shakypoetry presents

Indie poet. VSCO: shakylo If you would like to use my writing please contact me.

[shakypoetry]

This isn’t a poem.

On a brighter note, I have otherwise been doing well this semester. My mom called me today about getting a new dog (ours passed away early this year). I have been getting all A’s. I joined an intramural volleyball team and we laugh so hard it hurts. I have been hanging out with friends every week! I’ve been taking photos of the city. I think a girl likes me! I have been writing so much more, poems, short scripts, stand up. 

[shakypoetry]

This isn’t a poem.

I’m not really hung up on her, just really hurt by how she’s treated me after all we’ve been through and everything we’ve done for each other. 

[shakypoetry]

This isn’t a poem.

Early December last year, I got dumped out of the blue by my then girlfriend of nearly 2 years. We were long distance at the time and she texted me a vague and confusing reason why and then immediately blocked me on everything so I never really got closure. Towards the end of our relationship, I was always a little suspicious of this one guy she used to hang around all the time. And it turns out, they’ve been dating. Probably since we broke up. Probably since before we broke up. He’s hanging out with her family and stuff, so I guess it’s serious. My heart literally hurts so bad. Shit like this makes me wonder if I know anything. I feel so stupid. I was so in love. I cared so much. I’ve been so heartbroken. And the whole time she wasn’t. She deleted every picture, video, post about me on all of her social media, pretending like I don’t even exist and our relationship never happened. Why would she say she loved me when she didn’t? Why don’t people value their relationships and other people’s feelings? I get relationships end, but I would never make someone who I once loved feel this way. I thought we were in love, we had plans to move to the city, we had plans to get married, we were best friends, and she just acts like that never happened. She makes our relationships seem invisible, and small, and inconsequential. She makes it clear she doesn’t give it or me a second thought. We were best friends, man! That’s so crazy to me! 

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–Lessons by shaky

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–Falling Man by shaky

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–Pine Street by shaky

[shakypoetry]

When the world ended

I just hung up the phone

Had a drink and considered

Driving home.

I spent the night talking 

To strangers on the internet

Blinking back and forth between

Clenching my hands so

Hard my fingernails carved my palms

And every part of me shaking.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why is this happening?”

I had at least a couple inches on you, right?

But you still snapped me in half

From five hours away you’re so

Talented how you can just break

People like that you really were

Made for the big stage, baby.

I feel so stupid for wanting your finger size

And looking for our future online

And planning for the end of the world

When you were just scanning the tops of 

Crowds eyes searching for the glowing

Exit sign over the back door.

I hope the next time someone sleeps with 

Me they mean it at least in some way

Other than a getaway car

Or a goodbye

But I wouldn’t be able to tell, right?

Because I always thought we were an

Open road or at least just a road.

I bet your father and best friend are so,

so pleased.

I wonder if you talk to God too.

Since you seem to be talking to everyone

About why you left

Except for me,

Except for me.

–When the World Ended, shaky

[shakypoetry]

Write everyday this week, even if you don’t feel like it.

[shakypoetry]

Thank goodness

I kept the most important things to myself

So you couldn’t

Take them with you when you left

Which you said you wouldn’t

But I knew you

Would because I know you

Like sidewalk chalk my favorite poems

The first record I ever heard that made

Me want to make music thank God

My favorite coffee shop closed before

You could contaminate it

And I got new clothes for Christmas

That you will never see

In the immediate aftermath I cleaned my sheets

And retrained my daydreams

Learned how to love the way my name 

Came out of my own mouth

Retraced the steps back to where I

Was before we met picked up where

I left off taking up the noble responsibility

You so gracelessly left of

Loving me.

–Safe Keeping, shaky

[shakypoetry]

WRITING TIP: Improve your focus! Sometimes it helps to go somewhere else to write/designate a certain place where you write. This can be a coffee shop, public library, a park, anywhere. There’s a few benefits to doing so:

1. It minimizes chances you’ll get caught up doing something else. If you work in your room or at home it’s really easy to procrastinate writing, but if you go somewhere with the intention to write you’re more likely to get started

2. It motivates you to write. If you take time out of your day or potentially spend money on coffee etc. you will be more motivated to get at least something done.

3. It can inspire you. Getting out of your own space you may notice and see people/things you normally don’t and it may give you new ideas.

[shakypoetry]

–Glowing, by shaky

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–Handgun, by shaky

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–Spite, by shaky

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WRITING TIP: Look online for zines/blogs/websites/independent publishers that have open calls for submissions. 

Some resources to start:

@zine-scene

callforentry.org

chicagoartistresource.org (specifically for my Chicagoland followers)

Apply to any and all that you can find. The more you get published, the more likely you will get published in the future. It also gives you an opportunity to connect with others in the independent writing community, and you may get great feedback on your work. 

(Always feel free to send me writing/ask me to check out your blog)

[shakypoetry]

Today was my first day of my Writing Poetry class I’m taking this semester. Very excited :)

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WRITING EXERCISE: Diversify your writing! Write a poem where every line/sentence starts with a different part of speech: noun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, etc. 

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WRITING EXERCISE: Expand your vocabulary part 2! Look up a free online random word generator. Have it spit out 4 or 5 random words. Write a few quick poems, each using every word, and each with a different mood. Look up what the words mean, even if you think you know, to see if there are alternate definitions you can put to use.