Vanity

I laughed until my sides were sore
I talked until I voice was gone
I slept till I could sleep no more
And I begged for death in the end

I ate until my teeth decayed
I smoked until my lungs dried up
I drank until my liver grayed
And I begged for death in the end

The Hypothetical Shedding Light On Yourself

What if I took you to a place you've been before.
An office? The street? A grocery store? The DMV?

What if I hypnotized you.
But, instead of telling you what to do,
what if I set you free?

To do exactly what you long to do,
but have learned not to.
Your inner child unleashed.

What would you do?
Who are you really?

Would you dance?
Would you explore?
Would you destroy?
Would you rearrange things?
Build?
Hide?
Create?
Stockpile?
Clean?
Embrace?
Would you paint everything blue?

Would you hurt people?
Burn everything?

Would you do anything at all?

Grow Up

Far side of the desk
Cold hand on shoulder
No one else there
But the man with the folder

He’s taking my name
He’ll smile with a frown
I had never known
I had so far to fall down

The world lures you out
With a promise or two
Once you’re out in the open
The facades all fall through

A place is revealed
That’s cold to the touch
Full of suits and long meetings
About taxes and such

My coat’s not as thick
As it seemed before
He’s leaning forward
I glance towards the door

“Where you are now
Is where you once were
But where will you go?
Now that you can’t return?”

I leap from my chair
Several icicles break
The door’s frozen shut
This was a mistake


(((POST SCRIPT)))

Being alone in the ice
Buried under demands
Maybe I never wanted
The world in my hands

How to be Alive

Writer- Brice James
Title- How to be Alive

I’m paying attention
But my ears I hold shut
You’re asking me questions
That are twisting my gut

It’s the light in the bathroom
At a quarter past five
Shining much to much brightly
On my dark morning eyes

It seems my nice pants
Can’t hide my black fears
My hands tightly folded
While face paint, it smears

My folks are all waiting
In the back of my mind
And I know they’re embarrassed
‘cause I’m falling behind

So I’ll say something funny
And I’ll swallow the truth
I’m less likely to fail you
If you think, “he’s a goof”

Now you might think I’m souring
But I’m under the ground
You all smile when you see me
My scream
Won’t make
A
Sound


(((POST SCRIPT)))

I’ll take my hands off my ears
I won’t be a slave
My eyes have adjusted
I think it’s time that I shaved

A Flower Bloomed In February

A flower bloomed in February
And opened wide to see
There was no one there to tend it
No one, that is, but me

Its tiny fragile petals
A perfect violet hue
Bright color beckoned no one
Unclaimed by freezing dew

The world was flat and cold
Frozen all around
Any bees or flutterbys
Were under icy ground

But still it grew undaunted
Unfearful of the gloom
Flowers know their maker
All they must do is BLOOM