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Best Poems Written by Jelani Hall

Below are the all-time best Jelani Hall poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Reality Hides

Embraced by unfortunate solitude consumed within a bitter aftertaste, despair. Eyes seeing through everything with frustrated wonder minus awe.

The ground holds still yet barely, hopeless-a heartbeat whispers hardly loud enough to choose. Gasping for purpose. 

Love's dying.
Reason fades.
Eyes close open.
Hope begins to perish.

Grief, loss, shame-so much heavier than every fabric of gravity 
which pulls never giving yet always taking. Taking. 
Feet want nothing more than just to run. 
Afraid of shadow and reflection.

The heart argues as the mind complains, refusing to use their inside voices. 
It's declared "crazy" by lips attached to those who laugh in the illusion of secret unable to understand admitting the inability offers less than more.

Love's dying.
Reason fades.
Eyes close open.
Hope begins to perish.

Breathing hurts still, never brought on by the pressure of touch yet by what remains locked behind the smallest door with the largest locks-the "skeletons" knock and scream angrily refusing to be ignored any longer.

100,000,000 feet up and....
Fall.
The gift "up" came without receipt so it cannot be returned or given away. 
No one will take it. Yet.

Love dies. CLEAR!
Reason fades. LIGHTS!!
Eyes close open. BREATHE!!!
Hope wants to begin again. RESURRECTION?!!!!

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Don'T I Belong

Hidden though unsought
Ran from myself
Still got caught.
Mind, Body, Soul wrought.
Vengeance no longer mine
And yet I insist to ungently reside
Within the "desperate to love or to be" walls of my own heart.

Most continue to disrespect my house
Yes, I live in my heart
I refuse stubbornly  to give in or give up
Forcing my belligerent mouth to remain shut.
Gritting my teeth praying to abstain running away.
The displeasing words that knock on the back of the smile; forced
With an impatient desire to allow angry words to spill out, onto the floor, into their eyes until they can't see out.

I will still love them all-despite my incessant desire for it to cease
If only "just barely" were enough. 
It feels like that's all they're willing to gift me.
Tolerated!?
I've given what I felt I was given to hold, multiplied by more. 
Alone is so cold even with 10 winter coats on.
Fortuna Audaces Iuvat
Trying to remain strong-strong.

My whirling mind assaults the clock that won't stop
Possibly because I feel as I'm perceived. Intuitively.
Not just due to self-definition
Expected only to lie, a true story's falsity
Never believed causing my heart's soul to exude profusely.

It's how it's always been-their denial tastes like reprieve
They just tolerate me, my song on repeat? 
"Why can't I feel like I belong?"
I want their truest heart minus their pity.

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

I'M Sorry Goodbye

Denied an unspoken moment
If I were only "granted" the chance
The right suspiciously stolen
Upon your untimely-you left
My heart pierced, laden with leftover guilt
A wound not completely healed
Tears descend out of broken windows 
My troubled essence hardly feels
Anguish I refused to admit
Looking past my face
Avoiding my reflection's gaze
Attempting to ignore my personal distaste
I remember clearly the fourth day
Though it was truly my first
More enraged at being the last to know
I wallowed in a selfish hurt
So ANGRY
 Praying it an unpleasant joke, deflecting
Snatching the band of trust off my non-right hand
I've beseeched to be forgiven
Feeling no "You are"
Wish strongly time could reverse
To days before you resigned from existing
residing in the seed of my grief
So you, I can release you to peace
Exit the abyss that consumed me
Get over the growing mountain before me
Now I apologized hauntingly
I must traverse around to get past
What I naught gotten over
 Loved you so much so
Must let you go
Uncertain if you knew
My apology, my sable shade, love unexpressed
Never received the chance
Foe the truth of my words
To embrace your final ears
I'm sorry. Goodbye.

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Friday's Gone, Sunday's Here

I stand above home plate, bat tight in hand
The outfielders move in right behind the infield.
The doubt belongs not to me, yet fear teases my mind.
Here comes the pitch...
I hold my breath...
The ball is taking forever to get here...
It's close...
I breathe out as I swing...
Coach screams...
RUN!!!

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

You

Your smile’s is how I imagine the very first breath would be.
Your eyes so beautiful I wish they could examine the truest beauty in you I see.
Your lips so sensual every kiss is a birthday gift to me.
My mind beats.
My heart thinks.
My soul complete.- Love

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A Plesant Dream

I don't want to be addicted to you
Yet I am
And know not your name
Nor you mine

I know you breathe..sigh
I know you smile
I desire to be the reason

Where?
Are?
You?

Have our eyes met for a moment?
Have we passed each other in the digital realm?
Will we every be more than ships
Passing in the night without lights

I hope for the day we find ourselves
Without motors or sails
Directly in front of one another
Reaching for the same thing
Touch without touching
And just know
As the light shows
And we see
Each other and absolutely no one else

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Biting My Tongue

Secret cursed words unleashed
They fell from spiteful lips
Through a fake smile
Clenched teeth
Pretended to be spoken opposite of venomously 
Thrown like stones at any glass house
Yet only after they threw the empty bottles of Windex out
Graceless 
Wasn’t there when it was said 
Making such an insult, faceless
There is no charade 
But that’s not what offends
I’m not a reptile that just blends in
Let he cast the first stone be without sin
I gnash my teeth
Trying to forget
Seems like they want to force a U-turn
So they’re not alone holding onto their regret
It can’t be unsaid 
It won’t be undone
It’s impossible to rewind
Like using a garden hose to extinguish the Sun
It’s I whom they believe is taking advantage 
I take nothing because I’ve always been a giver
Raised to be civilized not a social savage
Quietly allow the constant insensitivity to possibly abate
Deny the grievance any space
Refuse to enact with customized ignorance Resist all verbal desire to retaliate
Tired of biting my tongue

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Heroes Are Human

In the eyes of a child 
Resides love without conditions 
Turns a person into a Superhero 
Anguish will flow from those eyes 
When unpredictable truth subsides creating lies
Being seen for the first time 
Wearing the face of humanity 
They’ll be your hero for as long as YOU DECIDE, just realize that EVERY TIME a Superhero must hide in plain sight. They defend us with their might while defending themselves with a Secret Identity. And they tell you to call them Mom.

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Race: Human

An unfortunate shade still exists
Though never without luminance
Gentle winds breathe
Whispering of hope's return
An ancient native love song
Of words so few

Nothing was stolen
It couldn't be taken
Just reluctantly given
Given despite wanting
Offered many times
Most times refused though still available
Only false pride locks it
Swallows the keys

Break it and enter

Many fear this change 
That stands on the edge of what is closer than a back pocket
Eyes notice the book's cover
Desires to read and understand the contents
Tease

The pages white, the words black...
The numbers yellow, the excerpts brown, the thread, red
The only separation are the spaces

Conversation builds bridges 
One plank at a time
Patience is needed
It's the nails that unifies each component

It's a book I would read should the sun shine
or the rain fall, while the snow descends gracefully and soon melts
Greeting everyday with an internal smile and external wonder
I see you
See me only when you're ready.
Change is coming
Ever closer
Wait for it

Details | Jelani Hall Poem

Untimely Arise

You've been gone for a decade, plus two
Remission you were already in when met
Recently learned the truth
Why did you decide to not inform me?
Did you think I would just walk away?

I would've never forsaken you
My love would never allow me to
I refuse to accept that the choice was just your's
You wanted to feel if "hope" wasn't available
You didn't want to go through it alone.

I understand.

I couldn't sleep on our bed
So it was the floor I chose
When I found out that very night
You were really gone
Forever?

Yes, people in my life have passed
Yet I've never dealt with a loss like this
For every child who laughs
I pray it's you that has received your wings.

My heart still cries from time to time
Enough to flood my soul
Why did you have to go?
I hope when you look down from above
You'd see me and please smile
Know in the very depths of my heart
No matter what...
You'll always be thought of and missed.