Happy New Year

I ran as fast as I could
out the front door.
My momentum
caused the door to slam.
My velocity set the door on fire,
and everything behind it
went up in flames.
Burnt ashes never smelled so free.
Choking on black smoke,
I never looked back.

21-Word Story: Tasteless Remarks

Your words taste like
unsweetened, soggy oatmeal
excruciatingly bland, unwanted
always dripping with monotony.
Please, oh please, shut the fcuk up.

All Things Kind

A gentle touch,
tender words,
warm hands that
encapsulate my sometimes weary heart...
I’m obsessed with kindness.
In return:
I give myself freely,
selflessly.

Enigma

Highly-extroverted
social until I'm not
silent chaos
in my introverted mind
leave me until
I'm open again
alone
with my complexities
and unfathomable
oxymoronic ways
but you're intrigued, always
forever wanting more
your unwavering persistence
keeps me afloat.

Comfort Zone

Once watching tv
now watching me
my hips don’t always sway
but today
conscious exaggeration
slow to undress
what’s the hurry?
He slapped my ass,
“When you get so damn sassy?”

Fret Not

My hips don’t work
and they don’t know why.
So, he laid hands on me
and prayed.
My hips still hurt
but my heart is calm
and alas, I slept.

Brain Hyperactivity

Between
these four walls
my thoughts echo
and eventually crescendo
shut off the lights
close the windows
suffocate the noise
momentarily.

Options

A depraved world
confronted with
temptations,
closet addictions,
villainous souls
masked as angels
instinctively,
I choose love.

Dead Ends

I woke up this morning
and decided to cut my hair
how amazingly freeing
it is
to let go
of damaged, dead
ends.

My Edible Escape

I learned how to manage
stress at a young age
a strategy that
spilled over into adulthood

driven by nostalgia
accustomed to let downs
obedient to the cravings
addicted to the rush

my pain reliever
even if only temporarily
it never fails or
disappoints.

Immutable

Our spirits clashed
we just never gelled
whenever she spoke
she freely vomited words
saturated with judgement
condescension
A proud elitist no doubt
and then she got sick
and everything about her
screamed
frailty, humility
but she still talked shit.

Chemistry

Lost in his eyes
so brilliantly dark
he spoke
I didn’t hear a word
deafened by his energy
heat so strong
sweat trickled
between my breasts
sweat beads I refused to wipe
he made my temparture rise
hot with agitation
and we both knew it.

My Love Reflections

The first 19 years
of my life were met with
feelings of ambivalence
about her love
and 20 years thereafter
reaffirming my self-worth
accepting love from an
intensely-committed man
all a revelation of my
dichotomy
between one-sided love
self-love and
and mutual
love.

No More Tears

My allegiance to you
is no more
neglect not protect
was my world
close enough to hear
your breaths
and still unable to touch you
but I felt your pricks, punctures, tears
to my once bleeding heart
and for that
the reality is
if you died today
I wouldn’t shed a
tear.

Resistant Thoughts

My past and distorted thoughts
are covered in soil, buried deep
Yet, sometimes it rains
And when it does
I am exposed.
Once again
reminded of the pain and
all that is ugly.

Lord, please make me beautiful again.