October 2024
Bio Note: After spending the past 20 years creating wonderful buildings and spaces, I have recently embarked on a journey to share “Poetry and Art for the Rest of Us” with the masses. Coming from a blue-collar family, I was never exposed to “real” art or poetry in my youth. I worked hard to earn numerous academic and merit-based scholarships and worked my way through college, teaching art to children and adults through programs that provided opportunities for under-served communities to create art. My new mission is simple: to provide art and poetry to the world at large, regardless of their backgrounds, education, or status.
You look in the mirror
And what do you see?
You stare into the empty abyss
Where your eyes used to be
You get lost in your thoughts
You get lost in your fears
You are drowning inside
You can’t get out of here
You’re running now
Panting is all you hear
You’re running now
The monsters are near
They claw at your heart
They pierce your soul
You can’t stop them
You’re losing control
Your head is a maze
With no way out
You’re dying inside
You scream. You shout.
The broken mirror
The shattered glass
Fragmented reflections of nobody
Tiny pieces of who you used to be
Your voice silenced by the pain you feel
The screams you hear are no longer real
You’re deaf. You're dumb.
You’re mute forevermore.
Editor's Note: If this poem(s) moves you please consider writing to the author (email address above) to say what it is about the poem you like. Writing to the author is what builds the community at Verse Virtual. It is very important. -JL