A bully found within—
always the one wronged,
going to great lengths
to communicate your offence
at things so trivial.
You are the ironic
definition of the humdudgeon!
Almost obsolete in the dictionary
and modern use.
When you were needed most,
you were gone.
Long breathes bred in lengths to escape stressssssss
unless the devil weighs us less
as he mocks us in jest
unless
we pray to the most high
as we sigh
me, my, thoughts and I
But he that lives above the sky
rules the minds of those who disguise
the lies
that lie in disguise
no longer in guise
the intuition that decides
whether we live or die
breathe or cry
so lets try
to keep our whits about us
you and I
the thoughts that lie beneath the mind
beneath the physical lines
where the soul resides
That's on me
By Dustin Branum
9/14/26
And they will never know the lengths I go
No fault of mine, they respectfully declined
And they will never know the pain I know
No fault of mine, they're lost and blind
And they will never know the love I show
No fault of mine, my love is strong and divine
And they will never know the things I know
No fault of mine, my knowledge grows like a vine
And they will never know the hate that grows
No fault of mine, my anger is mine
They must never know the things I know
How far I'll go to keep from show
This pain I know, this terrible glow
That burns my soul, the hatred I have for you all
The love I have to give, I gave it all
The terrible tragedy that they all saw
No fault of mine, I really tried to save you all from me
But you just wouldn't leave me be
My demons, my misery, my hate, I'd hide
Yet you begged of me to conquer and divide
To take my knowledge of power and just let it devour
The hatred you caused me to spill along with my blood you see
It's not about you, it's not about me
It's about Destiny
Why can't you see?
Where the blast of winter goes,
snow and moisture always flow,
strikes the bush, the rock, the tree,
any building that stands free,
builds a protrusion of white,
like some sped-up stalactite,
ice-trails pointing with the wind,
staggered lengths of icy fringe,
bends the saplings with its weight,
stresses old trunks, some will break,
buildings grow a rounded form,
often look lifeless, forlorn.
Stark and sculpted is its work,
alien world on the earth,
just grows bigger over time,
the snow-mixed coatings of rime,
too much may even cause loss,
but it’s so fun to chip off…
A memory seared into my mind with the rose red tint of desire,
The hazy flush of too much, too soon.
I crawl into the car after you
our figures crowding the tenebrous space
My drunken gaze stumbles upon
your hair
short brown strands my fingers itch to explore
My eyes drift to your face
and a flush brightens my cheeks
Beautiful and stagnant
Infinite and untouchable
The curve of your nose
The secrets held in your smile lines
Shadows dance to grace
your delicate features
I, too, would die
to trace the lengths of your lips
Dizzy with lust and unspoken words
i lay my head on your shoulder
Heat burns where our skin touches
scorching and dangerous
You place a hand on my leg
impartial to the cross delicate on my collarbones
and my skin sears and blackens
even eight months later I still see the outline
of a winter intertwined
Violent outburst
At variable lengths of time
Never knowing when it will happen
Insanity reaches out
Damages
Destroys
Diminishes happiness
In living
Life is like
Walking on brittle eggshells
Afraid they'll make a sound
Then crack and snap
Love?
Can it conquer
Insanity?
OF CRUCIFYING PAIN AND HEALING GRACE
The thing about crucifying pain is that it can drive you insane;
And though we’ve all experienced it, for each it’s not the same:-
Yet, we all seem to overlook, imagining the pain of
Christ, hanging on that cross in healing faith:-
Likewise, we tend not to be aware of the pain of helplessness of those
Praying for God to come, and heal your pain, and give you a break:-
Be faithful in bearing your health-bearing, painful crucifixion;
Knowing that such nailing pain will lose to healing ascension.
Know that what medicines may take lengths of time to heal;
Ask God immediately to heal you spiritually; enduring how you feel.
Yes…yes…yes, vicious pain can come and brutally slap you down,
But God’s healing grace can come–and for a while–keep you around:-
They’ve built bridges
wanting to cross them
to conquer the other side
where the grass is greener.
They want what they can’t see
and will go to great lengths
to lay claim to the other side
where the sky is ever bluer.
Men’s dreams entice them
to reach out to distant shores
convinced what lies beyond
is infallibly better.
AP: 2nd place 2026
To me she is grace, a radiant light,
Turning grayest mornings into luminous bright.
Her laughter is music, a sweet, ringing chime,
That lingers and dances a lovely warm rhyme.
With a spirit so cheerful, she scatters away
The shadows and clouds of a difficult day.
Her empathy runs deep, as a crystal stream,
A comforting anchor, a beautiful dream.
She knows every word that is healing and true,
And says what is needed for comfort to you.
No awkward missteps or regret in her phrase,
Just wisdom and warmth to embolden your days.
Her heart is so pure, benevolently gleams,
The truest of treasures, the best of my dreams.
She’d go to great lengths to whisk away tears,
And quiet the doubts and anxieties and fears.
For nothing brings more to her gentle-eyed view,
Than seeing a smile gently blossom in you.
She’d do most anything, wondrous and grand,
To offer a laugh while holding her hand.
So cherish this lady, so lovely and rare,
Who meets every moment with patience and care.
A heart made of gold and a spirit so true,
She lives for the joy that she brings unto you.
when you do your best
to make me address
the reasons for my stress
and refuse to let me digress,
from the reality
that I am too blessed
to be emotionally distressed.
when you do your best
to be my strength
in those times of my duress
when you go to great lengths
to remind me not to forget
that when life throws me
a curve ball not to fret
be sure this too shall pass
it's simply another one
of life's tests.
when you do your best
and invest
time and energy
to more or less
give me a release
from feelings of unhappiness
by giving me words of
encouragement to digest.
when you do your best
to resurrect my happiness
it's easy to understand
why I LOVE YOU to death
because you are always there
to help me address
the foundation of my stress
and make me comprehend
God said
I'm too blessed to be stressed.
Just wanted to let you know
I appreciate you.
.
Vibe times ride right.
Lazy days dreaming right.
Safety with Yeshua.
Truth is I got Yeshua.
Nights I spend time light.
Wave lengths of echoes die.
Quiet stars fall from the sky.
The heavens melt the Earth dies.
Live right give it to Christ.
Quoting God gives life spice.
Moons tied to our sailing spies.
Walk right and Praise Yah most High.
The center yields. The spindle turns.
A fragile thread of silk returns
To open air, to wild design,
To break the neatly measured line.
We spend our hours wound tight and strong,
Convincing every knot belongs,
Protecting all the spool protects,
Ignoring where the weave deflects.
But then the turning takes its hold,
And secret lengths begin to unfold.
The hidden past, the silent space,
Released into a wider grace.
It is not breaking, nor a tear,
But shedding every weighted year.
A slow unwinding, calm and deep,
Where promises we couldn’t keep
Now drift as dust upon the breeze,
And leave the spirit quite at ease.
To be unspooled, to be undone,
Is to dance within the sun—
No longer bound, no longer tense,
But part of the circumference.
I have got it half right,
I took on board,
The advice from an educational video,
As part of my advanced leadership training as a Cub Leader,
Obtaining my wood beads.
The video showed a clued up boss,
Talking about catching his staff doing things right,
And the lengths he went to catch them in the act.
I took that on board,
With my abilities to get the best of any staff,
Especially relievers,
As I did a lot of relieving as an ECE Teacher,
Including as relieving supervisor.
Yet when It came to,
Catching my now ex wife doing things right,
I never quite transferred the skill to that area of my Life.
Maybe it is not too late,
To do better at it in my next relationship,
As at 72 I am still a spring chicken,
With my marbles only slightly chipped.
According to my doctor,
And the test I aced to prove it.
.
A red horse deemed to be slow
A name never meant to glow.
Conceived with short-lived strengths
Energy of unknown, inconceivable running lengths.
Envisioned to tire fast
In races and places that never last.
Rolling thunder is its sounding gaits
Roller coaster in trudging haits.
Seasoned horse of the Seventies
Time of a racing icon.
Tempest of the Oval, grafitto in oblivion!
Spooked wheels Jamming
Hot sauce vibbing
Waste land Popping
Edge space shaping
Indigo Spreading
Liminal roasting
Nylon sliding
Questions arising
Spooked Wheels Jamming
Hot Sauce Vibbing
Waste Land Popping
Edge space Shapping
Indigo Spreading
Liminal Roasting
Nylon Sliding
Questions arising
Wave lengths coliding
Silence echoing
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