“daddy, i want to be an artist when i grow up”

“no dear child, you can’t be an artist
you won’t make any money and will struggle”

“but daddy, i love to paint
why can’t i make any money?”

“because artists are poor
haven’t you heard the term starving artist?”

“ok daddy, if that’s what you think is best
maybe i will do what you do”

“that’s my girl”

“i love you daddy”

the character of a man is written by
whether he smirks or smiles
whether his eyes sparkle or glaze over
whether he stands tall or cowers forward
whether the lines on his face laugh or frown
and most importantly
whether he radiates positive or negative vibrations
who we are is written all over us

alone in my room
and a blessing it is
to put away my masks
in solitary comfort
peace and freedom
to be exactly who i am
in this moment

desire keeps us busy
but does it make us happy
the way love or purpose do?
love and purpose are not desire
you cannot walk away from them
once they find you

i don’t tell you often enough
and we both know
that i am ******* you
but i am proud of you
you are learning
taking risks
making mistakes
yet remaining curious
and always moving forward
to be a better version of yourself
you are heading where you belong
fear not

             — myself

when the people are rotten
fear yields more fruit than love
but to rule with fist and fear
is to become rotten inside
thus both ruler and populace
rot as one

whatever our endeavor
we try so hard to be seen
to succeed through popularity
but the more we focus on
pleasing the crowd
the further we stray
from our initial endeavor
forget the crowd
do what brings you joy
if you touch the hearts
of only a few
that is enough

arms and legs bound
trapped in a pine box
gasping for air
a feeling that chokes my gut
when a moment of solitude
escapes me

to want subtracts from life
to be grateful adds to life

           — the math of life

life is a school
we are here to learn
there is no failure
no perfection
no finishing  
only continual learning

a man was tragically hit by a car
Death suddenly appeared to him
shocked, he fell to his knees
begging Death to spare his life

pleading for a little more time
to reach his dreams and goals
to love and cherish his family
to appreciate all that he had

Death smiled and replied
“that is what they all say”
as he dragged him
to the after-world

losing yourself
is gaining the world

a horde of hateful men
standing together resolved
on a platform of prejudice
each mind empty inside
devoid of substance
vessels to be filled
by the bitter hatred
of only one man

a spontaneous nature
is a nature of free will
to act in the moment
is to be free of restraint

my love burns brighter
when i must reach for my lover’s hand
my heart grows fonder
when the distance between us expands
my wants burn with desire  
while my haves are lost to the fire

all i want in life
is to become everything
i am capable of becoming

i must be
who i can be

better to be in the moment
than editor and critic of the moment

two strangers lock eyes
amid the dizziness of crowds
nothing but a fleeting glance
sparking instant bliss
if only for that moment
instant bliss

ours is a generation
that is skimming 
this book called life

instead of embracing
each and every word
on each and every page

better to experience 
few things deeply than
many things halfway

the desire for money
robs the present moment
we live a life of “until then”
instead of “right now”

not everything
must have a purpose
life is meant to be experienced
without goals and deadlines
but with wonder and awe

“i don’t know”
we frown upon that statement
when asked what
we want in life

but “i don’t know” is
letting go of your ego
not controlling the outcome
or forcing an answer

in an infinite world
“i don’t know” is more powerful
because it is vastly larger
than “i know”

we travel to find ourselves
we long to discover what we want
we struggle to find a destination in life
this is because we are blind
to the knowledge that
we already have what we want
and can never know who we are
because we just are

when we unlearn
what we’ve been told
life becomes much broader

intuition and inner wisdom
are but a faint whisper
we must quiet the noise
to hear it

stop telling yourself
what to do and how to think
start listening to yourself
true wisdom has always
been inside you

what is most beautiful in life
is that which is left unknown
that which must be imagined

this applies to all things
from romance to art
from science to philosophy

we are drawn
to the unknown
like moths to the flame