react

how do I not react

to the way the words sound

when the words sound

the way they always sound

be less be more

be better be different

 are the words I’ve heard

too many times

don’t get too close

but don’t go too far

be you

but not too much

maybe the words

that fell from your lips

never said

those things

but the words that I hear

scream them loud and clear

and their response

is to react

to let you go

before you let me go

is there even

anything here to hold

silent voices leaving

 words on pages

with no intent

on ever being real

so from the mystery

of the poet’s eye

I use metaphors

to make my point

when inspiration comes

from lines on a page

what else can you do

it simply feels

 like I’ve been told I am wrong

and told

I am not more than that

and it goes straight to the place

where anger lives

and knocks loudly

on the bolted door

as the door flies open

in a vacuum it catches

 everything

left lying on the floor

and it all comes out

like a hurricane

taking out whatever

lies in its path

so the reaction is

to feel that as it stands

and the response

is perhaps to understand why