Excerpt
My Story

Superficial smiles and hand shakes

disguise how I feel when my hand shakes

from being nervous about moving on and getting older

The days seem colder now that there’s independence

No longer a dependence, parental help, or guidance

Answers no longer given, infl uential voices silent

Tests administered by lifetime professors

Classrooms are streets with no overhead projectors

All movies seen are the fi lmstrips of our lives

Played out in HD until all goals are realized

Or maybe not because failure is not beyond possibility

With world problems and obstacles

It’s hard to think positively

I saunter into my day blind to its final outcome

Not to be outdone by my work and how it’s done

I run across strangers that seem to see my soul

My pain inside hidden, but some how they seem to know

I make a stop to kiss my girl to ensure her that I love her

My kisses console her fears, if any, of infi delity with another

Promises smeared by mistakes change direction in my step

I give to my purpose most of what I’ve got,

give to my confessions what is left

Hard steps with careful planning dictate my destination

Sometimes losing track of simple things

while deep in concentration

Failures in the past fuel motivations in the future

Until I find the hidden treasures I’ve often found the clues to

What moves you to tread forward,

though presently showing resistance,

is what will be rewarded through exhibitions of persistence

I keep that thought in my head as I weave between

mediocrity and hypocrisy deciding which way to lean

Sheen from the passing cars reflect my indecisions

Indiscretions, valuable lessons, and signs of my aggression

I’m often told by peers that I think well beyond my years,

but once I’m gone I’ll leave to examine

the breakdown of remaining tears