narrative
&
Poetry
You Think You're alone?
You think you're alone?
You're not.
You’ve never been alone. I was there when your thoughts were so fucking dark, you could barely breathe. When you were so scared you could barely move, I was there as you made decisions that would fill you with regret. I remember how you hated yourself for those decisions. I hated you too.
I also remember the times that the light would make its way back in. Those moments that were so unbelievably beautiful, they quite literally took your breath away. There were times when we laughed so hard it hurt. We witnessed new life firsthand, a moment that evoked an emotion of which no words could ever be worthy of its description. Those were the moments of pure joy that the dark moments could never even begin to match. I remember how you thought it unfair there were so few in comparison, but then how you thought maybe they were worth it. They were.
There are things you’ll want to remember forever, and you will. There are things about yourself you’ll wish you could forget, but, you won’t. I’m sorry.
here are things you cannot change, and you spend too much time letting your worries consume you. I know you’re going to dwell on those things before you have to. I will be there with you when you do.
I’ll be with you through the bad times that seem like they might go on forever. They won’t. And through all of the good you fear will fade. It won’t.
You are not alone. Nobody knows you like me, and nobody understands you like me. I’m here because of you, the decisions you made and the fears that you have. I’m here because of all of the darkness, and because of all of the beauty you were able to see through it. You were never alone. I am the You who lived through it all, and I will continue to go through it with you, till the end of time.
So, you think you’re alone.
But you’re not.
from the Outside Looking In
From the outside looking in,
you may see us yell again and again.
You see us argue and never win.
You see the fight, but not the “start over again.”
The bad is just so loud.
It seeks attention.
It’s desperate.
It’s proud.
The good is constant.
It keeps our feet on the ground.
And forgiveness, it works best
without making a sound.
And all that yelling you see,
and the fights that no one wins,
we’ve already laughed about
over and over again.
And the fights we have,
that no one ever truly wins,
all get the same:
fresh start over again.
The bad is so loud,
pretending to be brave.
The good is just so quiet,
with no need to misbehave.
And if you listen closely,
you can be sure to expect
that we treat that good with much honor,
much love, and much respect.
That respect keeps us steady and true.
It’s where we keep our poise,
for the whispers, the love, and the good we share
is deafening to all that noise.
The End.
What does absolute mean to you?
Some might argue that there are no absolute truths in this world. I could almost be one of them.
To err is to be human,
or so I’ve been told.
We’re inconsistent by design.
So how could we ever presume to know what is true, let alone absolute, when the truth is so easily distorted?
What we know is true for as long as we are certain of it.
It changes as we learn. This alone tells us our truth was wrong, no matter how certain we were. And even still, people will destroy each other over what they insist is true.
We use definite words far too loosely. “Always” and “never”, these words carry“absolute” in their meaning.
We use them when we mean almost; this robs them of their weight. Almost isn’t always, nor is it never.
So, when I say I could almost believe there are no absolute truths in this world, that’s true.
Except for one thing. A truth that will never change, for there isn’t a version of life where it becomes untrue.
I love you, unconditionally, with all my heart, and I always will.
This is certain.
This is absolute.
Some may call you cold, like you have no feelings or soul. Maybe you don’t. But then again, how could you not?
You hold everything together, quiet, stoic.
I’ve never heard you complain once. I have, however, seen them apply so much pressure on you. When it was too much, you were beat down over and over, Still you never complained, and you never let them brake you, not once. That's true strength, it shows how strong you truly are.
Sure, sometimes you may jam up. It’s hard sometimes with everything you do. I just hope the next person who sits at this desk understands they should take a minute, remove some stuff, and try again. Then they’ll see what you truly can do.
I’m leaving now, and I can’t believe how hard it is to say goodbye. Still, you’ve been there for me every day, consistent, and never judging. If anything in this place was loyal, it was you. Good-bye my old friend.
I'll let them know…
The staples are in the top drawer. I made sure to leave your favorite kind, per the instruction manual. Goodbye, old friend. I’m sorry I hit you on the head so many times.
And for the record, you were never cold. You were just made of metal. You were simply my stapler.