Second Wind

The man hit a wall. He struggled to juggle
the trouble that came his way. He tried
and tried. He was close to giving up.
He finally said “enough is enough”
He sucked it up. He toughened up.
The man got back on the horse.
He was back on course. He opened
a new door. Yeah, the man hit a wall,
but he hit his second wind. He pushed
through and did what he had to do.
He knew it would be hard, but he did
not stop. The man will never stop
until he rises, again, to the top.

last night

Last night seems so far away.

Time has gone by the wayside.

The morning has arrived. Now,

what’s left are memories from

what was done. Time to look

ahead as I build up the courage

to get out of bed. Dreams, sleep,

and time separate last night

from this morning. Now, birds

are singing. Most are soaring.

We never know when last night

will be our last night. Wrong

or right, the transition to day

brings us closer to the light.

Life isn’t promised or guaranteed.

Tonight could be my last night.

Odds are it won’t be. But, life

is unpredictable as entering

the void is inevitable. Still,

I do what I can to love: to fill

my soul with love and passion.

Don’t forget about last night,

but enjoy the morning. Enjoy

the past, the future, the present

before asking where the time went.

Hamster Wheels

Round and round, I am bound
to get dizzy. Sometimes, I feel
like my head is spinning. Brains
possibly missing. Beans possibly
spilling. Like a whirlwind, I spin
round and round, dancing to
the sound of a familiar song
What goes up must come down.
It’s just a circle, not a hurdle.
For the last time, I will jump off
this whirling hamster wheel.
Time to get off the roller-coaster
that makes nothing feel real.

Colors

Life is not black and white.
There is much to be seen.
There are colors in between.
Nothing is that simple.
There are shapes, shades,
and colors surrounding us.
There are colors in you
and me. There are blue
skies, green eyes, gray
gooses, black nights,
white lies, yellow sunflowers,
clear tears, red lobsters,
green monsters, red sunburns,
gray skies, silver bullets,
brown dirt, hot pink shirts,
brown bears, purple carpets,
Ivory stairs, golden years.
There is so much color
that gets painted onto
this blank canvas of life.
You can see so much more
if you just open your eyes.

Flicker

Love doesn’t have to die. Don’t let
your light fade. Even if it flickers,
it’s still progress made. Think of
the steps you took. Look around.
Stay strong. Your light will shine,
or at least, glow. Love will grow.
I could be wrong, but who knows?
Allow the fire, from within, to burn
away any hate left on your plate.
Unleash the beast. Remove the leash.
Don’t lose that pep in your step.
Moving forward is your best bet.
Don’t rest until you feel your best.
Stay in the fight. You’re doing great.
Let your light illuminate the sky
before, during, and after the sunrise.