Crescendo.

Conceived on the back of a whisper, 
as soft as maternal breath on infant neck. 
Rooted in the innocence of schoolyard crushes, 
as devastating as grade school heartbreak and shipwrecks. 

It was the dew that dotted fragrant blooms at dawn, 
the gentle breeze that blessed the leaves with song. 
It started as a simple murmur, a tickle underneath my skin, 
then grew until it could not be contained in the house it was raised in. 

Four walls where it was nurtured, and took its very first steps, 
quickly became a prison that kept it repressed. 
Once it escaped, it outgrew its shackles, 
and set out for total world domination. 

No longer a speck, but closer to a splatter; 
a stubborn stain that would not be erased. 
It echoed through the mountains, reverberating from every cliff, 
then clapped with the thunder in the sky, 
nothing was quite as deafening.

It blared through the streets in loud speakers, 
and serenaded the cities like sirens; 
the sound amplified every time 
it bounced back and forth between the high rises. 

Like a bull on a rampage, it raged like a river, 
refusing to ever be ignored again. 
Its innocent purr was replaced by a ravenous roar, 
sure to intimidate its enemies into submission. 

Though it began like most fairy tales do with a rose, and a promise, 
it soon grew stronger from the reassurance it received from every kiss. 
When it opened its mouth, man and beast alike stopped to listen, 
trembling from the fear of ever warranting its vengeance. 

Faster than first responders could manage, 
it infected the world's nations like a violent epidemic. 
There is no manmade weapon quite as powerful as love, 
not even natural disasters could deliver such damage. 

When it is mutual, it is undefeated, and invincible as the gods; 
like the alpha, and omega, it is all some believe in. 
A force to be reckoned with, love deserves an extended round of applause. 
It started from single-celled humble beginnings but evolved into its very own universe.

Stagnant.

When life gave me playgrounds, 
I turned them into cemetaries gray, 
sentencing all signs of life to eternal decay. 

Trampled on flowers, then willed them to wilt, 
buried my brilliance beneath blankets of guilt. 

I poisoned myself until I was numb, 
safe from the specter that I'd become. 

Set myself on fires started by sorrow,
tortured by the terror of unknown tomorrows. 

Afraid of accepting that I am to blame,
averting my gaze as my future's swallowed by flames.

The inevitable can only be deterred for so long,
until it returns with a vengeance and robs my spirit of song.

The thought of progress makes my wrinkled heart race,
anxiety steals the smile right from my face.

My calm is replaced with crippling doubt,
as destiny derails turning silence to shouts.

Carnivals from my past reveal the cancer they masked, 
rotten from asbestos and littered with empty flasks.

This wasteland cannot sustain oxygen,
so I bury my head in the sand, concealing the pain I'm in. 

Corrosive; acid leaks from my alkaline pores,
yet I remain apathetic and let it pour onto the water damaged floor.

Nostalgic for the days when I used to try,
instead of this era emphasized by detrimental war crimes. 

Devoid of myself, I risk it all then rinse and repeat,
until I am submerged and drowning in the depths of my own defeat.

Burdened by insecurities that rip at me like birds of prey,
i fall apart, and fall to pieces, fulfilled as failure feasts for one more day. 

Inferno.

As a citizen of the seventh circle of Dante's inferno, 
I was no stranger to burning at the stake. 

Boiling blood burst inside my veins, 
volcanic waters washed away my sins 
and made me whole again. 

Weekends were spent relaxing 
on a bed of hot coals that charred my flesh, 
as the air filled with the sickening stench of a soul condemned. 
Overcooked, my tenderized skin slid off 

my bones and I let out a whimper. 

Before I could walk, I knew I was headed straight for Hell, 
so I turned up the heat in my bath 
until my body was blemished and blistered.
Whenever my teeth chattered from the cold, 
I doused myself in kerosene then 

struck a match and sautéed my soul. 

Self-immolating here among my fallen peers 
was preferable to the pain I felt over the years. 
The flames begin to falter, reducing me to ash; 

a day's work is over, so I rest my heavy head.

Fear Of Flying.

Do not accept a life of being unhappy,
we only get one chance at life, so do it right.
Even the caged bird can say it was once free

Comfort can make us concede to complacency
When we were designed to shine blindingly bright.
Do not accept a life of being unhappy.

Bask in the warmth of your loved ones' company.
when you feel like you are losing your light.
Even the caged bird can say it was once free.

Avoid succumbing to rage or hostility,
unless you enjoy your evenings spent in fight;
do not accept a life of being unhappy.

Stop to pursue paths that lead to beauty.
What good are wings when you fear taking flight?
Even the caged bird can say it was once free.

Believe in yourself enough and you will see
there is no harm in shooting for the stars at night.
Do not accept a life of being unhappy.
Even the caged bird can say it was once free.