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Henri Coetzee Nov 2020
That slips into the mind
and changes you,
your actions
and your thoughts.

It can be a friend
or foe,
saving you
or suffocating you.

The worst part is
when the parasite leaves
against your will
it releases a poison.

A poison that burns
away at everything
you are and takes
what feels like forever
to heal.
Henri Coetzee Nov 2020
What if I told you
that the greatest writer
was a little girl
who filled
diaries with her wonderful
tales, stories, adventures.

She wove a world
as big as the sky,
lore as deep as the ocean,
she loved every second
spent with pen in hand.

When she was older,
she visited an editor.
He took one look at the
tattered diaries she brought
and burst out laughing.

Her dreams shattered,
she left in silence.
Hiding the diaries,
she screamed
until no words were left.

And so, the greatest writer
became an accountant,
hating every second
spent with pen in hand.

Day by day, month by month,
her love of writing faded
as words lost their meaning.
And so, the greatest writer
never shared her stories again.
Henri Coetzee Sep 2020
Sleep, sweet release
From life, from living.
Dreams, promises
Of better times and hope.

Sleep, cruel mistress
That leaves too soon.
Dreams, lies
Of false realities and hope.
Henri Coetzee Sep 2020
You can run and hide
In your novels,
In your poems,
In your dreams,
But know,
We'll be waiting.
Henri Coetzee Sep 2020
Their wisdom is old
and rooted in the earth
They teach the power of
silence
While we're too busy
talking
to listen to the lessons.
Henri Coetzee Sep 2020
I think of you today, as I often do
And with aching heart and shaking hand
I’ve decided to write a poem, about you, for you.
Because I want you to know that I love you.

I love your hair, the way it falls and flows,
And the way you dress takes my breath away.
I love the sound of your voice
And the idea of your hand in mine.

Above all, I love your mind
Every shining star and every dark corner.
In truth, I love everything about you.
But these are the words I’ll never say.

Because if I do, I could lose you.
Instead I’ve started telling myself
I don’t love you anymore
And maybe, one day, I’ll believe it too.
Henri Coetzee Sep 2020
I've never told you,
But I've loved you for years.
I know you don't feel the same,
But I always hoped that somehow
You would fall in love with me too.

I never minded waiting
Just being around you was enough,
But these days, you've become so distant
I wonder if you even care at all.
Even when I was drowning in my own darkness,
I answered your calls and listened to every problem you had.
And then, when I needed someone, I reached out to you,
But you ignored every single plea for help.

Now, my heart is slowly dying
And I don't know how to stop it or who to tell.
With its final fading beats it clings to my love for you,
But even that is slowly fading.
And somehow, I feel it's all my fault.
I fell in love with this amazing girl two years ago, but didn't know it at the time. When I finally realized, it was too late. She was already my best friend. Lately, we've been growing apart and I don't know what to do or feel anymore. Do I still love her? I honestly don't know anymore. And as with all my emotions I don't understand, I wrote a poem about it.
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