Timo Schmitz

Helpless moment

Down deep in the ocean, no light,
Darkness, no breath, a hurried tide,
A wall of ice pulls me down on the ground,
Glittering darkness’ silent sound,
Broken glass, broken inside, broken shadow,
Restless fires freezing inside the snow,
Ceasing in a ray of hope.

My fear of losing you

When I have fears that I could lose you forever,
I panic –
I become afraid of messing things up,
And as much more I think of it,
As more as I mess it up.
Because if there is one thing in the world
One wish
Then it is not losing you.

Insecurity

When I see in your eyes,
I get caught by your love,
And your tender replies,
I know you connect with my soul.

Yet, it is my worst fear,
Is to disappoint you,
Because to me, you’re so dear,
Like no one was before.

I don’t want to say anything wrong,
Not a broken word at all,
Because too well we get along,
And I know I’m good in destroying it.

I know you accept me as I am,
And yet my worry does not vanish,
I wish I could be more perfect,
But all I can see in myself is my blemish.

Walking through the river

Walking through the river, wet are my feet,
Thorns on the ground making them bleed,
The water is becoming red all around,
Its burbling around is making a sound.

Frightened or released, I do not know,
Whether the thorns will stop to grow,
Revealing jewels in the riverbed,
Tons and tons are miles ahead.

It is for better

It couldn’t be better,
The way things are,
After life hits you,
One might think:
Why am I this unlucky?
But in fact,
There is something better
Waiting for you.
Take the chance,
Grasp it!
I am happy
The way it went.

~~~

Timo Schmitz is a language fanatic, philosopher, journalist, poet, and book author from Germany. He authored poetry books in German, English, and French. His poetry was also featured among others in Luna’s Poetry Bar, I Write Her, The Short of It, and the anthology Social Justice Inks. Schmitz is currently doing his Ph.D. thesis in philosophy. Timo was first featured in 2022, and had his work appear in The Short of It – Volume 2, Reflections & Revelations. This is his second feature this year.

Untitled

If you’d like to be featured on The Short of It in the future,
click here for the submission guidelines.

Vol 1 The Sound of Brilliance and Vol 2 Reflections & Revelations on Amazon

Masked

Inspired by What do you see #242

fierce first impression
thoughtful, bold, intelligent
hides imperfections

A Better Life

is there a happier version of me elsewhere
one who lives the life she envisioned
different from the one holding her captive
featuring all that is desired

i hope so

is the multiverse real
oh, please say it is
that at least i’m succeeding
in a different universe

where a satisfied version
of myself exists
one that achieves
all that she wants

i hope so

Mistaken

Redux

i always believe the truth
in the wrong moments
mentally giving credit
where it isn’t due
pre-applauding greatness
only to have it yield mediocrity
a momentary gain of security
a lifetime of confusion
hanging on by a thread

Originally published September 20, 2018 on I Write Her. Reposted with revisions.

Jaya Avendel

Preceding

I pluck hearts from the sky
Count pennies amassed in fortune
On the moss cold
Under my concrete touch

When I read of Shakespeare
I see the strings in Romeo and Juliet and
I pull them.

Into Silence

I enter the bathroom and
Close the door

Steam from the bath
I indoctrinated with lavender
At noon
Tickles my ankles

I scream
Curl my voice around the trembling tile
With the cold steel taps
Dissolve like Epsom salts in water.

No one comes
No one is home.

Tinging

She lingers between light and dark
Her eyes never open wide enough to
Reveal their true color
If she wakes
It is in the night
Where no one can see.

Awaken

Everything is something else
In another form
Love is cruelty to someone else
Brutally pink; torn.
My dance is faulty
In the eyes of the soldier
Also inside me.

Satisfied

The shadows behind
The moon envelop me like |
The gentle touch of
A dying spring flower or
The gentler touch of starlight.

~~~

Jaya Avendel is a micro-poetess and word witch from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia passionate about life where it intersects with writing and the dreamscapes lost in between. With writing published at Green Ink Poetry, Free Verse Revolution, and Visual Verse, among others, she writes and dreams at www.ninchronicles.com. Jaya was featured on The Short of It in 2020 and her work was published in the anthology – The Sound of Brilliance.

Untitled

Submissions are now closed but if you’d like to be featured on The Short of It in the future,
click here for the submissions guidelines.

Mistaken

I always believe the truth in the wrong moments.

Mentally giving credit where it isn’t due.

Pre-applauding greatness, only to have it yield mediocrity.

A momentary gain of security, a lifetime of confusion.

Hanging on by a thread.