daniel z.

Were your ribs branches I would build a tree house and stick all your dreams in between the spaces because every house needs proper foundations and what better support than the melodies your heart longs to learn.

When you grow up I see you as a righteous man despite the broken moral compass our parents had. I see you as an intelligent man because fuck each time they called you an idiot. I see you as compassionate as the sun, offering your smile like medicine instead of taking it away. I hope the mist clears and you can, too, see your wild heart on the horizon, so finally you can claim it and call it home. And when you drop the anchor, don't forget our little one. Do not let him believe that his blood runs any slower or that his eyes aren't as blue. Hold your brother closer than you hold your own heart, because I mightn't be able to do that for you.

You wear your heart on your sleeve with an ease that I envy, You do not care who sees your arteries bursting with the love you give out, You are the kind of brave I wish I was and I'm the kind of broken I wish You dared to love.

Your laugh is a million fireflies That light my way out of any dark alley (and I wonder into a lot of those) I promise to choose my paths wisely If you promise to keep setting the fireflies free.

The waves crashed into the rocks Chipping away at them with Persistent violence And I wondered if you Also try to re-sculpt perfection.

1. It's okay to not be okay. Even the optimist takes breaks from smiling. And I know that there are days When one word can send you crumbling down When your legs feel more like creaking stairs Listen. Listen to the symphony your troubles create within your soul. Not every melody is beautiful. 2. It's okay to cry. I know a man who likes letting go. He knows that strength is not measured by silence. He fills the sky with his tears And paints the rainbow with his hope Don't limit yourself to seven colors, Don't deny yourself your god given right to cry So what if it's a sign of weakness 3. It's okay to be weak... And lost.. And afraid. Look, I'm 18 years and 5 months old and if I've got a nightmare you can bet your ass I've got a teddy bear on standby. You know, sometimes I feel bad for him. I know how it is to have legs made out of cotton. I know how tempting it is to fall We do not let ourselves fall Like kids at the playground Climbing the monkey bars Wishing it was mount Everest If your foot slips, let go Someone will catch you But remember, sometimes you've got to be your own hero. 4. It's okay to leave your plate empty. The other day I read Kate Moss say, 'Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels'. Miss Moss, I have just one question. "Have you EVER tasted Nutella?" Food aside, media are telling you that skinny goes. If that is the reason you ever hesitate to have a meal, I am sorry. I am sorry on the behalf of a fucked up society that equates a full meal to a crime. Cuff me, officer. With all this food today I didn't hold back even a forkful. It's 2013 people, we're not all size 6, we're diverse as fuck and we're goddamn awesome. It's high time the media gets a reality check I want to see real people, not scarecrows. 5. It's okay to love someone that doesn't love you. I'm the best at this. I have mastered the art of cutting my heart into pieces and handing them to people who will never give them back But it's okay Sometimes people need to know that you equate their smile with the sun Sometimes people need to know they're worth falling in love with I'm not saying it doesn't hurt Being in love and being selfless doesn't always come easy, sometimes it feels like sticking my hand in the fireplace and tasting the flames I'm like Heaney in the Underground, Stuck behind, picking up the buttons of your coat and comparing you to the stars One day I'll catch up, One day someone else will pick up the buttons and this time, you will wait for them. 6. It's okay to love yourself. This is for all the boys, you are beautiful, This is for all the girls, you are strong This is for all the people in between not quite sure of who they are and those who know exactly but still struggle to find the words to convey it, you are breathtaking. Life is too vast to look in the mirror and see a villain. Look at your eyes, how they change when you smile. Study the branches that your veins create, follow them to your heart Know.. You are worth it Carve it into your palm and may you never forget it 7. It's okay to believe. When you're six, everything's so simple Shooting stars grant wishes, Santa Claus is real and the monsters under your bed can be waved away with your father's hand I stopped believing in God when my grandfather died after I've spent two hours repeating prayers on a loop, I stopped believing in human compassion when I got bullied, I stopped believing in redemption when two people I've known committed suicide I'm sorry for being a debbie downer but this is my intervention, you guys How many times do you smile during the day? How many times do you question something someone has told you? Being cynical isn't all that great, it sucks the magic right out of your veins. If its not a happy ending then it's not the end, Do not ever forget to hope Without hope we'd never ever grow. 8. It's okay to be more. You can become the ripple that will become a wave that will become a tsunami that will become change. Be that change. This is my voice, I want to tell you you can This is your voice, please use it 9. It's okay to be yourself. The biggest cliche on the planet and yet so many people still hide who they are: Good afternoon, my name's Daniel. I am 18 years old and I watch pretty little liars and I sobbed like a goddamn baby at Toy Story 3. Pretending to be someone you're not takes all the fun out of having friends, I dont want nights out to feel like a rehearsed play, Leave your script at home and improvise. 10. It's okay. You'll be just fine.

Andrea Gibson

Your veins are a lightning on the back of your hand, Your words are thunder at the quietest of times. You don't need fear to start a storm, I hope she listens when you talk.

fries

spoken poetry

When I told you you're too good for lung cancer I meant I never want you to miss a sunrise by trading it in for a smoke break.

morning air

I would paint you like the Sistine Chapel, meticulously and over time. But I want to go crazy and paint you with passion, color outside the lines just to show how vast you are. Simple contours cannot contain your soul because it changes shape; Like thread weaving itself into fabric.

cappuccino

How do we measure strength? By the amount of tears not cried or perhaps the scars not made, Is it the absence of a cry or communication, Because someone once told me there's nothing more brave than talking.

Your name is a poem, An oratorio woven into my heartstrings So that each time I breathe, Each time I speak The notes ring through my veins.