Emotional Depth
By
Damien Mac Mánais
Meandering thoughts,
blissful solitude surrounds me,
Hidden in selfish emotion,
well-being
well guarded
against selfish caring,
finding yourself
then another,
lost in a moment,
shattered now
fragmental heart,
scattered upon my soul,
giving oneself so deeply to another
in so short a time,
I feel foolish,
weakness abounds,
isolated,
alone but reluctant
to give up on myself,
can’t retreat into my emotional instability,
stilted growth of affection in my heart,
hopelessly lost,
feeling so bare,
how come I care, never again....
I CANNOT SEA
A life unto of ebb & flow
The Masters seated down below
Or high above
I cannot tell
Heaven may beholden hell
My heart cries out
but I think I died
It doesn’t pound that it did before
For where I am, I am not to sure
I did not bleed, I did not scorn
Where did this rath come forlorn
I thought I’d paved the way to free
Yet here I am, alone -
I cannot sea
Except a fair few off light that dwindles
I’m thwarted & it pains me so
To just feel pain and so much woe
I cannot sea
Am I on a boat, Am I on a yacht
These memories that not be forgot
I think I know what’s happening here
It is my turn to take the steer
I never wanted it this way
But now I’m steering all the way
Until the next one, next from me
Beholds from not is from the sea
That dwindling light, passage unclear
The ebb & flow is so near
It may be your time soon to come
That pounding heart that is now done
I cannot sea
Can you see?
In blue water I'm going down
swept away by the tide all sense left behind
in dark waters I might drown
caught in the current out of my mind
holding my breath and hoping
my love for you will stand the test of time
out of my depth and hanging on
for the day you say you are mine
in over my head how long can I tread
these waters for you
don't know what to do
what's to be done
I'm between the devil and...
deep waters still run
Love, like pizza, comes in many shapes
Carefully wrapped in a box
Round like the world itself
Yet each slice holds three edges.
But to her, love is more than form
More than shapes with sides and line
It’s a deep, dark hole
Like the heart of the universe’s core.
She seeks not what floats above
But what sinks beneath the surface
The quiet acts we hide
The truths we keep untouched.
When love is good,
it's really great.
Unfortunately for most
when the sparkle fades,
they don't know how to fix it.
Seems easier for many
to clear the slate and
go for instant gratification
of finding someone new.
They're addicted to
easy pickings and
the high of novelty.
The other side of that coin
is they are cursed to never
experience the depth
of true and lasting love.
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
In the shadow of an eclipse, where worry takes its flight,
The burden of strife can weigh you down,
Yet in each moment of pain, in the depths of sorrow’s night,
A spark of sunshine glimmers, a whispering sound.
When loss feels like a mountain, an insurmountable wall,
And anguish grips the heart with a vice-like clutch,
Draw breath, finding strength in the smallest of all,
For even in fear, hope can ignite with a gentle touch.
Through the uncertainty that often clouds the way,
Search for meaning, a glimpse of purpose in the dark,
Though deprivation may linger, and hunger never sway,
A flicker of resilience can light the faintest spark.
So rise above the lack that seeks to confine,
Embrace the light of sunshine, let it wash over the pain,
For in the heart, a whispered promise will align,
That from the depths of sorrow, hopes can rise again.
I told no one I'd seen the night—
how tension breached a sunset start,
how sea had swallowed all the light.
I told no one
the world is glass—a whale is art,
this frame of sky its ancient right,
it plays each game the same—by heart.
Still moment's pulse too wide to try
resuscitation, CPR—
now all that's left to gain, insight
I told no one.
(5)
They say the scent begins in bloom,
But I have felt it in the fold–
where petals hide, and shadows loom,
not where the colour are bold.
It lives between the bloom and bruise,
a hush the sunlight doesn't see.
It stays with those who never choose,
to shine, but still learn how to be.
I found it's centre, soft and small–
and there, I heard my own soul call.
~hita~
Ocean speaks to me of the words
I'm afraid to confront
And then consoles me with her wit
Like no soul I see in front.
Calm on the outside
Carries a storm inside
Along with it lies,
A ravishing world of strange lives.
Never did they see the sun
As she held em captive
So no human could gauge her depth
Or dare to destroy it.
She knows we can never fathom
The complexity she bears
Just like our feelings
Bothersome at times.
So she chose to be calm
Cause who would nurture the clan
Ignorant to internal chaos
That last for infinite time.
This is my bond with her
A reflection of one
That I hold with myself
A graceful complication.
I light the match
And watch the flame flicker.
The flame is bright,
A beautiful blue, orange and yellow.
I know that if I touch this flame
I’ll be burned. Perhaps scarred.
But as I stare at this dancing flame
All I can think of is the beauty.
So I reach out with my other hand,
Slowly, tentatively, purposefully.
But then I stop, look at the flame.
And I think about what I’m doing.
Then I drop the match.
I watch the flame, stare at it.
In the back of my mind hoping I don’t get burned.
I ask AI an in-depth question.
After a perfect answer, she says:
"Interesting topic. Want to discuss it further?"
I don't respond. I just go back to my writing without as much as a "Thank you."
Then I stop to think ~ "My parents didn't raise me this way."
Just for fun, I run a poem of mine through AI and ask:
"What's the probability that this poem is AI generated?"
AI answers: "The probability is zero percent."
Pleased, I ask, "And how can you be so certain?"
AI answers: "Because it's soooooo stupid!"
"Almond Eyes"
She moves like the ocean at twilight’s call
Golden curls where sunbeams fall
Almond eyes with fire inside
A depth where quiet dreams reside
With her, the world begins to bend
No start, no finish, no need to mend
The stars align, the path unfolds
A story written long untold
We mix the sky, we shape the tide
With just a glance, the winds abide
No force, no weight, yet all feels right
Like daybreak melting into night
She is my fire, my whispered spell
A love too rare for time to tell
With every movement, with every word,
She is the song that’s always heard.
Lev
----------
Note*
A poetic reflection on a love that flows with harmony, where every glance and movement creates an unspoken connection. Inspired by the depth of her almond eyes, the poem captures the guiding power of her gaze and the perfect synchronicity between them.
.
mountain or mole
my dukes and theirn
digits
have slid
up
from
hern rib'z short
unto her
soft shoulderz
without
curvaceous curb'n
mine forward
mind over motif
The earth feels different on these Sundays
Softened by footsteps seeking mercy
By whispered prayers that rise unseen
Curling like incense towards the sky
Clothed in the days of reflection
Stripping my soul of what was worn
And barefoot I walk where silence calls
Here in this violet-cloaked season
Where time feels hushed and holy
Peeling away the weight of the days
Sacrifice
Letting go, letting God
A surrender that births new life
Even when it seems all random,
Not involving a creator..
I am overwhelmed by the coincidences.
How much depth it carries?
Is it the depth of brainly stuff?
Consciousness stuff?
I really don’t know.
The depth is vast, and
As vast goes the time’s arrow.
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