i squeeze the life out of my toothpaste ‘til it gains more weight when it reinflates
i scrape my plate clean;
food’s not guaranteed but this meal is
our time together won’t last forever
so i’ll treat it as such
forgive me if my straw slurps loudly
as my drink is finishing up
in my work i’m real diligent
sorry if i’m not moving quickly enough
...
they say the love for money is the root of evil
what about the love for blessing my people
i wanna travel where i wanna go
where’s there to go when our funds are low
not enough to cover trips to the grocery store
today’s world is a consumers fright
no one wants to drive because the gas is high
and to escape for the night
turning to the gas that don’t explode when you light
...
i hope i have the foresight
to recognize the people i’ll miss
before i miss them
“if money weren’t a concern”
is the preface of creative thought
the rain falls
we admire its beauty
the way each drop emits its own personality
the first rain is always refreshing
ignites a feeling of awe and refreshment
after so long it felt like drought
most things are refreshing in moderation
at first rain,
we still see the sun
everything’s rainbow and sunshines
the definition of good days
...
goodbye, she says
see you later, i reply
hoping this isn’t bye for good
but a minor delay in the next time i’ll see her
maybe if i hold my blink
she won’t be gone as long
i appreciate our connection,
we seem to have a knack for feeling eachother
until we reunite, i’ll feel her absence
we say
actions speak louder than words
yet at times
when we use neither
the silence screams
a chaotic mind
finds no peace in silence
with nothing but invasive thought
the stillness rocks the mental
like a small boat through turbulent seas
dear future me,
please don’t criticize me too hard
i’m trying too
i know you want the best for you
but everything i’m doing
allows for everything you want to do
i’ll take care of me
i know you’re doing the same now
maybe your practices are better
i’m just doing what i know how
i consider myself clairvoyant
but hindsight is much clearer
keep being a student of life
...
every now and again i’ll get tight about my money
i’ll remember that living the american dream is something done while asleep
that every dream i want to pursue is unattainable unless i can find way to make it monetary
i don’t need handouts,
i’m really not here to complain
but i cant stand to live a life that don’t fulfill me
a butterfly can’t see it’s own wings
yet it can trust itself to fly
don’t doubt your capabilities
simply for eluding your eyes
what you can’t see,
or appreciate in yourself
may be the same thing we love
and wish we had for ourselves
we’re our biggest critics
self-praise just isn’t promised
when we receive compliments we must listen
understand they’re being honest
...
you’re trapped in my mind
both of us are helpless
while in your reality you’re free
in my mind you’re stuck with me
no matter how many times i try to let you go
you cannot escape my thoughts
i guess i’m stuck with you too
i live unapologetically
i wouldn’t dare be sorry for being me
i’m unashamed of who i am
shame is assigned by the judgement of others
i need someone to hold
someone to keep close
n one day we’ll grow old
i wanna hold your hand
so i can walk with my eyes closed
i trust your guidance
so why would i need mine
we know trust falls
i’ve already fallen for you
this is a trust walk
where i hold your hand in mine
close my eyes
taking it step by step
knowing i’m in good hands
you’re where i run to when i’m homesick
all the company i need when i get lonely
the place i lay my head when i’m fatigued
you’re my favorite book to read
your body’s my favorite language
my job’s to stay fluent
every word you have is sacred
you’re steering the wheel
i’m the vehicle
you’re driving me crazy
...
they say real ones don’t die
but if i go
would i be feeling that somebody lied
is the sentiment coming from pride
how could i possibly be any less
than every moment i was alive
they say real ones don’t die
well it must be true
when you real you must be bulletproof
i got nun to lose
i got nun to prove
when i meet my dues, i’m no less
...
i want you to love me like you’ll never get another chance
hold me like my body is another hand
feel me like a rhythm when you wanna dance
adore me like you’ll never have another man
don’t ever treat me like a backup plan
i want you too
but recognize i’m not here to beg
when i put you first then i expect the same
if you can’t reciprocate me that’s a shame
i don’t know if you’d say the same but i want you in my life
...
it’s just a word
or so they say
but it’s far more than a word when its used in rage
it’s more than a word when you want to speak with thunder
you wouldn’t say it’s just a word when you sought to keep us under
asking “isn’t it just a word?”
then i suppose retaliate is just a verb
let me guess, our reaction is worse
than the immediate action of words
you strung together hoping it’d hurt
...
momentarily she had my heart
then she was gone with the wind
she made me feel whole again,
even if only for a second
...
when you have this much love to give
it becomes overwhelming
i need someone to love
i’m motivated by my acts of service
romantically i have no one to serve
but i cant give my heart to anyone
i need someone who deserves it
how could such a positive love
feel so negatively overwhelming
so much joy it’s sadness
so much love it’s heartbreak
...
one sec i cant get enough
the next i wanna give up
this can’t be love
i know times can be rough
but this a little too tough
this cant be love
i’m reaching new kinds of lows
more goodbyes than hellos
this can’t be love
...
my mind has a room for you
cus you’re there all the time
even if you’re not at the forefront
you’re at the back of my mind
you’re always welcome
without hesitation
you can book a room
without reservation
i will not deny or denounce my love for you
whether you choose to reciprocate, accept, or simply acknowledge
it’s not in my control
im under its’ command
and i will devote my life to its leadership
i haven’t been searching
but now that i’ve found you
you’ll be missing
my perfect woman doesn’t have a physical body
yet she outweighs every thought in mind
she’s a simple void,
i find myself always looking to complete the picture
it’s strange, i have to sense her
without my eyes i can see her
i’ll know who she is,
i’d recognize her in any lifetime
...
i am at peace
in solitude
where the quiet things roam
my thoughts enact a moment of silence
alike rivers and wind flow
i have no destination
im content wherever i go
my peace cant be disrupted
i am in control
i place all the trust i owe
in mind, body, and soul
it seems no matter how bad for me you are
i make exceptions
i wouldn’t dare to say true love has died
rare it may be,
but i know it’s real cus i’m alive
i know when you love yourself fully and unselfishly
there’s a constant pull to love others
consider yourself a mug
and the kettle is full of love
you may choose to pour into others,
but eventually you’ll be left empty,
in your goal to pour into others
you’re neglected
...
too many times i’ve heard chivalry died
i’ve been keeping it alive, so somebody’s lying
i don’t claim to be perfect, but i claim to be trying
let me interject; reviving a sport that’s dying
i’m washingtonian, born and raised
so i don’t get affected; only bored by rain
i keep an umbrella for her, and walk her pace
i’d be jealous if the rain ever kissed her face
...
...
there’s no sacrifice being gracious
having a strength so intense
you make vulnerable look courageous
an act stronger than your defense
not described as dainty,
beauty she has,
defenseless she isnt
she holds attention captive
attractive bold crimson
...
rose, how i love your pedals
your scent calls me by name
but your thorns tell me you’re dangerous
maybe it’s best i stay away
look, but don’t touch;
i’ve tried to hold you,
my hands don’t fit between your thorns
who am i to harm you
and force you to conform
i’ll tend to your needs
until someone else is here
...
love yourself is plastered around the world
it’s a good message
i know sometimes its hard to do just that
to think we could love our biggest critic
even if you couldnt stand to love yourself
i would overcompensate
searching the world for whom i love would take
too long
so i became the person whom i love
every moment with myself
is another moment at home
rose, how i love your pedals
your scent calls me by name
but your thorns tell me you’re dangerous
maybe it’s best i stay away
every time i hold you
i lose a little more blood
yet i don’t let go;
is a bandage enough?
again i reach out to you,
again i pay the price
i dont want to choose
between loving and life
...
not for a moment will i fake what i feel;
i care to be authentic and deal with the real
if imma be mad; it’s real anger
real danger; broken glass
if for only a moment i were to channel the wrath hell has
but when im feeling joyful with zeal
i want to jump, play, n squeal, i think;
in my curiosity lives the child i’ll always be
...
my love is a flower watered by the influence of the 90s
im afraid i’ve been planted in the 2000s
this soil won’t work for me
i sense a disconnect from most people in my generation
maybe it’s me who’s disconnected
i don’t mind spending my day in the rain
like the previous years
no gloomy weather engenders pain
why let the rain be my tears
when i could enjoy splashing in puddles
loving, laughing, staying out of all trouble
carefree, no reactions, and forgetting the struggles we bare
being a kid again,
i lived to have fun, and walk around with no fear
finally feeling that once again in my older years
i like a woman who likes to read, likes to write, likes to learn, and likes to love. i like a woman who knows more than the people around her.
i like a woman who is caring, she’s there for herself, she there for her friends, she’s also there for me. i like a woman like this because this is the character of someone you would move mountains for.
...
dont walk in my footsteps
you don’t need to fill my shoes
i’ve uncovered most the puzzle
its on you to heed the clues
i wont make you do it
go ahead, you’re free to choose
walk alongside my steps
and when i reach the end,
walk past my footsteps,
create your own path
...
greed led him to his own destruction
death by his own desires
sometimes it feel like it’s the essence of our very being
we’re scared to take a risk n chase our dreams
maybe the fear isn’t eternal
what are we really afraid of?
fear itself?
don’t love me when it’s convenient;
love me when it’s not.
love me in all phases, times of yhe day, and places
love me through your anger;
love me through the hard times;
love me despite it
unconditionally; not only when you feel like it
don’t love me casually, but as if love came to you naturally
...
you’re the typa perfect that makes me kiss my fingertips - chef's kiss🤌🏾💋
you’re my flesh, you’re my blood
you are the heart which makes me pump 
you are the air in my lungs
if you left me i’d be breathless
not quite the same way as when we first met
i dont want to squander the wonderful opportunity to wander where wonder roams
i yearn for long term;
im not content bringing you home for fun
i wanna stargaze, play card games, & bathe in the sun
i wanna venture wherever, stuck together as gum
breathing’s not a choice, you don’t decide to do it
your lungs function of their own volition
so yes, you’re alive, but have you lived?
do you explore?
many men reflect and they deplore but only on they death bed
when life itself is unsure, that’s when we’re sure we could’ve done more
...
when i love, i love hard.
i give you my all to make up for how long i’ve given only to myself
i may trip, but i won’t fall; i’m perpetually stumbling
who cares if i make a fool of myself if i get you to laugh out loud
i could disappoint the world to make you proud
...
my love isn’t perfect but it is boundless
it needs correction, colors out of the lines,
but makes homes of houses
my love is forever changing; always adjusting to the shape of you
for you i’d roll the rock of sisyphus to the very top
to keep your world from crashing down, i’d take atlas’ job
we all have a spirit, a soul
a heart, metaphorically
a place deep down where we exist only to ourselves
some of us… are free spirits, who let our inner selves roam freely
some of us are confined; if not by the world, by us
scared to let ourselves be ourselves
some of us… yearn to be free spirits;
remaining locked away in the cocoon of societal expectations
pressured by the weight of others;
...
roses are red
violets are blue
i feel much better
when i’m next to you
lavender smells good and tulips are yellow
your energy’s pure and you make me feel mellow
you appear in my sweet dreams
all pleasure like sweet peas
an innocent smile white as the pedals of daisies
a world without you in it spins my head too crazy
...
They say time heals,
i’m still waiting
my sorrow kills my impatience
unwated thoughts; intrusive invasions
like rain, tears spill - the waters wading
as my time is wasting
im still not praying
for the day i say the sorrow’s fading
tomorrow’s waiting with open arms
learning to let go, evading harm
...
at times, i’d rather observe
sit back and watch as the world goes on
i don’t always need to have the last word
in fact sometimes i don’t want to give you a word at all
i want to sit quietly intaking everything you have to share
i wanna see how you fill these spaces of silence
do you adapt and keep it cool
or are you lost
in need of my words
how’s your reliance?
able to hold your own?
so well off you wonder what you need me for?
...
i don’t have a name
apparently you know me.
i’ve been called many things,
my name is not one of them.
i’ve been asked about where i align,
in case i don’t have a name,
a label will be assigned.
but my name is not a team name,
my name is individual.
my name is not my party,
my name is not political.
my name’s not my successes,
my name is not my failures.
...
i’m sorry i want to show you my roses and not my buds
i’m sorry that my thorns keep you farther from my love
i’m not keeping you at arms out of fear or disgust
i’m only human, my thorns outpace my trust
if we were meant to be
i wouldnt have to harm myself to hold you
you’re worth the break of a thorn
i’ll force myself to conform
i may bend but i dont break
there’s a sunny day in the eye of the storm
...
my credit card payed off
i have no debt that i’m dumping
there’s no loan to my name
i don’t owe nobody nothing
i pay my dues when they’re true
i didnt get here on my own
i give credit where it’s due
there’s not a soul that is owed
...
A friend who celebrates when you’re winning and works with you when you’re losing
Loving you at your best & worst. for a true friend’s love is unconditional.
A fidus achates worth fighting for
Not leaving your side through turmoil but planting the bond in strong soil
Determined. not only for themselves, but for the betterment of those surrounding.
Everybody at the table eats. no one unaccounted for unless they get up from the table and walk out the door.
...
nature flows
free of worry
free of complaint
nature grows
there’s no hurry
or restraints
the moment a twig snaps
is when its elasticity is tested
not when its bent a little,
when it’s bent a lot.
a dry twig will snap at the smallest inconvenience.
a well watered twig, attached to a tree, is stable.
more nutrients, more flexibility.
...
Nature is unapologetic,
she feels every emotion.
we feel them too.
in tune with our mother’s.
The sunny days,
a summertime love - a warm and tight hug.
The calm overcast,
stillness. tranquil. at rest.
we’ve all napped at one point!
...
you only face a setback if you step back
for moving forward opens doors worth more than yours before
“where one door closes, another opens”
not always
though a closed door isn’t inherently bad.
we face quagmire because instead of looking for open doors,
we knock on the locked ones waiting for a different result.
i make playlists for you cus i know u like listening to curated music
i skips certain songs in the car cus i know you dont like an artist or a song
i remove songs in my queue for u
i turn your seat warmer on before i pick u up so ur seat isnt cold
i hold the door for u cus u shouldnt be bothered with touching it
love is wanting more for someone than they want for themselves
has my personal escape turned to my personal hell?
am i a caged bird? my cell is workin too well
a victim of my hustle am i too locked in?
i am one with the wind
only the leaf on the river
dandelions snatched by the swirling gust
snowflakes skiing on the heavily suggestive winds
im admiring life through a tourists gleam perched upon an open top bus
my binoculars help me with every detailed observation
i held a shell to my ear and heard nature’s conversation
the trees are bare;
as tho they had no parent prompting to grab a coat before going out
the skies are blue;
as tho they’re fond of the sea, lost in oceans of emotion
the air is cold while the sun is out,
temperature betrays the climate;
far too cold to submit to the longing warmth
the range of goosebumps along my arms live
vicariously through the snowcaps witnessed in the distance
the morning is still,
waiting for the right time to make its move
there’s a light breeze through my environment,
gently presenting a harsher condition
“Make sure you don't forget me."
One of my good friends said
As if, for some reason, they were solely a loose thread
I remember the people I spend time with
Who make moments feel timeless
I remember the people who made me think
I recognize the people who stay well prepared
I appreciate the people who maintain good character
Occasionally I forget what breakfast was
Even what I had for lunch
But I always remember and appreciate the things people have done
looking through my eyes like ur looking through a camera
would probably bring discomfort for the fact im outta focus
i suppose having the understanding that i cant see becuase of light
made me pay more attention when i had the sight
...
i understand being the pillar,
the constant need to be tough
but i don't mind being the butterfly who’s sensitive to the touch
while a solid foundation sets the tone for security
i’d rather walk through a park holding hands with vulnerability
if we look at each opportunity as a seed to be watered,
will it change the way we respond to them?
having a seed means nothing when it remains a seed
because seeds are grown based on the things u feed
it wont grow in an environment that doesnt tend its needs
...
i was happy to meet someone like u
and sad to find we fit like two left shoes
ur the puzzle i put together
excited about completion
only to get closer
finding out you’re missing pieces
im the king, ur not the queen
ur the joker in the deck of 52 cards
ur the card that makes u scream
the one u draw n should’ve discarded
the one that plays u when u put it in play
...
one of the same tongue
a beat from the same drum
we’re in unison n if in you’s a son
then i cant wait to be a father
i cant wait to have a daughter
i wanna build a household
and i want to hold a partner
im over will/jada, martin/gina, bonnie/clyde
for all its worth to me they couldve all been alike
cus i dont want it if there’s a love truer than yours n mine
if i say the first part, then you’ll likely say the second
i know you like my bible if ever i was the reverend
manually spinning hands on a watch doesn't move the hands on the clock
motion doesn't depict progress
100 $1 bills is heavier than 1 $100 bill
quantity struggles to compare to quality
not to say we couldn’t reach quality through the perseverance of quantity
but to lack quality is to lack the associated value
her name is sol which is very fitting
she touches the souls of the beings she’s in the presence of
good luck ignoring her, she’s a star
the center of attention
the center of a system
the star the earth orbits
sol’s consistent which i’d consider thoughtful
not to mention, rather bright, intelligent, ahead of her time
...
the price of success
i might submit is simply sacrifice
what are u willing to lose
for what youre willing to gain
to pay the price
doesnt have to mean giving up ur life
a sacrifice that’ll suffice is giving up time
time to achieve the goals you set
to reach the peaks of the mountains u climb
know that small progress is still progress
as clouds pass, the sun shines
things change as does time
i appreciate integrity as much as i respect accountability
honesty is being real to others,
integrity is being real to urself
cus how u gon be real,
if ur not real to urself?
if u have to sacrifice your integrity to win,
then u didnt.
cus if you sacrificed ur integrity to win,
then something’s missing
here for a good time not a long time is poor mantra, but anything else is hoping you live long enough to live a good one.
Clocks are good examples of a better way to spend your time.
The clock spends its time wisely
Never caught up over something silly
Idle hands make waste
Meanwhile, the clock keeps ticking
The arms keep spinning
Demonstrating the only way to live is to keep moving
I want to be the best I can be
I want to dream so hard when other people lay on my pillow; it hurts
I want to work so hard that when other people are working, they feel idle
I want to live so hard that following my footsteps means putting in the work
I want to have a community so tight that it feels trible
I want to live a life where I don't say, "that's just how life goes."
I want to live for myself, not for survival.
...
when our lips meet its always like the first time
every pull back is an an opportunity to reacquaint once again
inviting the feeling of the last time
my favorite form of communication is the exchange of DNA
i have times where i dont belong
times where im not so strong
i have times where i cry simply because of songs
i have times where i write my poems
and i smile when people know them
i have thoughts
i have feelings
i have personas with experiences i've never been through
...
you dont know a person til they dont get what they want
it’s true character who choose how they respond
entitlement says “why dont u give me whats mine?”
realism says “give me some time”
and a good man probably sits there in silence
understanding “i’m not owed what isnt mine”
...
these are the things that remind me of u
autocorrect working after misspelling a word
finding the last puzzle piece after thinking it was missing
sigh of relief
the gasp of air after swimming underwater
checking your bank account after getting your paycheck
having your meal paid for by the person in front of you
the end of the rainbow
getting a good score on a test u didnt study for
the campfire on a cold night
...
the raindrop to my precipitation
ive fallen for the rain
the prescription for my glasses
crystal clear like window panes
shes something like the sun to me
and i guess i’d be her earth
i find myself in orbit
but that path is much preferred
There's no time in the future
Because it doesn't exist
It's the hope of what's to come
Hoping it does
There's no time like the present
Because the present you can change
There's no time to borrow
Do it today
There's no time tomorrow
I've had a long time
To learn many things
Through trials
I thought it would never end
her presence
her atmosphere
her essence
how just appearing makes an entrance
is posting ur s/o really the epitome
the socials got the youth confused
your appreciation stems from action
superior to the act of reposting posts
i feel no pull to post her picture to my story truly
a photo couldn't capture her entire beauty
I'm trying to be rich and famous
Not because I need the clout n attention
But because a 9-5 has been suitable for nothing but a lesson
I'm learning how I couldn't work this job and afford to live in a building without help
If every two weeks, I make less than 1000
Then my first paycheck goes towards the house
The second goes towards food and bills
Cutting close enough for me to cry when the milk spills
its dangerous letting myself get so close to someone who reminds me of me
reason being
if i hold myself to the highest standard i expect it from u too
the love i have for myself transfers so fluidly into the way i love you
seeing the similarities i have with you changes the way i view you
...
It's easy to say you'll do something knowing you won't
Piecing together words hoping you say what they want
People express their thoughts through their words and their poses
If you watch their body, you'll learn their mission.
If you rather talk about it than walk it, that's your decision.
But the world is changed by your example, not your opinion.
Sometimes I sit and pay for better days.
I say pay instead of pray, for I’m invested in change
I've been tasked to be patient, a valid statement
But the action happens when you get tired of waiting
Fake it 'til you make it
Acting like I’m better than I am
Living like I got nun to lose
Void of a better plan
if god is listening he not listening to me
cus when i used to pray i'd feel neglected
then i'd sleep it off
thinking if he real he must be well off
to never need to check on me or give me equal odds
i remember at church camp when i would weep to god
asking why he keeps hitting snooze on my ringing clock
I've heard people saying to fake it until you make it
What about the people who made it n kept on pretending?
How long do they fake it for
When I choose to keep it real, I get called fake for it
Perception is the way you interpret something
Translation is the way we understand things that defer
While learning a new language, I’ve realized how easy it is for what you say to be lost in translation
The problem may not be that what you're saying is wrong
It may be that what I’m hearing is wrong
Maybe I haven't learned the words to understand you
Perception is similar in the fact that
What I say and how you understand it plays a considerable role in interpretation
...