Verbatim

I want to tell you "fuck you" I do.. But the only words to escape did not describe the hate Seething at the brim of my eyelids Okay, "hate" is strong and mostly inaccurate Because I really only hate feeling so foolish "Fuck this shit" "Fuck me" I can't close these heavy things Without envisioning your smile behind them I want to say any of this to you, But all I could construe From this scene of trite obscenities is "I miss you" And "What did I do?" I've never been so confused As to how somebody could feel as deeply as you do And still turn both eyes blind To the massacre such affections could possibly leave behind Add me to the collection of heartache in your wake Tell me that it was not my love you wished to take Or hers, or hers, or hers.. Tell me about how your disclaimer helps you sleep at night Even though I know it still keeps you up Analyst of all things thought and yet you still cannot

"Things remain dark when you're looking thru closed eyes Blindly crashed and burned after one too many rides Now capsized and broken against salty altlantic tides.. Still, I taste freedom in the wind, Sultry touch of sunshine upon my skin And thru this winding road it's been A slow repentance of my faults and sins, Tho it's been some time since I captured that pretty smile in my Polaroid prints Back when we were on the fence Between living life or death Whispers of hidden truths muttered underneath my breath With a guilty heart pounding symphonies behind my chest Back then I wore it best upon denim patchwork sleeves Rolled up in dried tobacco leaves Still I exhale and release Staying lost in daydreams and moonlight reveries." - R. Darko™ Written 2/17/18

There is a warmth of merriment amongst the winter chill Frost preys upon my pain as it creeps up from the windowsill Mind wanders, sorting through usual stress Buried under paper piles Spending my worthwhile Cleaning someone else's mess Hard to remember around this time How incredibly blessed we are The best lessons are the ones learned without intention Never sought, yet somehow they find us Remind us of a time when winter outlived summer, Dreams outgrew our wonder, Rain drowned out our thunder, And darkness seemed to live on forever Now in the distance, I see a faint green and red glimmer A guiding Light home for every prodigal sinner The colder weather gives us a reason to cuddle up together Appreciate getting close, Enjoy the silence of a first snow Gloved fingers interlacing show The only feeling we should cover up Is the chill between our toes Open up Your arms, your hearts, your home You're not Selfish, overwhelmed, alone Give up (the pursuit o

Cozy like my favorite cardigan, Turned cold as winter chill The kind of weather which calls for a sweater, Making me crave your comfort still.. - rs.darko

If you want me to love you, prepare to be written about Prepare to be addressed infinitely to the souls of others who will recognize you as either the hero, or the villain My most precious piece of heart, the half I choose to stitch into my sleeves Prepare to be my voice box when the salt of tears have corroded my esophagus And my gut has transformed into a pile of wet needles Dive into me instead like a pile of leaves Prepare to be the sun, the moon, and all which surrounds them Prepare to be burned at both ends Whether for blessings or for destruction Be born anew every morning And die again in my arms at night Let me love you Let me make you the thing of dreams and legends Let me whisper of your darkness into naked ears And show them how to bathe in the solace of your Light - rs.darko

He wanted my Light, Then covered his face in the presence of my shadow.. Realizing mine was a mere reflection of his own. That he was the sun burning up in glory, and I was a thief in the night, awake to tell his story.

When he said he needed space, I gave him moons and stars. But nothing was enough to take away the emptiness in between, To replace his desire for distance with a desire to make me his world. I still love him the way the moon loves the sun... From afar, in the shadows where his Light still illuminates me with a blush across my cheeks. ☀️🌎🌙 - rs.darko

I am tired of taking the high road I want to be down in the gutter of your dirt As petty as I am pretty Drowning the sorrows of this hurt With a cold and calloused glass of whiskey

We've been tiptoeing along this edge for too long Flirting with the idea of sacred wrongs I want to memorize your crescendo like a song I like Tempt my tongue with the taste of insight I thought I was well acquainted with this badness, Really just compensation for my love of sadness, Now torture becomes this madness.. Thighs caressed, lips licked wet I beg you to show me what bad is In ways I have yet to imagine, Hungry for my lucid daydreams of you, Come feed me in this time of famine Drench me amidst the desert drought And I'll show you how you quench my thirst from the inside out Bitten lip solace Secrets whispered upon flesh Queen turned Goddess As our molecules entangle and mesh Commanding phallus Tastes of vulnerability and control As I lick labrynths into skin And find my way into your soul You bless me in the satisfaction Of natural reaction Without holding back for fear of distraction I cannot distract that which the spirit commands of me Blaz

I release these tears as to relieve them of their grief. Let them taste the freedom from the black hole which has grown inside me. Absence of Light, where I once was whole. Lightning thief - quickly came and left with the shine they stole. - rs.darko

You don't see me because I am dirty I don't look like you, So you don't look at me, only through.. Still my invisible appearance makes you uncomfortable Jagged fingernails lined in black grime I'd forgotten what clean attention felt like My voice is soft spoken ashamed and unheard Sour breath delivery reveals lack of dental work Not because I don't care but because I haven't had insurance in 3 years And sometimes I don't know if I'll eat I haven't posted the Instagram since then since I got kicked out in the street My parents struggle with their own addictions They no longer have mine to keep Unburdened by the thought of whether I'm back up on my feet

Found myself strolling down a sentimental street With too many complexities plaguing the vibes between you and me I tried to keep it discreet, but there's nothing quiet about my personality Far too much chaos and calamity clammoring underneath And I'm sorry my heart only operates at 250 'Cause where I thought you'd be accepting instead it turn to resenting and now I'm stuck scratching my head at the mess of the state you left me And that nice guy facade you kept defending Well it's clear cellophane now with the cold front you've been sending Honestly I'm done pretending you meant any of what you said Instead of acting like the signs were misread Like I didn't fall for all the bullshit you fed Like I didn't let your feelings fuck with my head But go ahead, Keep preaching that you're retrograded When really you let your flame burn red And now you're burnt out and faded with a heart half dead I always said you'd regret i

It is far too difficult to understand why we pine for those who hurt us, Why we allow our love and energy to be expended on those who will never love us back ..at least not in the way we need to feel healthy and nurtured Just remember that a seed must first break before it sprouts, And that a flower bud needs rain to bloom. -rs.darko

I buried my face in the clothes you left behind Foolishly hoping some scent remained in them for me to miss, Desperately clinging to the fibers like they couldn't accept the terms of our goodbye, Like they couldn't forget the quiver of our last kiss Faded polaroid photos.. Snapshot facades convicted in a thousand lies of happiness Even pictures could see that those memories were never meant to last And finally they and we could rest To be honest, I barely recognize the man from those photos And I've forgotten who that girl is...

Yeah RS.D It could be easy Get caught up in the steez Just remember to breathe Deep, deep, deep, deep.. **** You know I come through with the realness Haters might try to bite and steal this Ay, but they just don't know Exactly what it takes to get up on my level Ha, I been surviving through the struggle Mhmm, and I've been striving through the hustle Hermione Granger when I thought I was a muggle I guess great power takes a while to uncover Now I been conjuring this patronis Getting freaky Girl you know where the patron is Yeah, it's prob'ly up in my fridge How ya think I got myself this beautiful kid? Haha, but to be honest I'm not looking to party Just tryna reacquaint y'all's spirits and bodies Reconnect your soul with the depths of your mind Make sure you remember to always give yourself time To grow, to go, to smoke the 'dro Another day, another dollar, Still seem two cents short Mem'ry bank deposits with nouns and verbs Now

You know it's hard to keep resisting After the first time you leaned over and kissed me For so long I know we both been feeling empty And now it's just so hard to try and keep up with this friend thing You know you're just so tempting The way you like to trace my curves into my leggings I'm feeling open like I'm venting Maybe one night I could show you if you let me Now I can't stop what we done started Pulse racing, pulsating in parts, yeah Made me forget that I was feeling broken-hearted Baby I promise we ain't seen the best part yet..

I am a creator of many things, And a destroyer of more, A curator of admirers Like most collections I have no need for.. I've grown out of this affinity for love and lore Still I pine for distractions whenever I'm bored - rs.darko

A true poet speaks fire, and still is fluent in rain. - rs.darko

PSU 1) Mike Wellington (cancelled - rescheduled to React) 2) "Bob" 3) HealthyDoubts 4) SuchaLovebug 5) Paul Stoddard 6) Mecca Shabaz 7) Erin Horne (cancelled) 8) Stefan Des Lauriers 9) Critical Ways 10) Saara 11) Arleevia 12) Surprise Collaboration Vendors Lil Geek Chase AKKollection Luzs Crowns Piece by Reese Born Winner Live Painter X.Darvi Lineup 6:15-7:00 Soul Cypher 7:00-7:30 Open Mic Bowl 7:30-7:40 Arleevia 7:40-7:50 Stefan Des Lauriers *7:50-8:00 1st Break / Open Mic Bowl* 8:00-8:10 "Bob" 8:10-8:20 Erin Horne (cancelled) *8:20-8:30 2nd Break / OM Bowl* 8:30-8:40 SuchaLovebug 8:40-8:50 Paul Stoddard *8:50-9:00 3rd Break / OM Bowl* 9:00-9:10 Mecca Shabaz 9:10-9:20 Critical Ways *9:20-9:30 4th Break / OM Bowl* 9:30-9:40 Saara 9:40-9:50 HealthyDoubts 9:50-10:00 Vos, Boombiggie , and Spaceman collaboration / Close

Vagina answers to many names But she is only heard when she goes by Pussy Her succulent syllables and lush whispers Drowned out by presumptions and patriarchy Man's voice becomes her own, though he was never chosen Crass and rigid, intrusively phallic and foreign But when her lips part, miracles are spoken Cleansed By blood moon sacrifices for the unbroken History says, Cunt bleeds for man, Man bleeds for country Yet only one shown praise, And given more credit, respect, and money Isn't it funny? We do not speak of blood unless it is shed from violent acts, Or from the dripping of needles, Withdrawn nation shakes Eating pills to relax Mother's womb aches So she coddles them back And as they return to her soil, White clouds obscure to black She lays back staring into the splatter paint of night skies Daydreaming rivers streaming between her thighs There is nothing cunning about his lingus, Still she rewards his tries, B

The landscaping is nice.. that is where the majority of your money will be going. Other than that, the apartment itself is decent, but prepare for a lot of issues with bad pipes, unsafe area at night, and lack of communication from office management! Already had some damage to the carpet upon move-in, and my patio had paint chipping off which my toddler kept picking at. When I asked for them to scrape and refinish it, they just painted over it with the same paint which is still chipping to this day. No screen on the back door either, and it gets really hot on the bottom floor in the summer, so either prepare to let bugs in or rely solely on ac. Everything else is honestly just old or inefficient which they don't do much by way of servicing effectively. The pipes were almost always clogged in both the kitchen and the bathroom.. no garbage disposal so they tell me I gotta use the drain catch, but even that doesn't help cause all the pipes between all three floors are connected,

When our wants grow beyond our means to attain them, we must then look inward and ask, "what do I need?" Because only when we nourish ourselves with that which we need, can we realize that the wants to exceed the brim of this chalice is only with profound understanding of self. You cannot overflow that which is empty of substance. "Feeling Abundant" - rs.darko

Mountain needs no sun Mountain has enough fire for one Tectonic shift Some may say destructive But the glow of magma resides, Hiding, buried deep within Sifts through rubble earth, Salt rock and pressure Surfacing gieser gushing through internal weather A power no man can measure Let mountain find pleasure, Patience, Self-addressed love letters Mountain turned volcano And she's never felt better

Forever is not just a promise It is hard work It is finding coexistence and compromise To love and accept every single quirk Without the burden of self-sacrifice Forever is shared happiness It is early mornings, and late nights Back rubs, wine, and occasional fights Easily cured with a "babe, you were right" It is an anniversary poem For year one, and year one hundred It is chocolates and hearts Without an "I love you" left unspoken And I don't mean when you meant to say "goodbye," or "I'm sorry," or "I miss you" It is hanging onto all three words "I" "Love" and "You" Individually and tenderly So that every word resounds endlessly Knowing that I am not I without You, That You are not a fantasy come true But a reality I've only dreamt of And that the most important thing bridging You and I together is Love

I am new to this soul fire Though I recognize the dance of his flames We are two contrasting bodies, Magnetic all the same Tell me how I became Acquainted with your aura Before I ever knew your name Are you the Phoenix or the rubble from which you came? Synonymous trouble We share past reflections of pain I only wish you wouldn't fly away I understand that wings weren't meant to be caged.. So let me be your clouds, and I can hug you when it rains You smile because you think no one understands.. Til now, no one has Generous heart Accustomed to giving from two bleeding hands I see the universe Reflected in your two ocean pools Happiness finds a way to reside In these depths of blue hues Rippling with crippling thoughts Let me be your muse Congruent spirit I knew we'd come in twos You speak And I can finally face my truths

Upon first glance at the cover art, the listener gets a faint glimmer of the quirky references Vos has to offer on this EP. Upon opening up with the "unwrapping" of this fresh pack, Vos kicks it off with the velvet smooth vocal aesthetic accompanied by catchy laidback cadence on Darling. I love all the anime references on this track! Definitely hit me in my nerd feels without taking away from that badass demeanor. This is then followed by what I described to Vos himself as an "eerie lounge" vibe on Don't Ask (Let It Burn). Definitely a dope track to chill and smoke to, so the line "let it burn, let it burn" is more than appropriate. But where he got me was on his track Persevere. Talk about a rebel yell. "Tell me how to persevere, when I don't give a fuck about a person here." Embodying that feeling of displacement we artists are no stranger to, Persevere emanates that relatable passion over this inner conflict of creating for the very

A little wild, a little free Started out a matchbook flame Now with a raging fire inside me.. Catch me pressed into my storybooks Or catch me preaching on the mic, I'd rather you catch me in a mason jar To save my firefly light Planets, stars, and moons Reflected in these celestial freckles of ours, I see the gods within you I can guide you through If you'll trust me to Just breathe me in And let my Light become you Let this Light become ours Let us find a way to make eons out of hours Transcending both time and space Transcend the set of our ways Outliving our darkest of days Accepting all the shadows of our past mistakes - RS.darko, "Priestess Promise"

Being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely It's not like you could possibly be the only One who's been thinking, wishing, "If only they could hold me..." A common thought and yet not often spoken boldly When you're scared of being torn apart, Because you've barely begun unfolding I crafted myself this paper crane heart To fly away before it's stolen, While the weight of my words Keep pressing pause like semicolon Leave them speechlessly in awe, Feeling moved, though their feet are frozen This might not be the life we'd chosen But it's the truth we choose to speak Trampled earth remains the same no matter underneath whose feet Footprints in the sand reveal it's always just been me Push and pull of currents, still my gaze turned towards the sea Reflected depths of mystery Layers of both darkness and clarity I need both to fully see Transcendental in whatever my mental state may be I remind myself how to breathe Soli

Your eyes are like clear blue skies Dripping in golden honey sunshine And I can't think of honey without thinking of how sweet Your kiss tastes as it misses my cheek Planting two lips in the soil of my dirty mouth Fluent in springtime and rainclouds

I thought I could cease these tears, But as I faced the mirror All I could see was a face of fear, Eyes of heartache for what I couldn't hold near, Lost years wasted on empty smiles Between two deaf ears.. - RS.Darko The Poet's List Thoughtful Thursday Prompt - "face of fear"

I waste time thinking about wasting time... Time measured by man-made construct for something which is out of our comprehension. Time cannot be contained by mere hours and seconds. Time is measured in moments and the importance of those moments can make a one-second glance seem like a lifetime.. it can make weeks, months, melt away in a blur of mundane sadness.

Summoned by moonlight, I became your nightmare incarnate. - rs.darko

I've been waiting through the seasons Arid sun and summer rains Now an autumn chill has fallen Yet the leaves are all that's changed I myself am falling Like brown leaves from golden manes Drifting back and forth Your indecision still sways the same.. Feeling anxious all through winter For an end to this waiting game

I think that I could poet since the time I could write Like my rhymes mightta come straight  out  the cervix tight I claimed them like my birthmarks, call it my birthright The only thing my daddy's genes seem to ever do right Stuck between the retrospect and 20/20 hindsight Third eye blinked cause it got blinded by the limelight I'm like dust mites you caught drifting through beams of spotlights Searching for answers in shadows Better get your mind right Maybe you should keep your heart left Cause the second he walked out your life That was just the first step Don't let them come knocking If they ain't coming correct Don't give immortal words  When they're not understanding rhetoric It's pathetic how they still expecting us Queens To give up head on our knees Without learning bout the mind underneath Please! It's not worth the momentary release Half the time it comes without the reciprocities So goddess be weary and don't give up the crown If he d

I do not define myself by my restless nights I know I'm about as sacred as my holy tights When these hoes run And there's no one left to chase them Soft spaces between thighs become safe haven So I rock these ripped stockings Thinking Santa can one day save them for me Fill them with treats and cliches of good memories To replace the empty spaces peeking through my frayed accessories And the tragedy of last night's predictable trajectories

I don't know why People refer to being in love as falling... I was steady on the rise when we met And I haven't descended yet Instead I got you and the sky reacquainted - rs.darko

I know I don't really miss you I just miss having someone to belong to Like a lost toy, dropped and forgotten With the batteries fallen out I'm not completely broken You just never took the time To try and figure me out - rs.darko

I know we've all been here before We've all seen the red flags Blaringly taboo But he's so sweet, and we're so cute together So how could this be bad? "Baby," "babe," "bae," "boo" Of course these couldn't be names to make a pet out of you No that can't be true There is a closeness between us already that I can see We've only been talking for about a week And he just can't seem to keep his hands off me Probably cause we had sex that one night So now he can't help it but expect it, but it's all right It feels fine, and I feel fine I guess, yeah, I'm his now and he's mine That's good, right? That means I'm sexy That means he wants me I do love having someone next to me Even if we aren't talking... I think maybe he's just that kind of guy Maybe he just gets a little bit shy Yeah and maybe one day you'll realize That the word "excuses"

This clay is not left to the hands of gods, Only to the hands of our idle thoughts.. The openness that allows for our spirits to be taught Because worth cannot be bought, only achieved, And I'm not stopping at my dreams.. You see, we precious gems are far too fine to be as spent As we've been feeling Digging down to the bottom of our last couple cents, And yet the only thing we're stealing Is your attention and your intent Call me heaven sent, but I'm no angel I don't need a filter nor a special angle for our gazes to become entangled Still I crave more than just your perception I want to feel acceptance and exception Embrace me as your tribe, and tell me that you like the way we vibe That I'm not like all the others you strung along just for the ride Taste my words like you've been starving Feel your initials in the wooden heart you've been carving Because you're more than just a carpenter And I'm more than just a

He said shorty so fine, pussy so fresh Diced pineapples Let my baby taste the best I nearly lost my mind Guess it was a test Swept me off my feet Don't need no diamonds round my neck I gotta pocket full of cash I ain't living check to check Miss independent I ain't nothing like your ex Pussy's excellent and I know it sound a mess But he know how to make my toes curl Licking on my flesh, mm Sex all night couple shots of Ciroc Not the girl next door But I'm that bitch up the block If money ain't a thing Then baby let's go hit the mall Diced pineapples Tasty when he eat it raw Bitch so bad Got ya wishing you could meet me Rumors say there ain't no wrong way you could eat a Reese's Double cup dreams You know them other dudes fell off Baby boy I just wanna see you well off *Chorus* Shorty so fine, pussy so fresh Diced pineapples Every bite juicy and wet I know some nights be getting wild I ain't never getting rest Stil

I would wait one hundred winters for the first spring our life together could bloom - rs.darko

When you left me, you left me in darkness So much so that the sun was doomed to perish, The moon to lose its luster, And all the strength I could muster Was tied up behind the horse and carriage Of a fairy tale ending that never happened Saddened, My tears carved canyons into my bedrock Left me jagged with this stepping razor tongue And words like bullets to keep my pen cocked - rs.darko

I knew it would be harder to open up again For fear my petals would fall away One by one Like tears, Like days.. They stopped feeling precious So I grew restless, Shaking them off even further Now bare and broken Scared To open up again I could never imagine Someone would care Enough to actually listen.. But you touch me like a warm summer day Flooding my pores with comforting rays Soaking into my outstretched Chlorophylled tips Telling me it's my choice to go or stay "But please don't leave.." Pleading Not to fall away from love completely The way school kids drag their feet After a long game of baseball in the street Still they come back every afternoon by three Warmed up and ready To play again It's so easy for us to jump into these games of pretend Thinking love is the answer When really you just need a friend Someone you can talk to who makes you feel like you can be open And not in a way that is scary, Nor overbearing

It only hurts when I remember that I'm falling for words you wrote for someone else.. - rs.darko

She's mastered the art of turning heads Craning necks Vexed by imaginings of her strewn about her bed Lips red Smeared with last night's mistakes They burn her at the stake For their own guilt in double takes Fake recompense for mild indiscretions And perverse insolence

I write these words in hopeful thoughts That they may touch you in ways that my hands cannot The way the stars unveil our desires for the forbidden, Casting a mystic glow Upon the faces we've tried to keep hidden Beneath the cloak of our own shadows Dancing in moonlit reveries Sparking lightning between neurons, The touchless Kiss of flesh As the nerves ignite Like two galaxies Cascading into a horizon Of endless starry nights - rs.darko

I picked up the feathers from the wings you clipped Armed myself with inkwell confessions And leather bound solace

Potential sacred vessel Reduced to broken relic Too bad your parents Didn't keep that part protected Doesn't seem you had any value instilled Acting like Sundays wake you up to God's will When your hangover lingers still Just stay there princess where you belong Face down, ass up like that one song Don't even have any shape in a g-string thong It's okay though cause it's not like your hips are in any way wide Not enough to distract from your wandering lazy eye Sad cause you really are just the type People only can appreciate for one night Cause you can't see the ugly inside by dim motel light Can't believe I tried to let you love me You're fucking disgusting And I'm a fool for trusting But thanks for taking out my basura If only you'd come just a few years sooner But it's okay cause I was lucky enough to have my beautiful son Too bad you'll never know what it's like to have one But that's what happens whe

Pestilence in the folds of your heart Rotting flesh in not so private parts Keep letting them tear you apart Crawling in your skin with your own self disgust Covered in hungry men like locust Infested with betrayal of your own self respect So what do you expect Cause I don't see anything but an insect Waiting to be swatted lying for someone to dissect With no treasure inside to speak of Nothing but bug guts and dark blood No need to be apologetic The universe can't apologize for something so pathetic

You kept me so high That crashing and burning Was the only way I could start to feel grounded again.

You make me crave intimacy in the littlest of things Like a quietly shared gaze from across a crowded room Interlaced fingers exploring the ridges and grooves Unique to you A long drive to nowhere in particular, A short drive just a bit down the way, As long as it is filled with your conversation Cause I could listen to your voice for days Hanging onto everything you say Heartbeat reflections in your inflection I love your word play I crave how you see me In ways to which I've been living blindly But you touch me in braille And show me in silence where words may fail I crave the way you crave me Where others fall easily Into their desires of physicality You penetrate my mind Thumbing through emotions I'm too scared to not confine I crave your time Every precious second I can spend in your presence Makes me realize That I don't want to make you mine Cause you are far too special to possess You make me crave the

I wish I could speak to you in double orgasms, so every word after "hello" left you writhing in ecstasy.

Eyelids hanging over eyeballs Cracking to meet the garish sun Stomach hanging over guts Hanging over clothes left partially undone Time is loud, Minute hand hanging over number one My lashes fan away the sight of responsibility Hanging over my head As I lay crippled in my bed Half dead Hanging over all the slurred truths I left unsaid Last night I might have been Hung up on the one who never made it, Strung up on the crucifix I created So martyr me! So long as I never see another drink again Sickening nights reveal your true friends Startling To see the intentions of hungry men Hanging over me like a loosely draped kimono Risque from one shoulder Unintentional invitation was a no, no But still they see yes And the expectations clung to me like a little black dress Hanging over me in their judgements As if the bottom of this cup was a vortex Leading to unwarranted advancements for sex Let them assume what they want I guess, But I find these hungo

I feel myself transforming into something I've never seen before, both radiant and resilient.. Like bioluminescence, a spectrum of light evolved to exist in the depths of complete darkness. - @rs.darko

A dandelion is just a weed until it sprouts a wish. 🌼 - rs.darko

A table for four set for seven people Leaving vacancies Like empty pews under broken steeples With not enough seats for us to sit and eat We abandon these spaces and sit in front of the TV While Mom is still cleaning I save her a plate And I promise to say grace Without actually believing That He was the one to bring us this food Instead of her and my step dad working a full-time job or two Just to feed all these kids and their best friends too Thinking God is the one to hold us together like glue But that glue is messy and doesn't always stick And instead peels away several layers of dead skin Revealing the fractures of our faults and sins I think to myself I'll never be worth shit Never live up to the kind heart she thought I was born with Now deteriorated by years of bitter resentment I look them in their eyes and I see disappointment I offer my help to clean up a bit She reassures me she's got it Sweat dripping from her brow I wonder what stress i

Always the cute girl But never quite his type He had me thinking he was feeling me the other night Couple of drinks and the music flowing so right Faded days getting hazy by the moonlight I got that get right, I keep the curves tight The tree is blowing baby maybe this is our night I like your smile and the way you speakin so smooth Poetic, steady, getting heavy Gorilla Glue And maybe that's why lately I been feeling stuck on you Yeah, kinda stuck on you My mind's been stuck on you Sticky icky stuck daydreaming Got the duck from you But you'll be wishing that I came and put this love on you

I cannot shake the fear Of letting you carve your name into my heart Like the careless vandals before you Graffiti in the form of stiches and scars Leaving spaces I've only just begun to fill with the stars Burning celestial bodies I wished upon solely to feel your warmth - @rs.darko

I'm a fucking mess And I love too much to listen To the advice life gives me when it says "You can't fix them.. You can't even fix yourself" Moisture upon your body glistens As you convince yourself to be someone else Just for the evening Just for tonight Just for that one and only Mr. Right Skepticisms guarded behind two lips shut tight.. She quivers in the staleness of the pale moonlight - @rs.darko

Maybe number five or number six I believe that's which one I am Out of all of your kids Kinda hard to keep track to be honest Met another one last August And that part wasn't even the hardest Because you abandoned her too Left us to grow in the dying carcass That should have been a relationship with you It was weird missing a stranger Because every time you'd try to meet up, Something always had to come up Still I begged my mom to wait just a little bit longer.. All I wanted was a father Always wondered how you could deny me as your daughter Was it easy? Born into this feeling of inadequacy Because you didn't want me Maybe you just felt guilty Or maybe you just forgot about me So rejection became the normalcy Well acquainted myself with my own mortality Over that longing for duality I suppose I never got enough vitamin D And M seemed to be just a little too busy So I supplemented those spaces With the faces of other men Always loved my step

If I could keep love As well as I keep secrets Then maybe your ears would itch Anytime I confided how much I love you On thirsty patches of parchment Held together with a broken spine, And pages as loose as its lips. - @rs.darko

I do not resent fear. Fear inspires movement. It is up to you to choose whether that movement is forward or away. @rs.darko

I caught myself reading your words again And I caught myself in a smile That kinda shiteating grin Which spreads itself wide From cheek to cheek Like the last of razzleberry jam spread thin Trying to make itself enough for one slice - @rs.darko

You are the clouds in my coffee Unravelling my darkness in swirls And milky constellations diluting my bitterness Awakening me to yet another day Of dark circles and stained yellow teeth Sour breath and the morning shit which follows @rs.darko

He told me he had "A thing for Asians.." As if I should be pleased that my eye-shape had suddenly made me collectible. @rs.darko

I cannot be tamed Nor am I here for you to contain When you don't even call me by my name Solely perceived as a means to entertain As this fantasy As I see that's all you see in me Is a chance to be inside of me But to be honest your rollercoaster does not look inviting And I've reserved my right to refuse riding No not because I'm scared or nervous But because I seek self-love and true purpose Because I strive to be more than just my surface More than my supple curves and porous, dewy trenches Side stepped you Like your collection of wenches didn't dare to Maybe because they didn't see fit Or maybe they didn't feel that they were worth shit Maybe a man told them their whole lives that they deserved it Deserved anything less than to be treated like the sacred goddess The muse, the solace, The very chalice which brought us You see, life would be nothing without the womb Encompassing you Igniting the the wick to your flames and fumes Wh

Only when we accept our demons Can we summon angels.

Beware the reigniting of old flames Not to burn yourself down. @rs.darko

Haven't you heard? I've been singing the songs of hummingbirds Clinging to your petals like the last word Allow me to collect the nectar from your lips Sweetest dew, as it condenses upon our kiss In lovers tryst Is where I allow these daydreams to exist It's hard to resist When I'm just as lush as succulents Filled with reluctance Of what could possibly come next Still I'm vexed And feeling somewhat wrecked Embarrassed by my reckless intent Enamored by an evening I had tried to forget @rs.darko

I am inspiration I am guile I am simultaneously victory and defeat I am the stars in your eyes I am the ground beneath your feet I am your branches in the wind I am a cool, summer breeze I am the pollen on your lashes I am your memories of the sea I am an open book I am a home for hearts on sleeves I am magic I am forgiveness I am the taste of reveries I am a cloudy day of snowstorms, and still, I am insatiable for more I am the sound of sadness As it trickles on the floor I am a naked shoulder I am the running stream of tears I am heartache I am self-doubt I am the plight of wasted years I am the winter chill Sending goose bumps through your clothes I am missing you But I miss myself the most

I decided today that I can no longer look you in the eyes Without envisioning clear blue skies dipped in the golden honey of California sunshine And I can't think of honey without thinking of how sweet Your kiss must taste as it misses my cheek And plants two lips into the soil of my dirty mouth So every word I utter is beautiful and smells of springtime And no syllable is ever too loud Just a lulling chime barely above a whisper Just enough to make the puppies whimper And howl at the moon in hunger for something warm, and fragile, and tender, And gushing from being torn wide open and vulnerable Like the poetry of a young lover Lying on a table with a toe tag and heartstring casualties embroidered into letterman sleeves No I do not believe in trite romance Nor the chance to press my soft curves into your rough hands So you may mold me into any shape you like That I might slip through your clumsy fingers and get lost in other beautiful skies throughout the night By

"I build walls which resemble bridges In hopes to one day burn them all down Trickle their ashes over the baggage I carry around So I may christen every new step With memories of my past regrets Fears for futures I haven't made my mind up on yet, So now I'm stuck living sunset to sunrise Just trying to keep the stars in my eyes, The same flecks reflected in irises Of both the brave and the spineless Cause like the dance of Suns and Moons The need for balance is timeless And I only want death When my life's become nine less Than the chaotic mess I started with the first time that I left" - Reese Darko™️

He uses my own scars against me Creating new ones of his own design It's not his strength that I'm intimidated by Nor the look in his eyes when he's making me cry It's that I start to "understand" why I could deserve punishment just for enjoying the warmth of my shine

After my gold paint turned to rust What once shimmered now turned to dust And I began to lose trust that you would come back 'round to me again Oh what a fool I've been To just sit here waiting for an end But these horses aren't real And this love was just pretend..

I am a pitcher of ice cold water Cause on these hot summer days People be looking at me Thirsty As fuck But just because your brain is sensing Just exactly how refreshing I can be Please, don't start waving your empty cup at me You see, it takes a lot for me to feel fulfilled And I've already had one too many spills Of this precious Wet Mess Of mine Far too many times Has a weary, dehydrated mind come to me cryin' Miming gestures To suggest his weather Has made him conjecture That I might be the kind of drink that could make him feel better But I can't, I'm sorry, However tempting I've just barely gotten over feeling "half-empty" For so long and now I am finally accepting This mess of mine For the enlightening tingle I can send in wrinkles thru your spine With nothing but the touch of a well-placed rhyme.. Drink me in With my waterfall of emotion If and when I decide to share my condensation Until from your own skin, I d

I hobbled over to you halfway broken, Soul stripped with nothing but a heart for a sleeve,

I've stopped trying to hide behind gritted teeth, clenched fists, and jabs But to be honest, my heart still itches from all the scabs And aches from deep wounds that can't be soothed by guitar tabs Sometimes I think of things that we've said to each other For a while could've sworn we were dead to each other Words always remained unheard by each other.. Unheard and unspoken At least not in a way that wasn't broken Oops, that's a double negative Like two people unable to forget So how could they forgive But life goes on, And we both continue trying to put one foot in front of the other in the same direction Up Uphill and upset But somehow still positive.. Starting not to feel like I'm drowning in regret, Or like I'm only existing to outlive my emotional debt For promises unkept and nights left unslept.. With so many long shadows, I find this new brightness hard to accept

It's such a relief to be Almost thirty And finally coming to grips with reality.. The other day someone asked me If I ever wished I could go back and be That same girl maybe twenty two, twenty three Itty bitty, baby faced cheese All swaggy and steez Wild and free The life of every party With an endless wardrobe and a pretty bangin' body Ha Sure, a body starved of self-validation maybe No, actually, a body literally starving Just to try and fit into an old pair of jeans I wasn't wild, I was reckless, lost I got my freedom at expensive costs The center of attention and yet always alone A man's arms were an easy place to call home With lampshade love you're only ever catching projections Of a need to overcome any feelings of rejection Not to mention The self-obsession With always needing their attention Complacency allows for sorry memory retention So the same mistakes become exceptions And history repeats itself in explanations Physical sens

Dead laughter Scores nightmares of Happily Never Afters With a couple o' one-way tickets down a road to disaster Still I feel like I've been falling faster My brain started feeling like pancake batter Fire strains, mixing flower with confectionery shatter And now I feel my pulse fading to the background amongst a room full of chatter Idle prattle of grazing sheeple and social cattle Pure bred stallions awaiting their leather saddles Typical setbacks and standstills Making volcanoes out of anthills, Powersaws out of windmills I'm not a liar, nor a lover But I still live for cheap thrills And still catch myself daydreaming by my windowsills

I'm not a perfect parent I'm not even certain I'm a decent person Sometimes I struggle just to pay rent Sometimes I smile even when I'm hurtin' All I can hope for is that he's learnin' That somehow my smiles have a way of turnin' His bad days into good ones His zero moments into lump sums No, not only that of the monetary, Though I'm sure that couldn't hurt, But to keep away feelings of the solitary No matter how many times I myself revert 'Cause true love does not confine For I found no shelter to forever be safe No corner too kind to let the rest go to waste What an injustice it would be To keep him here solely for me Just 'cause for once I truly feel happy But, no, I want way too much more for him I want him to be free I wish only to be the roots to his ever-growing tree So I may keep him grounded without keeping him too far From heaven, or from his own perfect place in the stars. For Arthur Reese