move on;

sometimes you gotta let go of the things that hold you back
that clutch at your heart
your suffocating soul
like a bird trapped in a gilded cage

there is no escape
or so does your betraying mind pollute

break free from the chains that tie you down
fight back, take back
the life that is rightfully yours

so that you may find peace
and finally move on

books and stories;

books and stories are my escape from reality
adventures not possible made epic
and we can be a part of the worlds
that only exist through writing
and the minds of brilliant writers.

unconfined by society
a stream of thoughts by a character
can inspire a generation.
the history of the world can be changed
by a single work
and better the place that we call home.

there is something magical
opening up a book and leafing through the pages.
take a deep breath
the scent of a unread book fills the soul.
the words will feed the hungry mind
and perhaps along the way
we will discover ourselves.

dystopia;

humans are cruel and spiteful creatures
we love our retaliation
when things do not go our way

there is something twisted
about the sanction of human bloodbaths
for the sake of entertainment

how demoralizing it must be
for a crowd of privileged spectators
to cheer as your comrades-turned-enemies
are hacking each other down to the death

children given up like sacrificial lambs
required by the law of grown adults
the young and weak the first to go
but not without a painful death

how did we devolve?

this is the way of certain fantastical literature
and while these happenings are only dancing in stories
it won't be long before they brush our reality
and turn our way of life into a dystopian society.

ghosting afterlife;

when my body has long passed and gone
when it has returned to the earth from whence we all derive
i wish to remain close, if intangible
to the happenings of humanity

i read a book once upon a time
and while i do not wish for a gruesome death
i do wish to linger
to observe and discover places and events
that i had not the opportunity in life

life is short and beautiful
in the grand scheme of things
our human lives are but a blink of an eye
a speck of dust in the continuum of time and space

the world has been around for millions of years
our barely one hundred years are fragile like glass

i want to see the future generations be born and grow
changing our world with their innovative methods

so my greatest post-mortem desire
is to ghost the planet and galaxy
no physical inhibitions to hinder me
from seeing and experiencing all i can

and if there is a heaven in the afterlife
i hope that eternal paradise would grant me a reprieve
until i am done observing the world and its future
before i make my way to finally allow myself
a well-deserved and restful sleep

grown up;

she stands there under the canopy of trees
sunlight pours through dense leaves
shining like diamond fragments
playing hide and seek with grounded pin straw

the cool breeze tousles her hair
and a rush of memories come racing forward
of fun and friends from many years ago

we wish to grow up, as young children often dream
counting the years before high school graduation
and college applications

adulthood has come too fast
a reality shock from sheltered pasts
more freedom in many ways
but with obstacles a hundred times greater

responsibilities that we blissfully left to our parents
now they fall into our hands

we've grown up
and we've begun to find our places

and make it the very best;

if we knew our time was short
would we live our lives differently
would we drop our careers
to pursue deepest desires
our long forgotten dreams
that we had to bury long ago

or would we dread the anticipated end
the inevitable step to finality
would we forget to live

we never know which hour will be our last
so why do we give up the simple joys
which bring a smile to our faces

life is meant to be lived only once
so why do we not take it by the reins
and make it the very best

change;

change happens all around us
it's an everyday occurrence
despite our resistance.
our humanity is a product of evolutionary change
we are born, we grow, we adapt, we carry on.

but change, no matter how miniscule
is a frightening prospect.
we resist unfamiliarity
the breach of our comfort bubble
sends our senses spiraling out of control.

we do not like to feel vulnerable
wading through dark, murky waters
when we cannot see to the bottom
it is an ominous feeling.

but without change, we cannot hope to better ourselves
it is in putting ourselves in the open
do we face the world as a blank canvass
to caress and mold
into the person that we can only hope to become.

so embrace it, the change that is inevitable
our lives are not stationary
change is always in motion.

success;

success is a variable term
it differs for each individual
one may believe success equates to becoming president
while to another, putting food on the table for their family.

i have gone through my own trials and tribulations
i have experienced some things as a child
illegal occurrences that no child or human being
should ever be subjected to.

but it is true
what does not kill someone
can only make them stronger.

you may look at me
and say i am harden.
perhaps my environment made me to be
it was my method of protecting myself
from those who wished to do me harm.

hindsight is 20/20
in retrospect, the child i was should have said something
but as a child, we are frightened of the unknown
what consequences would be wrought
on our timid voice on the truth?

but that's okay now
wrongs cannot be righted
nor can they be forgiven
but they can be forgotten
left as a speck of dust
in the continuum of time
a memory that was nothing more
than a bad dream.

i have not strayed off a righteous path
i have not succumbed to drugs, alcohol, or prostitution
i did not decide my life was worthless.

on the contrary, i paved forward
i completed my education fully
i love the profession i have chosen
i love the friends who support me
i love the mother who raised me
who dropped everything for me
and did everything out of love.
i do not love the father who brought me into this world
but i do thank him for what he did everyday.
because without him leaving as he did
perhaps i would not have become the person who i am.

the future is always unknown
strayed pathways lead to different destinies
perhaps mine could have been better
but it could have also been much worse.

i thank whichever higher being for my life
and most of all
i thank myself, for without my will and determination
i would not be where i am today
and believe myself
to be a success.

obsession;

clinging to a thread-bare string
and obsession spiraling downward
until she's left hanging
dangerously close to tipping over the edge.

it is a consumption that is never sated
always drawing in more, more, more
like a delusional man searching for his oasis
in an endless slope of desert mirages.

fruitless desires that will always linger
never a break from emotional roller coasters
only in her dreams will there be rewards
only there will she be happy.

little diet;

it is just a little diet
to lose a little weight
to slip of the pounds
one by one
until we are obsessed.

our constant strive for perfection
flat tummies, toned legs.

doing a thousand crunches
and eating a couple cheese cubes
it is not the ideal way for health.

forget the fads
focus on your inner self
your body will tell you what it needs
if you only listen.

grey owl;

grey owl on a grey tree branch
looking from large eyes
landscaping the horizon
waking up to a new night.

spread out your grey wings
feel the evening breeze
heighten sensations, alive
breathing deep.