Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time,
Back when we were young,
Before real life got in the way,
Before our grown up jobs,
Before most of our added bills,
Before we grew up into the adults we are now...

My first BFF and I used to go shopping,
At one of two malls, which became our stomping grounds.
We first started during our college years,
And continued into our early and mid twenties,
When I would come back home and see her,
Or we would take a weekend day to shop, eat, and hang out.

It was such a good day, as we did this once again,
With good weather, good company,
As we hit multiple stores that were in walking distance.
We both had some gift cards,
And I started Christmas shopping,
And she did some retail therapy after a rough month.

Change is hard, and we no longer can do this often.
But once in awhile it is nice to revisit juvenile times,
And spend time with someone you no longer see as often.
Because no one can take away what we once had,
And no one can separate us from our friendship,
No matter how times have changed and evolved.

People are People

People are sweet,
Like my one friend who texts me everyday.
It's fun right now, and I'll take it while it lasts.

People are kind,
Sometimes lending an ear,
And giving back love,
Like my one friend a few weeks ago,
During a night I'll never forget.

People are flighty,
Like one of my cube mates,
Who goes in all directions,
With such a fun personality.
I'll just learn to love her for who she is.

People are tough,
Like my boss,
When she is having to make tough decisions.

People are selfish,
Like one of my coworkers,
Who only thinks about herself,
And expects others to cater to her.

People are depressing,
And depression runs rampant,
Which a couple of my friends have struggled with recently.
And even myself, at various times in my life.

People are disgusting,
In the way they live
And treat others,
It's all over the media,
And in mundane life for those who notice.

People are intelligent,
Like the attorney on my team,
Who not only knows his job,
But is expert at dealing with people.

People are creative,
Just ask all the artists, storytellers,
And anyone who uses this gift.

People are elusive,
Even when they're you're friend,
Having a hard time letting others in.

People are People,
With every emotion and attribute under the sun,
Contradicting themselves,
As multiple attributes merge together.

People are complicated.
And ultimately,
Through choice after choice,
People decide which kind of People they will be.

This Thing Called Anxiety

It comes around, it leaves,
It never truly goes away.
It sifts me, it breaks me,
It makes it hard to move.

Work stress,
Friend stress,
Life stress,
All is intertwined.

A missing medical card,
An angry boss,
For reasons I'm not sure,
Do not help this thing called anxiety.

Trying not go get hurt,
While being loving and kind -
Is that even possible?
My anxiety wants to know.

Randomness,
Thoughts racing 100 mph,
Contradicting feelings,
Makes up much of the day.

I'm not smooth like my one friend,
Or artistic like several others,
And I am not in the place I want to be,
But I am alive.

I am alive,
And anxiety or not,
That does matter,
Even on the bleakest darkest day.

 

Sing Me To Heaven

In my heart's sequestered chambers
Lie truths stripped of poet's gloss
Words alone are vain and vacant
And my heart is mute
In response to aching silence
Memory summons half-heard voices
And my soul finds primal eloquence
And wraps me in song
Wraps me, in song

If you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby
If you would win my heart, sing me a love song
If you would mourn me and bring me to God
Sing me a requiem, sing me to Heaven

Touch in me all love and passion
Pain and pleasure, touch in me
Touch in me, grief and comfort
Love and passion, pain and pleasure
Sing me a lullaby
A love song
A requiem
Love me, comfort me
Sing me to God
Sing me a love song
Sing me to Heaven

By Daniel E. Gawthrop

https://www.dunstanhouse.com/2016/02/04/sing-me-to-heaven-the-real-story/

People Are Not Just One Thing

There are many sides to every individual,
And last night, at our last volleyball game,
I got to see one of my friend's boyfriend's different sides.
And unlike the last time, he was not snippy or sharp
But was actually jovial and fun.

No one deserves to be judged on just one mood -
So though my previous encounter was accurate for that night,
And it's true he's not interested in making friends here,
It does not wholly define him,
And he now does not seemed imposed to getting to know me.

I don't know what the future holds,
But I know that in the past few weeks
As I've gotten to know him better as a person,
He can be kind and sweet, patient and laid back,
Not just anxious and moody but also funny and inclusive.

Dinner with a Real Friend

Tonight I had dinner with a real friend,
And one of her good friends,
The one who is close with my cube mate.

Unlike some dinners with a friend,
This time I could be real, open, and honest.
I just hope they had just as good of a time as I did.