my desk, cigarette burning
Flies buzz around me, they're learning
I drink cheap whiskey, feeling old
Everything around me, just seems to fold
The walls close in, they're suffocating
My head is pounding, it's devastating
Another day... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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Shifting
Especially with a stranger.
Or a bar girl.
Or a lover who intends to stay.
Even better in the long run.
There's nothing quite like kissing,
With lips interlocking tight,
Feeling the tension and the fire,
As you hold each other... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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When a young buck
Goes after a dame
It's expected, it's tame.
But when an old goat
Tries to get on a young goats' boat
It takes guts, it takes nerve
You gotta have the balls to serve.
And when a wise old fox
Goes after a hot young blonde
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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Mystic energy,
Beyond what our eyes can see,
Existence profound,
From the realm of thought and mind
Metaphysics, truth enshrined. ... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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In this world we live in,
Man thinks he's the king of it all.
That he can rule and reign
And not suffer,
Though his house will crumble.
He lives in his lavish home,
A picture of wealth and splendor.
But every time he goes out
He adds to... – by Joe Strickland | 19 Views added 11 months ago
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It's unclear when it happened,
the passing of youth.
But suddenly I knew,
and it held onto me like a truth.
My realization struck,
cutting through like a diamond blade.
I found my younger self,
hidden deep like an ocean's shade.
... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 11 months ago
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I am Joe, an atheist,
unshackled and free,
No more fear, guilt, shame, or self-hate inside of me.
I've found happiness in my own way,
With my wife and two daughters
Ryleigh and Stella are my religion now.
But each week I drive by that... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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She walks with a shyness that belies
the storm raging within her chest,
a heart that beats wild with anxiety,
breath shallow and eyes darting restlessly.
She is a woman who loves deeply,
whose heart overflows with tenderness
and... – by Joe Strickland | 21 Views added 11 months ago
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He sits at his desk, pen in hand,
Staring at the blank page in dismay.
His mind, a muddled mess, can't understand
How to make his words flow in any way.
He hates his poems, every single one,
The ideas he thinks mundane and trite.
He looks at... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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He lives in a house full of snakes,
Charlatan, conman, the ultimate fake.
He loves them all, or so it seems,
Treating them like family, fulfilling his dreams.
But beneath the surface, a secret lies,
Hidden away from prying eyes.
A dark and... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 11 months ago
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The deep and profound blue sea
A world unknown
Weightless I float
Silent, yet full of sound
Bubbles escape my lips
As I dive deeper down
My body adapts and adjusts
To the pressure surrounding me
With each stroke of my arms
I move with... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 11 months ago
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Jordan, the business executive, full of ambition,
But hiding his low self-esteem beneath a facade of confidence.
A big smile on his face, but tears behind his eyes,
He seems fearless, but his anxiety consumes him inside.
Nameless, he feels, lost... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 11 months ago
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Maya, with words like poetry,
Spoke of pain and triumph,
Of hope and reality,
Of the strength to survive.
She had a voice like no other,
Her stories gave power to the oppressed,
Reflecting on the past,
Her wisdom helped us reflect on... – by Joe Strickland | 17 Views added 11 months ago
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The bar was dimly lit, whiskey glasses clinked,
And the air reeked of alcohol fumes,
I sat, nursing my drink, lost in my thoughts,
When a loud mouthed preacher, stumbled in.
He was drunk beyond belief,
And his words slurred, forming no sense,... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Drinking, like an old friend,
Whose presence I cannot deny,
Who pulls me in with a warm embrace,
And soothes away the pain in my heart.
The taste of whiskey on my lips,
Is like music to my soul,
A sweet symphony that numbs the pain,
And... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 11 months ago
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Whiskey breath and cigarette smoke,
She stumbled into my life,
With eyes like hurricanes ready to provoke,
And a body poised for strife.
I couldn't resist her wild allure,
As she leaned in and whispered low,
"Let's forget about tomorrow,
... – by Joe Strickland | 21 Views added 11 months ago
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It's curious, isn't it?
How there is no real word
Or phrase that captures
The essence of those old friends
Who've just met.
He and I encountered
Each other by chance
United by sports
And a fondness for drinks.
We spend hours chatting away... – by Joe Strickland | 16 Views added 11 months ago
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I cannot stand the sight of those
Who strut and preen, their egos gross
Their haughty gazes, smug and proud
As if they stand on higher ground
Their words, like acid, sting and burn
To make themselves feel more astute and learned
Their... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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In the year of Jupiter,
the sun took a step back
and let its giant cousin
take the throne
It's the year of growth and expansion
of reaching for the stars and beyond
as they ventured forth into the unknown
and let their curiosity take the... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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The neon lights flicker
In this city of sin
Where the broken and lonely
Find solace within
I drink to forget
All the pain and the hurt
That life has thrown at me
And left me in the dirt
The bars and the alleys
Are my sanctuary now
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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She was a mess of tangled hair,
a pack of cigarettes, and a bottle of gin.
She could drink like a fish,
and fuck like a dream,
but her eyes were empty,
and her soul was torn.
She stumbled through life,
with a reckless abandon,
leaving... – by Joe Strickland | 206 Views added 11 months ago
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In bleak and barren streets, I wander,
Amid the fog and gloom so tender,
A life of toil and hardship true,
As Dickens' world comes into view.
The poor and wretched, down on luck,
With hunger pangs their only muck,
Their clothes in rags,... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 11 months ago
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As we journey through this life of ours,
We find ourselves amidst changing hours.
And though we may start with young, keen eyes,
We'll soon come to learn that time flies.
For with each moment that passes by,
We grow, we learn, we laugh, we... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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Black spring,
Unseen, unheard.
The world still turns,
The birds still sing.
But within,
The heart is cold,
The mind is numb,
The soul grows old.
Days pass,
Nights fade,
But the darkness lingers,
And the light has strayed.
A season... – by Joe Strickland | 18 Views added 11 months ago
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Tina, what do you see,
Behind that camera lens, what sets you free?
Is it the filters that make your heart sing,
Or the picture-perfect moment it can bring?
You chase the light, you chase the scene,
Wanting to capture everything.
Every angle... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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In the heart of the jungle lies a dense and tangled mess,
Where every creature fights to survive, to stake their own success.
The vines are thick and unrelenting, the trees tower high above,
And the animals all scavenge, seeking food,... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 11 months ago
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I woke up today to a world abuzz
The city streets were alive with a rush
Cars honking in their daily tussle
Pedestrians shouting, a noisy bustle
I walked to work with a heavy mind
Thinking of deadlines and stress combined
But then I saw a... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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Barfly, a creature of the night,
Moth to the light of neon signs,
Drifting from bar to bar,
Aimless and without a care.
A regular at every joint,
Known to all the bartenders,
The patron saint of last call,
With a drink in hand, always.
... – by Joe Strickland | 8 Views added 11 months ago
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She is a bird,
Her wings are strong,
The freedom she feels,
As she flies high.
But sometimes,
The wind can be unkind,
Pushing her down,
Clouding her thoughts.
She feels lost.
She's on her way back up,
To the open blue.
But then she... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Words flowing seamlessly,
In a dialogue of two.
A natural rhythm,
In the back and forth of thought.
We share our truth,
Without fear of judgment.
Listening intently,
As our stories unfold.
A connection forged,
In the exchange of words.
... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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In the land of Jules Verne,
Where adventure lies at every turn,
The air is thick with dreams and possibilities,
And the skies stretch far beyond the seas.
With every step I take,
I feel the thrill of the unknown,
Excitement coursing through... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 11 months ago
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The bar is my cathedral,
deep and dark as the hole in my soul.
The scent of cheap whiskey and cigarette smoke
mixes with the sound of lonely old men
sipping their sorrows away.
This is my church,
where I come to confess my sins
to the... – by Joe Strickland | 40 Views added 11 months ago
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They hold your dreams,
Your fears and doubts,
Your hopes and wishes;
They hold your life,
Your pain and joy;
They hold onto memories,
Both good and bad;
They hold on tight,
To keep you steady;
They reach out,
To embrace your loved ones,
... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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Cities at night,
Burning vividly,
The hustle and bustle of millions,
As we try not to lose our will.
People live and breathe,
Each chasing after their own dreams,
Some reaching, others failing,
But never once do we stop believing.
... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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In this fast-paced world that we're living in
It's so easy to feel lost and alone
Surrounded by screens and technology
But missing out on the real connections we need
We're constantly bombarded with information
And our minds are racing at a... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 11 months ago
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I step outside to the city's hum,
A symphony of honks and chatter.
A million lives in motion,
Each one with a different story.
The buildings rise up like giants,
Glass and steel reaching for the sky.
The sun beats down on my skin,
A... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 11 months ago
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The news is loud and boisterous
A constant barrage of information
Buzzing and hounding us
With each breaking story
Concerns and issues
Swirl about us like a hurricane
Climate change, politics, pandemics
All vying for our... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 11 months ago
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Gratitude occupies in my core,
A notion
that fills every representation.
I take into account
my favor period to time.
Relieved for each pace of the method.
For the star that stirs me in the aurora.
For the inspiration in my lungs each... – by Joe Strickland | 6 Views added 11 months ago
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We are the seekers of truth,
The disciples of reason,
The advocates of empathy,
The believers in humanity.
We reject the dogma of old,
The superstitions and fears,
We embrace the power of knowledge,
The freedom of inquiry.
We stand for... – by Joe Strickland | 5 Views added 11 months ago
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A buzzing swarm
Of thoughts invade
Never to rest,
Perpetually crafting,
Darting,
Zipping,
Whirling flight
Unfolding feelings
In ceaseless illumination.
A hum resounds,
Their wings in beat
Distraction constant,
Struggle to... – by Joe Strickland | 9 Views added 11 months ago
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Somewhere between then and now
I went from
"Dad, stop telling me what to do."
to "Dad, tell me what to do."
Maybe you never left us.
You simply passed through another door
that I can't walk through.
Maybe you're in a different expanse.
... – by Joe Strickland | 14 Views added 11 months ago
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Work hard, slave away all day
For a paycheck that barely pays
Love lost, a heart in pain
A soul aching for a love to remain
Illness hits hard, the body weak
Sickness lingers, a pain that won't cease
Sadness overwhelms, tears flow
Grief... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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There's a group of scrappy, stray dogs
roaming the streets, alone and lost.
They're each unique, with different traits.
But society scorns them, they're the outcasts.
One has three legs and a crooked tail.
Another is big and fearsome-looking.
... – by Joe Strickland | 4 Views added 11 months ago
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The elderly Cora sits in her chair,
though her body is frail,
her mind is still aware.
The memory of her days as a famous ballerina
are still alive in her heart,
though she remains still and silent.
She remembers the way the stage lights... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 11 months ago
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He stands,
Rusty trumpet
In hand,
Plays,
Echoes
Through the town.
Notes,
Magic,
Transport
To another place.
Feel rhythm
In your soul,
Smile on your
Countenance.
Jazz musician,
Master of sound,
Trumpet as rusty
As his... – by Joe Strickland | 11 Views added 11 months ago
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Untouchable, they call us,
A curse upon this land.
Left alone, shunned by society,
We wander aimlessly, unknown.
Forgotten outcasts, labeled impure,
born into a caste not chosen.
No use,
No value,
Unclean,
And rotten,
Oppressed with... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 11 months ago
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Contentment in heart,
Joy, love, peace in every step,
The good life blooms bright.
Rushing through the day,
Fast life whizzes by in a blur,
Breathe in, slow it down.
Endless paths ahead,
Wandering, wondering mind,
Journey of the soul. ... – by Joe Strickland | 7 Views added 11 months ago
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In the distance, fate looms,
Our own destiny, we carve.
Strong enough to steer our ship.
Uncertain future lies ahead,
Yet we possess the power,
To mold our own destiny.
Embracing the dance,
Between fate and free will,
We seize each... – by Joe Strickland | 19 Views added 11 months ago
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Amorphous spirit,
Shifting shape, yet steadfastly
Guiding our life's path.
Invisible, yet present,
The soul's form transcends the flesh.
Deep within our soul
Lies a mind that often speaks
Whispers of hope and fear
Navigating life's journey... – by Joe Strickland | 21 Views added 11 months ago
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In the same workplace,
Opportunities arise.
Propinquity’s gift.
Small talk blossoms into love,
Two hearts beat as one at... – by Joe Strickland | 12 Views added 11 months ago
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I wake up at noon, still bleary-eyed
From a night of drinking and smoking
I light a cigarette and sip on coffee
Trying to silence the voices in my head
The bills pile up on my kitchen table
But I can’t seem to give a damn
I’ll find some odd... – by Joe Strickland | 22 Views added 11 months ago
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I walk the concrete sidewalks
Of a city that never sleeps
I am just one more face
In a sea of anonymity
I hear the sound of sirens
As they wail in the night
This metropolis is alive
With chaos and unrest
The neon lights bathed my skin
... – by Joe Strickland | 13 Views added 11 months ago
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I whispered to her low,
A vow to ease her pain,
But behind those honeyed words,
Lurked a harsh, jagged truth.
I didn't bring her calming peace,
Just a warning, stark and raw.
For I bear a weighty ghost,
Of bygone, searing hurt,
Whose shadow... – by Joe Strickland | 34 Views added 11 months ago
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I whispered to her low,
A vow to ease her pain,
But behind those honeyed words,
Lurked a harsh, jagged truth.
I didn't bring her calming peace,
Just a warning, stark and raw.
I bear a weighty ghost,
Of bygone, searing hurt,
Whose shadow... – by Joe Strickland | 66 Views added 11 months ago
| Rating
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