surrender

put on this mask and enter the cage

forget the laws, remember your rage

no eye contact, do not engage

history burned, now turn the page

indoctrination of every mind

start with the kids already blind

no one able shall struggle, decline

your road ahead will be assigned

turn in your weapons, every gun

you'll have no need when we are done

if you fight you will be shunned

our web is big, already spun

rob the poor to feed the rich

we already own that little niche

don't be a baby, don't be a bitch

turn on your family, be a snitch

yes, indoctrination is our game

you only have yourself to blame

get close to fire, feed our flame

here is your number surrender your name 

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

truth

if what I read held any truth
if it was about me
instead of about you
if it was less vague
the things I contemplate
if there were two
just me and you
then it would be worth the price
and I would spend it all

well deserved

you open the throttle and ride hard
miles of open highway
hitting the potholes with your heart

just when you think, that you
are running on empty
your soul finds me

the road becomes smooth
your path well signed
a rest stop, well deserved

the sign says

adopt a highway
I choose the one to your heart
discarding debris

quips

to the east, you read every word
to the north, not a peep is heard
in my heart a deficit 
do I give more than I’ll ever get

on Facebook I leave zinging quips
on twitter, truth seeps from my lips
in between, there lives a gap
filled with lustrous, throaty gasps

in my prose I write with thought
sometimes loved, sometimes not
no music to the lyrics yet
write it soon ‘fore I forget

doubt

so many there before me
like rings inside a tree
each left a different taste behind
on your tongue and memory

how do I climb the ladder
that’s missing too many rungs?
how do I crawl inside the mind
where all the portraits are hung?

some have been deleted
but they left behind a trace
at night when you are sleeping
I can see them in your face

I dream of misconception
until the dawn’s fresh light
the sun shines on refreshment
a chance to get it right

trust lays on the coverlet
but it’s too hot to use
a sheet covers up a body
with one leg moving loose

I throw a log on the fire
lighting a candle so we can see
the shadows flickering slightly
on the wall in front of me

can I erase the legend
that all of them point out?
am I just another flavor
have you any doubts?

short song

running out of time
never words that sometimes rhyme
poetry is my song

hooked

gingerly, you touched the wounds
tracing a line from inside to out
healing what was broken
knowing what was needed
and when
carefully, not applying
any pressure
biding your time
until that exact moment;
the very second I was hooked.
you reeled me in

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

aimless

you couldn't find what you were looking for
not with Suri or any map
not that you were ever
any good at navigation

you seek it
thinking you will recognize it
when it hits you in the face
a collision of thoughts

what if you had it
and you let it escape?
wandering aimlessly from
saguaro to saguaro

blind as a bat

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

denial

I couldn't keep it a secret
I bit my tongue and tried
I waited for you to say it
but it gushed from deep inside
spilling out of places
I'd showed but
tried to hide
now you know the secret
it's too late to deny
you didn't turn and run
instead you fortified
everything I give you
is said, not just implied

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

biking

two wheels on pavement
scenery that stretches miles
long time since I rode

shall we dance?

my dance card is full
every space on every line
all reserved by you

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

Consequence

I was paying attention 

Though that isn’t the way it seems 

This was really all about you 

Though you said it was all about me 

The consequences that are rendered 

From the strong vibes that you gave

Not listening to my feelings 

Feelings I can’t repay 

Not enough time to get it right 

Not enough space for me 

I’m feeling all closed in on 

That’s not how it should be 

Stretching me beyond my means 

Whether that’s your intent or not

I need to separate myself 

Cause this stress is all I’ve got 

Didn’t mean for it to go this far

I’m sorry for any pain 

I may be making a big mistake 

Right now though nothing remains

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

A Star Haiku

A star that rises

Glowing brightly for a time

Before the burn out

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

Addicted Haiku

Ok you got me 

I'm sucked in and addicted 

Rough climb but short fall

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

dust

I sneeze from all of the dust
I pulled things from the past
that were better left undisturbed
what can I say?

most think what one doesn't know
will not hurt you
I think the opposite is true
I would rather know all...
ask the questions...
put it to sleep...

now I lay awake each night
dream the nightmares when I sleep
wondering, wondering
ghosts of the past linger
a black apparition
slinking around my thoughts

I don't know
I don't remember
I don't think so
I thought I did
no resolution

the only feeling

memories come back and they may find me
they don't shine as bright
not like the ones we make today
what once meant something means nothing at all

I'd be lying if I said it didn't mean a thing
it'd be a sin to say it wasn't so
high above what once could have been
on a mountain cloud is where I drift

I'll take being with you a minute in time
over what fades in and out of my head
I'll take stars in your eyes over any moon phase
what we have now is the only place for me

today and tomorrow is what glows brightly
no shadows stretch across this feeling
loving and being loved by you
the only feeling I ever need

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

Play It Safe

Play it safe 

Build a wall 

Protect the heart 

Play it safe 

Think it through

Protect the heart 

Play it safe 

Go with your instinct 

Protect the heart 

Play it safe

Don’t engage

Protect the heart 

Play it safe 

Too much at risk 

Protect the heart 

Play it safe 

Follow rules above 

Be alone forever!

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

i'd rather be:

happy than sad 

glad than mad 

up than down

in than out 

smiling than frowning 

smart than dumb 

hopeful than hopeless 

honest than a cheat

thoughtful than thoughtless 

truthful than a liar 

interesting than dull 

insightful than blind 

courageous than a coward 

sophisticated than naive

knowledgeable than uninformed

deep than shallow 

bold than timid 

conspicuous than invisible 

loving than hating

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

baby, you've got my attention

how'd you do it? you turned my head 

the rest had given me up for dead

maybe they didn't have what it takes 

giving up was a big mistake 

baby, you've got my attention 

how'd you make my heartbeat stop? 

fillin' my cup to the very top 

your boots 'n bike and sweet, sweet kiss

I didn't know it could be like this 

baby, you've got my attention 

how'd you know I'd fall for you?

that look you give that sees right through 

all the windows and doors I've shut 

your fresh breeze that opens them up 

baby, you've got my attention

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

not enough for me

a little bit of missing you 

goes a long, long way 

a little bit of missing your kissing 

leaves me feeling gray 

a little bit of wanting you 

makes me hungrier than you can perceive 

just a little bit of you

just isn't enough for me 

can't imagine not always 

having your love to make my day 

can't imagine the way I ache 

when we are separated 

can't imagine my heart break

or all of those old cliches' 

can't imagine how many times 

those loving moments replay 

it's only been a few hours 

but it feels like days and days 

it's too long to be without you, 

that's what my heart says 

it's too long 'til I see you, 

though it's just a few minutes away 

yeah, a little bit of missing you 

goes a long, long way 

just a little bit of you, 

just isn't enough for me no,

just a little bit of you 

will never be enough for me 

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

the range

from the highest peak 

to the low, cool valley below 

stretched out as far as I can see 

I ride the range of your love 

tumbleweeds blow in the desert wind 

monsoons come with lightning and thunder 

but consistency and a gentleness 

fence in the boundaries of my heart 

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

our picture

on my messy desk 

our picture smiles from its frame 

and so does my heart

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

that day you were born

that day creeps forward...that day you were born 

with memories behind me I've crawled slowly forward

no longer in dreams, nor can I remember your voice 

I remember your words and how you left without choice 

do you rest easy from your cloud in the sky? 

with angels and harps do you see from up high? 

do you watch me and smile or look down in dread? 

can you send me a message when I'm over my head? 

I once thought I lost your little metal tag 

it's off of my keyring secure in my bag 

we may not have always seen eye to eye 

but I always felt your love and will 'til I die 

no time for farewell or even one last kiss 

did you know you were going and what we would miss? 

one last time I viewed you laying cold and still

it plays on this day and always will 

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

footsteps

do I play the smallest part?

footprints left inside your heart 

is there any room for me? 

there, inside of you 

was there once "what could have been?" 

when you see me once again 

I think it's more the other way 

out of sight, out of mind 

forbidden fruit that's always in season 

illicit thoughts there ripe and pleasing 

oozing juices that are sweet 

that is the stuff of many dreams 

did I play the smallest part? 

minuscule footsteps in your heart 

was there ever room for me? 

there, inside your heart

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

in it

on your way to someone else 

we met on a train and did converse 

the things you whispered in my ear 

were meant for no one else to hear 

you kissed me, I kissed you back 

that's when the train went off the track

all has changed for you and me

that is what I'm led to believe 

we play the game without the hurt 

forget the others as we flirt 

and we love without the rules 

forget the others that we fool 

there is only you and I 

and the limit is the sky 

I will take it to the limit 

for this love with you and I in it 

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

so far

so far the path is 

flower strewn and smooth 

so quick come the feelings 

my heart has for you 

so close the lives 

that connect and wind 

so easy the love 

that I sought and now find 

so complete is the way 

I find and I feel 

so distant the past 

now easily healed

so sweet are the dreams 

that now come with the moon

so real in the morning 

when I wake next to you

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

danger?

no danger awaits 

unless the pain of too much love 

is fatal to your heart

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

a new song

love plays a new song 

and it's soft and sweet

although I can't read music 

I feel what's played for me

this beautiful sonnet 

with its own special score 

I hear in my head 

and lock in my heart 

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

there were those

if I wanted less, I could have settled
always wondering
if I should have waited
a full return;  more is all I wanted

there were those who wouldn't understand
they couldn't be part of all my plans
wanting full flavor instead of
a half empty, savorless cup

I'm sorry if nothing I did was for you
stagnant nothing, what was I to do--except
search it out, hunt with reckless ardor
the trophy well worth my quest

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

exhausted

I was fresh out of puppets and crayons
the flow charts not flowing
all workarounds exhausted
I tried everything to make you see
what was happening
but, as usual
it was all about you
waiting until
I slammed the door on you
not quick enough
to get your foot in
because...
you had to pull it
out of your mouth first

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

just thoughts

my thoughts of you would fill--
the sky with stars
the oceans with fish
the beach with sand
my heart with love

and yet...
I still need more examples

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

let's go (8/10/2021 - 8/16/2021 NM)

I need a road trip
miles and miles of open road
and just you n me

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

accused

I stand accused of over thinking
convicted of over reacting
guilty on both counts...
but one party always does
in any relationship

while the plaintiff's lackadaisicalness
allows them to sit back
participating only when
the defendant starts to retreat
offering a small gesture
of caring to keep them in their
velvet prison

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

Magic!

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

not a princess

I am not a princess
no kingdom by the sea
I gave up on fairy tales
or they gave up on me
the shoe was the wrong color
or it just did not fit
there was only one of them
that was the gist of it

my hair was never long enough
to drop from the ivory tower
my apples were not poisoned
to make me sleep for hours
I couldn't feel the pea
nestled under the covers
no, I'm not a princess
my outlook now is dour

not a knight upon a horse
did I see riding by
wishes filled my buckets
hope has all but died
are you out there somewhere?
my one and only that's true
inside are all my longings
as I wait here just for you

once I thought I found him
disingenuous was his game
cracks grew in the brick façade
it turned out just the same
with telescope I sit here
and look in all directions
for my one and only
happily ever after perfection

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

whole

in between under covers kisses 

you tell me how much you missed me

in between the hugs and the lovin 

I tell you just the same

the ceiling fan spins and it all unwinds 

the pent-up passion from a few short days 

equal parts coming together 

to make us once more whole 

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

words unspoken

for all of the feelings I hid away 

words unspoken, I will not say 

what will happen if that dam breaks 

spilling them all over you

all of these words that I held too close 

bubble up till I think I will choke 

I speak to the shadows...talk to the ghosts 

all that remains of you 

every hour of every single day 

I fight the urge to whisper your name 

the levy is cracking, I'm afraid it will break

secure just for the moment in this place 

I fall from you forgetting those words 

that didn't ring true and you never heard 

what else is there? what else could I can do?

but bury them deep inside 

thinking that love would finally play fair 

a tower of ivory to secure them all there 

my passport stamped with nothing to declare 

all of this left behind... 

words you could not find 

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

tumbleweed

my mind drifts...

a tumbleweed in the wind 

blowing across open desert

bouncing over past thoughts 

briefly lingering in prickly places 

unsettled dreams with thorny consequence

aimless is the trail 

it wanders...

spiny twigs left as memories fail 

a trail of broken remembrances 

in hot sand

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

I love you

we met by accident 

or was it fate 

either way leaves

this honey sweet taste 

dreams of us in our special place 

moonlight shining from angel's grace 

I lick my lips and want even more 

filling a place left empty from before

 passion stirs with every touch 

loving that I want so much 

painted in flowing, vibrant strokes 

every thought is "I love you"

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

before you

you have more than anyone before you 

yours on celluloid 

mine in my mind 

the liberties you take 

the ones I concede 

sensual pleasure not framed 

you have given more than anyone before you 

yours from your heart, mine from mine 

the love you take 

the love I give 

pressed like a rose in a book 

I love you more than anyone before you 

you say the same to me

 hearts entwine 

flowers bloom from the vines 

fragrant all that we share 

love, at last grows here

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

The Valley

The Valley was not always green, like the name implied. During the hot summer months, in-between the months of monsoon, my soul would dry and crack. Not unlike the deep desert washes that surrounded the small village. (Start of a book?) mjb

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

through my eyes

it’s not about just what makes sense
lyrics formed in proper tense
minced then spliced,  poured into verse
this life that we are rehearsing

it’s not about who reads or not
your money’s worth is what you’ve got
what did you expect for free?
it’s not about what you believe

it’s not about haiku or rhyme
I’m still editing all the time
wondering if I’ve any left
your comments say I am adept

it’s not about the  days of storms
or the cold nights I couldn’t get warm
it’s all about what I believe
through my eyes—the way I see it

our dim past

I can rehang and rearrange
add my pictures to all of yours
make your house a home for two
that's what I am trying to do

some old photos just don’t fit
or memory behind the photographer’s lens
what was the thought that put them there
hidden now behind heaven’s stair

in cold storage goes the rest
some of yours and some of mine
even if I could delete
erasing would be quite a fete

encumbered, feelings hanging low
like monsoon clouds in desert sky
overthinking as I speed fast
broken hearts from our dim past

if I fall

if I fall, will you go with me? 

holding my hand so I'm not afraid 

like the jerking reaction before I sleep 

if I fall, will you go with me? 

if I offer my heart, will you take it?

treasure and keep it safe from harm

locking it tightly inside of yours 

if I offer my heart, will you take it?

 

if I fall, will you go with me? 

holding my hand so I'm not afraid 

I shouldn't have to fall alone

if I fall, will you go with me? 

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

for Mary

without a whimper 

she closes her eyes 

slipping away peacefully 

into the night 

leaving a spot of darkness 

behind in the night 

a new star will blind 

we can look and find her there

ever present in our prayers 

rest, dear one, rest

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

in the end

it all just depends 

which end of the stick you hold 

both lose in the end

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

before I sleep

I lay in the dark in this sweet place 

hear the train whistle, 

long and mournful 

taking some where they don't want to go

taking others to those they miss 

I hear the dog laying next to me 

snoring peacefully, dreaming a dream 

maybe she's chasing a rabbit 

or digging a bone 

maybe something else; 

only she knows 

I feel your heart beating 

against my back 

feel your breath, 

warm and even

 before I sleep in this sweet place 

I place a kiss on your sleeping face

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

I've got...

a license to drive and for concealed carry
one for the dog and the day we married
a passport to take me near or far
to travel by plane or boat or car

a permit to hunt when the season is right
early in morning or late twilight
a diploma for time I spent at school
and one from college, I'm no fool

most of these used day to day
some to keep the wolves at bay
in every state, I guess I'm legal
and they make me feel quite regal

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

dusk and dawn

mistletoe choking the mesquite
rambling, aimless through dense trees
jackrabbits, taller than my knees
dust and pollen make me sneeze

layers of clothes to keep me warm
bees are buzzing in a swarm
weather clear, no chance of storms
lets head this way you inform

scouting for javalina tracks
I think they're way behind our backs
avoiding all the desert cracks
adjusting straps on my backpack

for one week we hit the trails
morning, evening without fail
sometimes slowly like a snail
kicking up the coveys of quail

but that season's come and gone
we see deer and baby fawn
knowing soon we'll sing their song
you and I, at dusk and dawn

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

royal flush

I eliminate the manipulators
the ones who hold nothing for me
people with empty promises
a wink of an eye
with holds barred
vows of injustice 

while playing the hand
held close to the chest
without good intention
a strong poker face
not knowing...
my cards were better
as I lay down a
Royal Flush

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