Her kind named her weak, a flaw—night.
Disposable, bone-thin, unblessed—night.
Fate left her cracked on hostile stone,
under an alien, starving sky—night.
No bright warriors came, no oath, no tone;
only a human, half-dead, drawn—night.
He lifted her onto his back,
and would not set her down—night.
They crossed poison deserts, copper-dry;
lungs burning on each stolen breath—night.
Fire-storms tore their borrowed shelter,
ash kissing lips like quiet death—night.
They threaded empire-ruins, iron-mouthed,
where old crowns rusted into blight—night.
Survival hardened into trust,
a gentle chain in gritted fight—night.
Loyalty grew fanged; mercy grew wings;
their shadows braided tight—night.
Maybe love, dangerous and clean,
took root in scars, in shared fright—night.
Then the twist: he was her rescue.
She was his sentence, his light—night.
The Call of the Sea
The ship breathes lightly,
pushing with a sway,
away from the dock
to glide towards the call
of the seas and a watery ease.
The ship slips across a
shimmering polished body,
waiting to be clutched by
wind, wave and welcome
folding into a blue, muscular rhythm
surging, urging towards distant lands, distant sands.
The sea patterns and pulses,
whispering secrets from its depths,
“What you can’t see is what you don’t know!”
Then for hours, the ship is gritted with determination
shuddering, stretching, straining its low bow
in search of a hidden horizon
but, instead, uncovering a punch of a storm.
In time, night follows surreptitiously
in the vessel’s wandering wake
painting a thin, watery darkness
while the storm’s aggressive beauty…. drifts,
leaving lightning behind to scratch the heavens;
offering a brief pathway of light.
The ship, with a sense of swagger,
a lilt of shashay….rhythms onwards.
Ian Souter
He held his hand on the key,
Paralyzed in motion.
Teeth gritted,
Eyes wild,
And arms trembling.
He slammed his hands on the wheel,
Whomp,
Whomp,
Whomp.
And cursed himself when his fit was over.
How could he, He thought,
They could be out there.
“I will not” he said softly,
And retracted his key from the starter.
“I will never leave this garage!” he declared,
“That’ll show em”.
“My car had been hit once, and never again”.
People get jealous.
They say she's too much.
Too arrogant. Too dangerous.
They talk their and such.
Words get to her —
but she doesn't care.
She knows better than anyone there.
They say she thinks she rules the world.
But how would they know she didn't?
Watch how fast their teeth get gritted.
She knows every fear, every weakness —
and uses it with confidence, no less.
No mercy.
They call her evil, cursed, insane.
But she knows clearly who's to blame.
She is in control.
She rules the earth.
Under her hand? No peaceful birth.
The world burns slow inside her palm.
She watches the chaos — eerily calm.
But once… she was like them.
Soft. Small. Afraid.
Because of the mess they made.
She became what they made her.
She became what they fear.
And now she's standing right here.
Not lost. Not broken.
She is here with revenge.
And the world's end is near.
I'm self-centured,
I'm seeking attention,
and I'm still writing on,
darlings i'm a bright sinner,
but Why wouldn't I after everything,
after all my sacrifices and sitting around,
allowing myself to be put down and mocked,
I want what I deserve rightfully as a supporting watcher,
I clapped and cheered,
I pushed and encouraged,
smiling with gritted teeth in silence,
but when I asked for just a little support,
all I was given a glance and faced with a back,
the backs of EVERYONE I pushed on and clapped for,
but when I asked for the same All I had were a few numbers,
you wanna know why I'm greedy,
you wanna know why I'm self centered,
You wanna know why I want to shine brighter,
BECAUSE ITS MY RIGHTFUL PLACE.
-Kitsuko Dragonstar
Sunken ships, drowning sorrows.
I wonder about the stories the sea has swallowed.
With her wide, ravenous mouth,
How many sailors has she lapped up?
Her salty, gritted teeth chewing them whole.
Ones with dreams of treasure and mermaids below.
Fathers and mothers, journeying home…
Lost to the sea, never returned.
The comfort of their beds they'll miss.
Now they only know the belly of the beast, and her starved wet kiss.
I hate those politicians, they just lie
Promises of earth to any takers
Every time the ballot box is nigh
They'll sell their souls, fast as recordbreakers
By six months they've been exposed as fakers
Fast forward forty years fate does recall
My speech prepared, a wry fly on the wall
Flattered by the lure of praise and title
My rosette pinned, I'm shaking hands with all
Gritted teeth, I lie through my recital
they swagger in badges
hallways of fluorescent lies
drag me by the collar
into their personal theater of power
guns gleam like broken promises
questions barked through gritted teeth
hands cuffed before words finish
justice danced on cold linoleum floors
they say order is sacred
while stomping the petals of freedom
paper walls of our rights
tear under boot heels
every knock at midnight
echoes the guillotine’s whisper
we’re born equal on paper
but in their hands, paper bleeds dry
and still—
we hope for mercy
in the belly of this machine
Ups, downs, hurts and joys
Hopes, gritted teeth, warmth support
Road to a good path.
Driver on interstate has pressed his accelerator hard
I used to drive like that – daily
To and from work with gritted teeth
Expecting death at any minute
Racing here, there, nowhere really
The stress was gruesome
In the last nine months I have driven six times
Less than one time per month
Retirement is a happy unicorn that I am grateful to lie on
I have in haste
Enraged the paper’s edge
Soft slit of idle pain
Awaits
A dash of sweaty salt
Red dots upon the page
Unmuttered curses
Venom spit
Through gritted teeth
No bandage
Will adhere to finger tip
Lest it hit keys
Before their due
Doth did I try
A bit of Crazy Glue
Thus, am I stuck
In keyboard “L”
There are birds that leave the nest too soon
You are like that
All fumbling feathers and heartbreak with sternum kissing ground
You grew up early, Paige
I don't think you ever learned to fly correctly
No one was your teacher
You stumbled to near content
Walked right up to it's door
And you lost the nerve to knock
To ask for help
Now you are stuck staring at the doormat wondering when you'll be let in
When you will finally get your portion of warm soup
I think you are similar to a bird that learned to fly through a broken wing
Gritted beak and glassy eyes
Like a stone thrown, rather than skipped
Stunted, but trying
Still beautiful, but grounded without support
I think you're a woman that grew up only ever expecting broken glass under your knees.
Today I ghosted someone
please don't ask why,
cause they really seemed sweet
and all I did was lie.
About my thoughts, intentions,
the date he asked to meet
he asked me to the pictures,
I smiled through gritted teeth.
With a sprinkle of deceit
I strung him along,
to fill some hollow void
when I knew it was was wrong.
For weeks on end
we'd talk for hours every day,
but in the back of my mind
other forces were at play.
You see these days this happens often
one person decides to run,
but it's usually not me
with their fingers on the gun.
I wanted to understand
why boys always seem to leave,
is it something intrinsic
or like Adam and like Eve.
Is there some amazing rush
the thrill of the chase,
once the prey is ensnared
their value is erased.
Like a hunter and a deer
furious passion in their eyes,
no sympathy, no mercy,
they live for your demise.
But all I've felt is guilt
there is no victory to boast,
between these walls i'll hide
and haunt this house like a ghost.
on a hill lied a girl
separated from the world
as she wrote, her words would choke,
stuck somewhere inside her throat,
through gritted teeth her lyrics beat,
ate away at her sleep
so up she looked at the sky
to wonder why the stars still shine
do they not know her every crime,
if only she could close her eyes,
to her the world must be so blind,
she shoved a needle in her eye,
trying to change her given name
forgetting still it sounds the same
stuck inside this rotting brain
she prays one day this pain will fade
Haunted eyes stare through me,
Searching, longing, lost at sea,
Soundless cries echo within,
A prisoner in her own skin.
Hidden traumas itch and gnaw,
While the circling buzzards caw,
hands wave from a waring mind,
As she leaves the world behind.
A glitched heart stained in pain,
Just three steps before insane,
Gritted sickness, snatch and grab,
A pretty present on a slab.
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