I look up and breathe.
Both my eyes close
as I exhale. I see you
take a breath after
I take mine. The air
between us thickens.
The energy flowing
means that tension
is growing. The air
between you and I
forms an invisible
wall – one too small
to see through. The air
between us dances
back and forth.
Recycled over again,
the air between us
is more than a gust.
The air between us
knocks off the rust.
It shakes off the dust.
I look up and breathe.
I smile and take in
the air that we share.
I walk past a mirror,
and I stop in my tracks.
I look deep into my own
eyes and see a boy who
does what he can, a boy
making it work, despite
the absence of light.
I look into my eyes and
see a boy looking for
answers to impossible
questions. I am looking
at a boy doing his best
to remedy devastation.
I can’t tell if I am seeing
my own reflection or
that my reflection is
seeing me. I look a few
moments longer, studying
my face and its history.
There is a story to be told
in each smile and frown.
Before I break my gaze,
I remember all my days.
I wave to my reflection
and walk away from
the mirror, knowing
I have nothing to fear.
Because of my past, I see
a world unique to me.
Because of my experience,
I have seen life from
the other side of the fence.
Because of the times I hurt,
I learned to be aware: alert.
Because of the times of joy,
I rebuild people, places,
and hope once destroyed.
Because of the past pain,
I learned to train my brain,
and welcome pouring rain.
Because of the steep slope,
I found new ways to cope.
Because of the challenge,
I have found my balance.
Because of people like you,
I know to push on through.
I know a few wise guys.
They know things
most couldn’t imagine.
They wear sunglasses
to hide their eyes
from the sun. Because
they are wise guys,
they don’t need to
listen or fall in line.
They do all things
on their own time.
They wear top hats
to conceal their brains
because looking from
the outside in would
really just be insane.
These wise guys like
to get a rise out of
anyone silly enough
to get caught in a web
of complex sentences
euphuisms, or idioms.
Wise guys wake up and
fist-bump themselves,
doing anything that helps
them begin to win.
I know a few wise guys.
They know how to be
people I cannot believe.
What are you saying
when you speak to yourself?
Do you put yourself down?
Do you say things that help?
Listen to yourself. Hear
yourself talk. Be nice;
think twice before saying
something you wouldn’t
say to someone else.
Build yourself up. Go to
your happy place; embrace
the smile on your face.
Train your brain to handle
pain. Listen to yourself.
Are you talking sense?
Can you control the voice
or is it not your choice?
Listen: you might hear
someone being sincere.
IN YOUR DREAMS POETRY 