She was on the ground
Draped over a mushroom house
Almost hidden under poison ivy
I almost stepped on her with my hiking boots
My singing stopped immediately
I was concerned, but not surprised
For I had run across them before
In glimpses and glances
This one had given up
Her essence was draining quickly
If a wolf had gotten her, she would have been torn apart
So it was not a wolf
A bear could have had her for a nose plug
Not that bears need them
I was amazed that she did not flinch or move
Thought she was dead initially
Took her home,
Fed her from the tiniest eye dropper
Learned her story
It was a man of course
Who took her essence like this
A brownie who fooled her into giving him all of her love
She had nothing left
Ready to die
I kept her hidden for years
Until she was ready to dance and sing again
Her name is Trixie
She is my muse
I study my scowl in the back of a spoon
As the Rumbletide ripples in a cup of Joe*
The lap desk that holds it is vibrating, too…
The window is shattered, my boots bumbletied
The knife pricks my neck, right there in the ‘V’
And the fellow who holds the knife is me.
__________________
* coffee
(Just a note – this is fiction!)
February 15, 2019
Submitted for: Reflect That Emotion Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Nina Parmenter
Do this Do that
Take this Take that
Avoid this Try that
Come here Go there
Don’t do this Don’t do that
Giving up
Throwing my hands in the air
Drained
Tired of it all
Exhausted
Partially burnt out
All out of energy and drive
Reduced to following directions
So different from barking them
Now just trying to keep up
Barely keeping it together
AP: 3rd place 2020
And who am I?
Am just another man with another name
With dreams bigger than his height
Hopping for the best
Trying harder to keep the faith
But fire rains on him
The man who prays for refuge
Come tomorrow, lions still have craws
Earth, doomed
Humanity, cursed
Sin, forbidden
Peace, compromised
Order, reversed
Wealth, defiant
Should I do the right thing?
The world doesn’t favor the good
I will still wake up armed
Tighten my gear, set for the dream
Meagerly, a foot ahead of the other
I will be chasing hopes though in turmoil
I will kiss the face of the sun
If that’s what it takes
Whilst under your feet,
In the drifting scums,
I will honor the man with the master plan?
Given Up All Hope
Of things, Trump never understood the scope,
While women, he would gather up and grope;
Always mumbling;
An idiot bumbling,
And on him we definitely did give up all hope.
Jim Horn
Lying around in the middle of the city
Urine all over her skirt
Flies enjoying the aromatic smell of it
Shame no more bothering her
She has given up on life.
A woman whose beauty was once every man's dream
Life has tossed her apart and left her to rot
In the scorching sun
Paralysed by the unpleasant situations of life
Poverty prevailing.
Tears melt from the corners of her eyes
Hope she has lost
Future a word not existing
For she has given up on life.
Lying there she remains an attractive force of onlookers
Passing by with disgust, mercy no more
A mother, children have lost
A sister brutally milked by sorrows
She has given up on life..
God bless Africa
In poverty and despair we weep
Children motherless though mothers not dead
Fathers absent yet present
The socioeconomic fight cintinues...
All I thought I had I have lost
Just like the puff of powder, they’re gone
At the top of my voice I cry out loud
From my eyes are two fountains forming ocean
City after city I have moved hoping
Yet I am still in my wonderland waiting
I am pulling out strength to make it
It all melted like the kindle in the wind
And if you're trying my faith in all this time
Just know Lord, I have not given up on you
Looking through the glass--
Should be better for us both;
Years later I choke
On tears of a faulty choice;
“I have a mom, it's not you”
February 25, 2016
I've finally lost
my self-control.
No longer hiding
All of my anger.
Or all of my emotions.
Given up on everything .
No longer going to
Fake my happiness.
No longer going to
Act like I'm fine.
Nowhere else for
My demons to hide.
After everything, my
True self has died.
So many scars mark
My heart, body, and mind.
Given up on being loved.
Even on my happiness.
Can no longer find the
Strength to smile.
But I'll keep on acting,
Pretending that I am fine.
That I'm okay. For I
Have a reputation
To keep and save.
To keep them from
Finding out that I'm gone.
Tat I've finally gone insane.
My demons have gained
Control. And my
True self has disappeared.
No more fights.
No more fear. For I am finally
forever, TRULY, free.
I’ve given up the prospects of brick walls
And smoke crawling out of chimneys
Of white snowmen and Christmas trees
I’ve given up hope of these
I’ve given up on Oxford and New York times
Places where people do things with their lives
I’ve given up on seeing the Eiffel Tower
Or travelling on planes to wherever I want to
I’ve given up on the aroma of hot chocolate
And marshmallows roasting on an open fire
I’ve turned my back on silly winters
And frostbite and chocolate for Valentine’s
I’ve changed my mind about chasing dreams
I only get hurt when I do
So then what’s a dream if it can’t come through?
It will be a façade to me and a story to you
I am giving up
I am giving up slowly
This may be the death of me
Just have to get out of here
I need to escape
I been housing all these scars and insecurities
The walls are closing in on me
All the pictures and the windows and walls are closing in on me
I don’t know what to do
All alone don’t know how long I can hold on
Just sitting on the ledge waiting for the next move to make
one little step and life can be lost
stand up take a step and now im gone.
Look at my face, battered, BRUISED
U say I mean a lot to YOU?
How can that BE?
It’s hard to SEE
Thru these black eyes of mine……
I cain’t COPE
I need some DOPE
I’m better now since I’ve given up HOPE
I just don’t KNOW
How I PROVOKE
What you do to me……
I crave a PORT
My time is SHORT
Know what I MEAN?
You’re killing ME
Please pass the DOPE
I still cain’t COPE
I’m better now just leave me to CHOKE
Cuz I have no sensation nor inclination to do the right thang
Written & copyrighted by Tone Jaxson
The spirit that cares no longer,
Has yielded for change.
Without mind nor soul
It seizes to remain the same.
To rectify the times of the precedent:
Would amend its existence.
It’s a parrot’s broken limb,
Useless in till cured.
While the Parrot adapts to the break
For it will eventually heal:
The spirit,
Is left alone once more.
The misty figure,
Wanders lonesomely
Whilst longing for closure.
Constantly hiding the fact,
That it desires comfort
When its world is closing in.
Quit your whining and don’t give
Up. In till your last breath is taken
Alive not dead for its to late to
Come back to try again.
When someone just has given up
The spirit that cares no longer,
Has yielded for change.
Without mind nor soul
It seizes to remain the same.
To rectify the times of the precedent:
Would amend its existence.
It’s a parrot’s broken limb,
Useless in till cured.
While the Parrot adapts to the break
For it will eventually heal:
The spirit,
Is left alone once more.
The misty figure,
Wanders lonesomely
Whilst longing for closure.
Constantly hiding the fact,
That it desires comfort
When its world is closing in.
Quit your whining and don’t give
Up. In till your last breath is taken
Alive not dead for its to late to
Come back to try again.
I have given up for lent
Pate de fois gras
Lobster thermadore
And Beluga caviar
Well in a way
I’ve never had them ever
But I won’t have them
Between now and Easter
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