take your time

Don’t forget to take your time

before someone takes it for you.

Breathe. Relax. This game is life

goes so fast. Smile. Laugh. Sit

back before the chickens hatch.

Enjoy your time and others will

too. Take your time. Go. Live

your life, and I will live mine.

Together, we can take small steps

on the stairwell to eternity. Then,

we will know how it feels to be

free. Look ahead: not at a watch.

Forget all that you were taught.

Don’t rush. Be patient. Say that

it will work out. Say that

it will be fine taking your time.

those eyes

When I look into those eyes,

what I see is no surprise.

Those eyes can’t tell lies.

They tell me a story of love,

pain, power, sunshine, rain.

Words can’t do justice. Looking

at you gives me a chance to

stop and think about my life.

I see all the places you’ve been:

all the tight spots you’re in.

The things you have seen

reveal themselves in real time.

Those eyes know that the sun

still shines. All of your misery

will eventually become history.

Those eyes are windows into

your soul, and your soul glistens,

as my ears learn to listen. Often,

I see those eyes invite mine

to an unspoken conversation.

They talk in ways the mouth can’t.

They tell me I can overcome

any situation. Without hesitation,

those eyes show me a new world:

a world lonely, lovely, and magical.

I get lost in those eyes. They reassure

that unpredictable things will occur.

When I see those eyes, I stop. I stare.

Deep down, I see someone who cares.

The New Me

Take a look at the new me.
Don’t I look so different?
I couldn’t tell you where
the time went or how
commonsense was spent.
The current me is new,
and I live to be better –
more refined and defined.
The old me helped me see
what could be. The old me
didn’t care about we.
The new me believes
it takes a village to set
all free. Me – old, young,
fresh, or rotten – can’t
be forgotten. The old me
wanted what I now have.
It is time for the new me
to have the last laugh.
Hahaha – Blah Blah Blah.

The Tall Trees

They stand tall. They shouldn’t fall.
The tall trees started as seeds.
They’ve helped me write and read.
They stand tall, and most of all,
they help all life: big or small.
These tall trees make me drop
to my knees and ask: “Please,
please don’t ever leave” –
I search high and low to know
which direction you will go.
Like a long arm, your branch
points to a dark path.
“That way?” I say as I laugh.
You shake your leaves and make
me believe that I will succeed.
I visited the tall trees and left
feeling euphoric. I was feeling
myself, again. A breeze pushed
me toward a new world.
I thanked the tall trees
for being the strength I need.