Life is a gift, an opportunity,
an experience that can only be experienced
by embracing whatever we are drawn to,
and who walks into our lives
and influences the flow of our thoughts,
feelings, emotions, and who we find ourselves
dreaming about when we didn’t expect to…
what we don’t realise is just how many
people we actually meet over the course of our lives,
because we sometimes see so many faces
that everybody becomes a blur;
however, sometimes the face of someone stays with you -
sometimes even before you find out their name -
and they change things about you
that you always thought were untouchable
and unchallenged about you…
what we don’t realise is just how many people,
over time, we lose contact with
because our shared journey with them
has naturally come to an end…
we can come to feel and to believe
that we cannot live without someone in our lives
who made us feel things from the moment
that we met them that no one else made us feel;
however, sometimes other people
have other ideas about what the definition
of “love” and “forever” might be
and over time the attention and the attitude
of certain people can shift to others
and it is as if the history that was once shared
now means nothing and is no longer
anything to focused on, nor to hold in such high regard -
and that is when relationships come to an end
and the left behind have to rebuild themselves
and their trust for others after having to suffer
through a barrage of lies…
sometimes the best way to get over someone
who hurt you in more ways than one
is to tell them that you will be alright without them
and you hope that those they burden in the future
will not be hurt by them like you have been…
personally, I used to worry too much
about what went wrong, why things ended,
and what I might have done -
but now I just walk away from those
who no longer want me in their life
with my head held high,
as I say to them with a smile and with a whisper:
“If you want me, you know where to find me”.
Mental health
My Poem “Small talk/Big talk”
Making a connection with someone
is not something that should be taken for granted…
being able to talk to someone about something
that you know matters to them is important
in more ways than can be expressed…
talking with people whom you don’t know,
as well as with people whom you may
never have thought you would ever talk to,
is the first of many steps that allow
all of us to reach a conclusion
and a consensus about who we all are…
the more that we choose to see beyond
the differences that lie between so many of us -
differences of culture, belief, religion,
fashion, music, entertainment, and ritual -
we can begin to see, hear, and understand
that no matter how many things some of us do
and express differently there is always a mutual
hope to be understood and accepted for who we are…
it has been proven time and time again
that sometimes the simplest
and the most innocent of conversations
can have the most impact upon someone,
and can also affect and influence
the outcome of the future -
from something as trivial as asking someone for the time,
or something so simple as asking someone
how they are and how they are feeling -
can be like giving someone a much needed
opening to say something that they
may have been holding back,
which had been growing out of control within them…
it has been witnessed repeatedly by countless people
the power that words can have on people -
words that cannot be unsaid,
and which say more than what they might
at first seem to be about:
an interconnected network of language
that can communicate with others
something that can help them find something
which they are passionate about finding,
which they look forward to seeing, hearing,
and witnessing in the art that people create,
and especially in the music of their own lives
captured within the verse of a song…
there is a reason why it is easier to say some things
to some people than it is to say all things to everyone,
because some things first require the firm foundation
of a long term relationship between individuals
that can allow for the weight of what may be said
to be understood on a level playing ground
and with the stability to be able to sustain itself
even if the atmosphere of the forum
becomes as tumultuous as the waves of an ocean,
or as unpredictable and as unsettling
as the shaking ground of an earthquake…
one word; one sound; one breath of air from someone’s lungs;
one look in the eye; one instance of selflessness;
one moment of silence, self-reflection,
and self-awareness can be the catalyst
that can cause a change in the lives of many others
far away and beyond your apparent sphere of influence -
because every action is a response
to infinite number that came before it;
because if this day and age has anything
to teach each and every one of us
it would have to be that things grow over time,
and where there is a spark there will always be
the fuel for a fire that could spread
farther and faster than could be expected or predicted,
and even the most tentative of “small” talk
could potentially be the beginning of something “big”.
My Poem “A Beacon of Light and Life”
As I walk through the shadows
and the streaks of sunlight
on a bright and beautiful Sunday morning,
as I listen to the sound of birdsong,
as I watch the ducks and the geese
awaken and then glide effortlessly
across the water of a nearby pond,
as the multiple white trails of jet planes
can be seen creating their own
patterns across the blue sky above,
I am once again reminded of how much
there is to be grateful for -
while I am also reminded of
what has been lost and who,
and what, will continue to stand
the test of time and nature.
As I look at the numerous green leaves of trees,
as I look at the intricacy of the petals of the flowers,
as I look at the blades of grass
as they move passively after
being touched by the tenderness
by the gentle breeze,
as I look across the rolling fields
and I see hay bales waiting to be collected,
I think back to simpler times
when I lived as if there was no tomorrow
and when I took the presence of people
in my life for granted without even knowing it.
As I see the poetry of life all around me,
as I glimpse moments of timelessness,
as I witness instances that make me
reflect upon the past, as well
as the world of the now,
I wonder about how far I have come
and how far I still have yet to travel,
and how my experience of life
is unique to me and to me alone -
but I also continue to feel as if,
though I am on a solo journey of discovery,
I have been, and I will always be, reminded
of the incredible connection that I have
always felt to this world of colour, beauty,
inspiration, stories, and change
that shines even amongst the other planets
of the heavens above, because to me it is
a haven of life and a beacon of light.
My Poem “Regeneration”
Who knew that someone could
change so much throughout their life?
Who knew that someone could
go through so much and over time
find the energy that they need
to make it to the other side?
Who knew that there would be no mystery
greater than we are to ourselves?
Who knew that there could be no
question to be answered as illusive
as the one personified in
who we see every day in the mirror,
who never ceases to show us
that we all have layers and depths
that are just waiting to show themselves.
Everything within us, everything around us,
everyone we have known, everyone we will ever meet,
changes and reinvents itself,
over and over again –
at the same time that everything and everyone
follows a pattern of behaviour,
as well as a biological necessity,
to maintain something and someone’s
intended purpose in life…
everything within everyone
began in one state and then over time
adapted to their surroundings and their environment
and became a more diverse and varied
assembly of complexity
and meant to connect to the world
in ways that generation after generation
has had varying periods of awareness of and attention to –
because in times gone by humanity’s
connection with the world and each other
seemed to be more refined,
because our relationship with the natural world
used to be considered just as important to growth
and rejuvenation as starlight.
Every atom of everything and everyone –
from me to you, from every tree to every star –
can all trace their shared lineage
to a momentous event that happened
billions of years ago;
but had the conditions at the beginning of time and space
been ever so slightly different than they were
then everything and everyone
would have turned out differently –
and in other universes and realities
the consequences of what might have been
play out in a myriad of ways,
and the thought that change and choice has been,
and always will, be a factor in determining where
one set of variables will lead to
has always filled me with fascination…
every time each of us think that we
know ourselves and each other
to the nth degree and nothing about us,
nor anyone else, could ever surprise us again,
something, or someone, always reminds us to
never stop questioning our own existence
and the reason why each of us are alive
and able to do what we can do –
because every form of life in this universe,
or any universe, has repeatedly shown
that the longer you live the greater the chance
there is that you will repeatedly go through
a period of self-reflection and self-awareness
that will lead to profound instances
of change and regeneration.
My Poem “The Power of Karma”
There was a time when I used to
worry about the future…
there was a time when I used to
worry about being alone…
there was a time when I used to
worry about being who and what
others wanted me to be…
there was a time when I used to
worry about those people who,
in retrospect, took me for granted
as well as tried to take me for a fool -
but, as times have changed,
as I have lived and I have learned,
I realise now that I am better off
without all those people who only wanted me
because they needed something, or someone,
for a short time, before they cast me aside
for something and someone “better” -
and to those people who left me
and to those whom I have left behind,
I say: thank you, as well as good riddance…
there was a time when I used to
worry that I wasn’t like everybody else I knew -
but now I know and I understand that
I am now who I was always meant to be,
and I never used to fit into
the puzzle of the other people I knew
because I am in a league of my own
and the architect of my own destiny…
there was a time when rising above
and touching the sky was just a dream that I had
and a wish that I wanted to one day achieve,
but now I have touched infinity so many times
and I know that the sky that we see is just the illusion
that we need to make us want to leap beyond
and into the unknown so that we can
begin to grasp our true potential
and our constant connection to something
that wants us to believe in ourselves
and what we can accomplish…
there was a time when I used to
worry that people would continue to
use my good nature against me -
but over the years I have become
more aware of my own self-worth
and I know that no matter what anyone
or anything tries to do to me
I will never give up, I will always fight back,
I will never forget, and I will always remember
the face of everyone I have ever met
and wish unto those who believe that they got away
with hurting me and not being held to account,
one day there will be a time when they will think of me
and regret what they did -
as well as realise that I was one of the best things
that ever happened to them -
while I will continue to believe in
and witness the power of karma.
My Poem “The Last Word”
Where would we be without language?
Where would we be without a way to communicate
and share what we want to say?
Where would we be without the ability
to express ourselves?
Where would we be without the means
to learn, to interpret, to understand,
to create, to make, to give something,
or someone, a voice to be heard?
The first word spoken by someone
is always a magical moment worth remembering…
the first time the sound that someone makes
can be understood by someone else
is always wonderful to behold…
the first instance that someone achieves something
is always worth celebrating and recording…
the first thing that someone thinks about
and reaches for after they awaken
speaks volumes about what matters to them
and what they treasure as preciously as gold.
Some people love to meet and talk to new people,
because it gives them an opportunity
to engage with someone on a personal level,
and also to make a connection
that they always feel empowered by…
some people find it hard to speak and to be heard,
because for some reason something within them
always tells them to stay quiet
and not call too much attention to themselves -
while those on the opposite end of the spectrum
are always looking for an opportunity
to get their point across
and to get their own way of thinking
and doing things recognized by others as
the most valuable and important.
Everybody always has someone
who they respect and return to
and could listen to whatever they said
for hours on end because they are such
an amazing and entrancing source of knowledge,
information, energy, and joy -
but who would never admit to being
amongst the wisest of individuals in the world…
some people are generally interested in all aspects
and in all the multiple colours and shades of life -
while some people only really care about
what they think is relevant;
some people are generous in so many ways
and they like to give others exactly
what they can see that they need,
including: their time, their attention,
as well as the space to make the first move
in confiding a long and deeply held truth -
while there are those people who are unwilling to
accommodate the other side of a story
and will not give up on their own narrative
and opinion of something even after being presented with facts and evidence to the contrary;
however, there are always those people
who always like to be the centre of attention -
who not only have to have the first word in every conversation,
but also the last word as well.
My Poem “Generation after generation”
Every year, every month, every week,
every day, I proceed forward
at the same time that I reflect back upon my life -
including the things that I have done,
the experiences that I have had,
and, most importantly, the people whom I have known -
and time and time again I am staggered by
the how much I, and the world around me,
has changed, and I also wonder how
and why I am still here and still doing what I have
been doing for as long as I can remember…
there must be a reason, there has to be an explanation,
there must be an answer to why things happened
and happen the way that they always have, and always will -
that is what I tell myself, and I have been telling myself,
for years, since I came to the realisation
that I have a purpose beyond comprehension…
as the tidal waves of the tsunami of change -
often caused by an unseen, and yet powerful,
reality explosive influence spread and engulf us all,
we are given a choice because of which we must
immediately reach within ourselves
a response, a decision, as well as solution
to the situation that we must face,
and sometimes the most important thing to do
in such a situation is to simply take a breath
and go with the first instinct that comes afterwards.
Everyone, everywhere, seeks guidance
every time everything seems to be going
not as they expected and envisioned it would -
because confusion and chaos is always waiting in the wings
to consume us with fear, anxiety, pain, anger,
and drag us down into a darkness of our own making…
within darkness there will always be light -
even if that light is only but an echo and an afterimage -
and where there is light there is hope,
where there is light there is life,
and where there is the potential for finding
that which you have been unable to obtain,
it is essential to understand that sometimes
we always must journey into the unknown
and follow the path of our own destiny;
and sometimes it is only the fleeting gift of time
that we get to realise and receive the best insight
there could ever be of why what we do matters
and how what we believe and feel
can impact us and others around us,
as well as far away, and far into the future -
because we are all connected
and travelling together through time,
and each of us, everywhere, every minute,
every hour, every day, every month, every year,
are all leaping from one reality of possibilities to another -
and that thought, to me, is what makes life
worth living, embracing, continuing,
promising, and maintaining,
generation after generation.
My Poem “New Conclusion”
When I began this journey,
I didn’t realise that I was on a path
that would change everything about me…
when I was young I didn’t realise
that everything has a time limit,
and I couldn’t conceive of the notion
that everything didn’t last forever…
when I used to read books,
when I used to watch movies,
when I used to go outside
and ride my bike around my neighbourhood,
I used to believe that I could continue to do
and to enjoy doing certain things without end -
because I was uneducated to the reality
of the last time you might get to do something,
as well as the last time you might get to see someone.
When I left school and I first heard the news
that someone I knew, a friend of mine, had died
I was so shocked, I couldn’t make sense
of what I was hearing -
especially after I was told that my friend
had taken his own life because he couldn’t take
any more of being bullied for how he looked;
and even after all these years
I still wish that there was something
that I could have done to prevent what happened…
when I think back upon all the things that I have done,
when I think back upon all the places that I have been,
when I think back upon all the people that I have met,
it is hard to remember everything
as well as hard to remember everybody -
however some things and some people
we could never forget, even if we tried,
because sometimes things happen in our life
that mean more to us than we think
and the memory of them remains
ingrained within our consciousness
and is brought back to life within our dreams.
When I sleep at night, I know that I always dream -
but when I awaken I do not always remember
what I saw, nor who I encountered,
while within the world between worlds
where we all go to and are connected to
every moment of every day,
whether we all realise it, or not.
When I started to feel like I was a part
of something bigger than myself,
when I started to see signs telling me
that things in life weren’t always
as random as they seemed to be,
when I started to get the feeling
that I had a purpose in life that was mine and mine alone -
but which would see me doing things
and meeting certain people for a reason -
that was when something happened to me
that made me want to go seek out, explore,
wonder, learn, be inspired,
and not take a moment for granted…
whenever I have found myself at a place
and at a time when I have been taken aback
by the fact that I have been in the same position before,
and I have realised that I am continuing a cycle
and a trend that I thought would never happen again -
the same as I had seen other people repeat also -
I always promise myself that I will learn
from my mistakes of the past
and not repeat them in the future,
and I do try to be better than I was
at predicting the outcome of something before it happens.
Whenever I think about life and my place in the world,
the reason why I am here, and why things happen,
I have learned to be as philosophical
in my thinking and in my reasoning as I possibly can -
but, as always, just when you think you know everything,
just when you think you have seen everything,
just when you think you have heard everything,
something or someone will inevitably surprise you
and make you question whether something was always what it was,
whether someone was who you always thought they were,
and then, as before, life asks you
to look again at what you think you know,
take another guess at what is really going on,
and see what new conclusion you can come up with.
My Poem “All my life/All my loves”
All my life I have known the gift of love…
all my life I have believed in,
and I have felt the power of,
the connection that can be shared
between two people who were always meant to meet…
all my life I have known the beauty of angels…
all my life I have believed that things happen
because they are meant to happen…
all my life I have been surprised
at how quickly my heart can be captured
by the way that someone who I have never met before
can take my breath away and make me feel
as if I have found my partner in crime
and the one who would always love me
just as much as I loved them,
from the moment of first sight…
all my life every relationship that I have had
has been a rollercoaster of feelings and emotions,
and there have been times when I would have done
absolutely anything for someone
in particular if they asked…
all my life I have trusted my instincts -
and most of the time my instincts
have been proven right,
but what I didn’t realise when I was younger
was that everything and everyone has their limits…
all my life I have always wanted
everything to work out for the best for me
and for those closest to me…
all my life the word “love” has been weaponised against me,
as it has been whispered into my ear,
and it has always found a way
to overcome all my emotional defences…
all my life I have never taken my love for someone for granted -
however, I have watched others suffer
as a result of being used, lied to,
and cheated upon by those who
are capable of saying one thing
but doing the complete opposite…
all my life - and despite my own experiences
with those people who are not how they
portray themselves to those who don’t really know them like I was able to -
I have never doubted that I would always be in love
with someone, with something, with somewhere,
because I have always been an optimist,
a romantic, and a poet at heart…
all my life I have allowed myself to be fooled
into believing that something can last forever -
which I don’t think is a bad thing,
because I do believe that there are rare cases
when two souls are destined to be together
and are always going to be a part of
one another even after death…
all my life the world has always made more sense to me
when I knew that I was not alone
and that someone wanted me to succeed
more than they wanted the same for themselves…
all my life I have been trying to be the best I can be,
but I have discovered that doing your best
is not always enough to get you
to where and to what you really want to be -
because everyone’s life is not only
defined by their actions,
but also by the actions of others;
however, I believe that if I were to be defined
in some way, by something, or by someone,
then the best way would be
to go back over the course of my life
and see, hear, feel, read, and understand
how much I have done
for all those who I have ever loved.
My Poem “Remake”
Usually, I am not a fan of redoing
something that has already been done…
typically, I do not like the thought of
attempting to capture something again
that has already been defined…
I have repeatedly stated that
the original of anything is always superior
to the sequel of something,
or any instance at trying to reinvent
what worked and why from the start…
however, as time has gone by,
as things have happened,
as I have witnessed numerous beginnings,
endings, rebirths, and renewals –
both literal and metaphorical –
I have become convinced that
there is a reason why we, sometimes, need
“to go back to the well”, so to speak,
and see what we can make
of what remains of what was.
Someone once said:
“Destruction is a form of creation” –
meaning: the act of destroying something
is also the act of creating something in its place…
I am not someone who likes to destroy anything,
and I never enjoy watching someone’s life
fall to pieces around them
because of the mistakes that they may have made…
I believe that no one has a right to judge
anything or anyone until you find out
more about them and why they are
who and what they are,
and who and what helped to make them a certain way…
I never thought I would see the day
when something that I created
was destroyed and came to an end –
love, art, relationships, partnerships –
but no one can ever truly imagine something
happening before it happens.
All things end – even the things that feel
as if there is no way they could ever
stop being what they have always been,
and would always be forever…
nothing can remain the same –
people, places, even things can change over time,
and sometimes some things can be destroyed
before your very eyes and you can’t do anything to stop it,
and you could not have done anything to prevent it…
stars, planets, civilisations, people, stories,
go through a period of life, death,
and then, eventually, they find themselves
in a state, in place, at a time that they could
never have foreseen themselves in before
they arrived and became aware that
the end of something is not what people think it is –
because, most of the time, there is an opportunity
to start over again with the same mindset as before,
perhaps with the same method –
but slightly, or substantially, different than before…
even the most hardened and stoic of people
would give anything to be able to go back
and revisit a time from their lives
when things were the best that they have ever been,
because, as time goes by, even the best of things
can deteriorate into the worst of things –
but we can only return to somewhere in the past
very briefly and not as substantially as we would hope to,
and in such a way to change things
that we wish we could do-over.
However, sometimes, if we care about something,
or if we can’t let go of the feelings that we have
which are associated with someone in particular –
so deeply and so profoundly –
then we might all choose the route of resurrection
to bring something, or someone, back to life –
but, in doing so, we might have to face to fact
that when something, or someone, returns
they might somehow be a different version of themselves
than they used to be,
because they have been reborn, revived, rekindled,
reinvented, rewritten, recreated, and remade.
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