Smile For the Camera

A snapshot perfect memory
So-called candid imagery
Stopped mid-way, poses set
Sometimes real, sometimes fake
But always forever kept
In times, for the camera, we make

Lingering Shadows

The past,

Reoccurring and repetitive

A sense of no control

As history repeats itself,

An endless cycle,

Continuously

Falling deep into an eternal pit

Memories irk and trouble the mind

Like a shadow

Consistently trailing behind

Lingering close by

Never able to be shaken off

Never learning fully from the past

Remembering what was then

Reminiscing about what could have been

Yet unable to fix the problem

Wanting to change

Wishing for difference

To put a stop to the never ending sequence

Thoughts flash by

Years before

Actions past

The former you

A part of you forever

Part of your being

Your soul

Your heart

Your mind

Grasping and latching on,

Haunting you

Never able to fully let go

But one needs to learn

Then move on

The past has gone

But always able to resurface

So discover and be prepared

Do not let your nightmares of the past

Haunt the days of your present

And affect the times of your future

Heartstrung (song in progress)

Although you’re no longer by my side

Although we each take our separate ways

Although both take our different rides

Although we’re split in where we shall stay

The two of us, inseparable

The both of us, connected, one soul

The pair of us, twins, identical

The differences, forever condole

Pulling on heartstrings as we depart

Bawling and crying our waterfalls

Held together strong in our hearts

Through our weakened states, standing tall

And we are heartstrung

Bound tight in this song

And we are heartstrung

Flowing with the tears

Each and every step of every day

Turning to my side to discover

Not walking alongside there to convey

That the sight brought upon you shivers

No laughter, no tears, no sharing thoughts

Farewell the midnight phone calls and texts

No guilty ice cream after we fought

Goodbye to giggling over what’s next

Pulling on heartstrings as we depart

Bawling and crying our waterfalls

Held together strong in our hearts

Through our weakened states, standing tall

And we are heartstrung

Bound tight in this song

And we are heartstrung

Flowing with the tears

Days drag on, only seconds gone by

Remembering all the times we’ve shared

The prank calls, oh how clever, how sly

The playground games, running in our pairs

And we are heartstrung

Bound tight in this song

And we are heartstrung

Flowing with the tears

And in our newer lives apart

Know I am a phone call away

And closer, residing in your heart

Any distance can’t cause our bond’s fray

Stronger than any ocean’s power

Nothing brings about our disarray

Picking up on our school days’ chatter

As if it were simply yesterday

And we are heartstrung

Bound tight in this song

And we are heartstrung

Flowing with the tears

And we are heartstrung

Tighter than this song

And we are heartstrung

Always both along

In The Rain

Standing in the rain,
Twirling, faces towards the skies,
Dancing through the droplets,
Memories past flash by
Through times new and old
Of happiness, depression, and all else
Like the pages of a book, they unfold
As a screenplay, the images roll
The numerous connotations swish by
In a few blinks of the eye

It is sprinkling,
Miniscule water molecules
Floating down,
Fluttering through the air,
And the thoughts begin
Looking up towards the sky
At the clouds forming,
To the heavens,
Towards the formation
Of the beginning

The unseen waters condense
Growing and building
As we have throughout our lives
We think of the childhood times
Of hiding beneath our covers
As the loud thunder booms
And the lightning frightening flashes
Across the stormy sky
Of the warmth and comfort
In the caring embrace of mom’s hugs
Of the laughter rippling
As we jump in the puddles
Left behind from the downpour
The silver lining from the terrifying storm

As the droplets rain down
Harder and faster
We think of our childhood passing
And aging and maturing
Becoming older and wiser
Yet, even the wisest of all
Still make mistakes
And can be hurt
Thinking of when we were wrong
And the pain that followed
The mishap or misjudgment
Yet the sweet reward that came
With our accomplishments
And the achievement,
Dulcet and making it all worth it
Taking that plunge,
Diving into the unknown,
And surfacing victorious

Tears begin to fall
From the pools collecting
Beneath our eyes
And join with the tears of the heavens
Splattering steadily
Upon the pools collecting
Underneath our feet
In a rhythm constant as a drum
That played the song of our lives
Of our beating heart

Remembering the painful times
Of broken relationships,
Lost jobs or money,
Or a failing grade,
Breaking of belief,
Loss of hope, trust, and
Worst of all, loved ones

Yet the bliss that weaved in and out
Along with the hurt and sorrow
Of kissing in the rain,
Laughter among friends and family,
Success in school, work, and life
Believing, hoping, trusting,
And most of all loving,
Holding in our hearts,
Each and every person,
Place, thing, or idea,
No matter the size or importance
That brought us happiness
And kept us going
Through the tougher times

Never forgetting
Those who lent a helping hand
When we fell tumbling down,
Or a shining light
When we got lost in the darkness,
Or spoke up, loud and clear,
When we have lost our voice
And stand by our sides always,
Seeing the pain in our eyes
Despite the false joy we plaster
Upon a counterfeit smile,
Fake laughter, and lying words

As the drizzling comes to a stop,
Tears are washed away by rainfall
Tearstains upon our faces unrecognizable
As nothing but streaks from the rain
And we start anew
Feeling not the tears we wept
But the rain that revived us
That continuous cycle
Which we could rely on
Throughout our cycle of life
Through the good and bad

The bittersweet rain,
Where the storms of life
Whirl with howling winds
And end with cleaner air,
Refreshing and new,
Ready to take on all
And a bright rainbow peeking out
With the coming sun