'Warm Winter'

She was a new born girl of just twenty days,

Who went back to heaven;

Didn't get the chance to stay.

He was a little school boy crossing the street

As he passed the rubble

Of where his neighbor's house used to be.

He was a boy mixed up in his head,

So he tried to make shapes

With the bullet holes in the wall next to his bed.

She was a woman trying to be a mother,

But how can she?

When she just lost another.

He was a young man gone because of loyalty

For the place he was raised in,

And it all came at the expense of his family.

He was an old man walking through the door

Unto his three grandchildren,

Who were orphaned because of war.

But He and she and they

Never asked for it to be this way.

But that’s what they got,

Yet the world lives everyday.

They gave them a 'warm winter,'

Or that's what they say.

But no one tries to see,

Because no one wants to hear

That no one was never told,

That a winter is better left cold.

This Year

If you asked me what I want this year

I won't tell you what you want to hear.

I could ask for things that come in boxes with ribbons,

Things whose beauty is not so hidden.

I could ask for things wrapped in pretty paper,

And a little card wishing things sooner instead of later.

I could ask for all the things you can have.

All the things I never had.

But thank you, you never asked.

Because the things I could want will never last.

But the things I really want can never be;

Not because of fate, it's just reality.

I want things money can't bring

Like a song that hearts can sing.

I want just a day when no one dies,

Or to watch the news and no mother cries.

I want a day when the human life is priceless

Or to see a day when money becomes worthless.

I want gardens of flowers and springs.

I want hope that’s not hanging on a string.

I want a day when I can dream,

Just one dream that doesn’t end in fear.

I want a day without seeing suits and ties

Shaking hands, smiling to the camera, telling lies.

I want a smile on every face,

Or a remedy for the heart that aches.

I want a day when justice is served,

Or just a moment when the truth is heard.

I want to see the setting of the sun,

And with eagerness pray for another to come.

So as you can see,

These things can never be.

It's not fate, its just reality.

So thank you, you never asked

About the things I'll never have.

Reflection

571,190,400 seconds, how quickly they pass.

9,519,840 minutes, can never come back.

158,664 hours, how long they last.

6,611 days, significance they lack.

216 months, how small they seem.

18 years, where have they disappeared?

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years;

How many more will I see?

This is Not a Love Song

What happened to us along the way?

What happened to the hands that care?

The eyes that cry?

The heart that hurts for another's loss?

Have we abandoned who we are,

Forgotten our reason and our cause,

Only because it is easier to hate

Than love those who bring you pain?

But the power of the later is stronger than spite.

I am not talking about love at first sight.

I am talking about the love that is rare in its kind

The one that is so hard to find.

The love for the poor and the hurt.

The love for that fellow human across the curb.

This is not a love song, but it is.

It's the love that can save us all.

The one that erases bullet holes on the wall.

It's the love that can make us cry,

When a little girl in another country dies.

This is not a love song, but it is.

It's the love that ceases to exist.

It’s the kind of love that humans resist.

Because it gains us just a little more

Than satisfying moments for the soul.

This is not a love song, but it is.

It’s the love that makes us live,

Gives us hope that life can't give.

It’s the love that lights the night,

Ends the world's constant fights.

This is not a love song, but it is.

This is not a love song, but it is.

This is not a love song,

And that is why no one knows the lyrics.

You're the One

You kissed each of your mother's hands

And left that note in case you don’t come back.

Inside you confirmed the eternity of your love

Asked her to be strong and never give up.

You promised her after darkness there is light

And after death there comes life.

Then you signed it off with a word of love

Telling her you're proud to be her son.

And you left your house that day

Never knowing if you'll be back again;

Because every time you leave your home,

There's a likely chance you will be gone.

But that day was the one you lived for.

It happened just like you dreamed,

While looking in the eyes of your foe

And in His name you screamed.

It only took one shot,

To get you there and across.

But in your heart you knew you won't be gone

You believed your memory will live on.

So from your spirit I pray the world can heal

And to your actions they take heed

Because you're the one they call shaheed.

The Wedding

Today it was coming to be;

The drumming, the dancing, the laughter,

It was all beginning to be real.

And there she was beside her father,

All dressed in white.

Walking towards the future of her life.

And when he held her hands,

For a moment, it felt like time could stand.

But time was ahead of her, ahead of him.

Ahead of the wedding that could have been.

Had it not been for that sound,

The one that brought everything to the ground.

And turned the drumming into bullet screams,

And the dancing into a frenzy of fear,

And turned the laughter into tears.

It made their new found home a pile of sand,

But she still firmly held his hands.

No longer a bride dressed in white,

Just another widow wishing back her lover's life.

Had it not been for that sound;

That turned her dreams upside down.

She would have still had no clue,

That a happy ending could end so soon.

I Was There

I was there through it all,

I saw you rise and I watched you fall.

I was there at your best,

When you were the center of the rest.

I thought how wonderful it is

For you to have a life like this.

But I watched it all pass,

Too quick and way too fast.

I watched you grow beyond your years

And slowly develop fear after fear.

I watched your dreams being seized

And others forced upon you despite the pleas.

I saw your world being thrown in an abyss

While every face you knew was dismissed.

I saw you care when no one else did,

And the scar in there, you so well hid.

I watched you achieve with no acknowledgement,

Like the things you acquired were of no significance.

I saw you watch them plan their lives

While you were on hold, put to the side.

I watched you keep your thoughts to yourself

Just so they won't bruise anyone else.

I saw you perfect this act of pretend

That everything was fine, no need to amend.

I watched you cry yourself to sleep

I felt you pain it was too deep.

I heard your blatant silent scream

And watched everyone refuse to hear.

I watched you live lifelessly

Breathing to survive tiresomely.

I saw you smile but I felt your ache

I watched you laugh, but saw your heart break.

I was there through it all

Beginning, end, rise and fall.

It's unfortunate that I have to say,

Hoping hopelessly for better days,

That this knowledge of your history

Frightens the feature out of me.

Little Things

I saw a picture of me and you

Holding hands at our old school.

For a moment it made me think

Of how it was and how it is

And how the world is sucking you in.

So I thought you might like to know

A few little things in case I go.

I really like the color green

And the changing colors of trees.

I like to paint my nails red

And I think best when lying in bed.

Winter is my favorite time of year;

Especially December when lights fill the streets.

The cloudy weather fixes my mood,

And I like the day that ends with a full moon.

I believe everything has a reason,

The good and the bad of every season.

I worry about the future of tomorrow

And I think a lot of yesterday's sorrow.

I like to watch the sun rise

But I like it best when it starts to hide.

I wonder if I miss a lot when I blink

Or why I have to be the one who thinks.

I like to spend some time alone

I feel it’s a duty to myself I owe.

I like to shop it’s a kind of therapy

I know it's hard to grasp that theory.

I like to cook but I love to bake

Pizza is what I want to learn to make.

I have conversations in my head

They get confused with what's been said.

I want to be rich to feed the hungry

And be powerful to end wars in countries.

I like to read but I love to paint

And if you ask me, Picasso is art's saint.

So these are just a few of the little things

That make a person one big thing.

I wish I knew these things too

Just to get a sense of what makes you.

I know for sure we're close at heart

But for some reason we're worlds apart.

And time in here is of essence

Since forever is never present.

So God forbid your day ends,

With a heart filled with bitterness and regret.

The Friend I Never Had

I thought we'd be friends forever,

But your words renounced it altogether.

They struck me by surprise,

Like a lightning current through my heart.

I didn’t think it would be this way.

I didn’t know we were at the last page.

What happened along the way?

Is this what I get for not seeing you each day?

Maybe it really is what I think it is,

So allow me to say this,

That the meaning of friendship doesn’t include

Believing lies as truths.

This cruel life just ripped us apart,

And stranded each of us afar.

I can't believe you'd easily give in.

Unless the distance comes from within.

I thought this bond between us would last.

It’s the special thing we have.

And now I'm so confused.

Which word should be used?

Is it still have or is it now just had?

How can you throw it away like that?

Like a piece of rag you never wanted to have.

Have you forgotten everything that’s been?

Or has your memory been killed?

How can in a moment you just assume,

That my love for you is not so true?

It's fine by me if you want this to be the end.

'Cause I can't force you to be my friend.

I want to thank you for letting me feel,

For just a moment, that friendship is real.

So this is the part I say goodbye

But don’t think that I'm going to cry.

'Cause you can't lose something you don’t have.

And you’re the friend I never even had.

Hero

Sometimes I sit and just look at you.

I watch you and your every move.

How did you get here?

Where did you come from?

How come I never see you stumble?

Your head is always held so high,

Its not ego, it’s the good kind of pride.

You talk with such eloquence

That makes everything fall into silence.

You move with such grace

That no one can match your pace.

You know the answer to every question

And you figured out life's function.

Nothing you do is ever for you.

It's like you're the salvation of the crew.

Your dreams you put them aside;

And told others to follow theirs with pride.

You've become part of the answer,

That everyone needs with their problems.

And never once did you turn your back.

Or thought for a while, "I need time to relax."

Your loyalty is never hindered.

And your friendship forever lingers.

Just how can you be so strong?

How can you walk in the face of danger with no arms?

How can you hide those tears in your eyes?

I know a part of you wants to hide.

A part of you wants to be like the rest.

Just another person not doing their best.

To live a moment when you're the one in need.

To learn a little instead of teach.

To have someone there for you,

Like you were there for those you knew.

I can see it all in your eyes.

But did I ever tell you, you make me want to rise?

I wish I was a little more like you.

The world could use more of you.

And did I ever tell you, you give me peace?

If I ever fall, I know on you I'll lean.

I wish I could take you to a better place.

A place where they'd all know your name.

A place where you could feel free.

A place where you're treated like a queen.

And did I ever tell you, you imbue

My heart with love, compassion, and truth.

Did I ever tell you who you are?

You're the hero you didn't know you are.

If I was...

If I was the sunshine, you'd tan under me.

If I was the rain, you'd hide from me.

If I was a tree, you'd make paper out of me.

If I was an animal, you'd hunt me down.

If I was a mountain, you'd climb me.

If I was the air, you'd pollute me.

If I was metal, you'd make a bullet out of me.

If I was a plane, you'd highjack me.

If I was a building, you'd crash into me.

If I was a rock, I'd be in the hands of a boy.

If I was a bank, you'd rob me.

If I was oil, you'd kill for me.

If I was a people, you'd oppress me.

If I was a piece of land, you'd steal me.

If I was a flower, on a grave you'd find me.

If I was a dollar, you'd make more of me.

If I was a key, you'd lock an innocent man with me.

If I was a rope, you'd make a noose out of me.

If I was the law, you'd find a way to break me.

If I was the media, you'd make use of me.

If I was a girl, you'd abuse me.

If I was a boy, you'd labor me.

If I was a mother, you'd try to free me.

If I was a father, you wouldn't know me.

If I was religion, you'd kill in my name.

If I was the truth, you'd deny me.

If I was a lie, you'd believe me.

If I was a life, you'd take me.

If I was death, you'd fear me.

If I was a human, you'd be me.

Where We Used to Be

It used to be the usual hello and goodbye

But now that I know you

I really want you by my side.

I knew that I loved you

But now that I know you

I really feel it too.

It was distance between us

But now that I know you

The miles became meters.

You were always just standing there

But now that I know you

Your presence is grave.

I never thought we'd again be like this

'Cause now that I know you

Our acquaintance is bliss.

My head fills with our childhood days

When we'd hold hands

And walk the same way.

Remember when we were so small?

Everything seemed big and tall.

We used to hide from the rest

So it could be just us.

And I smile 'cause it's all coming back to me,

The things that made us we.

And I'm glad we're finally finding the way

To where we used to be.

In the Making

Hey little girl what's on your mind?

What are you thinking of this time?

Little girl why are you looking so sad?

This smile is not the same as the one you once had.

Little girl its okay;

I know you're just a little afraid.

So take my hand and lean on me,

I was once there but with no one there for me.

Little girl it will be alright,

This world is not always a constant fight;

But this life is moving too fast

And you're just letting it pass.

Little girl why wait till the winter of your years

To be who you've always wanted to be?

Life won't come running back to you.

You have to search for it; you have to decide what's true.

Little girl take it from me,

These years are your years.

These years are the ones that make you.

So don’t let them waste you.

Little girl you need to do what you have to do,

Because now you're in the making of you.

I Wish I Was...

I wish I was a teacher, so I could touch a heart.

I wish I was a pilot, so I could travel the world.

I wish I was a surgeon, so I could save a life.

I wish I was a fireman, so I could be a hero.

I wish I was a painter, so I could give the world color.

I wish I was a judge, so I could hunt back justice.

I wish I was a mother, so I could raise another.

I wish I was a father, so I could be there for my child.

I wish I was a garbage man, so I could clean the world.

I wish I was a musician, so I could listen.

I wish I was a preacher, so I could touch a soul.

I wish I was a newborn, so I wouldn’t have to worry.

I wish I was a soldier, so I could fight for a cause.

I wish I was a billionaire, so I could make a difference.

I wish I was a star, so I could be under the spotlight.

I wish I was a farmer, so I could live simply.

I wish I was a blind man, so I could have a vision.

I wish I was a lawyer, so I could search for answers.

I wish I was an athlete, so I could win.

I wish I was a writer, so I could touch a mind.

I wish I was a photographer, so I could capture beauty.

I wish I was a child, so I could be innocent.

I wish I was a wrestler, so I could face a fight.

I wish I was a stranger, so I could be invisible.

What Do You Do?

What do you do when the human heart is

no longer humane?

Or when forgiveness is an attribute of the weak?

What do you do when people take more than give?

Or when the justice system is unjust?

What do you do when love is hateful,

And deceit is strength?

What do you do when the truth is a lie?

Or when the world goes forward and people go backward?

What do you do when friendship is not caring?

Or when time is not patient?

What do you do when change stays the same?

A Better Man

You take a step forward and a two steps back

Its disappointing so you give up and relax.

You lay here and chill there,

As if you've got much time to spare.

Then suddenly you lie awake.

You think of your weakness,

You think of your strength,

You think of all the things you could have been.

This is your life; this is your chance;

The time for you to become a better man.

So you take a step forward and then you look back.

You think of all that happened in the past.

You drop a tear, you cross a brow,

But you turn the page and force a smile.

You put whats been on the shelf,

And you make it a promise to yourself.

This is your life; this is your chance;

The time for you to become a better man.

You take a step forward and then you look ahead.

You begin to wonder if it's all in your hands.

You want your life; you want your dream,

But just how can you?

When your heart has not yet healed.

This is your life; this is your chance;

The time for you to become a better man.

You take a chance and go hit the road.

You do it all because you know you're on your own.

You step up but you hold your breath.

A part of you wants to hide with the rest.

But you say no to those who say so,

Then you hit go,

And move on as a better man.

Behind a Locked Door

I've been living behind a locked door;

Though I found the key a while ago

Fear and comfort kept me inside

Telling me it's safer to hide.

So I pretended to be on the other side

And it seemed to work perfectly fine.

But I knew I wasn't whole

Someone told me there is more.

Something inside me wanted to soar.

So I picked myself off the floor

And decided to open that door.