Sarah Flanigan - Poetry Simply Put

She wears her scars with honor
No beauty there
No flowers of fragrant grace
No sunshine memories airborne and beaming
Her pennant colored by each criticism
That reduced her size bit by bit
The stains left by tears for her father
Tattoo her heart.

Copyright 2011

Tags: dark, my heart, original poetry, words without pity

Everyone has a story
That old saw is a favorite mutter -
a tried and truism

But we do have our own stories
of failure
of success
of getting by - by getting along

Of making choices that led us astray
and decisions that led to wonder
and I can’t fucking believe this…

But we keep the story to ourselves
because no one asks
Because there is only time to tell
our own stories
our own regrets and mistakes
missteps and meanderings

Only time to tweet and post to the wall
favorite and stumble
the many details that must be
disseminated
in hopes of the hotly contested
15 minutes

And if we wonder, we do it in passing
Filling in the blanks with our own experiences -
rejecting the reality with our
own lack of resume

Am I my brothers keeper?
Cain didn’t think so and neither do most of us
And when we do, the ACLU
ensures we pay the price for our curiosity
and invasions of helping hands

If Oprah or CNN doesn’t care
if it’s not on The View or the Daily Show
if it doesn’t expose colossal frailties and weaknesses
it’s none of our business
We don’t need to know
And it’s time to move on to
the reality show of choice
Reality that is scripted and real only
to those vying for the prize

But everyone has a story and
if you ask and you really want to know
people will tell you

copyright 2010

Tags: if, Life, original poetry, secrets, words without pity

When hello is goodbye
I chase after them
to be my friends
I let go and there
is nothing there
I fall and no one
catches me

When I love you
is I hate you
betrayal is an odd
acquaintance
Doubt is the daily
drink
Confusion guides
all decisions

When the past
is your comfort
the eyes miss
the moment
the now slips by
unnoticed
and tears
never stop

copyright 2009

Tags: deceit, goodbye, imitation, Life, Love, original poetry, secrets, words without pity

You only wanted me
until you had me
until I said yes
until I was yours
forever

You only loved me
from very afar
at arm’s length
in your mind
from the world of what if?

You only touched me
when I wasn’t there
when I couldn’t respond
when it no longer mattered

You only needed me
until I needed you
until I reached out
until I proved imperfect
flawed
and unlovable

copyright 2009

Tags: dark, imitation, Love, my heart, original poetry, words without pity

Words
the enemy
cutting
fresh blood and
new bruises
Shining the
light
darkly
on the mess
that is
Me
Gouging
fairy
tales
and happy
endings
Laughing at
self-deceit
Crying
I catch them
scratching at
mind
begging entry
to
wreak
wicked
schemes
Promising to
behave
and splash
beautiful
images across
pages
In the last
moment
they dash to
their own freakish
nightmare
and drag me
screaming
along with
Them.

copyright 2008

Tags: dark, Poetry, words without pity