the light of day

The darkest nights make
for the brightest days.
The hardest times bring
out the sunniest rays.
The deepest of pain
will get washed out
by the upcoming rain.
Sometimes, nightmares
teach us more than
dreams. When life gets
tough, do not quit. Sit,
wait, and listen. Watch
as the sun glistens.
Get through the dark
of the night to see
the light of day. Seek
refuge. Adapt. Evolve.
There’s no problem
you cannot solve.

if these hands could talk

If these hands could talk, they wouldn’t stop.
They would tell you stories of the past.
These hands would teach you lessons
of hard work and perseverance. These hands
would just because they could. All the scars,
callasses, bruises, and creases show others
that life is a long, winding road that eventually
ends. I can’t pretend that it has been easy.
But, if it were easy, what would it teach me?
These hands would tell you that it will be
okay. You will move on and see a new day.
If these hands could talk, you would understand
that I have gone to war, but came out alive.
Yes, these hands would tell you that I survived.
In this life, these hands have been wet, burned,
bloodied, hurt, and disregarded. But these hands
would tell you that we are just getting started.
If these hands could talk, they would scream:
“Hold me as I long for touch and acceptance”.
They would talk just to talk just like feet walk.

The Long Way Home

Take the long way home.
Look around as you roam.
Don’t be afraid to believe
that love will set us all free.
Take the time to view places
you once knew. Watch as
grey skies turn blue. Listen
to sounds you once heard.
It takes too long for letters
to become words. Sit. Wait
as time drives us to our fate.
Take the long way home
and take time for yourself.
The long way always helps.

Simon Says…

Get this bread. Fill your head.

Love endlessly. Laugh often.

Nail the coffin shut. Strut

your stuff. Call their bluff.

Say anything except “but”.

Find different ways to

fill your cup. Look up to

your friends, not your foes.

Survive the lows and enjoy

the highs. Become surprised.

Live through your own eyes.

Don’t wait until they dry.

It won’t last if you go faster.

Slow down in times of disaster.

No need to talk when you can

listen to the voices you have

been missing. Enjoy this time

as death will, one day, take

both you and me away.

Wise Guys

I know a few wise guys.
They know things
most couldn’t imagine.
They wear sunglasses
to hide their eyes
from the sun. Because
they are wise guys,
they don’t need to
listen or fall in line.
They do all things
on their own time.
They wear top hats
to conceal their brains
because looking from
the outside in would
really just be insane.
These wise guys like
to get a rise out of
anyone silly enough
to get caught in a web
of complex sentences
euphuisms, or idioms.
Wise guys wake up and
fist-bump themselves,
doing anything that helps
them begin to win.
I know a few wise guys.
They know how to be
people I cannot believe.