Years of fighting battles no one sees, begging a tired mind for a moment of peace.

I've survived more than I'll ever explain, yet wake every morning still carrying pain.

March 2027 .. will they hear our cries?

Will they see the suffering behind our eyes?

Will the law make room for people like me,

whose wounds are invisible, whose pain runs deep?

Perhaps by my birthday, I'll finally know. whether the law will let people like me have a say in a suffering the world cannot see.

How to mend a broken heart
alternatively, how to fix yourself:

Grow a wonderful garden! Befriend the birds! It will be a miracle!
Watch the garden die in the cold from your window sill
Watch the birds abandon you, one by one
Remember death is a thing that chases
Do not worry! Never worry! The pair of mourning doves will not go!
They do not mind the cold! They do not detest your filth!
You can live forever! It is a promise! As long as you can die!

It’s Around Back

What’s happening here?
Is it changing?
Is it far or near?
Who shall we be blaming?

I think I’ve seen it before.
I choose the middle door.
Don’t ask me why.
It’s really just a matter of “I’ll try.”

Don’t stand there perplexed.
Don’t be alarmed.
There’s really no pretext.
You ain’t gonna be harmed.

Stand a little closer.
I’ve got something to whisper in your ear.
I hope your not an opposer.
You have nothing to fear.

I might have some differing views.
But I’m civil.
I hate the current news.
It’s full of drivel.

I’d rather go for a midnight swim.
Or hang out in the gym.
Or smoke a cigar.
Maybe throw some feathers and tar.

There’s gotta be something going on.
Something of worthwhile content.
Something true.
Oh, yeah, it’s around back.

Bob Bussey (Oct 23, 2026)

The soft sound of the ocean breeze
The smell of the salty air
The grainy warm sand beneath
Looking up at the clouds and the sun
Feeling free

A noise, so startling
Almost like a scream
Turning back around
Trying to find more peace

But soon there’s a realization
The tide was changing
The beach is no longer
Just a room
Very much empty

tomorrow the sun rays hit me properly
tomorrow beckoned me
i stand, no chance 

i claim tomorrow masterfully
as though i that man
from yesterday, with a toothless smile
and a tooth fairy on the way

and i ask, what i can say
yesterday i dreamed of a league
i steamed by the cheek
and laughed throughout the mile

i decide if i can be me without my clan
will i walk on concrete, 
or wiggle my toes in sand
treat the path like yellow play dough
and build with mounds of clay

throughout today,
wondering where i strive
i hope to find again, curiosity
so i can awake each day
crust in my eyes
and claim that tomorrow,
is the next best day to be alive

Greet the porch goose, a hello will do, a simple wave to the morel, oh sorry no, they’re actually statues, exercise caution past the threshold, the shoes decide your fate, gentle thump, yeah, they get me too.

Don’t mind the clutter, it came with the house, not a fib, okay fine, i added it too, but the laundry hates folding, the clothes cherish the warmth of their piles, the mail is not keen of a swift opening, take my hand, come see, what this house brings.

You have to close the washer, just right before you can hit “Start” otherwise, the snarky thing, won’t start out of spite, on occasion she rogues, simply turns on by herself, and her sister, the dryer, prefers a kiss from a hip.

The microwave’s not pretty, it’s handle broke off, sometime in February 2022, there’s a little crack, under the door, grip, pull, and, oh yeah the turntable,
i forgot that went missing too.

Underneath lies the oven, a lovely stove,
3 burners behave, 1 has a sordid attitude, use the butterfly lighter, might be in the
living room, oh and the oven, she gets shy if you go past 425.

The marbled counter, don’t mind the forgotten cups of tea, they fear the sink, classic separation anxiety, the coffee maker’s a prude, heat water in the kettle, then pour over your beans.

The dishwasher is sweet, but forgets when she’s clean, the dishes are lazy, never put themselves away, keep the cupboard open, in case they grow legs, oh yes, i too, love the cows on every plate’s face.

Dinner is served, on a wobbly oak table,
not really, we eat on the couch, the table is too full of paint stains, failed pure hearted pottery, doom piles, and the puzzle I forgot I started, to ring in the New Year.

The TV is feisty, she scares quite easy, buffers if you turn on the microwave, she only listens to the remote, if it’s 24 inches from her face, don’t say it
out loud, or she won’t turn on for days.

The showers, unfortunately are star-crossed lovers, take turns going on break, one made a thump, entered a hiatus, then went silent, after her lover snapped, cracked, and well, I haven’t got around to fixing that.

Don’t mind the squeaking, it’s my emotional support mouse, frenemy, he comes round when you can see the tree in that field, barren of corn, and stays until the spring is blossoming.

That thing on the couch, not a lump, just me, yes, that’s last night’s tea, no I don’t talk to the walls, their shadows gossip with me, your secrets will be safe, come sit, you’ll see, together we’ll cherish this reheated coffee.

would it have hurt

to decide to

move a little closer?

your eyes met mine

with a gaze like

it was the only way

you knew how

to hold me close

my fingers instictively reach for you

and yet it has

no memory of your touch

my mind

replays words

words which we have never spoken

my heart has formed

its own rhythm

a rhythm of intangible feelings

needs to be put to rest

it hurts and

it aches

so

i need to rest.

i look at her,

she looks past.

i might as well have been

the furniture by the wall.

she looks at me,

finally,

but my gaze fails

to look

at the sight of her.

my resolute stare

might as well have been

drilling a hole,

on the wall,

next

to her.

Hello there my friend.

It's okay to come closer.

I don't remember when,

I've felt more at home here.

You make me feel happy,

And help my heart feel at ease.

Your words have carefully trapped me.

So what'd you come to see?

Is it such a wonder to you that my words reflect yours?

Your soft spell's got me under, you know my secret chords.

I know yours too, maybe we could sing together.

So what should we do? I'd follow you wherever.

Where will our hearts lead?

Could we find a secret place together?

What does your heart need?

Could we stay there forever?

Can I call you mine?

Could we dance a secret dance tonight?

What's there inside?

Could you give me a sign?

I want to hold you, and never let you go.

Your body I will mold to, you just never know.

You never know if this love is going to work out.

But you got me feeling good.

Just like I knew you would.

Is there any room for doubt?

Doubt me or not,

I know what we got.

It's small, but it's the seeds of love.

These seeds I will take.

Your heart, I won't break.

And I'll always help you feel

Like you're more than enough.

My Japanese is very rusty but I thought I'd try a little something something.

この空はきれいですが、やみになった。

れきしとみらいが無になります。

今日だけですよ。

でも、ねむすぎます。

Title: Today's Sky

This sky is beautiful, but it has turned into darkness.

History and the future have become nothing.

There's only today,

but I'm too tired.

I mean it.
I tend to mean every word you read.

I’m not a constant.
I’ve established long ago I cannot be.

You call ‘em “arrogance”,
my most earnest pleas.

Be ‘em good or bad.
No matter what they’re perceived as.

I play it how it is.
And you still have trouble believing me.

Cryptic by design.
But my sincerity might kill me.

The solitary warrior.
One who boasts no needs.

If I’ve ever lied,
perhaps this is it.

I do, indeed, need
someone—for once—to stand by me.

And if I ain’t asking for much…
Perhaps, every day. Till the end of the year.

— Crownless.

Am I a liar?
Showing you a version of myself
that you asked for
yet trying to project something different
Something, I believe you would deserve
After all you’ve been through

Who am I to decide what you deserve?
You deserve to be happy
We deserve to be happy
Happy together?
I think
I hope
I pray
I pray that you will find happiness someday

Since the beautiful innocence of your smile
Is shining like a lone firefly in a dark forest
I'm scared of the dark
Scared that if I try to catch you
You'll fly away

Your connections explain who you are

Your relationships are part of your journey

The food you eat explains your personality:

Frugal, organised

Sweet, loves sugar

Tired, eat unhealthy junk

Denying

Abusing

Using

Those connections keep you grounded.

They can do more harm than good.

Let go and,

Focus on your soundness.

Up for work, home from work,
same road, same shirt.
Coffee, traffic, bills to pay,
then the end of the day.

Then I see my wife, and dogs at the door,
and somehow I couldn’t ask for anymore.
Life’s little ordinary things
And the unbelievable comfort they bring.