The lights from the city reflect against the night sky,
Making the stars invisible to see.

They are awaiting my arrival.
They are waiting for their dream.

My face, my glory, my imperfections so obvious.
I bleed the very ambiguity that you wish you could muster.

Yet, I'm still left in wonder.

Questions unraveling my frustrations.
My determination sliced by failures.

Your hand is waiting in winter.
It's apparent, I hate the snow.

The summer breeze is what pleases me.
Going back to when your face first held my mind captive.

I could play your words over and over inside my head.
Holding on to the tempo, the beauty, and the depth.

Oh what this city brings me.
The false promises and confusion.

Say it again!
Engrain my brain with your words!
Say it again!
Love me lonely with your thoughts!


Leave me.
So when I see you again,
it will be much sweeter.
And the bitter cold will end.


-R.

Did I Miss Something?

So, I'm still figuring out the art of capturing hearts. I mean, people do it all of the time, right? People everywhere meet and fall in love. But it seems as if love can not endure without hate. With each kiss there is a questioning of honesty. Of truth.

I'm eager. It's not hard for me to read people. Their habits, their expressions, their eyes do all of the explaining. But their words. Their words often contradict their actions. Isn't that, backwards? ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS...truth? See, speaking IS an action and in order to carry out that action, one must use words. And since words are what people communicate with most, they are often taken for granted, underestimated, or wasted. So I am back to square one. Even after listening to your words, I am still not convinced. I am still left curious, confused, or eager. Still.

So, then what will it take for me to capture your heart? Or for you to capture mine? More than words. And although I love them, they won't make me love you. And the irony is that I am using words to explain how I feel about them, theirselves. But I believe these words are just. All words are, but only when they are not manipulated by lies and lust. And when there is not a genuine meaning behind them. Because at this point, they are wasted and empty words. Words, that go unheard.

-R.

The Simplicity of Truth

Most people are offended when their flaws are pointed out. It is rare to find someone who says, "thank you" when you tell them their hair looks a mess. I understand it is how you say things, not necessarily what you say. But even when there is effort to say something as calm and kind as you possibly can, some are still flabbergasted that you even dared to point a finger.

Let's face it. We're human. We're selfish, self-righteous, egotistical humans, that loved to believe lies. Never truth. Because the truth hurts. The truth is a mirror we chose not look at. But a good friend holds up that mirror without your discretion and loves what she sees. That friend is not afraid to embrace the reflection.

I've found that I can not point any fingers without any being pointed at me. There will always be people watching my every move. They will always be judging my every action. So, why try to hide my imperfections? Because they too are being watched and judged. And that just makes it a little sweeter. I know what they don't. I see what they don't want me to see. I am free to embrace their truths.

The Technology Takeover

So, while browsing my Facebook today, I noticed that I had over 1,000 friends. I mean 1, 030 people can find out where I work, my favorite movies, who I'm best friends with, where I go to school, who goes to school with me and plenty more. How is it that I can have a "close" relationship with people and never see their face?

With online communities such as Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook this is becoming a common and possibly even detrimental trend. I find it mind-blowing that my information is forever stained on a gigantic carpet called the internet or World Wide Web. And I don't even care. Well, at least I haven't in the past. The need for uber fast information is an addiction for most under 25. We need it NOW, NOW, NOW! I need to know who broke up, NOW! I need to know when to buy movie tickets NOW! I need to post my status NOW! The media is our gateway to knowledge. We are aware of major events within minutes of their occurrence. And this generation doesn't want it any other way.

I have had an email/blog/chat account since I was like 12. I've always thought it was cool that I could make this faux identity, share my thoughts with the rest of the world, and have this sense of connection and comfort. It was interesting to think that people outside of my small-town reality cared about my poetry, my feelings, my opinions and whatever else I decided to babble about that day. I also think that is still why I keep publishing my thoughts 8 years later.

We are all electronic addicts with our need for "now." But, why can't we just take the time to chill? Just breathe and enjoy the day without letting everyone we know (and some we don't) know that we are. Is that too difficult. So, I encourage those to embrace the technological takeover. Just don't let it kill YOU. The "real" you, that is.

-R.

Haha! Oh wait... Since when is satire, NOT funny?

On Wednesday, October 28 there were lots of questions floating throughout the UA campus. Some were talking about homecoming queen; who did or won what, so on and so forth. But, the one question that most were asking was "If our opponent for the game Saturday forfeited, then who are we playing?!" (Enter shriek here)

For the UA, an SEC D-1 school, football is a religion. And with the most popular and biggest event of the year being homecoming, everyone was scurrying to pick up that week's Arkansas Traveler to get the scoop on homecoming court and pointers on the upcoming game. But no one was expecting there to be an article about E. Michigan's horrible record and attitude about playing Arkansas.

With the headline reading "Eastern Michigan: 'You know what, we're just gonna stay home'"most did not take the time to read more and instantly began their freak out. But those that did, still remained completely confused.

"We're going to take the gas money from the Arkansas trip and just take the guys out to Golden Corral," the article stated a faux-quote from E. Michigan coach Ron English.

The phones were ringing off the hook in the Traveler office and the editors' inboxes began filling with inquiries about what was going on! And their questions were answed with, "it was just a joke."

In the line directly above the title read "Satire" for all to see in bright red.

This is an example of how much people don't read newspapers. Or at least opinion columns. It was obvious that the game was not cancelled for there was no formal press-release or any thing. and With quotes like, "we're gonna dress up [for halloween] and play like a real team for once" and "one of the lindebackers just got the box set of Saw DVDs, so we've been watching those instead of game film everday" you'd think that people would not take this article seriously.

Although, the media is all around us. At some point, you have to not let it control your thoughts.

-R.

Untitled

Excuses only provoke failure.
I am refusing to give in to life's relentless pressures.

"Keep it moving while fighting the fire.
Keep on breathing while feeling desire."
A girl yells from her place in the world.

Sometimes, I can feel the earth spinning below my feet.
I hear the cries of strangers and enemies.
I can see the blind man's eyes as his ears watch me.

Beneath my feet, the world is spinning.

God said to fear him and none else.
But I fear my life, my heart, and myself.

I fear my decision to take what I've been given and to turn it to gold, will be the death of a girl crushed by her failure.

Her heart bleeds.
Into the earth it seeps.
The spinning her blood feeds.

Greed and belief.
Pay heed and obey.
Live while your blood runs abundant.


Love while your heart allows it.
Breathe while the sky is intact.
Lay down.
And feel the earth break you.

-R.