Take the long way home.
Look around as you roam.
Don’t be afraid to believe
that love will set us all free.
Take the time to view places
you once knew. Watch as
grey skies turn blue. Listen
to sounds you once heard.
It takes too long for letters
to become words. Sit. Wait
as time drives us to our fate.
Take the long way home
and take time for yourself.
The long way always helps.
My clothes have looked ripped,
torn, and haggard from the day
I was born. I didn’t think they
were worn down until they were
handed down. Despite the dirt,
I saw clearly. I got clothes yearly
at Goodwill, thrift stores: clearly.
I have fallen, tripped, and ripped
my clothes. It’s the way it goes.
Instead of feeling bad for myself,
I slowly got up looking for help.
It didn’t take long before I found
a queen without the silly crown.
She was happy to show me around.
Within days, I learned how to sew.
With learning to sew, I learned how
to heal. Each time I fall, I recall many
lessons that lessen the hurt and pain.
When I fall, I know my wounds will
heal and my clothes can be stitched.
When there is nothing left but love,
that’s when my life’s been enriched.
Don’t be a dead man walking.
No need to be a sitting duck.
Don’t be down on your luck.
No need to be feeling bad
when you miss all the things
you wish you could have back.
Don’t stare at your reflection
for too long. Change it up.
No need to replay the song.
Move on. Wake up and look
alive. Buy the ticket and enjoy
the ride. Know when to show
and when to hide. Look alive.
No need to slip into the night
when we can just take flight.
It takes a special kind
of eyes to look around
and notice a paradise.
We don’t think twice
to worry or dwell on
all of the small things.
We are used to the sun,
so, when the sky rains,
we focus on our pain.
Rarely, do we let go
of the past that has
a stranglehold on us.
We choose to take
the bus instead of
taking a long walk.
There is beauty in
the things and people
we find ugly. It looks
bad if we’re judging.
Open your eyes and see
a world above and below
your feet. Seek new life
in the scope of your sight.
Create the life and love
you desperately need.
Kill that voice inside
your head – kill him
dead. Seek refuge beside
those joining you on
this wild ride. Remove
the veil covering your
eyes, open wide and see
life as a fleeting paradise.
Today, I got carried away.
Instead of work, I play.
Sometimes I forget to live
without stress. The older
I get, the shorter the days.
Today, I got carried away
from what I was doing.
Half the time, I don’t know
which direction to go.
The other half of the time,
I don’t know if I should
go outside or stay in
and hide. These long legs
carry me away. One point
to the next. Feeling blessed
in my chest, I hold my head
high. I look to the sky. I see
wings carry birds away.
I feel the wind chill my skin.
I can count on my days
getting carried away.
My mind might stray, yet
my body will stay. Blue
skies littered with birds
help me find the words
needed to carry me away.
I look ahead and know that
one day, blues fade to black.
IN YOUR DREAMS POETRY 