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morbidskittle187
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subject: :)
The red sun screams at us from the horizon
It's time for fires to die down
Just long enough to decipher
The night sky
The shooting stars
We are ready for a new beginning
Far away from wishful thinking
The present is demanding
That we attain a happy ending



"We, uh figured out how to travel through time at the speed of regular time with plastic bags" - Nathan Explosion
message 8251/8269 2010-01-25 08:36:58 (-0600)
paradox
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subject: re: Freedom
in reply to chuckster in message #8249:
No problem, I don't mind you asking.

First, I write most of my poetry to communicate a specific concept or an emotional experience, rather than elaborate on something as broad as my entire world view. Part of this is that I rarely have time to write all-encompassing epics, and secondly its just a personal preference that I try to explore a single idea, similar to how a haiku is supposed to express a single, clear thought.

Secondly, in this piece I was elaborating on the concept of freedom. What does it mean to be free? How is one aware of freedom? What difference does freedom actually make in one's life?

The first few examples of freedom under Merriam Webster's definition of freedom state:

Free-dom, noun
1 : the quality or state of being free: as
a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence
c: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous

As a Christian, I am aware of the freedom that God gives through his forgiveness. The definitions of freedom above all describe aspects of how God's grace allows me the freedom to "get to" do what I am able, rather than feel trapped into the necessity of "gotta" follow the Law or be smitten by his wrath. To be aware of that freedom is awe inspiring.

But on the other hand, I know that for everything I do that God forgives there are still earthly consequences. Simply because I am forgiven does not excuse me from the responsibility to the people around me that I may hurt by will or neglect.

And people know I am a sinner. I still screw up. God's grace doesn't mean I will magically stop doing ignorant or willfully sinful things. I often hear the criticism of Christianity, that Christians are just as bad as people as non-Christians. The fact that we profess our belief puts us under the spotlight, and so it's easy to see why people assume we are actually worse. I think that's a misconception of both Christians and non-Christians who might get confused about the point of Christ, who modeled perfect love for us to save us and to show us how we should treat each other, but not that Christians should assume they will auto-magically become better people. It's an easy trap that too many Christians fall into to varying degrees, admittedly self included.

People witness the fact that I screw up. My poem was expressing the dualistic perspectives of how God sees me as forgiven in contrast to how I and others still see my shortcomings.

If it comes off as a bit dark, I intended it to be read that way. I get frustrated with Christians who can sometimes blindly do more harm with non-Christians than good. Which in essence is just a reflection of my own propensity to screw up, too.



"You must be the change you want to see in this world." - Mahatma Gandhi
message 8252/8269 2010-01-25 12:59:05 (-0600)
paradox
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subject: Magic Words
Please,
Open your heart to me,
Let me see who you really are.
Let me hold the you that
No one else sees inside
Your secret Zen garden;
That part of you makes me real.

Please,
Open your mouth and speak,
Tell me who you want to be.
Say the things you want to say
But couldn't because I was in the way.
Let out your gale force wind,
And blow me away with meaning.

Please,
Open your eyes and see
I am standing right here with you,
And I don't want to leave,
I need you to want me, too.
Open your ears and feel me say,
I love you.


message 8253/8269 2010-01-28 09:33:51 (-0600)
morbidskittle187
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subject: re: Magic Words
in reply to paradox in message #8253:
That was sweet. :)



-Skittle-
I am accustomed to sleep, and in my dreams to imagine the same things that lunatics imagine when awake. -Rene Descartes
message 8254/8269 2010-01-29 07:33:21 (-0600)
paradox
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subject: re: Magic Words
in reply to morbidskittle187 in message #8254:
Thank you, ma'am.



"I am a leaf on the wind; watch how I soar."
message 8255/8269 2010-01-29 09:41:33 (-0600)
paradox
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subject: recursive, a senryu
punctuate me please
piece my fragment phrases add
meaning to my words

message 8256/8269 2010-02-08 10:42:15 (-0600)
ironkitten82
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subject: flashback
There's a hand against my back. Pushing. I resist; I stumble. I am propelled forward, through an open door. The room is small, a laundry room. It has pine paneling on the walls, but the floors are cement, painted with grey sealant. I am standing in the middle, mind blank, trying to be calm.

I'm standing with my back against the wall, between the mattress on the floor and the small, broken dresser that houses my clothes. My eyes are closed, but tears continue to fall. He's yelling at me again. My entire body aches with the need to shake. I will not let it. I will not show my fear. He pauses. He must be looking for a response. I squeak out "Yes, Master." The yelling continues. I open my eyes in time to see the hand that is about to connect with my cheek. I close them again.

There are hands on my shoulders. He is about my height. With my shoes, he's only about an inch taller. I take deep breaths. He professes his adoration for me, saying that I'm the most intelligent, most beautiful woman he's ever met. I thank him. What else am I s'posed to do? He asks something else; I quickly make up a reply. I hug him, and say I must go; I have things to do. I need to leave. His hands tighten on my shoulders; he pulls me closer. He tries to kiss me. My lips are pressed tight; I back up. My ass is against the laundry tub. I cannot go any further.

My shirt is practically torn off me. He presses me harder against the wall with his body, shoving my yoga pants off my hips. They are loose, and fall to the floor. My panties are ripped. He tosses me to the mattress. I know better than to resist by now, but I still fight. My hands are slapped to the carpet, held tight around the wrists by his hand. I feel the carpet begin to burn with the friction he's created. All of his weight is on me now. He raises his other hand, asks a question. I do not respond fast enough. The crack of his fingertips against my face echos off every surface in the room. He asks again. This time, I am not loud enough. Another crack. He asks again. I am quick enough and loud enough. He is satisfied, so this crack does not echo quite as much.

He asks me why I won't let him kiss me. I am otherwise engaged, I remind him. I gloss over the fact that I am not attracted to him, and even if I was, this is not the way to get me to like him. He takes off my glasses. I stare at him, or rather, though him. I cannot see. I do not want to see. He tries to put my specs back on me, but fails. I take them, and place them properly. He tries to kiss me again. I turn my head away. I try not to shake. I will not show my fear. With a burst of inspiration, I remember a question he had asked earlier. I give him the answer. It is not one that he likes. He tells me, nay, begs me, to stop. He cannot hear anymore. Still, I talk. I tell; I explain. I am empowered.

His hands are gentle. His kisses a large slice of heaven. He worships me. I live for the moment. I am the moment. His hands are in my hair - and I am not frightened. His lips are everywhere. His scent is everywhere. I am floating and falling. He is perfection. I curl up tight next to him, a smile on my face as I drift off to sleep.

I repeat that I must go. I hug him again and begin to push him aside. Someone opens the door. We both glance at it, me with relief, him with regret. I repeat my need to go again. He finally - finally! - respects something I have to say, and I scamper off.

We say our goodbyes, and get in our respective cars. I cry. Someone who respects me. Someone who could cherish me. Someone who could truly love me. And I let him go. But the things you let go, sometimes come back. He came back. He is my otherwise engaged. He is the one that makes me smile as I enter the realm of dreams. He rescued me.



~ IronKit ~
Zeit. Ich brauche mehr Zeit.
message 8257/8269 2010-02-09 16:43:33 (-0600)
spadeinfull
user #55973
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subject: predicate
all through the night and the forest of the pretty clones
black holes and information densities, still looking for the one
that abhorrent nymphobrainiac, this is where im at
impossible thing to stay awake and when we get there
cleft

well fuck mom, did you expect me to embrace bah u llah?
farshad was correct in his complacence who the crap cares thence
who banged houshang dont fucking tell me you didnt know this
your hand stands glare in shaping

sing to me in cursive, and your little dog too, tocata in d fugue
you stink like we do, come here a minute i want to hug you

Şp♠Đę
message 8258/8269 2010-04-10 11:20:29 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: conversations, part I, a senryu
i called you michelle.
you said, that isn't my name.
i nodded, i know.

message 8259/8269 2010-04-22 09:36:49 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: re: conversations, part I, a senryu
in reply to paradox in message #8259:
For poetry month (yay)

My creative juices have been a bit dammed up lately, having a daughter and all, but the concept for doing exerpts of memorable conversations in senryu came to me recently and had to jump on it.

I don't know that I am satisfied with the use of punctuation in this, any suggestions on how to achieve the same sense of voice without it?



"If you don't like it, you can shove it. But you don't like it; you LOVE it."
-- Rivers Cuomo
message 8260/8269 2010-04-22 09:38:52 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: The Matrix for Dummies
My pseudo-life is a social graph
Of consumer accomplishments over
The time I have left to live.
Its a gently declining line
Like the daily Dow industrial,
Ending in a whimper.
(Turn your head and cough)

I want to speak of what's real,
But when I open my mouth
The only thing that comes out
Are flocks of seagulls and rainbows
And meaningless phrases.
Dust.
(Less than dust, disgust)

I retweet the clever bits of an
Inane existence in an effort
To feel alive. But it only feeds
The boredom that is my
Underachieving conformist life.
I am lame.
(Worse than emo cutting)

Maybe if I go offline and make
Some friends in real life
I can escape this sharade, or
Maybe I will just dissapear
From the radar of everyone who
Never really cared.
(Cyber-stalking myself)

In hindsight, it's all so clear,
I knew what I was getting into,
I knew what I needed to do.
But it's so much easier not to
and blame others for being
exactly what I let myself become.
(Nothing)

message 8261/8269 2010-05-07 10:51:47 (-0500)
chuckster
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subject: re: The Matrix for Dummies
in reply to paradox in message #8261:
If this has become your life, or even just your view of it, you may take the advice of Beavis and Butthead when they said, "This sucks. Change it!"




message 8262/8269 2010-05-08 05:35:05 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: re: The Matrix for Dummies
in reply to chuckster in message #8262:
LOL, I wrote this to sound melodramatic, the tone is meant to sound dark to make it's overall point which is a commentary, and not specifically about my life.

I wrote this as a tribute to Mark Zuckerburg, the RIAA, and the changing culture of the Internet in general.



I am Spartacus!
message 8263/8269 2010-05-08 19:34:52 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: missing motives
i've been writing poetry
since nineteen ninety seven
and i keep asking myself why
i'm still not in the Motif.



"You must be the change you want to see in this world." - Mahatma Gandhi
message 8264/8269 2010-05-13 13:01:08 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: re: missing motives
in reply to paradox in message #8264:
FYI, this is a bit of a joke. The Motif is the creative arts journal at the school I work for, and I've submitted work to them a few times to publish and they haven't selected any of it. I find it more amusing than anything else. I wrote this specifically to submit to them next year, just to see if I get any sort of response from the editors in charge.

I am Thwart-Man! *thwart* *thwart* *thwart*
message 8265/8269 2010-05-13 13:03:07 (-0500)
paradox
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subject: You and Me (Love, part iii)
in reply to paradox in message #7826:
I dug through my book of poetry,
Searching for something we had
To fondly remember you by.

Perhaps I will write it out,
Longhand,
On real paper,
In a black ink pen
And send it to you by U.S. Post.

Would you read it, if I did?
Do memories of time past
Cause you to smile,
Or curse me for the love we had
When it was still,
'You and Me'.


message 8266/8269 2010-05-20 10:47:27 (-0500)
tweakofnature
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subject: My comedy blog
Check it out and let me know what you think. Harsh opinions wanted. Thanks guys!

http://tweakofnature.blogspot.com

message 8267/8269 2010-06-26 14:00:32 (-0500)
chuckster
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subject: re: My comedy blog
in reply to tweakofnature in message #8267:
Dombass. You could have avoided the whole mess by suggesting to your friend to slip towels or washcloths under the couch legs. He could have easily slid the couch in by himself without scratching the floor. Knowledge is power.

message 8268/8269 2010-06-27 13:44:36 (-0500)
chuckster
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subject: re: My comedy blog
in reply to chuckster in message #8268:
Dombass? How'd I do that? Oh yeah, being a dumbass.

message 8269/8269 2010-06-27 17:45:16 (-0500)
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