I’m walking the path
kicking dandelions
they’ve gone to seed
just like the rest of us
mental health
introvert
you’re too loud
too abrupt
you finish your sentences
at the end of a question mark
maybe your words
don’t come off
as polite as they should be
you talk too much
maybe
I’m just so sick
of stuffing my personality
down in the dark
where no one can see it
and I’m tired
of being afraid
that I’ll say the wrong thing
I’ll upset someone
they won’t like me
like the stars
that never turn off in the day time
invisible but
always there
and maybe I don’t want to shine always
but I’m sick of turning my light off
so others can, too
Hands Off
For this one, I’m adding a note here first for some context. I recently read an article about Trump suggesting “menstrual classes” for US women to help increase birth rates in America. Because you know…none of us seem to know how our bodies work. 🙄 The article was a little bit too Handsmaids Tale-ish to me, and so ludicrous that I simultaneously wanted to laugh and cry. The disgusting desire to control women’s health is just so disrespectful and alienating. I also can’t believe that it’s even happening to begin with. The ignorance and corruption. And at any rate, it also pissed me off, and so, of course, I wrote something in response to it. I wrote several stanzas, to be honest, but in the end, I only needed one.
The article, if you’re curious:
I am thirty-six years old
I know what I need
I dont need a billionaire white man
telling me how to bleed
maybe
maybe it’s because i pay taxes now
maybe it’s because i understand more about politics
or maybe it’s because i know more about myself
than i ever did before
monday feels
Monday feels
like a dying sun
like hope that fades
when the day is done
Monday feels
like an icy breeze
you’ve lost your gloves
and you’re gonna freeze
Monday feels
like drowning tears
your face is wet
you’ve aged a million years
Monday feels
like a melting crayon
you drag your feet
you say, “i think i can”
Agh, these were the Monday vibes I was totes feeling yesterday.
–AJM
it girl
saying yes instead of no
i’ve become the “it girl,” yeah
no longer a disappointment
Hope you are well. I’m struggling with some kind of sickness…again!! 😭 It’s been difficult lately.
Just got to keep writing!
–AJM
New poetry book “Remnants” to be published December 2025!
This is a new project I’ve been working on. Spring is almost here and I’m feeling hopeful. To be published on Amazon in December 2025!
A little bit about the project…
This is a collection of new material from the last few years exploring the ‘what’s been left behind’ from my college years, who I am now and the joys and struggles of being an adult. There are themes of feminism, mental health, self-doubt…and some silly poems about the weather, of course.
I’m very excited with how this is coming together!
There will be more posts about this project later on in the next few months.
In case you missed it, my other poetry book, Walking in Cemeteries, can be found on Amazon here.
the last time
no one told me
that when you get older
those friends you saw everyday
won’t be around as much
those girl shopping days
nights out at the bar, dancin’
or slumber parties
don’t happen as often
because we’ve got families
and adult responsibilities
and making plans
is like getting the planets to align
and one one told me
that one night
you’ll watch a video
about two friends
and it’ll bring back a sudden ache
for those carefree nights
where a drink at a bar and a DD
were the only things we were worried about
and no one told me
that you’ll miss your friends
like a promise you can’t keep
like a cloud that blew across the sun
a hollow longing
that hollars down an empty road
and that one day
we got together for a slumber party
wished on stars together
and told secrets
for the last time
when democracy dies
when things get rough
when i feel trapped
by my responsibilities
i look up at the night sky
and think
…at least i’m still free
🥺 Our future here in the US is so uncertain. I’m scared of what our future looks like. No, I’m terrified. I’m so glad I get to watch the world burn around me because of someone I didn’t vote for. 🙄
AJM
Golf Course in Outer Space
I had a dream my dad went to live
at a golf course on the moon
and the only reason he went
was because my uncle told him to
there was a constant summer sun
in a long, flat expanse of green
a domed space that went on forever
and the people there were mean
I knew he was uncomfortable
I could see it in his face
because for some reason, I went with him
to this golf course in outer space
Because I thought we could use some silliness this month. And I’ve started this thing where I write poems of actual dreams I’ve had. This poem made my Dad laugh.
It has been soo cold. January is kicking my butt physically and mentally, and I just have to endure. I can make it through. The new presidency has me super depressed, so I am just going to read. How many books can I make it through? I am currently reading four…two audio books and two other books. A memoir, a YA science fiction adventure, an urban fantasy, and an epic fantasy romance. Variety is the spice of life. Maybe I should throw another genre in there.
AJM
A. J. Morse 