The Voice Within

it speaks to us
throughout our lives
fueling courage
and calming fear

but then it may
spawn pain as well
a haunting voice
of past regrets

it's our response
to honest words
that sets our course
and shapes our will

though truth it speaks
it does not judge
unless of course
we give consent

Questions

what did I say
what did you think
what wasn't said
what never done

questions persist
now decades hence
answers obscure
unwelcome truth

Joy and Pain

I could not write
if not for joy
and just the same
if not for pain

as life unfolds
they both occur
in equal dose
it seems to me

Is this a Poem

is this a poem
are the lines too short
does it have to rhyme
is the meaning clear

does it make you smile
does it stir your soul
will the critics cheer
will it bring me fame

is it deep enough
are the lines obscure
do the words hit home
do they make you cry

I hope it's a poem
not a waste of space
there's so much to say
and so little time

How can Love

how can love
unleash joy
yet cause
such pain

how can it
fuel courage
or crush
our will

how can love
mend our soul
or dash
our hope

how can it
bind us together
or tear us
apart

how can love
be heard too much
yet be so hard
to express