I decided to breathe today,
To fill my lungs with that invisible, life-giving substance
That I've never really known before.

But now I do, I know it well,
For it has caused my lungs to swell,
And, well,
It got me feeling pretty compelled
To write this down so I could tell
Of the swell of my lungs
That I just felt.

And what's fascinating is that I wasn't consuming air,
I was breathing in life for the very first time.
Inhale truth, exhale death.

Awake. Awake. Awake.

Oh, I want to be more than a pile of bones and air,
Floating away into the atmosphere.

I need to be more than a heart and a face,
Let boundless life take their place.

Let my head be filled up to the brim
With that which my lungs have let in --
Let my path of life truly begin.

Alive. Alive. Alive.

No more drifting up into the sky.

And now the truth will weigh me down,
Keep my soul beneath the clouds.

**** bliss,
I'd rather be aware and alive
Than ignorant and dormant.
We were put here for more.

I want to be more than this.

Awake. Awake. Awake.
Alive. Alive. Alive.
Awake. Awake. Awake.
**Alive for all my life.

transcendence does not mean surpassing, moving above
transcendence is living through opposite ends of the spectrum simultaneously, or even being it

without experience, here, still there is
without eyes to gaze upon the mystery of coherent light
touchable without a hand
i am born again
again and again and again
until i transcend
into an unlookable expanse
within and without of myself

how do i know?

How am I aware?
When did I become aware?
What is aware?

Does a lion know they are a lion?
What do they call themselves?
Does the Zebra know it is only a Zebra?
Does it know it's cause of death is a Lion round the neck?

As it bleeds does it remember it's family?
Does the Lion remember its first ****?
Do the buzzards have an opinion on the situation?
As they argue over dinner do they also debate?
Yes.  

The birds squak " if humans are aware,  why aren't they aware of us?"
The giraffes chime in " why do they pretend our home is a wasteland?"
The monkeys holler "humans build concrete caves to hide from awareness"
The hyenas laugh " what stupid animals!"
The leopard whispers "aren't we all?"

All of it started with the  smile of a flower,
which was an  answer to my wink to her,
then a wind brought her scented thought, to me
to mull over, smile again was the answer, I gave.

Thus began a chain, animals, birds and words,
soon became the links creating lilting tunes,
stars at night chimed in, their magical words
crafted by many hues of pulsating light, delighting us.

Even pain had a heart rending rhyme, a dying star
in the candor of that moment told us truths concealed,
a telescope distant would take her moment of  glory
for records,she fell, showering in to cosmic chasm, magnificently.
I whispered this to her ear, she was willing to join the chorus,

"Aren't we like the elements of nature, braided together,
just reach the core, through many ways possible,
make yourself  this clear for ever; we together make one,
it'd naturally dawn,  if you've nothing to jettison,
those unwanted baggage  stuffed, does nothing for one,
when one gathers this truth  much delight dawns,
love travels at the speed of light, you are just a beam."

I dream there will come a day,
When earth won’t fear from’
Death-dealing,
Because we grasp the sense’
To love our earth.

By: Nida Mahmoed.

my seasons have remained full
of crisp falls and humid summers
sprinkling with tears from above
and passion all the way to my toes
but I must advise you
that when the air you breathe becomes numb
and the rain doesn't feel heavy
on your battle worn skin
revisit who you are-
because my darling
you can never become numb to the air you breathe.

I allow myself much more than to privilege numbness to the toxins
yet those are crucial to my growth
for I would not know when you are around without them.

so I must tell you
to never become numb
to the humidity
to the fresh spring
to the too long winters
no matter how toxic or sweet
how old or newborn
never become numb to the air you breathe
for it is who you are.

I’m sitting in the hallway with 3 friends,
4 hungry girls waiting for practice to start.

Another friend comes along with a brown paper bag.
In it, he has 2 donuts- 1 sugar coated and 1 frosted over.
The friend quirks a smile.
“Here, fight for them.”
He throws down the bag and turns away.

I’m closest.
Quick hands, I ****** the prize.
In seconds, the pack begins to howl,
1 begs, 1 reasons and 1 prepares to fight
they all move in to take me down i’m the enemy now they’re about to pounce i shout

“Wait!”

My voice echoes down the hall.
They freeze. They blink.

“2 donuts, right? 4 girls? Split 2 with 4 and we all get ½. That's reasonable, right?”

They sit back on their heels.
Slowly, no sudden movements, I reach into the bag.
We share our ½’s with sheepish smiles.

The friend turns back around and sees us all happily munching away.
“Wait, did you split those evenly?”
He says it with such disdain.

Is it so wrong to want the world to work in a way where everyone wins?