I think I figured out my health woes
and mental ones to boot
It's salt rinses until I can leave it to the tooth extraction professionals
Why is it so difficult for me to make the phone call
Do I still fear I'll be yelled at like I was child?

I want parental validation to ward off these unknown strangers
but I've been getting to know - for 10 years now
I'm smarter than my folks at home
The horror

The trick is to have the childhood faith you once had in them
in yourself - and in everyone else when you're not there
"These idiots will get along just fine. Why can't I?"

I'll make the tough phone calls
Post vulnerable pictures and songs
Deep down, do I just want a partner again?
Dog sitting alone
If I was trapped in my childhood home for a weekend
with some gregarious girl opposite of me
I would be a wholly different person
as I was in the past - 3 or 4 times over

This is the soberest I've been in a year
"Had my tea today without any sugar, no difference"
Except I see the fear and laziness as infinitely surmountable

You're up against propaganda promulgating passive lethargy
on all fronts
Sometimes you need to admit you're better than the herd
and swat away the crab claws dragging you back down
into the bucket of schlop  
Stop feeling so bad for using a few paper napkins
when you couldn't find a washable cloth
You need to break some eggs when humiliating the charlatans
and their fans out of this cultureless slump

For we unintentionally heal ourselves
  with short laughter and conversations
and eventually
     we use fragments of joy and motivation
as a step further to a small beginning
that leads to a big change
  and through this
we hope for brighter days

When the wind is blowing
with the voracity
of a hundred love songs
that tear flesh from bone,
You have to flow with the whirlwind.

Life doesn't wait for you.

When the earth is breaking
apart beneath your feet
with the fury
of a thousand guttural cries
that freeze the marrow in your spine,
You have to crawl through the gravel.

Life doesn't wait for you.

When the forest catches fire
all around you, burning
with the hunger
of a million weeping mouths,
You have to breathe through the smoke.

Life doesn't wait for you.

When the flood pulls you under
with the tentacled might
of all your failures and sorrows,
with the darkness
of a billion dead suns,
You have to be the light
that burns brightest.

Life doesn't wait for you.

I once feared looking at the sky,
Afraid it would swallow me whole
I always covered my ears,
Believing if I couldn’t hear, words wouldn’t hurt

I numbed my heart, closed every door,
Isolating myself from life’s embrace.
A hollow shell with a fire long extinguished,
But then, your presence sparked a change.

I thought I was beyond feeling or hearing
Yet your touch opened my eyes to the sky.
I hesitated, nervous, but you held on tight,
With a smile you ran straight towards the light

My heart races, unfamiliar and wild,
Your eyes invite me to follow your lead.
I readied myself, slowly walking, running, leaping
What is this sense of freedom I feel, its warm

I don't know where we are going,
But there's no longer room for doubts
With you, I’ll soar to unknown heights,
I'm not afraid to take a step forward

In the cosmic dance of swirling lights,
Where stars are born and darkness fights,
The universe whispers secrets old,
In silver threads and dust of gold.

Galaxies twirl in elegant grace,
Each a part of the endless space,
Planets orbit in silent tunes,
Around their suns, like drifting balloons.

Mysteries hide in the blackest night,
Beyond the reach of human sight,
Yet we gaze up with hopeful eyes,
Dreaming of truths beyond the skies.

Infinite worlds, both big and small,
The universe holds them, one and all,
A canvas vast for us to explore,
Its beauty, a siren call to implore.

So let us journey through the stars,
Past the confines of our earthly bars,
For in the universe, we find our place,
A tiny speck, in its grand embrace.

He got up one morning
All charged up for the day
A long to-do list
And passion on his mind lay

A belief in his talents
Strong in his ways
To capture the world
To provide value that pays

To reach the stars was his aim
Work hard he did, never lay
His time was too precious
Successful he was, some may say

He thought the world needed him
Things would not work night and day
There were very few
To take his place in a way

But the world has its course
Its plan, its surreal own ways
Things bound to happen
Will happen anyway

The stars will shift
The oceans will drift
The air will greet
The sun will beat

The things bound to happen
Will happen anyway.

I know that our efforts all come to nothing. Analyze life, tear its trappings off, lay it bare with thought, with logic, with philosophy, and its emptiness is revealed as a bottomless pit; its nothingness frankly confesses to nothingness, and Despair comes to perch in the soulI know the end of us all is nothing, I know that at the end of Time, the reward of our toil will be nothing — and again nothing. I know that all our handiwork and all our ideas will be destroyed. I know that not even ash will be left from the fires that consume us. I know that our ideals, even those we achieve, will vanish in the eternal darkness of oblivion and final non-being. There is no hope, none, in my heart. I know, No promise, none, can I make to myself and to others. No recompense can I expect for my labors. No fruit will be born of my thoughts. I know the time — eternal seducer of all men, eternal cause of all effects — offers me nothing but the blank prospect of annihilation. So, my dignity is broken and weak, in recognition of my impending defeat.

The man who is alone, who stands on his own feet, who is stripped bare, who asks for nothing and wants nothing, who has reached the apex of disinterested­ness not through blind renunciation but through ex­cess of clear vision, turns to the world which stretches out before him as a burned prairie, as a devastated city — a world in which no churches, asylums, refuges, ideals, are left — and says: «Though you promise me nothing I am still with you, I am still an atom of your energies, my work is part of your work; I am your companion and your mirror as you march on your merciless way. But I owe nothing to any one. I would be responsible to freedom alone.

"Unleashing the Soul's Journey" [Three]

In the dance of life, find your rhythm,
Let your heart guide each step, a beacon.
For within you lies a universe untold,
A symphony of dreams waiting to unfold.

Embrace the journey, both highs and lows,
For each experience shapes the path you chose.
In the face of adversity, stand tall and strong,
Let resilience be your anthem, your song.

When doubts arise and fears take hold,
Look within, find the courage untold.
For within you burns a flame so bright,
Igniting passion, setting your soul alight.

In the tapestry of life, weave your story,
Embrace the challenges, bask in the glory.
For every obstacle is a chance to grow,
To discover the depths of what you know.

Embrace the power of a grateful heart,
In gratitude, find solace and impart.
For even in darkness, there's a glimmer of light,
A reminder of blessings, shining so bright.

Choose love over hatred, kindness above all,
Let compassion be your guiding call.
For in spreading love, you'll never be poor,
But enriched, forevermore.

Embrace the whispers of your intuition,
A guiding compass, a divine provision.
Trust in the path that's unfolding ahead,
For destiny awaits, leave no dream unread.

So, let your spirit soar, let it fly,
Reach for the stars that grace the sky.
In your uniqueness, you hold the key,
To unlock the magic, to set your soul free.

I hope this poem continues to uplift your soul and inspires you to embrace the beauty of your journey. May it remind you of the power, resilience, and infinite possibilities that reside within you.

"Unleashing the Soul's Journey" [Two]

In the depths of despair, where shadows reside,
A flicker of hope, waiting to guide.
Through trials and tribulations, we find our way,
Unyielding, persistent, we rise each day.

When storms brew and thunder roars,
Remember, within you, strength soars.
For within every tempest, a calm does abide,
A resilient spirit, ready to stride.

In moments of doubt, when faith is tested,
Believe in yourself, you are divinely blessed.
The power of your dreams, your purpose, your might,
Can illuminate the darkest night.

Embrace the scars that tell your tale,
They speak of resilience that will never fail.
For what doesn't break you, only makes you strong,
A testament to the battles you've fought for long.

In the silence of solitude, listen closely,
To the whispers of your soul, speaking softly.
It knows the way, the path to your bliss,
Follow its guidance, for there lies your abyss.

Seek inspiration in nature's embrace,
The gentle sway of trees, the sunlight's grace.
For in the simplicity of the natural world,
We find serenity, our spirit unfurled.

Choose kindness as your guiding star,
A ripple of compassion, traveling far.
For in lifting others, you lift yourself,
A selfless act that fosters inner wealth.

So, embrace the journey, the highs and lows,
For they shape you, as life unfolds.
With each new dawn, a chance to renew,
To discover the depths of what you can do.

Remember, you hold the key to your fate,
With resilience and courage, you navigate.
Trust in yourself, let your spirit ascend,
For your soul is limitless, its beauty knows no end.

I hope this additional poem brings you even more inspiration and lifts your soul higher. May it remind you of the strength, resilience, and limitless possibilities that reside within you.