Material Scientist
Tag: Poetry
They say our flaws are what make us human
We’ve more than our fair share.
Pieces broken, splintered
Things we’ve had to bear.
But there can be an odd beauty
In light reflected from broken glass
The sound as it falls to the ground
A torn blanket on green grass
And the pain we feel
It comes and goes
Is replaced by smiles and laughs
One day will return
But we’re still here
Broken pieces and all
Marching on
Till the end.
I still remember the day
In the pool with the waves
Our parents weren’t around
The lifeguards didn’t see
As you swam for your life
But started loosing
So I came for you
Picked you up
Sank to the floor
Took three steps
And jumped with all my might
Trying to hold you above the water
And repeated until we touched ground
And I held you till they came
And I’ve tried all my life to become Superman
Since we were kids
Someone who could carry the world on their shoulders
And never let it down
But I know I’m flawed: so are you.
I guess that makes us human.
But I’ve made mistakes too
Been too selfish with my time
Too guarded with my love
Too focused on goals
To be fully there
But I hope you knew
Before you were gone
How much of a part
You had in my heart
And I’ve tried all my life to become Superman
Since we were kids
Someone who could carry the world on their shoulders
And never let it down.
But I know I’m flawed: so are you.
I guess that makes us human.
Those days never stray from my mind.
In the summer heat, the air was heavy
As we’d walk through fields of tall grass, we’d find
The places where we could truly be free.
The sun filtering through the tress,
Your words bringing a smile to my lips,
A single look from you could make my knees
Weak, my heart flutter, my stomach do flips.
When I close my eyes, I can still see
The light that streamed from yours. Feel your skin
Soft and warm next to mine, hear the melody
of your voice as the light grew dim
And the world grew still, except for us.
These days I feel I’m invincible
Ready to take on the world alone
I break rules, I escape gravity’s pull,
Ready to disprove everything known.
(They all say these are the best days of my life.)
A few years later I have hit my stride
I have a career, I am somebody.
I have accomplishments, family, pride,
I have everything I could want and more.
(I guess maybe these are the best days of my life.)
Now I move slow but with a twinkle in my eye
I’ve lived a long life full of joy and some strife
But when I look in my grandson’s eyes I know
That these are the best days of my life.
I would fight for you with everything I’ve got
With tooth and with nail, shed blood, sweat and tears
With every ounce of muscle, get stabbed, get shot
To protect you from every one of your fears
I’d be your knight, your champion, your hero
And protect you from every evil.
In burning sun, drenching rain, freezing snow
I would carry you up the tallest hill
But I will never fight to possess you
I want you to be with who you want most
I won’t change myself, anything I do
Won’t let my true self disappear like a ghost
I love you enough to let you be free
I’ll wait for someone who’ll love me for me.
Written winter 2015/16
I sit on the hard-packed earth, feeling the chill
of the frozen ground, my warmth seeping out
into the air. A slight pain when my lungs fill
Before smoke billows forward, a silent shout.
There’s a chill in my heart, an empty space.
You were there. You were sick. Now you are gone.
I won’t hear your voice. I won’t see your face.
It’s like sitting in the dark waiting for the dawn-
Knowing it won’t come. The blink of an eye,
That’s all we are. But we are so much more,
The love we give others, the reasons why.
You were my coach. My friend. My mentor.
I’ll keep the memories, the lessons, the fun.
You called me brother. I loved you like one.
It is easy to fall into despair
When you look at your life and can’t tell what
You’ve done that matters. Why anyone should care
If you disappear. When it sinks, your gut,
Realizing that the things you want most
Are always floating just out of your reach.
When it feels your work is nothing to boast
About, that you have nothing you can teach
And it feels like you don’t know anything.
But that just means that you must press onward
And build, grow. You’re young. Your heart might yet sing
With happiness, more beautiful than birdsong.
Life’s a journey you’ve just begun. It’s true.
Never give up on yourself, you’re only twenty two.
The meteor streaking across the sky
Through the dwelling place of uncountable worlds
The rainbow sphere bubble that floats and flies
Tracing invisible currents as they whirl
The flower that is all too quick to wilt
But leaves its fragrance lingering in the air
The laughter of a child, musical lilt
Lost in the moment, joyful beyond compare.
Balance is best achieved in motion
But we can’t stop chasing after eternity
Never stopping to pierce the commotion
To find the truth that will make us free.
Sometimes in life the things most beautiful
Pass through most swiftly, that’s why they’re special.
Some of my best moments are in black night
With you, dreaming of our life together
Heart overflowing with joy, overflowing with light,
Certain that I will love you forever.
I think fondly of the countless moments shared
The feeling of transcendence in your presence,
As if about the rest I never cared
While our hearts beat in perfect resonance.
Life’s trivialities falling away
One man and one woman, time standing still.
Then I wake up and am steeped in dismay;
I’ve not yet met you. Could be I never will.
Until that day I will struggle and serve;
I will fight to become the man you deserve.
I’ve been wandering for years, without a guide,
With no direction, no guiding purpose:
Just passing through life, Never feeling tied
To anything of worth. Living with no fuss
Because I didn’t care about a thing.
But now I see the world through different eyes.
Eyes that have gazed upon you. Eyes that sting
When they look away from you. Now I will fight
For you. I will do all within my power
To see the blinding light that is your smile
To make sure that not one thing will sour
Your day. And if I should fail, all the while,
I’ll be holding your hand- standing with you.
There is nothing else on earth I’d rather do.
Austin Kuba 