I will never succeed, All I can do is fail, I’m destined to screw up, But all I can say is Oh well. My thoughts of my demise, My fall from grace And not my rise, They frightened me. As it drew closer to my turn To walk onto the stage, My thoughts got worse, More panicked, Terror flooded my mind. My heart pounded fearfully As I took my first step forward, And with each step after that, My trembling got worse. When I started to sing The sounds of their cheers Started to ring In my ears. When I finished my song, I knew my thoughts were wrong… And with a final bow, The thought was gone.

with one thought came a valley of them lost in the interal maze we call our mind do they like me? am i annoying them? would it be better if i left them alone? then the delicate touch of an angel changed everything all thoughts were quite only one stood tall am i good enough for them with one look and one kiss and with a final bow, the thought was gone.

I started to bow but he cut me off. Please don’t. I feel awful making you bow. No it doesn’t I replied. You secretly betrayed everyone and pretend like it didn’t happen. His face fell. I leaned in and whispered But you know too much. So I will stay silent. Just know that if you do anything out of line I have the power to end anything I choose to I do not love you And with a final bow, the thought was gone.

I can see you sitting across the room I could walk over Strike up a tune With my vocal chords As I speak to you Haven’t done that in a while Is now too soon? I think it over What should I do? The thought races round Urging me to- To do what? I don’t know My mind draws a blank And with a final bow, the thought was gone, Just like that

my mind’s been a stage since i was a child and oxymoron, really i was known for being mild too scared to say a word too shy to speak my mind i thought i’d never escape but the theatre was kind took me in and loved me gave me what i needed most a home and a family accomplishments to boast but these were the days of youth yet still as i’ve grown old my head has kept it’s stage covered in iron and gold my thoughts still they dance there perform elaborate plays even recite my poetry on some of the better days there’s a hundred seats in the audience one for each version of me each character i’ve played each person i’ve pretended to be when i die i’ll watch my life unfold on stage the actor will give a kiss from her decorated cage she’ll show me how i felt dressed up in my memories how little i remember of all of these supposed revelries because shakespeare was right all my mind’s a stage and my thoughts merely players sent to help me in my old age as my hairs grow a little greyer but i can’t remember now the sight of cracking dawn and with a closing bow my final thought was gone.

What if the days were endless, What if life was no struggle, What if death still paved it’s way, What if tears did form no puddle? What if candy stayed sweet, What if fruit did never mold, What if grass stayed green, What if tragedy stayed untold? What if I escaped, What if I were stuck, What if I begged, What if I was out of luck? What if my mind was clear, What if I was free to think, What if meditation worked, What if it was finished with a blink? And there may be no way, And the sun might sail high, And I might want to save myself, And I might want to be a bird and fly. And with a pen, I’ll write, And with a smile, I’ll fight, And with the promise of a new dawn, And with a final bow, the thought was gone.

A pair of hearts will always take, It’s your choice to be unconditional. A pair of souls will always bond, It’s your choice to love. A pair of minds will always challenge, It’s your choice to understand. You chose silence, And with a final bow the thought was gone.

A flitter of wings that beat against bone, It reaches my mind and makes it’s home, It thrums its bold dance and sings its sweet tune, A melody that makes me grow mad as a loon, It thrashes and fights for a place to be heard, Of this brand new ailment I’ll need to be cured, So I search for a pen to write it all down, And I search, And I search, And I search, Soon those fluttering wings dare break free, And it’s singsong melody slips from my brain, Leaving behind the aching blow of a song out of tune, A musical score that lacks perfect rhyme, So I scramble to piece the echoes it left, But the performance is done, And with a final bow, the thought was gone.

He wondered where he'd left his keys Upon a shelf, perhaps? And so, he ran in search of these. Up a flight And down the stairs In and out the mudroom Around his front lawn, too Maybe he'd left them in the kitchen? Yes! That sounded right. And so, he stepped inside. And so, his tummy rumbled. Both feet carried him forward. A hand reached for the fridge. And with a final bow, the thought was gone.

Ever get that fleeing thought, You know the one you spend all night thinking about But by morning with a final bow, the thought was gone. Ever get that fleeing thought, You know the one where you spend all night thinking of all these flourishing thoughts But by morning with a final bow, the thought was gone. Ever get that fleeing thought, Where you finally figure out a way to conquer life & you gain the courage & confidence to do everything in your power to make things right But by morning with a final bow, the thought was gone!