WAYS TO KILL A

TOMATO

AND OTHER INSANE, PSYCHOTIC,

ANGRY, BUT RATHER THERAPEUTIC
COLLECTION OF POEMS
BY
LIZZIE VALE.
2|Page WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

2B

IN D E X

INDEX ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
DISCLAIMER ........................................................................................................................................... 4
POEM #1 MEMOIRS OF AN AWAKENED DREAM .................................................................................. 5
3BPOEM #2 A SONNET: FINAL EXAMS ...................................................................................................... 6
3BPOEM #3 ODE TO MY BACON (A PARODY) .......................................................................................... 7
4BPOEM #4 GO FISH ................................................................................................................................... 8
5BPOEM #5 ANOTHER SONNET: MASTER OF LOSING .............................................................................. 9
6BPOEM #6 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO ................................................................................................... 10
7BPOEM #7 DEVIL’S HANDMAID ............................................................................................................ 11
8BPOEM #8 SUMMER ................................................................................................................................ 12
9BPOEM #9 INDIFFERENCE AND GUILT .................................................................................................. 13
10BPOEM #10 TRUE LOVE.......................................................................................................................... 14
1BPOEM #11 WILL IT STAY FOREVER? .................................................................................................... 16
12BPOEM #12 NO. 4061 ............................................................................................................................. 17
13BPOEM #13 WHAT IS DISCONSOLATION, EXACTLY? ........................................................................... 19
14BPOEM #14 YOU, I HATE YOU ............................................................................................................... 21
15BPOEM #15 WHY CAN’T YOU BE MY FRIEND? .................................................................................... 22
16BPOEM #16 THE PRIDE EMBELLISHED .................................................................................................. 23
17BPOEM #17 I STAND ............................................................................................................................... 24
18BPOEM #18 THE WORLD........................................................................................................................ 25
19BPOEM #19 LOSING ................................................................................................................................ 26
20BPOEM #20 TAKE ALL THE BLAME ....................................................................................................... 27
21BPOEM #21 A SONNET: CRUEL LOVE ................................................................................................... 28
2BPOEM #22 FALLEN ............................................................................................................................... 29
23BPOEM #23 MIND GAMES...................................................................................................................... 30
24BPOEM #24 NOXIOUS ............................................................................................................................. 31
25BPOEM #25 UNSPOKEN JOKE ................................................................................................................. 32
26BPOEM #26 FIND YOU ............................................................................................................................ 33
27BPOEM #27 NO MORE............................................................................................................................ 34
28BPOEM #28 FREE FROM YOU ................................................................................................................. 35
29BPOEM #29 DR. PSEUDO-SEUSS: THE EPITOME OF THEIR EXISTENCE ................................................ 36
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO Page |3

30BPOEM #30 MEANT FOR ........................................................................................................................ 37

31BPOEM #31 DREAMS I ............................................................................................................................ 38
32BPOEM #32 BUFFER ................................................................................................................................ 39
3BPOEM #33 FLUORESCENT LIGHTS ....................................................................................................... 40
34BPOEM #34 OH! THE IMMATURITY ....................................................................................................... 41
35BPOEM #35 DREAMS II ........................................................................................................................... 42
36BPOEM #36 THE SUN RISING INTO OBLIVION ...................................................................................... 43
37BPOEM #37 IN THE DARK ...................................................................................................................... 44
38BPOEM #38 OVER THAT ANTHILL ........................................................................................................ 45
39BPOEM #39 MY FEZZ.............................................................................................................................. 46
40BPOEM #40 DEAR GOD .......................................................................................................................... 47
41BPOEM #41 POP! GOES THE WEASEL .................................................................................................... 48
42BPOEM #42 MOCKERY AT 5 AD ............................................................................................................ 49
43BPOEM #43 STAY PUT ............................................................................................................................ 50
7BPOEM #44 LOVE SONG FOR BRANDON............................................................................................... 51
POEM #45 GOSSIP: OVERHEARD FRIENDLY EXCHANGE ................................................................... 53
45BPOEM #46 WAKE UP BALLAD ............................................................................................................. 54
POEM #47 RUSH ................................................................................................................................... 57
47BPOEM #48 SHAME ................................................................................................................................ 58
48BPOEM #49 HUNGRY ............................................................................................................................. 59
49BPOEM #50 TRUST ISSUES ...................................................................................................................... 60
51BPOEM #51 HOPE ................................................................................................................................... 62
51BPOEM #52 FADE.................................................................................................................................... 63
52BPOEM #53 DRIP..................................................................................................................................... 64
53BPOEM #54 LOVE BUG ........................................................................................................................... 65
54BPOEM #55 IDIOCY ................................................................................................................................. 66
5BPOEM #56 FAITH .................................................................................................................................. 68
56BPOEM #57 JUST PEACHY ...................................................................................................................... 69
4|Page WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

DISCLAIMER

Any or all parts of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without my permission. Feel free to do whatever you want with it, pass it off
as your own, quote it out of context, or deface one of my ex-boyfriends' house with it.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO Page |5

POEM #1 MEMOIRS OF AN AWAKENED DREAM

Spring 1997

Tenderly I lay down his funeral flowers,

Grabbed the agony-stained dust, and flung it in showers.
Buried the hatchet, my teary eyes a-passioned, squeezed tight
As I awoke from my bittersweet dreams and surfaced in the night.

Caught up in the psychedelic light reflecting the tide of his charms

While every fiber of my selfishness longed for his steady arms,
Hard, chiseled face, triumphantly doomed for emancipation,
Its expression, in rhythm with poundings of blood, sweat, and hesitation.

His bold beauty, I desired, caused me to unlock

Labyrinths of emotions for him to juggle and mock.
Trembling, I touched the persistent curls on his temple
And slowly, traced a line down to his mesmerizing dimple.

Fair Dionysius of the Heavy, the Dark, and the Enticing,

Numb me with his chloroform passion, from the sting of his lying.
Set me ablaze with those eyes and their hypnotic, green hues.
The world replied. My labor of love I was to lose.

Breathing against that cold, blue cross emblazoned there

Brought chills down my daunted soul, in the dungeon, in his lair.
The compelling attraction offered in the rebel tattoo he wore
Was the foolish reason I wanted to hold the wonder, and to adore.

Dismal clouds arose from the intangible scene.

Empty, dank air hung where my salty lips had been.
Oh, world, take this woman, to face the titanic force of her learning,
And in her heart, inscribe his name, with a cigarette burning.
6|Page WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #2 A SONNET: FINAL EXAMS

3B

19 December 1996

I reached out for you and yearn to hold you near,

Longing to bask in your loveliness.
Oh how my body flushes with envy, frustration, and fear
Whenever others get to taste your loving caresses.

Such beauty and security I find in your arms,

Enticing me to come and devour every minute with you I spend.
I’m in utmost longing for your bittersweet warmth,
For you bring me to a higher plane of pleasure that must now end.

The Enemy cruelly comes and takes you away.

I spring up and with every ounce of my strength, fight.
The angry sun is languishingly running away from my side of day
And cruel mobs, ungrateful voices, they terrorize my light.

Right now, all I can do is study hard and weep.

But, until then, please wait for me, oh wonderful, heavenly sleep.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO Page |7

POEM #3 ODE TO MY BACON (A PARODY)

3B

Spring 1997

Understand the things I eat.

Don’t turn away from me.
‘Cause I spent half my life indulging in red meat.
You wouldn’t disagree.

D’you see it?

D’you smell it, d’you like it?
Frying slowly in the pan.

D’you notice?
Aroma mouthwatering,
D’you see it?
D’you see it? Does anyone care?

Utmost happiness,
While I’m still young and we do not give a damn.

‘Cause we were raised,

To see life as fat and taste it if we can.

My arteries! My arteries!
It’ll clog me. It’ll clog me when I couldn’t share.

My smooth skin, my clear skin,

They’d break out, yet I like ‘em. Does anyone care?

Does anyone care?

Does anyone care?
8|Page WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #4 GO FISH
4B

Spring 1997

One dot, two dots,

Red dots, blue dots.
Circling my head like hunting sharks,
And all you had to do was park.

As fast as the tides go up in July

Still weather, no wind, the clouds still zipped by.
Henry’s Ticker Tape was five miles apart.
There was no waiting, nor were there any start.

The first dot was by rejection, the ultimate in life.

The second dot was a pardonable Swiss army knife.
Red dots forming on my white, white shirt.
Blue dots filling my brain with all its worth.

One dot, two dots,

Red dots, blue dots.
You’re one of the few.
All I wanted was you.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO Page |9

POEM #5 ANOTHER SONNET: MASTER OF LOSING

5B

Spring 1997

Poor child, don’t let your nimble heart despair.

‘speare’s Time disgrace and wretched minutes kill.
Bear your dark head high. Come up for air.
Defy Winter, Mocker, and Emotional Thrill.

Wait for the birds and their happy, chirpy song.

Don’t dwell on the cold and bitter wind.
You shall shine brighter than all who did you wrong.
Sing hymns, oh sullen child, for all have sinned.

I know it seems that your word is shifting

To the point you think you will expire.
Calm your shaking hands and quench that burning.
“Meaningless,” says the philosopher. No more fire.

This child had gone. From here she had fled.

A limp, losing rose, her joy of life slowly bled.
10 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #6 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

6B

Spring 1997

Imagine a red, juicy tomato splat on the ground.

Sure it cost you thirty cents.
But listen to the hollow, satisfying sound
When it is treated with violence.

Add it to your “To hit before I’m 35” list,

Connect a wire to it from a dorm room socket,
Thump on it with a powerful fist,
Wham it on the wall with a tennis racket.

Spike down its middle with a fountain pen,

Tie it to a bunny and turn it loose,
Lay it before oncoming traffic in Highway 10,
Tread on it with high-heeled shoes.

Roast it slowly over an open flame,

Squeeze it nicely between forefinger and thumb,
Slice it to shreds with an egg cutter wire,
Treat it like a grenade or an impact bomb.

Massage its delicate skin with an electric shave,

Devour it like a cookie, as Cookie Monster does,
Put it in for five minutes in a microwave,
Leave it on your lawn for months and give it to the boss.

Throw it at annoying whiners, or at a cruel cop,

Press it onto the keyboard when the network is down,
Position it carefully for a New Bible Dictionary drop,
Feed it to the funny-smelling hogs up town.

Smash it with passion between two textbook covers.

Fling it at the faces of your ex-lovers.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 11

POEM #7 DEVIL’S HANDMAID

7B

22 July 1997

She storms around with her deep, blue eyes,

Sultry, sun-streaked, blonde hair flowing down her back,
She gracefully accepts tips, compliments and his sugar-coated lies,
But she’s got every significant asset I lacked.

The most gorgeous men she dated on my campus,

I wonder what it was like to be engaged to the stud of our county,
She’s the right height, right race, right face, right shoes
And she unwittingly took two men I loved away from me.

Her amazing ability to twist my fragile heart

In almost everything she has to say
Is phenomenal because twice already, she has torn me apart,
For the two men I loved, looked up and walked her way.
12 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #8 SUMMER
8B

1994

White walls stained with the gray line of age,

In front of me, my father flipped through a page,
Wet rings on paper from a soft drink can,
All around, people walked, watched, talked, and ran.

Day and hours for me is numbered,

Time ticks by. A friend has not easily slumbered.
Inquisitive looks and questioning glances,
Never for a moment gave me any chances.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 13

POEM #9 INDIFFERENCE AND GUILT

9B

20 October 1997

I’m sorry about those sweet, long drives,

And the beautiful dinners and playing pool,
I’m sorry about sharing thought and contemplating our lives,
And making you look, now, like a fool.

I’m sorry about the passionate touching

And the bear hugs from the heart,
I’m sorry you felt good when we were laughing
‘Cause now everything has fallen apart.

I’m sorry for the romantic delights,

And the mutual desires we have sworn,
I’m sorry that I have lost sight
Of our bond which I now scorn.
14 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #10 TRUE LOVE

10B

1991

Friends of Childhood,
Misunderstanding,
Painful separation,
Heart is burning.

Deep as the cut

Of a double-edged sword.
Loneliness, depression,
Loves broken chord.

A day of bright sunset,

An evening of red moon,
A cool, quiet night
And an anxious meeting, soon.

Footsteps in the shadows,

Whispers of the trees,
Dew drops on the ground,
No more bustling of bees.

One waiting and sighing,

The other one, approaching,
Nervous hearts and nervous thoughts,
A gulp of clearance, voices like dreary moths.

A feeble relaxation
Of a heart-filled regret,
An open desperation, chest released, relieved, and not met
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 15

By a dark, sorrowful moment

Without hope and light,
But a touch of compassion
And an endless delight.
16 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #11 WILL IT STAY FOREVER?

1B

15 years old

It was innocent enough

When we were just my friend,
Things were so natural then.

We both took those times for granted,

But now can we still be friends?

Will it stay forever?

What kind would it be?
You’ve just been driving me crazy.

I hadn’t realized
How much I cared about you,
But I’ve no idea if you felt the same way too.

I didn’t want to hurt you,

But when that day came
Now things would never, ever be the same.

When I looked at you, you were so distant, so above.

Couldn’t my feelings for you be love?

Why did you make me fall in love with you?

I hope and dream,

One day these things will come true,
I will wait for the right time
When I could tell you.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 17

POEM #12 NO. 4061

12B

20 May 1993

The bell rang. I smile

Enthusiastically
To see the kid who scorns at me.

I pull my friend
Spying with the Greek lover
At the
Kid at number 4061.

Suspiciousness
Gleams in
His eyes. Contempt as
Our gaze meet. Not a
Single day passes.

I continue my
Desire to watch the
Kid. I sigh, hoping
One day he would realize
I was not an
Enemy.

Blue jeans,
Metal vehicle gleaming
In the sun. I strain
My neck. Do anything
Just to see that
Fantastic smile of
the kid in Number 4061.
18 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

His features change as

His casual expression
Meet my scrutinizing
Gaze. From the distance
I see him look at me,
Knowing I was a wrong-doer.

My first enemy:
The kid in bus number 4061.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 19

POEM #13 WHAT IS DISCONSOLATION, EXACTLY?

13B

31 May 1993

Days pass me swiftly

By. Faces, familiar
Faces, in
One
Short
Moment.
Gone.
For more important calling.

It was then his turn.

Laughter filled
The air. Passers by
Glance at the pleasant
Faces. Happiness
In the company.

His company. Incredible

Ability
To break atmospheres.
The life of
The cheerful circle.
Those glasses sparkling.
The intensity.
Never scornful, never cynical.
Perfect man, perfect friend.

You’d think
He’s the type who gives
20 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

Innuendoes. But
He’s fun,
Innovative,
Jokes,
Real life stories.

His smile, never cynical.

Typical.
The perfect company.

The fact I never realized.

I bitterly, never realized.

Till now.
I sink back and watch,
Observe for the very last time.

I hope.
Hopeless. He’d be gone.
I’d never talk to him again.

Such loss. My dearest friend.

I never even showed him how much I cared.

I’m left with my loss.

Despondency,
Despair washes over me.

Why him?
Why?
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 21

POEM #14 YOU, I HATE YOU

14B

10 December 1994

You, I hate you.

You drained all my happiness,
And you furnished my shame.

You, I hate you.

My heart fills with terror
Every time I hear your name.

You, I know now

You were just a mistake.
You, You burned all my
Confidence and dignity at the stake.

You, You killed me.

Don’t you see that my pain
Just won’t go away?

You, You make me

Cry so hard and hurt just trying to
Think of what to say
Every time I see you
Again and again.

You, You grieve me.

I’d pace around my room
Trying hard to forget
That moment, that memory
Of hunger, in anguish and yet,

I still wince what I did was true

I still can’t believe it was you.

I did it all for you. I love you.

22 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #15 WHY CAN’T YOU BE MY FRIEND?

15B

20 September 1995

I see you every day,

Walking down my way,
Mumbling a hi,
Every time I walk by.

Do you ever stop and ponder

When you see me yonder,
That I might actually want to
Be acquainted with you?

What’s keeping you from wanting

To find out what are behind my rantings
Or my smile of appreciation
Or my teary reputation?

Don’t you like my outlandish behavior?

And we do have the same Savior,
Or is it really because of my face,
Because I don’t have your same ways?
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 23

POEM #16 THE PRIDE EMBELLISHED

16B

7 November 1995

Looking at us in scorn.
Lower. I feel less.
Hurting me because of the place where I was born.
The overwhelming inadequateness.

Surveying the world and populace

You see achievements, high and low.
You take a hold of my unworthiness
And my self-esteem gains a thrashing blow.

Forget those who suffer injustice

And those who are in pain.
Prejudice-stricken poverty
In a world that says gain, gain, gain.

How long will it take to open your mind?

For you to see that “castes” are real?
And that you, oh dear friend of mine,
Are responsible for the kill?
24 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #17 I STAND

17B

8 November 1995

All that is good is gone,

I, again, am alone.
How I wish to have more than one
With whom I’d share my solace zone.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 25

POEM #18 THE WORLD

18B

25 January 1996 – A Thursday

Watching you and seeing me,

I’m being someone I don’t want to be,
It’s not a feeling of inferiority,
Not even envying other’s popularity.

The world I think is one big sink,

Some of us are scum, some of us stink,
Some of us are leftovers from last night’s bash,
Some of us are pathetic, decomposing trash.

Round and round we go down that hole,

With the other dirt who have no goal.
Our minds filled with lust, ignoring the pain,
Selfish gratification, clogging up the brain.

Forgetting the good, and holy, and pure.

Who needs that? he said. It’s boring for sure.
I like the excitement, the thump of the drum.
To mind games. The crowd. To eternal damn.
26 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #19 LOSING

19B

28 February 1996 – A Wednesday

You have always been there right beside me,

You were my only precious guarantee,
You had been given as a gift to me
As a babe in my father’s arms.

You’re the one which separated me from the rest of the crowd.
I taunted you in front of my friends and I did it so loud.
Of you I had always been so proud,
Even though I was warned.

I thought I’ll never lose you. What pretention!

Even though it was painful to see you leave, I didn’t pay attention.
My head throbs as realization hits me hard. You’re now forever gone.
You were my only charm.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 27

POEM #20 TAKE ALL THE BLAME

20B

February 1996

Take all the blame,

That’s the thing to do,
It doesn’t matter what other people
Think of you.

Take all the blame

In few simple phrases,
I know you can handle pointing fingers
And accusing faces.

Break each other’s hearts,

Tear ‘em all apart,
Fragile friendships must always end
With fiery, cruel darts.

Why bother with love,

Support, and loyalty,
If ruining a friend seems to be the best chance
To set you free?

Take all the blame,

That’s the thing to do,
After all, since when did it matter what your own friends think of you?
28 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #21 A SONNET: CRUEL LOVE

21B

Spring 1996

My soul was a safe bubble, filled with sweet dreams of love,

Then came my sweet Westley, a true enigma, so talented and rare,
Impulses, romantic musings, all we needed was to prove
That our eyes, heart, and minds were worth the share.
Picture me not, when you hold a woman to your chest,
The tenderness and desire, were they all but a game?
O let me anguish in my stupidity, let me feast in my regret.
There was no Godly love involved. That was the ultimate shame.
Philosophising our sins, ignoring the Stand I should take,
What kind of monster was I becoming, away from the light?
O Lord of love, who shall I blame for this mistake?
I look at my weaknesses, and I shouldn’t be in your sight.

You know, nothing’s more painful than loving someone

And realizing I was sadly loving the wrong man.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 29

POEM #22 FALLEN

2B

Spring 1996

Mindless,
Falling into the pit of murkiness,
Blindness,
Washing,
Tasteless.

It’s hard to get away,

So difficult to climb out
Of this well I dug for myself.
This pit.
30 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #23 MIND GAMES

23B

27 August 1996

Break!
Waves rippled across
The form.
Energy resounds.

Alignments,
Timing,
Compatibility.

Cues clash.

Finally,
One,
Last
Shot.

Rolls into a deep well.

Rolling,
Rolling,
Rolling.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 31

POEM #24 NOXIOUS

24B

Spring 1996

Flowers,
Their heavy, nauseating, thick scent of powder
Overwhelm.
Tell me

Stupid, senseless things,

Followed by painful, pseudo-repentant binges
Take hold.

Who wants treasures of gold

Or gowns of pure white?
Lost sight.
32 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #25 UNSPOKEN JOKE

25B

20 October 1996

We started it, one big, whole mess,

With lots of laughter, blithe, and jest,
By and by, it went a-slam
Into one love affair based on a sham.

We tried this stem, we tried this flower,

We tried other poisonous berries and played with their power.
Slithering across the brush are scorpions and snakes.
And even I, I knew, it was all a mistake.

Jealousy creeping up the wall,

Nightshades, blades, dull, orange leaves in the fall.
I was here, you were there. You and your friend.
I knew, deep inside, the end should be the end.

I clung like an idiot, protecting my pride,

You were beautiful to me, I saw goodness inside,
I would look at your face, I gave you tenderness,
All you wanted was to share warm and indifferent caresses.

I bared my soul, I offered my vulnerability,

I liked your comebacks, talents and iniquity,
You piqued my interest and affected my tastes,
I loved listening to your heartbeat and being dazed.

Time zoomed by, my chance had passed,

Blind, little me knew it wasn’t going to last,
I saw you every day, I remembered every time you spoke,
Everybody else told me I was your unspoken joke.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 33

POEM #26 FIND YOU

26B

22 October 1996

I want to walk on this road,

Where the sun is not cold,
Where the moon is not blue,
Where I can always find you.

I want to move to this place,

Where I can see your face,
Where I can share your gain
And experience your pain.

I want to sing your song,

Do the wrong,
Do the wrong with you,
I want to be at your side,
Feel inside,
Feel inside and find you.

This search may never end,

And it’s now your turn to bend,
Show your light, be there in my sight
Where I can always find you.
34 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #27 NO MORE

27B

23 October 1996

Dull ache ringing,

Nobody singing,
Love is fleeting.

Pain is searing,
End the crying,
No more sharing.

I love you still,

You went for the kill,
You wanted to hurt,
Dragged me in the dirt.

Love is dumb,
As useful as a bomb,
Deny me,
Deny me,
Deny me.

Knife, wife, life, strife.

Am I some cheap imitation?
Lain, rain, pain, slain,
No more, no relation.

Right, fight, light, night,

All in vain, nothing gained,
Why, sigh, goodbye, goodbye.
Leave me, I have gone insane.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 35

POEM #28 FREE FROM YOU

28B

1 December 1996

Deep, blue ocean, pretty as can be,

Calling, exciting, tempting me.
Blinded by reason that I could always pull out,
I jumped into the waters with a gleeful shout.

Swimming through the blue, full of energy,

Eager to capture the Fish in the sea,
Marvelous, intricate, enigmatic Fish,
It was the one in my darkest wish.

I called out to the creature and I was happy it came,

I wanted, it wanted to play a game,
The Game of Chance, the Game of Speed,
The game I already knew I was going to lose, indeed.

Time ticked, even in the sea,

Count the waves and count on me,
The Game was becoming too violent, too fast,
I was getting wounded and hurt, I realized I must go at last.

Little did I know of the evil and hate

My playmate had harbored inside him, of late.
The sky grew dark and he began to change his looks,
Growing sharper fins and fangs like werewolves in books.

He looked at me with demonic eyes,

I knew I had to flee or else I would die,
I fought the waves with every ounce of strength I could muster,
Fear racking through my body, telling me to move faster.

Breathing in gulps after I reached the shore,

I learned not to jump into the ocean on impulse, forevermore.
36 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #29 DR. PSEUDO-SEUSS: THE EPITOME OF

29B

THEIR EXISTENCE

1 December 1996

Men are evil,

Men are bad,
All men should be pulverized,
(Except my dad).

Men are annoying,

Men can’t tell the truth.
They’re very selfish creatures
And are monstrous and are brutes.

Men can’t fix anything,

They break things instead,
Like hearts and soda machines,
Drop dead Fred.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 37

POEM #30 MEANT FOR

30B

18 December 1996

You gave me shame,

Offered me guilt,
Showered me with all your precious promises.
You’re kind.

You taught me to hate,

Showed me bitterness,
Kissed me with your tender kisses.
You’re kind.

You dragged me down,

Forced my face up to look at you,
I still feel the mud in my mouth,
Now, where are you?

I knew you were meant for me,

Meant to break me, wake me, thank you.
Now I know there are more of
Your kind.

You nursed me with apathy,

Cradled me with callousness.
It’s nice knowing that I was nothing.
You’re kind.

You boosted my ego

Into Pluto.
For that do I blame you?
Now where are you?

Baby, I know you were meant for me,

Meant to pierce me, crush me, thank you.
Now I know there are more of
Your kind.
38 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #31 DREAMS I

31B

18 December 1996

Picture perfect, puffy,

Cool, clean clouds

Freely floating, featherlike

All around and

Comfortably cushioning
That tenderly, twisting

Knife in my back.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 39

POEM #32 BUFFER

32B

Winter 1997

Who do I love?
Who do I hate?
Confusions, depictions,
False kindness, and wait

I do not feel
Anything at all,
Except sometimes, maybe
That comfortable black hole.

Mom and dad told me

Don’t rely on yourself.
Trust God, trust the Creator
But my Bible’s on the shelf.

It’s either totally me

Or totally Him.
Not so hard choices you say
But my light is shining dim.

No decisions yet,
No wine nor wafer,
Unless I’m itching for judgment
‘til then I’m in the buffer.
40 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #33 FLUORESCENT LIGHTS

3B

Winter 1997

I love white lights, fluorescent lights,

I love bright
Sunshine glaring down from the heights.

I love innocence, purity, and security.

I love your soft scents,
Your truth, your graciousness, and humility.

I love the dark eyes mingled with pain.

I love walks in the park,
And your quiet being, the murmurs, and whispering your name.

I love ravaging power, your vulnerable frailty,

I love the sparkling water,
The way you have this fearless spontaneity.

I’m in love with my ideal dream,

I’m in love with this virgin scene,
The unattainable hope, mercy, love, and when things are what they seem.

I love fading memories

Of my heart aching,
I love my pathetic love-craved lunacies.

I love this sad fight,

The walls I built around my heart,
And the miserable endings to my plight.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 41

POEM #34 OH! THE IMMATURITY

34B

Winter 1997

Hail! Little lamb. Hail to thee!

Thy youth affect me overwhelmingly.
You yelp thy way to the slaughterhouse
But I’m unsympathetic to the bleats of a worthless mouse.

Yeah! Little rodent, you seem a little bit apprehensive,

But I’m sorry, your odor is offensive, so leave.
I’d rather you short-circuit your little, brown tail into a socket,
Than let you chew your way through my empty pockets.

Oh! Little boy! All that scintillating reportage.

You rapidly plunge my consciousness into one useless mirage,
Time trudges sadly onto foreordained necessity,
Yet, I avouch your stale platitudes, vapid truths, and your extinct maturity.
42 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #35 DREAMS II

35B

Spring 1997

Lost listlessly
In its
Monumental miseries

And absently allowing a

Wretched wave washing,
Drowning, dying, dream.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 43

POEM #36 THE SUN RISING INTO OBLIVION

36B

Spring 1997

Hey you, sun! Why do you sting?

What did I ever do to you?
Yeah, I know the warmth and the light you bring,
But I know about the cancer, too.

Whose fault, you ask, for the misgivings?

Who exposed themselves to all that searing?
Who decided on abusing the energy gift?
Oh, the sadness, the irony, the confusion, the crypt.

Hey sun, you know I love you,

I know what to do to be the person I should.
But only to those who please you,
Only to them, everything works together for good.
44 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #37 IN THE DARK

37B

Spring 1997

Trudging through life’s blizzard,

Outside it’s searing bright,
My mind’s one big black hole
Yearning to see light.

It’s nice to know what they think,

It’s nice to know what they feel,
It’s nice to know what they want
From me and know what is the deal.

It’s not fun to wonder,

It’s not fun to guess,
When life’s hanging on a balance
Whether the no is no or yes.

I love the feeling of inspiration,

I love the sense of visibility,
I love knowing what’s going on and knowing where I stand
And finally knowing me.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 45

POEM #38 OVER THAT ANTHILL

38B

Spring 1997

Come on, let’s climb,

Blind leading the blind,
And quit that whining.

Come on, let’s hear it from the top,

It’s a fifty foot drop,
And quit that laughing.

Come on, it’s almost undone,

We have won, we have won,
And quit that crying.
46 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #39 MY FEZZ

39B

Spring 1997

You’re always there for me,

You were made to set me free,
Escape this world for a fleeting moment,
But you’re definitely not Godsent.

People don’t like my fezz and me.

It’s my world and my world after all.
Maybe someday I will stop.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 47

POEM #40 DEAR GOD

40B

Spring 1997

This little, teeny, tiny grain of sand,

That would be me.
I am nothing,
I am nothing
Without you.

This little shadow in the corner of the room,

That would be me.
I am nothing,
I am nothing
Without you.

This pioneer who was the straw that broke the camel’s back,
That would be me.
This little creature trying to squeeze through that hole in the needle,
This little child who was so intent on pleasing you.
That would be me.

This little girl, holding onto you in desperation,

That would be me.
I am nothing,
I am nothing
Without you.

Please hear my endless, tortured, insignificant cries,

That would be me.
I am nothing,
I am nothing
Without you.
48 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #41 POP! GOES THE WEASEL

41B

Spring 1997

It’s a never ending cycle.

Hit the bump, again and again.
Flat tire,
Douse that fire.
I am fine, I am well.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 49

POEM #42 MOCKERY AT 5 AD

42B

Spring 1997

Staring at the corner,

The uselessness and strife.
Another one tells you
The nice things about life.

Shut up you optimistic fool,

You’ll never understand
How it feels to be mocked
And judged, and labeled with a burning brand.
50 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #43 STAY PUT

43B

Spring 1997

Who are you out there? Who do I spy?

Affect me with a mere bat of an eye.
Drive me bonkers with a single flick
Of that ever faithful cue stick.

Who are you out there? What do I care?

Why do I melt like butter whenever you stare?
Am I worthy enough to be a friend?
Or would it be another cruel, suffocating end?
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 51

POEM #44 LOVE SONG FOR BRANDON

7B

Winter 2009

You are my world, you are my sunshine,

I belong to you, and you are mine,
The memory of your touch is what helps me through the day,
I will always love you but I’m sorry I cannot stay.

You are my shining star, you are my brilliant light,

The memory of being in your arms is what gets me through the night.
You taught me to hope, you taught me to believe,
So with a heavy heart I tell you that I must leave.

You are my raging fire, you are my whirlwind of lust,

You are my faith, you are my hope, you are the one I honor and trust,
The purity of love shining in your eyes is what drives my nightmares away,
I would stay with you forever if only there was another way,

You are the beacon in the tempest, you are the calm in my storm,
You taught me that there is strength in mercy, to forgive those who did me harm,
You saved my soul from destruction, you pulled me out of the abyss,
You have changed my life forever with just one chaste kiss.

You are my forbidden apple, you are my deadly flame,

I melt at the sound of your voice, when you say scream my name,
Remember the reverent kisses and the tender caresses we shared,
Remember me in your darkest moments and wait for me there.

I want to drown in your passion, I want to burn with your touch,

One kiss is never enough for us, the yearning hurts too much,
I wish I had time to know all your hopes, your dreams, and your fears.
If only I could, you know I would, I would always be with you here.
52 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

I will dream of your strength and your desire, your fingers through my hair,
The rapture I feel when we make love is beyond compare.
You are my dance, you are my song, you are my joy and pride,
I can only hope you’ll forgive me for I’ll no longer be at your side.

I liked knowing where to touch you softly, and when to do it rough,

No matter how hard I kiss you, I could never get close enough,
Your beating heart is what keeps me going through my journey of pain,
I’m sorry to leave you hanging and I’m sorry I can’t explain.

I want to lose myself inside you, feel those eyes that see right through my soul,
When you and I are together my world splinters to pieces and then is made whole,
I want to feel your mouth on my eyes, on my nose, on my lips, and on my brow,
It breaks my heart that you’ll no longer see me the way you see me now.

You are my sunshine, you are my whole universe,

The precious moments we shared, summed up in this last verse:
Even though you won’t see me like this again, remember our love is true,
Your soul belongs to me and my soul belongs to you.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 53

POEM #45 GOSSIP: OVERHEARD FRIENDLY

EXCHANGE

Spring 1997

You bask in the senses: hearing, tastes, and eyes.

At the sound of your words, a reputation slowly dies.
54 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #46 WAKE UP BALLAD

45B

Spring 1997

For All Women Who Cannot Decide Whether They Need Men or Not

Little Miss Maggie

Sat by a doggie
Outside a 7-11.
Along came fine Peter,
Who sat down beside her,
And folks, that was how this love song began.

Whenever they were talking,

The air was crackling.
It had to be God’s design.
There was ease in each other’s company,
Com-pah-ti-bih-li-ty,
“My Thrill of Living brought cheerful chills down my spine.”

They got calls from each other frequently.

“I’ll show you everything that’s precious to me,”
Bravely said by our intense Peter.
They held breath and hands,
Even at Valley Fair hot dog stands.
His wit, humor, and chivalry won her.

“I like the adrenaline rush

And all the carefree, spontaneous mush
Of our mutual love affair.”
“You’re my inspiration by far,
Plus we both watch E.R.,
Eternity, I want to spend the rest of living with you there.”
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 55

So friends, our Maggie and Peter

Who seemed to live happily ever after,
Until the abominable crash-after-high had to occur.
Love is utterly blind,
“He was always on my mind.”
Faithfulness, appreciation, what are they all for?

“Here I am again
Adding my two-cents
In the next paragraph or twenty-three.
They say love never dies,
No secrets, no lies,
It’s all a bowl of rotten ranch to me.”

Needless to say,
I obviously had a bad day
And my heart’s not going “lub” “dub” “skip” anymore.
“Love brings you glory, love brings you shame.”
All that crazy obsession is ultimately lame,
When after stripping your pride down and giving, you can’t score.

Here are questions for those out there,

Those women who swear
They have this real, mutual, romantic love.
Is he fighting fair?
Same beliefs do you share?
Or will your neck end up with OJ’s glove?

Is he the boy of your dreams?

Is he what he seems?
Or are you in a rescue mission to pull him out of some hole?
Do you ever think, “If I stop pulling
Would the relationship stop rolling?”
Or is he the definite mate of your soul?
56 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

Is he taking you for granted?

Talked about what you wanted
From each other and out of life?
Are you mistaking lust for love?
Everything he has, you can have?
And are you the Meaning of Life?

Peter started acting aloof,

And there was proof
That the communication was dying.
No more gazing longingly at each other,
No more pitter-patter,
But there were inconsideration, heartaches, and lying.

Silly Maggie, why put yourself through that?

You seriously think you could change him for better, or what?
Don’t tell me it’s just a matter of time.
“It’s my fear of another heart break, my ego and my ideals.
The yearning to be loved and how all that feels,
To hold on to this, is it a crime?”

Love extinguished is gone,

There is nothing else to be done.
Reality check. You are replaceable.
Let’s just ridicule the dreams you shared,
The hopes you built, the promises, and how he cared.
Maggie, truth is, Mutual Love and Respect, men are incapable.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Before you cry, “She is such a man-hater!” I’m not. I really don’t believe men are
incapable of love. It just felt that way when I was younger.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 57

POEM #47 RUSH

Spring 1997

Here I am in the middle of shards of broken glass,

Waiting for these absurd feelings to pass.
Every shiny piece meant something today.
Sharp, and deadly, since he went away.

I tiptoed through the confusion and tried picking them up,

It only ended up with warm blood dripping on my lap,
No one around to help me clean up the mess,
So I got down on my knees since there’s no one to impress.

I addressed the God of Righteousness and Love.

Where was this Comforter sent from above?
The urgent beat of my heart was not from caffeine,
But the result of an ugly, despicable sin.

Blow up this world, Oh God of Might!

Where is Your Mercy? Where is Your Light?
You knew my life and what was in store
Before I saw who I really was in the mirror.
58 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #48 SHAME

47B

1996

I close my eyes,
I lay back on my pillow,
Grief, why do you haunt?

Tears push themselves out

And as they slide, made deep grooves in my heart.
Love is such a shame,
Things will never be the same.

Nights of sleeplessness,
Moments
Deemed unworthy in your eyes.
The scars of unrequit, they comfort me.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 59

POEM #49 HUNGRY

48B

29 January 1995 - Sunday

I was hungry for the answers

To the questions in my head.
Why was I so severed from the society?
Why was my forsaken heart so red?
60 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #50 TRUST ISSUES

49B

4th February 1996

You’re drunk with beer,

Past that stage of buzz.
You open your mouth and I hear insults.
Who do you talk about? Me,
Your conquests, your other experiences.
Is it the pain and the hurt in you?

They warned me about you.

Who would I believe?

You said you wouldn’t do anything.

You wouldn’t take unless I gave.
And in the middle of it all, I gave.

Was that giving?

Was that giving?

So you don’t want anything to do with me?

Didn’t I give you good memories,
Or were they all bad?

You tell others of this time,

You tell others of that time,
You tell others of the first time.

And you want me to trust you?

You threaten if I don’t try to see you,

You threaten if I don’t communicate with you.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 61

You don’t try,

You don’t try,
You don’t try.

Why do you do that?

You hate double-faced people.
You are a double-faced person.

I see you there, I see you there all the time.

All the time I see you there.

You don’t even look into my eyes.

You don’t look into my heart.

Ignorance is bliss.
Bliss I have,
Bliss I have none.
62 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #51 HOPE

51B

17th August 1998

Hope.
Silly hope.
What are you doing hanging around? Why are you still here?

Dope.
Stupid dope.
That and flirting, fun, and beer.

Cry.
See me cry.
‘Cause I’m the ultimate scum.

Sigh.
The world sighs.
‘Cause I have done the really, really dumb.

Hope.
Go away.
Can’t you see you just bring pain?

Reality.
Come home and stay
And keep me sane.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 63

POEM #52 FADE

51B

4th March 1998

The poundings stop and the smiling fade.

Heart lurches no more after she got laid.

Confusing attraction that has no root

While I crumpled onto the floor in ashes and soot.
64 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #53 DRIP

52B

17th February 1997

You don’t know what you got,

You treated it for granted,
You drip like a broken faucet,
You anger me, you make precious things stunted.

Someday it’ll get back at your face,

All your cruelty, indifference, and half-lies,
Count your days
Until that time the door closes and the flame dies.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 65

POEM #54 LOVE BUG

53B

16th August 1998

See this brown car I drive today,

The life that the parents had to pay,
See this lush surroundings where I park,
No home to stay after dark.

Bored a hole of ignorance on the dashboard,

While bugs smacked the windshield on their own accord.
Driving for hours in cruise control,
Unwelcome, dejected, unwanted soul.

Maybe a touch of passion on the hood?

Or the faithful front seat, though not as crude?
A physical fling at the backseat?
Old Love Bug lives, an amazing feat.

Listening to rhythms by irreverent hearts,

There were bad endings and unwilling starts.
I put cash and credit into the slot machine
And he does not ask me where I’ve been.
66 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #55 IDIOCY

54B

25 August 1998

Look at me and see what an idiot I am,

I’m the perfect candidate to hate and condemn.
Visions of unhappiness and lies torment my head
Because I shared his bed.

I mock myself for being senseless,

I knew what not to do, I knew the consequences,
All he asked was for just one thing
And I had to have that fling.

The destroyer comes to seek the meek,

And I have become unbelievably sick.
After all the love with me he shared,
I gutted his heart and left his soul impaired.

Sensitive, patient man, sweet kisses to feel,

The abuse I inflicted, only time will heal.
My precious baby, I loved but I failed.
Stupid girl, get over it, your ship had sailed.

I had nothing to offer, I denied him my love,

Erase those memories of to hold and to have,
You have pierced him right down to the very core,
You liar, selfish, unfaithful whore.

You imbecile begging for another chance,

Mourn, child, mourn, he thought about you everyday once,
You disrespected him. Common decency you have none.
Forgiveness and hope! That is something only of the sun’s.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 67

Wake up child, stop wanting him back,

That’s impossible after you told him that dismal fact,
You will be judged and he will laugh,
For you are scum and you will never be good enough.

Smell the coffee, little one, and get some help,

I’d pace around, hurting myself,
I want to be something, someone can use,
Someone to step on, and hurt, and stab, and abuse.
68 | P a g e WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO

POEM #56 FAITH

5B

10th July 1993

My faith
Of late,
Wavering unstable,
For I am unable.

He comforts me,
Like a bird in her nest.

Storms in the sea,

In him I have rest.

Friends can never

be nice forever,
Worlds created
will deteriorate.

Hurt and fear

and all that’s dear
In this life we live,
perfect comfort it cannot give.

Yet the only hope and gaiety

I have in mind
Is life with Him and maybe,
Death for His sake who was kind.
 WAYS TO KILL A TOMATO P a g e | 69

POEM #57 JUST PEACHY

56B

28th July 1997 - Monday

Adaptation, Americanization, whiplash realization,

Crazy is the life that I live tonight.
Speeding through the bumpy highway, avoiding police citation,
In the world of right and wrong and black or white.

Lying on maroon sheets among stolen pillows,

Staring at the negative sign of the EPT test,
Remembering the many tales of my many endless woes,
As I recall my pointless, worthless, painful quests.

The search of the elusive man of my dreams,

And the constantly vacillating drive to succeed.
I ponder these deep thoughts and the head begins to swim,
Because all he is full of is ego, selfishness and greed.

The lucid insomniac bequeaths her sad will,

Her prized possession and her only property
To this stranger who takes his deep-throated fill
Of her body, her soul, and all her poverty.

Nevertheless, we see the twinkling stars,

And the stupid grin on my plastered face,
Never mind the liars, abusers, and this whole farce,
Because this mad, night-capped summer is all but waste.