#poem – OVERVIEW AFFECTED

Gods on God

June 17, 2025 Bradley Ward

We are all gods
In one hand holding creation
In the other, destruction
Fist closed, blood seeping through finger gaps
Unable to hide the truth
Of which hand we prefer

We are not God
That is amalgamation
Alchemical assimilation
The wise and the violent
All things to all people
Vanilla, lukewarm, dairy-free

Now, the gods claim God
The promise of power
Through subservient facade
Though chosen, set apart
Still they favor the hand
Gripping the sword
Burning all the bushes
They are what they are

Poetry

Silver Linings

May 5, 2024 Bradley Ward

It hits you all a sudden.

A kick in the fucking teeth.

The idealism you were born with

Just ignores your reality.

You believe things can change.

It’s more than simple hope;

Invasive visions of futures

That, if they happen, happen slow.

When the silver lining

Is all that lines your pockets,

You’re always left spent.

Reframe the worth of energy.

Giving up won’t bring you down.

The picture you’ve been painting

Doesn’t recharge you anyhow.

When the silver lining

Is all that lines your pockets,

You’re always left spent.

Maybe I’ll give up on you.

Maybe I’ll give up on this.

Maybe I’ll just breathe for once.

Poetry

Worn Blanket

August 23, 2021 Bradley Ward

Many days I feel like a worn blanket
Tossed around and only used for picnics
Used and abused, but thankful for the company
Relieved someone still finds warmth in me
Even if it's only fleeting
Once or twice a summer

Poetry

Old Road

July 18, 2021 Bradley Ward

One more mile to go
A short distance on this road
I’ll take this on my own
I’ll tread the dust alone

The forest is claiming lives
On the side of this road
Stare past the trees
Look to the skies
There’s joy in the stars
What a paralyzing notion
In the commotion

Poetry

Old Walls

July 17, 2021July 17, 2021 Bradley Ward

Stare at the walls
The floor is in motion
This is where we make our stand

The doors are the gates
Portals to a world that’s crashing
We had the strength to move the mountains
We let them eat it all away

I’ve got to get a hold of my self
I can’t keep screaming into the pillow
Paranoia creeps its way into my mind

Somewhere
I’ll find my heart
The beating of the pulse
The burning in my lungs
Escaping breaths
Come swiftly, rest

Poetry, thoughts

Leaf

March 11, 2021 Bradley Ward

The scrape of a leaf against the sidewalk
Rough, cruel, even inhumane
Yet somehow thrilling in the breeze
It is the knowledge of what something represents
That is stronger than the impression of its actual form
  
A person who cannot speak or gesture
Their mind firing on all cylinders
Often viewed as that fleeting, long-dead leaf
Yet filled with the color and beauty of autumn

Poetry

Is It?

January 27, 2021 Bradley Ward

Maybe we’ve taken a long hard look at ourselves
Seeing with dry, burning eyes that this is not who we are
Or is it? 
Cynicism is the tissue that surrounds the scars
Conspiracy is the gauze that fills the void
  
Is optimism a shattered virtue?
With enough substance to make out the shape
But not enough to piece it together?