On my own again
Stranded on an island
Of my thoughts-
The waters that surround me
Are currents of my memories,
Swirling whirlpools of chaos
Keeping me isolated.
I can’t escape
The dangerous waves of
“What ifs”
Formed with the wind and the choices of my past-
But I’ll construct
My escape from this godforsaken island
With a study raft of good intentions
And move forward on unsteady waters
To a new world yet unexplored.
Midnight thoughts
Intrude on seductive sleep
And push it away,
Pulling my mind
Into a late night tango
Of past moments and parallels.
This exhausting dance,
My body moving to the tempo,
Keeps moving to the music
Until my legs can’t keep up.
These thoughts,
These nights,
These unforgettable moments
Make for mental messes
To be ignored- an insomniac’s gift-
Until the next late night
Where my mind won’t stop dancing
To the beats of the past.
Let’s reminisce
About the days
When we were old enough
To know better
But young enough
Not to care.
When we spent
Our hard earned money
On temporary satisfaction
Gone as soon
As they’d been obtained.
Liquid courage
To get us through
The days to come-
And the only things
We have to show
For our mistakes
Are the friendships
That made us stronger
And the lessons
We’ll never forget.
You are more
Than the sum
Of your lessons
Since the beginning of your time,
Stepping stones that lead
To potential
Forks, pitfalls, and hills
On this journey of life.
You are more
Than the difference
Of past and future colliding
The Impossible distance
From where you’ve been
And the peaks you’ve conquered
To where you’ll go
Speeding ahead into the unknown.
You are more
Than the quotient
Of your loved ones
Provided by a lottery
Good or bad
And the ones you choose
To reveal yourself to
Based on circumstance.
You are more
Than the product
Of society and individuality,
Pressure and instinct,
Colluding with each other
In public and in private
To create a version of yourself
For your success.
You are more
Than a complex equation
Of contradictories
That takes time and patience
For a solution.
You are more.
You are so much more.
Vivid white paper
Stands out against dark lines
Waiting to be written upon.
Words may come
Words may be erased
But thoughts are never ending.
This time,
Write in pen
To immortalize your intentions.
Take action to show improvement-
As all living things
Are a work in progress.
Spinning in circles
Momentum increases
Coils tighten
Until you make impact.
Hitting a wall,
Take a deep breath
Trace your steps
And unwind.
Age-old stories of coming to America
With nothing but minuscule amounts of money
To determine worth
And sell your soul.
How can you free yourself
From societal binds and pressures
Without first succumbing to them?
Monopolize your time
Build properties on your day to day life
And watch them come tumbling down
With every step forward that you make.
Has the patriarchy crushed you?
What about all the world’s woes?
When are we free
If we have done nothing to fight?
Lace your shoes tight
And fight with your sole-
Getting closer to your goal
Step by step.
Exhausted with potential interests
I bury myself deep
Layers upon layers of comfort
Holding me back from exploring.
A fire burns within me
But my cold emotions seek solace.
Envy’s seeds are planted within,
A hint that spring is coming.
How do I plant seeds of hope instead?
I want to change along with the seasons
But what can I do
To break free from old habits
To explore new possibilities
And to find myself whole?
A metamorphosis
Shedding skin
Beauty
And youthful wonder
To gain something more mature.
It’s not abandoning the old
But keeping it in a memory box
Pulling out the past
To renew
Become anew.
What would our lives
Involve on a planet
We evolved to survive?
Are our current threats
Legitimate concerns, or
Have we grown numb
To the harsh realities
Of survival?
Has luxurious living
Weakened our instincts?
Would we be able to
Adapt and thrive
Or would we be
A cautionary tale
Of the dangers of comfort?