A breeze blows in the stage

The season, soon, is new

Light alters position

The landscape changes hues

Through a tiny opening

In a window, once in shade

A brilliant sunray’s cast

And the reel’s ready to play

The coin drops in the slot

My kinetoscope starts up

The pictureshow’s feature

Cinema of Life and Love

Light flickers through foliage

And the dancing images

I watch the silent movie

Of family, deaths and marriage

I’ve only one to choose from

The viewer plays the same

Until the show’s engagement ends

And the season starts to change

why do we let numbers

define our quality of life -

despite our conscious value,

determination, and strife?

suddenly a shining mirror

that once showed the vision of your face

now represents a number, a weight,

a failure of beauty and grace

suddenly a place of education

that once encouraged you to grow all-day long

now gives you a small number on a sheet of paper

pointing out all the things you did wrong.

suddenly a currency

that once was a personal, secretive thing

now is broadcasted and bragged about

on our children’s impressionable screens.

and now we feel

ugly

hopeless

morphed into the people we never wanted to be.

it’s time to break this cycle, which is endorsed through society, so we can all be entirely

free.

the posts i saw were terrifying

rushing cold blood through warm skin

referencing your lonely intentions

i didn’t know where to begin

you brought up thoughts to hurt yourself

something that i, no one, takes lightly

i stared at my phone in disbelief

the dark room had it shine out brightly

and i began to type some broken words

of broken sentences that made no sense

but the same “i love you’s” rolled around

you are one of my best friends

and i sat there waiting for a response

ten minutes at that screen, i just stared

and you sent smiling faces back

cause you just wanted to see who cared

you just felt bored and curious

you never would think those things

you never knew how much stress it would cause

for everyone, especially me

but now i can’t shake that thought

it’s just not a thing stable people say

but if it’s true, and you did it for attention,

that’s something awful i can’t think away

just talk to me normally, not on instagram

where people can mess with your mind

it feels as if i need a lie detector now

when i ask you if you’re fine

The night is cold

And I’ve no fire

The frigid air

Cuts like a knife, where

Through my bones

Into my soul

I’m absent warmth

I sit alone

The dark is silent

Echoing

Preying creatures

My heartbeat

I’m without light

I cannot see

Eve’s darkened void

Envelopes me

Across the eerie scape

The flicker of a flame, alas!

I wander through the emptiness

To end my chill by fire, at last

The gathering of sticks and wood

Quill & ink their match; desire

Kindling a warmth to share

Their bonfire blaze; a warm campfire

Words I’d locked away in darkness

Expressionless, their tomb too deep

Have found their voice, a light has dawned

In radiance of their poetry