Pen Therapy

It’s NASCAR weekend in Darlington. The cars roar, the crowds cheer… but when the engines go quiet, the town is still crumbling.

Life’s a mixtape, spinning songs of my soul,

Each track a reflection, each chorus a goal.

I’ve danced to punk rock, I’ve swayed to the blues,

Searching for rhythms that feel like my truth.

There were times I got stuck on a loop I outgrew,

Replaying old verses I thought that I knew.

But the static reminded me: nothing’s complete—

Sometimes you rewrite the same track on repeat.

Each phase of my life played its own kind of sound,

Some lyrics uplifting, some pulling me down.

From pop-star illusions to jazz-laden nights,

I’m piecing together what finally feels right.

The mixtape evolves as I grow and refine,

A blend of the borrowed and beats that are mine.

Some tracks I’ve retired, their meaning now gone,

While others are classics and will always play on.

I flipped the cassette, found new songs to explore,

An anthem of courage, a ballad of more.

No longer defined by what didn’t belong,

I’m writing a melody that feels like my song.

This mixtape’s not perfect—it skips, it may stall,

But it’s stitched with the story I’m learning to call

My own, and I’m proud of the journey I’ve made—

Every note a reminder of how I’ve replayed.

So here’s to the mixtape of finding my way,

To the tracks of tomorrow, the tunes of today.

With a hand on the dial and my voice in the air,

An innocent girl once lived in me,

Her heart was open, her spirit free.

But shadows grew where light should be,

She longed for love, for company,

Yet all she found was anxiety.

The anger came, wild as the sea,

A shield was born to shelter me.

No longer trapped in misery,

I’d fight to make the torment flee,

Too late for their apologies.

Now my protector lives in me,

No longer bound by anxiety.

I hold my ground, I’m finally free,

The strength I have is all I need,

Spring’s in the air, grab your glove and your bat,

It’s your favorite time of year, the field is packed.

It’s Opening Day, you’re ready to play baseball,

You’ve been working off-season, perfecting your fastball.

Baseball isn’t only about runs or fame,

There are so many life lessons that can be claimed.

You trust your teammates, there’s a mutual respect,

Working together, you play to protect.

Each teammate’s vital, no matter the role,

Infield or out, you all have the same goal.

When you’re at the plate and the pitch comes in,

You’ve got one shot—gotta swing to win.

Life, like baseball, can throw you a curve,

Stay steady, stay ready, and hold your nerve.

The innings fly by, it’s a tight, close fight,

Every play matters, every swing feels right.

Baseball isn’t only about runs or fame,

There are so many life lessons that can be claimed.

You trust your teammates, there’s a mutual respect,

Working together, you play to protect.

Your team’s in the field, three up and three down,

Earning respect in this baseball town.

Now it’s the ninth, the rally begins,

Fans on their feet, feeling the win.

One strike, then two—it’s down to the wire,

The game’s on your bat, your chance to inspire.

Full count, two outs, the pitch comes near,

It’s way outside, but you still hear, “Strike!” clear.

The umpire’s human, but the call is the call,

You can get mad if you want but it’s best to shake it off.

Coaches will guide, they’ll teach and they’ll say,

“There’s more to this game than just how you play.”

Baseball isn’t only about runs or fame,

There are so many life lessons that can be claimed.

You trust your teammates, there’s a mutual respect,

Working together, you play to protect.

Winning’s the goal, but losing’s okay,

It’s the fight you bring that matters each day.

When life throws a loss, you dust off the dirt,

Stand back in the box, ready for the work.

Baseball’s a mirror, reflecting it true—

The lessons it teaches will carry you through

Life is hard, but I do my best,

You look down your noses,

like I’m less.

I’m nothing like the girl you thought I’d be,

Your disappointment’s a heavy weight on me.

I don’t ask for a hand, don’t beg for a thing,

But you treat me like a burden, like a broken wing.

I don’t drive the car that fits your mold,

I don’t fit the life your judgment holds.

You can look down your nose, act like I’m a shame,

Judge every move and play your blame game.

But I won’t break, I won’t give in,

Your control won’t win—

this is where I begin.

Growing up was all a facade,

Living your lies, it felt so wrong.

I hear the struggles, I’ve got compassion to share,

I give advice from love,

but no one cares.

The world doesn’t love me—

it barely tries,

I’m a misfit walking under cold, gray skies.

You sit back, hope I fall, just to say, “I told you so.”

But your judgment’s the storm, and I’m learning to row.

I’ve been given ultimatums, told to comply,

But I won’t surrender to your goodbye.

You can look down your nose, act like I’m a shame,

Judge every move and play your blame game.

But I won’t break, I won’t give in,

Your control won’t win—

this is where I begin.

Growing up was all a facade,

Living your lies, it felt so wrong.

I hated the show, I hated the lies,

Pretending to smile, tears in my eyes.

And now that I’m grown, I’m finding my way,

But you shut the door, with nothing to say.

One day, I hope you’ll see what it’s like,

To feel pushed away, to lose the fight.

The bullies at school were kids, my age,

Now it’s family, fueling the rage.

So I’ll stand alone, but I’ll stand tall,

Your judgment won’t be the end of it all.

I don’t live your way, I’ve carved my own,

Our life together’s been a wild roller coaster ride, we’ve been through some thangs.

We’ve had our ups and downs, gone round-and-round, but side by side at the end of the day.

You’ve been my person, my rock, my team,

Together forever is still my dream.

Lately things have shifted, something’s changed,

When you’re here with me you’re here with me, yet you seem so far away.

I’m not crazy, but you’re making me insane,

Why can’t you just tell me what’s on your brain?

I’m lost, hurt, and feeling betrayed,

Do you still love me, or is this goodbye?

You look and smell so damn good these days,

But when I reach for you, you walk away.

I fear the worst, my heart starts to race,

Is someone else taking my place?

Trying to talk to you makes me madder than hell,

Was everything we built just a lie you sell?

I’m not crazy, but you’re making me insane,

Why can’t you just tell me what’s on your brain?

I’m lost, hurt, and feeling betrayed,

Do you still love me, or is this goodbye?

You roll your eyes and shut me down when I try to talk to you,

You’ve never been so cold before, can you put yourself in my shoes?

Is there another woman, or just a one-night stand?

Have you fallen in love, I need to understand.

I used to read you like an open book,

Now all I see are empty pages and a lot of blank looks.

I’m not crazy, but you’re making me insane,

Why can’t you just say what’s on your brain?

I’m left feeling lost, hurt, and betrayed,

Do you still love me, or is this goodbye?

Look at me now, a fool I fear,

Part of me hates you, but the other still cares.

I want you to hold me, wipe the tears from my eyes,

And tell me you love me and that you’re still my guy.

2 of 2

Here’s the second version of My Show.

1 of 2

I did two versions of this one.

As a new hobby, I’ve decided to teach myself about digital art… AND IT IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS.

I’ve been playing around with my poems, creating different size pictures, social media posts, etc. using different fonts… it’s a challenge finding a font and font color to use in the poem that will show up in front of a background… there may be a rule or formula for that… please let me know if there is.

If you have any experience creating digital art, please glance over a couple of my posts and let me know if there’s anything I could have done differently (or if you think I did okay) 😃.

I welcome good and not so good critiques.