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

when did mankind
mutilate butcher and crudely
stitch back together happiness?
for i cannot recognize
what we call happy anymore
cheap thrills and shallow substance
happiness, the drug of choice
for the modern generation
ancient moral virtues
lay fallen by the wayside
take out your pitchforks and hunt down
that “frankensteinian” happiness
for he is an abomination
of what happiness was
of what our society needs
make an example of him
to set us on the right path

our scars
badges of character 
proof of risks 
signs of failures 
tattoos of pain 
symbols of how we embraced life 
our scars are who we are

caution to those who
marry for physical beauty
for flesh fades with time

just as autumn leaves
become dry and brittle
our bodies wither and die

but our soul, our mind, our heart
they bloom with age
growing brighter and wiser

we must love the soul
for the soul lasts
while the body fades

a tiny seed germinates
in the recesses of your mind
slowly infecting your innocence
wrapping it’s black tentacles
around your creative heart
bludgeoning the happiness
that once resided there
once perfection takes root
we are blind to freedom
we become a slave

losing yourself
is gaining the world

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

it is pleasurable
to dine in heaven
to dine in hell
where we spend our time
determines where we end up
in this life
and maybe the afterlife

strong winds
following a storm
pure and sweet
full of life
kiss my cheek
cleanse my spirit

love, the primal energy
not a mere emotion 
we were born out of 
the eternal grace of love 
love cannot be found 
for it is already inside you 
you only have to remember 
where you came
what you are
pure love 
pure energy

chi cammina la notte
combatte la morte

Translation:

whoever walks in the night
fights with death

These were wise words shared by my father and his father before him. May God rest their souls.

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

we have big plans and grandiose dreams
we want it all and we want it now
but no matter how high we aim
life is just a series of tiny steps
small decisions and everyday routine
do not fool yourself in thinking
your life will be different
when the next big thing arrives
for you will still wake up each day
brush your teeth, eat your breakfast
sit on a toilet and drive to work
all while dreaming about that
next juicy carrot at the end of your stick  
it is all the same really, life
a collection of moments that make up a day
so you best be enjoying
those everyday small things
they add up to your life

to fall in love
is to see the world
through the eyes of god

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

all that we know or imagine is
bound by limitations of
language, body, and mind

language limits us
for how can we communicate all
with only words?

body limits us
for how can we sense all
with only our body?

mind limits us
for how can we let go
when fear imprisons us?

love is the saving grace
love breaks the shackles
of our earthly limitations

language cannot fully express love
body cannot fully hold onto love
mind cannot fully understand love

yet we know love
when we experience it
that makes love the most real of all

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

we would happily
walk into a prison
and lock the door
if it improves our security

when will you
open the cage
and soar?

to rule by fear
may yield a large crop
but only for a season

love gives you the wisdom
that you are not alone
but love’s pain 
(from separation) 
emerges from this knowledge

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

those who embrace
the fast life
find their way
to an early grave

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

“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”

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

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

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

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