Open Sesame

Fly with me. Come open my mind.

Send me a sign. Open these eyes

that stay blind. Be my guide. Show

me the world on your magic carpet

ride. I’ve been closed off for years.

This road is under construction.

I’m paving a new way. It’s time

to switch gears toward production.

All you had to say was open sesame;

now, I’m better. You got the best of me

You got the best me. You set me free.

You’ve opened my mind. All you had

to say was open sesame. Then, BAM!

I broke free. With you, my door is

open. Walk through anytime. Come

around. I’ll never leave you behind.

in the way

As life goes on, things can get in the way.
There are roadblocks, people, problems
that slow us down. We can even get in our own
way. It is hard to say how it happens. It just
does. Sometimes, we can get stuck in the mud.
Sometimes, we choose hate over love. Stuff
can pile up, and life can become a pain.
Once we regain strength, all we have to do
is maintain. To fight through is to gain insight.
The odds may be against us, but we must
trust the process. We must do our best
when things get in the way. These strong
feelings of doubt will not stay. We must
not run away. We must solve the case
before our optimism becomes misplaced.
When life gets in the way, don’t give up
or give in. You will get over it. Look at
your life as a knife that will cut through
a dark night. Find light and hold on tight.

Pulling Petals

Days pass by, and the petals

fly. In a glorious garden, life

slows down; I can now zero

in on sounds that have yet

to be heard. I look around.

I see vibrant colors and shapes.

Without thought, birds and bees

survey the land. Abundant motion

surrounds a restless soul. I see

trees dance above a strong ground.

Coexisting with each other, all forms

of life carry on with no concern.

Not asking to be born, I learn to ask

how to live a life without keeping

track of all that I lack. I ask flowers

what it feels like to be pulled, planted,

cut, watered, and given away. I pluck

a flower in the midst of April showers,

and I begin pulling petals. One by one,

under the justified sun, I start pulling

petals. “She loves me. She loves me not”.

Asking questions that go unanswered.

After another question, the flower

was naked, missing its petals. Because

of my questioning, the flower’s beauty

is missing. I destroyed something due

to me not believing. I knew that my

doubt washed all the beauty out.

I lay the flower stem on the dirt,

and I realize my questions did

nothing but cause pain and hurt.

Better Off

Your heavy, calicoed hands
stay balled up. Never open
to another’s. Your lifeless
arms always stay crossed
looking like you just lost.
Your patience went astray,
yet the frustration stayed.
The time I’ve been away
has shown me a new life
consisting of better days.
In many ways, I’m better
off not finding the things
that forever remain lost.

Stay Strong

During these times, we must stay
strong. Those who come along
must adjust – knock off the rust.
When the foundation is weak,
humanity’s future seems bleak.
The stronger we are right now
will, somehow, help us breathe
in times of need. Small seeds
need strong sources of water,
sunlight, and soil. To grow up
means to show up when things
blow up. In this life, we must
nurture the young and teach
them right from wrong. Long
story short: when life pushes,
we have to push back and be
strong before any surrender.
Stay strong and live your life
just how all days turn to night.