The following were taken from The Language of Roses©, a collection of poetry written by JoeyDes.

Each of these poems holds a very different and very significant meaning for me. Some were written of experiences throughout my life and some are just heart-felt. I hope that you find your own personal meaning in each and enjoy reading them.

Joey Des
Provincetown, MA
2004

I close my eyes
As you take my hand
The world outside
Now a far off land

As you pull me closer
My heart starts to race
We journey together
To a beautiful place

A place with no worries
Held far away from harm
Held safe and secure
Tightly wrapped in your arms

If only for one moment
This place should exist
I'll always remember holding you
As my true moment of bliss

As darkness falls upon the day
It steals the light out of the sky
I sit and think of all I've known
And silently I cry

Staying just left of center
Wanting still to see it all
I hum to myself a lullaby
Of a cradle that will fall

Balanced on the edge of sanity
A tight rope on the brink
Struggling now to stay above it all
I try hard not to think

Incapable of shutting down
A survivor of many woes
In my invisible suit of armor
I anticipate the next blow

What will come my way tomorrow
How will I endure
I stop and count my blessings now
As darkness falls again once more

Here upon the path I wander,
Lost deep in my thoughts I ponder

Is this the path in life I chose?
I stop and think of all my woes

If I could, what would I change?
I guess the question still remains

Of what is right and what is wrong
The path seems to be growing long

Beginnings and endings as I journey through time
These memories I have stored in my mind

Some are clear and some are fading
But still this question keeps me waiting

Is this the path in life I chose?
Since I'm not quite sure where it goes

In my glass house
I cast no stones
On shattered dreams
I stand alone

My soul must search
For solid ground
As I close my eyes
To look around

Through endless skies
My heart can glide
On broken wings
My scars I hide

Life is precious
With all it gives
Love is sacred
Love all that lives

Take not for granted
What comes our way
Prepare for tomorrow
But live for today

I'm washed away, By a river of tears
Trapped inside, All my childhood fears

Here in this life, Tattered and torn,
Emotional scars, Weathered and worn

Into what's unknown, In hope of fulfilling
A journey called life, We travel so willing

Filling a void, We seek ever after
Memories of long ago, Childhood laughter

Now jaded the cynic, Bitterness haunts me
Numbed by it all, Happiness taunts me

This journey grows long, The road twisting turning
The ride of my life, Roller-coastering yearning

It happens so quickly, Before we can think
Zooming right past us, Life in a blink

Then suddenly one day, We rudely awaken
Dumbfounded and lost, In this place we've been taken

Memories like patchwork, Lost in my illusions
I stand here before you, On crossroads of confusion

I drink from my half empty glass in an optimistic world
Slightly cynical and jaded, an oyster with no pearl

I've been running all my life, but getting nowhere fast
Trying hard to see the future, somehow stuck within my past

I call out to you, deaf to my cries
Since ignorance is bliss, I dare not ask why

*******

So here I go, round and round, turning up, fallin' down
There I go, once again, round this circle with no end
Searching high, searching low, looking for a place to go
Where the answers are all found
I guess I'll just keep goin' round
Guess I'll just keep goin' round

*******

My glass is now empty, my world upside down
As confusion fills my head, my face wears a frown

Am I coming undone, I ask you my friend?
As these thoughts fill my mind and flow through my pen

I fall to the bottom as I reach for the top
My world spinning faster, a ride that just won't stop

How did I get here? What brought me to this?
A deep infatuation? Or was it something in your kiss?

*******

So here I go, round and round, am I lost? Will I be found?
There I try once again, in this circle with no end
Searching low, searching high, trying to find the reasons why
Are the reasons ever found?
I guess I'll just keep goin' round
Guess I'll just keep goin' round

The path
Unto love
Is much like
The stem of a rose

There is risk
Of pain and scorn
To cut one's heart
On hidden thorns

A price so high
Though some might say
To achieve true love
Who would not pay

Like a rose so sacred
Love's beauty shall last

Its thorns are but scars
Healed wounds
From the past

When I wasn't looking, It was you I found
There before me, Some solid ground

This image before me, So strong but once broken
Your heart closely guarded, Your eyes filled with emotion

To you here and now, It's my thoughts I'm revealing
Still yet to be known, In my heart what I'm feeling

In your absence I'm saddened, Missing you so warm so tender
In your presence I'm weakened, To your charm I surrender

Should I follow my heart, And give in to temptation
Is this love that I'm feeling, Or is it mere infatuation

Well one thing is certain, When I look into your eyes
I know that we'll somehow, Be in each others lives

I break into a cold sweat
As I struggle to say hello
My insecurities running rampant
Over someone I don't yet know

I get knots in my stomach
As our eyes slowly meet
That moment of awkwardness
A sudden state of state of cold feet

My thoughts out of focus
The room starts to spin
Then a smile lights up on your face
What a captivating grin

A rush passes through me
As I regain my composure
Awkwardness leaves me now
I dare to walk over

A strong fear of rejection
I choose to ignore
For what stands to be gained
Offers oh so much more

One might ask if it's all worth it
Such an agonizing game
Before this chance encounter
I'm sure I'd have aked the same

In that instant you stole my heart
The time when we first met
As I look back upon this moment now
I wear a smile with no regret

As I run away
In search of me
I stay nowhere long
So they'll never see

This scared little boy
Wearing the clothes of a man
Running only from himself
Running as fast as he can

Wearing my heart on my sleeve
I'm an open book, come on in
Hurry and share this moment though
For soon I'll need to be running again

One day I'll surrender
I'll stop when I learn how
I suppose when I find myself
But I must go and keep running for now

So beautiful is the rose
Yet so painful are its thorns

Much like the walls we hide our hearts behind
And the beloved ones we scorn...

As you redesign
Who you are
Look back and remember
You made it this far

When life hands you a new role
Try to play the part
Keep following your dreams
And listening to your heart

If the journey gets long
Look to familiar ground
Keep your head held high
Through life's ups and downs

Never lose sight of what is real
And what is fake
Experience brings wisdom
Learn from each mistake

Above all of this
Forever stay true
Be kind and be caring
Especially to you