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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

“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.