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Melissa Gayle
Member since March 31, 2011
Member for 15 years, 2 months
member
5
Poems
19
Comments
5
Followers
Most recent
a cabbie's wisdom
I started the day with shit attitude,
watching sunlight
through sheets hung
like curtains,
feeling as if I had this would be life –
and I knew how things changed
time moved forward,
just as I knew
that I wanted to believe
I was the only one
covered in denim
and faded under a summer’s sky
but I listened
with half-cocked ears
Read the rest of the poem Show less
hearing only every other word
from cabbie’s mouth
he talked trying to spread peace
like it was
misfit pennies thrown
in dirty gutters or left on counters
as sarcastic tips,
by those that had too much
you kept saying it didn’t matter,
times progressed
and the world continued
as if it had no care –
and I tried to hear what you said
through chapped lips
and sporadic lisps,
as you told me it hid in plain sight
under day old newspapers
and yesterday’s leftovers
you didn’t see the hypocrisy
that I saw,
you didn’t see me
begging for some king of
understanding
as my house folded in on itself
still, you spouted naivety
and I felt a sudden warmth come to me
watching the sun set
of city streets
night’s calmness washed over
too much bustle
I was always at ease in the dark,
I could question
myself alone
wandering through the stars
as if I had the map in hand
walking through this would be life
with no real direction
maybe you really did know more
than others,
$22.50 ma’am
and as I handed out cash,
you tipped your baseball cap
and smiled
leaving me 10 blocks
from where I needed to be
Melissa Gayle’s timeline
- March 2026
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31 TueAnniversary
15 years of membership
- March 2021
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31 WedAnniversary
10 years of membership
- March 2016
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31 ThuAnniversary
5 years of membership
- March 2012
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31 SatAnniversary
One year of membership
- June 2011
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08 WedNew follower
@Ink Artist
- April 2011
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15 FriHighest posting month
April 2011 — 5 poems
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09 SatNew follower
@49reasons
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09 SatReceived a critique
on a cabbie's wisdom from @vexations10
"I hope to come back with some comments later. I like this poem very much." -
09 SatNew follower
@vexations10
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07 Thu
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06 WedReceived a critique
on spoken through clouds from @Race_9togo
"Poetry, for me, is in large part words that when brought together in certain ways cause an emotional reaction far in excess of their mere meaning. Your poem does exactly this, for me. The anticipation, the changing conc…" -
06 WedReceived a critique
on spoken through clouds from @CCfire
"That last line...'I fall from heaven's door' just brings some magic images to mind, the fall from grace to be who we are and not who people think we need to be, I like it as an ending or even as a beginning again. Your…" -
06 WedReceived a critique
on spoken through clouds from @scribbler
"I will be the first to say I am no free verse expert (or any other type lol). But I will give an alternative you can consider for 3rd stanza : a click then sudden light in the darkness…" -
06 Wed
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05 TueReceived a critique
on sunday fasting from @paper umbrella
"i like your ending to your first stanza, but here's another way to phrase it : showing femininity and eyes devoid of heat i think the first stanza is a little stronger than the second, but both works pretty well togethe…" -
04 MonCritiqued
"HOUSE OF CARDS : NEW" by @Geremia
"This is interesting, the ending really pulls at you. Your previous build up, you're thinking excellent you can do this and then its just shattered. A good read." -
03 SunNew follower
@Eduardo Cruz
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03 SunReceived a critique
on threadbare from @Eduardo Cruz
"As long as they have too. Just always stay in the now, without our feelings who are we but a piece of furniture. I say live it feel it. it's about you and nobody else. Eddie" -
03 SunReceived a critique
on sunday fasting from @CCfire
"suggestion...take out the 'too' in the last line, you are such a definitive writer, we know you make absolute statements and I think without the 'too' it is an absolute. :)" -
03 SunReceived a critique
on sunday fasting from @Eduardo Cruz
"The beauty of this write is in its sexual expression that is actually non sexual The first stanza is the tell all, and my fav. 'its Sunday and my breath sticks inside my shirt, humidity claws as sweat rolls beneath whit…" -
03 SunCritiqued
"the stars wish i would stop penning hope " by @paper umbrella
"Since we are asking for copies, may I have one as well?" -
03 SunCritiqued
"glass lilies" by @CCfire
"Quite excellent, there is life in death as there is beauty. This speaks softly but echoes within you." -
03 SunCritiqued
"My Teachers" by @vexations10
"I do believe your title needs a bit more spark, but for me I have the damnedest time with them. Other than that, this is quite well done its a journey through life, showing trials and tribulations without outing them. A…" -
03 SunCritiqued
"The Comet ride" by @Eduardo Cruz
"I have to come back to this again, but I was pulled through. You had me riding the comment with you." -
03 Sun
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03 SunCritiqued
"nexus" by @ephraimcrud
"This is excellent, its raw and blunt but there is this edge to it that simply skates along the skin. Such a great read." -
03 SunCritiqued
"Ending Well" by @Race_9togo
"I seem to have the hardest time with the titles, for me I understand your title but in the same respect it doesn't punch at me enough - especially when I read this poem and feel every word you say. This reads beautifull…" -
01 Fri
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01 FriCritiqued
"Eulogy For a Friend" by @Race_9togo
"First, sorry for your loss it is always difficult to lose those that matter. What I enjoyed about this, was the conversational feel to the piece. Its as if I were sitting in front of you and you were actually speaking y…" -
01 FriFirst critique offered
on "A delusional love (A song for my lady)" by @Eduardo Cruz
- March 2011
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31 ThuFirst publication
corner cobwebs
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31 Thu
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31 ThuJoined Neopoet
Membership begins
First poem published 1 days later.
About Me
About me
I have written since I could walk, as a toddler I liked bedroom or living room walls but then I grew up. I went through teenage angst and scribbled in marble notebooks, crumbled napkins wrote with pen or pencil, wrote in eye liner and cried the tears on those pages...
and then I grew up. Now I write for me, to keep me sane, to help me make sense of the emotions which course so thoroughly through my blood. I cannot help who I am and I wouldn't want to if I could.
Location: Florida, originally NY., USA
Favorite Poets
I believe inspiration can come from the famous and the everyday poets
to name all my favorites would take forever.
Recent Work
a cabbie's wisdom
Posted:
spoken through clouds
Posted:
sunday fasting
Posted:
threadbare
Posted:
corner cobwebs
Posted:
Contest Wins
This member has not yet won any contests.