SoberMedia™

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Poetry

AI-generated illustration of a lit lighthouse on a rocky point at night, a large wave crashing against its base under a dark, cloudy sky.

Poetry

For Pops

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Stronger than you know You hold doubt without reason I believe you can

AI-generated illustration of a dimly lit, old-fashioned bar at night, a woman leaning on the bar counter across from a seated man, warm pendant lights overhead and shelves of bottles behind the bar.

Poetry

The Barmaid and Me

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It was a melancholy pit, Of wonders and wit, Full of people looking for more... As I sauntered in, I smelled stale sweat and sin, And took a stool not far from the door.

Then her eyes locked with mine, Frozen in space and time, As the droplets of foam hit the floor. I watched her watching me, I think both of us could see, All the people that neither of us cared for.

In this melancholy pit, of wonders and wit, full of people looking for more There were lawyers and bankers, Workers and wankers, People of all walks of life and more...

Some duplicitous in nature, Some defying nomenclature, Singing songs of misinformed lore. Some attached to a screen, Some just dying to be seen, Some befuddled and heading for the door.

As our eyes locked again, Very little was said, I think she knew I had been her before.

In a melancholy pit, Of wonders and wit, Full of people looking for more. We found solace in each other, A similarity in our druthers, Too many missed opportunities to account for.

"I am a dancer," she said, As her face turned a bit red, With a body most women would have to pay for. "I am a writer," I said My soul rising from the dead, Nervously trying my best not to bore...

We found laughter and shared stories, Of adventures and past glories, And the places we'd both been before. I think we both realized, As we looked into each other's eyes, That maybe we both, could maybe still be more.

Than being stuck, in a melancholy pit, Of wonders and wit, Full of people looking for more... Serendipity was at play, As we passed each other's way, And found a way to pick each other off the floor. No numbers were exchanged, No schedules rearranged, Just two people with much more in store.

I will always be grateful, For fate being fateful, And making me walk through the door... To a melancholy pit, Full of wonders and wit, And two people that might have found more...

AI-generated photograph-style illustration of a dirt path running through a golden cornfield at sunset, birds flying in the distance.

Poetry

The Melancholy

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There is a strange melancholy I feel today, watching the wispy wind blow through fields of corn.

I am getting older now; it's a place I never thought I would make it to, let alone thrive as I am.

But I'm lonely today

The metaphor of the corn: its life cycle, rebirth, growth, and eventual harvest.

Dancing in the wind, oblivious to the mess we have created.

It seems to be finding an incredibly simple yet deep symbolism in me today.

Wondering if the wind will show me the way, and how many cycles I have left.

It feels like that dance is telling me to keep going even if it's only for today, and that maybe, if luck continues to befall me, I'll get to stay for many cycles to come.

Yet still I wonder when this life will take me, when my harvest will come to pass, and where I will sprout next.

I need to find a way to dance more in the wind, remember less of where I've been and focus more on where I'm going.

Even on the days when I feel lonely.

Maybe it's not melancholy after all; maybe it's just a man who's risen after a fall from grace, only to find himself yearning for the freedom to dance like the corn in the wind.

AI-generated image of a sunset sky with clouds and a bright light beam, with the poem's text overlaid in white serif type.

Poetry

A final wish

Multi-panel photographic and illustrated collage bordered by a torn-paper text panel titled 'Wanting...', featuring imagery of a sunrise coastline, mountains, a couple embracing, a musician, an artist painting, a hot air balloon, a protester holding a sign reading 'Hate Divides Us', pill bottles and a syringe, a torn image labeled 'Politics', broken chains, and a group of people standing arm in arm facing a sunset, with the words 'We are one' at the bottom.

Poetry

Wanting...

Dusk sky over water with the poem's text overlaid in italic serif type.

Poetry

For a friend

Close-up photograph of a red poppy flower against a black background, with the poem's text overlaid in white serif type.

Poetry

Remembering

AI-generated image of a sunrise over a mountain summit with a silhouetted figure standing on a rocky peak, arms raised, with the poem's text overlaid in cursive black type.

Poetry

For my brothers and sisters

Photograph of a misty valley and mountains at sunrise with trees and fog in the foreground, titled 'LUCKY...' with the poem's text overlaid in black serif type.

Poetry

LUCKY...

AI-generated image of a bald eagle in flight against a dark, moonlit cloudy sky, with the poem's text overlaid in bold black type.

Poetry

You are not broken

Black-and-white image of a woman in a period dress standing in a foggy field with arms outstretched, seen from behind, with a four-line poem overlaid in white cursive type.

Poetry

For my Mum

AI-generated image of a winged angel figure descending over a dark, cloudy hilltop landscape, with two columns of poem text and the heading 'For my friend...' overlaid in white cursive type.

Poetry

For my friend...

Dusk beach photograph showing a man and a small child standing in silhouette, facing a distant sunset and lighthouse, titled 'Lonely...' with the poem's text overlaid in white.

Poetry

Lonely...

Mixed-media illustration titled 'Inspiration' of a person looking upward with a burst of light at their chest, surrounded by imagery of a bridge, a city skyline, a lightbulb, sheet music, and a doorway, with an acrostic poem using the letters of the word 'INSPIRATION' overlaid in black serif type.

Poetry

Inspiration

Photograph of a smiling woman with blonde wavy hair wearing a red scarf, above a poem titled 'For My Auntie Lana...' overlaid in black serif and script type, set against a background of clouds and sunlight.

Poetry

For My Auntie Lana...

Foggy riverside photograph with bare trees, a rocky shoreline, and a partially submerged boat, with the poem's text overlaid in black serif type on the right side.

Poetry

Into the fog