Game Changer

So its been way too long since I've been here and I plan to be here more often but here is a little something I've been working on how you enjoy and let me know what you think

I wanna be next to you like sunsets on Sundays, some days I just like to stare at you, but not in a weird way, in a mind clearing way, I'm admiring one of God's hidden masterpieces

You're the Mona Lisa of my mind, a world wonder no wonder why you move masses when you walk by and rivers still rise to bow in your presence, your imperfections are still perfected

You show me truth when you get naked and I still appreciate it
I still appreciate that life lessons don't lessen the glow of your aura and how your words still flow like water out of my mouth and into existence

And your persistence at being better today than you were yesterday inspire change that can be believed in

All politics aside you're a game changer and I don't need a thousand words to tell you why, they often get in the way,

Like something in the way of things, like similes, like like as, as if it changes everything

You've changed everything from the way I phrase words to the way I say your name. This is what makes you a queen like Sheba, like Cleopatra, like Hatshetsup

Self - Portrait

Here is my latest video doing a poem:



Hope you enjoy thanks for watching leave a comment.

8 of 30 More Poems for Me

I'm so imprisoned by my feelings I can't escape their hold. They have me under lock and key, unable to express myself truly. So I hold back or better yet censor how I feel in some misguided attempt to protect myself from falling again and possibly looking foolish again. So I maintain that I have no room for love, no time to be loved, No desire to be reacquainted with how it feels to be desired.

I play make believe with other's feelings, believing if I have no feelings, theirs will fade away. I say I'm so faded, jaded by the past, only holding on to it so I won't be forced into an unfamiliar future. Say my issues with love are financial, like I lost a fortunate on a love tip that proved to be nothing more than Cupid's drunken thoughts of how if you tell her, she will notice.

Don't mind me right now, I'm imprisoned by my feelings. Won't allow myself the satisfaction of satisfying needs, addicted to being needed so bad I'm needy. Only to say I don't need you because misery loves company so I take your hand, get you on my level by being everything you say you need only to say I can't be the one to fulfill your desires.

Write my fears in love poems, to hide all I think may make you like my words. My solitude strangles me. I break free of my feelings only to feel the need to go back to them like I'm institutionalized.

I internalize my feelings, express them as passionate poetry, speak plainly so there's no reason to read between the lines. I tell others to believe in the power of love, I'm so hypocritical, put myself in critical condition, like life support will make love easier to bear.

But I'm just a prisoner of my feelings, keep them bottled up like they're in solitary confinement. Trying to expunge myself of them like they are on consignment. Just trying to feel again, knowing that I'm going places but back isn't one of them.

More Poems 7/30

I haven't been as committed to the poems as I should be. Various reasons could be made as to why I haven't kept up well but I won't get into that. I'll just post some poems.

                                                        A Thousand Kisses

I'll kiss you anywhere,
Even there, behind your ear
Listening to your body's desires
Mood music moves inhibitions to the back of our minds
So I'll place kisses down your spine to send messages of lust
Through your neurons
A kiss on your neck, soft enough to represent
The Gentle nature of my intent.

I'll intentionally kiss your lips,
To get a full taste of your sweet embrace
Syncopate my lips to the gyration of your hips
Make me tongue tied, while I suck your lips dry
I can keep up with your pace

I'll kiss your inner thighs,
From back of knee to inner crease
Cause you know how much of a tease I like to be
I'll kiss your gift-bearing hips,
Make this my second favorite place
To the small of your back
Because I like to make you wait

I'll kiss your rib cage,
One for each rib I gave
For us to be made whole
I'll call this your body's appreciation
I'm going to show my dedication for learning your wants
Like the back of my hand

I kiss the back of your hand to represent your royalty
Call you Queen because I am serving thee
So I place kisses at your feet
Run my tongue up your mid-section
Because I know it makes you smile

I'll make sure to make you laugh often
Since you said it turns you on
Like when I caress your breasts

I know I'm supposed to be using my lips but
I can't keep my hands off of you
Lady, I'll kiss your cheeks like we are best friends
Kiss your collar bone to make amends

A kiss to your forehead to signal the night just begins

Yes I'll kiss you anywhere
Especially there
And There

30 Poems, 30 Days - Day 5

Beauty Within

I want to make you feel beautiful

Like portraits of the abstract

Like poetry in its purity

Like seeing God in children

Beautiful,

Like stars being aligned,

Your magnetic pull makes my sun

Orbit around your Earth

Causing shifts in my planetary design

Your waves crash

My sea shores reminding me

You're forever engraved

In my memory banks

And you make me rise like high tide

I want you to feel sexy,

Like the way you sip wine

Or how your clothes fit so fine

I want you to feel sexy

Like unspoken lines,

Or the right compliment at the right time

When I say I want to see you naked

I'm not asking you to take your clothes off

Though it is much appreciated

I want you to feel sexy in your vulnerability

Let me caress your self doubt into self affirmation

I want to explore your body's wonderland

Find the buried treasures

That make you feel beautiful

Like chord progressions,

Like love songs,

Like fore play

Let me play for you

Songs that make your heart open

The touch that makes your mind wander

Wondering how I know where you like to be touched

Its kinetic energy

I'm drawn to you like you're my canvas

And I'm your pen

You'll be my greatest work

I'll call you my Starry Night,

Then cut off my ear

If that means you'll feel beautiful

Like portraits of the abstract,

Like poetry in its purity

Like seeing God,

Beautiful

Let Me Hold Your Hand

I know what you're thinking, because I'm thinking the same thing... What took you so long? I have been on a hiatus to say the least, and while I haven't stopped writing, I have gotten out of my writing "groove" so to speak. So this is me getting my "groove" back.

This post was inspired by my training class at work, I recently shared some poetry with them and was explaining how I was asked to write a poem for a lady about the love she has for her significant other and how while I was intrigued by the idea, I had no idea on where to begin or how to convey her feelings for a man that I know nothing about. So, naturally I've been giving her the run-around about when the poem is going to be finished because one, I haven't begun and two its hard to write a poem when all I have to go off of is his blue eyes and her undying love. Basically, I'm trying to make sure the poem doesn't suck because I have a reputation to uphold, even if it is a small reputation. Anyway, as I began writing this piece on like Sunday or Monday of this past week, I thought about how a simple act of holding hands could mean so much, which brings me back to my training class. One of the ladies said something to the effect of we do a lot of things with people, but we don't hold hands with everyone. Which I would say is true. I can't begin to think of the last time I held someone's hand that wasn't my son or a family member or someone whom I really meant to hold their hand. In some ways holding hands is even more intimate than having intercourse with someone.
There are so many different emotions that go along with holding hands from being scared and needing to feel safe and secure, to being made to feel wanted by your loved one. Which brings me back to the poem for this lady (I know I'm going the extreme seneic route but its been a while since I've been here) I want the poem to convey all of the feelings she wants me to convey through the act of holding hands. I just feel this would be an awesome love poem so with that said, I began writing this like Sunday or Monday and by no means is it finished and it didn't even come out the way I wanted it to. I can't decide if this is a poem or lyrics to a song (Re:Evolution anyone?)

So I will share what I have because I have been meaning to blog for the longest time, hope you all enjoy and leave some feedback and/or comment and thanks for reading, I really appreciate you.

It's been a while,

since we had this time to talk,

to think, to say,

the things we really mean to say

It's been a while,

I remember the day infatuation

faded away

And we were left staring

At the truth of one another,

and there was nothing left to say,

but baby let me hold your hand

Stand the test of time with you,

together we can shine if you,

just let me hold your hand

These questions that I ask of you,

are merely a reflection of who you push me to be,

hopefully I push you too,

out of this plane,

so that we finally learn

we can fly,

But if we should fall

I promise,

I'll be there to hold your hand,

the entire way to the ground,

I'll be grounded when you need me to be,

a silly dreamer if you want that of me,

I'm not asking that you fall for me

I'm simply asking that you

let me hold your hand,

When life's disappointments are too much for me

or nothing goes how it's supposed to be

and when I'm not strong enough

to stand

Baby won't you let me hold your hand

I like how you're not impressed so easily

and the fresh perspective of life you see

But one thing I want you to understand,

we weren't meant to be alone

so let me hold your hand.

The Manifesto of Love

https://www.artsy.net/artist/vincent-van-gogh

I declare that this manifesto is my profession of the act of love and how it influences my everyday life so those I interact with will have some idea of where my communication efforts come from and how it impacts my train of thought

1) God is Love:

  

2) Love has no timetable nor time limit:

    There is not a set time love happens and/or ends. Love just is. Love is the moment when you care about another person's well being not just because  of how it affects you but more importantly how you can help this person(s) to get better, to be better. Love does not care if you've known this person(s) since you were children or just met them yesterday or an hour ago. When love hits you, it is undeniable and inescapable.

3) Love is not (just) a feeling:

    The love I'm speaking of here is not the physical "I love him or her because they do things for me or get things for me or give me things." This love is more than just a feeling. Its the sun rises and sunsets, summer thunderstorms. This love is a living metaphor. Loving like this makes you better, makes those around you better, makes life more peaceful and fulfilling.

4) Love is a language, a way of life:

    We can choose to live a life of love. To begin, all we have to do is simply desire to live more lovingly. Once the desire is burning inside of us we must take action to begin the journey. The first step of this journey is to learn the love language. By this I mean learn to speak to everything in creation with love. When we do this what we will find is that we are doing more listening and less talking, more thinking and less impulsive acting. We will be more conscious of our word choices, which will make the things we say more meaningful. This does not mean that we only say things people want to hear. When we are living a life of love and speaking a love language, love is felt even when we're having differences with our loved ones and our enemies.

5) Love is the truth:

    Pure and unadulterated, love is the truth. The truth is never easy to find and never finite, as is the same with love, the commonality between the two is that when they are pure, we never question their absolute existence.

6) Love is never easy:

    Love is work. Love doesn't just happen, love is the culmination of efforts to gain an understanding and appreciation for someone. We work openly and wholeheartedly to learn those we are intrigued by and infatuated with, therefore, we are working towards loving that person.

7) Saying "I Love You" means something:

    With that said, we must learn the meaning of the phrase and how to accept the phrase. "I Love You" means more and less than we want it to mean. In a romantic scenario it means "I'm committed to maintaining and building this foundation we've started called a relationship." It does not mean "I will always agree with you or your thoughts, but I will respect them and honor their validity." It does not mean that we will be together forever but we will be better for knowing one another. In life it means "I care for your well being and I will do my best to be my best so that you can be your best and we can have a positive impact on our environment." It does not mean that we won't ever argue or disagree but when we do I won't berate or degrade you emotionally, physically or mentally.

8) There's no wrong way to love, except selfishly:

    We should strive to never love selfishly or for our own personal gains. Love should be our gift to the Universe for allowing us to be. Love should not be used to torment or degrade others. We never use love as a means to control another person, love should flow as freely through us as the air we breathe.

9) Love is (in) all things:

    If we look deep enough, we will find love. It is all around us in everything from (most of) the food we eat to (most of) the music we listen to. So take some time each day and feel the love.

10) Love is faith:

      Love never questions its authenticity, not saying that everyone loves us perfectly but we must know when a person is loving us to the best of their ability and when we're loving to the best of ours. If it doesn't feel like love it most likely isn't.

11) Love is (not) blind:

      Love isn't blind it just doesn't perceive things the same way we perceive them. So just because you can't see how love is working doesn't mean it isn't working.

12) Love yourself:

      Love feeds off of itself so in order for us to love more fully and more effectively we must learn to love ourselves. This is no easy task with all of the negativity that surrounds us, but with work it can be accomplished.

These are just some of the things that I try to remember in my daily life and I'm not saying they are set in stone or that I do each one perfectly, I just strive to do this everyday and I have days when I get there and days when I don't. The main thing though is that I attempt to be a better person each and every day and that to me is what makes the difference. Enjoy.

Peace J

Love in the 4th Person

This post came to me after looking at some old poems and some friends Facebook pages. (No I wasn't cyber stalking, this time lol) but it reminded me that when we love for selfish reasons, we can not accept selfless love. The poem that I'm going to post was written probably six years ago. Earlier today I wrote an apology on my FB page that said "I apologize for loving you selfishly, I thought it was selflessly, its funny how similar the two are." That was intended for a certain person but she doesn't believe it and I can't make her. Maybe I should have said it to her directly but I thought its better served for everyone to see because I can think of multiple times where I have loved selfishly under the guise of unconditional love. Hope you guys enjoy this piece as I've never read it for anyone or shared it with anyone. Oh and I also got some help from some co-workers of mine from my Hartford days. Anyway here goes;

She kissed me with the same betrayal as Judas did Christ
Lacking serendipity to escape being deceived twice
She penetrated my mind like the crown of thorns penetrated His head
She pierced my side, feet and hands like the nails they used to
Hold Him to the cross

She crucified me
Said her heart was broken
and living wasn't an option

I opted to stay up, not able to sleep
Something she said plays on my mind
Like a song on repeat

I didn't see the signs
I knew she was heartbroken
Still in love with the one she said kept her breathless
He said she kept him breathless
Touched his mind, body, spirit

They connected from the mind,
To the body, and
Soul mates they were

And here I was in the middle
Three's a crowd, not company
What's comforting is
I want her to be happy

But not with him

She said she loved me unconditionally
Except for the fact that we were raised differently
I told her I was raised to see sunrises and sunshine
But to know the rain was never too far behind

So I had a melancholy outlook on love
She said she had the same outlook on life
But we gelled together like a Thelonious Monk song
Round Bout Midnight

So far off time
But perfectly in time
We were perfectly in line
For the next note
The next moment in time that's imperfect

Re: Evolution of Love

I'm back and even though I haven't posted in weeks it feels good to be back. I'm working on a new poetry project entitled The Re:Evolution of Love. Ever since I completed my first project Morning Service I wanted to do an album of love poems and songs. This is what the new project is going to be. But putting it together has been more eye opening than I thought. First I was just going to take some of the poems about love that I already had and make backing music to them but then I got the idea to make sections, three in total Eros, Philia, and Agape. Each set of poems within the section will describe the feeling of the particular type of love. As I was/am going through my archives I am finding things out about each type of love that I had not known. I'm also finding out things about me that I didn't know. To say the least this project is a struggle, from finding music that is moving to writing new material I'm finding it difficult to get it out, but I know its in there. So I began to look inside myself and my surroundings to see what the problem is.
 This journey where ever it leads me, I feel like on the other side I'm going to be a changed poet, a changed person and have a renewed spirit.

I'm beginning to no longer believe in the notion of love as it pertains to romantic relationships. I have no one to blame but myself for letting it get to this point. Its easy to fall into infatuation with some one, its hard to love them and almost impossible to have that unconditional type of love for a person. I fooled myself into thinking I had achieved this for a person but that was before the "end" of our time together. I thought not caring was the same as loving unconditionally but I was wrong. Not caring in itself is self-sabotage to truly loving when you break down the reasons for not caring.

For me it was "well if it doesn't bother her to treat me this way, it doesn't bother me to act apathetic towards her" but what I really was saying was "I'm upset that you aren't loving me the way I want to be or deserve to be loved." I know a lot of times when people think of Eros they immediately think of physical, sensual, erotic, sexual love. In my opinion it also is selfish love meaning we give our love selfishly. For instance, "I love you because you do this or that for me, and if you stop doing those things I won't love you anymore." Its like we have to have a reason to give love, make it beneficial for us.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying this is a good or bad ideal, I'm just saying that it is. So, how do we transcend to loving more selflessly? This to me is partially what the Re:Evolution of love is about. Showing the different types of love, the different phases of love and the transcendence we all have inside of us to love differently. For me, I want the listeners of this project to feel like," yeah I've been there," but to also feel that after listening they have the power inside them to love differently, more effectively and most of all more fully.

Hopefully it won't take me too long to complete this project but I will make sure that you get your monies worth and hopefully it will be something to talk about that changes the way we think about love, loving and being loved.

Peace, J

  Love Poem #9 by jtruth

Highlight or Theory, That is the question

So I already wrote this once and because my computer sucks I lost everything I had. With that said, I'm going to keep this part short. Be on the lookout for my artist spotlight with Ms. Dani Cook poet, author, all-around awesome human being and also check out her album Dysfunctional Dysmemberment on either I-Tunes or Amazon (here). This poem was just finished last night thanks to a beautfiul spirit that inspired me. I'm not sure what I want to name this poem but I've narrowed it to either "Highlight" or "Theory" you all can let me know what you think and offer other suggestions. Here goes nothing.

There's something in your eyes

That makes me wanna know your mind

There's something in your mind

That makes me wanna know the time

And place best suited for this race to your heart

You know the one where

I'm wanting to win it over

You want to keep it from being broken

I know at times love gets lost in translation

Though I'm not saying I'm in love with you

But your words flow like water

Out of my mouth

And into existence

See I believe in you faithfully

While technically we haven't met

You've indoctrinated me

So I'll attest to your teachings

Just lie to me like you mean it

Tell me the truth like it will set me free

Let me belive, what I want to believe

Like I believe in your beautiful spirit

Your kind soul

That, smile that puts my whole world on hold

And even though we've never met

Our energies have crossed paths

And I'm a new being

But don't you dare ask me if I'm heaven-sent

And I won't ask if you're from there

You're too truthful to be human

Too humanly beautiful to be angelic

It must be the God in you

Because you know my heart so well

And although I've never physically been in your presence

Whenever I'm mentally in your presence

I feel connected

And the highlight of my day is when I

Step into my train of thought

And you just so happen to be there

One day I'll gather the courage to ask your name

And we can have this conversation in person

That sounds so good,

In theory



Hope you guys enjoy this. Thanks for viewing.

Peace

A Valentine's Day Poem

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for pretty eyes and a pretty smile

But I'm a mess for a beautiful spirit

The total package and your sometimes wild side

Enhances the attraction

Yeah, I like my ladies a little feisty.

Crazy even.

I'm talking leaving bricks through windows

Because I was on the phone with my momma too long

I'm talking sleeping with one eye open

Because she jokingly said

She would cut ya balls off pa'tna, and

You know she doesn't play

I need to know you love me.

Write me a "love letter" out of newspaper clippings

That make me feel on top of the world, but also

Watch my back because

I don't know which hedge you will jump from behind

Girl you are fine,

The type of fine that makes heroine

Sound like a really good idea,

The kind of fine that makes you

Steal another poet's lines... Twice

Make me a believer,

A believer that my health would be in serious jeopardy

If I even thought about opening the door

For an old lady to pass through,

A believer that I best not pretend to ask the waitress

For another glass of water

Or find myself missing

And I know you cursed out my sister

Because you thought she was trying to get in my car

When I was just giving her a ride home.

But that's the type of love you give me

That real love,

That something I can feel love

Even if it is a knife to the arm

Or a frying pan to the back.

So baby don't worry,

I got your back

And that little three to five year bid

For "keeping it real" won't break us

Because I'm pretty sure

That no matter where I go

You'd find me...

And that kind of scares me

So I'll be there every visitation Saturday

Flowers in one hand, a shank in the other

Cause I wish a mother fucker would

Try to break up this good thing we have

From Trash to Treasure

What's up good people,
                As I was going through some papers that I had "filed away", by that I mean were stacked together in a plastic bag in my room, I found a poem that I wrote on 12-19-2005. I know that seems to be such a long time ago, I had just recently graduated college in May of 2005 I had gotten my first "real" job in November of this same year and I was living in my first apartment. I don't really remember if I wrote this for anyone in particular but I read it and I like it, it may even make my next spoken word project. (I know what you're saying, do you have a first project, and surprisingly the answer is yes). In any event at this time in my artistic development I didn't title a lot of my poems and my reasoning at the time was something to the effect of, "I don't want my words to be confined in a box by a title" how lame was that? Most of my work didn't have titles because I could never think of anything creative enough and didn't like simply naming it using a line from out the poem, I wanted something deep, meaningful. In any event I will allow you guys to decide what this poem should be called you can leave comments on my Facebook wall or my email or here or my twitter (imallyg) if you want.

Mesmerized by an unidentified beauty

Highly identified as the one to seek

I seek thee first before the Kingdom of heaven

And that's blasphemous

So hallelujah to your amen and I'm not religious

I'm just a man mesmerized by a beauty

The Mother Mary must have seen with her eyes

Hypnotized by hypnotic eyes that keep me at bay

With their seductive stances

Glances that say more than words can manage

And maybe I'm day dreaming

Maybe I'm not

But I cannot get this woman out of my head

And into my car, plus

She's far too advanced for the far too

Simplistic advances of a man who

Puts too much Em-phasis on his

money or his car, she got both

Most don't know how to deal with a woman

who handles her own work because

They can't feed their own ego's

With the need of an insecure woman

Her insecurities came from the infidelity of her father

And that pushed her farther away from men

To the point she tried women for a change

But found when it comes to love

Men and women are much the same

So the games she play

Arose from the pain she saw

In her mother's crying eyes

So she sacrifices her body

To protect her heart

Rejected attempts to slip her

Defense Systems and touch her soul

Leaves Beauty with a

Cold, empty feeling

Despair displays daily

From her soul's windows

To the projection screens

Of anonymous individuals

That will never know her name

Beauty's brain games brought the beast soaring out her pores

Scarring scores of men with a mark that's

Undeniable and unforgettable

But Beauty's a survivor right,

Right?



Fear Unknown

So last night I had a dream about a friend that I haven't spoken to in a while, too long in fact. The dream woke me out of my sleep at 2:30 in the morning. It was one of those disturbing dreams that feel so real, you can smell and see everything around with vivid clarity. In my dream, my friend and I had fallen out of contact much like in real life, but that happens sometimes life takes us all in different directions. In my dream, my friend was in an abusive relationship, in real life I suspected the same thing as a matter of fact I seen how they interacted during the time my friend and I were "real" friends. Now, I can't say how their relationship has grown but in my dream it hadn't grown much. My friend was someone who was and is very dear to me, I care about her a lot but we weren't able to be friends. I couldn't call to see how she was doing, you know just regular friend stuff. In my dream, things weren't as bad, they still argued and things but there was no physical violence. People began noticing the change in her demeanor and the bruises and how she always had some excuse for them. Somehow these people came to me for help. I didn't really want to get involved because I didn't want to be wrong or I didn't know what I could do, but I did anyway because domestic abuse is something that I don't tolerate. By the time I got involved their "small" arguments turned into pushing and shoving and punching and hitting. My friend had decided she had enough and was pursuing another man, I don't know who new guy was, but her old boyfriend caught wind of her "transgressions" and of course he was enraged. This is where my dream became frightening. The setting was a banquet or a cookout or some social gathering that we all happened to be at the same time. In real life, this would never happen, but in my dream this was the case. Anyway, at some point they began arguing and my friend's boyfriend slapped her in front of everyone. And he just kept slapping her and punching her in the face, in the chest, in the stomach. He literally beat her to within an inch of her life. It was like everybody there was so shocked to see it happening that no one did anything. So the ambulance, came she got better and it was like everyone knew what was going on but nobody would do anything. So I couldn't stand that nothing was being done about this guy, no arrest, no slap on the wrist absolutely nothing. I decided that I was going to do something about this, so me along with my cousin went and basically gave this guy a dose of his own medicine. That's when I woke up. If you know her, tell her that I asked about her.

Domestic violence is not something that is an easy conversation to have but if you or you know someone who is being abused, I would urge you to get assistance because nothing is as bad as losing your life. If you don't know what to look for here are a few signs that could be warning signs of domestic violence;


* Isolation
* Controlling finances and withholding money
* Preventing employment
* Hitting, pushing, choking
* Forced sexual contact
* Threatening
* Use of a weapon

We all have the power to help someone by just letting them know we care about them and letting them know that we are thinking about them and they matter to us. Domestic violence comes in multiple forms it is not always physical, sometimes its mental and emotional as well. We also have a new epidemic I feel in the realm of domestic violence, which is bullying in middle and high school as well as college kids. Cyber bullying whatever you want to call it is a form of domestic violence. Please let's educate ourselves and save some lives in the process. Here are some links that can assist in education and participation with this matter.

http://dvam.vawnet.org/

www.ncadv.org/

 

These Three Words

"When was the last time that they heard you say, Mother or Father I love you and when was the last time that they heard you say, daughter or son I love you."

That was a line from the incomparable Stevie Wonder, a song called These Three Words. These words are so precious but so often misused. Too often we use the phrase "I love you" as a means to an end, a selfish end at that. Too often we use this phrase to manipulate or to get what we want, I once wrote "saying I love you means nothing nowadays, niggas just say it so they can go and get laid, ladies believing it knowing they heart is getting played, acting so gullible, its a damn shame." This came from a conversation I had with a girl in college who couldn't understand why none of her relationships worked out, it always ended the same, guy gets what he wants and then she gets heartbroken. It seems she equated love with sex and as soon as a guy even showed the remote possiblity that he was interested she was ready, willing and able to put it mildly. My point is our view of love varies depending on the situation.

We often use love as a situational emotion, meaning depending on how we think we feel in a particular moment we may choose to use love. For instance, we often say I love you in times of despair such as a loved one passing or having a serious accident, we use I love you as a comforting phrase because we often feel guilty of not saying it enough or showing it enough. Or if we receive a gift from a loved one especially an expensive gift. Its as if the bigger the gift the more I love you. Now I'm not saying that every situation we say I love you in is disingenuous I'm just saying we don't use the act of loving enough.

Most people relate and recognize love in the realms of a romantic relationship. We've been programmed to view love as a romantic, sexual feeling. Just look in the world around us. From love songs to romantic comedies to romance novels, to these "reality" shows that sell sex, the idea that beauty is superficial, and that love means getting something in return and its easy to see that we've lost the identity of love. In my opinion we get too caught up that love is something aesthetic when love is all around us. In order to change our perception of love we've got to change our definition of love. If we perceive love as only something we can touch then we treat it as such. We've got to come to a higher understanding of what love is and what it isn't. To me love is everything, its the energy around us, its the man on the street, its the kids playing, its the birds in the sky. We have to expand our horizon on love and the effect it has on everything around us. If we can change how we define love then it can begin to work more authentically in our lives. Things would be less stressful and we would be more in tune with life, which would help us lead a more fulfilling life.

Don't take for granted that love is all around us and don't take loved ones for granted either. Let's gain a higher understanding of what love is and what it isn't. Agape.

Lifeline

Ok so this poem comes from a very personal, frustrated place I wrote it a few years ago and read it to one of my co-workers and he wanted to give it to his then girlfriend to break up with her and he said this expressed exactly how he was feeling. I revised the ending because I couldn't find the original and wrote this from memory until I couldn't remember anymore, so I had to write a new ending.

I'm sinking in this re-la-tion-ship of despair

I just stare off into the cosmos indulged by the night blue sky

Why, questions are always answered with why

Love just ain't the same as she used to be

Incoherent phrases raise answers whose questions have not been posed

I'm supposed to be who I want to be or who you want me to be

And I've been trying

I've been dying for you to accept my prose

But I'll be damned if I'll damn my soul for your acceptance

Who do you expect me to be?

This poem doesn't have any stanzas so where's the break-up?

Make-ups are made much easier when we aren't always right

And I know I made a wrong turn somewhere

My navigational system has flu-like symptoms

And I haiku my passions on paper, excuse me,

You're still infecting my immunity

Your low dosage love just isn't enough anymore

I need you in higher quantities

Spill-proof my heart so if it drops it won't break as easily

Where did we go awry?

How did we board this ill fated ship destined for its destiny

This trip was never intentional

These high seas of hopelessness have taken over my course

Plot me a map that leads to your direction

But this isn't poetry

Where are the rhyming words?

That's what you think of me

Words that rhyme, not an individual expression

And that's what I'm sick of

Being mis-read

Don't read between the lines, there's nothing to interpret

I'm a walking mis-conception and you're a walking contradiction

That's what makes you good for me

So I'll sink until you save me

Because concrete doesn't have much buoyancy

And this two ton boulder hasn't yet been chiseled into who I pretend to be

So I'll keep pretending

If that's what you need from me.