fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
The Water
By: Mayra Gomes
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Regret, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

I’ve always loved the water.

I could swim for hours on end,

Until my hands would age,

And my lips would turn purple,

While others stood, wrapped in towels.

I remember diving in the deep end of the pool,

Holding my breath for as long as I could

Just to touch the bright blue vinyl floor,

Until I had to kick it back up for air.

A pool, despite how deep, is shallow.

In the ocean, I was never so brave.

I could never reach the bottom and back.

I liked the waves and the motion,

But the mystery of what crawled underneath,

Made me choose the pools instead.

The ocean was never so tamed,

One look at it, and I’d get lost for hours.

My feet were always unsure of the next step,

And my life’s reflection is just the same.

I chose shallow waters over depth every time.
Falling Out Of Love
By: Lola Suleiman
Tags: Poem, Poet, Poetry Writing, Poetry, Poems On Medium

I think I knew we had fallen out of love

When I didn’t wait for your reply anymore

And I didn’t get upset when you couldn’t call

I think I knew we had fallen out of love

When I didn’t want to tell you about every person I met

Or every poem I wrote

When I didn’t look at our pictures because just seeing you made me smile

When I stopped rereading out texts

I think I knew we had fallen out of love

When I no longer felt comfortable asking you to tell me how much you love me

Or when I stopped telling you when I was sad

I knew we had fallen out of love

When I was on the kitchen floor

Crying over you

After all the times you said

You’d never leave
HELL
By: Anina Evans
Tags: Demons, Gods Presence, Death And Dying, Poems On Medium, Christianity

What is Hell like?

Hell is not what you think.

It is more than an idea.

There are several hells.

Some big, some small.

The eye is upon the door,

sprawled with Latin written backwards.

Must recite in one breath, no more than 3 times.

Hell

The valley of darkness, no light ever.

The place of wailing and tears, 24/7.

The land of the dead and the abyss, just to name a few.

Your hell can be different from mine.

What is your mortal sin?

In hell you will repeat it again and again.

What brings you pleasure?

What feeds you internally?

That will be your hell, yes seniority counts.

Some of these sexy women are not human.

If you saw what I see you would not want them.

They are sirens, daughters of the fallen master.

If you lay with one, you will be cursed for generations.

You will be linked and bound to the sea.

When you arrive in hell do not imbibe, this is a trap.

This is called the drink of fire, burn inside out.

You may not die now, but in hell you will die a thousand times.

There are no deals in hell, only time served.

Pocket watches line the walls to remind you of time.

Time is never on your side in hell.

When I come, have a justified reason why I should not take you.

Escort you back to your home, the home with no walls.

The murky smell of sulfur and your souls burning.

A sweet aroma to the master; however you cannot get out.

Be real, it is called hell for a reason, no escaping.

Behind the fallen master’s chair are all the souls.

Lined perfectly in jars, and boxes with intricate details.

Even He understand souls are precious and delicate.

He is entertained by music of all kinds, especially gospel.

He writes new spells each day, while changing masks.

Fallen master enjoys playing dress-up.

He is a hermaphrodite, a master of disguise.

Just ask Bathsheba, Jezebel, or Medusa.

In hell there is an entire level devoted to ladies of pleasure.

Another level for drugs and sexual ecstasy.

You must pay a fee, or be a pimp to enter.

Lucy wears a diamond in his third eye.

This diamond is perfect in every way.

Look straight in and you will see the sins of the world.

He reads the bible backwards, and there in the pages lay spells.

When I come be ready, be prepared to refute the truths.

Who am I?

A collector of sorts, and independent entity…

Can you guess?
Lessens
Tags: Poem, Poet, Poetry, Him, Poems On Medium

Lessens

i was always told to hold on to a good man

celebrate these hard-to-find rare gems of human kind

to look beyond His flaws and imperfections

love Him unconditionally, no exceptions

mistakes aren’t a real reflection of His traits

and real perception is if I could look beyond His face and sustain affection

a mutual discerning connection

but to ALWAYS love Him required heavy correction

such principles taught me to lose self-direction

in loving this phantom of a man I found self-rejection

i reconsidered that my mind is much bigger than Him

and when I look in the mirror my spirit is clearer than His

what an image to have dimmed

sometimes, i reckon “Him” and “His” were just pseudonyms
Friends
By: Jeffrey Flesch
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Friends, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash

I saw you

That first time

From across

The playground,

Though there were

So many people around,

You

Sure did stand out

They called me shy

Back then,

So as our eyes met,

I turned on my heel

In fret

Of the unknown, which

You conjured

In, my, then

Burgeoning

Imagination

And, the anticipation

Of our first real

Meeting, which

Filled me

With so many

Strange

And never

Felt before feelings

Of mystery

Inside my own

Young history

And, when you did

Approach?

I started for the door,

And you captured

My hand, and

Said, don’t

Be afraid, you’re

Safe with me

In the shade, of

Our first encounter

And, oh, what a joy

I did feel,

As my heart sped,

And then so did

My head

With thoughts of fancy,

And love

At first sight,

You were such a delight-

-ful being, grace and

Composure, a rock on

My shoulder, countenance

And magic

All rolled into one

For I did shelter in your

Embrace,

For many a year,

Through storms and triumphs,

All given with such grace

And composure

Even through

The most

Difficult

Exposure

To pain,

You were always

At my side, rain or

Shine,

I never did fear

You would slide away

Or hide, come what may

Why?

Because you were

The first,

For all the rest

Were measured against,

My true love,

And first real friend
In A Battle
Tags: Poem, Battle, Poems On Medium

the emotions I can’t feel,

the taste i can’t sense,

the sight i can’t see,

burning me up like a wild fire,

but in reality,

i’m just fuel,

waiting to be burned,

nothing that catches your eye,

nothing that’s worth caring about,

nothing that makes you ask

“are you okay?”,

the question i’m waiting for,

never comes up,

and i’m done sitting around hoping someone will be enough,

for once, I want to be enough,

tired of pretending i’m okay,

when i’m dealing with the darkest demons,

that fill my head every time,

i’m constantly in a loosing battle,

and i need some allies,

something to fight for,

something to hope for,

something that tells me i will be ok
Poetica Obscura: Seawater Wine and Monster Ballads
By: Erin Lyndal Martin
Tags: Atlas Obscura, Writing Exercise, Poetry, Whitesnake, Poems On Medium

These poems are from a series inspired by reading Atlas Obscura stories while listening to a music genre randomly selected from my list. The poems were written immediately after reading, still while listening to the randomly chosen music. I frequently post these to Medium. Please share, click the clapping hands below, or help support a writer if you enjoy these.

Tawny Kitaen in video for Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again”

Why Winemakers Are Adding Seawater to Their Wines

(article here)

monster ballads

there’s a girl in white lingerie

dancing on the hood of your car

you say this happens all the time

it explains the times a ghost

has run right through our bed

baby, she’s the one

that always leads me back to you

you call me back for old times’ sake

here I brought the wine we used to like

I guess there was a time I liked my wine

to be brackish, the taste a little seasick

I ask you about that girl we saw

dancing on your car

she’s nothing to me

she’s just a pure ideal

of what beauty is to me

I spit out my wine

I leave to buy some lingerie

and have my hair blown out

and I never come back

You can find me at http://www.erinlyndalmartin.com or on Twitter at @erinlyndal.
Chit
By: Tobias, Spoon
Tags: Poem, Poet, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Comfortable silences

And truth communed through iris’

Lost in all the chat we chit

And I couldn’t tell you what was the nicest bit

I don’t know if I know what love is

But this might be it.
“Triggers”
Tags: Poems And Stories, Poems On Medium, Trigger Warning, Writing, Lessons Learned

Funny how random moments can take you back in time

Christmas night, I walked across my living room

And I swear I smelled a smell:

“Familiar” I thought “I know that scent.”

It took me a minute to finally remember,

But as soon as I realized just how familiar it was —

I wished I hadn’t remembered at all.

It was the smell of that old, first apartment

The one where my memories of my unborn infant lay.

A quick blink brought me back to that little place

And another buried them back away,
My Mind Stills
By: Greyson Arnold
Tags: Poem, New Writers, Love, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Lips pressed against lips and my mind stills

I don’t know if you’ve realized but my mind is almost never still

I’m constantly on a rollercoaster of thoughts and feelings never quite sure what’s ahead

Often my brain conflicts with my body which conflicts with my expectations

By brain I mean chemicals that I want to control but can’t

By body I mean my stamina to fight a loosing battle against chemicals

And expectations, the deadly things that make me believe I can have a normal week

So the rollercoaster continues

I try to make it slow

Sometimes slipping into spaces where my biggest concern is how soft my blanket it

But I get lonely there sometimes

My brain is in control and stamina runs rampant

My thoughts are simple so I can manage the speed at which they come

However when the thoughts aren’t simple and they still come fast I get lost

I get lost in a sea of what I should feel, what I do feel, and what I want to feel.

I’ve tried to find things to ease the ruins of war

Sleep

Not sleeping

Sleeping more

The carnage waxes and wanes

Seemingly ceasing at some points

But then it’s back

I say all this to say

With you I’m at peace

And it’s not that I need you for peace

Because before we began our journey I was in a good place

But I want to better myself when you’re around

I want to take even better care of myself

I say all this to say

When you are as close to me as we can get

I’m lost

My mind is still

Weapons dropped, walls seemingly disappearing into thin air

And I’m free

I apologize if I kiss you a lot

But I feel so me when my breaths are measured and I can’t seem to detect my own heartbeat

Everything that normally fights against each other together raises a white flag and clasps hands

Peace.

My brain aligns with my body which aligns with my expectations

By brain I mean an understanding of what I want and how to get it

By body I mean an acceptance of my feelings and a desire to explore them

By expectations I mean excitement.

You excite me.

Which may seem easy to do, as rainstorms and kittens will make me the happiest you’ve seen me

But that’s temporary

So fleeting and short lived

This excitement is hard to explain but it’s in all of me whatever it is.

So here I am

Lips pressed against yours

And my mind is still

Love is at work

And I love the way you kiss me

You always begin soft and slow and tentative

And you slowly build up to seemingly being able to read my mind

we say we’re on the same wavelength it’s honestly it’s astonishing to see in work

My smiling sometimes interrupts us

But please just keep going

You make me happy

And by happy I mean

Well

I don’t know what I mean I guess

This is all fun and new and exciting

And I hope I make you feel half of what I feel

Because with lips pressed against lips

My mind stills
Ellis Island
By: Evelyn Cheung
Tags: Ellis Island, Poetry, Politics, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

*The history of Ellis island began in the late nineteen century, when it became a replacement of The Castle Garden (or Castle Clinton) — a very first Immigration Station of New York State at that time. There were several turmoils occurred in Europe during those years, such as political chaos, economical crisis and religious constraint. As a result, The United States became the harbor of hope and freedom for millions of people to arrive.

“Most immigrants entered the United States through New York Harbor, although there were other ports of entry in cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, and New Orleans. The great steamship companies like the White Star, Red Star, Cunard, and Hamburg-America Lines played a significant role in the history of Ellis Island and immigration as a whole.” by https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/
COVID @ Christmas
By: Rob Walker
Tags: Covid 19, Christmas, Writing, Poems On Medium

COVID @ Christmas

Sat here on my own here on this Christmas Eve,

Does it hit home that my family I leave,

This COVID this virus has taken us all,

With uncertainty and anger, we’ve taken a fall.

The unknowing of life has come to us clearly,

We can’t touch the one’s that we love so dearly,

Be careful my friends, to not touch one another,

Who knows whose carrying this, this bitch of a mother,

A mother so fuelled with this hate in this virus,

Be skelped and be haunted, let’s give her no wireless.
The Story Of How I lost Myself
By: Nitzy Rodriguez
Tags: Poem, Sad, Põem, Lovestory, Poems On Medium

by N.A.R.P

I wanted someone to love,

I loved the guy,

He said that he loved me,

He failed at it,

I gave him a million chances to make it right,

He failed over and over again,

I was mad at the fact that he couldn’t take care of this love I felt,

He tried once or twice but then he did not care anymore,

He was fine with me letting his hand go,

I acted like it didn’t affect me ,

Deep down I was destroyed,

I wanted him to stay but I couldn’t let him break me more,
A Ring of beauty.
By: Pranesh R
Tags: Short Read, Poems On Medium, A Story Each Day, Short

They said the sun, earth and the moon are going to align. Imperfect it may be as every living being on this planet, I wasn’t looking forward to it. However, when I went upstairs met eyes with the moon that night, I was dumbfounded by the reminiscing beauty of it. It was as if she was reaching her seraphic hands of light out to embrace me with all her affection. “Oh dear” the light echoed silently on my skin, I was eclipsed in her glow. And there was this ethereal, other-worldly halo ring around the moon

I adored it, adored it so much that I didn’t want it there anymore. Such an entrancing ring only deserves such an angelic beauty as yourself. It should be touching you. I was ready to wage war with the gods that dare get in my way. it should belong to you.

But wait, can divinity be juxtaposed with another and still not lose its value? would it even be divine anymore? I was torn apart by this thought. It was eating me away from the inside and it didn’t seem like stopping unless I came to a conclusion.

After what felt like eternity I made peace with the fact that some things, are better left unwedded. Only in pristine condition, would that ring bear beauty to the ambience. The divinity it holds, is unparalleled only as long as it doesn’t belong to someone. It ought not be touching your frame. I deemed -the ring, is something you can never have.
march
By: Mehak Khattar
Tags: Poetry, Poems On Medium, Poetry On Medium, Poem

And then everything fell out of place,

You fill the cup to the brim

And eventually, it’ll overflow.

Looking back, it felt like we lived every minute,

Last month was so full.

March threw us back into a corner of the room,

Curled up with our laptops

Binging Netflix shows.

There was a tornado warning,

And we sat in our basements,

Waiting for it to pass.

We made promises and lists and goals,

It was a chance to finish,

Those new year resolutions,

Resolves that were kept aside for later,

Left unfinished.
feb
By: Mehak Khattar
Tags: Poem, Poetry Writing, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

The year of multiple glow ups and glow downs. The year of complete heartache, and yet love was found. It’s almost over, 2021 is not close enough. And so, the following poems are a rewind of the year that went by.
Fragments
By: Aiman Tasneem Syed
Tags: Poem, Poetry, English Poetry, My Poetry, Poems On Medium

A shattered crystalline carpet

From my feet to yours.

But that is not me

Those are not mine.

Those shards,

Sharp and brittle

Are too fragile,

Mine lie beneath veins

Crimson and blue.

Dull yet slowly,

Surely,

Pricking their way through.

They will bleed me dry,

Drop by drop

Streaked across surfaces,

In agonised glory,

Like an artistic expression,

A sublime thought,

A foretold prophecy,

An undeniable frission,

But never

A sudden mess

That shatters

So openly across the floor.

Unveiled and bare

To be crunched

Under feet

Or mocked by scathing

Unsympathetic eyes.

That is not me

Those are not mine.
a little happy holiday
By: Caylie Hausman
Tags: Holidays, Poerty, New Traditions, 2020, Poems On Medium

appreciate the ones you have.

a new tradition,

a brand new fad–

don your fancy {sweat} pants

gather round the table

don’t forget to do a little dance.

stay at home and get cozy in pajamas plaid,

send a hello to a far-off-friend, no need to be sad.

let them know you love them a lot.

a different intention,

a brand new tradition,

a little happy holiday.
Roses
By: Chidozie Akakuru
Tags: Life, Poems And Stories, Poems On Medium

Photo by Gian D. on Unsplash

Eerie sounds of the night,

Strangers bearing dried bones,

Sinking ships dot the horizon,

As far as eyes can reach,

Damages undefined,

Owls screeching through the fog,

It rolls on and on,

Empty notes,

Words without rhyme,

Starlights with memories,

An age lost,

Into the deep end,

We walk,

Affliction well disguised,

Black roses bearing all our wills.
Christmas Day
By: Jeffrey Flesch
Tags: Christmas, Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

Like no other

The preparation

Made good, the day

Is finally here,

My dear,

Weeks of anticipation,

Bringing us to this,

The final moment, and

Oh, what frustration

And melancholy

Did I once feel

For most of the duration

Of this last round of

Preparation

No matter, the weeks

Of turmoil, counting each

Paper link in the chain,

Red, and green,

Yes, they did alternate

Each

With the unwritten name,

Of a day

In the month

Unlike yours, of course

Which is, and

Forever will be

The most hallowed of all

The twenty-fifth

And though we may not

Have always had a lot

There was always

Something hidden

Under the tree,

At that one spot, which

Became a memory

Of a mostly unspoken

Love, shared between

Four people, yes,

With their own turmoil

In the air, yet

The love did see

Through the trying

Times, and even, in a way

Brought us closer

At once beyond repair

And wholy complete in

This life-long love affair

A paradox?

I think not, more like

A life lived at both extremes

As we continue to dream

About all of our cares

And desires for a

Brighter world,

Beyond the pain,

And suffering

We can all bear

And on this 25th?

At once,

Please take care

And remember,

You are loved

By many, my dear

Merry Christmas, everyone.
North Station Blues
By: Chidozie Akakuru
Tags: Life, Poems And Stories, Poems On Medium

Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash

If I can’t get the things I want,

Give me the spaces between houses,

Songs to stir memories,

Arms to fall into.

If I can’t get the things I want,

Give me sights to savour,

Videos of playful cats,

Laughing children by the billboard.

If I can’t get the things I want,

Give me something to believe in,

Pages filled with words that don’t connect,

Smiling faces to adore.

If I can’t get the things I need,

Give me days that seem perfect,

Truths that remain the same,

Mazes in which I find you.
Yes, I Wrote a Christmas Poem
By: Daniel P. Donovan
Tags: Holidays, Christmas, Poem, Family, Poems On Medium

Yes, I Wrote a Christmas Poem

As I sit back and reflect on the year gone by,

Colorful lights all around me with a tear in my eye,

I’m so overjoyed for so many great things,

A beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter,

A beautiful soul with two wings,

To fly up above and see life down below,

See the hope, see the laughter, see the warmth, see the snow.

Never in my life has my world been so bright,

Though many have suffered,

My year was just right.

But more than just right, it was actually great,

It was abundant, it was prosperous, what more can I say?

If you’ve a roof over your head and some food in the fridge,

You’re also better than most,

With likely extra to give.

So before you complain and throw 2020 away,

Take a moment to ask yourself what really has changed,

Got a family? Some friends? Great people to love?

If so, then you’ve won,

You’ve been blessed from above.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, from my family to yours,

May you laugh, may you cheer, may you open new doors.

And as you sit back and reflect on your life,

Just know that you’re loved,

And it will all be all right.
O Krishna
By: Murli R
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Sri Aurobindo, Poems On Medium

I remember Thy face in the shallow dreams of imprisoned life,

I still hear Thy voice in the pandemonium of devious ignorance.

I cherish Thy marvellous embrace even when drowned in the dark nescience,

I live in Thee one and whole, though battered of pain and grief.

O Krishna, mayst Thy will be done and all humanity saved,

But Thy love my salvation, Thy heart my forever dwelling brood.
Secrets
By: Chidozie Akakuru
Tags: Life, Poems And Stories, Poems On Medium

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Secrets in the songs,

Nights that say things we never could,

Flames in which our souls are reborn,

Heights we only ever reach once.

Fallen leaves in the water,

Ripples that reach beyond our eyes,

Perturbations continue unhindered,

Waves of ecstasy tethered by caution.

Breeze in the memories,

Minds coloured with slices of white,

Hope grown of peace long shorn,

Happiness borne in solitude.

Dances in the dark,

Heads with hair in tight knots,

Bodies swaying gently to the Djembe,

Pride in distances traveled.

Dances in the dark,

Heads with hair in tight knots,

Bodies swaying gently to the Djembe,

Pride in distances traveled.
Fairies of Foment
Tags: Poem, Poet, Poetry, Love, Poems On Medium

Fairies of Foment

Surprise your liver and metabolize me

In heavy consumption discover liberty

Betray the vow you made between your mind and heart in sobriety

Violate this universe and void all contracts with hurtful memories

Surrender your wealth of unpleasant emotions

Cloud your tongue’s thoughts with deadly devotion

Break your tongue for mere breaths of flute

Furtively, frame this naked eve with fragility

Ingest me and with ease these empty words...

Three syllables rehearsed...

uoy evol I

Side effects may include vision blur

Or an alcoholic curse.
Atomic Poetry(36)
Tags: Poem, Poetry Writing, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Poet and sharing a few other things
In Memory Of 2020
By: T.R. Savage
Tags: Poems On Medium

(Personal Opinions)

2020 You can take your highway back to Hell

Don’t bother coming back another day or way

We have lost so many tears for the many lost

So many gone, some that it needed not to be

Pray for all the living but forget not the dead

2020 Became known as the year of the virus

We learned a lot about science and of our selves

Do not forget that the year ended in High Treason

Our Constitution is drenched in the blood of our Vets

Don’t give it up now to McConnell/Trump and thugs
Vacate.
By: Caylie Hausman
Tags: Self Confidence, Mantra, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium, Self Care

kcmo / photo by caylie hausman

I need to start

leaving things when I know

I should,

instead of

letting Them leave

me in pieces.

They don’t get to

define

Me

when they leave.

It Is

Their Loss,

not

mine

that they could not

handle it. me.

I breathe ideas

and change, and look

like a certain

amount of comfort

on a late night,

like I will do The Work

even when you won’t–

because I Will.

and yet I’m still

standing here breathing

ideas alone; you shouldn’t

have gotten to leave me;

you and all your

big league whining,

playing me

for a fool,

waiting for me

to collapse in on myself

because you’re pitching at 90mph

every time and yet I didn’t.

I can withstand

a surprising amount

of your shit

before I even feel a thing

and that’s why

you got to leave me.

But I’ve learned not

to pick up habits

like you

because I no longer

wish to be taken

for granted,

I no longer wish to

prove myself after proving myself,

I no longer

wish to

be put through

the wringer on a daily basis.

I have found happiness in

the small things

that used to make my days

grueling. Making sure

to eat three meals,

a gold medalist in the water drinking category

(most days). I have found so

much outside of you, after

being told for so long

you were the only option, what I had

Make It Work and then you left me,

beserk.

Had to find

calm and peace,

it wasn’t that far off, especially

once you abandoned your place in my solar system.

watching the pieces fall into place,

more sure of my choices every day;

the sun is no longer

being blocked.

I am so glad you decided to leave me.

I am so happy I decided

to chase what I want and

not give a fuck what you think.
Half full
By: Aayushi Tiwari
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Writing, Poems On Medium

Why do I have to be “fully” me

To be accepted by someone?

Is it not okay

To be half of what I am

On some days at least?
Thoughts, Insights and Plans
By: Gal Mux
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Plans, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Photo by marysse93 on Pixabay

Thoughts, Insights and Plans

Before becoming a writer on Medium, I had written poetry pieces sparingly. I did not even know that I could write a handful of poems even though I had written song lyrics before.

That is one way Medium has empowered me. I had been reading great poems on Medium that moved me and it inspired and encouraged me to write some pieces myself.

When I published my first poem on the platform and it received some feedback, it encouraged me to explore poetry writing which has ended in me writing a few more pieces that have also received encouraging feedback.

I have so far written poems from a wide variety of topics raging from war, to love, to fear, to pain and rejection.

I plan to keep on writing and publishing poetry pieces on the platform.

As they are all original pieces whose copyright I own, I plan to compile an anthology of 32 pieces in celebration of my 32nd birthday next month. I will compile them into an eBook and publish it on amazon kindle in due course.

I hope other poetry writers on the platform can do so too to spread their love for poetry and to reach bigger audiences with their words and to also spread their earnings potential.

Here are my poetry pieces that have already been published on the platform. I take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all the different publications that accepted and published them in their spaces. Thank you.
Swing
By: Jeffrey Flesch
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Friendship, Poems On Medium

Photo by Lital Levy on Unsplash

Swing

Back and forth,

And back again

Just like an old friend

Though I don’t partake

Today, my memories are

Filled with blissful days

Made in your tender embrace

When times were tough,

Or a wonder,

There was always

A reason to seek your shelter

Carefree, swinging

In the wind

Worries and fears

Absolutely disappear

Without a trace of

Their presence,

Only ever the wind

Guiding me back

Up again, higher and

Higher, a beauty is calling

Me back in repose, yet

I catch more speed

And, off to the other side

I do go

Racing up towards

The heavens, it’s as if

The sky was pulled down

Just for me, as I sit on your

Lap and feel such glee

Now back towards the

Middle, where it started

When we were kiddos,

And, just then, we get a push

From a friend

That’s not done watching,

And, ditto, for my friend, as

Their now joining in, and

Now we swing together,

Just the three of us, racing

Back and forth, again

And, again, there’s no time

So, let’s begin again

Time has no pulse

In this endeavor,

For it’s all about impulse

As we live our life

With not a care in the world

Only the three of us now,

You, I, and the swing

We now share
Finally, Christmas
By: Baye Amina
Tags: Holidays, Poem, Christmas, Joy, Poems On Medium

Finally, Christmas

Photo by Oleg Zaicev from Pexels

Slowly,

It all winds

To an end—

An end, not much of an end.

The twists and turns

Of the year slightly fading

Have us looking with hope

At the rush of festivities.

Soon, the smell of food

Would waft in houses

And even if we can't meet,

The warmth and love

Of the season

Would radiate

From one hemisphere to the other.

The coming days

Would warm our hearts,

Reviving the spark in our eyes

As we get swaddled in love

Overflowing this season.
Saddle Up
By: Laura Misener
Tags: Empowerment, Poetry, Independence, Poems On Medium, Illumination

Saddle Up

Photo by Laura Misener (author)

Growing up in a world where I am expected to want a knight

But all I wanted was his horse.

Let the knight take the highway that leads to girls with spoon-fed expectations instead of real imaginations

And I will take his steed along the country road.

All the way to my own fairy tale paradise.

My own armour suits me just fine.
Joy
By: Jeffrey Flesch
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Life, Poems On Medium

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

I think of you

And smile,

Even if it’s been a while

You’re always awaiting

My return, when lost

And even when I feel

A bit cursed

I don’t have memory

Of your not being there,

Even in the times of my

Greatest despair

A rock, solid and caring

Never taking, only ever

Holding my hand without

Any fanfare

Trust that is deep

As the ocean, and clear

As the sky, on a very bright

And oh so sunny daytime

Love so immense,

I’d never second-guess

What’s coming, especially

When I can feel your forthcoming

Return, as if you ever left

No, that’s my confusion

At best, and,

It’s okay

To sometimes be confused

And unsure,

It happens at times, my friend

In those times, remember

This truth, if I may be so bold,

And convey this last sentiment

Joy is always there,

A part of you and I

On it we can rely

Simply look within,

And remember the feeling

Of joy when often repeating

And bring forth that joy

Thereof, which is always

Within you, my love
Life’s Tribulations
By: Peter Andrew Edwards
Tags: Poet, Poetry Writing, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

In life we face many trials and tribulations

The path ahead is uncertain

A glimmer of hope is what we need

Inner reflection for the soul

When the pathway curves away

The finish line is often out of sight

Shadows lurk around every bend

A ray of hope as the sunshines

Broad pathways can be all up hill

Narrow pathways are gentle and easy

Life’s trails and tribulations

Are never easy for us to follow

A gentle walk along the shoreline

Sand between our toes

Our trails and tribulations

Seem so distant in the calmness
BOYS AND GIRLS
By: Blessing Njodzi
Tags: Money, Reality, Boys And Girls Club, Fashion, Poems On Medium

Boys and Girls we were.

Chase money in a dangerous fashion,

If you don’t, please make it your passion,

Because girls don’t like boys with lame fashion,

Even if you love your work with Einstein’s passion.

Boys love your body, if not, you are their buddy,

Girls love your pound, they search for it like a hound,

So my dawgs in the pound, please don’t be found,

If you are, you’re bound, as they go round and round,

And you end up wound, with them on top of the mound.

She loves me, not,

She loves me, tie the knot,

She left me in the end, all alone like a dot .

She loves me, yes, though she left me in a mess,

Under the care of a ness, oh, I mean nurse,

Who had a curse, and ended up stealing my purse,

Only to find herself inside of a hearse,

A grave in the water and she became the Loch Ness,

A curse upon a curse, and how lovely she ends up inside of this verse.

She loves me now that I have money,

I am a money cow, dripping like honey,

So I made a vow never to take back Bunny,

Yes, that is her name, Bunny,

So I took a bow, then a bow,

I wore the tie and then shot the arrow through her bone marrow,

Then she shouted, “Wow, what are you doing honey?”

“Boom boom pow, drive away, here is a Nissan Sunny,”

He loves me, yes, because I have a beautiful face,

What do you want, sex?! Let’s slow down the pace,

How about for a start you love my heart,

And always avoid to touch my butt,

Because if you do, you will be the butt of my joke,

Because if you do I will butt your butt,

Or put out my butt on your butt,

Or hit you, with the butt of my rifle, on your butt.

Don’t make fake promises, just to love me,

I take it seriously even when you tease me,

So hold me, don’t let go. I will be your girl, and you my boy.
#haikkocharian #haikkocharianpoetry #haikkocharianpoetryproject #poetry #poems #poem
By: Haik Kocharian
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Haikkocharianpoetry, Haikkocharian, Poems On Medium

in Song of the Lark
‘The Date’
By: स ष ट, ग प त
Tags: Poem, Date, Médium, Date Night, Poems On Medium

I was so upset that day,

I meet him on the way,

He asked me out, anyway,

Without any second thought I said “Okay!”.

We went out on a date,

Where he asked me to wait,

That was the only thing that I hate,

I finally smiled, when he called me a Tate.

He was too talkative that night,

And, even, I don’t know why, I was so quiet,

I was trying to understand him because I wanted to write,

Nevertheless, that night was, damn, so bright.

It felt like, only, we both, were there,

And I somehow realised that, this shit is rare,

I can still feel those air,

Some were filled with love and the other with care.

Yes, I look forward to meet him again.

I even want to be there for him in his pain,

I want him to explain,

But, I don’t know, why I end up doing complain :’)
Oh, Yarn!
By: Uzair Amir
Tags: Poem, Cats, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

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POEM #2
By: Blessing Njodzi
Tags: Wordplay, Dance, Woman, Wit, Poems On Medium

Look on the surface of my glasses and you will see the person who took the photo.

Why do you stare?

Are you a stallion, I, a mare?

Don’t think about it, we make a bad pair.

Though I must say you are fair,

Not to forget you never have bus fare.

So, sit in the chair, I’ll cook you a hare

Feed you meat, and massage your feet,

Play to the beat, produce a little heat,

Get the place lit, without a matchstick,

Get you bit, as you play to the beat

Dance with your feet, as you reach a new feat,

Eat the meat and go for a meet

With Pete, who lives inside of a pit,

Who never has a seat but asks you to sit,

And tells you, you have no wit because you don’t farm wheat.
jan
By: Mehak Khattar
Tags: Poetry, Poems On Medium, Poetry On Medium, Poem

Silver tinsel, and month-old fairy lights,

We were looking up to a brand new sky.

And I was high,

On the “New Year, New Me” trope.

Now, I don’t quite understand why.

2020 was supposed to be my year.

I’d promised myself,

To let go a little,

To breathe a little,

To allow me to float,

Instead of making bashful strokes.

2019 was my achievement year.

2020 I started questioning how much those mattered.

There was more to life. There had to be.

And that’s exactly what I sought out to find.

I work like a machine, my friend had said.

She meant it as a compliment she later explained.

But I think I took it to heart.

Which is what I set out to discover.

January was the beginning of my journey to explore all matters of the heart.

And I did.

January made me let someone in,

Open up,

Light a fireplace, set the cushions straight,

and invite a wandering traveler in.

In a more sensitive moment,

I may even let it slip,

No matter the outcome

I was happy to have him,

I loved the company.

I was happy to let him in.
Hii Santa I am excited that you are back Had been adding to the wishlist All year long. The list that abounded in Chocolates, bags , dresses Now doesn’t have it even in traces. Wish is for…
By: Literature Learners
Tags: Christmas, Poem, Poetry, Literature, Poems On Medium

Hii Santa



I am excited that you are back



Had been adding to the wishlist



All year long.



The list that abounded in



Chocolates, bags , dresses



Now doesn’t have it even in traces.



Wish is for restoring



The planet to its glory;



And joy ,mirth and gaiety all around.



With no vestiges of Covid 19 left



Let travellers land their plane



Safely to 2021.



That’s it



Isn’t it simple and sweet



Load it in your cart



Home delivery is eagerly awaited



Love you Santa !!



Pavneet Kaur
Tribute to a healer
By: Adya Mantoo
Tags: Pain, Poetry, Hope, Grief, Poems On Medium

On the verge of breaking

Someone stepped on my soul

Chest pains with grief

Bare is my soul

Forgetful memories etched

Your name but

now I do remember you there

Swathed in sunlit gaze

You say I am being too optimistic

But what is there left to do when one is covered in darkness

Dark dark times makes everyone a prey

Oh how

Oh how!

Oh how have times been

Tell me, someone, how does time heal

Can time heal a soul in darkness?

Can it bring back the light

cheerful and lasting

The ones which had someone

Who is no more here with me

Do tell me

Do tell me

Do tell me

….
Light
By: Q. Imagine
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Life, Writing, Poems On Medium

Light

Photo by David Brooke Martin on Unsplash

Blinded by beauty

in an effervescent light.

It may use

or consume me

in an endless lust

for sight.

As it stretches from soul

out of pain

of growing

and feeling

undefined.

As I rise

on a height

from yesterday

just to see

in a new state of mind.

Love.
Weak Words
By: Artemis J Jones
Tags: Endurance, Poetry Writing, Love, Hearts And Minds, Poems On Medium

Photo Credit : Authors Own Image Collection

It would be unsophisticated to use

the words, night, flight, and might

in a flimsy, cheesy poem.

Readers with standards,

who hold dear the value of a deeper meaning,

will soon forget your mindless ploy.

To create a meager word toy.

But you remember, and you can never forget

the burning embers, of that night

when two pounding hearts, took flight

and held each other, with all their might.
Missionaries
By: Erin Silveira
Tags: Poem, Poems On Medium, Poetry On Medium, Poetry

Look at all these non believers

Doubt shadows in each eye roll

And demons haunt each head shake

So we proselytize our love

With hands held in hope

And lips pressed in prayers

Faith moves Into the forest

We dig deep in desert grains of sand

No deserting

Open armed, we are magnanimous

And Call the barbarians

To our temple

Together we exorcise

Their agnosticism.
Laces
By: Craig T Lee
Tags: Poetry, Poems On Medium, Poetry On Medium, Poem

In perspective, a sneaker can never afford my joy.

A Nike check takes my checks and deflates — further lunging me into an opposite state of continuous joy and delivers depreciation.

That’s not to say I don’t enjoy the luxury, yet, to lay in the comfort of material, marks control.

Clothing my insides with brands isn’t possible.

All remains impermanent, even at times, my words — for emotions shuffle, accordingly.

Still, reflective of a brand, I offer my words as a timepiece and a transparent document of the now.

Still, reflective of a brand, my words can potentially be vital to how we view the now.
Focus
By: Jeffrey Flesch
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Life, Poems On Medium

Tim Hüfner @ Unsplash

Though we may

Have been told this

Long ago

It’s

Likely we’ve forgotten,

And say it’s

Not so

Inner-child, what

do you mean?

I’ve been taught

To look outside

For all that’s serene

To chase after this,

And that, in hope of

Finding happiness at last

Yet, I continue to fall flat

Frustration building,

When that next thing

Doesn’t bring me closer,

Rather, only more heartache

And, yes, that’s what’s at stake

Yet, there is another way

Filled with love and joy

And all the protection

One’s heart could possibly employ

Where does it start?

Well, just as we were

Told oh so long ago,

The answers

Are already inside you

My friend, a shift in

Perspective is all that’s

Needed

A shift from focusing

On the external, to

A focus on

The

Internal, which is, and,

Always will be

Eternal
Bird
By: Erin Silveira
Tags: Poetry, Poems On Medium, Poetry On Medium, Poem

I’m thinking about I know why the caged bird sings

And about Dunbar and Angelou and even Keys —

That image of wanting freedom —

And then I think,

Freedom is a type of love

And love is freedom.

Because my heart is a caged bird

In my chest,

encased in flesh,

Ribbed coop,

And when you come near

(At first, at least)

she battered at the bars

With desire for

What caged birds want,

But even now

Lying quietly

Almost asleep

Your arms holding me

I’m unlocked and open

So that my love

flies from me,

not soaring high above,

Us

She just flutters

peacefully

into your hand.

Tamed.
A Prayer to the Self immanent
By: Murli R
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Poetry On Medium, Sri Aurobindo, Poems On Medium

O Kindler of suns, Birther of worlds,

Immortal sense in our suffering mortality,

The daemon-Blue of a translucent eternity,

Here in our hearts adorned of bliss,

Who grows endless and infinite

Upon our sacred pedestal of sacrifice

Towards white spaces and worlds spaceless;

Outgrow our human brood,

Make it divine and worthy of Thy presence.

Come into the hour of dawn, reveal Thy light;

Be in us the Guide infallible and compassionate,

Make of us gods of Thy transcendence.

O blue-eyed Fluter, Catcher of souls innocuous,

Offer us a place upon Thy feet,

In Thy heart Thy embrace vast;

Become in us our driving impulse.

In Thy immobility is the motion of all things,

In Thyself our last redemption and everlasting bliss.
Granny’s Old House
By: T.R. Savage
Tags: History, Memories Of Childhood, Grannys Old House, Poems On Medium

So long ago of this house I remember

Down in the Bottom along side the river

Swinging Bridge just off of her front lawn

Another big swing on Granny’s porch swung

It was in this home in 1959 I was taught time

Three of our generations lived here in this house

This home where my oldest brother was born

Didn’t have a bath but it did have an inside toilet

Taking hoe baths before we knew what they were

The House stands, yet all the people, have passed on
Torture
By: Mayra Gomes
Tags: Poem, Poetry, Regret, Poetry On Medium, Poems On Medium

Regrets drip in the back of my mind,

All the time, like a broken faucet

No matter how tightly I turn,

It keeps on leaking just the same.

I try my hardest to avoid it. I do, but,

The sound of each drop grows louder,

Until I can hear nothing else, it’s torture.

Meanwhile, no one else hears anything at all.
I Forgot Your Favourite Song;
Tags: Poem, Creative Writing, Poetry, Prose Poem, Poems On Medium

Deluded and deranged, it's always been the same, only now I am out of range from the insanity that rolls around inside your brain. As time moves forward I begin to forget the past, new adventures occupy my mind, new memories override old ones, I'm beginning to forget you.

Sleepless nights no longer linger in my mind, all I can remember is small highlights of time, you take up little space in my mind, just as those before you fall by the wayside, memory is limited, six months on and I forgot your favourite song.

I would never quote myself, I don't think so highly of myself as you do, I'm an average person to the likes of you. I often wonder what it's like to live in your head. Sad and confused I imagine it's like to be you, deflection for affection, it was always misdirection that hid the true nature that is you through and through.

Alas I don't wish to misconstrue, don't just assume that I'll always remember the likes of you, I'll always know your name, but day to day life is a mere fart in my brain. All I shall truly remember is the insanity you tried to refrain. What's inside your deluded brain?

Soon it will be, soon I shall see, soon I'll know, and it will show, like solid turns to dust, it blows apart and further away from lust. Memories of you will blow further from me, like I'd choose to recall the likes of you? It's just a chapter in my story, you are no longer before me. As I keep writing, you'll be indexed with no glory. Just a blimp in my ongoing story.
JAMAIS VU
By: Anwaya Mane
Tags: Bts, Poem, Bts Army, Jamais Vu, Poems On Medium

Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash

So far away;

A tune left my body, astray.

Paralyzed, with this new feeling,

My astral self in quest for my real being.

I hear a familiar melody.

Possessed, like to the elusive pied piper, I chase.

The earth crackling weak, my hands cuffed, beneath.

‘Please give me a melody, a remedy, a memory that will be left behind just for me.’

Fleeting, I see a, spiralled staircase, leading to eternity.

‘Don’t leave me,’ I cry, the melody, like swaying autumn leaves.

‘Who am I?’ the question I had my whole life.

‘I guess I gotta deal with this, deal with this, real world.’

‘I wish love was perfect as love itself’.

‘Like a flower that can’t bloom, in a dream that can’t come true.’

In this endless vacuum of nothingness,

‘Where is my angel at the end of the day?’

I reached the precipice.

‘Save Me’, said one. ‘I’m fine’ said two.

I drop to my knees, exasperated, my eyes searching.

‘Gotta go insane, to stay sane,’ my will, determined and pressing.

A tune like home, leaving my soul in abandon.

That would be my first death, I have always been afraid of.

‘My blood, sweat and tears, my cold breath too, just take em’.

Return to me, my magic shop; for let the cherry blossoms bloom, this spring day.

‘So, show me’ I spoke.

‘I’ll show you’ it echoed.

Suddenly, the fountains burst and a myriad of colors canvassed, in fusion.

Etheral! Magical! Spell-binding like spring in the middle of winter.

‘Drink a warm cup of tea, and look up at the galaxy.’

My astral being danced, to the fleeing melody I had chased previously.

Deep within the magic shop, inside I saw myself, myself.

Seven angels from paradise, seven voices synchronised, in unison.