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Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I wanted to try some new subject matter when writing this one. I hope you all enjoy it. Remember to take care of yourselves my friends 😊

#poetry #friendship #safety #care #love

When Friends Visit by skoulen

Friends will always be welcome in this place I call home,
Whether they have smiles or tears on their faces,
They are welcome to stay the night or leave and roam,
To all sorts of new and wondrous places,
But there is nothing to fear while you are here,
For I will take care of you and hold you very dear;

Friends may always visit my abode,
Whether it is night or day,
Whether they are from afar or right up the road,
I will care for you until you are on your way,
I will never brush you away when you need a place to rest,
For I know your company is truly the best;

Friends never need to leave this residence,
For I wish that those I adore feel safe and sound,
They may speak freely or quietly rest in reticence,
But I am always happy to have them around,
And may it be clear that when you are here I will always hope you leave with happiness anew,
For when you have left I will be a bit bereft but it is only because I will absolutely miss you.

October 28, 2025 at 9:48 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I wrote this over two years ago, which is hard to believe that much time has passed, after a friend encouraged me to start writing poetry again after years of avoiding it. They challenged me with different prompts and it honestly rekindled my love for the craft.

#poetry #passion #desire

Daring by skoulen

How dare;
How dare light and shadow so greedily cling to your physique;
And in doing so embrace every curve and fold in what can only be described as a sensual caressing motion as you move amongst and betwixt them;
With what care;
The wind does brush through your hair with slight mystique;
Playing with it in ways that show such affection and boldness, to think it can freely flow across your form, for my envy of it I do so condemn;
But I too can be daring;
Daring enough to cling to your sultry softness;
And not wanting to be outdone, I shall run both hands and lips gently across every curve and fold, caressing and leaving marks of desire across your surface;
And likewise to be caring;
To run fingers tenderly through your locks with fondness;
Staring deeply into your eyes with a heat no sun could match and to such depths that no darkness could embrace;
I would dare to desire you in such a way;
To seek to fulfill all your wants and needs, each and every night and day.

October 23, 2025 at 10:05 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

So I wrote this about a year ago about all the women in my life who have gone through horrible things and still continue to push through day by day. I had to copy it down today because I hand wrote the original. Please enjoy.

#women #recognition #strength #poetry #pain #abuse

Recognition by skoulen

If there were prose to encapsulate who you are,
It is unbeknown to me,
If there is imagery that could denote each scar,
Each injustice that did mar your beauty,
Then I could not envision such things,
Such villainous atrocities that had clipped your wings.

If there is meaning in the affliction of such misfortune and hardship on you dear one,
I could not begin to grasp such a concept,
No matter the reasoning there is nothing that can reconcile such things being done,
And you feign strength with innocence unwept,
Hiding pain behind the veneer of a smile you wear,
Covering up the wound of your heart that you've stitched with each tear.

I lack definition for the bravery and courage you exemplify each day you awaken and rise,
Knowing how difficult it is for myself,
I lack the perspective to truly designate how special you are and this I recognize,
There will never be a time to categorize such people or things on my bookshelf,
For someone like you is wholly awe-inspiring and unique,
Your joy and frivolity in spite of all this only adds to your mystique.

September 18, 2025 at 9:53 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I love all the little details like the translucent fin-like bits around the ankles. It's such amazing work luma!

September 14, 2025 at 12:59 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I've been debating whether I'd share this one or not because of how personal it is to me. Trigger warning: mentions of parental abuse, both physical and mental are made. Read only if you're comfortable with doing so. Otherwise enjoy.

#poetry #abuse #broken-relationship
#growth #healing
#trauma

Growing Up Broken
By skoulen

You stole my childhood from me;
You were supposed to pour the wonder and whimsy into my youth;
Yet you only filled it with fear, regret and false admiration for a man who couldn't be bothered;
I thought we were a team, that we were a "we";
Instead I found out that you were only ever looking out for you;
That we were an afterthought that you relied upon when you could be bothered, this is not how we should have been fathered;

You were supposed to be my superman, stoic and strong and caring;
Instead you were more like two-face,
Confused and angry and violent;
You forced me to be the "man" of the house at the ripe old age of eight;
When you threw me around like a ragdoll and I never wanted to come back, heartless and drunk and never daring;
I had to look out for my sibling so you wouldn't hurt them, leaving me feeling angry and hated and silent;
I would fly off the handle at the slightest provocation because now I had something called fight or flight;

And I never ran;
For years I fought;
With any antagonist, friend or foe, while I was wrestling with my inner demons;
I'm no longer your fan;
I've learned lessons that you taught;
Like how to not be the monster that made me for all the wrong reasons;

And this i swore;
"i will never be like my father";
My child will know me and be protected;
They will know they are loved down to their core;
I will encourage them to go farther;
And by me they will never be rejected.

July 28, 2025 at 12:54 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I wrote this one when considering all the awful things going on in america. Especially with how much it's been overlapping with pre-war Germany. i might find better ways to phrase how the actions of those in this country are haunting repeats of one of the most terrible times in world history #poetry

Phantasm
By skoulen

I float from room to room like I am on autopilot;
Rattling and banging against the walls as I clumsily flail;
If not for this hollow emptiness I contain, I would violently riot;
Tear off down halls and streets and dark forgotten corridors as I wail;
Crying out for a change to these horrifying situations;
But I go unseen and unheard, without any considerations;

They look right through me and refuse to acknowledge I exist;
They ignore what they can't easily understand, they actively trying not to listen or hear;
Truths whispered in unrequested responses to their outlandish statements and yet I persist;
They are frightened and startled to come face to face with evidence of their fictional tales when I appear;
They claim what has happened and what's to come is a mystery;
But I haunt them through the witching hour with phantasmal visions of our cyclical history.

June 22, 2025 at 1:37 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I've been writing poems I haven't felt comfortable sharing, mostly because they are deeply personal. Yet I wrote a short one today I thought y'all might enjoy.
#poem #poetry #gender #depression #self-love #enlightenment

Damn
By skoulen

Damn.
Again I find myself spiraling through this void called depression;
Man.
I can't identify comfortably with this gender anymore so I invoke secession;
Plan.
I will make it out of this open wound one day with much contemplation;
Can.
I could always be better and I know I will be with each self-enlightened confession;

Soul.
I will rebuild my old wonder and self-importance through each kind act;
Toll.
I know I will have to pay for each moment of joy with sacrifices in fact;
Full.
I will find fulfillment in myself and others in spite of every social pact;
Goal.
I will learn to love myself with tenderness and forgiveness and tact.

June 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I was listening to some music and it brought up some unpleasant memories so I used it as inspiration to write something. The trigger warnings are for emotional manipulation, abuse and imagery of metaphorical violence. Don't read if these will trigger you. Otherwise please enjoy.
#poetry #abuse

Hostage
By skoulen

I am always tired of having my heart held hostage,
Held over my head and mocked for feeling so deeply and passionately,
Being tormented and abused until it's nothing more than a hollow vestige,
Trying to barter or bargain with cruel captors only shows how I behave irrationally,
While I stumble around with this ache in the void,
From people I thought loved me and that I would have been better off to avoid;

They ransom off my heart to me with an ever growing list of demands,
And because I mistake their lies for love I give in with no resistance,
Thinking I will receive back what I have given them if I follow their commands,
And having my defiance to any order met with a twisted insistence,
That I am loved and treated well for the monster they say I have been,
As they pierce my captive heart with fork tongues and a devilish grin.

May 20, 2025 at 10:10 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

So I've been actively working on this poem for a few months. I was finally able to finish it to the point I was happy with it. It has mentions of body dysmorphia and self-loathing as topics so if you are uncomfortable with these topics do not read it. Otherwise enjoy.
#poetry #poem #body_dysmorphia

Mechanized Auto-cannibalism
By skoulen
My mind has been cannibalizing itself for years;
It started with replacing my hand with a robotic one;
Because I wanted to be stronger when I held your hand through the tears;
But you said holding cold metal was no fun;
Sorry to say this was just the beginning,
You see my self-hatred has been unending;

Next I thought I would replace my weak lungs;
So I could run with our child without needing to worry about running out of breath;
But the new electronic billows wheezed against my ribs' replacements which were some shiny metallic rungs;
Our child was frightful of the unsettling noise saying it "scared them half to death";
Feeling judged by an innocent only fueled the dysmorphia;
All I wanted was to laugh and play with them in euphoria;

Feeling weak and frail to the world I sought a tougher skin;
Replacing most of my shell with a metallic coating;
I could no longer enjoy the moon or rain, to which I felt so akin;
These physical changes were not helping my world view, I feel it is worth noting;
In seeking these changes I found myself more alone;
I only ever wanted to be loved and for unknown sins atone;

Swapping my eyes for visual receptors made my world view cold;
Making my tongue one of silver only made it easy to lie to others and myself;
Cutting out my heart out and changing it for an electric core didn't spark any joy and made me no more bold;
The last thing to go will be this horrid mind I will leave it on a shelf;
It won't change anything and I'll never feel free;
Please 01001000 01100101 01101100 01110000 00100000 01101101 01100101 (help me).

May 18, 2025 at 9:31 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Wrote this back in June of last year. I figured I'd share.

#love #passion #distance

Distance
By skoulen

Your palm touching mine is all I desire;
Hand in hand giving the reassurance we both crave;
A closeness to you is a need that is quite dire;
Give me a reason to rise from my lonely grave;
Give fresh fuel to the fire in my heart;
Igniting my passions I'll move with a start;

Forward, onward to my one and only destination;
Running, walking, crawling, dragging my limbs;
Even broken and bloodied I would move towards your location;
Prepared to entreat you to all your heart's whims;
This distance is a temporary hardship;
When compared to the contiguousness we will have the rest of our relationship.

March 17, 2025 at 7:15 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Made this poem on trying to love people who deserve it after being abused, traumatized and torn down by others. It's always hard to trust and love when others have used it against you. But it's about rebuilding yourself after and continuing to push forwards.

#poetry #love #rebuilding #keep-trying

Rebuilding Owed Love
By skoulen

I want to give you all the love that you deserve,
It's not that I have never been capable of doing so,
It's just that I had to cannibalize my own feelings just to persevere,
It's made me hollow and apathetic and yet I want you to know,
That the words "infinite" and "endless" do not begin to describe my adoration for you,
That "undying" and "everlasting" can't give you the proper scope of view;

In all my years of looking for you I have fallen for those who would break what was always meant to be yours,
Time and time again they would take my heart and smash it until it was not but dust,
They would wrench the very passion from my soul and drag it through the bog moss of the moors,
They made me believe in so many false words and hollow promises that I struggle to understand what it's like to trust,
I've reassembled this heart that was meant for you so many times that it was rendered but a cinder pile,
For it was burnt to ashes from anger and hate and false love and it was slowly killing me all the while;

So I swear to you that I want to give you all the love that was yours all along,
But before I can give it to you I must melt down all these heavy feelings and remnants,
And reforge this devastated pulp into a mighty beating vessel that can be considered strong,
For it needs to hold more love in it then the previous one that only holds resentments,
I promise that one day it will be what you are owed in love and so much more,
I hope you will be able to wait and see how much of your unseen beauty I do adore.

February 19, 2025 at 10:05 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Wrote this a while ago, for people in my life that have helped bring me comfort with I was struggle with external and internal demons. I hope it helps others, at least a bit.

#poetry #trauma #fire #calming #kindness #love #radiant

Kindness
By skoulen

You are my kindness;
No matter how you have perceived me you should know;
I have lived in constant madness;
A struggle, like a house fire, burning so slow;
Torn and twisted inside by others for their own selfish desire;
Stokes the perpetual flames of my ire;

But you, so radiant and merciful, have shown me benevolence that I have not known for an age;
Beneath this wrath and insanity that I have been encased in, I weep;
My tears have done nothing for the blaze and only serve to rust the bars on this cage;
And yet the calm you cause to wash over my mind is not a permanent fixture for me to keep;
So the peace I receive is temporary and only as frequent as the ebb and flow of the tide;
But to return the favor, I seek to mirror this compassion and use it as a guide;

To slowly smother the infernos of others with a gentle deed;
To control the damage done by the cruel and devious minds;
To those within reach of these words, please do heed;
That corruption does taint what good it finds;
And your potential exceeds the understanding of demons in man's guise;
And due to the sweetness of angels, relief and respite rain from the skies.

February 9, 2025 at 3:28 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

We need to be aware of how terrible things are getting and how quickly it's all going south. We need to stand up and help those in need in this country despite what's becoming the new normal. Don't be complicit in your silence.

#poetry #political #triggerwarning #fight #help #don'tbecomplicit

The new regime
By skoulen

To the residents,
We're reticent,
To tell you we are taking your rights,
With gun and badge,
For fun we cadge,
And whisk your friends away at nights,

We will not falter,
And won't let you alter,
The laws we make to oppress you,
Your work will double,
So prepare for trouble,
These deaths and arrests will be a regular view,

Don't try to be cunning,
There's no use in running,
We'll hunt you down for our new regime,
There's no use resisting,
We're more than insisting,
We'll take you away as your children scream.

February 1, 2025 at 7:12 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I haven't shared in a bit so I figured I'd share a short poem. I wrote it when I was struggling with dark thoughts and wanted to gain a bit of power through writing. Nothing impressive but it helps me sometimes.

#poetry #shortpoem #shadows #demons

Tarry Not
By skoulen

Tarry not in the grip of shadows;
Blindly roaming through darkest night;
Wade not in depths but stick to the shallows;
For fear lurks just out of sight;
Waste not your time on familiar feelings;
But embrace the foreign and strange;
Be wary of demons and their dealings;
For they always seek what you love in exchange.

January 31, 2025 at 1:24 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

So I wasn't sure I wanted to share this one. I wrote it for someone I haven't shared it with. One day they might see it, but for now I'll share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it.

#poetry #romance #love #dreams

Hopeful Dreamer's Romance
By skoulen

If I were to dream of you every night;
One might think I wish to slumber in eternal bliss;
But the opposite is quite true I site;
That I would rather face this waking world searching for you as though you were amiss;
As though you had always been meant to be by my side;
Walking this world, taking in it's wonder with eyes wide;

Knowing that dreams of you would be guaranteed despite the lack of sleep;
For my every thought would be of you before consciousness fled this dreamer;
But knowing your free spirited nature, I am aware you are not mine to keep;
You are wild and whimsical like the fey with just as mischievous a demeanor;
Chaos and beauty that flits about like dust motes in the light;
Smiling ear to ear because the joy you bring me is simply pure delight;

You bring me that joy I had as a child;
But leave me content like I have known you for ages;
Your enticing charms have me completely beguiled;
Entranced like a mad scholar, I could write poetry for and about you for pages and pages;
Filling books and shelves like a chronicler of the mythic;
Yet you calm me and put me at ease like a lullaby, oh so somnific;

All this to say you are treasured and respected;
You have been the most kind friend;
And were you near or far, I would never wish for you to feel neglected;
But these feelings of affection are requesting that you attend;
To have you hear them out with care and consideration;
That I care for you with the utmost adoration.

January 19, 2025 at 3:18 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Wrote this back in October and I just feel like sharing it today. Please make sure you are always doing your best to take care of yourselves. There is always someone out there who will appreciate you being healthy and around.

#poetry #trauma #healing

Battles in my head
By skoulen

I live between these battles in my head,
Wading through the bodies and the dread,
Dealing with sorrow and recompense,
Having imaginary conversations with the dead,
Questioning my own competence,
Not sure if anything I say makes any sense;

I relive my trauma constantly,
I mask and reply despondently,
Lacking the hope that this war ends in a bloodless way,
These thoughts come wantonly,
Without knowing why I have no say,
Joyous outsiders in my life have more sway;

Friends have made this siege from my demons easier to bare,
They help me and treat me with great care,
Providing much needed relief,
Make this damnable onslaught less vicious and more fair,
Granting me a change of perspective on this false belief,
Helping to ease my pain and accept my grief.

January 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

My last poem from last year.
I don't think I really need to speak out reasons I've written poems like this. I hope y'all enjoy it all the same.

#poetry #forlorn #love #romantic #Eros

Romantic Fool's Folly
By skoulen

Romance was never going to end well for me;
It just wasn't in the cards;
I have desired it for decades but it was never meant to be;
Sometimes it felt so close yet too far like I missed it by yards;
And somehow still I find myself falling once more;
Eros has struck at me time and again making me feel like a fool to my core;

I'm struck dumb, deaf and blind with each tumble;
Knowing to fall again will only mean more pain;
I try to stand strong But at first sight I crumble;
Letting this evocative passion free to find it will all be in vain;
I will mask, to blend in and be understood only to find that it is seen as nothing more than a lie;
I request freedom from this accursed ideology with each disconsolate cry.

January 9, 2025 at 8:15 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

So I wrote a poem during the time I was just constantly working this year. Cause I was feeling a bit of gender dysphoria and dealing with constant stress and anxiety. It was very cathartic and I want to share that with all of you.

#poetry #poem #lgbtqia+ #gender

Gender by skoulen

Sometimes their gender is he/him,
The masculinity comes and goes on a whim,
Sometimes they feel like a she/her,
The connection to feminity is tenuous but filled with wonder,
Often times they identify as they/them,
They feel comfortable in the neutrality and when others don't want to abide by pronouns they think "fuck 'em",

But he hates being seen as he/him because of all the negative connotations that come with the title,
Seeing the fear in others eyes takes away parts of his soul little by little,
She's scared to be seen as she/her because of the trauma and how some take advantage of what they view as "weakness",
But her heart screams with an emboldened fury and roars like a lioness,
They can't understand the lack of understanding and compassion in others' hearts,
Seeing distain mixed with confusion and fear when they look at them reminds them how much being "comfortable" hurts.

January 2, 2025 at 1:31 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

The changing of seasons and the elongation of night in the winter months kind of inspired this one.

#poetry

Altered by skoulen

I've been altered by twilight,
Dusk absorbs the light between my broken pieces,
These thoughts infect me like a blight,
I'm overtaken by these mental diseases,
Eaten whole each night and burned away by the day,
Between light and dark these shambling parts sway;

As the change of seasons shifts seamlessly,
So too does my favor with those around me,
Out of control these moods swing recklessly,
I know at peace I will never be,
But accepting and adapting to the chaos has become the one dance I can master,
Even though I will have to live with being this disaster.

December 13, 2024 at 10:44 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Trigger warning: mentions of alcoholism, abuse, trauma and abandonment.
Sorry if the text is a tad small it's one of my longer poems and it wouldn't fit in the character limits of a post but I did also put the whole poem in the ALT, if that helps.

#poetry

Missing
By skoulen

Something is missing inside;
Not that it was never there;
But it is missing and I've looked for it, I've really tried;
Just to find out what it was, but it's missing I swear;
There is an emptiness like a void where something once was;
The flaws it creates proves the absence because;

I am missing pieces and parts of myself that are crucial;
I am missing parts of my mind I have learned were there or should have been;
I am missing parts of my heart after each breaking that has occurred but this doesn't make me special;
I am missing parts of my soul because my faith has often been rattled and cloven;
I am missing people too and some I cannot retrieve;
Not in this lifetime and so I will instead grieve;

I am missing family that could not bother to care that we are blood;
I am missing friends who promised they were fine until their health failed;
I am missing a father figure because mine finds it more attractive to drown in an alcoholic flood;
I am missing love because of not-so-little white lies and betrayal;
I am missing innocence and have been for some time;
Because I've been abused, misused, lied to and broken by each loveless crime;

I am missing many people and things;
I am missing many parts of myself;
I am missing love and the joy that it brings;
I am missing my whole identity itself;
I am missing what I do not have and never will;
I am missing the peace of mind while daydreaming by my window sill.

December 7, 2024 at 8:55 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Made me think of frogzards from dragon fable lol. But the hair would look pretty awesome.

December 6, 2024 at 9:04 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

This looks like a super cute idea so I'm jumping on it. I'm excited to see what messages I get.

decomytree.com/home?hashedI...

A Christmas tree where I will get messages from others who are interested in spreading some Christmas cheer to open on Christmas day. I am very excited to see these messages.

November 30, 2024 at 11:38 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

Fair warning this is not a happy or traditionally romantic poem. It relays a bit about how I've felt after I dealt with years of abuse. It's called the Devil's kinship by skoulen.

$The Devil's kinship By skoulen The devil stood aside for me and watched as I passed by; They saw the weight I carried for more than half my life; Being an angel who fell from grace, they had to wonder why; They could see a tale so similar in a mortal soul's strife; They saw my story objectively with their scorched celestial eyes; And understood so perfectly why my fractured soul cries; The devil walked beside me for many years to come; To ask me questions and seek my council before my time was done; They promised me a myriad of friends so I would never be lonesome; And promised me wisdom to know, kindness to care and a variety of fun; They did not ask for my soul, as one might think, for mine was far too damaged to be of use; They asked for my friendship, a drink, and a list of names of those who put me through such abuse.$

November 24, 2024 at 10:59 AM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

I've written a lot of poetry, I've just been a tad shy to share it. Most of my poetry ends up being dark or about trauma, some ends up being about my love for something or someone, and then there are the outliers that are just bold and interesting ideas.
This one is Daring by skoulen.

Daring by skoulen, I wrote this one when a friend challenged me to write something a little more sultry then my usual poetry. I use a lot of imagery and personification to describe jealously of the elements that get to freely engage with someone one desires.

November 21, 2024 at 3:02 PM

Skoulen

@skoulen.bsky.social

A dream within a dream by Edgar Allen Poe, sad and forlorn as is Poe's style, but lovely all the same. I hope you enjoy.

A Dream within a Dream is a poem by Edgar Allen Poe describing the fleeting nature of life and love using metaphor and imagery.

November 19, 2024 at 4:08 AM

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