to want subtracts from life
to be grateful adds to life

           — the math of life

arms and legs bound
trapped in a pine box
gasping for air
a feeling that chokes my gut
when a moment of solitude
escapes me

losing yourself
is gaining the world

whatever our endeavor
we try so hard to be seen
to succeed through popularity
but the more we focus on
pleasing the crowd
the further we stray
from our initial endeavor
forget the crowd
do what brings you joy
if you touch the hearts
of only a few
that is enough

a spontaneous nature
is a nature of free will
to act in the moment
is to be free of restraint

We are made of stars
Divine everlasting light
Gifts of existence

shaken I take stock
parrots shrieking loud

sunny days drift by
mock assail my space

flowers bloom but brief
blink and they're replaced

trees take fifty years
decimated swift

people killed, displaced
earth protests in pain

stop, opt out, you're lost
left with platitudes

can I drift removed
isolation seek

then again I see
I sound like them now

if I sulk and pout
fail to see my path

rise above and live
carve a vibrant self

ripples echoing
circle all this globe

passage clipped and purged
take a mountain pass  

rein in darkening clouds
grasp some grit this day

my love burns brighter
when i must reach for my lover’s hand
my heart grows fonder
when the distance between us expands
my wants burn with desire  
while my haves are lost to the fire