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 3° 
Sofie Louise
Iā€™m not empty.
Itā€™s not that I donā€™t feel anything.
The exact opposite.

I feel so much.

So much I get desensitized to my own emotions.
They flow around like water in every corner of my body.
Mixing in with my blood until there is no cell untouched.

It used to be a gentle lake.
But now Itā€™s an ocean.
So all I can do is sit here and pretend that Iā€™m a puddle.
Just like everyone else.
 3° 
soliana
she gave me her nudes
she was bare
and naked
and so out
and open
and i willingly
accepted it
because it wasnt the nudes
that showed her body
the physical aspects
that made her beautiful
it was the words
she didnt choose
and the spontaneity
that left her
either from her lips
or her fingers
or ink

she was as bare
as her nudes
and i accepted
her for her.
10:02 PM 5/1/2018
 3° 
Loveless
And over time,
My pen stopped bleeding
But my heart didn't
 3° 
Lily
I remember the evening
that we sat clinging
to paper cups
of coffee gone cold

over secrets spilled and memories told
two bodies cursed
with hearts grown old

behind your eyes
I found new worlds
A winding road stretched out for miles
to a small cafe at the end of the isle

Sweet pastries filled the mouths
of those who sat beside us
and stayed for a while.

How the hours went by,
people just passing through
The descending sun ending
a forever with you.
 3° 
She Writes
You asked me why I like you
But I didnā€™t want to tell
Some of my reasons are cheesy...
But here is why I fell

I love the way your lips curve
When I make you smile
It makes me want to pull you close
And kiss you for awhile

I love the way your eyes twinkle
When you talk about things you love
I truely believe
You are a gift from above

I love that you are compassionate
You have such a big heart
That was the first thing I noticed
Right from the start

I love the way it feels
When you hold me tight
I finally feel safe
Like I could sleep through the night

I love that you donā€™t judge me
For my less than perfect self
That is more attractive
Than any amount of wealth

There are so many more reasons
But Iā€™ll start with just this few
Maybe someday
Iā€™ll give this poem to you

:)
 3° 
e reed
We count the same stars

We whisper to the same moon
Ā Ā Ā Ā each night.

That is enough,
just knowing weā€™re in the same universe.

e.reed
 3° 
Lila
One fear I think about often is one I donā€™t think many people have

I fear the mundane
I fear that I will never frolic in the fields, or learn with the elves
I fear never drinking with dwarves or feasting with hobbits
I fear never fighting a dragon or meet a talking tree
I fear that I will never be wild or free
I fear that the world will never NEED me
Iā€™m afraid that I fear reality
 3° 
Chelsea Rae
Strange, isn't it?

The way we mourn those
Still living...
I miss you.
 3° 
Rainy Days
I fell for the boy
Making sandwiches in the kitchen
Fell for his eyes
A deep green
Like a pine tree
I fell deep for the boy in the kitchen
And boy I love him
And the way he looks at me.
 3° 
Beaux
If I die in a school shooting
I'll never go home again.
My room will sit unused,
A capsule frozen in time,
A snapshot of how I was.

If I die in a school shooting
I'll never see my dog again.
She will sit at the front door
Waiting for me and wondering,
Why I never came home.

If I die in a school shooting
I'll never graduate from high school.
My yearbooks will sit stacked
Stopped short of their goal,
Missing years that should have been.

If I die in a school shooting
I'll never see my mom again.
She will sit distraught,
Planning a funeral
For a child taken from her.

If I die in a school shooting
I'll never see my friends again.
They'll sit together, missing me.
One empty seat among them,
A constant reminder of their loss.

If I die in a school shooting
I'll never see my little sister again.
She will sit through high school
Knowing I can't guide her through,
That she has to figure it out alone.

If I die in a school shooting
My school will be stained.
Pools of students lives will sit,
Blood tattoos on the brick structures,
Marks of death ground into it.

If I die in a school shooting
Everyone will wear black.
They'll send their thoughts and prayers
To a town marred by death,
Forever to be the home of a shooting.

If I die in a school shooting
Will the world change?
Or will I become one of hundredsĀ Ā 
Of kids who have to die?
What will it take?

If things continue this way
Children will have to live in fear.
They'll look over their shoulders
Always worried and wondering,
If they'll die in a school shooting.
The state of Florida is now home to the two most deadly mass shootings in American history. Pulse Nightclub was attacked in my city, I have friends who attend Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland. My little sister often fears going to school. I'm afraid to graduate and leave her. I want to be able to protect her if something happens. I hate that we have a reason to be afraid... That it's reasonable to have these fears. I hate it so f*cking much.
 3° 
Chris Balase
I only have 5 minutes
To spare this poetry
Here it goes:

5.
I do not wish to be seen
Said the old man in me
So leave me alone
Cause I don't want to be

4.
For I've been running away
This is what I hate
And I envy everyone else
Who are not in the same fate.

3.
What have I become?
Where will I go?
The questions are left unanswered
And I've searched high and low.

2.
To be strong once more
In my world full of doubt
To be strong while I lose
In my latest bout.

1.
I wish I had more time
Just like before
I only have 5 minutes
And I wish I had more.
 3° 
Arden
Can we talk about the word trigger
Because people are dumb
Teenagers say they are triggered when
They donā€™t want to write a paper
They miss a goal in soccer
They drop their phone
That is called being annoyed or disappointed
That is not triggered

A trigger is an emotional allergy
Some that triggers distress or panic
A trigger is loud noises cause a panic attack
 3° 
A M Ryder
How do you
Forgive yourself
For all the
Things that
You never
Became?
 3° 
Triste
She met an artist
His fingers were made of gold
They moved like brush strokes
She was an empty canvas
His portrait of rainbow tears
 3° 
Enas
I am so sorry.

For every time I hurt you..

For every cruel word Iā€™ve ever said to you..

For not seeing what you needed most..

For not being kind to you as much as everyone else..

For every tear you have wasted..

For every time I stepped on your heart..

For every time I didnā€™t believe in you..

For every time I didnā€™t listen to you.

I am so sorry.

For ripping you apart..

For destroying the beautiful things in you..

For always making you pay the price..

And I apologise for all the wrongdoings I caused you!

Forgive this fallible human that is you.

I am so sorry.
Itā€™s never gonna be my turn
I stand in line and pay my fare
But the bus is full when I get there
And someone else is in my seat.
ljm
A day late and a dollar short - my mantra
 3° 
Alexis
I lay here
Naked and exposed.
But only for a night,
By morning he must go.
Make me feel beautiful,
I donā€™t care about tomorrow,
Kiss me, **** me, hold me
To forget all my sorrows.
 3° 
Ally
I rise to greet the dawn

distracting my heart

I take a sip of dark roast

and exhale

today I will

just breathe
 3° 
Path Humble
left my phone unlocked
on the taxiā€™s back seat,
won't be the last time

called it a few times
finally, the driver picked up

he had a fare immediately after mine,
and was nowĀ headed way downtown,
and would call later
when fate returned him nearer my office

and so it came to pass,
very shortly thereafter,

we met on the street,
he rolled downĀ Ā the window
and with the greatest smile of pleasure,
as if he had won the lottery
beaming,
handed me my phone

I had two $20's to cover any expense he might have incurred,
neatly folded in my handĀ Ā 
and offered it right up, right away;
but the driver repeatedly pushed my hand away
as I insisted,
saying:

"No sir, no no, not necessary!

Allah sent me a fare
that took me soon back close to you, so,
Ā Ā no loss of time did I suffer,
so your offer is kindly unnecessary!"


to which I replied,

"exactly!
Allah sent you to me
so I could reward you!"


and with an equally, beaming smile I continued,

"our ride and meeting today,
together was pre-ordained it was


Inshallah!" ^

something he could not dispute...
or my knowledge thereof and itā€™s
proper pronouncement,
nor
his amazement,
to disguise!

Ā Ā we parted ways
Ā Ā  each believing,
Ā Ā  each receiving,
a heavenly check plus,
each, credited with a mitzvah^^
on our
respective trip logs,
our humanly divine balance sheets,
kept by the
single
supreme taxi dispatcher
Arabic for ^"God/Allah willing" or "if God/Allah wills," frequently spoken by a Muslim


^^a meritorious or charitable act in the Jewish tradition

FYI,
NYC taxi cab drivers are suffering economically by the explosion of ride hailing app cars, many unable to pay their bills, earn a living, have committed suicide over the past few months
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sixth-new-york-city-cab-driver-dies-suicide-after-struggling-n883886

true story, poetry is there for the taking
 3° 
Nat Lipstadt
Itā€™s good to be hated!Ā Ā But I know my nameā€¦


hate, blackened, misshapen, ugly, unnatural,
yet
how it clarifies the mind, like a cupped hand
carrying clear, cold, brook water to dry mouth,
to shock, enliven, resets resets, all your priorities
withĀ alacrity, a word I prefer cause it is an intuitive
combo of eagerness + alarm, suddenly much of the

trivial is no longer worthy of yourĀ Ā ā€˜to doā€™ list,
you, without thinking, DNA filter your filters,
those screens that digest, then reject & reflect
the inputs ongoings around you, and you are now
reclassified! by theĀ hate surrounding, it declassifies
the time wastrels, reinterpreting most everythingĀ 
on a bipolar scale ofĀ Ā 1Ā Ā orĀ Ā 10, there are no shades,
the middle ground of gray be fully eliminated,
just like those who wish to
eliminate
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā ­Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā me.


in a palette of black or white, your
e +e,
(essence and existence) cannot be ever
a gray area, yes, of course, the sunshine
is yellow bright, and the grass is spring
flushed green, the multicolored daffodils
newly define colors varietal, and the waves
of the Sound, roll relentlessly, but hate can be
coated, camouflaged and subtle disguised, but
weĀ Ā know, oh how we know, and how we wanted
to
forget, our ā€œsinsā€, our original liabilities of
our multi colored skins, our religion, our race & ethnicity,


but NOT our names!

the Rabbis tell us that God nearly did not keep
his promise to Abraham, to rescue his progeny
from slavery in Egypt but saved them only because:

ā€˜On account of four things Israel was redeemed
from Egypt: they did not change their names, they
did not change their language,Ā Ā they did not speak
slander and not even one of them was found to be
promiscuous.ā€™^

I know my name; and though you cannot distinguish
me by dress, know not my moral life,Ā but now you
know my name,
given to me by my parents, in the language of my ancestors:

Mordecai Netanel ben (son of) Eliyahu Chaim**

Per my family lore, as told to me by my parents, our
family fledĀ from Spain because of the Inquisition (1478),
settled in a small town in Germany on the banks
of the river Lippe; and from the shtetls of Poland,
and those who survived or avoided the Holocaust
ultimately left Europe, came here, to the land of
the free, the United States of America with names,
in their language, with memories intact.

I will not flee this country,
for I know my true name,
inscribed in my pores, in my
DNA

<>
(but should I have toā€¦there is a sanctuary.)
May 2 2024
^ https://jewishaction.com/religion/jewish-law/whats-the-truth-about-the-jewish-in-egypt-keeping-their-jewish-names-language-and-dress/
 3° 
Serendipity
Her smile sits
on the curb of a road
between Summer
and Fall.
 3° 
Marshal Gebbie
Calm, the eventide is calling,
Soft, the tendency toĀ Ā smile,
Knowing well that good friends linger
Knowingly, to share awhile.
Greens and golds, the leaves are falling
Carpeting my path again,
Golden light of sunset calling
Rendering our view, aflame.
Would that we, this moment harbour,
Would that I,Ā Ā your smile retain,
Radiance in sunbeams falling
Intermingling love's refrain.
Fast, the moment softly dwindles
Shadows interceding light
Swiftly now the curtain falling
Bringing us unknown, and night.

M@Foxglove.Taranaki.NZ
11 May 2024
 3° 
Jermon
It's your decision
whether to make your mind
A prison
Or
A stepping stone
23.09.2019
Here lies the dead wishes of men
once alive
the dense shrubs hide the pain
weeds thrive.

Here lies a grieving heart
once much joyous
the windows are broken and hurt
bricks break like glass.

Here lies the power of wealth
once pompous
now in ruined health
seems it wasn't all that precious.

Here lies the remains of heydays
once vibrant
with bones the jackal plays
reminds time is a tyrant.

Here lies moss on the wall
once finely painted
now dark and dull
the air is serpent scented.
Simultala, April 4, 2024 evening.
 3° 
Jonathan
We chased a feeling
not a reality

We both wanted someone
So desperately
that we found each other

Even though no part of
us
worked

Our pieces didnā€™t fit together
so we pressed and jammed them
until they were stuck
and stayed that way
Until
we broke

-red flags
 3° 
Jason
I mean, what's 30 years between friends?
                                          between talks?
                                          between hugs?
                                          between kisses?
 3° 
lyka
I sold my soul to poetry
And never looked back
But now every relationship
Is a writing prompt
Every trauma, a metaphor
 3° 
V
If you don't heal what hurt you,

You'll bleed on people who didn't cut you.
</3
 3° 
Emma P
Sun
When I say
that you are my Sun,
I donā€™t mean that you are
Luminous,
Brilliant,
Gilded,
Beautiful,
Bold,
Warm,
Or even the center of my universe.
I simply mean that
I cannot look at you
Without hurting
 3° 
Antino Art
In dark times,
I'll follow the stars
from here to there,
arriving at my center
to trace my constellation.
If tonight is all I have,
I'll keep moving,
one with my shadow,
not knowing where this leads.
I'll cover new ground
when no one is watching
as stars align
to reveal a path through
the darkness toward
the bright spots ahead.
I'll take in the view,
under the stars
returning
the way I came.
 3° 
Thomas Harvey
Look yourself in the mirror
Tell me what it is you see
Is your mind any clearer
Has the guilt made you free

Take a step into the light
Is it harder to walk each step
Whys your face beginning to turn so white
Are you finally ready to accept?

The pain and anger held in your heart
Doesn't it burn you up inside
To know you played a part
So go on and hide

Yourself away from your feelings
Go ahead burn all the bridges
But the gamblers still dealing'
And youā€™re stuck on the ridge

Itā€™s time to face the truth
Be a better man
Go dump that bottle of Vermouth
Lookout into the dam

Face your fears and make that climb
Watch yourself as the fire burns
Time to face the demons in your mind
So, buddy when are you ever going to learn
 3° 
3
this feeling is not
symbiotic: you reduce
my core to nothing
at least i am something (ashes) and at least you are happy
i am molded symbiose!
m.b.d forever
 3° 
Julian
i believe,
even the stars
get tired.

when the night sky
had folded them away
back into the darkness

and the moon,
that lonesome thing,
has doused itself in shadows.

so will you too, my friend
shy away from the light
as if it would burn
if it reached you.

maybe you feel,
you just are not strong enough
to face the day.

that the midnight hour
is a broken thing

and oh, the silence
is deafening.

and you and i know, even the stars
are tired.

you mourn for them
as their light expires.
 3° 
Mel Little
IRL
You sounded like a little kid
When I was telling you to
Figure it out

Because it hurts you to be doing this
As much as it hurts me.

It's alright, if you want to let go.
All good things must end,
Right?

It's still always going to feel like a
Breakup
 3° 
hsyclara
every other month,
i fly.
when my mind fills with worries and unease,
my lungs expand with fear not air,
my heart speeds,
and with a single backpack
i take a bus to the airport.
long ride listening to my comfort songs
is just a beginning to my little getaway.
(i already feel calm writing about this moment)

quick 30 mins wait at the gate, then
i fly.
my reality you can wait for me at the airport
right where i left you,
because you deserve a break too.

see you in 5 days.
i'll meet you back at the airport.
 3° 
Virtuous
Don't tell me I'm pretty
Tell me that I'm passionate
That I have drive
Tell me that I make you laugh
That I know how to make your day better
Don't tell me I seem nice
Tell me that I'm kind and compassionate
Tell me that I'm not afraid to dream and to dream big
Don't tell me I'm perfect
Tell me the you love me despite my flaws
That you want to spend the rest of your life with me
Don't tell me I'm beautiful
Tell me that you'll be faithful and forever true
 3° 
Anna Patricia
~
There are pauses in between musical notes and stops between an artist's strokes and periods in between a writer's sentences. We have come to an end. We have come to a stop. But sometimes the only way to continue is to halt. The only way to begin is to end.

- apbq, pauses and stops
 3° 
rk
the scent of incense
hangs heavy in the air
the constant murmer of voices
comes crashing like waves
but your eyes meet mine
and the faces disappear
the voices die,
all that remains
is an unspoken invitation
from my lips
willing yours to kiss them
and yours happily
meet their request
leaving our love tasting
like oranges
tenderly plucked
from moonlight lips.
 3° 
Buried Words
I want to look as empty as I feel
 2° 
queen of hearts
I don't miss people
I miss the parts of me I gave them
this one ******* HURTS
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