Treading Water To Freedom

Treading Water To Freedom

By: Tyler Ross

I started off on the wrong foot

or at least you’d like me to think.

I blinked twice and saw you above me.

Teary eyed and torn in two,

a reflection of what’s inside of me.

Consumed,

with anger, distrust

and the distancing,

I walk this solitude alone.

Scared of what I’m becoming.

Closed off,

afraid to continue to be disappointed

by the walking, talking heartless

I find myself in front of.

Draining my everything

into a pool of unhappiness,

I am stumbling forward,

in search of

a beautiful accepting exit,

that will hopefully assist with my departure
away from this all.

Welcome To Earth 2014

Welcome To Earth 2014
By: Tyler Ross

Many ignored smiles.
Too much disrespect.
Too many unanswered calls.
Too many unanswered texts.

R.I.P. to empathy.
Poor communication.
You think your time has more value?
Too much time wasted with these situations.

Welcome to Earth 2014
You ain't no friend of mine.

I'm out.

Summers At Fryman Canyon Will Always Miss You

Summers At Fryman Canyon Will Always Miss You

By: Tyler Ross 

I said bye to a curly, black-haired dog today.

It laid in the shade struggling for air.

It’s confused and lack of urgent guardians,

gathered around 

with strangers on a Sunday morning hike

up against a fence 

by its side, 

while the mother petted it slowly.
They said it overheated,

but to me they didn’t seem too defeated,

by this saddening situation.

A member of their family,

lie motionless

and they just squatted around, hands to their heads.

Maybe there wasn’t anything they could do,

because a hiker passing had a grim tongue

reassuring to the point, this was the end.

Or maybe,

it was an old dog and death is just a part of life.

Either way, my thoughts were with the dog that day.

As we finished our hike,

back the way we started,

we crossed the family once again.

This time, the dog was in the father’s arms,

lifeless.

Sorrow surrounded that family,

as they headed for their car - every hiker was aware.

Yet I refused to believe it was dead.

We carried on that day back home,

but in my mind, 

that dog was racing around back at its home

having another shot at life.
I’m having trouble sleeping tonight.

Burning Desire

Burning Desire
By: Tyler Ross

For me, its been months and months.
Truth be told,
I still miss you and think about you often.
But I know that don't mean much to you.
I have cold feet, an eager heart
and uncontrollable thoughts circulating
my seemingly damaged brain.
Some thoughts are pleasant,
while others are misdirecting and delusional.
No excuses to be made, just stating
the truth.
You understood a lot of me.
You digested most of my pain.
I am more than thankful for you
and the time you gave me,
put up with me
and still,
had a heart so loving toward me,
not seeing it any other way.
Before I jetted physically
and mentally -
unsure completely as to why my psyche was changing.
Without much time apart,
you were gone.
Understandably, your saddened heart could only deal
with the absence in me so long.
Time will only tell what becomes of this...
this strange mutating void between two humans,
where love survived happily and willingly to catapult
into every aspect of our lives.
This alien feeling keeps me awake.
I don't dream about much.
I'm in constant confliction with my actions.
It's hard to talk without getting yelled at,
but I understand.
I have to try and understand.
I do miss you.
I miss where we were at.
But try and understand,
I can't seem to shake these feelings
fucking my world where I loved,
not allowing me to enjoy the simple life,
the simple life where things were equal
and desire lived in our blood.
I wished you understood.