I'm not, I do

 
I'm not an eloquent man, but here's what I can say:

I fear the ghosts
of my own presence,
the ones who've left me lit
like an old lantern,
burning slow and dirty,
billowing acidity -
but you've been my
exorcist,
my means of escape,
my steady comparison
by which I finally know
how to measure myself.

I'm not an intelligent man, but here's what I do know:

This flickering hope
is far from dead, much
to my heavy thanks,
and those thanks extend,
of course, to you:
You who have opened my window
so that less harmful things
can fly their way in,
alight on my headboard
and warble uncertainties,
the fairest kind,
your fairest kindness.
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Playing on my iTunes at this very moment:
Laura Marling, Tap At My Window

300 Characters II

 
Here's another one of those 300-character dohickeys, written on my POS flip phone.
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It's not right, and you know it, but it's popular. Don't let the spotlights hold you, lest they reveal your disagreement and paint you a color you can't see, but you know perfectly well what it means. It means you aren't one of us, no matter your proof of paperwork. Speak well: the stake is made ready.
_________________________________________________

Q-Tip, Gettin' Up

Down the line

 
Not sure how I came up with this (bored at work) but it seemed like a cool idea. This is for Thursday Poets' Rally Week 43:

JUMP to the handle,
Upwards of 60 feet too far away.
Managing to maintain your grasp
Proves you're more than getting warmer.

IMAGINE if things were easier:
Maybe we'd feel more capable
And more well-thought-out in substance.
Grandeur doesn't always come as illusion
If you decide to maintain your course,
Not plunge for higher ground.
Easy can be fulfilling too, we tell ourselves.

FORGET your limits and instead,
Overdo everything - home and abroad -
Remind those around you of your excellence.
Granted, they'll question until, at last,
Evidence is provided. In the long run, though,
Too much is always too little.
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NOTE 5/8/11: I've been gifted with the Perfect Poet Award from The Promising Poets' Cafe for this week's rally! Thanks to you guys for the honor - and I'd like to nominate Blaga for the next award.

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Playing on my iTunes at this very moment:
Circa Survive, Kicking Your Crosses Down