I pull open the door
And hunt for food in the dim orange light.
"There's nothing inside"
Well, actually,
There is something:
Months old cream cheeses precariously stacked atop each other,
Several mysterious bottles of brown sauces,
Dried out leafy vegetables,
But nothing
This lazy *** can eat without preparing.

I push close the door,
Leaving my stomach rumbling and empty,
But filling my mind with
Dreams

Three-fourths of the dull gray door is covered
With colorful ceramic magnets
From my dad’s corporate adventures
To Batangas, Bohol, Bacolod, Davao,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau,
Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China,
Dubai, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia,
Canada, Greece, and Australia.

I examine each magnet’s contour and shine,
Letting its foreign dust seep into my fingers.
I dream that soon
I will return all those dusts to their lands
And bring home more magnets of my own.

You come to Him
And sit on His lap
You greet Him
With your various appeals and requests:
Sentences and paragraphs
Wrapped with
"I want this"
and "Give me that"
And you search and inspect His hands for
The gifts and presents
Wrapped in pretty papers and big bows
But forget not that
He is far more---
He is light years beyond
The source of your joy and peace
Because
He is joy
He is peace
And so
Still
The erratic spin of the compass
Of your heart
And point the arrow
Back to your first love,
The One who loved you first
Humble before Him
And fall on your knees,
Fall at His feet
Stop searching His hands
And start seeking His face
Marvel and adore
The Master of masterpieces
Entitled "Beauty Personified"
In the silence,
Hear His melodic whispers
That calls for you singing,
"My friend, My child"
Bask in the rays of His radiance
Let His comforting warmth seep in your skin
And melt you,
Every part and particle of you
Smell His sweet aroma
That wafts and saturates the air
Breathe His breath
That made the stars explode into light
And made you come to life
Taste His goodness and
Fill yourself with His glory
And let it overflow
As praises
-----Just praises
Because there is already
Great joy and
Perfect peace
In just praising Him because
He is Joy
**He is Peace

Rock bottom was my home
But I slipped through the cracks
Free falling into oblivion
With no end in sight, I wait
Dreaming of the night
You will be here next to me
Promising that everything will be okay

But optimism is a fools gold
And Eve cursed us
So I know there is no hope for lost souls
No peace for weary minds
Just a life full of pain, and fear
Empty bottles on the night stand
And unanswered prayers

I noticed the shadows
Your eyelashes display.
Your spine the string of a piano
Wound too tight to play

I noticed the words
You never let spill
I could hear the chords
Before you froze them still

I noticed when I yelled
You loved me less
In the distance bells knelled
You watched me undress