False Profit

We work most of our days

for a false profit. The richness

we seek will surely leave us

weak. Day in and day out,

we lose ourselves in the vast

shadow that society casts.

We chase paper that means

nothing in the end. We search

for happiness that only exists

inside of our hearts. We yearn

for love, but find ourselves

lost inside of price and cost.

Every day, we feel empty due

to the temptation of possessions.

We tend to value things that have

a price tag, which leaves us stuck

inside a self-made cage. Numbers

become more important than words.

We love to eat chicken, but we don’t

consider the journey of the birds.

Before we know it, our lives will be

nothing more than repetitive steps

that drags us down to the deepest

of depths. One day, you and I will

be memories of the past. Let’s hope

we can burn all of our cash before

both feet touch the ground on

the other side of the door. More,

more, more is what we want, and

loneliness is what we get. We must

not work for a false profit. No amount

of cash will make our happiness last.

Day Ones

Shoutout to my day ones! They keep me grounded.
My day ones have been there; they have been
around. They were there to keep me safe – to help
me, even if it was late. My day ones showed me
a light that was kept from my sight. Day in,
day out, life became more important. Life
suddenly was a flame that could now be tamed.
In the midst of chaos, we would not focus on
the loss. We had fun with no attention paid
to the cost. My day ones are real ones. I know
I can count on them. They know I am there
for them, and I always have been. Day one:
our lives began. Then, we noticed the fast
hands of time. Now, we wish we can hit
rewind. Time’s flown, and my friends and I,
well, we are grown. Regardless, my day
ones may have aged, but our love for each-
other has come and has remained the same.

Raise the Bar

Try to face challenges
that bring your best
self out. Walk away
from the path that was
once your past. Reach
for the stars you seek.
Raise the bar and see
life from the highest
valley. Be better than
you were yesterday.
Don’t run in place.
Find strength to go
against the grain
despite the pain.
Feel peace at last.
Enjoy what you have
before it becomes
a part of your past.
It’s not too late. Raise
the bar if you can
and find a place you
would want to land.

Ruins

Many years ago, there were cities, statues, cathedrals, pyramids,
and buildings made of bamboo, sand, clay, plaster, cobblestone,
blood, sweat, and tears. Lives were lost at the cost of these
creations. Not one worker knew the magnitude nor the attitude
that followed their construction. Even after their destruction,
they stood the test of time. Time has passed, yet the history lasts.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon,
the Statue of Zeus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse
of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, and the Mausoleum
of Halicarnassus tell us a story: a tragic story of life and death
and how they finally met. Now, what we have has been ruined
to no one’s fault. What is left is a gift from those before us.
We must appreciate old ruins before they all turn to dust.

Windows

My eyes are windows,
and my mouth is
a door I slam shut
here and there.
My feet are floorboards.
My body is the house
that my mind powers.
I live here; I try to keep
it nice. I have my own
back. It supports me.
My arms reach out
to my neighbors.
My soul lives inside
the air that we share.
My heart hides beside
lungs that breathe
and preach peace.
My eyes are windows
to an unknown world.
Are you ready to go
to a place only I know?