tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18190781565759051182024-03-13T11:29:53.637-07:00dancing with spidersTom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-8997485389460510572011-03-31T14:57:00.000-07:002011-04-11T11:59:53.022-07:00travelsFrayed laces,<br />A tattered scrapbook <br />In a daughter's arms.<br /><br />Dirty faces,<br />Rusty nails across<br />A broken canvas.<br /><br />Discarded traces,<br />Moistened brows and<br />Salted pillowcases.<br /><br />With hushed breath and<br />Wolfish eyes,<br />Burying their teeth in<br />Our sultry samba,<br />There it goes!<br />My love,<br />It seeps.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-51918270535730793522011-01-09T19:38:00.000-08:002011-01-09T19:39:46.540-08:00goneWhen I hear the rain trickle down, <br />I remember.<br />Forty days and nights of memories, <br />coming back like a bolt of lightning through the mist.<br />Or when I feel the cold wind blow,<br />the shivers make me miss your warmth.<br />The smile that lit up the room<br />has been extinguished.<br />I say, when I see the stars come out,<br />the warm summer nights spent<br />counting them out come back in a flash,<br />and nothing is forgotten.<br />I grieve.<br />Like the father who's lost his son, <br />I grieve.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-79011552913429554032010-12-03T21:18:00.001-08:002010-12-03T21:21:51.893-08:00uncertaintyi want to know why the world tends to disorder,<br />when all we seek is a foundation with no cracks.<br /><br />i want to know what direction my head would spin<br />if i were from australia.<br /><br />i want to know if there's heaven or hell,<br />so i can take a break from this moral parade i wage.<br /><br />i want to know the meaning of life,<br />so i can rip that page out of the dictionary.<br /><br />i want to know what's wrong with me,<br />so i can try to find what's right with me.<br /><br />i want to know what death feels like,<br />so i can pick out his face at the corner market.<br /><br />i want to know why a thousand years can pass<br />without me really knowing.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-28905101830457909642010-11-26T20:43:00.001-08:002010-11-26T20:43:15.672-08:00sorry, thoreauIf I lived my dreams,<br />I'd pilot a schooner to Zanzibar;<br />Cruising down the river of Chance,<br />Only to fall off the side of the Earth.<br /> <br />If I lived my dreams,<br />I'd stand before a crowd of millions,<br />Postulating on the fate of man,<br />Only to lose my belt midway.<br /> <br />If I lived my dreams,<br />Life would be an adventure, and<br />I'd die a thousand times<br />Before I find the resolution.<br /> <br />On second thought,<br />I'll have my eggs with a<br />Cold side of reality.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-58319139303125772262010-11-25T19:49:00.000-08:002010-11-25T19:50:03.708-08:00epiphanyThat day is one that I’ll never forget,<br />The sweetest memories created there.<br />The moon smiled wide with no evinced regret,<br />And starlight intertwined with golden hair.<br /><br />You asked me how it felt to love someone;<br />A rush of feelings caused my mind to freeze.<br />The fireflies flashed brighter than the sun;<br />The wind spoke softly through the darkened trees.<br /><br />I rose to leave, and looked into your eyes<br />And then, a sign came down from up above.<br />I found the truth within a sea of lies:<br />Three months, five days, I knew that it was love.<br /><br />This chance was on that I could not have missed;<br />The world sped ‘round its axis as we kissed.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-34446732574608219682010-11-25T19:48:00.001-08:002010-11-25T19:48:36.335-08:00rachelI've never met you,<br />But when it rained<br />On the chalk-covered sidewalk,<br />I read your mind;<br />Beautiful, unique, <br />Always creating.<br /><br />Today was your birthday; <br />I walked to the corner store<br />And bought a red balloon,<br />Knowing if I set it free<br />It would find its way to you.<br /><br />Leaves turn,<br />And I know it's your time.<br />Warm cider,<br />Cool Autumn breeze,<br />You linger on the <br />Whispers of the wind.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-10615384403687039942010-11-25T19:47:00.001-08:002010-11-25T19:47:53.569-08:00the quiltAt the heart of each man<br />Is a thread, and<br />At the core of each thread<br />Is a sin.<br /><br />When these ends come together,<br />They form the quilt of our existence.<br />The darkness comes together,<br />And it grows.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-65968157746302492192010-08-02T09:16:00.000-07:002010-08-02T09:25:34.417-07:00maybeMaybe the feeling of living is like<br />A flame, nipping at the toes of those<br />Who know no better.<br /><br />Maybe the feeling of laughter is like<br />A cool drink meeting parched lips, in<br />A reunion long-overdue.<br /><br />Maybe the feeling of love is like<br />A dream in freshly-cut grass, imagination<br />Basking in the summer sun.<br /><br />Maybe the feeling of dying is like<br />A water molecule vaporizing, leaving <br />This life to start anew.<br /><br />I wish I knew.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-7542389508113740132010-06-15T19:25:00.000-07:002010-06-15T19:26:27.966-07:00just shut up and runOne day during my sophomore year, I learned a very valuable lesson about life. It came at a stage where my newly-acquired “sophomore swagger” was on full display, and I can imagine I was quite the burden to all around me. We had just left the school to go on a run, and I, always on a quest for useless knowledge, asked the typical question: “Where are we going?” Now, if present-day Tom were to be pestered by fifteen year-old Tom, I’m sure my response would be along the lines of “shut up and run”. However, Jeff Sousa, my captain at the time, responded, “It’s not about the final destination, but about the journey”. Of course, I didn’t fully appreciate these words at the time; after all, I knew we’d stop running eventually.<br /><br />Standing here now, three years after that fateful day, and four years after I first laced up my sneakers to run for Dighton-Rehoboth, I finally realize the true meaning of that statement. Often times, we get caught up in looking toward what good, and bad the future may bring, and miss out on the present. I’ll be the first to admit t hat I’ve had many races where each step had me counting down the meters until I could collapse on the ground on the infield, knowing that my job for the day was done (well, at least on those days where Mr. Pease wasn’t feeling too sadistic; there’s nothing quite like the two mile-mile double). However, standing here now, there are no more meters no run, no more laps to be miscounted at Voc, and no more handoffs left for me to pray I don’t drop the baton.<br /><br />What I can say is that this has been an incredible ride. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I never imagined myself at this point, getting food first at the banquet, being recognized last by the coaches, and taking one last look at this school that’s been our home for the last four years. Thank you parents, coaches, and friends, for making these four years the best four years of my life. And always remember: if you ever find yourself wondering where you’re going, or how you’re getting there, just shut up and run. Thank you.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-79285146702129217612010-04-30T14:26:00.000-07:002010-04-30T14:27:09.791-07:00constellationsLonely stargazer, <br />Where is your lover?<br />Your wandering mind<br />Deserves a better partner.<br />As I watch you from afar,<br />Your desperate glances<br />Make me linger, and<br />My heart breaks ten times over.<br />Our meeting place is the sky,<br />But our hearts do not have wings.<br />When we embrace,<br />I'm dreaming out loud,<br />Composing a symphony of which<br />You are the melody.<br />In this elemental world, my dear,<br />I'm water, you're lightning, and<br />Our love is quite conductive.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-20077614599207336062010-04-18T14:15:00.000-07:002010-04-18T14:16:56.676-07:00dear youIs it wise to say I love you?<br />Is it safe to say I miss you? <br />There's this void all around me, <br />I wish you'd see that <br />You and I are better off as 'we'.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-88244838980326780682010-03-20T18:33:00.000-07:002010-04-14T14:37:02.776-07:00a reflection in st. patrick's gardenOnce a year, I take a stroll to the graves<br />To reaffirm my place in humanity.<br />I always stop before the same plot, <br />My ambition's final resting place.<br /><br />As I fall to my knees,<br />My face brushes a solitary daffodil;<br />Rejecting the stars,<br />And numbering the days until you return to me.<br /><br />The feeling lingers;<br />The corolla is a pillow:<br />Always cool, and unwavering in its<br />Protective state.<br /><br />As I fall into sleep, <br />I'm in your arms again:<br />An imperfect reflection in your eyes,<br />Destined to be a faulty anchor to your life.<br /><br />And then the petals are<br />Razor blades, <br />Cutting, tearing, peeling<br />At the flesh, and what was once whole is <br />Nevermore.<br /><br />But then I see it's <br />Just a flower; <br />The flora to my fauna,<br />Blowing along in the wind.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-10104073293309004042010-03-14T15:44:00.000-07:002010-03-14T15:49:18.815-07:00palpitationsThe pace quickens, <br />My heart stops.<br />I close my eyes, and<br />My soul drops.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-59499890667886224132010-03-04T19:23:00.000-08:002010-03-04T19:32:24.002-08:00when guns go offI've always found interest in reading newspaper summaries of track meets. Millions of articles are written about so and so winning the mile, or D-R clinching another title. Then there's the postseason recap, where we all ready about working hard, and overcoming adversity. But not once do they talk about the <em>feeling</em> associated with track. No combination of words could describe the sensation of having a gun go off near your head in the middle of New Bedford (and live). No amount of ink on a page can give an outsider the feeling of reaching your physical limits, and pushing past them. Ladies and gentlemen, track is more than a sport; it's an experience.<br /><br />These past four years have really shaped me as an individual. Track has solidified the idea of sportsmanship in my everyday actions, and taught me to push through whatever boundaries I have envisioned for myself. Track has shown me that the collective effot of a wholly dedicated group triumphs over the effort of a few self-interested individuals (such as the Seekonk Warriors). It has taught me that every personal best, whether it be mine, or an opponent's, is a victory for all of mankind. I hope you pardon the cliché when I say that track has helped define the real...me.<br /><br />I'd like to pause for a second to address the juniors. Now, I realize that this may be the furthest thing from your minds right now, but every step you take, whether it be out these doors tonight or down to the track for practice, brings you closer to the end. We're very lucky here to have the dedication of individuals like Mr. Rubin, Mr. Fyfe, Mr. Espinosa, and Mr. Antani, as their heart and soul translates to opportunity on our part. So, juniors, cherish every moment; savor every last lap you run on that track, as each marks one less moment you have left until you're standing where I am.<br /><br />I'd like to leave you all tonight with a story: John Stephen Akhwari, a Tanzanian marathon runner in the 1968 Olympics, fell and hurt his knee in the early stages of the race. Rather than quit, he kept running, and finished the race. When asked why he did not quit, he responded, "My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me 5,000 miles to finish one". I know I speak for all of us seniors in saying that I will miss winter track, but I know we're going out with a bang in spring. Thank you.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-63507434776235231142010-02-27T11:29:00.001-08:002010-02-27T11:29:41.000-08:00when confusion reigns,it pours.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-70398469827983235742010-02-22T12:10:00.001-08:002010-02-22T12:13:15.108-08:00phobiaThere is something that chills me to the bone <br />Like nothing else.<br />More harrowing than rape,<br />More violating to the emotions than rape,<br />And more disturbing than mass genocide.<br /><br />The fact is, the worst sight<br />In this world is your face<br />The first time after you've said<br />You don't love me.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-59956643847239363812010-02-22T12:08:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:10:21.835-08:00façadeLooks can be deceiving.<br />Blondes don't have more fun,<br />Mr. Confident hates himself,<br />And Richie Rich can't buy soul.<br /><br />They say blue eyes break<br />The most hearts,<br />But from what I've seen,<br />They're the ones most brokenhearted.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-45114550949911806632010-02-22T12:05:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:08:27.157-08:00a pleaMy condition boggles even the<br />Keenest mind:<br />The Human Condition.<br /><br />The state of having held,<br />And lost.<br /><br />Of having spilled ink<br />On an unworthy page, and <br />Having spilled love <br />On a hard heart.<br /><br />As I lay here,<br />With my morale still <br />Unmoving on the carpet,<br />I wonder why my heart <br />Refuses to burst.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-79811722541953382932010-02-22T12:02:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:04:57.143-08:00bridge to nowhereI was never worth his pasture,<br />I hope you see that now.<br />This catatonic ticking of <br />My life's clock has me<br />Up a wall,<br />My lack of ambition<br />Defeats me.<br />I would kill for some arrhythmia,<br />And die to quiet my thoughts.<br /><br />We all jump off a bridge sometime,<br />It's just a question of when.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-73352722215856375422010-02-22T11:56:00.000-08:002010-02-26T12:48:07.071-08:00the nightI lay awake sometimes<br />And listen to the night.<br />The sound of promises being broken,<br />Dreams being lost,<br />And widows being made.<br /><br />If I still my failing breath,<br />I begin to hear the static.<br />It tears away at my skull, <br />And rips my mind to pieces,<br />But I'm powerless to stop it.<br /><br />I'm down to my last Ambien, <br />And there's a long night ahead of me.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-7647354198990009322010-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:002010-02-22T11:56:47.346-08:00one in a millionTens of thousands of thoughts<br />Cross my mind each day:<br />What to do, what to say,<br />What to eat, what to wear,<br />Where my life's been, where it's going,<br />And the only thought that makes me<br />Truly stop and think is you.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-29498067411119408422010-02-22T11:53:00.001-08:002010-02-22T11:54:24.078-08:00alphabet soupAll of us are letters<br />In this too-short tale of our lives.<br />Some of us are S's, letting their<br />Popularity define their existence.<br />Others are A's, paving the <br />Way for a storyline of their own.<br />As for me, I'm the letter Q,<br />And my only happy ending<br />Lies with U.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-81297736962374560762010-02-20T13:40:00.000-08:002010-02-20T13:43:53.689-08:00lifeless shardsTurn of a card, roll of a die, <br />Dreams to dust in seconds. <br />The streets are paved with broken hopes, <br />And hearts beyong repair. <br />Spare change brings the sweet taste of salvation <br />To those who are so lucky. <br />A sinister shroud descends upon <br />These desolate masses. <br /><br />Everybody's gotta die sometime, <br />And each man prays to God that he is next.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-59969308906178487712009-12-23T19:33:00.000-08:002009-12-23T19:35:12.745-08:00c'est la vie, ma cherieHer skin is as soft<br />As newly-blown glass.<br />Her touch,<br />However light,<br />Makes my hand ignite,<br />And sets my heart ablaze.<br /><br />There's love on her lips;<br />A love so sweet that<br />All the forces of this Earth<br />Could not stop me from<br />Chasing that dream.<br /><br />If the world ends tonight,<br />Goes to darkness from light,<br />I wish to hold you once more;<br />Two souls breathing as one,<br />As we sail into the sun.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1819078156575905118.post-91266508970271483372009-12-20T19:08:00.000-08:002009-12-20T19:11:57.394-08:00scaldedFire on her lips,<br />She satisfies my appetite;<br />Freezing my heart,<br />And filling my ear <br />With flame.<br /><br />With this hypocritical pen<br />I speak, <br />And with these accusing fingers<br />I scream,<br />"Humanity!", who hath <br />Wrought her cruel vengeance <br />On my soul.<br /><br />You ask why I harden myself<br />To you; I just want you to <em>feel</em>.<br />The pangs of constant disappointment, <br />The daily corrosion of my faith,<br />The harmless mutilation of my heart,<br />Everything.Tom Fordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196293304695879673noreply@blogger.com0