Conversation With Relatives
Today, I feel an intense resolve. About two years ago, family members frequently shared news of someone's passing—whether it was from the village or someone I had once known. During those conversations, I would tense up and firmly request that they refrain from calling with bad news.
Death is a constant reminder, glaring at us from our calendars.
I recall a time when my neighbor had called to inform me that someone was outside my door, dressed in black, was banging on it.
My immediate thought was that the Angel of Death was seeking me out. In these pandemic days, he is everywhere, like an Amazon Prime van overshadowing UPS trucks.
While the world faces shutdowns, some individuals refuse to take it seriously.
They blatantly reject the vaccines, either out of selfishness or fear of death. It's essential to acknowledge that death will claim us all; poets write about it because they express truths that other forms of communication often miss.
As Lao Tzu stated, "A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live."
My mantra today is to seize each moment and live every day as if it's my last.
Categories:
tense up, allusion, blessing, depression, encouraging,
Form: Dramatic Verse
What if we feared happiness as we fear pain?
To flinch at laughter, to tense up when a smile appears,
to hesitate to step into the light, as if joy were a fire waiting to burn us,
a fire lurking, ready to turn everything to ash, to leave us without memories.
To sabotage moments of peace, to run from love before it embraces us,
to retreat before warmth settles comfortably in our souls,
just in case it doesn't last, just in case all that's beautiful is merely an illusion,
a flame that flickers only to extinguish abruptly, leaving darkness to embrace us.
Perhaps that's why we do this anyway, perhaps that's why we destroy beautiful things first,
because losing happiness hurts more than never having had it,
because the memory of what was haunts us more than absence,
a void that stretches beyond edges, an echo of a laughter that no longer exists.
But what if we learned to fear our fears and embrace the moment,
to let the flame of joy burn us, even if only for a moment,
to lose ourselves in the light, to feel warmth and love, even if we end up with empty hands,
for sometimes, even a moment of happiness is worth the risk of losing it.
Categories:
tense up, fantasy,
Form: Free verse
Written By: D. Collins 11/22/24
Now that we’re up in it, speak your mind.
Say whether or not you had a good time?
We cut no corners down there in the “Boot”.
Hit every nook, cranny, and opening chute.
Did I hit that spot that makes you scream?
Make you tense up and deliver cream?
You can say I didn’t but I know what’s true.
I brought some ILL-NA-NA up out of you.
Categories:
tense up, corruption,
Form: Crown of Sonnets
Traumatic brain injury
traumatic headaches
intense frontal pain
temples are numb
quietly sends painful
signals throughout
my brain sometimes
my mind searches
for respites as the
pain swelling reaches
my optic nerve
radiating across my
skull thinking itch
my bones feel like
they are biting my brain
the muscles tense up
throbbing breaking
down my mood funny
I can’t focus so I breathe
pray this pain goes away
Traumatic brain injury
Association
Categories:
tense up, allah,
Form: Quatorzain
Hate is something that grows within a person.
You cannot truly hate someone based off words of another.
But when hate has made it's roots it's not likely to leave.
Like how I hate your touch, I tense up just for a moment, remembering that night.
How I hate your looks, everytime I look at you, I see your silhouette.
How I hate your voice, only hearing your sorry excuse and pleads for forgiveness.
The hate I have for you did not grow overnight. It grew for months before roots were made. The hate I have for you never sprouted out of thin air. It grew over time before if finally made a stance.
Categories:
tense up, 7th grade, anger, anxiety,
Form: Free verse
Today I feel a furious intensity
About two years, ago
Family members would always love to share
The news about the passing of someone
Either from the village, or someone, I once knew
I remember during our conversations; I would tense up
And asked of them not to called and give me bad news
Death is a daily reminder,
right up there on our calendars
When I was away, my neighbor
Call and told me, that someone was
Outside my door, all dress in black banging on my door
Right away my thoughts were
The Angel of Death, looking for me...
During these pandemics' day, he is all over the place
Like an Amazon Prime van, outnumbered by UPS trucks,
While the world is being shut down,
Some of the people, refused to give a rat ass
They still refusing the vaccines
Protecting themselves, or worried about this thing call death
Death will clinch us all, poets always write about it
As they convey things that other forms of expression can’t. Quote:
A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live. Lao Tzu
My motto for today is live each day as if it's your last.
Categories:
tense up, adventure, africa, anger, anxiety,
Form: Blank verse
A day like any other is taking place
With me hanging out with friends;
Just seeing them puts a smile on a face,
And it makes me glad to meet them again.
My day is moving forward with time
And I'm entertained by my friends conversation;
But I remember I have a deadly obstacle to climb,
One that will have my body paralyzed and render my recollection.
I sit down at my desk and prepare my stuff
As the teacher is giving her lecture to the class;
All of a sudden my body hits the floors so rough,
My brain takes every memory of mine first till last.
As I feel my muscles tense up and jolt violently
It is my head that hits the floor incredibly hard;
Causing more of whats happening constantly,
And pretty soon this seizure will be my last card.
I regain my consciousness slowly but surley
With the help of a girl who sits next to me;
Supporting me up until I am able to stand firmly,
But also reminding everyone of the space I need.
Now I am up and somewhat responsive
Though I am nauseous and dizzy from the incident;
This is something I was born with and is unwanted,
So I have to accept the fact that the seizures aren't an accident.
Categories:
tense up, deep, fate, health,
Form: Ballad
Four joints excercising their right
to tense up
Oh how the Pancreas aides in
such a drawstring.
Conscience kidnapped for a spell
while these fierce,
No, cowardly beings
earn their way into darkness.
Like the pedophile with no
child, sitting in the playground
"just reading a book"
while children play.
What a facade!
We know why both exist
It's the sickness,
No fingers to mouth, pondering, posing questions.
That neither know, it's their vision
changed the make-up
so they feel normal
When alone.
Categories:
tense up, confusion, health, people
Form: Free verse
in the dark i can be mself,in the dark all my fantasies come true the ones i'm scared to share.
in the dark i'm alone and not afraid of people starring,in the dark it is quiet yet i know i'm still
alive.
some fear being alone but the echo of my heartbeat surrounds my room,nothing in that
moment makes me scared.
when i'm around a crowd of people in the light of day,i tense up immediatly and know not
what to say.
in the dark i'm beautiful and free,no matter what they say.
in the dark my world is pretty and i'm not judged for being gay.
in the dark i run circles around you despite the games you play.
in the dark im a genius who achieves all her dreams.
in the dark i'm a star way up in the sky.
in the dark you never hurt me and destroyed my sanity.
in the dark my mind goes free which allows me to analize me!
Categories:
tense up, timeme, people, dark, dark,
Form: I do not know?