Chemical Warfare

There is chemical warfare each day.
Our bodies are the battlefields.
Caffeine, nicotine, oxygen, carbon.
Sometimes, living involves a bargain.
Most times, success is a moving target.
There are elements we can’t forget.
Hard times compound as bonds
break. There are certain feelings
we can’t fake. There are chances
we must take. There will be days
we hate. All we can do is wait.
Our fate is to be determined. Still,
we fill ourselves with the will to
kill chemicals spilled. Chemicals
swirl inside where our demons hide.
Feelings go low, then high like a tide.
Life is like a wave we must ride.
Dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline,
and cortisol. We must balance it all.
Life is short. Make sure you walk tall.

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.

Eyes of Fire

I look in the mirror and I see 
eyes of fire staring back at me. 
I feel warmth burn from within. 
There’s a fire creating heat 
that forces me to my feet. 
The ice in my veins melts away 
the second I head on my way. 
In the mirror, I see flames 
become untamed. When I turn 
around, nothing is the same. 
My eyes of fire ignite my sight. 
These eyes of fire feel right.

No need

No need to be caught up

when you can catch up.

No need to feel angry

when you are happy.

No need to stress out

when nothing is happening.

No need to reveal a frown

when the world’s upside down.

No need to drop heavy tears

when you think of past years.

No need to stare at the clock

when time is taking a walk.

No need to blast the past

when the future comes fast.

No need to be hard on yourself

when you can ask for help.

No need to quit the fight

when the finish is in sight.

Paradise

It takes a special kind
of eyes to look around
and notice a paradise.
We don’t think twice
to worry or dwell on
all of the small things.
We are used to the sun,
so, when the sky rains,
we focus on our pain.
Rarely, do we let go
of the past that has
a stranglehold on us.
We choose to take
the bus instead of
taking a long walk.
There is beauty in
the things and people
we find ugly. It looks
bad if we’re judging.
Open your eyes and see
a world above and below
your feet. Seek new life
in the scope of your sight.
Create the life and love
you desperately need.
Kill that voice inside
your head – kill him
dead. Seek refuge beside
those joining you on
this wild ride. Remove
the veil covering your
eyes, open wide and see
life as a fleeting paradise.