"The Poet Soul" by Eddie Gomez

The poet soul: 

finding calamity in minor setbacks

loneliness in a crowd

often arriving in disguise

leaving when not allowed

feeling the greatest loss in goodbyes

the calmness in frantic

a dreamworld romantic

sleeping without shelter underneath graying skies…  that means we take chances

What kind of poet should I be? 

The kind who drinks heavily? 

Or maybe just the kind who writes poetry

Now that I’ve found it I believe in my voice

a whisper turned up to 10

whisper again

Words come alive recounting journeys I’ve been through

unlocking more love inside than I ever knew

I grab a pen and then

I let the emotions take hold 

because genuine joy from young hearts

cannot be controlled

I find meaning even when I don’t mean to

real or pretend it’s happening again

everything is beauty, everything is pain

everything is temporary and everything’s the same

I have to carry a pen and pad at all times

to document stories and emotional crimes

The news of the day

life keeps me on the beat

you say nothing’s going on

well that’s news to me

Go on and embrace your hate 

while I embrace a poetic fate

I don’t destroy with my hands, I create

I stand by my convictions

even when they come back contradictions

and when my emotions are attacked 

the poet soul fights back

my opinions give rise when dishonesty lies

I pay closer attention than you realize

I want to see what’s coming at me 
as well as what’s passing by

I need to vent, reflect, lament, bask and ask the universe why

So I observe the world til I can find more time

A question lost in a moment that needs to be defined

But moments...

they don’t care what you want to prove

they don’t care about prayers

time is gonna move

whether you’re rich or a millionaire

I don’t need riches

just as long as I have sense

and you can’t buy my poet heart 
no matter what the expense

I’m just gonna write about this life all night until it fits

I’m gonna play with fire like it’s a normal adventure

While looking to create sparks in future endeavors

We take a lump of life’s coal 

and turn it into extraordinary gold

so maybe we should charge at the door

because we poets are poor

but I know what this release means

so how can I ask for cash 
while I’m living dreams

all I can hope for are your ears, eyes and time

those things when combined

are worth far more than dimes

so instead I move ahead 

looking for wordplay and rhymes

metaphors, magic moments and meaningful times

my words won’t rest til they find their resting place 

when they leap right off this page 
and into your face

I know that sounds severe

but at times the word demands it.

you have to be willing to part with your fear 

in order to understand it

I understand

that I’ll never grow up or too far

because there’s no compromise

so I fight through the lows and celebrate the highs

and what you call routine I tend to call madness

as crazy as it seems, the pen loves sadness

I remind myself that I wouldn’t enjoy heroes 

without a few villains

and the unpredictability 

makes life so thrilling

I wouldn’t be able to separate the joy and the agony

without having been through all the good fortune and tragedies

and if you look deep into my eyes

you might be surprised 

just how bright my dark browns can be

I’ve realized as I get older I get thicker

but this isn’t fat

it’s layers

from all the things I’ve learned

all the places I’ve stayed

from all the times I’ve walked past the haters 

and ran past the pain

for all the times I bit my tongue 

when I wanted to complain

when I say I’m well rounded 

I’m not talking about my physique

No, I speak from a place of pride

from a personal diary of the travels I keep inside

transformed into poetry I can no longer hide

So go on and embrace your hate while I communicate

I don’t destroy with my hands, I create

I create a better way to embrace the love within

I create the courage to speak about the bravest of men

Never underestimate the power of my pen