fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Flying the Coup
By: Anthony Punt
Tags: US Elections, Democratic Party, Joe Biden, Democracy, Donald Trump

President-elect Joseph R. Biden

In the past few days, there have been calls from centrists and pundits for unity between Democrats and Republicans. That’s all well and good in the abstract — not only would it’d be a pragmatic move for the Biden/Harris team to work with (or at least, attempt to work with) the Mitt Romneys of the party, it would gain them hosannas from Americans who genuinely (and rightfully) want bipartisanship to be the buzzword in 2021 and beyond.

But you can only work with people who are interested in cooperation and compromise, believe in magnanimity, and who are willing to be gracious and conciliatory in defeat. And none of these qualities are possessed by Trump and his supporters. Turn on Fox or OAN, or listen to the likes of Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, and you’ll see a faux-grievance campaign that’s equal parts laughable and contemptible. When they’re not outright alleging (without hard evidence, natch) that the election was stolen, they’re propagating ridiculous conspiracy theories and specious arguments so asinine that you have to wonder what planet they teleported from.

Even after all the votes have finally been counted, and all the frivolous lawsuits are dismissed, and the election results are officially certified, there will no satisfying a significant number of Trump supporters that the election was on the up-and-up, because it assuages their egos to believe the election was “stolen” rather than admit defeat. They’ll continue to whinge and wail for all four years of the Biden presidency — and some, it must be said, will be motivated to take more drastic actions. Trump has encouraged, and will continue to encourage, this bad behavior from his supporters, but this time he won’t have the cover of the presidency to protect him or its bully pulpit to amplify his anti-democratic views.

Frankly, I have zero interest in “reaching out” to the people who mocked and dismissed the cruelty and criminality of this “president”; who cheered for him as he aired his petty grievances and actively worked to corrode our institutions; who gloated for the past several months or more about their guy winning a second term, only to become disingenuously offended when the tables were turned.

Or to put it more succinctly: fuck them and the diseased, broken-down elephant they rode in on.
I held little hope that Progressives would make changes effective immediately.
Tags: Democrats, Progressives, Democratic Party

I held little hope that Progressives would make changes effective immediately. Five years ago, I thought that it would take at least two presidential terms before *any* Progressive policies were put into effect, and I was okay with that because, well, politics.

I am encouraged by some of the changes that have been happening regarding marijuana, convicts’ rights, and minimum wage. Many of my Progressive comrades who are much younger than I am get so frustrated. That’s cool, they’re young. I remember being that young and just becoming hopeless (often) about politics and politicians. I am encouraged by their zeal and let it reinfuse me, but I do realize this is a marathon not a sprint.
Unlike many of the younger Progressives and working class workers, I have never been of the mind…
Tags: Democrats, Progressives, Democratic Party

Unlike many of the younger Progressives and working class workers, I have never been of the mind that Progressives will effect major change in the short run.

However, I have been pleasantly surprised that some common sense policies that Progressives support regarding marijuana use, convicts' rights, and minimum wage have come to pass. Because I have always known that this would be a marathon not a sprint, I am encouraged when change happens sooner rather than later.
A Win For Biden A Loss For Democrats
By: Emmanuel Pacings
Tags: Democratic Party, Polític, Biden, 2020 Presidential Race, Democracy

As the election results for 2020 come pouring in it’s becoming increasingly clear Biden will probably become president-elect Biden and very soon after. President Biden. But there is a question that remains. After all is said and done and the dust settles…will this be a win for the Democrat party?

If Biden wins this it will be the slimmest of margins. With some states like Wisconsin coming down to less than 40,000 votes, along with Biden losing several swing states in the process of his race to 270. Denying Democrats of a landslide they assumed they’d have.

Furthermore, according to exit polls, Trump increased his share of minority and LGBT votes this year, meaning large voting blocs the Democrat party has always relied on had a shift to the right this year, which should be worrying to them.

Allow me now to direct your attention to the house elections, where Republicans have so far been sweeping seats. So flipping seats back to red they lost in the midterms, and that’s with several races uncalled. They’re poised to take more seats in states as deep blue as New York and California, and they are also expected to keep their Senate majority. More bad news for the blue as well, of the 11 governor elections that took place on November 3rd, Republicans not only held all of their seats but flipped Montana. It’s being realized that the 2020 election may be a rejection of Trump but it is not an embracement of the Democrat party, quite the opposite. This can only be seen as one thing. A rejection of the Democrats and their current party platform. With the Republican party strong, and here to stay is it still a win for Biden? Yes. A win for the Democrat party? A resounding no.
A Path to Compromise
Tags: Democratic Party, Politics, Compromise, President, Republican Party

Division in the United States is saddening. And worrisome. And not a good use of intellectual and emotional resources. Red hates blue, left hates right. Means of communication, and more troublingly open and equal opportunity communication, have been bottlenecked into 280 characters and poorly thought online posts. Openness and investigation are stymied with censorship and dogma. These dynamics — from both sides — are entrenched in tribal attitudes and a winner takes all mentality.

Each side believing its own platform to be the only correct platform with which to live. There is no room for discussion. No room for compromise.

In reality — Different populations require different governance. Coastal cities different from interior flyover country. Agricultural workers different from urban straphangers. Rust Belt communities are worlds from Silicon Valley. Religious communities differ from secular groups. And this difference isn’t just between vast distances. Drive an hour or two outside of any major metro. Its probably evident just driving across your city.

Despite this obvious dynamic, our empathy, and inherent understanding that we’re different and need to account for it feels lost. Compromise is there however. Buried in us, in our code. It was a crucial component to the foundation of this republic. It may begin again with a shift back to states rights and localized policy making.

It seems a shift of policy making back to localities from the federal level would offer some cure to our ills. If California wants to join the Paris Climate Accord — Go for it. If Louisiana wants to allow church services on Sunday during COVID, they should be allowed. If New York City would like to provide a sponsored health plan that pays for sex reassignment surgeries, then by all means it can provide for it.

Compromise, when we understand that everyone is different, will lead to a better quality of life. Lets stop wasting our emotional and intellectual energies on winner takes all politics. Let’s acknowledge (and maybe even try to enjoy) our differences. Lets re-empower localized policy making. Even if not perfect, it may be the only way forward together.
I’m inclined to see actually doing something for constituents and targeting pragmatic measurable…
By: Sherman Moore
Tags: Politics, Democratic Party, Pragmatism

I’m inclined to see actually doing something for constituents and targeting pragmatic measurable goals in the interest of constituents vs. pandering and ideological people pleasing attempts as a bigger factor in re-election than where someone is on the “left — right” scale. There are centralist Democrats that kept their seats — but my inclination would be to believe in those cases their victories reflected results and tangible outcomes that their constituents were after not whether they were centrist or far left. If it is a issue that the constituents are for it might be that it’s not left or right or a perfect fit into an idealogical or conceptual box at all — it just is a specific deliverable that has popular support.
As a Texan who lives with and is in close relationship with quite a number of Latinos I…
By: Sherman Moore
Tags: Latinos, Democratic Party, Democrats, 2022, Election 2020

As a Texan who lives with and is in close relationship with quite a number of Latinos I wholeheartedly agree and clap 3 times for this article. The Democrats are fussing about whether or not the farther “left” side of the party hurt or hindered the close victory by Biden. I say neither. To the Latinos I know it is not about conceptual ideologies and theoretical philosophies. The ones in my life care about actions and what a representative did, accomplished and pragmatically communicated. Family, jobs, education, ground game, listening and pragmatic tangible results matter. Being at the table and at fiesta and communicating the truth and meaning in daily life matters.

I passionately believe what I perceive in my Latino family is a keystone of insight in what Democrats need to be working on now for 2020 across the whole voting public — not a “center vs. left” paradigm.
Progress cannot wait for the TNDP
By: Matthew Park
Tags: Tennessee, Progressive, Democratic Party

At ChangeTN, we are very clear with the driving force behind what we do: Progress cannot wait. Nowhere is that more accurate than the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP).

Photo by Lindsay Henwood

Let me clarify why ChangeTN, a non-partisan progressive organization, feels the need to become involved in the internal elections of the state Democratic Party. As progressives, we use the tools available to push forward progress to improve the lives of working people.

The Tennessee Democratic Party is a tool that should be used by progressives to push forward our agenda. Right now, the weak state of the TNDP not only harms Democrats, but it also undermines the progressive future of Tennessee.

We need a TNDP that ensures all candidates have access to immutable infrastructure. We need a TNDP that sees climate action, healthcare for all, and justice transformation as core principles. We need a TNDP that fights to win municipal seats to build a bench for the future.

To build a better TNDP, we need a progressive chairperson that understands campaign infrastructure, is committed to coalition building between moderates and progressives, and can fundraise to power the party’s efforts.

Since the TNDP is a tool that so many organizations depend on, this chair’s election should not be a closed process. Even though the electorate is limited to the TNDP Executive Committee, we believe that this conversation about the chair and the party’s future should be a public process.

To that end, ChangeTN, in cooperation with other progressive leaders and organizations statewide, has released our endorsement application for TNDP Chair.

After the application period closes on December 1, 2020, we will release our recommendations and work with progressives across the state to organize constituent communication with TNDP Executive Committee representatives.

Progress cannot wait, even for internal party politics.
5 Ways to Crush Trumpism and Unify the Nation, Today
By: Dr. Chris Pepin-Neff
Tags: Democratic Party, Politics, Democrats, Biden, Trump

5 Ways to Crush Trumpism:

1.One Continuing Resolution for all of 2021

2. Ear-Marks to Reward Democrats

3. Announce Abrams for Supreme Court

4. Women for Every Judicial Nomination

5. 50-State Campaign w Slayer Pete

This is a time for unity as President-Elect Biden has stated. But, let’s be clear about what unity means. I am for unity, but I am not for appeasing the adoption of Trumpism in the Republican Party.

The 2020 election was a mandate on politics and policy. Most Americans are centrist-liberals. You don’t win Georgia and Arizona as a Democrat unless there is a strong base of support.

Trumpism in the Republican party is currently a safe haven of white supremacists and conspiracy theorists. Adamant anti-vaxers and anti-maskers. The anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-climate change, anti-choice bigots, sexists, and anti-science extremists. It is still the party dominated by Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell. The cowering has not stopped, and the grip has not loosened. I do not support unity with Mitch McConnell. This is about defeating Trumpism.

They just stole a Supreme Court vacancy while votes were being cast, a few weeks ago. So I suggest 5 ways to promote unity and demolish Trumpism:

One Continuing Resolution for 2021: In the House, there should be one large Continuing Resolution (CR) for all of 2021. It should include a years worth of funding and the Equality Act/Dream Act/ ACA and Civil Rights Act. The Democrats must be willing to shut down the government, hold tough, and show no mercy to McConnell.

2. Ear-marks to Reward Democrats: It is time to restart riders, and pork-barrel politics. This will reward Democrats and bring moderate Republicans to the table.

3. Announce Abrams for Supreme Court, Today: Both Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (J.D. from Georgia State) or Stacey Abrams (J.D. from Yale) are lawyers. Both would be amazing and Biden should announce one of them as the next Supreme Court nominee now. This will open the flood gates of opposition but it will mobilize voters in Georgia ahead of the Senate races. Control of the Senate will determine if Bottoms or Abrams is a Justice.

4. Women for Every Judicial Nomination. To counter the court packing of Mitch McConnell, every nominee to every federal seat should be a woman. This announcement could be made today. This is a bold pro-woman statement. This may also address the lack of support from white women in the 2020 election.

5. 50 state Campaign with Slayer Pete. It is time to resurrect Howard Dean’s 50-state campaign to consolidate the 2020 election. And the best future head of the DNC was the best surrogate for Biden (after VP-elect Harris) — Slayer Pete. He had the message and temperament to even deal with Fox News. This announcement could be made today.

Or next week. But I would roll out one of these each week for the next 5 weeks.

Dr. Christopher L. Pepin-Neff has a B.A. in political science, a Master’s in public policy and a PhD in public policy.
The Stacey Abrams Election
By: Matthew Goodman
Tags: Democratic Party, Politics, Stacey Abrams, Trump, Election 2020

I’m going to do something Stacey Abrams never does: center her as the most important person in American politics. Even when receiving universal praise, Abrams shifted the focus on to all of the other leaders and organizers key to turning Georgia blue.

But sorry, Stacey, I’m still going to write about you.

Abrams is important because she understands something necessary to the revitalization of America’s civil institutions: the radical de-centering of self.

Trump represents a radical centering of self. Everything was about him, from “I alone can fix it” to his self-pitying rants about how well the “Trump” economy was performing until COVID happened. If a country’s leader was nice to him, well, then we were allies! If a country’s leader criticized him even mildly, then we were enemies no matter how long and enduring our relationship had been. This is a president who was going to supply vital PPE nationally, but then decided against it because the early stages of the pandemic was mostly impacting blue states that hadn’t voted for him.

Abrams is the exact opposite. Even in her moment of greatest triumph, she asked her fans to cast praise, not on her, but on others. When she lost a (rigged) race to be Georgia’s governor, she resisted intense pressure to run for Senate. Instead, she founded Fair Fight Action and spent the next two years cultivating and empowering a new generation of voters and leaders in Georgia, turning it from a Republican stronghold into a battleground state for years to come.

In short, she created an institution that would survive her. She did not center her work around herself but on uplifting others.

The philosophy of non-violence, key to the civil rights movements here and abroad, requires a radical de-centering of self. The police may employ violence on peaceful protesters, but those protesters are willing to suffer to create a better world. Striking union members may temporarily lose their income or even their jobs, but they are willing to embrace the risk to create a fairer economy.

Stacey Abrams stands as a towering figure in American politics because she seeks a world in which she is not needed, in which the work of justice is carried on in her absence. Thus, Abrams is a link in a chain connecting to the past and extending infinitely into the future.

That is a lesson all of us should take to heart, particularly those in leadership roles. True leadership in a democracy requires that those in power lift up as many as possible, so that no single person is necessary and no single person is centered.

That’s why Abrams’ example is so crucial to finding ourselves out of the darkness of the Trump years. That’s how we fix our country.

Not “I alone.”

But:

We. Together.
Pixelating
By: Erika Burkhalter
Tags: Poetry, Photography, Spirituality, Poetry Sunday, Love

Pixelating

She was dissolving, pixelating, her wings fluttering

into stardust.

But she was simultaneously forming, cherubic limbs

and dimpled thighs about to be birthed

into the universe of the humans.

Would he be there?

They’d get it right this time, she knew.

A whole lifetime of true love blossoming in

carnation.

Like comets passing in the ink of eternity, they’d

flown through the same point an infinite

number of times before, burning out either too early

or too late.

He hadn’t known to wait last time, when her moment

of resolving was a decade tardy.

And she’d already settled her fate to another’s

the time before.

But, in the in-between, this time — they’d soared together,

dodging moonbeams and wormholes, those glittering

portals to an infinity of worlds.

And they chose this one, jumping into the uncertainty

of humanity.

She felt her shape forming now, her wings just an

echo of a memory, and breath, a vague need,

growing in urgency.

She struggled to remember — why was she here?

It was all slipping away.

But she clung, stubbornly, to the fragment of a star

still glowing in her

mind’s eye.

Then she gave her first cry.

A speckle of pixelated dust flickered in the light

streaming into through the window, high up on

the wall, and with that first breath,

she recalled

she was here to meet someone.
Let Me Say It Again
By: Gerthy Bingoly
Tags: Poetry, Self Love, Poetry Sunday, Women, Love

Let me say it again,

That melody of yours,

That song I’ve been listening to for years,

Those words, music to my ears,

Please, don’t be afraid to sing,

I will always be there, listening.

Let me say it again,

That ray of sunshine,

Happiness incarnate,

Wine to my eyes,

Please, don’t be afraid to smile,

Your joy will always be worthwhile.

Let me say it again,

That crown on your head,

Silk on my hands,

Symbol of your self,

Please, don’t be afraid to show your hair,

They will be gifts to our heirs.

Let me say it again,

That body of yours,

God’s concoction,

Man’s admiration,

Please, don’t be afraid to stand,

You will always be the queen of my motherland.

Let me say it again, and again, and again…and again.
She follows the lights down the once dark alley — the same one that seemed impossible all these years. But now, the path is clear and beckons her — promises her — that this time it will be different…
By: Vanessa K. Eccles
Tags: Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Poem, Poems And Stories, Poetry On Medium

Photo by Vanessa K. Eccles

She follows the lights

down the once dark alley —

the same one that seemed

impossible all these years.

But now, the path is clear

and beckons her — promises her —

that this time it will be different.

The door has finally opened.

The journey will still be steep.

Uneven steps may cause her to falter,

but narrow is the way to the top.

Few are those who make it.

Yet, tonight the stars

have sprinkled their dust,

and she will follow the lights

and lean into the magic of her dreams.
When You Held My Love
By: Michelle Marie Warner
Tags: Poetry, Relationships, Poetry Sunday, Love, Poem

When You Held My Love

Photo by geralt on Pixabay

I knew I loved you, and told you why

You held it in your heart, and my spirit lit up like a star-filled sky

You embraced my love, held it safe and warm

then I knew I hadn’t risked myself any harm

All the reasons my love grew deep

you summed them up with a promise to keep

my feelings held, sacred and cherished

and I knew our light wouldn’t diminish

because you’re strong enough to hold me

while I’m vulnerable as you can see

I feel secure in this space you offer with tenderness

As I trust you with feelings I used to suppress

To winter Solstice eve we brought

a torch to ignite the darkest spot

Our love grew brighter that night, and shined across miles

amidst my happy tears and lingering smiles

You’re being who you are, and I’m being who I’ve always wanted to be

You accepted my gift and now I’m free

I’ve released the people who couldn’t handle my light

I’m no longer afraid to turn it up and become bright

We illuminate the path others will tread

part of the grand plan laid out for us ahead

We led the way with the love we hold dear

I’m more grateful than ever you chose to be here
Plant a forest of kisses
By: Amy Knight
Tags: Poetry Sunday, Love, Maternal, Poem, Motherhood Journey

I will walk for miles while you’re asleep

to find some land to keep

and plant a forest of kisses

on each cheek,

so when you wake, you’ll see

I grew for you,

this land of plenty.

Never feel your hands are empty;

you’ll always have mine to hold

on to.

Yes,

that’s what mothers do.

I will climb a mountain while you dream

to find a crystal stream

and stoop to fill myself

to quench your thirst,

so when you wake, you’ll see

pure liquid love

and drink from me.

You’ll never miss a drop, until;

one day you’re not a baby, you’re

my boy.

Yes,

that’s a mother’s joy.

I will gather firewood through the night

to keep our stove alight

and throw myself upon it,

if I must,

so when you wake, you’ll see

a light still on;

when I am gone

you’ll never be alone. I’m in

the dark that you’re so

fearful of.

Yes,

that’s a mother’s love.
Rainforest
By: Andrea Pruett
Tags: Nature, Poetry, Inspiration, Poetry Sunday, Rainforest

Rainforest

Photo by Drew Graham on Unsplash

He’s hung the stars behind your eyes.

And every time I breathe in

you are the subtle scent of pines.

I feel your skin against mine,

fingers brush your pulse,

run down your spine.

A shifting breeze gives you voice,

a river humming softly.

Words with meaning, not just noise.

And beneath it all

I hear your heartbeat.

like the steady fall of rain.

But more than that

is what my eyes see.

A picture lies.

A painting tries.

And I can only hold for a time,

these precious moments in mind,

in vivid color,

full of life.
Love Me, Love Me Not
By: Elyse Wright
Tags: Writing, Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Love, Poetry On Medium

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

You stand in the kitchen and you’re telling me about her.

And I am not sure how I am supposed to feel so I reach for the sink and hold the edges.

I grab a plate.

Add soap.

Scrub.

“So, what you’re saying is you don’t love me anymore?”

I move the plate to the counter.

Water drips from my hands.

And you say, “it’s not that I don’t, because I do love you, but she is love and, God, I didn’t think a person could be like that.”

- Love me, love me not
Hold My Hand
By: Toni Crowe
Tags: Relationships, Health, Poetry Sunday, Love, Poem

Hold My Hand

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

I’m afraid

I hate going to the doctor

I’m a grown woman, I can drive

Nevertheless, you calmly drive me there

Giving me a coffee to sip as I ride

You squeeze my hand before I go in

Holding mine in both of yours

Telling me it is going to be ok

Your warm rough hands wrapped around my smooth soft cold one

I sit alone in the office remembering the feel of your skin on mine

Of your kind eyes on mine

You’re waiting for me

Out there

Ready to hold my hand

Whatever comes

It’s going to be ok
Another Year Fading By
By: Shalini C
Tags: Year In Review, Introspection, 2020, Poetry Sunday, Cynicism

Photo by GRAS GRÜN on Unsplash

A noon kettle sings

through my seafoam ears

all the way across the ridges of heavy eyes

How this hour, this pitch

resounds in hissing spectres

of a piping-hot prayer

concocted in collusion

with the still-burning ash of a cigarette

tossed into a bright chimney

too dark and dank on the inside

for Santa to have crawled in

Birds of viridian plume

have vanished from my window sill

into forever commas trailing

across a hardbound monochrome sky

The days stretch so much and so little

before we’ve learned to kiss good-bye

to the last poems that we’ve culled

from a heaving history of nothings

holding on tight

to every version

of what we are and will be

— the same

yet every bit the change

we don’t want to see.
Notions of Time
By: Sylvia Clare Msc. Psychol
Tags: Mindfulness, Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Love, Self

The elasticity of time propels us forwards

flicked from a catapult in the playground of life,

thrown into years that become decades

rich with history and memories, delusions

dreams and the rhetoric of our lives.

Our days become stacked like layers of rock upon

a landscape, carved by our own winds and weather,

moments represented by features standing out proud

‘this was my moment just here’, or not perhaps

it is all just eons slipping by unnoticed.

I don’t know what a decade feels like,

yet have lived through nearly seven.

They are after all just one moment following another

stacking up to create the myth that is our

life story, our chosen narrative, our personal account

with life, a tally sheet, that gift of resonance

in the universe imbued with individual

experiences to make it unique, only ours.

We are one in a cast of thousands, all once

so important, mostly now forgotten.

I recalled a moment in a playground

a school I attended for one year, then moved away.

The echo of those walls, the gender segregation

the confusion of lessons in a classroom

and finding a teacher you liked, a subject

you could relate to, something to love for.

Later it is relationships, jobs, careers even,

again stretching over days, month, years.

freedom comes with redundancy,

liberates creativity runs riot in its wake.

In the end it is only ever this moment

only ever this person, this lover, this child.

it is only a fleeting glimpse of nature

speeding past our senses, skies colouring up,

seasons flicking the pages through each year.
Grandmother and Child
By: Marilyn Flower
Tags: Poetry, Family, Poetry Sunday, Love, Grandmother

A photo only captures a moment,

a moment caught and held,

suspended in time, illuminating a love

like no other. Not mother, not sister,

not brother. Indeed there is something holy,

something magical, something beyond words,

though we sure try…

A full little body hug, before they're too big

to lift all the way to shoulder tops…

A brave game of hopscotch, if Grandma

can still reach for the stone

perched on one foot, declaiming,

butterfingers!

Or fresh from bath, nose to hair,

smelling shampoo sweet, sporting

clean jammies, clinging tight

to cuddle-plush bear

for a bed-time bentwood rock

in the nursery’s soft light…

Camera or no camera,

one moment emblazons

a thousand memories

in the heart,

forever.
I Take Back My Apology
Tags: Poetry, Relationships, Poetry Sunday, Love, Life

Photo by Marco Testi on Unsplash

I wonder what you would think of the one who’s replaced you

(Though no one can really replace you)

You’d disapprove most likely

I can see you turning your head

Raising one side of your upper lip

In that scornful way nobody knows

And that I cherished so much

I wonder if it would be your envy

Or if you’d still brush him off

If you didn’t know

He was my man

I tried to drink them all into you

To cover you up

I had so much to say

But all that came out

Were those wretched words

“I Iove you”

Instead I swore off my corks and caps

And threw them into the sea

So I wouldn’t remember

What a damned thing it is

To love someone like I love you

I wonder what you would think if you knew

I give myself to him

In a way I never gave to you

Would it burn your heart?

Or have you gotten so good at keeping me out

That you’d be happy for me?

Maybe I’m sorry you got the worst of me

When me wasn’t me

But rather my demons and small things

Which lay siege to your territory

And trapped everything that should’ve been yours

Maybe I’m sorry I didn’t love you better

When I knew how much you loved me -

Despite how much I tried

You can’t hold both hands

When one is holding the past

Maybe I’m sorry your faith eclipsed me

And made me disappear altogether

The last time you told me you see me

I couldn’t believe you

And I can spend the rest of my days

Trying to convince myself

That I’m sorry for having loved you

But no amount of corks or caps

Could blur it out

And I can spend the rest of my days with my fury

And wear myself out

But I want him to hold both my hands now

And the truth is I’m happy

That I got to love someone the way I love you

In the way that everyone’s had to compare to you

In the way that not a day goes by

When I don’t think of you

In the way that our ghosts are still replaying our memories

Somewhere in time

For all of eternity

You were my eyes

When my eyes didn’t speak the truth

And I’m sorry you got half of me

And that half got eclipsed

But I will never ever be sorry

For having loved you

The way I love you.

Incantations by Shirin © 2020
When In Doubt, Return
By: Brian Mcfadden
Tags: Personal Growth, Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Mental Health, Psychology

For far too long,

I’ve been out of my skull

skipping around the world

on a mental pilgrimage

looking for a dream life

when the whole entire time

the instructions were tucked away

in the life I was already living.
Kaleidoscope of Hints
By: Paroma Sen
Tags: Battle Of The Sexes, Poetry, Relationships, Poetry Sunday, Aliens

Kaleidoscope of Hints

Photo by Kaylee Eden on Unsplash

I lick my lips, absently,

making a note to buy chapstick;

You interpret it as an invitation.

I sigh, a breath escaping through my teeth

as I straighten my back after a long day;

You see it as my art of seduction.

Those weren’t hints, they were never meant to be

But darling, you greedily took them as such.

Yet,

When I look longing at pictures of tropical islands

Bringing up anniversary travel, hinting broadly: shall we go?

Somehow you ignore them and speak of tropical volcanoes instead.

The kaleidoscope world of hints, reflects different realities to you and me

Placing us right back on Mars and Venus, the source of our disparity

How many more centuries before we Venusians learn to speak the Martian language?
Stay For You
By: America Zed
Tags: Poetry, Devotion, Poetry Sunday, Love, Poetry On Medium

I stay for you because,

Your rhythm isn’t so alone

Whenever you move in the sun

Flowers seem to suddenly grow.

No one sees what I see

No one hears what I do,

In all the wonder you will bring

We make our magic

red on blue.

I stay for you because,

You never move in angry blood

I wait for you because,

My heart flows in a

sea of love.

Across every pain and time

Somehow we are still entwined

Here for the dreamer’s life

Our words are never lost.

You stay for me because,

Always I return with

new strength,

A smile to see yourself

I feel that I am

in your head.

When I am tired and worn

You are my hopeful song,

I want to stay for you

because

I love you

when there’s nothing

left.
I am
By: Nasar Karim
Tags: Poetry Sunday, Inspiration, Poetry

I Am

Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash

I am not the things that I have lost

Much more than they can take from me

I have whatever I will need

To become whatever I will be

I plot the course of my own life

And tell myself what I must hear

Save your counsel for yourself

For what you say I will not hear

The dark will not envelop me

Doubt will not my soul entwine

I walk towards my fate alone

And all the days my light will shine

Each night prepares me for the dawn

Each time I fall I shall rejoice

And when I rise I shall be bold

For only I will make my choice
I am Possessed
By: Anu Anniah
Tags: Relationships, Life Lessons, Poetry Sunday, Love, Life

When I met him, I fell into a hole

I did not realize it then

I was too busy being in love

The hole had no bottom

I felt like Alice

I was in wonderland

As I fell deeper and deeper

I was smitten by his attention

By his passionate love

I loved how he loved me

How much he loved me

I loved his interrogation and desperation

I misunderstood his intention

He did not love me

He owned me

I was the object of his desire

That’s all I was

An object

With him, I forgot who I was

I became the object he wanted me to be

His belonging
The Big House
By: Amanda Dalmas
Tags: Poetry, Missing You, Poetry Sunday, Best Friend, Friendship

The Big House

Photo by Marcus Cramer on Unsplash

In this big house, filled with you

I feel alone.

Everywhere I look are memories of us laughing and drinking.

Wafts of pot smoke tickle my nose

it makes me look around for you.

But you are an Ocean away

in a fairy tale land….

Where pot is quasi-legal

and so are hookers.

It's not the same without you here.

Simply said, but deeply felt.

Oh, Dear Sister,

“What shall I do without my mischief partner?”

Winter has embraced my heart.

Freezing it into place.

I just hope I don’t become a stubborn old goat.

All jaded and cruel.

I want to stay young and fun….preferably forever.

Amanda Dalmas ~Dec. 21st, 2020
A Poem: There Is a Promise Tucked in the New Year Ahead
By: Gregory D. Welch
Tags: Poetry, Inspiration, Poetry Sunday, Poem, Life

There is a promise tucked in the New Year ahead

a whispered opportunity asking us

who might you become

when all this is is said and done

The smallest seed of hope has been planted

fresh choices lay just around the corner

and the question builds momentum

who might you become

One year behind us, one year hopefully ahead

the days are getting longer now

sunshine promises to stay a little while longer

when this is all said and done, who might you become

Winter solstice and the days are stretching longer

who might you become

when this is all said and done

there is a promise tucked in the New Year ahead
New Year’s Resolutions
By: Matt Lillywhite
Tags: Lifestyle, Self Improvement, Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Poem

New Year’s Resolutions

Photo by Brady Rogers on Unsplash

If you want a better life,

Change begins with a single step,

You put one foot in front of the other,

And fate will do the rest.

Nothing will happen overnight,

Self improvement can be tough,

So try not to think that a lack of progress,

Is not good enough.

Because a tiny bit of change,

Is always better than none at all,

When you look back at how far you’ve come,

You’ll smile, and stand proudly tall.
Buddhism Day by Day: Religious Strife Must be Avoided at all Costs
By: Adam, Diabetic Cyborg
Tags: Prose Poem, Puppies, Religion, Poetry Sunday, Poems And Stories

“Religious strife must be avoided at all costs; under no circumstances should it be allowed. People may hold different religious beliefs, but the bottom line is that we are all human beings, We all seek happiness and desire peace. Religion should bring people’s hearts together. It should unite the potential for good in people’s hearts toward benefiting society and humanity and creating a better future.”

Credit Daisaku Ikeda for the quote.
I never imagined, I'll find the one I was looking for...
By: Saumya Jain
Tags: Poetry Sunday, Love, Poem, Romance, Poetry On Medium

Is it fate? Is it love? Or Is it all in my head ?

I don't know, if it's a dream..you and I make a perfect team♥️

You are like a missing puzzle, it just fits

Being with you, it just clicks

I never imagined, I'll feel so secure with your touch

You are the person I can call my crutch (When I am 10 u can be my 90 and when u are 10, I can be your 90)

I never imagined, in each scenario every road I took will lead to you

You came to me when I was feeling kinda blue

I never imagined, I'll find my person

“You are my person!!”

You are my safe place and I'm proud I've finally found my solace!!

It is not your intelligence, that drew me close to you

It is not your sense of humour, that has thrown me all askew

It's the effort you make and all the pain you take

It’s all the little things that left unsaid…!! (PS: The times of you fell asleep on phone ;))

I never imagined, I'll find the one I was looking for...

I kno our relationship is a lot of work..but I am not afraid to work on us...

I try to rationalize to find fault in us myself and beat myself up for falling so fast...but everytime I end up finding us together

You are my first thought, you are my last thought and a life with you is all I dream!!

I try to run but I always end up with you

I never imagined I'll feel a pull so strong to keep coming back to you🙈

Too my insecurities too many doubts too much risk but with you it's all worth it...♥️♥️♥️
Line Cook
Tags: Poetry Sunday, Poetry, Poetry On Medium

Line Cook

Yes Chef! Fuck, so much to do

A burger hits the grill alongside

A steak — “how’s that steak cooked?”

Medium , let’s go push it out

Fucking sweating , wait staff edgey

My salad guy in the weeds, cursing

In Spanish I here “Cabron”

Under the thunder of the fans

The sizzling of the fryer

The dishwasher stacking plates calmly

In front of me smiling “no bueno whey’”

Yea man I know it’s busy we’ll laugh

Later as we clean up this mess.

I start questioning my choices in life

How did I end up here?

Across continents in a beautiful City

Working in this shithole , it’s ok

It’s worth it come 11pm we’re out

This is a Union shop- drop tools

Let’s go , no cleaning for us

The night guy takes care of that

At least that- Perks of the job!

As I sit on the train home, smelling

Like a god damn French fry I hear:

“How long on that steak?!”

“2 minutes Chef”. Fuck you.
The Art of a Graceful Tumble
By: Luke Brennan
Tags: Growth, Poetry Sunday, Love, Life, Friendship

When you are friends

With a beautiful woman,

You are bound to take a spill.

Don’t boast —

You are no better than the rest of us.

Pretending is no use.

Don’t make the mistake of denying it.

Don’t say:

Who me?

Her?

Together?

Honestly, that’d be so weird — Honestly!

We’re just friends.

I’ve never, NEVER thought of her that way.

Literally not ever. Not once in my life.

Never.

Never EVER.

Let’s be honest:

The most fictional part about Harry Potter

Is the fact that he and Hermione Granger didn’t bang even once

In the whole series.

Not once!

Me? Her? No way!

I’m Harry… Just Harry!

You’re going to take a spill.

So when you find yourself in this precarious situation —

When you’ve found the rare friend

Who knows you

And loves you

Who happens also to be stunning.

Do you very best,

To not fuck that up.

When you take a tumble

(Trust me, you will take a tumble)

Try to do so gracefully.

On the verge of divulging, vulnerably,

The incoherencies of your diverging interests

(Namely, to be friends and also to be making out)

Perhaps

Put down a mat.

And maybe a tea table.

So that while you are falling, miraculously,

You may land on your left elbow

Teacup in hand, pinky up

And say:

“Oh my! Just found myself in the mood for a cup of tea!

Didn’t even know I was here ‘til I was…

What a surprise!

Just — tea!”

And then say no more

Can it with a cup of chamomile.

Drink the tea

And shut your goddamn mouth.

In the end, there’s simply no need to say more

No need to ask questions,

To try to “figure things out”

Best to stay as far away as you can

From making out with your friends.

Certainly — whatever you do — don’t bottle your feelings

Into some poem

And then read it to her.

Damn it.
Love & Anger
By: Melissa Bee
Tags: Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Love, Anger, Poetry On Medium

Love & Anger

Photo by Josep Castells on Unsplash

Catch my tears, then my fall

drenched of thunderstorm drops

you drowned, to make me tall

enduring the reality of my nightmares

perplexed in transferred scorching pain

delivering insanity to your sane

but you declared you love me

that my faults weren’t alone — heavy

you bare them in your bones.

You magnified my heart

through a glass of forgiveness,

flaming mistaken reactions

indulging me in acceptance

feeling your omnipresence

complete human existence

purpose free from resistance

clothed me in fibers of empathy

soft set me under a sparkling glow

twinkling glittered gratitude

tranquil dancing to a sky flow

the tip of a flame embrace

leaves my falling place

you, my taming grace.

You promised me forever

deep down in a clear sea

always a loving breeze

branches of kindness

shade protecting me.

On the surface willing

to love me over the top

but the deep became the shallow

ground rose like the blazing Sun

the real you appeared to seep

lies too hot to keep

the impossible, now in my reach

faucet of deceit

made to leak —

signs showed to stop me

as love kept me running

out of my mind into a wall

crushed no longer tall.

You told the lies I forgave

hurt you gave to me

believing in a better day

that would not arrive

each day I bitter thrive

the space between us opened

red, not love —

closed inside.

Anger sweating steam

rising through betrayed pores

clenched fists and mean stares

promises of peace torn

you feel, I saw

you cry, I clawed

you needed my hand

anger had different plans

shaking fury in our love land

shielding me from your regret

love could no longer hand —

hate for making me relive

a hauntingly familiar scorching pain

unhappiness infused me with thrusting digs

and began to stab the dirt —

now acting in the dark

absent of a single spark.

I hated you for hurting me

turning me

moving me out of my place

beside you

in this anger race

I wish I never loved you

it was wrong of me to trust you

if I never loved you

there would be no anger trace

because I love you

furious

it’s the page that cuts my fall

the wrath is written

anger burnt the love

out of my heart —

us ashes apart.

Color love again

release the anger

use the right red

restore the hearts

work to move on

from did

said and —

bled.
Your Heart Will Always Know
By: Carolyn Riker
Tags: Nature, Poetry, Self Love, Poetry Sunday, Self

Just to let you know

even when the sky feels dark

and you might be alone

there will always be Nature.

Nothing

can take the sound

of the sweet earth away.

Your footsteps are held

with each hesitation.

The veil of clouds is above

and your heart will know

how to love

by the very essence

that rings true

and supports you.

This is how we resonate

below the noise

and find like-hearted souls

in the valleys and

hear the rivers in their stories.

This unseen current unites us

as kindly as a leaf grows

and the wild reeds brush the wind’s

as the clouds paint us step stones.

Often it is a reverie that brings us home

and closer to something we won’t deny;

a pull, a hope, an existential transparency,

a dance with realness.

A fullness with solitude which notices

the tiniest of details

with utmost respect

where you are seen and held.
The Struggle Of Becoming
By: Megan Minutillo
Tags: Self-awareness, Poetry, Self Love, Life Lessons, Poetry Sunday

The Struggle Of Becoming

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Unsplash

Sometimes, becoming the person

you are destined to be, is not fun.

Sometimes, it’s the furthest thing

from fun, or glamorous, or some

happy story of empowerment and

self-love.

Sometimes, the becoming rips your

heart open and splinters your bones

into too many pieces to count.

But it’s that moment, the part when

you feel as if you’re breaking beyond

repair and the furthest thing from

where you thought you would be,

well, it’s that moment where you are

made into something you never

thought possible.

That’s the moment where you find

the strength you never thought you had.

That’s the moment where you see

what matters and what doesn’t.

That’s the moment where you shed

the layers of what you once were,

and breathe fully into the human that

you are now.

It’s a process, for sure. It’s a journey

that hurts and disappoints, and will

often leave you teary and breathless.

But at the end of it all, there is a light.

There is a light that will shine through

your windows, kiss everything it touches

with a perfect golden glow.

There is a light that will bathe you in

love and laughter and rejoice in your

celebration, whatever that looks like

for you.

But you must keep holding on as you

journey towards it.

Keep holding on.
Daughter
By: Vixen Lea
Tags: Poetry, Poetry Sunday, Daughters, Love, Motherhood

Image by kinkate from Pixabay

Have we met before?

Before you rose

like a purple cherub

from my womb

Before you fluttered

your butterfly wings

in my stomach

Before the kiss

of your imagined existence

settled itself

inside the chalk of my bones

Before you waited

ephemeral and ancient

a pause

in the company of star stuff?

We’ve met before

I’m sure;

In a meadow

Under a mushroom

On a dust mote

Through a sunbeam

In the space between electrons

Under the crook of an arm of a galaxy

Behind the pupil of an eye

In the crater of a hawk moon.
Compare Me Not and Respect Me Whole
By: Carolyn Riker
Tags: Poetry, Relationships, Poetry Sunday, Love, Love Letters

Compare Me Not and Respect Me Whole

Photo by Kseniya Petukhova on Unsplash

Feel with me for a spell

under those gray umbrella clouds

and let’s follow the lineage

of our spirit’s longing.

Such as the roses left behind

on naked bruised vine

as if the scent of winter’s still

completely renders me

and fulfills something quiet

inside my soul’s spiral climb.

Will you pause with me?

Pressing into what seems imaginary

but nonetheless the essential elements

of where we are resilient as we are pliable.

Compare me not

respect me whole

see the worthy stains

linger on my leaf’s soul.

And I will say to you,

as if I were prose,

accept my faults

and I will yours

for this is the sunrise

of our beautiful.
Rest Gently, Brave Breast
By: Marilyn Flower
Tags: Breast Cancer, Poetry, Health, Poetry Sunday, Women

Dear brave breast, I hold you in the light

as we prepare to rest for the night.

Let tomorrow’s test show us the best

possible outcome.

You little calcium deposits,

we know you came to serve a purpose.

Your right and proper home is shoring up

and strengthening my bones.

We bless the medics and the techs

with gentleness as they aspirate

tissue while I contemplate

radiant glowing health.

We are of one mind,

the healing kind, as I relax so deep,

I am blessed with a good night’s sleep.
Golden
By: America Zed
Tags: Poetry, Inspiration, Poetry Sunday, Love, Poetry On Medium

For all the golden hours

and for everything you bring,

You are a flight of hopefulness

A joy of wondering.

I’ll gladly pay the price forever

No matter where you are,

My soul is dedicated

to your light that

lifts me up.

Through shades of

dusk so difficult,

Dark history

unexplained.

Old torments

and desires,

Still our prayers

become the same.

And even after silence

When our paths

may rarely

cross.

I’ll have no unkind feeling,

You are destined only for

my heart

of love.