This is the type of poetry I write when I’m listening to Wake Me Up When September Ends on repeat. I spent all night learning it on the guitar and the melancholy of it has infiltrated my entire body. A weird place to be right now.
Good night.
–Leanne Rebecca
I ran out of time today to do everything that I wanted to do. I need to remember that it doesn’t make me a failure, but that my life is full.
Tonight I’m listening to acoustic Sleeping with Sirens and Grizfolk. I want to lose myself in the lyrics like I did yesterday at Warped Tour, closing my eyes and feeling the music of each band, letting it grab hold of my soul and claim a part of me, even for just a second.
I discovered a band called Onward Etc. If there’s one thing you’ll take away from this blog post, it’s to listen to them and find your own poem in their lyrics.
Good night loves.
–Leanne Rebecca
I used to wish the same thing every time I found an eyelash on my cheek. I’d pucker my lips and let a puff of air carry my wish to the wind, where it waited, caught in stasis, never rising to fruition. I whispered the same words in my head for years, believing that if I wanted it badly enough that some force would hear me and that the one thing I always wanted would manifest.
It’s not that I believe in magic or superstition or the power of wishing on a shooting star, but I believed that having that much faith in something for that long would carry me through, that if I never gave up that somehow planets would align.
I can’t say right now that my wish won’t come true since I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ve found it more and more difficult to place faith in unrequited fantasy. I don’t like letting my eyelashes fall to the floor unacknowledged, effusing cynicism and defeat as dust coats the lash on the fall to the ground.
I refuse to give up, but it’s hard not to.
Tonight I’m obsessed with the Breaking Benjamin song “Ashes of Eden” from their new album. I’ve been obsessed with it since the second I heard it. The lyrics haunt me and I’m overwhelmed with a sense of melancholy. I feel the emotion in his voice as deeply as my own. I encourage you to listen and let it wash over you. Close your eyes and sing.
Ashes Of Eden
Will the faithful be rewarded
When we come to the end
Will I miss the final warning
From the lie that I have lived
Is there anybody calling
I can see the soul within
And I am not worthy
I am not worthy of thisAre you with me after all
Why can’t I hear you
Are you with me through it all
Then why can’t I feel you
Stay with me, don’t let me go
Because there’s nothing left at all
Stay with me, don’t let me go
Until the Ashes of Eden fallWill the darkness fall upon me
When the air is growing thin
Will the light begin to pull me
To its everlasting will
I can hear the voices haunting
There is nothing left to fear
And I am still calling
I am still calling to youAre you with me after all
Why can’t I hear you
Are you with me through it all
Then why can’t I feel you
Stay with me, don’t let me go
Because there’s nothing left at all
Stay with me, don’t let me go
Until the Ashes of Eden fall(Don’t let go)
Why can’t I hear you
Stay with me, don’t let me go
Because there’s nothing left at all
Stay with me, don’t let me go
Until the Ashes of Eden fall
Heaven above me, take my hand (Stay with me, don’t let me go)
Shine until there’s nothing left but you
Heaven above me, take my hand (Stay with me, don’t let me go)
Shine until there’s nothing left but you
I used to write all the time, even when I didn’t have a poem in mind. I was a regular at a couple cafes and coffee shops and would set aside blocks of time to make myself at home in their booths, put my feet up, and figure out something to say that day. I can’t write like that anymore, can’t draw inspiration from nothing, concoct a story or rework a random memory into anything with any meaning. These days I only write when I have no choice, when something is going through my mind that I need to get out, and that itch to write is so consuming that I won’t be able to sleep until it’s out.
Today was about obsession. I listened to the same song on repeat all day long. I’m not kidding. This isn’t an exaggeration. I’m not so secretly crushing on the band’s frontman and I can’t get enough of it. The song, “In the End” by Black Veil Brides, is a metal anthem that begs for attention. There’s a reason the video has 49 MILLION views on YouTube. Today I added a couple more hundred to that count. After a day like that, trapped in the grips of passion, the outpouring of emotion, the crying of an entire generation summed up in about 4 minutes, I needed to write a poem. I NEEDED to write a poem. I needed my voice heard too.
Tonight I feel like I could write forever.
–Leanne Rebecca
We all make mistakes. Some carry a little more weight than others and the consequences rain harder. There’s no trick to overcoming mistakes, except maybe to let go of regret.
I went to a Matt and Kim concert last night. They have this one song called “Now” that sums it up perfectly:
I know that things aren’t perfect
But lets make tonight worth it
Stand up right here take a bow
And we will all ride this thing down
Now
All we can do is move forward and accept our imperfections, accept our mistakes, and try with all our might to not make the same ones again. No guarantees though, and that’s ok. For now, make the most of today.
–Leanne Rebecca
Kitchen Sink — Twenty One Pilots.
–Leanne Rebecca
I’ve been on a Ghost Town kick lately. I first discovered the band about a year ago, listened a little, but for whatever reason wasn’t hooked. However a few weeks ago one of my friends made me a playlist with their song “Acid” on it. It’s a track I admittedly repeat over and over again as I’m driving. You could call me obsessed. The vocals draw me in almost like junk food. I just want more!! It got me thinking, what is it about certain songs or certain voices that attract different ears? For me, it’s the grit, the pain behind the sound. I’d always rather listen to something messy that throws emotion in your face than something perfected with stereotypical beauty. We all have our own preferences though, and mine certainly change with the seasons.
Happy Saturday!
–Leanne Rebecca
‘I hear your music and I’m listening. Thank you for sharing a part of your soul in your art.’ That’s what I’d say if I could tell anyone who has ever written a song how much I appreciate their work and their passion.
Today is Twenty One Pilots Saturday! This poem is inspired by the song title “Taxi Cab,” and is written in memory of my dear cousin Lucy. She was a light taken too soon by tragedy.
Give a listen below and check out the other TOP archives HERE.
Today is week 2 of my new Sunday series–poetry inspired by songs currently on my playlist! This poem is inspired by “Bigcitydreams” by Never Shout Never. If you have a second, check out last week’s poem too, inspired by All Time Low 🙂
What can I say…I’m a 23 year old that’s still afraid of the dark.
Today’s poem is inspired by the Twenty One Pilots song bearing the same title. Check out their version of “Ode to Sleep” below and take a peak at the archives of all my TOP titled poetry HERE and every Saturday in the recurring series!
I’ve published a Josh Dun Poetry Corner poem every Sunday since mid-April. I love dedicating my work to those that inspire me, especially a band like Twenty One Pilots that gives so much of themselves to their fans. This week, I felt compelled to write a love note to these guys, declaring my admiration in a promise that my support will never waver, even as I explore the talents of other bands, as my life shifts through stages and my interests skate in different directions. A piece of my soul will always live in the beats of their songs and messages of their lyrics.
I feel lucky to have discovered these boys in the days before their music played on the radio, the days when I could tease their tour manager about how much he looks like Captain America, and the days when I could tweet their drummer a poem and know it didn’t get lost in thousands of other messages sent in the exact same second. But even if they don’t see my poetry anymore or if I can’t get tickets to the shows because the price skyrockets and they sell out before my paycheck clears, I will always remain a true fan, thankful and jealous of their talent, and eager to spend money on any and all new music they produce.
Check out the Josh Dun Poetry Corner archives HERE!
Tonight’s poem is titled after the Twenty One Pilots song “Car Radio,” as part of my normal Saturday Series–poetry inspired by the titles of all TOP tracks (check out the ARCHIVES HERE). I don’t often speak to the meaning of my verse, but tonight I will admit that I wrote this one exactly 2 minutes ago under the influence of raw emotion. This one’s a true story and an utterly honest depiction of my drive home from work today.
As always, check out the Twenty One Pilots version of “Car Radio” below!
She's in Prison 