The pains of those ailments that grab us at will
Once better, like stalkers, can linger on still
But it’s patently true that life’s bitterest pill
Is the pain when it’s someone you love that is ill
When struck down, bedridden, we try to be brave
Though we feel our survival might be a close shave
But we’d gladly accept our God’s beckoning wave
If that keeps our loved one away from their grave
*
And so when I hear that slight tremor of fear
No hug and no words for the one I hold dear
Can bring forth a smile full of genuine cheer
And that forehead kiss… conceals my own tear
At night, to the God in whom I don’t believe
I sheepishly say, “I don’t want her to leave.”
I snuggle up close, I’m not ready to grieve
And I smile in the morning as I hear her breathe
The doctors I’ve trusted I must trust in still
For they’ll mend her again; I’m sure that they will
But it’s patently true that life’s bitterest pill
Is the pain when it’s someone you love that is ill
What's hiding in your hope chest?
And what's your master plan?
The daily grind to help you find
A kind and loving man.
The mirror just reminds you
That the sands of time are cruel.
The war you wage to hide your age
Makes you feel just like a fool.
All the narrow roads before you
And in every strangers eyes.
You look so deep but now you weep
When rejection is your prize.
You've been searching all your life
But you haven't found him yet.
A bitter pill and tougher still
The older that you get.
If you never meet your prince
Don't let it turn your heart to stone.
Try not to doubt and you'll find out
Sometimes it's best to be alone.
Take comfort in the knowledge
You deserve a better plan.
A woman's fears and salty tears
Beats a cruel or heartless man.
But if the pain just gets too rough
And lonely tears begin to fall.
Pick up the phone don't weep alone
You can give this man a call.
BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW:
In this world of adversaries,
Where sons of women wallows.
Is full of bitter enemies,
Classified as "bitter pill to swallow".
They parade to dig out peace,
By slandering with greed...
So I'm stuck to vigilance,
To withstand any bad instance,
That comes to crumble my hope,
And also to weaken my soul.
It's all just for this one reason,
That my mind keeps to beam.
And nothing can stop me,
From staying strong and free.
I wish not to hurt anyone,
And I want us to live unitedly as one,
For our lives to be full of fun,
Both in the rain and in the sun.
That's my inherent nature,
Of which I'm wielding forever.
If you go first I’ll stomp and shout
I’ll be absolutely furious
I’ll rage and shut out the world
That’s for sure
But one day
I know I’ll come around
And actually be thankful
Because of the two of us
You always said I was the strong one
And because I love you
I would never wish
That bitter fate upon you
If we could not depart as one
For your sake better it be you
I’m more equipped
Or at least that’s what we think
To unleash my wrath
In creative ways
Hoping I’ll not permanently drown
In the deep black hole
Of eternal despair and anxiety
When all is said and done
I'd hope to delve in the pool of inspiration
As I cling to the hope
Of rejoining you
My soulmate
My love
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
We know you must break the law to join them,
So why are we pandering to them,
Letting them rule too many streets,
And even whole towns.
Is it not way past time for push back?
To grow some backbone,
And say to them,
If you sell our sons and daughters drugs,
And they commit a crime you will get double the sentence they get.
We should also tell them importing the ingredients for making drugs,
Could be deemed as an act of treason,
As they have no regard for the nation,
And may well be helping terrorists flourish.
Can we afford to let these organised criminals?
Posing as gang members grow any stronger,
If we want to be fit to champion the cause of all the,
Bright, wonderful, yet extremely vulnerable children.
Is it not time to give them the message?
That their time is up,
And the choice of what happens next is theirs,
As to whether they want to spend time in the sun,
Or take the chance our backbones will remain unfit for the task.
She forgot how it feels like to sleep;
dreams only take her back to her past,
which she tries to forget,
repressing them with pot and sleeping pills.
She has tried to forget her episodes with sex,
but it only makes her more scared of her abuser,
who is part of her family.
He has always kissed her "goodnight"
and read her story books,
with the pretext of being a good guardian.
She always sees him in her dreams, thoughts,
and smiles of her boyfriends' faces.
Sometimes she shuts the door in her room,
then yells, crying out to her remaining spark
of bliss in her soul.
Other times she contemplates to end her pain
by taking her own life....
Had to finally get rid of you,
so took you for a ride,
it was time to say good riddens,
it was time to say good bye,
decided to drive out to the bluff,
and drop you off on the other side,
you've been with me for too long now,
will not hate to see you go,
want to sing a new song now,
want to be happy in this life, this show…
As you fell I thought I heard you holler,
"But you still need me, I'm your bitter pill to swallow!"
Not looking back I continued on my drive,
singing a new happier song,
finally getting rid of my bitter pride.
Bitter Pill of Big Pharma
Big pharma hype that they cure
But they really don’t, profits are too dear.
If they have alternate choices to pick
A pill that cures or one keeping you chronically sick
They choose the latter, more profits for all
Especially for executives who get the biggest haul.
This is why health care fails when profit driven
Becomes not curing or making you well, that is a given.
No one can control who seizes their heart,
Who makes it skip and beat so fast.
No one can resist loves grasp like a fist,
So hard to desist, mad mumblings that persist.
LOVE is a bitter pill to take!
No one can control who’s heart they seize,
Who falls for your charms with such ease.
No one can force to love another,
The best they can do, is call them a lover.
TRUTH is a bitter pill to take!
When one seizes your heart but they don’t feel the same,
You can talk all the talk but it will all be in vein.
When they see your good qualities a plenty,
What you feel for them becomes a penalty.
FATE is a bitter pill to take!
When you have someone’s heart but you do not feel the same,
You love them as a friend but it drives you insane.
They have all the potential so it becomes quite essential,
To keep them as a friend with out being condescendtial.
IRONY is a bitter pill to take!
Two people together, great pal’s to the end,
All can be threatened when one wants more, than just a friend.
Testing their friendship, neither one wants it to be lost,
What will happen in the end and indeed, at what cost.
LIFE can be a bitter pill to take!
You made me into
a pregnant pause,
the scratch
on the banister,
beside a dim photo
eaten by time and wear,
I felt diminished
but as the scarab turned
the dung
so did life revolve
to remember
the existence
of the scratch
I am now a canyon,
never step too near the edge,
for the groove is now
fathoms deep,
and I will swallow you up
as if you never were …
Upon this dry ground I stand bitter tears from my eye’s in pool lie all around,
From outside looking in;
My heart in hand, broken pieces tumble to the land.
Light all about but in darkness I wish to stand.
Thought her more than a friend smiles belied her hidden charms,
Made me feel like a king one word she said made me see
I was but a clown in her circus ring.
Time heals all our ills, but for me since then all is still.
No sun or moon nor starlit nights upon a hill.
My soul no laughter fills,
Just emptiness from loves bitter pill
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