The smell of tragedy is ominous

Lives derailed into prologues

Glass broken beneath banished dreams

Processing for desperation

In desperation

For desperate times

Again.

And their mouths are bound shut with murmurs of ideas or answers or the fleeting sound of many prayers

For tears on windows, innocence in backpacks, and leather burned by fear

Flowers dropped under a coal sky, with dusty wind that breeds itself —

The taste of metal is the air

And it is on my tongue

and the smell of tragedy is senseless

So I smear my words on paper to suffocate the pain.

#nashvillestrong

Which

came

first

chaos

or

order?

I figured out the answer, staring at the beast.

My generation?

Grew up on TV

in color

Raised by moms

at home

Ate McDonald’s

unknowing GMO’s

My generation?

Can rewind

a tape

Can hear the

dial-up tone

Can feel

arcade joysticks

My generation?

Now rents

instead of owns

Now works

instead of parents

Now struggles

instead of thrives

My generation?

Remembers

homes

Remembers

pensions

Remembers

dreams

My generation?

Had to work

retail

Had to take

2 or 3 gigs

Had to pay

debts

My generation?

Got shafted

Got played

Got bubcus

And no deal

While your generation

Got college funding

Got starter housing

Got social security

And a New Deal

And yet you blame us

For not achieving the same with less investment

For not overcoming our “minor” hardships

For complaining about our unfair hand

Which we only know we were dealt

Because our generation

Grew up watching yours

[For a kinder and more nuanced debate on this topic try this article: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/10/who-destroyed-the-economy-the-case-against-the-baby-boomers/263291/]

[For more dispassionate facts on the differences across generations try this data: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/essay/millennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations/]

i’m not hungry

it’s too early to eat

the w o r l d s p i n s s l o w e r

at 1 a.m.

i don’t care how long

it takes you

i can wait

》f o r e v e r《

if i need to

...so...

i do

you will join me

a n y m o m e n t n o w

||i think i’m going too fast||

...so...

i slow down

// one bite

becomes two \\

: each : beat : of : my : heart :

bleedsintothenext

tick

tick

tick

where are you?

why aren't you back?

you are not bad enough

{{for hell}}

and heaven

does not deserve you

drip

drip

drip

the emptiness

((in my chest))

> leaks from my eyes <

and now there's water

_ in my cereal _

i'm not hungry

it's too early to eat

i leave my post

{ten steps to the sink}

tip the bowl

and watch it

s

w

i

r

l

down the drain

i cannot look

- at the stars -

it is not

》t h e s a m e《

when you are

among them

and not

with me

Anger is a new sharp knife,

while Pain is the dullness of war and strife.

Sadness is the pouring of rain on a gloomy day

and Happiness is nothing but a sunny ray.

Love is the cackling of a fire,

warming you up like fries in a fryer.

Jealousy is your teenage bully,

and Depression is nothing wooly.

Joy is the bright Christmas tree,

while Shame is a useless plea.

Trust is a loving hug,

Fear is a murderous thug.

Anxiousness is a consuming pressure,

Calmness is no new refresher.

Being Lonely is nothing fun,

Braveness is like standing in the sun.

Cry yourself a river

Maybe you'll drown in it

Hit me hard with your words

Give me another reason

To hate you

They say hate is a strong word

Well good,

Because I want it to hurt

For everything you should be

And everything you could be

You were selfish, passing on

What you didn't want to me

Shouldn't have chose to be

Something you can't handle

It was always your choice

-not mine

I sometimes see sleep as a practice for death

One moment you're conscious, awake, 

Next thing you know you're knocked out cold, 

No control whatsoever. 

We see unrealistic things every night

We visit other worlds:

Our own personal heavens and hells.

We act like it's normal

We're living our own mini comatose every night.

It scares me what could happen

While I'm sleeping. 

You could walk into my room and I wouldn't know

Wouldn't have anything but tired, slowed-down defenses.

And someday

I'll fall asleep

And I won't 

Wake 

Up.