every step I take

every step I take
brings me closer to where you are
every rung I climb
every thing I try
every thought I think
brings me closer

look over your shoulder
I'm coming up quick on you
slipping into your thoughts
feelings you forgot
fantasies you sought
closer than your shadow
feel my breath on your face
I'm coming up quick on you

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

want and need

what I want
and what I need
are two completely separate things
what I feel
and what I see
are two completely different things
what I want
and what I need
are worlds apart, that's how it seems

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

what if

when I look back
what if we hadn't danced
what if you'd never asked
what if I hadn't said yes
what if the stars didn't shine
what if there is no safety net
what would have happened
if we had never met

what if we hadn't talked
long into the night
and I didn't hear
all of your insights
if I hadn't got caught
inside your net
what would have happened
if we never met

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

steps

if all knew the steps
if the dance was easier
the floor would be full

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

perspective

as the old year fades away
unrealized hopes of yesterday
tissued dreams packed in a box
put on a shelf but not forgot

fresh perspective, fresh new year
a plan-o-gram to make it clear
erase the slate, start again
keeping all I once held dear

resolutions not fulfilled
roll them over, a re-try
add some wishes I will keep
fantasy never in short supply

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

mirror image

he remembers
the way the dim light played
on her skin, his hands tangled
in her auburn hair
her green eyes glistening

she remembers
the way he touched her
the way he kissed her
his hands tangled in her hair
the way he held her in the night

a reflection in a mirror
the wind was cold
the night, heated with passion

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

a promise

my heart hears your song
a whispered ballad of love
promises to keep

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

A-Game

I can tell by the way you play
Your cover has been blown
I’ve forgotten more about romance
Than you have ever known

Not so suave or debonair
Or as good as you could be
I’ve heard these same old lines before
They’re not so new to me

Is this just your practice?
Are you saving your A-game?
I can give you pointers for
your next unsuspecting prey

A little work is all you need
To improve your skill
I’ve heard and seen it all my friend
In my mind it is instilled

Just don’t use the things I teach
To turn the tables on me
I will give you knowledge
For future loves you seek

you're everything

watching you, in the candlelight
music playing, everything is right
that's how it starts
that's how it begins
you're everything, I want to do again

laying in your arms
your kisses start to heat
the touch of your hand
that electricity
that's how it starts
that's how it begins
you're every feeling, I want to feel again

as I watch you sleep
smile on your face
you don't even know
you're still holding on to me
that's how it starts
that's how it begins
you're everything, I want to do again

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

My Wish Haiku

A million stars light
I wish on the first one seen
It was just for you

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

over the line

there is a fire smoldering
here inside of me
gonna stoke the ashes
stir it up, get what I need
judiciousness be damned
I'm tired of paying heed
gonna stoke this fire
here inside of me

gonna step over the line
do just what I please
not gonna listen to others
beg redemption on my knees
gonna live outside the lines
of the norm or what is right
God help me, it may curse me
but I'm stoking this fire inside

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

but still...

somewhere, someday
you're gonna miss me
maybe, an afterthought
but still...

now that I am gone
you're gonna miss me
thinking of things we did
but still...

when you look behind you
when you look ahead
I was always an afterthought
but still...

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

nothing

nothing left to say
nothing left to do
cards were on the table
separating me and you
I can't say the parting
was even done as friends
the bitterness was rising
saying it's the end

you turned your back like always
ready once more to depart
I knew it was final
no more brand new starts
but I also knew that finally
I would be ok
maybe not tomorrow
but eventually one day

months and years are faded
with memories of what was
all the scars have healed up
probably just because
I said please don't you contact
or this will never repair
the wounds that cut me deeply
are hidden deep in here

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

dance

the music starts
we dance once again
this time you don't let go
no one cuts in
the music just right
a song that we know

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

beyond the dream

look beyond the dream
to where you'd least expect
look beyond the fantasy
for whom you'd least suspect

write my name in kisses
each one a twinkling star
pull the moon from heaven
to gift wrap our sweet love

blow a gentle breeze
to sweetly ruffle my hair
lay me down with promise
stay always with me there

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

pandemic

the President's numbers tumble
with the democrat flair
because of a pandemic
floating in the air
so he imposed a lockdown
to keep us all at home
but the virus is still out there
as across the world it roams

leaving Dr.'s baffled
as it multiplies
gloves and masks are needed
how many more will die?
as oil prices tumble
the stock market takes a dive
my 401 is tanking
when once it grew and thrived

a vaccine will be discovered
but maybe, not soon enough
we just have to hang in there
and show what we're made of
hoarders will stop hoarding
and businesses open up
the treasury, stop giving money
cuz the government is bankrupt

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

your love

when you touch my hand
I truly understand
the wonder of your love

when you say the words
you think I haven’t heard
the sound of your love

when you whisper my name
and I know that all is changed
the meaning of your love

when you hold me close
saying I’m what matters most
the offering of your love

what I’m giving back
all that I once lacked
the returning of your love

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Eve

Am I the Eve in your garden
the offer of forbidden fruit
Or is it my imagination
tossed out like yesterday’s news

Am I the taste of desire
still burning on your lips
When you try to sleep at night
and into dreams you slip

Am I the candle that you lit
as you say another prayer
For redemption that won't come
hope vanishing in thin air

Am I the shadow in your life
the music in your head
Or a song that won’t diminish
and fills your soul with dread

Am I what keeps you suspended
in the realms of fantasy
When morning creeps upon you
and there’s no mystery

Am I the lock upon your door
as you try to twist the key
When you are looking for something
that satisfies your needs

Am I invading your ivory tower
as you struggle to keep me at bay
While the clock ticks away the minutes
and time whittles away your day

Am I the bite of the apple
watch the juice drip down your chin
Are your eyes finally open
to a dream that could have been

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

desire

I taste the sweat of desire
a fine wine correctly chilled
starting with the touch of a hand
and all the passion spills

the want I can not hold back
cacoethes now set free
a burning in my soul
to a white hot degree

a kiss of expectation
a whisper of words of love
a release of inhibition
what fantasies are made of

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

sleep

laying next to you
the moon reflects on your face
as I watch you sleep

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Valley

he bridles his horse
and swings into the saddle
for a journey that’s long
and driven by passion

he left her in the valley
and the months had been hard
it was time to head home
and to her waiting arms

her voice was the wind
whispering in his ear
pushing him harder
bringing him near

he rides through the day
till he’s weary and beat
under unrelenting sun
and the desert’s dry heat

he spurs his horse onward
stars now light the sky
and when he beds down
he dreams of green eyes

he wakes very early
one more long day’s ride
till he’s back in the valley
till she’s by his side

once again he mounts
and gallops to the west
heading for the mountains
and an end to his quest

he’ll be there by nightfall
renewing all that he’d left
the months of pure torture
months feeling bereft

and the wind that blows on him
is gentle and sweet
she’s calling him home
this time never to leave

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

legends

your mind is living free
and the legend outlives
without any trust
or what it can give
always been a stranger
but you are in serious danger
of giving up arcane beliefs

let down your guard
you don't need protection
disregard the techno images
and live by random selection
your heart is not for sale
there is no price for its freedom
but all the things you use
are there longer than you need them

where is it that you go
when change is coming down?
who is it that you love?
that makes your heart pound
in a place of constant strangers
you are in serious danger
of giving up on your heart's beliefs

I can stay behind
or wait in the sidelines
while your love runs blindly away
let down your guard
you don't need protection from me
it has always been what I led you to believe

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

for my love

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

Glock 45

just like Jack Bauer
I load a Glock forty five
and my clip is full

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

end of the game

if you knew what was real
would you turn and run
from all that I feel, since I
knew you were the one

if I told you the truth
would it make your mind spin
what would you do
with your feelings within

would you respond in kind
with feelings the same
or pretend you are blind
with nothing to proclaim

if I give you my heart
what will remain
will it be a new start
or the end of this game

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

wish

wishes put inside a jar
way up high for none to see
always adding to the lot
things I want, not stuff I need

maybe someday I'll read through
this overflowing must have list
although today is not the day
there is nothing that I miss

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

levels

different kinds of love
different levels of love

love for our children
love for parents, siblings
love for another
love for a place
or book, or hobby
inanimate objects

we can't help
what we feel or when
we can conceal or bury
not healthy!
like cream, it still
rolls to the top
it's what you do
about it that counts

unrequited
harsh, hurtful, hell
no matter how soft
the words, it is still
just that, rejection

reflect, redirect, remove
reason, rationalize

move on

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

one tear

falls from veiled green eyes
a heart that's torn, compromised
words, the weapon used

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

melancholy

I walked along the beach
and didn't think about you
as I wandered up the coast
melancholy and blue
but I don't think it's because
I was thinking about you

wasn't thinking about the way
your eyes twinkled like the stars
wasn't thinking about the way
we held hands in the car
wasn't thinking about the way
you didn't leave your mark

I stopped thinking about the way
your love brought such delight
the things you whispered to me
as you held me in the night
all the kisses you bestowed
when you held me so tight

I keep wandering on the beach
not thinking about these things
not the song my phone would play
you had that special ring
it has all but disappeared
with the song my heart would sing

the sea is rushing in
and it whispers a love song
that echoes in my heart
when I think about what went wrong
the short time you were here
a long time you've been gone

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Modification

Now some time off for myself
Thinking about a change
A new life, more exciting
A lot needs rearranged

Woke up in the morning
On that very first day
Did absolutely nothing
Neither work nor play

On the second day I thought
I will make a list
All the things I want to change
All the things I’ve missed

By evening, I’m still sitting
The paper is blank and clean
Don’t know where my mind’s at
Can’t put down what I mean

Third day, now I’m thinking hard
Paper still in hand
No thoughts are coming to me
Nothing here to plan

This is just ridiculous
I thought I was a mess
A lot that needed fixing
But now I feel I’m blessed

I guess I just needed vacation
To rest my mind and soul
My life is actually very good
I think I’m hitting goals

No mending, no repairing
No modification here
Keep on pushing forward
My mind and soul are clear

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

lighthouse

my thoughts are very broken
emptiness echoes inside
resounding against my soul
unwilling to subside

focusing on this pain
the only thing I feel
left here raw and bleeding
a heart refusing to heal

did I let you down?
not give you what you need?
did I hurt you, sweetest friend?
not live up to your beliefs?

no sunny days will greet me
no stars will light my night
no lunar glow will guide me
all that is now denied

will you leave me adrift
on this sea where all is black
with no beam from the lighthouse
to show me the way back

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

out of time

do you think that it was luck
said your time was almost up
studying this page
interesting reading
a mystery to unravel

a surprise in a small package
a present for your soul
a gift for your mind
tied up with pretty ribbon
waiting to be unwrapped

it wasn't just luck
kismet more like it
the stars aligned
when the two worlds collided
the things you see in me
are hiding in you as well

with sleight of hand
you may try to disappear
my smoke and mirror trick
that will always keep you near
I can see it all
a prophecy foretold

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Unrequited

U - unreciprocated
N - never
R - rebuffed
E - empty
Q - quietus
U - useless
I - ignored
T - torn
E - eradicated
D - destroyed

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

through the rocky soil

after winter’s cold
shooting up past barriers
a tulip now grows

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

my heart needs a song

can you sing one just for me
a song of promise
a song of passion
a song about you and me

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

subtleties

I caught that look in your eyes
one you thought I didn't see
but I was paying attention
to all those subtleties

you hold me at arms length
and keep your feelings in check
I think it's a contradiction
that you're less than direct

I'm standing at the station
this train is about to leave
give me something to hang on to
other than what's perceived

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

tears fall

as your world falls apart
I try to put you together again
just like before

as your heart breaks
I try to capture all the pieces
and reconstruct it

as your tears fall
I try to catch them all
and bring back your sun

as your love incinerates
I try to put out the flames
and salvage some for your future

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

can't

can’t change the flow of the river
can’t change the course of the storm
can’t change the way this is going
no way I can turn this around

can’t turn the tide in the ocean
can’t pull the stars from the sky
can’t keep the moon from rising
no matter how hard I strive

can’t keep the wind from blowing
can’t make the warm sun shine
can’t stop the way I’m feeling
don’t want to even try

can’t stop the flood of emotion
can’t heal the heart that breaks
can’t dry the tears I’m crying
won’t make a difference anyway

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Return

laying awake
as I always do
the moon shining
a silver, frosty glow
washing my room
with the lunar light
not a comfort
as it should be
instead, it makes me
miss you more, when
under the same glow
passion stirred and peaked
and the loneliness stays
here in this room
waiting for your return

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Runaway Train

Out of control
Like a runaway train
No one to turn to
Or ease this pain

Speeding forward
Past all of the stops
The brake isn’t working
Running till I drop

All of the past lessons
Are not helping now
This time it is different
No help with why or how

I know I can’t keep going
I know there is a turn
I know it won’t be long
Before I crash and burn

Trying to get control
Before I go off track
Even prayers aren’t helping
There is no lit way back

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

shaken

your heart is shaken
it's perspective now jaded
no strength to move on

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Daughter

We fight, like kids
I’m on your level in a heartbeat
It’s was always like this

I have more experience
I have been where you are
I know how you feel

Why do you ask
If you don’t want to know
If you don’t want an answer

Let me protect you
Help you through this
Do my job

Where you are concerned
I want what’s best
I can’t turn my head, my heart

You manipulate, and avoid
That is what you always do
I know this about you, always have

You always want to run
Take the easy way out
Give in and give up

I won’t let you this time
I can’t do it this time
Don't ask me to

So I push and I push hard
Just like when you were little
That daughter, will never change

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Not a Children’s Rhyme

Could you, would you start this thing
Could you, would you make me sing
Could you put your hands right here
Could you make your position clear

Could you, would you unbutton this
Could you, would you with a kiss
Could you remove my jacket like so
Could you do it really slow

Could you, would you remove my belt
Could you hurry before I melt
Could you, would you undo this snap
Could you move closer, there's too much gap

Could you, would you take more care
Could you move over, you're pulling my hair
Could you, would you turn off the light
Could you love me with all your might

Could you, would you take your time
Could you make me feel sublime
Could you, would you slowly ignite
Could you, would you stay the night

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

The Right Moves

It’s like having it all
In the grasp of your hands
Owning the world
Making your stand

It’s like the feeling that comes
When everything is right
Planets all aligned
Future looks bright

It’s like knowing yourself
Making all the right moves
Mistakes in the past
Doing what’s right for you

It’s like doing your best
And being precise
And it all comes together
When you roll the dice

It’s like taking the chance
Laying it on the line
Getting more than you planned
In this lifetime

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just one word

I said I loved you
but I lied
there is so much more
I hold deep inside

just one word
is not enough
to tell it all
to sum it up

expressed in kisses
and when we embrace
expressed in passion
and many countless ways

it’s in my eyes
it’s on my mind
it’s in my heart
spirit and soul entwined

I said I loved you
but I lied

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

silver cord

to be in your heart
I’ll give it my all
removing all doubts
to make you fall

turn your head
turn your heart
turn you around
for a new start

put you completely
under my spell
it won’t take much
I can tell

tie you to me
with a silver cord
wrapping you up
with whispered words

to be in your heart
I’ll give it my all
it shouldn’t take much
to make you fall

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no rainbow

a monsoon blows in
face wet, raindrops blend with tears
the rainbow absent

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

swan song

the libretto not completed
a score that’s not quite through
a title not yet chosen
there’s so much more to do

a half completed opera
an aria that’s unsung
the curtain has not risen
waiting for the maestro’s baton

paint still wet on scenery
it’s taking much too long
doesn’t matter anyway
not ready for my swan song

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

fairytale

my mom read me a story
bout a girl and a shoe
and how if it fit just right
she would live happily ever after
I think she called it a fairytale

now you are standing at my door
a box in your hand containing one shoe
you kneel down and slide the slipper on
a perfect fit, made for me
I'm ready for my happily ever after

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Math

Not a mathematician
Numbers not my game
But this beautiful equation
Still adds up just the same

I do know what pi is
Took all the algebra course’s
Don’t know why I needed it
It is not my main resource

I know all the templates
And the hypotenuse
I know all the angles
I’ve studied hard about you

I can do the numbers
My math is very good
You and me we do add up
Just like I thought we would

No degrees off center
No compass or T square
A draftsman is not needed
We’re already there

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.