Carried Away

Today, I got carried away.
Instead of work, I play.
Sometimes I forget to live
without stress. The older
I get, the shorter the days.
Today, I got carried away
from what I was doing.
Half the time, I don’t know
which direction to go.
The other half of the time,
I don’t know if I should
go outside or stay in
and hide. These long legs
carry me away. One point
to the next. Feeling blessed
in my chest, I hold my head
high. I look to the sky. I see
wings carry birds away.
I feel the wind chill my skin.
I can count on my days
getting carried away.
My mind might stray, yet
my body will stay. Blue
skies littered with birds
help me find the words
needed to carry me away.
I look ahead and know that
one day, blues fade to black.

Stay / Away

Gone with the wind; we fly away today.
We knew we would not stay. It is hard to
say which way we are going or how fast
the wind is blowing. With no signs showing,
curiosity starts growing. The ways that we face
the days can dictate the rate at which we go.
Before we know it, things, times, people,
will be gone. Before long, we will learn
life’s unwavering song. As time flies, the sun
will rise just like the tide. There is no need to hide
when we seek the time to understand both
day and night. Gone, but never forgotten.
Here I am to feel fresh – never rotten.
Anyhow, I feel as if the wind blew me
out of my shoes. Now, I stay gone. I left to go
on a right path. Now, I have gone and found
a piece of peace: a life on the bright side.

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.

Memento

Today will be just another
day. In a few days, today
will be the past: a shadow
once cast. Remnants
seem to last and remain
the same like a flame
that burns away dark
times. Every single life
is chalk-full of moments
and mementos: highs
and lows: days and nights:
ghouls, goblins, and ghosts.
Thus, today I will be
able to see memories
that have never left me.
Wherever I decide to go,
mementos will remind
me of who I was and who
I strive to be. Really,
they seem to set me free.

Memory Lane

Today, the car is in cruise control.
I take it slow and go with the flow.
Today, I take a ride down Memory
Lane. I revisit past pain and travel
through time frames: different days.
I unravel. I tear up gravel to navigate
an unknown fate. I carry weight;
I talk to my shadows: old versions
of myself. Sometimes, I ask them
for help – words of advice. Miles
into Memory Lane, I face pain
and embrace joy all the same.
I see old friends of mine the way
they were before I last saw them.
I notice houses I used to live in;
I recognize yards I used to play in.
I begin to see places I have been.
Today, I met with Father Time
and rode down Memory Lane
before any new memories came.