Inner Mirror

You know it to be true.

You say it when you’re bored.

You watch the show to keep your mind distracted.

You walk around to find things to do.

You know its right in front of you.

You want what you can’t have.

You sit around and seek attention.

You wait and see if things have changed.

You go right back to your ramen phase.

You want to be the best you can.

You helped me through some troubled time,

So hear this out before you think.

You will fail before this starts.

You have those doubts which I can’t help.

You can face this by yourself.

You are fine as who you are.

You will win this overall.

The Things I Wear

I wear socks to keep the sand from getting in between my toes.

I wear turtlenecks to pull over my tongue.

I wear a napkin in my lap because I'm scared.

I wear glasses with the wrong prescription.

I wear sponges in my eyes so you won't ever see my weakness.

I wear the smile I cut out from last week's magazine. I pasted it on as best I could.

I wear my seatbelt just in case.

I wear pants with the pockets full of Kleenex in case I fall.

I wear my heart in a pouch make of silence.

I wear it tied tight. 

I pray it won't rip

XC

I see the green.
But I don't see the features.
I see the walls fall.
But I don't see the faces.
I see the agony.
I see the blood
traveling up the lungs.
I see the lactic acid
fill the muscles.
I see football and the jerseys
and the temporary mohawks.
I see the band and the instruments
and the individual talents.
But, out here, I see the man in the man.
I see the silent dream.

I see the line.
But I don't see the finish.

What I Couldn't Do Without

I couldn’t do without cookie dough ice cream,
Without my father to finish the cone,
Without friends to laugh as vanilla drips off my chin.
I couldn’t do without books,
Without hours of disappearing into the fantasy,
Without an eager ear to hear what I thought.
I couldn’t do without Christmas,
Without snow sprinkling the ground,
Without a dinner table surrounded by smiles.
I couldn’t do without an escape,
Without a joke to hear,
Without an echoing laugh.
I couldn’t do without help,
Without someone to catch my fall,
Without the safety net beneath my feet.
I couldn’t do without tears,
Without time to grieve,
Without the tissues being handed to me.
I couldn’t do without you and you too,
Without your sound advice,
Without your reassuring smile.
I couldn’t do without love,
Without knowing someone cares,
Without all of you.

I'm Not a Fan

I’m not a fan of push-ups in hotel lobbies.

I’m not a fan of waking up at the crack of dawn.

I’m not a fan of mandatory matching shirts.

I’m not a fan of being busy everyday.

I’m not a fan of bruises.

I’m not a fan of solid colored socks.

I’m not a fan of broken hairs at the bottom of my scalp.

I’m not a fan of selling raffle tickets.

I’m not a fan of missing school football games.

I’m not a fan of not being allowed to swim.

I’m not a fan of smelly, sweaty, white vans.

I’m not a fan of not being able to drink pop.

I’m not a fan of not being able to nap.

I’m not a fan of having no time for homework.

I’m not a fan of missing Halloween.

I’m not a fan of driving 30 minutes everyday.

I’m not a fan of being yelled at.

I’m not a fan of people who are overly bossy.

I’m not a fan of going all over the US to kick a ball around.

I’m not a fan of sleeping in creepy hotels.

I’m not a fan of having to always wear shoes.

I’m not a fan of complaining parents.

Do you see what I see?

I see children playing on the playground

I see families struggling through the hard times

I see people losing their jobs

I see war where blood is shed and innocent people are killed

I see the stress all around me; it sweats off the students on a hot day

I see broken hearts

I see the penetrating darts

I see the tears pouring out of their eyes

I see the words they use to cover up lies

I see cheaters

I see her saying, I don’t need him

I see the curves of the math function

I see the x and the y axis

I see the clock, wondering when I’m done

I see pictures that bring back memories

I see kids dreaming dreams

I see people giving free hugs

I see people on the streets without homes

I see the clouds in the sky

I see students wanting to be stress free and worry free

I see students wanting to be young again and carefree

I see people afraid to go back to their selves when they were in second grade

I see people who are not who they really are

I see the lack of sincerity

How Many Licks Does it Take to Get to the Center of a Lollipop?

I bought cupcakes with extra frosting.
I bought those chips that look delicious
but always taste like cardboard.
I bought the knock-off brand of cereal.
I bought the cereal with the prize well hidden.
I bought a bag of half meaning words for half the price.
I bought a lifetime supple of artificial sweetener.
I bought a packet of stick-on smiles.
I bought a booklet of scratch-n-sniff emotions.
I bought those especially pretty cookies
that come in a pack…cheap.
I bought a bushel of compliments
to get one back in a buy one get one free.
I bought a pound of “how are you”s
with a pound of “fine”s to go with.
I bought a bag of sheet ice
to tip-toe across.
I bought two loaves of hollow-boned words
to hear them echo emptiness back and forth.
I bought peanut butter made without the peanuts
so as not to offend anyone.
I bought a bottle of Pepto-Bismol
to sooth the butterflies within that make me flit through it all.
I bought the shoes with the no-mark souls.
I bought those doughnuts that always sit at the bottom of the box.
I bought those pastries with the mystery filling.
I bought a gallon of fear that someone will bite into my pastry’s filling,
and spit it back out.