Cheating Kindness

First you will realize the meaning,
When you mistake its implication
To be kindness wrapped up in a bow.

Suddenly you know what you're seeing,
Their lies underneath all the fabrication,
Where cheating is all they will know.

You're outside the circle that's breeding
The stereotypes they express not in desperation,
To be kindness wrapped up in a bow.

You'll yearn to step into the circle in needing
To be accepted despite valid hesitation,
Where cheating is all they will know.

Still that door will stay closed to your silent hurting,
And you'll rise above their narrow rejection,
To be kindness wrapped up in a bow.

Turning away, you will find inner healing,
Leaving it in the past of yesterday,
To be kindness wrapped up in a bow,
Where cheating is all they will know.

02.23.15
©Kerri L. Stanley

Language Barriers

You think you have it figured out,
Holding your heart in your hands,
Tossing misinterpreted words about.

You hide behind your self imposed clout,
Choosing to deny where you will stand,
And remain anonymous amid the shouts

Of your passive aggressive doubt,
Among others who are in your camp,
Who know not what your real fight is about.

Your reasons you will to them not allow,
Because it is your weapon and only clamp
To be able to justify why and how

You can cut one down and cause a fallout,
Because they refuse to want to understand
Your manipulation of the truth then or now.

You think you have it figured out,
Ready to snap like a rubber band,
But thinking you've hidden your self doubt
Behind transparent words choking in your mouth

10.10.14
©Kerri L. Stanley

Do Not Turn Around

Do not turn around for the bridge did burn
By the matches in your hand despite what you'll say
But for equality and fairness you cannot discern

Yet always regretted still wanting to yearn
Your actions well marked to words you will say
Do not turn around for the bridge did burn

Countless mistakes, still you won't ever learn
That forgiveness is yours at the end if the day
But for equality and fairness you cannot discern

In the darkness at night you will toss and turn
Unaware of how things even turned out this way
Do not turn around for the bridge did burn

Endearments lost to this way you will again return
No way to feel better even with a delay
But for equality and fairness you cannot discern

At the end if the day, you will go and adjourn
Words on your lips, to Him you would pray
Do not turn around for the bridge did burn
But for equality and fairness you cannot discern

05.25.14
©Kerri L. Stanley

Words of Flight

Isn't it funny how the truth comes to light

Through pent up anger that is put on paper

Words expressed to spark flames of a fight

You will pack so much emotion in one phrase to be right

Misdirected by your misguided anger

And wrong conclusions you keep in your sight

Every difference and contradiction that they might

Replace what is goodness and true and sincere

Hiding behind the curtain that has in turn shed new light

Refusing to believe that the words would take flight

Despite closing the door thinking it would be better

While the darkness still blinds you to see what is right

Still holding fast to the lies you grasp day and night

Crushing your spirit one more time and more vaster

But still standing tall on the ledge of your height

That paper, it's burning my heart not from fright

But of the sadness in you now and I hope not forever

That will keep you standing alone in your plight

Until it is thrown away like this friendship overnight

04.07.14
©Kerri L. Stanley

Hope

She didn't tell him what she was thinking 

It seemed insignificant anyway,

To remind him of what he's not bringing,

While her love for him keeps weakening,

And keeps pushing her farther away.

For it finally did die today,

Found courage to be not afraid,

Lost moments in eyes unsmiling,

New plans will be carefully laid.

For her needs she will gladly trade,

For the hope she is now aborting,

Her heart to him she would have bade,

Clinging to the love they had made.

For this love lost in dark abandoning,

A different time when she might have stayed,

If she thought he would have been trying,

She'd stand with him another day.

But she can't stop the tears she keeps crying,

While her thoughts go unsaid, now breaking,

05.12.13
©Kerri L. Stanley

Rain and Tears

It's the rainy days like these
When you cloud my memory
And heartache will not cease

It's a reminder of the tears
Cried for your sudden loss
and not enough life in years

So if you had a second chance
To get your point across
And not from happenstance

What would a rainy day
Mean to me instead
That is unrelated to what you'd say

But I'd take a lifetime
Of rainy days
Just to see you shine

Because I miss you so much
And time doesn't help
It's just raining tears and such
But to your memory I still clutch

05.16.11

We Can

We can still recall those final days
Filling our days with things to do
Running away from what we should face

We can wish for what we had before
Make believe the pain isn’t real
Until we can’t feel anything at all anymore

We can walk this road together
Perhaps separate at the fork
And think this will be forever

We can believe in only ourselves
And think it will make us feel better
To stack yesterday upon dusty shelves

We can attempt to do inconsiderate things
And think it won’t bother the other
Or, that hurtful words won’t sting

We can choose to carry or toss
What matters in this life
We can lift up and carry our cross
We can stop living to fight this loss

07.05.10

Misery's Company

Your self-imposed silence will cry
Imprisonment in itself
Breaking the barriers of this lie

More lows today than one sought after high
Outweigh the bank’s wealth
And we don’t share the pie

Nobody will ask us why
You’ll continue in your stealth
To not let this moment die

But look into my eyes
I can’t fake good health
Yet another day will pass us by

Where I won’t know for my
Freedom trapped upon your shelf
Further inhibiting you and I

The limit is not the sky
Only that which you give yourself
Thinking us you can want to buy
Will clip my wings so I can’t fly

01.18.10

Back to School

Yesterday couldn't stay
And summertime will take a bow
We return from being away
And longer days slowly fade
Knowing that this is how
We must conform to newer ways
Holding fast to the memories we made
As school bells we hear ring out
No more summer days
Now hearing the teachers say
We are together here and now
An education is ours to claim
Wanting to learn is more than okay
Taking it for granted we shouldn't allow
We can't shine hiding in the shade
So welcome back to the classroom today
Where did our summer go? Wow!
Time for school and don't be late
And tomorrow, come what may

08.01.08

Summer

Our best kept memories are made
When summer promises its best heat
And we long for coolness in the shade

The strength of the sun is best played
Pushing us to resistant defeat
When autumn will be long delayed

Each day will leave us frayed
When yesterday will again repeat
And we long for coolness in the shade

Along shorelines we will go to wade
Cool water to wet our feet
When autumn will be long delayed

Strong heat that cannot be swayed
Fewer places are left to meet
And we long for coolness in the shade

This season has never stayed
But is the strongest to never be beat
And we long for coolness in the shade
When autumn will be long delayed

04.27.08

Recollections

With determination I set them free
Haunting memories at the back of my mind
I watch them play out before me

Yet they are sometimes all I can see
Moments I try not to find
In her brown eyes I see me

Moments unlocked with just a key
When my life wasn’t so kind
I watch them play out before me

Unknowing this does not have to be
But those to whom she will bind
In her brown eyes I see me

A reaction that becomes jerk-knee
Reliving moments I hid behind
I watch them play out before me

Thankful today to be free
Of actions that still will rewind
I watch them play out before me
In her brown eyes I see me

2.12.08