Sacrifice;

it’s a noble pursuit.

For some, being selfless fulfills them;

they go without so that others may have.

It fills them with pride to set themselves aside

and find joy in making others feel glad.

For some, it’s an emptying burden;

it makes them suffer and feel only defeat.

They grow resentful of those who enjoy what they don’t

and find misery in taking backseat.

For some, it’s a variab...

The same old routine:

It’s time to fly south.

Time to leave here and migrate to comfortable warmth

until conditions resume favorable and it’s deemed acceptable by the flock to return from temporary displacement.

It used to never bother me.

In fact, I used to look forward to it.

But just as the seasons change with time, so too has my mind.

With each passing year, the routine is getting old.

It’...

I don’t want to stick out like a weed in a field of wildflowers,

surrounded by people who allowed themselves to bloom,

while I sat here comfortable in the field I’ve never left, the one that I call home,

while they sprouted up and bloomed by taking a chance to grow.

A weed that grew tall, for sure,

but never flowered;

never took the chance to try.

And while it’s a secure life,

it’s one as dull as ...

She sees memories flickering and fading in and out, in hazy quality like on a projector screen. They pulsate through her head like beams of light, each frame surrounded by a unique, colored aura. With each beat, a new scene flashes. She feels the vibrations of the bass graze her inner ear follicles. She knows her music is too loud, but she doesn’t care. The louder it is, the better she can feel it...

Birds circled overhead,

much like they do when something‘s dead.

The only thing down in the creek,

are voices that, to me, they speak.

They speak to me when I’m in bed.

They speak to me inside my head.

They speak of things that I must dread.

They’ll haunt me nightly ‘til I’m dead.

And though I’d never pull the thread,

they taunt and tease to go ahead.

They lie and say that it won’t hurt.

They sa...

Birds circle overhead. I sit sullenly in the fluffy grass with my knees pulled up to my chest. I lift my chin from my kneecap to crane my neck up toward the sky, only to be flashed by the white sun. I squint and shade myself with my hand. Then I see them. Cardinals. Their bright red feathers captivating me as my stare lingers. They chase each other, tweeting playfully and joyfully. Hopefully. I l...