It’s not the name

Not even the face

But the soul

That is the same

It’s not the toil or action

Not the place

But the heavy toll

Of which we each paid a fraction

It’s not the tale

Not how it’s told

But what is meant

That we avail

It’s not the ego

Not young or old

But how we went

And where we can go

It is the spirit, the essence

What’s the same in me

That we have in common

To share, to reflect...

Silent steps through town

Chin tightly tucked, eyes pointed down, Cautious to draw a crowd

Blank faces, no names

Passing through an unknown sea for peace to be reclaimed

It all feels foreign

So hopeful to remain unseen and live life free again

Desires are shunned

For dreams die old and love grows cold when life’s lived on the run...

In every shadow,

Of the moon’s soft gaze,

In dimly lit alleys,

There is still light.

And from centuries past—

Stories and legend,

A wolf’s lonely howl,

There are many others.

But moss grows at a slow pace.

Dandelions of spring not yet bloomed,

And those that grow:

The wind scatters wishes

That are ready to grow again.

Yet some are never seen,

And they arise in waiting

For that one breath

that ...

In shadows where no names are known,

A silent figure walks alone.

No gaze to meet, no past to tell,

A ghost beneath a fragile shell.

A whisper lost within the crowd,

A face unmarked, a head unbowed.

No tethered ties, no binding claim,

No story shaped by given name.

Freedom wears this hidden face,

A drifting soul in endless space.

No judgment cast, no heavy frame—

No weight of praise, no bite of ...

_A whole world flashes through my eyes,_

_As soon as I see your bright smile,_

_A planet with just love, surprise,_

_But won’t be discovered for a while._

_Falling for you, my favorite pastime, _

_And melting in a stew of my mind,_

_I swoon from watching you just one time,_

_And blush red when your presence reminds._

_Standing behind as a silhouette, _

_My words too scared to be unveiled yet,_

_...

Are you happy now?

You seek my heart in my dreams,

Grip my concerns with both hands and splatter hope across my anxiety,

For what, I say.

For me to be bouldered down again,

Sobbing into my own apologies,

Shame enveloping me,

No one to dig through my brick walls.

Fearing your arrival, if you ever floated to the surface from a life jacket of a loved one,

I only wish you didn’t make me fe...

You fear what you are,

What you have been.

You change and change

And force yourself through

Vicious cycles of

Destruction and reconstruction.

You long to leave yourself behind,

The true you,

But who are you now?

Do you recognize the face

In the mirror

With the sunken, empty eyes

And the half-hearted, artificial smile

That you’ve fought so hard

Just to maintain,

Just to hate day after day?

Do you k...

Do you know what lies beneath your soul?

Do you know my face?

I have no name but all the control

I will remove your identity and you shall take my place

Entrenched in who you are means nothing to me

For I will remove every possibility to see,

Your light even with the smallest of flickers.

I watch your smile wither and make you overly anxious

I erase your good memories and all viable hope

I watch ...

With balaclava on my head,

It’s time to start the heist.

I burst in causing waves of dread,

Like a weaponed poltergeist.

I stuff the money in my bag,

Then swiftly I escape,

Leaving behind no trace nor tag,

Into the cityscape.

As I leave, I pull out my phone,

And report the crime to police.

I leave no name, just dial tone,

A keeper of the peace.

Months pass by as I lay low,

Then I receive a let...

Lest I walk down the lane,

Beg and hope for No Man’s Name.

Secret this…secret that,

Who am I right off the bat?

Lest I walk through the war,

Don’t grimace at the poor.

Forgive…forgive all that’s new,

Who am I to let you die too?

Lest I walk in a muddy ditch,

Ignore the almighty bitch.

Cradle…cradle love lost,

Who am I to seize the cost?

Lest I walk in my dreams,

Don’t forget to eat your greens....