You & I

When the rainbow appears
After the storm passes by

When the final note is played
After the last verse is sung

When the amen comes
At the end of the prayer

When the snow thaws away
And the flowers reappear

When the fog rolls away
And the warm sun shines

When your soul finally heals
 There will be you and I

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

No Redemption

He goes in for liquor
Other shoppers pull away
He knows he is dirty
From begging all day

He uses the cash
From the hot day's work
Not for food or necessities
But to buy a few quarts

He hates what he is
The way his life died
All that he’d dreamed of
And all of his pride

He’d lost it all
For all that he cared
A family and position
A life he revered

It didn’t take long
For it to evaporate
He could barely remember
When his life was not gray

So he takes the full bottles
And heads to the shelter
Another bed not his own
In this life’s helter skelter

He drinks the first bottle
So that he can sleep
To block out the memories
That plague him so deep

He knows not redemption
He has spiraled too far down
As he tosses the empty
Opens the second with a frown

He walks into the refuge
With the others, same as he
All outcasts and lonely
And with unanswered pleas

He thinks of his family
And has one last prayer
To look after and protect them
Since he is not there

He closes his eyes
For dreams that won’t come
From a life of devastation
A life that is numb

In the early dawn hours
The priest says a prayer
For the homeless, cold body
That is left laying there

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

gathering speed

I check your progress, you're gathering speed
trying real hard to overtake me
I've been there before--won't slow down
my smile turns quickly, to a frown

you had your chance and blew it bud
don't come here and fire more scuds
the light in the tunnel is growing dim
I don't care if you sink or swim

never a leader, although you tried
with a quick smile--wink of an eye
I saw through the shroud of fear
waiting and watching when you appeared

self confidence withers and finally dies
storm clouds form in the blue sky
talk to my back, my ears won't listen
these are lips you won't be kissin'

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

No Recovery

When the only thing that’s left
Is coldness and no love
There’s no way you can change it
No band aid big enough

When the only thing that’s left
Is bitterness and pride
You’re both tired of trying
And all the love has died

When the only thing that’s left
Is fighting, bad feelings and spite
No going back, no recovery
A relationship not right

Then the only thing that is left
Is to move forward and cry
Wish each other well
Get on with your life

Super hero

your super hero shield doesn't work
I got through didn't I?
though small that I am
I left an impression
you will think of me once in awhile
and smile or not
you will remember I was there

because I was!

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

Beguiled

Lying in the darkness
Just before dawn’s light
Watching you there sleeping
Memorizing the sight

The way your mouth is curving
In a half moon smile
Pulling at my heart strings
Leaving me beguiled

Turning over towards me
You feel for where I lay
Wrap your arms around me
Let’s stay here all day

It is these special moments
That all seems good and right
In these early moments
Just before dawn's light

no goodbye

there is no goodbye
no, till next time
or see you soon
not a sentiment
expressed in any way
which cuts me deep
and wounds my heart
a slight that hurts
like a betrayal
of my emotions
felt by one
and one alone

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

Conquest

The conquest didn’t take that long
Your mark’s defenses down
Wanting an adventure
A heart that was unbound

You started with flirtation
Her heart then starts to follow
Spinning her direction
A rogue in a knight’s armor

Unabashed you turn her head
And swoop in for the kill
She’ll never know what hit her
She’s given up all will

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

Inner Peace

The sun sets slowly to the west
My home is far away
The dusk comes gently to the beach
An end to another day

Walking on the desolate sand
The sea now gently rolls
The tide far out, leaving shells and pools
And calmness for my soul

A time of deep reflection
My thoughts come fast and clean
Whenever I am here the sea
has this affect on me

Chart a new course for my life
Direction easy and true
Answers for my questions
That I’m able to think through

A full moon rises over the sea
As stars light up the night
the sea, the beach, the calmness
Will stay here inside of me

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

Things I Couldn't Say

there are things I couldn't tell you
when we sat and talked that day
although we talked for hours
'bout what was goin' on
there were things I couldn't say

then was not the time to express the way I feel
timing wasn't perfect for what I needed to tell
now the chance may never come around
but I hope someday it will
there were things I couldn't say

so I keep it all bottled up inside
may have to take it with me, on the day I die
I hope I get just one more chance
to confess it all to you
the things I want to say

the things I need to say

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

inside

in the depths of your smile
I see happiness and joy
in the twinkle of your eyes
I see promise and fun
inside your soul
I see sincerity and safety
inside your heart
I see all need

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

Life In The Fast Lane

Living in the fast lane
No time to slow down
I like it crazy

Always moving quickly
I push the envelope
Not going to change

Making decisions on the cuff
Always works out right
I am lucky

Got to keep it rolling
Don’t want to change
You need to keep up

Roll with the changes
Change is good
At least for me!

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

I thought I knew you

your thoughts and feelings
but the feelings aren’t for me
erroneous slip

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

Let Me

In our very special place
You give your love to me
Shaking the very core of my existence

The way you touch me
Mind, body, soul
Fortifies me

The way you know what I need
Is miraculous and astounding
You amaze me

Let me do these things for you
Let me complete you
As you complete me

about me

some would say that I'm aloof
remaining silently detached
some things I've said
or things I've done
I wish I could retract

lightning blazes across dark sky
silver linings sometime fray
thunder shakes the atmosphere
before it starts a drenching rain

they follow me on facebook
on twitter they subscribe
they read my every thought and word
to see what's on my mind

poetry that often flows
bitter are some lines
haiku express with shorten verbs
of  other fun filled times

I used to read into every verse
looking for mentions of me
I should have known indifference
would cause the wounds to bleed

follow me in confusion
I know the only truth
what I pen, beginning to end
is more about me than you

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

retreat

too blind to see the obvious facts
as I push them all into my backpack
without a look or sideways glance
I move forward, away from this dance

painfully putting them all away
burying deep, this time to stay
no more hoping, wishes foreign
from this heart now tattered and torn

around the corner, down the street
you head forward, there's no retreat
sensing moods now gray and dark
those splintered words
that breach your heart
Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

shooting star

saw a shooting star
burning bright in the night sky
too quick for a wish

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

Not Trying

I’m not trying to take you
Where you don’t want to go
Not trying to make you feel
Something you don’t

I’m not trying to confuse
The thoughts in your mind
My feelings not a puzzle
They are clear and defined

I’m not trying to sway
Your heart towards me
When you’ve already said
We can never be

I’m not trying to move you
To a future where there’s none
But if you looked deeply
You’ll see there is one

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

Things

Laying by the ocean
Sands so smooth and white
Staring at a cloudless sky
Contemplating life

Thinking of the things I’ve said
And things I left undone
Things I should have started
Things to be begun

Maybe I’ll just stay here
Resting on the shore
Just let life care for itself
No worries anymore

Truth

I looked into your blue eyes
To see if there was truth
To see the way you really feel
To understand your mood

You veiled your eyes to shield me
Thought that I wouldn’t see
What you were about to tell me
Was not how it should be

Trying to protect me
Though you will break me heart
Telling me what I want to hear
Instead of tearing me apart

Your blue eyes can not save me
From what we know is true
That maybe we weren’t meant to be
And I am not for you

So just go on pretending
Covering up the lies
Hoping I won’t see it
The lie in your blue eyes

stories

tell me a story
you say with a grin
I'm making one up
as you settle in
no interruptions
not one word from you
and a duck and a car
is what soon imbrues
you smile your smile
and never once stir
now tell me another
and again I concur
two or three stories
your eyes start to close
your head on my shoulder
as you quietly dose
holding you tightly
my heart filled with joy
at the pleasures I'm sharing
with this little boy

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

Brilliant Disguise

My brilliant disguise
What I want you to see
Only that

I can’t show you everything
There is too much
Hidden away

Take what I show you
Love me for that
Nothing else

nothing left

for everything you’ve given
you’ve take twice as much
always about you

worn down and tired
of trying to give you all
I have nothing left

the tears have dried
there are no more to cry
finally

I need to step up
take control of my heart
block you from my mind

someday you will see
that you lost a lot
when you lost me

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

Things We Take For Granted

Waking up each morning

A cool breeze on a warm day

The warm sun after weeks of cold weather

A night sky full of stars

The kindness of stangers

An excellent bottle of wine

Really good coffee in the morning

Waking up next to someone you love

A child's laughter

Each other

Our children and our children's children

Love

The future

Life

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

Luck

However did you find me?
A stoke of just pure luck
You knew I needed finding
It was that note you struck

You took the room required
There was a lot of space
Not much rearranging
Just holes that were replaced

You knew the things I wanted
You gave with an open heart
Not much effort needed
You saw that from the start

You grace my life with loving
The strength and peace I require
You ask for nothing in return
It’s me that you desire

You put me back together
Restored all that was lost
Gave me back my blue sky
With each new day that dawns

No matter how you found me
Thanks for all you gave
Rendering a life renewed
A heart that needed saved

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