I look in the mirror and see not myself but the person I once knew.
I have become old.
Tired.
Withered.
Like a piece of driftwood someone picks up on the shore of the ocean and throws back into the sea.

I have sometimes been
wildly,
despairingly,
acutely, miserable.
But through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.

Tears are remnants of our emotions.
Our tears are from our sadness or perhaps our gladness.
The bitter saltiness of our tears sting our face and remind us of our pain.
The pain is inflicted upon us by ourselves or by others.
Some leaves scars, some do not.
Some scars diminish, and some stay for eternity.
Our scars are our constant reminder of our suffering.
The pain in our heart is that which noone sees, but it nonetheless
leaves scar tissue.
Scar tissue builds up like brick and mortar, layers upon layers,
until we uncover the true meaning of our source of pain and suffering.
This leads to our true meaning of truth and our belief of why we are here.
Some never believe their purpose and their scars begin to show to the outside world.
They do not uncover their purpose, their hurt, their pain, their sorrow, their suffering, their grief.
Their true path to their happiness is just beyond the gate.
Yet it is clouded with obstacles.
They say they are happy, but they hide behind their false beliefs.
They fail to stop and and smell the roses and just love one another.

Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five *****.
These ***** are work, family, health, friends and integrity.
And you're juggling them in the air.
But one day you finally come to an understanding that work is a rubber ball.
It you drop it, it will bounce back.
The other four ***** are family, health, friends and integrity.
If you drop one of these four ***** it will be irrevocably broken, scuffed, even shattered.
Once you truly understand the lesson of the five *****, you will have the beginning of balance in your life.

So many years were upon us.
childhood memories of laughter.
Sun on our face, leaving sunburned bodies.
White shirts showing our tans.
Whispering our dreams to each other,
Looking up in the sky,
Sharing the covers like noone else was on earth
Curly hair, sweet smile, feeding my ego
couldnt imagine my life without you.
So many years have passed.
We still whisper our dreams to each other.
Only now they are of regret.
Things we promised, yet still undone.
Time is running out.
Our lines on our face we cant hide now.
Age has taken over,
But has not robbed us of our friendship.
Couldnt have imagined my life without you.
Sweet friend of mine.

Waves rolling like tears.
Reaching the shore and flooding me.
Tides in and out.
Like emotions in my heart.
Stay here with me sweet sea.
So I may feel the cleansing of your beauty
on my feet.
Washing away the hurt.
But seeing the clearness of your water.
Salt of your water, like salt of my tears.

I am blinded by water
So many words I cannot see.
I keep writing.
Flows.
Like water.
Stings, not from salt.
But from pain.
Flowing all the pain out.
Stayed there forever it seems.
I dont need to see to know what is there.
I am blinded by my tears.