It was 3 a.m., but the orders were piling up
on the chrome-plated spinning rack.

One customer sent their plate back.
"Wants more peas.",
Moon, the waitress said.

I didn't get angry.
I felt there was a kind of sadness
within the request.

I don't particularly like peas,
but everyone got plenty of them after that.

You only live once,
Gracing lifeline in a single walk,
To do,to shine , to shower glory be your success strive,
Live life lowly, strive to fire, desire to aspire
Work,walk, win...never ever catch fear's fever...

I feel empty most days.

A hollow being
Trying to fill myself with anything
But there are holes in my feet

I've tried taping them up
with self-care and therapy
but grief and doubt force them open again

I try to stand, unyielding
Telling myself
That it's okay to be empty

But the winds of desperation
Create a resonance
Singing praises of dissatisfaction

So I continue to force feed myself
covering the holes
hoping to, one day, feel
fulfilled

Poem Body

diesel breathing (post 3)
Poem Body

diesel breathing
Poem Body

i found a red light that turned to green
the moment i sped past

that hour’s train thundered above as
i threatened the glossy paint
against the stone trestle
of the railroad bridge

the fog of thinking dissolved on that
cold road as I watched it
consumed underneath,
seventy miles per hour
pulling the yellow snake
across the black

diesel breathing
Poem Body

i found a red light that turned to green
the moment i sped past

that hour’s train thundered above as
i threatened the glossy paint
against the stone trestle
of the railroad bridge

the fog of thinking dissolved on that
cold road as I watched it
consumed underneath,
seventy miles per hour
pulling the yellow snake
across the black

i thought about abbreviations
the way you squeeze otherwise respectable words
as you punch out the order for a classified

Always understand
critics abound
some are well meaning
others lust to tear someone down

When you put your poetry out there
bear in mind
getting it done is victory
the effort well worth your time

Constructive critique should ever be welcome
none of us will likely achieve perfection
don’t be afraid to tweak or rewrite
or take your words in another direction

That serenity and peace
that I continue to describe
demonstrates
that I'm all right.
It is correct to say
that BA set me on the path,
but now
I'm walking on it
all by myself.
I'm living a full life.
I'm learning new skills.
I'm connecting with other people.
I'm active in the community.
I'm trying to make a difference,
for others,
and for myself.
I'm functioning
to full capacity
and in a normal way.

I led a boring life.
The end.

All joking aside, now the epilogue.

Scattered like stars
thoughts glimmer:
constellations of ideas
mosaics of the mind's workings.

Words twist and turn
a labyrinth of meaning
each line reflects
each stanza holds a riddle

Neon lights and ancient shadows
merge in a collision of epochs
their spirit breathes through the chaos,
a tapestry woven from tradition and innovation.

A chorus emerges, blending the visible and the hidden.

My shaft pulsing
Between her ivory thighs

She murmurs:
"O my lord don't make me
Love you"