Unremarkable

I dream that the lines I write
And the words I say
Will shake the earth
And turn the universe upside down.
I want to change the world,
And with every sentence,
Alter the way humanity thinks.
I don't want to settle for
Unremarkable.

I want to make a difference in the world. I want things to be better because I existed. I want to pour myself out into others. I want the things I make and say and do to change people.

Better Judge

Please, don't tell me
How I feel,
Or what I need to do.
You mean well,
But I guarantee,
I'm a better judge
Than you.

This was my 30th poem for National Poetry Writing Month 2012. I wrote this because I felt like I was being condescended to and brushed me off by friends, authorities, and generally everyone. I feel like this applies to a lot of situations though. If you notice, the last line is one letter (k) away from saying "Thank you." That is to emphasize that the advice/critique is unwanted.

Staring Is Rude

Today I found a photo
Of us.
Of you and me.
(I found a photo that we're both in.)

I always hated that picture
Because quite frankly,
Neither of us looked
At the camera
Or that good individually
(Or together.)

I had stupid lines
From an uneven tan
That I got
In an ugly swim suit.
(I've sworn off tanning since.)

You had a stupid smirk
Because you were intent on
Being sad all the time,
But I make people feel better.
(So you couldn't help it.)

Your dad's unfashionable tie
Was trying to match
My cheap prom dress
But failing miserably,
(And his suit was swallowing you.)

I couldn't help but stare
At the train wreck we documented,
So representational of how we were,
That you somehow loved.
(Until we broke up and you sent it back.)

I can't afford
Wasting time like that,
So I made myself
Shred that horrible keepsake.
(Only now, I'm staring at the shredder.)

This is the reason I avoid cleaning. If you don't clean, you can't find things you want to forget. This is my 19th poem for National Poetry Writing Month 2014. It was recently featured in the world's largest online art community. 

Sandy, Half-Soaked

All I wanted was to lie
On the ground, unmoving,
Until I had strength
To walk on my own again.
But I began to sink as
The rain and lowering tide began
To wash the sand
Right from underneath me,
Without resolve in me to stand.

I had been away so long,
Unresponsive to your calls,
And you were growing anxious.
You wondered where I was,
Just hoping I was safe.
When you finally stumbled upon
Me: sandy, half-soaked.

And you picked me up
Though I indignantly struggled
And kicked at first.
You held me,
Cradling my face on your hands,
And told me
What a pretty face it was.
Quietly rocking me in your arms,
I regained stamina and stood,
Though you kept holding my waist,
So that I won't fall again.

I wrote this for National Poetry Writing Month in 2013, but I wasn't blogging my poems then, and I also didn't finish the whole month of writing poems that year. At the time, I was feeling very overwhelmed by my school responsibilities, which was probably the reason it's got an oceanic theme. (National Poetry Writing Month is right before school gets out.) I also was feeling depressed and self-conscious, but a certain someone special made me feel better. It's raining again today though, and the poem does mention rain. 

It's Raining And I'm A Poet.

Rain.
It's supposed to be
All poetic
And stuff.
And it's raining.
And I'm a poet.
So I should write
About sad feelings,
And heart break,
And tears,
Maybe death even.
Or maybe I should write
About fresh starts,
And sparkly eyes
To match my sparkly lashes,
Or maybe deep reflection
So unlike puddles,
Because it's raining,
And I'm a poet.
But I just feel drenched.
In emotions?
No. Just in.
Rain.

This is my 4th poem for National Poetry Writing Month 2014. Sorry not sorry for the sarcasm. It's raining again today. Rain. Yeah.

Sea of Green

We waded through a sea of green,
Broken up by only pale white, painted lines.
We stared up at the cotton clouds,
With our backs in the grass against the ground,
And wished there were stars in the air.
The sun, low in the skies,
Painted us golden-topaz.
And smiles lit up our eyes
As we passed laughter all around.
We watched as the glowing moon woke up,
And the stars traded shifts with the day;
As the lights came on when the darkness fell,
And the beauty of it stole all our words away.

I wrote this WAY back in 2012. When I wrote this poem, I wanted the lines to flow naturally, like speech. This poem is about youthful, carefree friendship. I also have always liked how summery it is.

we use the secrets in each room

I wrapped well
packaging acid
I make a protein.
organelles;
cells;
organization;
Body.
the
genetic
This code says

"There's a girl,
do
hair
cover only
Blue - gray eyes - green
A small thin lips;
Sometimes freckles.
ID
The upper limit of the mean value
Due to the weight,
The lower limit of the average
Height.

byoelektrisiti it
Reports and information
Some of these data, the bridge fell,
Create a new profile
Regularly,
However, some
Aftershokx pain
process
And there is a problem
Zion care, including
Evaluation system - your own mind. "

I made a glitch poem from my poem "The Secret Code We All Use." I basically ran it (and the title) through Google Translate (I love you, Google.) and lost track completely of all the different languages I was switching through. By the time I turned it back into English, it was so totally different. Kind of like that came "telephone" (or "telegraph" depending on who you ask,) that kids play. I really like how it turned out, though. I had actually never heard of glitch poetry until a few minutes before I made this one. I actually wrote the original fully intending to make a glitch poem with it. The original poem focuses on biotechnologies and how they are unique, but imperfect, and glitchifying it I think enhances the underlying indignation that humans aren't just machines. By the way this is my 23rd poem for National Poetry Writing Month 2014.

The Secret Code We all Use

I am a tightly-coiled
Bundle of amino acids
Making up proteins;
Organelles;
Cells;
Tissues;
Organs.
Somewhere in all of that
Genetic material,
There’s a code that says

“This is a girl,
And she has
Mahogany-brown hair,
Fair skin,
Greenish-bluish-grayish eyes,
Small, thin lips,
And occasional freckles.
She will be
On the upper-end of average
For weight,
And the lower-end of average
For height.

Her bioelectricity
Saves information well,
Even if some data-bridges decay,
And generates new information
On a fairly regular basis,
Even if there are sometimes
Painful aftershocks
From processing so much,
And there’s a glitch in
Her internal support
And auto-evaluation systems.”

This is my 22nd poem for National Poetry Writing Month 2014. I made a glitch poem out of this which I will post next. In the last stanza, I am referencing that I am a creative, that I get migraines, I have scoliosis, and not always a good self-image. (In case that's less obvious.) I'd really love for an English teacher to do an analysis of this poem to see if they notice everything I wrote into this. I made a glitch poem of this poem which can be found here.

Beautifully Human

You are worth so much more
Than grades or good health;
Than rules followed
Or tasks completed.
You are flawed.
You aren't perfect.
But you're human,
And it's beautiful.

You are worth so much more
Than sabotage or sellouts;
Than words whispered
Behind your back.
You are misfit.
You aren't perfect.
But you're human,
And it's beautiful.

This was written for 2 of my friends who have been going through hard times. It was my 29th poem for National Poetry Writing Month 2014.