Poems by Michael J. Malone

What do you see before you?
Are you alone to your thoughts?
Is the sky above you colored blue?
With clouds passing into afterthoughts

A promise made to you.  You are not alone
All around you is ready for the artist's touch
A canvas white and ready for the unknown
This life and burdens that seem too much

A new start.  A simple swoosh of the brush
Though some colors are dark and grey
None of it matters to this life's paintbrush
Mixed together, colored cares vanish away

For even the saddest color can be beautiful
With the delicate strokes of the artist's brush
Creates a white caped mountain unmovable
With green trees, leaves rustling then a hush

Darkest thoughts calmed by a gentle stream
Reflecting memories some good many bad
Painted into things found only in a dreams
With happy colors the artist begins to add

You are the artist wielding the paintbrush
Creating life's picture with your own brush
Now, what do you see before you?
Is the sky above you still colored blue?

There is a chance for a new masterpiece
Regardless of the colors it's yours to wield
With each gentle stroke you will be at peace
Creating a picture of hope for you to be healed

There was a house in my dream
Vacant it stood as it would seem
I entered the house in my dream
To see that which couldn't be seen

The first room was bare and white
Except for footprints as dark as night
I decided to keep them within my sight
Suddenly they trailed off to the right

In a doorway I stood of another room
Vacant it was as that's what I assume
Wait! Was there a mirror in the room?
Alone it stood in this room of gloom

I ventured in to see what could be seen
What was I to see within this dream?
Just my reflection as it would seem
Then I saw that which couldn't be seen

The fright was more than I could bear
My heart jumped because of the scare
I froze captivated by a ghostly stare
Should I speak to her? I didn't dare

It was a ghostly girl staring back at me
Yet invisible outside the mirror you see
She spoke to me a message and a plea
Pointing to a window saying I should flee

I peered out the window to my surprise
A fearful warning to my tired eyes
Death was coming for me I surmise
I knew at that moment I should hide

Out of the house I fled that faithful day
For an unknown ghost pointed the way
That which is unseen vanished away
A mysterious message. Would you say?

It's been awhile since I written
Nothing has changed since then
Then again something is hidden
So, let's try this once more, again

Are you willing to hear this plea?
Are you willing to listen, and see?
Well, I guess there is no guarantee
I hope these words set me free

Do you know what happened to me?
Something hidden has changed me
Tearing at my inner being I can't flee
It's a secret? I wish you could see

Day after day I die a thousand deaths
Struggling to just catch my breath
Yes! Each time as if completely new
And again, I just wish that you knew

For you are like a beautiful flower
In a field of emptiness and nothing
Nothing compares to your power
Yes! This is worth discussing

Let's talk about the power of your smile
I miss it because it's been awhile
Awhile since I've seen the sunrise
Depicted by the light in your eyes

Darkness now has overtaken you
I am hurting now for you too
Once upon a time I didn't care
But I never felt like it before.  To be fair

I don't know what is going on
An unknown path I've come upon
Yes.  This is someone else's to bear
But it is a burden I wish to share

To pick you up when you are down
To build you up so you don't frown
Something I always wanted to be
An encouragement to you in need

It's been awhile since I have written
But nothing has changed since then
I loved you then and I love you now
Secret no more, this is my vow

I'm never truly alone to myself
Myself has many personalities
With more stories than a bookshelf
Sharing many different mentalities

Decisions can be sometimes fun
Initially personality one chimes in first
Cause one wants to get things done
But four thinks one is just the worst

Enraging six who runs to one's defense 
Four snaps back with uncommon wit
As six rambles on making truly no sense
Then there's two who refuses to commit

With one now laughing to hearts content
Cause four and six now in the argument
Will fight till evening is completely spent
And two still refuses to engage or commit

Enters five to intervene and save the day
Five the mediator as three would say
Together they team up to show the way
Two now commits to irritate them away

Whom three accuses two of jealousy
Cause five and three are friends you see
With one still laughing hysterically
Four and six have now entered therapy

So the night becomes really interesting
Cause one and two are now listening
To three and four's happy whistling
At five and six who started...kissing!?!

Multiple personalities can be so fun
Just don't expect normality from one
One's mind will simply become undone
Arguing to kissing and the nights still young

Superman's demise is his kryptonite
With the ability to weaken and destroy
But a worse fate exists in this fight
With a greater ability to totally annoy

I'm referring to a whitish nightmare
Often used to package boxes in care
The noise is such a wonderful scare
Loud screeching please don't dare

The very thought puts me into fright
Though masses eat off it in delight
Terrifying noises with no end in sight
Brought too close it will cause a fight

Eliminate this plague I beg you please
It's no more than a screechy disease
Meant to totally annoy in many degrees
My noisy kryptonite for everyone to see

Styrofoam oh do I utterly loathe thee
I wish the entire world would also agree
Horrible noise bringing me to my knees
From you I really want to completely flee

Ode to thee horrible treadmill
As you call to me to start the day
Have thee no mercy treadmill
Thou instrument of torture today

As I climb onto your dark track
Quick start before resistance wins
Thou spinning tracks now attack
It's time to pay for my eating sins

Oh wow now the speed begins
Too much too much I cry at last
Hear the playing of the violins
Labored voice where AED I asked

Slow down unforgiving treadmill
I despise to be treated this way
Heart rate screams on this hill
The nausea refuses to go away

Resistance is futile in the last
Mile after mile on dark track
I'm having such a sarcastic blast
The mental sanity now cracks

Oh treadmill a tenth left on thee
Each second seems an eternity
Yes! I have reached the end hehe
I now rush to vomit with urgency

I am your neighborhood cat you see
Destined to antagonize you as I please
Peering through your window hehe
Come here dog to bark to appease

You can't get me you canine disease
You're locked inside can't you see
I'll scratch at your window with ease
Ahhh does this irritate with my tease

Bark bark bark dog to try to appease
As I lick your window repeatedly hehe
Oh wait here is my backside to tease
I wave my tail just to further displease

Had enough you stupid canine disease
I'm your neighborhood cat I do as I please
Wait! was that the front door as I freeze
Chased down the street now I must flee

There have been moments just to sit quietly
In places of uncertainty and of the unknown
Furthest away from all which represents society
Surrounded by nothing and completely alone

Alone to my thoughts thinking in sincerity
What happened to bring me to this place
A place of reflection in complete solidarity
Severity of anxiety is very difficult to face

Some say you should just let it go and relax
Why do you dwell on things you cannot control
The dark side says just mind your own beeswax
With words readers probably wouldn't condone

It's difficult to explain the cause behind the pain
Or why the attacks have a tendency to occur
I definitely don't like what it does to my brain
Causing all my thoughts to be a sudden blur

Crippling it becomes causing the need for sleep
Break this horrible spell and bring this day to an end
So that for another day my wits I may truly keep
And those I hurt by my sins completely amend

Once I stumbled upon an enchanted forest
It wasn't too long ago in the middle of May
Wandering about thinking I was a tourist
Trekking freely stumbling along I must say

This is beautifully stunning I said to myself
For it was on that day face to face I stared
At the crowd of trees like a picture on a shelf
Different with a mental darkness I shared

I ventured bravely into the forest that day
To see what enchantments I could behold
On that fateful day in the middle of May
Thinking pridefully to myself I am very bold

It's what I discovered that was in those trees
Something wrong something dark and very cold
Lay within those trees I never wanted to see
Beckoning to me to see that which I was to behold

Etched here and there, images of memories past
Image after image scars here and everywhere
Tortured representations have caught me at last
Binding me to hurt my burden now I have to bear

A mother's name which symbolizes hurtful words
Said in hate to someone too young to understand
Next a symbol of love in the spring and afterward
Heart broken to pieces it didn't work out as planned

Followed by icons of a map with thoughts of riches
A symbol of life crushed by circumstances unknown
This enchanted forest is only that which bewitches
Nightmarish memories never to be forgotten nor alone

Run away I did on that fateful day in the middle of May
From the enchanted forest of which I didn't want to see
A reflection of my mind twisted and dark I have to say
It was a lifelong journey of what I didn't want to ever be