Things between us have changed.
Pretending only presents the underlying problem.
We spend our time in seperate rooms.
The television on two seperate channels.
Still unable to find what we're looking for.
Demanding peace unwilling to press for change.
The thing's we said we'd never do.
Complete faith that we'd never walk pass each other.
So much as a single word.
Strangers in wait that it will get better.
If it isn't you, I can't go on.
Good or bad.
Being forced to pretend that everything is alright.
Another show airs.
Demanding attention else where.
I am trying,
But can't keep flipping past the infomercials without being tempted.
Searching for a happy ending

You are
the only reason
these poems have
Unhappy Endings.

It is a Thursday
And for the first time she knows right where her heart is,
The exact spot it is in her chest as she feels each heavy thump it makes
Her brother collapses right in front of her
One minute he is talking, the next he is not  
Precipitously
Her heart literally starts pushing its way outta her chest as she makes her way to him
He had just asked her about an episode of the Graham Norton show
No way is she prepared for the next thing she sees,
He descends to the ground in a "tripping over a stone" fashion,
Hitting his big head on the armrest cushioning his way down to the cold tiled floor
He is getting up........*** he is not!!!
He is still, as still as a log and not the sleeping beauty kind
Her Mum,
By her side in split seconds calling his name, pulling him up in a sitting position,
At the same time screamingly beckoning her dad
Her Dad,
with every bit of calmness he could conjure
Joins his wife to pull him up from the ground,
Asking that water be poured on him
She,
Charging from the bathroom like a firefighter with a bucket,
Baths him with water,
He is coming to!!  
Answering the calls of his name as his mum leaves it on REPEAT mode,
Seconds had passed and he had missed it,
Seconds which would have gone by unnoticed like a fly on a wall,
Now will be a memory they will never forget.

©Belema S. Ekine

I've been waiting years now
But it won't be too long
Before I can turn to those grade school ******
And tell them they were wrong

Boys chased me and jailed me 'neath the slide
And chipped one of my teeth
Now I can run down halls in heels
And hike twenty miles through trees

Kids ran from me like a monster for a whole year
They told me I was spoiled cheese
Later I learned that I was not so rancid
And that it's okay to be a bit of a beast

Classmates would tell me I was ugly
By rewriting lyrics of Bruno Mars
I'm not a model, but I can pull off
As many styles as the stars

I once had two boys kick me off monkey bars
They told me I was on their hit list
It was terrifying to me then
Now it's hilarious how wildly they missed

I remember that boy who taunted me
And how I flipped over his desk
Since then, I've learned of subtlety
And how not to leave a mess

I knew a girl in first grade, she sat across from me
And made sure I knew I was weird
I know I'm an oddball for a fact now
Why change the way I'm geared?

I'm still not over all of those words
From people who said "kids are mean"
"Sticks and stones will break my bones"
Now I overthink what my words mean

In the back of my mind, when I'm talking
To an acquaintance or friend
A part of me keeps popping up, asking
"Why do they like me, again?"

But at the end of all those days
It's been five years since I've been gone
Looking at the girl I am now, I'd say
I've been pretty good at moving on

She sees heaven in his eyes
He sees a hell in her heart
Too many times she's been hurt
and torn all apart
He sees her suffering
She sees that he's trying
But something inside her
Feels like she's dying
She knows it's worth fighting
He knows how much she's struggling
Struggling with pain versus time
Never knowing if she'll make it through
Like she's blind, walking a twisted path
He guides her towards the truth
She falls behind, she's just too tired
He turns around, sees her lying on the ground
Adrenaline kicks in
He has to carry her out of this place
A heavy load to bare, he struggles through
He takes the weight on his shoulders
Pain, sorrow and a lifetime of despair
Knowing she's his one saving grace
He pushes on until he sees the light up ahead
The final stretch, but he feels heaven on his side
Wondering if he'll make it after how much he's bled
And how much he's cried
The bright light awakens her
She holds on tight, crying tears of joy
With a kiss and a laugh they move on together
Cause love is something even hell can't destroy