Ode to Vine Park

With the breeze blowing soft,
Smatterings of dog poo,
Grass green among the many dirt patches,
The joy strong, but not new,

Walking towards you, your back's all I see,
Feet dangling o'er rubber,
At these times I'm more than my bank account,
Or the rent and bills I cannot cover,

For here is the place of filming cartwheels,
Play rock, scissors, paper,
Saying funny words during under dogs,
Counting the freight train's cars,

There is just us,
No life's anxieties,
These moments are brief 'mongst the outside world,
Would we could all just e'er hide behind trees.

Because I Love

Down the rabbit hole,
Fast as a subway train,
Tears are held because people can see,
Though they don’t know your name,

What right do you have  even to complain?
There were no guarantees,
Naked you’re born and you might be again,
Once again you will get up from your knees,

Unless you wish to deny all you know,
Which is not very much,
But of such import you’d claw your way up,
Just to know that you could touch,

The ones you love,
So they know you’re alive,
Only because you want the best for them,
Though what you did for yourself’s not enough.

What Carlin Said

Let the wind blow me 'way,
Upon a gentle wave,
Cradle me for five hundred thousand years,
So'sto see what's been saved,

Will't be humanity's propensity,
For mass self-destruction,
Preoccupation with getting its due,
Regardless of any repercussion?

Or will we somehow rise above ourselves?
That seems unnatural,
Twixt God and desire for the biggest truck,
We'll ever be feral,

The problem is,
Even as I write this,
I soar above looking for my own chance,
To obtain my own material bliss.

The Point of the Argument

We all make assumptions,
It's life's requirement,
You'd never take a step acknowledging,
You could step in a pit,

Even though it's not in front of you now,
It could always appear,
With no contradicting of innate laws,
That is the real world we live in, my dear,

That is why there is so, so much conflict,
For whatever we need,
We can create pits within arguments,
To satisfy our greed,

So, please beware,
Of all that you assume,
Not to petrify your every step,
To know the evilness you must exhume.

Paper Cutter

Despair can trump feeling,
The physical pain kind,
'magine losing ev'rything you worked for,
Why'nt also lose your mind?

Neglect the things that were precious to you,
They're from another life,
Not that you have chosen another one,
You've forgotten how to life in your strife,

Not e'en bloody gouges call you back,
Your body will decay,
Those in this world will find you and declare,
How'd she end up this way?

She'd not let go,
To false reality,
It sucked her out of common expeeryence,
Forgetting how t'operate a door key.

Lost Your Way

Crawling through a tunnel,
Belly down on gravel,
Lost your way, trying to find the right path,
Out of a living hell,

Okay, maybe it is not all that bad,
Until you look ahead,
To get where you need to go there's danger,
Behind you's now lurking the walking dead,

May that you find the courage to break through,
Then, you'll be safe again,
Not stuck in this purgatory of fear,
Fed by isolation,

Confusion, too,
How did you end up here?
Not until you get to the other side,
Will your destiny truly become clear.

Moving Forward

On any given day,
Floating around your head,
Are various issues to select from,
To justify your ends,

You might disparage strangers with anger,
For minor infractions,
Call friends in despair for life's cruelty,
Listen to the birds for inspiration,

You've capacity for one at a time,
So you must choose with care,
No one has achieved what they want in life,
By living on a prayer,

You must be bold,
Know what it is you want,
Approach the world with positivity,
Leave gloom to people without hope to haunt.

What You're Owed

Let's talk about problems,
Not manufactured ones,
Like when you feel that you deserve something,
Based on your perception,

Based on the expectations of others,
Or of society,
You don't get it, now you are owed something,
Despite what we have learned from history,

That good fortune is a roll of the dice,
No matter who you are,
The great have fallen, the small risen up,
You don't have to look far,

Yes, there's hard work,
Without that, you're nowhere,
As long as it is put to finding love,
Not convincing ev'ryone it's not fair.

Heart Reader

No, it is not all fake,
There is truth in action,
Smiles, joy and even pride can be honest,
Despite your perception,

Oh, could we all just read each other's heart,
Eliminate guessing.
What risk would there be to human conceit,
If there was no meaning to confessing,

If we just knew what one thought of ourself,
Maybe more than e'en them?
No wasting life pandering to fake love,
Or false encouragement.

Instead we lie,
For lack of knowing truth,
When, if we just let our actions be pure,
We would not need be acceptance's sleuth.

Just Thinking Of You Makes Me Feel Better

Is it wrong I miss you,
When I could see you now,
Laugh, hug, and be silly until we cry,
Extending time somehow,

'til each moment together's an eon,
The same's when we're apart,
Drawn out with these thoughts of being with you,
Until I want to just turn off my heart,

Or turn forward the clock 'til next we meet?
That's when things are alright,
The clouds open up and the sun shines down,
Everything feels light!

You want that, too?
Or are you used to it?
I can show you how to really drag time,
If we one day get to talk about it.

Show Me Going

I need diagnostics,
To get me through this one,
First to test my heart, then onto my mind,
Then my resolution,

They should measure strength and resilience,
Then my capacity,
If I pass this trifecta for each piece,
I will consider my prosperity,

Should the stars align scientific'lly,
By the gods in the sky,
I'll grasp that hilt and proclaim as I pull,
'I declare success mine!'

But, should I fail,
What will I become, then?
Maybe best I let well enough alone,
Than risk these middle-road accomplishments.

Don’t Try

Be ope’ to poss’bil’ties,
Both new and unforeseen,
More for the attitude such risk entails,
Options that ne’er would been,

For nothing exciting ever happens,
Without first openness,
A willingness to maybe not succeed,
While giving the attempt your utmostness,

Yes, often nothing actu’lly happens,
The nature of the beast,
The sure way to not win the lottery,
Is buy the tix the least,

Or not at all,
Don’t believe in your strength,
No chances taken and nothing is lost,
Life is short when you deny it all length.

But It's OK

When you're good at something,
It doesn't matter what,
You find connection with society,
Case open, solved and shut,

If you need always to be in control,
Whether you're wrong or right,
Just reinterpret what is important,
Shoot, then what you hit's what was in your sight,

Sometimes your selfishness makes you lonely,
That's not a big problem,
Soon you realize you have you to yourself,
The best of solutions,

Then, you will die,
You will not make a sound,
Like a tree that falls amidst millions more,
You've made sure that no one will be around.

In Ten Minutes

I just have ten minutes,
Can i do anything?
Compare it to the minutes of your life,
And it seems like nothing,

I may have forty-seven millee-on,
If i live to ninety,
So many meaningless passing moments,
Representing your full mortal'ty,

Sorry to shorten it, but I've no time,
I go minute by each,
Like living forty-seven million lives,
But I have lost my reach,

I have to stop,
It’s now time I lack,
I guess ten minutes isn’t very long,
Would I could get the last two million back.

The Next Thing

It's just a slice of time,
What you are going through,
If there was ever a point in your life,
It was better for you,

You can be sure they'll be better again,
For fortune comes in waves,
You're low now, you'll feel all good tomorrow,
Unless you pass away 'fore the next phase,

Which may be many, many years coming,
No one can tell you when,
It's more the sur'ty that it will exist,
That gives you momentum,

To just go on,
Wish I could tell you more,
Would that the future was open to all,
But its unknowingness is what it's for.

Denial's Time

Sometimes you have nothing,
Little hope left to you,
An understanding that you're going down,
No matter what you do,

Because you're looking at things you need not,
Just ignore negative,
Pull your rose-colored glasses off the shelf,
Acknowledge all that the world has to give,

Let the downers drown in unhelpfulness,
Brandish the strength of hope,
Some will say that you are ignoring facts,
They only interlope,

Where they should not,
Denial's good sometimes,
Like negligence of a newborn baby,
There are problems that solve themselves in time.

The Glowing Smile

I see you in the trees,
The ones you said to hug,
Your love of life was equaled by no one,
Despite the pain you lugged,

That's one thing I took into me of yours,
To the dismay of some,
It's a love that that denies others' pain,
For pain's something that must be overcome,

Which entails detachment from the mundane,
To embrace the spirit,
Which if ev'ryone did, pain would just cease,
Nor would be inflicted,

There'd be no point,
But, too, there is a price,
There'd be no excitement for worldly gain,
Which many people find natur'lly nice.

Throes

When you have nothing else,
You’re running on empty,
Having to burn the candle at both ends,
Living in poverty,

Still just keeping your head above water,
With your good attitude,
While objectively you should be screaming,
No matter how your situation’s viewed,

As you keep it inside like compressed gas,
Everything’s alright!
While factors are converging to a point,
That you’re wound up too tight,

Do not despair!
There’re other ways to vent,
That contribute to your situation,
Not leave you ope’ to pity and contempt.

Not Octopi

There is a new theory,
‘bout the Precambrian,
When life appears to have been so complex,
It defies ev’lution,

Thirty scientists have postulated,
That things like octopodes,
Landed on Earth from a space explosion,
Then proceeded to build garden abodes,

There’s no authority to deny this,
Categorically,
With all we know from empirical facts,
We really know nothing,

What do you think?
Even the chance it’s true,
Might put in question ev’rything you know,
And make you rethink ev’rything you do.

Work The Lock

When you’re under pressure,
Debilitating shock,
Think ‘bout Magnum PI when he gets home,
Having to pick his lock,

Higgins recored the door for who knows what,
(You know how he can be),
Zeus and Apollo running straight for Tom,
Ready to attack ‘cause he’s got no key,

He’s got seconds before he feels their teeth,
He chants a soothing phrase,
It’s ‘Don’t look at the dogs, work on the lock,’
Try doing what he says,

Breathe and focus,
It’s all that you can do,
Unless you’d like to watch potential death,
As it is attempting to distract you.

Loungey

A cat will lick its paws,
You know, they’re very clean,
Domesticated, they live just the way,
Everyone should mean,

Silently going ‘bout their business,
You do what you gotta,
But if it’s affection you’re looking for,
Don’t you worry, you can get a lotta,

They can also kill when the moment comes,
With both grace and purpose,
Then return to their life of elegance,
Not even furious.

They were once gods,
Now they just act that way,
When things get rough just hold onto a cat,
Let them purr you gingerly through the day.

Stop Reflecting

There are moments in time,
You don’t want to let go,
But holding onto them makes them diff’rent,
This, you should by now know,

You need never acknowledge the good times,
Self awareness kills them,
Just let them live, as you do polar bears,
‘fore y’only can see them in museums,

Don’t record it for future enjoyment,
You’ll be too glad for that,
If you just let it happen, you might find,
A different format,

For living life,
It’s called letting it be,
Worry less about if you’re having fun,
More ‘bout not worrying eternally.

My Scutigera

You know Scutigeras,
The ones in your bathtub,
Twenty-eight legs and quite long antennae,
On its head and its butt,

I found my first when I was twenty-one,
In my one bedroom flat,
I was very curious what it was,
So I asked an entomologist that,

I brought it in one of my mom's sauce jars,
To my univers'ty,
Learned it ate bugs that I would like much less,
Went home and set it free,

Many years gone,
It's still with me, today,
A life-long companyon whee'er I live,
Keeping unwanted intruders at bay.

Making Room

How much room do you need,
To make yourself a life?
Room enough for all of the things you own,
Which most of us are rife,

Room for the ones you love and what they own,
From what you put them through,
Room for the thoughts that haunt you ev'ry night,
Because of all of the things that you do,

Room for the outside expectations,
Crammed in with those inside,
Room for the uncertainty we all have,
For no one has a guide,

Room to be glad,
Yes, that takes up space, too,
There are laws of physics we must obey,
How you work around them is up to you.

Absolute Time

Try to take a breather,
Time only goes one speed,
'spite the feeling it's encroaching on you,
Demanding you concede,

Forget Einstein, sure time is relative,
Let us all give him that,
But Newton had something going for him,
More than a theory now not held as fact,

All you need to do is fill up your lungs,
Then begin counting slow,
This calibrates you to Absolute Time,
Hid by the need to go.

But it's not gone,
It cannot ever be,
We've all just agreed to let time rule us,
One of our Absolute Abilities.

Nothing

If you got nothing done,
No tasks you had today,
No attention to personal hygiene,
No settling bills to pay,

No reaching out to those who you must love,
No replies to emails,
No thoughts for those things that cause you dismay,
No smug smirks for your wins or tears for fails,

No believing what the world says ‘bout you,
No blaming of the past,
No alms for the poor or wishing for more,
No sitting on your ass,

No shame, either,
Nowhere you need to go,
No one knows what is inside of your heart,
No matter how often they tell you so.

Life Maintenance

When things don’t go your way,
Yes, you should cry it out,
Surrender to your body’s need to vent,
That’s what it’s all about,

It is a machine like anything else,
It needs maintenance,
Not only will it last a lot longer,
You can repair those emotional dents,

Start your journey fresh in each new moment,
Spreading cheer and good will,
Encouraging others to do the same,
Should I take a chill pill?

Lay off the sweets?
See things for how they are?
The question is can you get anywhere,
If you refuse to take care of your car?

Good Art

At each stage you must grow,
Or there’d be no stage,
Just constant awe at each experience,
From in a gilded cage,

Opened through awareness ‘fwhat came before,
Reconciled with your mind,
So you are always seeing something new,
E’en when you see it for a second time,

First you will raise your eyebrows in disdain,
How unoriginal!
But we builders all have a common thread,
The same material,

That’s how we talk,
There is no other way,
Sort symbols that are famil’ar to all,
To express what only your heart could say.

What If

What would you be doing,
With no care for money,
No one concerning themselves with your life,
Or what your thoughts might be,

Except in so far as what you show them,
Expressions of who you're,
That they then laud as valu'ble to all,
Like it was nothing that has come before,

With no reason to worry 'bout others,
E'en in the Middle East,
For poverty and discrimination,
Have been replaced with peace?

What would you do?
Anything different?
Is there value considering whether,
You should live so the answer's not consent?

Your Oyster

The world is your oyster,
In that it’s restricted,
To what those around you will let you do,
Once you have shucked the lid,

Which is hard enough to do on its own,
For fear battles instinct,
As do the fears and desires of others,
Will most likely contradict what you think,

For they all have just part of the picture,
Just the same as you do,
With all the factors needed for success,
What chance is there for you?

That’s all there is,
Einsteins die ev’ryday,
Whose oysters were mired so deep under sea,
Only luck would have given them a way.

It’s Past

We all have those moments,
Unsure of who we are,
Questioning the decisions we have made,
In our short life, so far,

No one can go back to earlier times,
No need to e’en say that,
Yet, sometimes I think I’m missing something,
Since so many stay living in the past,

It’s the choice between living and dying,
Twixt change and standing still,
Uncertainty and guaranteed sorrow,
For the unfulfilled,

Or great success,
You will get neither back,
Just vague copies ‘f’what will ne’er be again,
While your potential will slip through the cracks.

What Floats Your Boat

You have circumstances,
Everybody does,
Intertwined in society's fabric,
Labeling all of us,

But must that mean there's no equality,
Just celebrate diff'rence?
Ev'ryone does their part for industry,
Based on the strengths to which they do propense,

Then gender or race, religion or sex,
Or any other trait,
Ceases to contribute to what one makes,
Nor's a reason for hate.

Or for debate,
As long as we are kind,
We all need to understand why we're here,
Others need not conform to what we find.

Take What You Can

You can count on people,
To always be the same,
No matter what's actu'lly driving them,
Their heart, despair or fame,

Self-involvement, love for humanity,
Fear failure or success,
The inside's hidden, the outside you know,
It doesn't matter your perceptiveness,

Ultimately, it all comes down to faith,
Plus their consistency,
Even if they change, you will never know,
'fthat's what they e'er would be,

Like a pattern,
You can't possibly see,
Kind of like pi, but completely diff'rent,
People don't live for an eternity.

Evil

When’s someone pure evil,
If there is such a thing,
Must deeds and thoughts be unified in hate,
Against everything,

Does that loathing need to be e’er innate,
No beginning or end,
Not instilled by a reckless guardian,
Then reinforced by an institution,

Also, must it be acknowledged by all,
Accused, tried and condemned,
For riling intolerance in a nation,
That causes destruction?

Or’s’t a moment,
Present in anyone,
Proof that weakness and misunderstanding,
Is in the nature of being human?

Getting To The Other Side

You will never change you,
Why’d you want to do that?
‘T’s’ard enough navigating how you see,
Without changing the map,

You can’t expect others to change either,
The same thing in reverse,
The best hope when trying to find your way,
Is accepting the terrain you traverse,

Then can you appreciate obstacles,
Are not really roadblocks,
When passing people in narrow hallways,
You choose a side to walk,

Opposite them,
Maybe smile as you pass,
Both knowing that to get where you’re going,
You must accommodate the laws of mass.

Ignoring the Anguish

Oh mother, I can feel,
No, this is not a dream,
There is an urgency to existence,
Previously unseen,

It may leave again, never to return,
Who's anyone to know,
One moment you cry to the ruthless sky,
Agonizing in self-inflicted throes,

The next, horizons open up vasty,
Nothing's impossible,
Your fortunes don't change, but you think they have,
Gone from empty to full,

Like George Bailey,
It's a wonderful life,
Start from that premise, make it your default,
My friend, you have just minimized your strife.

What You Think

You can have an impact,
Even after you die,
There is a you that exists outside you,
You don't get to ask why,

It just floats there outside of your control,
Created by others,
A different one for each mind you meet,
Or by those who hear of your adventures,

None of them are any less real than you,
In so far as effect,
No one's been able to create themselves,
As others make them, yet,

So, what to do,
Not care what people see?
If you do that, you destroy the one you,
You wish existed in reality.

After the Fact

There will come a time, soon,
When you look back on life,
To understand how you got where you are,
Love, hate, comfort and strife,

You will consider all your decisions,
How they were influenced,
If one day you took ownership of them,
So that you haven't blamed anyone since,

Then you'll recognize the myriad things,
That formed all the options,
Your upbringing, of course, but also friends,
Music, dreams and notions,

Those things and more,
Dynamic existence,
So much input yet only one human,
To create from it some semblance of sense.

Get To It

There's what it is you do,
Then there's how you do it,
How others see how you do what you do,
And why you pursue it,

Coupled with what you see others doing,
Reconciling with it,
Recognizing amidst all the doing,
How the others are affected by it,

Then doing the doing despite it all,
'Cause you have to do it,
Then others will have to do what they do,
In some response to it.

So what to do?
Here's a way to view it,
Nothing is done until the cows come home,
That's when everyone says that they knew it.

Clear The Way

Have you heard of kismet?
How about destiny?
Lady luck, karma, predestination,
They're all the same to me,

The idea that there is something more,
Than what it is you see,
Informed by what you believe, anyway,
None of which is based on reality,

But sometimes, if you let yourself go free,
Things shake up diff'rently,
Like the letters in a boggle game tray,
It's all a mystery,

Until you look,
Then it all becomes clear,
There's so much more than you can know of first,
That reveals itself when you discard fear.

The Story

Putting yourself out there,
Is easy if you don't,
But instead put up a facade that works,
Because you think yours won't,

Besides, it's easier for ev'ryone,
Not to expand their brain,
When nothing's new there is no work to do,
Despite that means ev'rything stays the same,

Which is okay if there are no problems,
Though we know there e'er are,
As if it's a part of human nature,
So we've lowered the bar,

We've given up,
Well, there's those who have not,
Who believe there's value in honesty,
Who put themselves out there no matter what.

Old Man

What's left to laugh about,
When you're ninety years old?
There can't be jokes you've not already heard,
Then most probably told,

The structure of your days can't differ much,
What more you have to learn?
If you've not done something you could have, yet,
I'm sure you've not just been waiting your turn,

But there you sit, as happy as a clam,
Enjoying the high tide,
Your mind amused by some new idea,
Still enjoying the ride.

Well, good for you,
Twas sure you'd seen it all,
If there e'er was a reason to keep on,
It is watching you being comical.

When The Lights Go Out

When the power goes out,
No juice for everything,
No more potential in Earthly matter,
The only sound speaking,

Plus the movements of organic beings,
Fighting over fresh food,
But don't worry that won't be lasting long,
Those are th'ones will be dying pretty soon,

Once the screams die out, if your door's still locked,
Creep slowly to the street,
Think about all those flocking to the woods,
Looking for things to eat.

What chance have you?
P'haps that's not the question,
Since no one knows how long they have to live,
How d'you feel 'bout your current position?

Falling

It is time to know god,
Surrender to the truth,
There is power greater than you can wield,
Does this surprise, forsooth!

Your muscles far short of any real strength,
The wind eats up your voice,
E'en with the full potential of your brain,
Puzzling eternal will be the right choice,

Spread your wings wide and you still cannot fly,
E'en the future's a wall,
Hatred and sorrow cannot be banished,
You'll e'er answer their call,

So what's the point,
When we are all so weak?
Compared to infinite omnipotence,
It makes a nadir of our highest peak.

The Pain of Time

Time can go by slowly,
As you ponder your woes,
Ask any expert on the human case,
She'll say that's how it goes,

That happiness is most a fleeting thing,
Almost an accident,
If this don't make you want to stop right now,
You are ready for this experiment,

Stop doing what is expected of you,
That's a false form of joy,
Created to pass on that same nature,
To guiltless girls and boys.

What do you find?
Not encour'gement, I bet,
Unless you're among like-minded people,
But they haven't formed the major'ty, yet.

Grows

The key to producing,
Is dropping what you know,
Keeping faith that it will never leave you,
Despite how far you go,

Like traversing miles across an ocean,
The water's all the same,
Though you may find places you've never seen,
Your mind functions in a similar vein,

But if you forget all that came before,
Like it never happened,
Your instincts stay the same but uniformed,
So you will not transcend,

Which is the point,
Grow from where you rose,
Building on all you experiences,
Whether magnificent or simply gross.

Next Moment

How short is life, really?
You might not finish this,
Or it could haunt you for generations,
Because it will not miss,

If you'ere sure this was your final moment,
What is it you would do?
Of course this can't be anyone's premise,
For we would all stop foraging for food,

We'd stop working 'cause we don't need the cash,
We'd all proclaim our bliss,
Which up until now we denied we know,
For we fear openness,

At least I do,
When the future's open,
Better to spend life saying you could have,
Than defending your shameless ambitions.

And Rows

There's a very fine line,
In ev'rything you do,
That you must learn to ride to save yourself,
If you really want to,

If you really want to become something,
That doesn't fall apart,
The safest place is on that thin tight rope,
Even though walking it is super hard,

Until you learn to rise above it all,
So it becomes a path,<
Just stay the course and you will find yourself,
A true human, at last.

What does that mean?
Only a human knows,
Imagine those moments you know are right,
Continuing for rows and rows and rows.

To Get By

Do not get distracted,
By life's disappointments,
It's mostly suff'ring with moments of joy,
Then there's people's comments,

But what do they say is the best revenge?
Do not give it away,
It only works if it's not your intent,
Else your loved ones will event'ully stray,

For they have their own life they wish to make,
That may not include you,
It is pride they seek when they seek you out,
It's the least you can do,

It's the most, too,
Love's not measured in time,
It's a lake the size 'fyour capacity,
To be there for them when not by their side.

The Truth Inside

Here is my confession,
Offered to humankind,
Life continues to be a mystery,
Despite the words of Christ,

Despite the wide berth lent by my parents,
In their immigrant way,
Or leaving them to learn philosophy,
Despite my father wanting me to stay,

Despite the turmoils and the happiness,
Well, let me now backtrack,
It really depends on when you catch me,
Or anyone, at that,

For we all know,
Deep inside, there's a truth,
Whether from experience or nature,
You should know 'fore you're too long in the tooth.

Boggling

First you must choose a spot,
You have to start somewhere,
Then you will eventu'lly find some words,
As if out of thin air,

Those will lead to others in new places,
Diff'rent, yet connected,
The whole collection becomes a schema,
Then just certain words can be selected,

Not until others reveal their choices,
Does it all become clear,
There are things in this world you just can't see,
Despite how hard you peer,

'Til you connect,
See through the other's eyes,
Or better, just accept that you see truth,
But that truth is individualized.

Mr. D

He wrote himself letters,
To be ope'd at forty,
So many things he thought he would have done,
Would he could have foreseen,

That visu'lizing only goes so far,
You have to make choices.
With best intents, but with your ult'mate good,
Despite all of the dissenting voices,

You're surrounded by dynamic people,
Things will change around you,
If people really wanted to exist,
They would really try to,

Just like you did,
Yes, I am on your side,
Results only matter 'fwhen you look back,
You know you didn't just follow the tide.

And Then It Began

I think the break's over,
If it ever began,
Sometimes you do something for so damn long,
You forget you're human,

That you used to have thoughts that were your own,
Trying to sort things out,
Not knowing those you sought out for advise,
Accepted walls in exchange for their doubt,

Compromised what they held as absolute,
Slowly, not on purpose,
In increments until they were convinced,
That they were virtuous,

Then, 'long came you,
Living in no-man's land,
They took you in, wanting to protect you,
From your naive attempt to understand.

A Blip While I Struggle

It feels like a million,
Well, it may as well be,
Skip one moment of being who you are,
It's an eternity,

You have to relearn from the beginning,
To reach that crucial flow,
That pushes through what we are told to be,
To the truth everybody should know,

That the only law that you should follow,
Is what comes from the heart,
To encourage the same in ev'ryone,
Even when it might smart,

Else it don't count,
Selfishness is easy,
Sure, live, but have you tried letting live, too?
You learn who you are pretty damn quickly.

Ciao For Now

'fore the riots begin,
'rthe search for my remains,
Let all who never peruse these pages,
Allay their pulsing veins,

Sometimes a respite is necessary,
What's life but not changes?
Even turtles come up for air sometimes,
Like sharpshooters at Vegas gun ranges,

Like Nike in the late nineteen nineties,
To condemn its sweatshops,
Looks like it will come up again real soon,
'cause, yeah, those yet to stop.

So, bye for now,
I've other work to do,
You can always catch up @Ape_Biggles,
'til then, conscientiously buy your shoes.

Careful Words

There’s too much distraction,
Fear of being heeded,
Knowledge you have to say things different,
T’e’vry mouth you feed it,

In order to make yourself understood,
Hope your message is good,
Don’t mistakenly lead souls to do wrong,
To nourish well you must prepare good food,

Catered to the body it’s nourishing,
We do things oft too fast,
Yet, one doesn’t have much time in this life,
To do something that lasts,

Not many do,
It’s not an easy thing,
Nor reserved for those with best intentions,
Which led us to what we’re experyencing.

Time Gone

Add up all your bad times,
The ones when you were mean,
Count them a hundred times 'gainst each good one,
Which is the winning team?

A hundred because they never leave you,
They're with you o'er and o'er,
Adam bit the apple eons ago,
Yet it's a guilt ridden religion's core,

There are good things that offer one respite,
Alms to a homeless man,
But don't think too much 'bout what got him there,
'Cause you're part of the plan,

That creates him,
You're a good soul, I know,
If you could start right now with both teams tied,
Tell me how you'd ensure only good goals.

Revenue Streams

How many revenues,
Have you for your income?
Some are saying you must have at least five,
In this modern nation,

I don't know but I am going to guess,
Without knowing nothing,
That one has to be flexible because,
Capitalism has stopped housekeeping,

So have a job, but maybe make it three,
None prob'ly pay a lot,
Invest in stocks, hand make quilts if you can,
Just sell your blood, if not.

Lots of choices!
A new economy,
Either spend your life consumed by money,
Or you're so rich, it doesn't mean a thing.

Thank You

Your actions confound me,
Either absent or kind,
Like a mama bird whose love can be eyed,
By the worms she did find,

While her babies cry with mouths stretched open,
In unrelenting cries,
Safe in their nest, not dying of hunger,
Just more concerned with hearing a reply,

But mama has work that she has to do,
I'm sure that you do, too,
One eye on the prize and one eye on me,
Knowing when my food's due.

I should have faith,
Plus gratitude for you,
You've ne'er left me to die midst hunger or threat,
No matter how easy it be to do.

To Live Out Loud

Even the kindest ones,
The ones who wish no harm,
Wanting to only coast by unobserved,
Must now pull the alarm,

For the comfort they enjoy's based on lies,
Built to keep them at bay,
Until it collapses, then they're alone,
Left to die slowly outside of the fray,

An example to those left to exist,
Quietly where they were,
That the sacrifice for not living poor,
Is to live indentured,

In fearful still,
Don't rock the teeming boat,
Not built for expression of one's freedom,
But to precariously stay afloat.

Back On Track

Feels like the beginning,
Now that I've seen the end,
Now that the summer's heat's become harsh cold,
Beside debt, my old friend,

The constant struggle to understand life,
Despite the need to live,
The angst of possibly not surviving,
With so many in need to which to give,

Doors I walk out might not let me back in,
No others may appear,
The great desire to just be who i am,
Battles with crying fear,

'til I stand up,
Despite what I've been told,
Truth is the speaker is usually me,
Wanting to only skip to being old.

Ace - Consciousness

Forget head in the clouds,
Yours is beyond it all,
Beyond the cycle of death and rebirth,
Mortal and immortal,

An all-encompassing understanding,
Ironic'lly, no-mind,
You can leave all the worrisome, fretting,
Self-conscious, boring bull-shit behind,

Of all the cards you can draw from the clouds,
None come close to this one,
This one is not cartoony or troubled,
It's Buddha's conclusion,

Congrats to you!
You're now not of this world,
Actually, you're not part of any,
A final round of applause, boys and girls.

2 - Schizophrenia

We're all schizophrenic,
May sound insensitive,
But that a condition exists at all,
Makes it derivative,

Of behaviour that no one wants to have,
At least in the extreme,
But to be split just 'nough to be docile,
Well, that is Capitalism's dream,

So do not get stuck between yes and no,
Neither answer is right,
You must decide on the terms of your heart,
That follows only light,

No need to know,
The problem's pros or cons,
If both sides simply keep you in the dark,
Then the time has come for revolution.

Page - Playfulness

Unearth your playfulness,
Free the child inside you,
Remember when you had no cares at all,
A purely joyful view,

You claim that this is not possible now,
You must be serious,
For this world was built by serious men,
All who claim different are spurious,

But this is an all hail to arms, my friend,
The universe wants you,
You've the right mix of playful innocence,
For the fresh and the new,

So just let loose,
You will be rewarded,
Don't give  up this chance for a life restart,
Hesitation cannot be afforded.

18 - Past Lives

Have you dug deep enough,
In the lives you have lived,
To unlock the door to understanding,
Your own unconsciousness,

The one conditioned by what you have done,
Then promptly forgotten,
In the cyclic discontinuity,
Of the journey of death's oblivion,

Through the cosmic mother's love opening,
The V of her two hands,
Guarded from a shattering vision by,
The two rainbow dragons?

'cause if you have,
The pattern of your soul,
Re-formed with ev'ry birth to a new world,
Can finally show you how to be whole.

15 - Conditioning

There was once a lion,
That was brought up by sheep,
He grew up thinking he was one of them,
Don't get how that could be,

One day he was captured by one of him,
Again, I don't know why,
For the first time he looked into a pond,
And discovered that he was a lion,

This is the lesson you are meant to learn,
Society wants sheep,
Until you see you are not that at all,
You've no identity,

Look at yourself,
Free of expectations,
Ev'ry structure needs slaves to keep its hold,
The cause of each war waged between nations.

5 - Comparison

Well, here we are again,
Looking for the middle,
This time through the eyes of comparison,
Starting with a riddle,

What does the bamboo envy the oak for?
Not that it's not hollow,
Not for its size or color-changing leaves,
For nothing, for the reasons that follow,

The bamboo is exactly what it is,
It need be nothing else,
To envy the traits of another thing,
Is to abandon self,

To be nothing,
Which isn't a bad thing,
'less you're not talking about finding peace,
You must be sure you know your true being.

5 - No-Thingness

Dick Gregory has died,
Back into no-thingness,
Yet, he returned there many times in life,
In the name of justice,

When he refused to eat for days and days,
So others might be fed,
He must have embraced the gap of pure choice,
Just look at the selfless life that he led,

You can delve into no-thingness, also,
It will do your heart good,
That space where all's equal 'cause nothing's there,
Not even personhood,

Just potential,
Pure and simple being,
Come back to the world's nonsense and croo'lty,
You'll see the pettiness of your naggings.

5 - The Outsider

Look closely at that gate,
It is not even locked,
Your mind convinced you you're an outsider,
Though your reasoning's blocked,

It is deeply rooted in your childhood,
It is in ev'ryone,
But the inclusion your seeking' not lost,
It just requires a change in perception,

The connection you lost with your mother,
Well that was simply fate,
Great awareness is your key to freedom,
Then you can ope' the gate!

Get what you seek,
Don't depend on others,
You must see what's outside is inside, too,
Until you do you'll ne'er have true lovers.

6 - The Dream

You've left your mother's womb,
You will never go back,
Yet so many of us seek out that love,
Of which we feel we lack,

But the happiness you are looking for,
Can't come from someone else,
Being alone is just our condition,
We all must learn to commune with ourselves,

Wake up from the dream of your true soulmate,
No one's found, nor e'er will,
Whether through people, money or power,
You seek to be fullfilled.

Don't look outside,
Look inside, not above,
Then will others be drawn by your richness,
Then can you teach them the true source of love.

Ace - The Source

There's a fire inside you,
Never ending slow burn,
It's the tap of energy for the mind,
Yet has nothing to learn,

It is your grounding and source of self-truth,
Where creativ'ty sits,
Where you can rest after a long ordeal,
Extinguish resentment, fear and regret,

Rest protected from the air's pollutants,
From Beijing to the States,
Forgetting time and space for long enough,
To feel it's not too late,

To energize,
It is in all of us,
A source of strength when one's heart is tested,
A pur'ty 'neath a crust of worldliness.

9 - Sorrow

Once there was Ananda,
Buddha's loyal cousin,
The Zen master's constant companion,
Never was enlightened,

The sorrow he felt when the great one died,
Was not for the world's loss,
But that his eyes ne'er opened all that time,
There was no hope he'd one day be conscious,

Then by morning Ananda reached his goal,
It was the deep, deep pain,
Experienced pure without self-pity,
Then enlightenment came.

That is now you,
When life's easy, who cares?
Embrace the sorrow as a road to life,
True self-understanding may meet you there.

2 - Friendliness

It's time to say good-bye,
To a very good friend,
Not to say that the friendship is finished,
For friendships never end,

Nor do they start any later than birth,
We are all companions,
Sharing ourselves when our paths draw us close,
A direction that we have no hand in,

Only gratitude should mark the parting,
For the pleasures you shared,
Expectation is what brews bitterness,
As if you never cared,

Oh, but you did!
You'll never be the same,
Next you entwine your branches with others,
Be sure to extol your past friends' names.

9 - Ripeness

It might be hard to think,
Through life's heartache and pain,
The debt and grind and suffering around,
That all of this could wane,

That you have been growing into yourself,
Ripening on the limb,
That you will soon be released fully formed,
To follow a new more personal whim,

One that's not prescribed or thrust upon you,
Don't quit your day job, yet,
This card could mean a new relationship,
Or relief of a debt,

Just let it be,
Like fruit falls from a tree,
The ground will absorb you, then you will find,
A whole new world of possibility.

8 - Traveling

There's no destination,
E'en though you think it so,
Life is a journey each step towards death,
Why such a rush to go?

It's like I e'er used to say in the day,
'fyou focus on the ends,
The person you will be is a seeker,
So what you achieve won't make any sense,

To enjoy it, you must be satisfied,
Which is a diff'rent you,
Accomplish things through planning and desire,
That's all you'll ever do,

So ne'er arrive,
All you will do is roam,
The problem with living in the future,
 Is that you have abandoned your true home.

4 - Participation

Time to participate,
To the world as a whole,
Those thoughts you had about how you fit in,
Is what you call your soul,

Its only chance at living is in life,
'mongst other living things,
You form a part of your society,
Or've no right to condemn its happenings,

So raise your right hand so you might receive,
Lower the left to give,
You are now in the current of lightning,
With th'right to say you live,

Congrat'lations!
Soon you'll be called to speak,
While others complain that there's too much noise,
They can't understand because they're too meek.

Queen - Flowering

You are overflowing!
A nexus of bright life,
What y'ingest's better for being eaten,
You are nobody's wife,

But the apex of what is possible,
Shedding seeds from your arm,
Flowers settling on your head and shoulders,
Protecting the world from all fear and harm,

There is too much of you to keep contained,
E'en the climate will bow,
Through the compassion that flows out your heart,
Hate is just not allowed,

So now go out,
While you spread so much good,
On an earth starving from pure extraction,
You're a welcome and needed source of food.

6 - The Lovers

There are three types of love,
From lowest to highest,
Lowest, the love of sexuality,
Is most person's bias,

Exactly in the middle is just love,
It's the flower of the seed of desire,
When th'other's your mirror,
Neither 'xpect more, still you can go higher,

You can become whole and reach compassion,
It's the flower's fragrance,
Moving beyond any needs to giving,
Rise from beggar to prince,

Which do you want?
The choice is up to you,
But only the highest includes them all,
Nor the lowest offer anything new.

Page - Adventure

Come out of the darkness,
Away from restrictions,
Layer 'pon layer like paint through your life,
Mostly built on fictions,

Where not, truth cannot be frozen in time,
It is of the moment,
The unknown, not safe or predictable,
Else it is a distraction of showmen.

Seize fear's dark forest or hope's bright rainbow,
Only you make that choice,
At home, work or relationships you find,
It is all in your voice,

Neither is safe,
The former kills your soul,
The latter has the risk of suffering,
Or realization of your heart's hushed goal.

3 - Experiencing

Be gentle in approach,
With your eyes open wide,
You're connected with all things around you,
Things you sing and deride,

Feel the wisdom of a tree you're hugging,
Calling you to its touch,
The parasites being ravaged by warmth,
Caused by society burning too much,

The protesters kept apart,
For demanding kindness,
The raped, battered, chased and underemployed,
Who will always have less,

Experience,
To the fullest extent,
It means more than reading things in the news,
You must embrace all with loving intent.

9 - Exhaustion

You have built a structure,
To protect how you live,
Blood, sweat and hours of work you have put in,
You've nothing left to give,

But if you walk away it will crumble,
For you're a part of it,
You are born in freedom then cage yourself,
So all of your actions I could predict,

Try your consciousness instead of conscience,
Sounds capricious, I know,
To answer from your heart and not your rules,
Who gave you leave to go?

No one needs to,
Life has nothing on you,
Your choice, tie yourself t'one way of living,
Or do what the moment tells you to do.

9 - Laziness

You've accomplished so much,
Of course you get to rest,
That piña colada won't drink itself,
No spirit to invest,

But you don't see reality cracking,
Your world's falling apart,
You've done something but not ev'rything's done,
Causing your pride to obfuscate your heart,

It is time for a state of non-doing,
Which is very diff'rent,
Alertness and energy guide the mind,
Searching the next event,

To win again,
Then maybe rest a spell,
But guard against laziness lest you fall,
To its claims that you are riding the swells.

Queen - Morality

Let your awareness rule,
Not stale, rigid morals,
With warm oceans stoking violent storms,
Whitening the corals,

Genocide in places more than Burma,
Orchestrated by states,
Pres'dents retracting laws meant to protect,
Humans of different genders and race,

All in the name of a morality,
Namely, the church of coin,
A dried up old prune we're led to believe,
Must guide where we're going.

But what if not?
If we just spent our hearts,
Bowing down to no god but common sense,
Where such injustice could not even start.

Time for Global Pettiness

It all seems so hopeless,
Storms like we've never known,
Predicted by science of climate change,
As it is soon full blown,

Saying too things must change decades ago,
While they've just gotten worse,
There's too much money in oil baron hands,
Fighting activists with naught in their purse,

Then Trump giving green lights to oil pipe lines!
Dismantling no-brainers,
Either this is a prelude to our end,
Or spark for campaigners,

Who preach revolt,
'midst fires in the midwest,
With no harsh backlash to these wanton acts,
All will die but the most priv'leged at best.

3 - Guidance

I always looked outward,
When my mom said to me,
May your guardian angel protect you,
On every journey,

Like it was a call for it from afar,
In case it had forgot,
But I know now that angel's deep inside,
With information that need not be sought,

Just listen to that bright voice advising,
It exists in all 'fus,
Shedding a ray of light on your true path,
Amidst all this chaos,

Like climate change,
Divorce and raising kids,
The trip don't start when you open the door,
You are on it with each would, should and did.

3 - Ice-olation

Ho! The iceman cometh,
He's turned into his wares,
He wishes that tears were acceptable,
But he can't show he cares,

No matter his actions he is a self,
Only love will melt him,
'cause now he's himself one giant ice cube,
It's ironic that he also sells 'em,

He risks being Parritt, jumping to death,
Rather than live with truth,
Fear of losing boundaries can trump life,
You must discard the noose,

Let the hurt flow,
Your tears will form rainbows,
Hickey imagined you to hide his fears,
Which is common as far as humans go.

5 - Totality

There is so much to do,
It is overwhelming,
Try to focus on one thing, and the rest,
End up disappearing,

You don't let your mind stray on a trapeze,
That's the point of the pic,
One split second of distraction, you die,
Like me stopping this to check out a link,

There's just one way to eat an elephant,
That's one bite at a time,
You must be there wholly, savor each chew,
Now I'm stuck for a rhyme,

I'm not all there,
Bad habits bring you down,
The more you're tot'lly there, the more your there,
The more you're living right, pound for pound.

Queen - Sharing

It's a time of giving,
Your joy, love and laughter,
It doesn't matter how much you let go,
More will e'er come after,

Don't be afraid of your capacity,
You know when things will change,
Contribute to the feeling there is hope,
To keep the most valued outcome in range,

Like respect for the balance Nature wrought,
When she ushered us in,
Unless we can live outside her favor,
Such typical humans.

Back to the point!
You have much to bestow,
You've moved above the fourth center, your heart,
Where you're more balanced than ever you'll know.

King - The Creator

It's time to move aside,
You are in your own way,
Just as those who make art forget themselves,
So too does your path lay,

Harness the passions of fire within you,
Your canvas is perdu,
You've let the oil rigs devastate the land,
Because they are too far removed from you,

That's the thinking of pettiness and fear,
Who're you to be so small?
You have learned a lot, but now you must teach,
To be one's to be all,

Then they will know,
That the master has come,
So that all might become the master, too,
Finally spreading life, not destruction.

6 - Success

Congratulations, you!
If you didn't know, yet,
You are on or will be on a peak soon,
Like ev'rybody gets,

Though it may not seem it, given some lives,
That is Nature's rhythm,
It goes up and down like an ocean's waves,
No matter what, you are always in one,

So enjoy the accolades while they last,
For guaranteed they won't,
You'll want to hold onto them long's you can,
It's important you don't,

Enjoy the lows,
They are a time of rest,
God, can't I just lay off preaching balance?
Milk what happiness you can from success.

5 - Clinging to the Past

Your clothes torn and ragged,
A beggar wearing them,
Ignoring riches sitting at your feet,
At your own detriment,

Clinging, instead, to a past long gone by,
Erasing the present,
Time is a product of mind's perception,
We organize our sensations on it,

Wrap up what you have already been through,
Let the sleeping dogs lie,
When woken, you must feed and care for them,
Life is passing you by.

Or maybe not,
P'haps the past's what you want,
There's a certain allure to suffering,
That happiness don't allow you to flaunt.

7 - Patience

Some times you just can't wait,
Like with global warming,
Others need patience to fully mature,
Like a child that's forming,

You must sit many moons patient, alert,
Content with passing time,
Trees do not rush its blooms or falling leaves,
Say to yourself, "why then would I rush mine?"

Still condemn those who enslave for big brands,
Fight so the poor can live,
But the seeds in you, to open and thrive,
Need all that you can give:

That's room to grow,
You know of what I speak,
You are a forest with new and old life,
The best potential in you yet to peak.

Page - Understanding

This cage that you are in,
Have you tested its bars?
Tried passing your wing across the metal,
Per the appeals of ours?

If they stop your attempt, just close your eyes,
Lift off and fly away,
All cages are supported by one's mind,
Built to direct you in a certain way,

To think of the earth as a mining ground,
The animals as beasts,
The belief that you'll start saving the world,
Once you've made 'nough, at least.

Guess what? You have!
You live in freedom, friend,
Now bestow it on all you connect with,
Your new life is incarceration's end.

8 - Courage

There is courage in growth,
Despite circumstances,
A seed can stay safe in its husk for e'er,
But yet, never dances,

Nor mightn't you if you expose yourself,
'midst the rocks and the guns,
But your roots will find their way to water,
Your leaves will turn their faces to the sun,

You will bloom, a small, delicate flower,
Having let go of blame,
Dismissing the hurt that kept you in seed,
Until the courage came,

Now look at you,
What you were meant to be,
Nothing is guaranteed if you choose life,
Except that the choice that you made was free.

Knight - Trust

Wouldn't it be something,
If ev'rytime you jumped,
Careless, unplanned, trusting at the bottom,
Rose petals, pink and plump,

Nothing to lose that cannot be taken,
Just you know what that is,
That which must and will always be with you,
While that which you can't's not e'en on the list,

'magine the freedom and heart-pumping fear,
The exhilaration,
Unsullied by planning of any kind,
It's not 'bout conclusion,

That's not the point,
This is a total break,
Let go of ev'rything, that's what you'll get,
After you land and finally awake.

Knight - Fighting

Your wounds are festering,
Trapped beneath your armor,
How far from your home have you strayed, my son,
Since our days as farmers,

You brandish your fists to avoid more hurt,
Will explode at a touch,
People may be frightened, but the pain's yours,
As for time, there isn't really that much,

To heal, you must let your defenses down,
The only chance at love,
Life is too short to fill it up with hate,
Try hugs in lieu of shoves.

Does this sound trite?
Sounds better than anger,
Things have never improved in midst of war,
Though troubles are hid amidst the danger.

7 - Projections

Your mind's a projector,
The screen, other people,
 A person's looked so beautiful to me,
Then turned to a creepo,

What you must ask yourself is what is real,
How does a person change?
Are they one thing in one single moment,
Before their psychie's tot'lly rearranged?

Or do you see what you wish that was there,
Which is really in you?
Everyone's truth is that they are complex,
Though good's what they wish do,

'less they project,
Then they're caught in their mind,
You know what happens when it gets to that,
It is really hard not to be unkind.

Connecting

There is no phone for me,
Nor is there internet,
I am an eating, sleeping, shitting thing,
Scooping fish with a net,

A person unconnected, but still man,
What will you think of me?
I’ve corrected my posture, not my tongue,
Still the same perspective of sanctity,

My dreams have come clear and seem to advise,
Oh, if I could live there,
Just spectacle, acceptance, you and me,
With ev’ry thought laid bare.

When I return,
P’haps we can make it so,
It exists here midst the eagles and lakes,
We could join them ‘fore they finally go.

King - Control

You have become entombed,
In your own hard, cold lines,
Built up from years of needing to control,
The turmoil deep inside,

There is a time and place for buckling down,
And living my a rule,
But stifling life energy all the time,
Leave your interactions distant and cool,

This is a call for you to loosen up,
No one can live this way,
Maintaining coldness a asking those around,
'Hi, how are you today?'

You must ask more,
Truly feel the other,
Let go of the control you hang on to,
Otherwise you mayn't even bother.

Happy Birthday, Yesterday, Mom

It was just mom’s birthday,
She died two years ago,
Dad and I went to a cottage to fish,
Think mom wanted to go,

On the way there she disabled my phone,
Glad we e’en found the place,
I backed the boat trailer into a truck,
You should have seen the look on my dad’s face,

The wifi was down, no contact at all,
Then it started to rain,
The owner then left when we went to bed,
Now my dad went insane.

What had we done?
He woke me late at night,
Then in the morning we caught lots of fish,
Mom saying e’rything would be alright.