The Unlikely Buddha

The neon lights bled into streaks of color like spilled watercolor paint on the rain-slick windshield as Jack navigated the familiar streets. His phone buzzed insistently on the passenger seat, Melissa's name flashing on the screen. He sighed, the weight of his decision a physical presence in the car. He answered, "Hey," his voice gruff. "Jack," Melissa's voice, a siren song laced with desperation, filled the air. "I need you. I'm on the street again. Please come get me." As Jack weaved through the city's underbelly, his mind drifted to the first time he met Melissa three months ago. She had been sitting at the bar, fingers dancing across piano keys only she could see, humming a haunting melody. Her talent for music was one of the first things that drew him in, a glimpse of beauty amidst the chaos that seemed to follow her. He spotted her on a corner near Fordham Road, a lone figure illuminated by the harsh lamplight. As she...

The bass thrummed through Jake's chest as he nursed his third whiskey, ice cubes clinking against glass. Neon lights cut through the smoky haze, painting fleeting colors across a sea of writhing bodies. That's when he saw her. She moved like a panther, all sleek grace and coiled power. Raven hair cascaded down her back, and those eyes – God, those eyes. Emerald green, but with a coldness that sent a shiver down Jake's spine. Desire and dread mingled in his gut. "Don't even think about it," Tom's voice cut through the music. "That's Lilith. She'll eat you alive." Jake barely registered his friend's words. Lilith had locked eyes with him, and suddenly, the rest of the world faded away. "Aren't you going to offer me a drink?" Her voice was smoke and honey, with an edge that hinted at hidden dangers. Jake nodded, mesmerized. Tom tried to intervene, but Jake shrugged him off, irritation flaring. On the danc...

In the gallery of my mind, your portrait hung eternal, A masterpiece I painted with brushstrokes of denial. Now it's a fading fresco, crumbling like autumn leaves, Revealing the barren wall of truth beneath. The Void You Left Your absence is a black hole, consuming all light, A vacuum where my heart once beat with delight. Too late I learned the weight of what I'd lost, A lesson etched in ice, bitter with frost. Pride's Folly I wore arrogance like a crown, fool's gold upon my brow, Thinking I bestowed a gift, your presence to allow. But you were the treasure, hidden in plain sight, Now gone, leaving me alone in endless night. Addiction to Absence This withdrawal is a tempest, raging in my veins, Each memory a lightning bolt of exquisite pain. I should learn to breathe without you, to stand alone, But I'm a tree without roots, by fierce winds blown. The Unraveling Time, they say, is a healer, a balm for the soul, But each passing moment leaves me less tha...

In twilight's hush, a weathered chair creaks, A silver-haired woman's heart still seeks. The love that time cannot erase, His tender touch, his warm embrace. Ten years have passed since he's been gone, Yet memories linger, ever strong. Grief etched on her face, she sits alone, As sunset paints the leaves of brown. Then suddenly, the air grows still, A presence felt, against all will. She lifts her gaze, and there he stands, Her love, with outstretched hands. "May I have this dance?" he softly asks, His eyes alight with love that lasts. She rises, doubt and years melt away, As if it were their wedding day. They waltz to music only they hear, Each step erasing doubt and fear. In this moment, time stands still, Their love defying nature's will. As their dance slows, he pulls her near, And whispers gently in her ear: "My darling, you are not alone, I'm always here, in heart and bone." "I'll wait for you beyond the ve...

When shadows lengthen and hope takes flight, A frigid wind whispers, "Give in to the night." But deep within, a phoenix shall rise, From smoldering embers, defiance in its eyes. Though lost and weary, on a path unknown, A tangled forest whispers, "You're all alone." But fear not the whispers, a new path you'll forge, With steady hand and heart, a resolute surge. When doubt's a shroud and shadows creep near, A deafening silence filled with chilling fear. But a voice within, a thunderous roar: "I can achieve, forevermore!" Why keep on climbing, though cliffs pierce the sky? Because a spirit within, it will never die. Through pounding rain and blinding snow, A will unyielding, where determination grows. "I can!" you'll shout, with unwavering creed, Spread your wings wide, and plant a fearless seed. For every challenge, a triumph you'll claim, A testament to your will, a soul aflame. So believe, br...

The All-Seeing Eye Whispered apologies, like ashes in the breeze, Promises broken, scattered leaves beneath the trees. Trust, a shattered mirror, fragments reflecting pain, A love once bright, now dimmed by the pouring rain. Unspoken thoughts, like weeds that coil and creep, Tangled vines that choke the seeds you try to keep. Words like daggers, piercing the fragile air, Leaving wounds that fester, a burden hard to bear. Sunlight slants, a gilded cage, Trapping truths behind a shimmering mirage. But I, the eye that holds the night and day, See through facades, where shadows twist and play. From the heavens, a gaze that burns like fire, Reading hearts where tainted desires smolder higher. Weaver of fates, but not a cruel hand, Guiding souls to a deeper understanding. Deceptive smiles, masks that cannot hide, Tears like crystals falling from a weeping tide. No use for empty vows or pretty lies, For in my gaze, the naked truth arises. In this labyrinth of the ...

From the depths of my soul, through the ink of my pen, Every verse, every rhyme, every poetic gem, Flowed from my heart to this page you now see, A tapestry of words, woven solely by me.