We create lines
That seem to be tempting him

Whoever he may be

To cross
or leave you be

You plea with yourself,
Desperately

Begging that you’ll find the words
To make him see
That he’s one foot over
And a shoulder deep

But it’s not a matter
Of the words you choose
With perfect precision
Wanting to be heard with clear cognition

Because he sees boundaries
As obstacles
He is taught, and even worse,
He believes
He only need work his way through

And if he does
He almost always does

The self you used to see
Now feels obsolete

Imagine a woman
Who walks with pride
Head held high
With secrets in her ears
And words in her mouth
She speaks with confidence
As if nothing was by her side
Who could hinder her thoughts
Or feelings

Imagine a woman
Who isn’t blinded by
What others think or feel
Shining brighter than those
Petty feelings

Imagine a woman
Who doesn’t chatter about the clutter
But creates compromises
Helping others
Being selfless

Imagine a woman
Shapeless and divine
Who doesn’t need others
To grow into a diverse human being

Imagine a woman
Who communicates with words
Using them like magic
To manipulate others
To bring chaos to her world
Subconsciously
Yet with purpose

Imagine a woman
Who holds so many secrets
If she was cut open
They would spill out
They would stare at you
Embarrassing

Imagine a woman
Who doesn’t understand death
And tries to defeat it
Using words

Imagine a woman
So powerful
She dances with death
Into existence
Through words

Imagine a woman
Who is so angry
She destroys death

Imagine a woman
Who is so sad
She buries death
With her

Which is the skin we must outgrow?
Walls we push against hard and slow.
To knowledge we’re afraid to know.
Restraints that keep telling us no.

What limits are holding us back?
Things we have we think that we lack.
Closing our eyes to turn light black.
Compassion feels like an attack.

What pressures are keeping us small?
Expecting we have to please all.
Afraid to jump in case we fall.
Ignoring doors built in our wall.

What good comes from our comfort zone?
We’re still while friends pass us alone.
Growing our fear of the unknown.
Destiny no longer our own.

The question rings as a rattle on my cage.
"I am writing poetry" I answered.

He mumbled, "I thought you were playing Mahjong."

I exhaled hard, "I was. I won two games. " I said  with a little aggravation.

"Hum..." he said, then all fell silent.
I did not respond.

Only the sound of my fingers typing on the keyboard continued
Until he could not stand it anymore, "There's news today. The USA is pulling out of Syria."

"Hum, that's good." I said.

He said, "I am sure the families of the soldiers that are coming home are happy."

"Yeah, they probably are." I said halfheartedly as I continued to write.

"Israel is still worried about their borders."

Sarcastically I replied, "Maybe they will build  a wall."
The sounds of tap-tap-tap on the keyboard, continuing...

He said, "Yeah, maybe Trump will help them."
I stopped typing.
We laughed and I continued to write.

It was quiet for just a moment.
Then he said, "What'cha doing now?
We both laughed out loud!!!
And I finished this writing.

Rules,
Superficial rules we create
We confine ourselves within boxes
Answering a desperate plea for order
Some semblance of control, of understanding,
Shape, within shapeless mass, shapeless space
We build cages, chains, interlocked, intertwined

Yet, a common phrase
“Think outside of the box”
We acknowledge,
This cage
And in many cases it can be good
But we also acknowledge,
That to truly come up with something great, unique, to leave a
Lasting mark
One must think outside of the box left behind by our predecessor’s
Thoughts outside of their box
Which form our box

It’s like

Understand how to read notes
Before you compose your own

Know the color wheel
Before you experiment

Read books,
Before your write one

Maybe that’s where successful people come from,
People who manage to learn about their box
Well, before they manage to
Break it’s boundaries

And each minute, each second, each millisecond, each
This is happening again, and again
Our cages being broken
Reforged, anew

And through the internet, the media, mordern communications
Knowledge of this new box, these new boundaries
Can be spread

To pique another child or adult’s interest
Until the boundaries are broken
Once again
A cycle
On repeat

Until finally-



Or,
Is it like the universe,
Ever expanding,
Infinitely large
Without an end?

There are ones who wave their red flags evidently, where some push your buttons subtly. There are some in whose presence you feel uncomfortable, their energy your body rejects before they even speak. There are ones who make you feel inadequate and battered while they pollute the rent up space in your life. There are ones who stampede on your boundaries, tamper your emotions and abuse your self-worth; depleting you of your energy. At times we let these signs go unnoticed or ignore them by forgiving & absorbing.
We chase them and crumble maybe because we rely on them? We let the emotional moochers chip us away and rip our self-apart like we mean nothing. We excuse them for the inconvenience they cause and assure ourselves it won’t happen again. But chances are it will.
So when they wave their red flag, raise your white flag and peace out. And for the ones you cannot escape; maybe relation out of context, history and proximity. You learn to filter, build your immunization and draw out your boundaries. For you, yourself announce your boundaries, self-respect by your actions.
Because you were not born to inhale their toxins, be dimmed and extinguished. You were not to be buried in their pollution and have your heart land filled with every beat. You were not be suffocated and stifled by their confinements, bathing in their unsettling energy. You were not to ingest their poison but rather learn when to deal and not deal with their toxicity. You were to surround yourself by the ones who understand, support and bring you joy. For your energy is incredibly precious and your time is currency that rather would be spent on buying happiness and love rather than tears and pain.