Let me be like the mountain
Who stands without shame
Who makes up the skyline
And soars above rain

Not questioning its shape
Its valleys or heights
Its curves or its angles
How it looks at first sight

Changing with the seasons
And changing with time
Not looking over its shoulder
To the next one in line

No critiquing, comparing
No single wish
Let me be like the mountain
Who simply is

A world without heartbreak,
Oh, what a dream!
Can you imagine no frowns?
Have a seat, I’ll set the scene.

We walk around on our clouds,
With our heads held high.
Nothing’s weighing us down,
We’re light, bright and energized.

We don’t experience loss,
No grief or goodbyes,
No endings, disappointment,
Broken hearts, no wondering why.

But, no end, it means no beginning.
No goodbye, it means no hello.
No grief, it means no unwavering love
Large enough to leave such a hole.

I used to run from heartbreak,
But now, it’s an honor to own.
A broken heart proves the magnitude
Of the love and joy I’ve known.

“I can’t breathe,” a nation on fire
Signs held high and voices higher
Wearing a mask while walking the streets
“No justice, no peace.”

A pandemic that stopped our world in its tracks
We silently wished for our lives to bounce back
6 months later, west coast fires
Hurricanes,  RBG expires.

We keep marching on as our world falls apart
Protests for equality, for our nation, a heart
Demands that shouldn’t have to be made
As America disintegrates.

How can we be considered the best
When so many basic needs are unmet
We’re hoping our best interests are sought
While we watch the news with fingers crossed.

But nows not the time to sit and observe
Now is the time to be seen, felt and heard
Voices unheard become outraged
Right now is the time for change.

A few in power write the rules for us all
So write, speak, march, call
It’s easy to ignore a whisper,
a verbal sprout, a ****, a whimper
But they can’t ignore a collective shout
It’s time to be heard and for them to find out.

How dangerous, a woman
Who finally learns her worth
Her strength, a raging river
Cuts a path right through the earth.

How dangerous, a woman
Who’s tired of being hushed
Tired of waiting for permission
Just to speak, now she erupts.

She dances around the dismissals
Not your darling, not a damsel
Not in distress, she is daring
She is power, she’s an example.

No more white flag, silence, acceptance
Now it is her time to be heard, to chime in
To call out, to rise up, to fix, and to speak.
How dangerous, a woman
who refuses to sink.

There are so many things a heart is made of,
A job, a family, a city, a love.
And even if they flow like rivers and streams,
It’s okay to chase your changing dreams.

One day you climb the professional ladder,
And find that no one’s following after.
Or you begin to crave new scenery
Once you look around and don’t like what you see.

When find your heart crying out for more,
Please, never ignore.
If your life isn’t feeling like home sweet home,
It’s okay to roam.

I always search, strive and change
Looking for progress, I rearrange
I try to make where I am special
But I can’t seem to settle.

I don’t want to be hard to please
I just want to find my peace
If I dont feel it when I try what I can
I look elsewhere, and gone I am.

The highs and lows, the valley views,
The good and bad, you win and lose,
You’re up and down, mountain to valley,
Praising then tearful, sad to happy.

But what happens when you get stuck?
You climb and climb but can’t get up.
In the valley you settle, in the valley you stay,
Less sun, less warmth, more shadow days.

But is there ever a valley without a mountain?
Is there ever an exit without a way back in?
Nothing’s forever - the good or the bad
If you can’t find your way, find another path.

C - o - n - t - r - o - l,
What would happen
If your walls just fell?
If you lessen your grip
And loosen the reins?
I know you love leadership,
But do you love the chains
That bind you to what you control?
It's good for production,
But is it good for your soul?

Sometimes the current,
The wind, are enough.
A subtle guide,
A gentle touch.
Your life's like a glass
You cling to so tightly
Trying to hold it together
But cracking it slightly.

Trial, misfortune,
Bad days, bad luck,
Sometimes it seems,
We’re forever stuck.

No matter where we look,
There it is.
We can’t see past,  
So we settle in.

Our misfortune doesn’t vanish,
We can’t pretend it does,
But try to grow, not settle,
It’s possible because,
You aren’t stuck to your misfortune,
And it’s not stuck to you,
It might seem like forever,
But it is not glue.

We can move on,
We can let go,
We can break through,
Yes, we can grow.

I’m not tissue paper,
Despite what you think.
I might crumble,
But I won’t break.

Won’t fly away
In gentle wind,
I won’t dissolve
When the rain hits my skin.

Steadfast through
The hurricanes,
So do what you will,
But here I’ll stay.

I swear I’m stronger than you think,
Might be weighed down, but I’ll never sink.

A house is condemned
Doors boarded shut
Then someone comes along
And says “open up!”
As if the house can remove
What was left by others
Immovable, secured
Layers of construction.
The person sees the weak walls
The peeling paint and broken floors
The “condemned” sign
But can’t help but see more.
They come back with a crew
And the next things you know
This condemned house
Became a home.

Are you this house?
Broken and condemned?
Wanting some company
But can’t let anyone in?
Sometimes the repair
Is more than a one-man job.
It's okay to reach out,
Find your crew and hold on.

A lifetime of tiptoes and quiet tones
Don’t rock the boat or put on a show
Head down, smile and nod
Agreeable, don’t seek applause

She’s perfectly polished but overly modest
She could move mountains but she’s endlessly cautious
Living in what-ifs and worries and whys
Curious of potential, afraid to try

She drifts and so she settles
Her life is safe but doesn't feel special
She keeps her distance, won't get too close
Except to her caution, she loves it the most

It has a time and place, it seems
But nothing is good if it’s to the extreme
Protection, or afraid to grow?
Caution, is it friend or foe?

It takes risk to get rewarded,
Caution is costly but safe,
So turn your tip-toes into marching
And let your still boat make some waves.

If Earth had a first time visitor
In the middle of our winter,
When the trees are bare and the hills are brown,
They might feel pity when they look around,
They won’t see life or hope or cheer,
They might see emptiness and despair.
If they left that day they’d have made up their mind,
Earth, it has no shine.

But we know better since we live here,
And we see the transformation each year.
We know that winter is temporary,
Not forever, the end, or scary.

So if you meet someone during their winter,
Don’t see them as bare, hopeless or a quitter,
See them with hope and know that soon,
They will find their bloom.

Another day, another to-do list
Two pages long, fists start to clench
Endless effort, you do your best
And at the end of the day, some are left unchecked.

You say: “I must do better tomorrow,                      
I should have gotten more done,
I really tried my hardest,
But I only finished some.”

A day full of work, but the tension remains
Your clenched fists aren’t relieved

Saying “only, but, should” and “must”
Only minimize what was achieved.

Perfection is ideal, but not attainable

And that is okay.

Do what you can, but take care of yourself.
Tomorrow’s a new day.

Dear stranger, please be kind
I had another stressful night
I couldn’t sleep, this makes night nine
Dear stranger, please be kind

Dear stranger, please be patient
I can’t think straight, I know you hate it
My thoughts and words can’t find their placement
Dear stranger, please be patient

Dear stranger, please be gentle
I’m already broken, trying to reassemble
I know it’s easy to be judgmental
But stranger, please be gentle

Dear stranger, please understand
I am doing the best I can
I can only carry so much with these hands
Dear stranger, please understand

It takes more effort to be kind than cruel
But why should effort decide the rules?
We all have a load so heavy
Why make it harder to carry?

Sitting in the audience
And watching life pass you by
Like a film on a screen
You're in scene after scene
Yet somehow, you're not the spotlight

Better at drifting than chasing
Tending to settle, not strive
Better at leaving than trying
Empty, yet unconcerned why

If you only take what you’re given,
You’ll have some smiles I’m sure,
But peace, pride and fulfillment
Won’t come if you don’t make them yours

Walking, drifting, watching, seeing
Are you living or only being?
Want, look, find, chase
Run from the audience and jump on stage

Maybe the one talked over and hushed
Grew up to be quiet, reserved
Trying to develop a voice of their own
But it was never heard

Maybe the one seeking attention
Spent their life being ignored
Experiences shape perceptions
And perceptions shape our world

But this is where we start, not end
After all, we're not cement
We change and bend and learn and grow
We can end above and start below
Beliefs can change and so can we
What we were, we don't have to be

Don't chase, value, love or need
Mass produced replacable things
We seek with hopes they'll make us whole
They'll fill your house but not your soul

Don't skip the ocean to buy souvenirs
Or that's all you'll have in 20 years
Memories, people, experiences, time
You can buy more decor but clocks can't rewind

Some like to live by following lists
To decide what's good enough,
Trusting the rules, the "shoulds" and ideals,
Not heart, intuition or gut.

Rulebooks and list have a time and place,
A purpose, a reason, a use,
But if unhappy we aren't let down
We just list another excuse.

"He's so nice, I must be wrong,
This job should be my dream."
Following lists can lead to smiles  
But they won't make you beam.

To find your own fulfillment,
Don't follow a recipe,
Or assume it is one size fits all,
Don't take your happiness lightly.

So yes, you can follow a guide
Of where you think you should go,
You can settle for things that make you content
Or wait for what makes you glow.

You'd melt me to a puddle,
And stomp through me in boots,
Then politely clean me up,
No wonder I was confused.

A small collection of water,
Weak and backless with no voice,
Stomped through, walked on,
I forgot I had a choice.

Once a passive puddle,
But now I am the rain,
Do you know what rain erases?
The flame.

No more power over me,
I'll choose when I fall,
And by fall I mean pour,
And by pour I mean stand tall.

I don't value I treasure.
I either tiptoe or run.
No need for me to measure,
My thoughts aren't feathers, they're tons.

My worries, they aren't waves,
They're frightening hurricanes,
I don't hurt for hours,
I always hurt for days.

I do not try to bandage,
I only aim to heal.
I don't admire lightly,
I see endless appeal.

Moderation's not my friend,
Maybe I'm all or none,
But at least there is no question,
I don't like, I love.

It's hard to be a small fish in a big sea,
And even harder when it storms.
One day all is going well,
Then you're thrown into coral thorns.

Choppy water, powerful waves,
Swirling currents,
Can't catch a break.

When you feel an inch tall
In a world so large,
Don't sit back and watch,
It's time to take charge.

We can't change the world
And we can't stop the storms
But we control ourselves
Even when the wind whirls.

Find your protection,
Find your strength,
Find your safety,
And find your own peace.

When you armor yourself
And don't depend on the world,
No matter the chaos,
Peace can always be yours.

Some value money,
Some value time,
Some value success,
Some just want to feel fine.

Some give their all,
Some give only half,
Some give none,
Some give more than they have.

Always on the run, we aim and strive,
Running on empty, yet we never arrive.

But what is our goal?
What leads to fulfillment?
Giving the world
One hundred percent?

We lose ourselves trying to gain,
And then we're lost, but who's to blame?
Giving our all in search of bliss,
Is success found in emptiness?

You deserve balance,
It's your life to live.
So oh, please remember,
Emptiness cannot give.

If you tell gold it's worthless,
It might believe you.
But does saying that
Make it true?

Is worth defined
By what's verbalized?
If you criticize
Does worth minimize?

Words are words,
Not always true.
But gold is gold!
And you are you.
Don't weigh your worth
On what you're told.
Despite it's value
Even some dislike gold.

We wake up and plan
to smile at strangers,
and hold the door open,
and say no to anger.

But then there's traffic,
and road rage and red lights,
and cut-offs and cuss-outs,
daydreaming of fights.

Our destination is reached,
and our hands are in fists,
we stomp down the halls,
and crash by accident.

Coffee spills, papers scatter,
faces red, eye contact made,
thoughts are racing, anger raising,
a small flame ignites great hate.

We watch the scene
play in our head,
like directing a movie
and take one is red.

It's yelling and screaming,
insulting and punching,
automatic desire,
but solving nothing.

Aren't we lucky
we aren't bound by our thoughts?
We might be tempted,
but slaves we are not.

Aren't we lucky
if take one leads to
mistakes or trouble
we can choose a take two?

Police killings,
Guns in classrooms,
Black lives matter,
Gendered bathrooms.
Terrorism, marriage law,
Protests, riots,
Presidential election,
American crisis.

Red, white and blue
We’re kneeling, burning.
Children watching,
Hearing, learning.

Moving backward
But seeking change,
Demanding love
But spreading hate.
Tearing down,
Demanding growth,
Impossible
To have both.

We scream so we’re heard
But do we seek change,
Or do we seek volume?
Is it passion or rage?

There's quite a difference
Between taking a stand
And demanding peace
With knives in our hands.

We are the power,
And we are the knowledge.

But we are the battle,
And we are the challenge.

Gemini, Scorpio, Libra, Aries
Jet black, brunette, bleach blonde, redhead
Introvert, extrovert, whisper, yell
Hide and seek, show and tell

Scientist, janitor, actor, cashier
Celebrating first or ninety-fifth year
Sixty hours, forty, ten
Luscious, average, thick or thin

Disposable income or income disposed
Hair covered up or shoulders exposed
Skin of all colors, some dark and light
Haven't we created such a versatile life?

It seems we've replaced different with bad
Condemning differences we're lucky to have
How boring if we had one season, one flower
How boring, a rainbow with only one color

I know those as soft as cotton,
Always lessening the blow,
Each layer adds protection,
Pain can only sink so low.

I know those who are like sponges,
They're always bouncing back,
Endlessly resilient,
Attack after attack.

I know those as strong as steel,
They don't bend, don't break, don't move,
They act as their on armor,
You will never see them lose.

And I know those who are like glass,
Deeply scratched but shining bright,
Never giving up, putting up a fight,
In pain but reflecting light.

We lessen the blow
And we bounce back,
We are our own armor.
We shine through our scratches
Protect ourselves,
We're our own safe harbor.

You think you're steel,
I know,
But you're as clear as my window,
And just as fragile,
Just as thin,
But it's okay
To let me see in.

There's no danger here,
No hammers here,
No rocks or stones,
No shatters here.

So wear your armor
For the rest of the world,
But with me you're free
To leave it at the door.

Extra! Extra!
This just in:
Hatefulness
Is the new trend.

Forget tolerance
Empathy and being kind,
Why burden ourselves
With an open mind?

So we keep our minds closed,
But we open our mouths,
Speaking of things
We know nothing about.

We're shouting hot air
With no substance to fill it.
We spread hate but preach love
Then point out hypocrites.

We blame everyone else
And claim innocence although
We're building walls
With the stones we throw.

We're so advanced
But so behind,
We've got 20/20
But we act like we're blind.

She said:

“I really wish things were different
I’m so tired of living like this
Too many things wrong in the world
All of them in the way of my bliss.

If only things were better
If only things were fair
Then I could find my happiness
And finally lose my despair.

Won’t someone take charge?
Won’t someone help me out?
You’d think someone would be willing
But someone keeps letting me down.

I said:

“Go stand in front of a mirror,
Look closely at what you see,
I’d like to introduce you to
The someone you’ve been waiting to meet.

Someone who can do all that you asked
And then a little more
Change is something that you do,
Not something you wait for.”

Butterflies
Don’t float around
Saying “Look at me!”
Or hope to be found.
They don’t ask for attention
Or to be admired
They won’t seek recognition
Or beg for your desire.

Their patterns stand out
Their colors shine bright
And without even trying
Their wings catch our eyes.
But it doesn’t matter
If we’re here or gone
Or if their beauty is noticed,
They’ll fly on.

I won’t ask
Won’t beg, won’t seek
Anyone to
Admire me.
My colors will shine
Even if they’re not awed
So despite recognition
I’ll fly on.

If it wasn't
Race or religion
It would be something else
It's one big competition

We're living in the Darwin days
Survival of the fittest
As if we don't all deserve
To have equal chances

We're breaking ladders
Instead of building them taller
Instead of working toward growth
We make others smaller

Can't get anywhere
If we're tripping each other
But how far we could go
If we worked together

Start building, not breaking
We'll get so much further
One mile alone
One hundred miles together

I'm a little too
Excitable
Or at least
That's what I'm told
Too positive
With my glass half full
Too happy, too many
Smiles, I know

I'm too naive
Too blind, unaware
To know what
Life's about
I'm too busy
Floating on air
To remember
The pain of the ground

You think I don't know
The pressure and strain
Of the final string
Of a splitting rope?
I've ripped, I've snapped
I have no less pain
But one thing I do have
Is hope

Well my glass isn't half full
Its overflowing
My rose colored glasses
Don't leave my eyes
I am not too much
Of anything
Except too good
At finding where hope hides

I was hoping
To get a few words in
But it's okay, I'll keep them.
It is what it is,
And it was what it was,
But I guess we can keep pretending.  

We'll keep living our lives,
We'll keep locking our eyes,
Too different and yet the same.
The reality's clear,
There's nothing happening here,
So why am I still wearing these chains?

I was hoping
To get a few words in
But it's okay, I'll keep them.
I won't rock the boat,
I'll try to let go of hope,
I'll find some water to make this flame dim.

I was hoping you'd always be mine,
But on second thought, nevermind.
I was hoping it would be you and I,
But on second thought, nevermind.

I was hoping
To get a few words in
But it's okay, I'll keep them.

Everyone speaks
A million miles an hour
Each word
Growing more empowered

They think saying more,
Competing, interrupting
Proves that they know more
And won't be thought of as nothing

Well I'm the bird
That tries to tweet
When thunder crashes
And lightning streaks

Won't take the time
To hear my thoughts
So all I do
Is smile and nod

But that's okay,
No worries here,
Won't seek validation
From a strangers ear

Your hot air fills the room
While you seek your applause
I know my worth, applaud myself
So I just smile and nod

It seems that I'm
The revolving door
Standing between you
And your favorite store

It's not me you came to see
And yet here I am
Spinning 'round and 'round all day
Each time, at your every command

But you never stay
You're just passing through
You look right through me
At the treasure, loved by you

But I'm a person
I am not a door
Here for your convenience
While you find what you look for

Spinning and spinning
Has led me nowhere
I'm done being your door
I'll be treasure elsewhere

I’ve mastered independence strength and might
I’ve mastered pushing everyone away
With standards high, I’ve mastered loneliness
No tears are shed when someone goes astray

I’ll admit, it’s working out quite nicely
Heartbreak in my future, I don’t see
Heartbreak comes from closeness turned to distance
But distance comes so naturally to me

Flooded with feelings when they are close by
Flooded with feelings when they’re far away
They drown in feelings, I’m completely dry
Won’t dip my toe, scared I’ll get swept away

I’ve mastered this dry land, my own safety
Mastered feeling content walking on land
But one thing I cannot seem to master
Is my strange desire to go and swim

Flooded with feelings or choking on air
I simply can’t decide which one is worse
At least the water makes you feel something
My dry land leaves me numb with quite a thirst

Staying on the surface can’t satisfy
My deep desire for something much more
Better to feel too much than not at all
Goodbye safety, it’s time to leave the shore

Since when is good enough,
Good enough?
Minimum, easiest,
Thoughtless and rushed.

We're giving pennies
Wanting dollars in return
We expect the gold medal
Without effort, it's not earned

Giving enough
to get by, and no more
Yet expecting the best
From the rest of the world

Too focused on taking
To ever give
But a one-sided life
Is no way to live

Good enough is not good enough
Half effort won't yield a full life.
If you feel like you deserve all the best
You've got to give what you'd like.

Thoughts race inside
My unstoppable mind
As I lie, still as ever
In this bed of mine

Not moving, won't stop,
Can't grab them or drop
them on the floor under my feet
where they belong, I can't compete

I'd love to think of rivers
Or calming peaceful streams
Oh what I'd give to think of flowers
Or the buzzing sound of bees

Inside is a hurricane
Outside is a drizzle
I can't control my hurried mind
But at least it's working well

Oh I shouldn't complain,
Yes my thoughts run all day
Each one deeper than the last
And although I'm led astray
My thoughts tell me more
Than your words ever could
Because I've had a hundred
More thoughts than I should

Oh the thoughts race inside
My unstoppable mind
As I lie, still as ever
In this bed of mine

Once upon a time
You found joy in simple things
It was a jar of baby carrots
Now it's two carat diamond rings

Once upon a time
Every ounce of you was hope
You always prepared for the best
Now you prepare yourself to cope

Once upon a time
That smile didn't leave your face
Now when you feel it on your lips
You press it down until it's straight

Childhood you
Was a bit naive
But now that you're grown up
You've lost the courage to believe

It's easy to be cynical
Bad things are all over, after all
We're all business, things hardly impress us
But maybe that's our downfall

So think like you did once upon a time
And don't worry about being understood
Look around, lift your eyes off the ground
And find joy in anything good

Go ahead and stay hopeful
Being let down sometimes
Is better than being hopeless
And staying down at all times

Childhood you
Was a bit naive
Or perhaps more in-tune
With what happiness means

If it's old, or if it breaks,
Don't think twice, throw it away.
Bigger, better, nicer, newer,
Tablets, phones, and computers.
Houses, cars, husbands and wives,
Nothing's good enough
in our disposable lives.

We're taught to hate imperfect things,
Taught to replace and throw away,
Taught to wish for better,
Never settle for less,
Our disposable world
Accepts only the best.

And we wonder why
We're ashamed of our flaws
And why we're insecure
But it might be because
Our disposable world
Says we're not good enough
So what should be pride
Turns into disgust.

We are worth so much more
Than all items combined
We were born good enough
But we fall for these lies.

We aren't mass produced,
We are one of a kind.
So the disposable world rules
Do not apply.

We seem to believe
That someone's problems
Are dark drops in clear water
Can't see through, too solid

We can’t separate
The drops from the water
The dark from the clear
The people from their problems

Like they’re one in the same
And all they’ll ever be
We’ve let problems become
Someones identity

But a rose is not a thorn
And a cactus, not a needle

They are people with problems

and not problem people.

How much weight can you carry
Before you collapse
Or sink to the bottom
Or crumble down fast?

It’s raining boulders
And you’re catching them all
With worries heavier than stone
It won’t take much to fall

You’re at your breaking point
But don’t let yourself break
See it as a turning point
And refuse to hold the weight

Just let it go
Put it down
Watch it fall
Pour it out

Do what you can
And then worry no more
Catch what you can
Let the rest hit the floor

Find your limit
And end it there
Drop your pile of boulders
You deserve the fresh air

You quickly approach
A puddle of mud
Small enough to step over
But you thought it'd be fun
To splish and splash
And make a mess
But it's dirtied your face
And ruined your dress

You stomp out of the puddle
It has ruined your day
You look back in anger
And head on your way

But what is to blame here,
The action or trouble?
The mud or the splashes?
The person or puddle?

Don't walk into mud
Then complain of the mess
If you want to stay clean
Just watch where you step

Not all, but many outcomes
Are up to us
So be careful that your actions
Will lead to what you want

I may not be noticed,
seen or searched for.
I am overlooked
but no less valuable.
People walk all over the ground
without realizing
diamonds are right under their feet.

Well I hope you’re good
at jumping fences
and running quickly
and lowering defenses

And I hope you’re good
at catching what’s running
and I hope you don’t think
that ice is numbing

I’ll turn and I’ll run
I’ll look away
I’m uncatchable
But I want you to stay

I’ll be drawn to you
You’ll be drawn to me
And just before we collide
I’ll run for safety

Well I hope that you
Don’t mind the chase
Because I can’t slow down
Until I know it’s safe

So I'll run my fastest
I'll build my fences
I'll slow down when you show me
It's safe - from a distance

You don't have to be a tornado
To change the world wherever you go.

You don't have to be a thunderstorm
To be heard in this noisy world.  

You don't have to be a lightning bolt
To light the world and make it glow.  

Power doesn't have to be extreme,
And being gentle isn't being weak.
The Grand Canyon wasn't formed
By an explosion, but by a stream.

The winds are increasing,
Black clouds are forming,
Thunder crashes,
And the rain starts pouring.

Surrounded by darkness,
Can't find your way out,
It seems never-ending,
And your hope dwindles down.

But you're stronger than your problems,
You're brighter than your storms,
You're higher than your downfall,
And you're better than your harm.

It's okay, it's alright,
No matter what you do,
Don't give up your fight.

The winds are increasing,
Black clouds are forming,
Thunder crashes,
And again, it's storming.

But it's okay, it's alright,
No matter what you do,
Don't give up your fight.

You're stronger, brighter, higher, better.
No matter what you do, don't you give up - ever.

His hands are ice,
Sharp like broken glass,
But he says, "Come here,
The cold won't last."

So you hand him your heart,
With a smile on your face,
His hands are ice cold,
But your heart is in flames.

He says, "Trust me,
You'll melt me to a puddle,
Fire and ice,
We'll make such a nice couple."

So you give him your all,
With a smile on your face,
And you fall and you fall,
Toward your icy embrace.

He squeezes his hands,
With your heart inside,
He didn't melt, put your flames out,
But you smile and say everything's fine.

Then you say, "That's okay,
My flame comes from within.
I'll take my frozen broken pieces,
Reconstruct and shine again."