OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 15: If Hope Were an Umbrella

Copyright George Hodan

If hope were an umbrella

It would be full of holes

An unreliable shield

Allowing all manner of projectiles through

A farce offering the illusion of shelter

But in reality, only granting cover in fair weather

Affording no protection when storms arise

~Cie~

Note:

It did not take me 10 minutes to write this, let's be real

OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 14: Not Your Fat Joke

If

I

were

me

sooner

than

I

believed I could be

Then I would have

Followed my dreams

And believed in myself

In spite of people telling me

That people who look like me

Are only allowed to be

The butt of jokes

Fuck that shit

I refuse to

Disappear

~Cie~

Note:

I wasn't quite sure how to do it, but I think I made the basic shape of a certain gesture 

OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 13: National Disgrace

Copyright Geralt

Being kind is

What everyone should do

Do you?

You do not

Not do right

Right is might

Might you consider

Consider the absolute

Absolute power

Power corrupts

Corrupts when misused

Misused to abuse

Abuse those you see

See as less

Less than nothing

Nothing is what

What you discover

Discover within 

Within your rotten

Rotten, shriveled heart

Heart hard as stone

Stone over graves

Graves of those

Those who died

Died in vain

Vain sacrifice

Sacrifice for what

What but ambition

Ambition of soulless

Soulless rich men

Men who don't care

Care for anything

Anything but money

Money to buy

Buy the best tomb

Tomb to commemorate

Commemorate their lives

Lives full of lies

Lies always bellowing 

Bellowing forth

Forth from your mouth

Mouth always open

Open like a sewer

Sewer spewing waste

Waste of words

Words of deception

Deception of the masses

Masses left wanting

Wanting

Masses

~Sly Has Spoken~

Note:

Written by Cie's civic-minded alter-ego, Sly Fawkes.

Dedicated to the crook in the White House

Image copyright juliahenze @123rf.com

OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 12: Affliction

Copyright Kellepics

Why did you have to afflict yourself on me?

Why did you invade my dreams and haunt my days?

Excruciating need, I could not get free

Like a psychotic demon child who plays

Bringing torment to his victim's mind and soul

Agonizing want for one who never stays

Heart afflicted with the pain you live to dole

Is there no-one to appease, to bring me aid?

Where do I find comfort and regain control?

Someone heal, soothe, and relieve me, I have prayed

Free me from a man who just wants to get laid

~Pepper~

Note:

This piece is created in the voice of Team Netherworld's OC, Pepper Baiij, for our WIP, Fetch. The poem "honors" one Kris Rooiakker, a living person who took advantage astrally of the sensitive and troubled medium for many years before she finally found the strength to break free.

OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 11: Fallen Through

Image Source

A life filled with events unexpected

A soul epitomizing imperfection

Goes slipping through the cracks unnoticed

One fateful night she was forced to see with new eyes

She now fights to begin again in spite of everything

~Cie~

Notes:

I began with the intent to make a cascade poem, but once these five lines were there in front of me, I felt that extending the poem would only make it seem unnecessarily verbose. I felt that this poem needed to be brief and to the point, so I am leaving it as a stark free verse.

OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 10: Floating

Cerebral Dysfunction

Copyright Callie Fink

Content warning:

Drug reference

Yes, I have been euphoric

The year I was sophomoric

Back when I still wanted to dance

In times when there still was a chance

In the clouds I thought I found delight

When I stayed out partying all night

Since I felt no joy in reality

I let substances bring the joy to me

Though it was a lie, I needed it so much

It's been years since I felt euphoria's touch

~Cie~

Note:

I did a lot of drugs in junior high and high school. I don't apologize for it, and I don't really regret it. I did what I had to do to survive. I did not survive unscathed. I came to see as I got older that the drugs didn't solve any of my problems, they just made them fuzzy and nebulous for a while.

I am and always have been a proponent of legalized cannabis. For my own part, I don't use it to get high. I don't even smoke it. I take a low-dose edible to help with my rampant insomnia and to stave off leg cramps. It doesn't get me high, it just acts as a mild sedative. In fact, it fucks with my mind a lot less than prescription sleep medications. I've never done a sleepwalk jaunt out to pee on my car tire after eating a THC-infused gummy square. I most certainly did do that when taking Ambien. 

Fortunately, it was 3 AM and the parking lot was very dark. Also fortunately, I didn't walk all the way out to the busy road and get made into street pizza by a passing semi. Well, fortunately or unfortunately, I guess, all depending on your opinion of my existence.

OctPoWriMo 2018: Day 9: Not a Damn Rom-Com

Image copyright Ronnie Chua

The train to Infatuation Junction

Leads to dysfunction

Ends in malfunction

Of those damn fool dreams you hold dear

So you think you want romance?

I say no damn chance

I never again want to dance

To the symphony of destruction

You say you want some affection? 

Well take up a collection

And walk in the direction

Of the nearest kissing booth

It's hard to even trust friendship

When everything's a dead-end ship

I don't want to take another trip

Down to Heartbreak Hotel

You promise endless devotion

But I'll need calamine lotion

Because all the commotion

Of our breakup

Will make me break out

In hives

You say you'll cherish me forever

That you'll leave me never

But in the end you'll just sever

The last trust from my heart

Love does not bring delight

Only fight after fight

And long lonely nights

I'm better off alone

I came to dwell

In Indifference Dell

After being plunged into hell

One too many damn times

Too many damn cheating men

Live in Infidelity Glen

I won't go there again

I will stay well away

I was not born, you see

With impartiality

Or a spirit so free

It can find fun on the run

Too many cold-hearted souls

Have left my heart full of holes

I don't want to play the role

Of the one cast aside

A role I've played many times over

So when you promise green clover

I say: "Begone, fickle rover"

Because I smell manure

Been there done that time and again

Been betrayed time and time again

Been pushed aside time and again

It's time to say never again

~Cie~

Notes:

This one turned out more badass than brimful of regret, which I think is pretty damn cool. 

Fair warning that few things piss me off more than people advising me, however well-meaning the advice may be, to "not give up on love" and "give it another chance." It is absolutely, positively not something I want to pursue, so, please, just don't. 

To me, such advice is akin to saying: "well, maybe if you stick your arm in that meat grinder again, it will be nice and not shred your stump like it did your hand. You can't stop trying just because you got hurt a whole fucking lot of times in the past when you stuck your hand in the meat grinder."

Can and have. It's my life, not a rom-com. I'm never so miserable as when I have some sort of romantic entanglement. Been there, done that, never want to go back again.