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I am more than the sum of my pain
More than the lessons of my mistakes
I am an amalgamations of inspirations both within and without
An unbroken Theseus ship, all parts replaced, yet a whole nonetheless

Songs on my playlist carries echoes of my friends
A recommendation where every time I play them, I remember
I remember that once we crossed paths and you left a piece of yours behind
Now it's mine truly, and I thank you for providing such things of wonder

I am a reader first and foremost, a definition of what I am
Stories have molded me, each page a speck of my soul
From religious texts, to novels, and literary pieces alike
The words have become my sustenance, as we become what we consume

To those strangers in foreign lands that I may never meet again
Their perspectives offer much wisdom to this frog in the well
Shocked by new cultures and beliefs, my horizons were expanded
I believe I've went home a little wiser from those excursions in faraway places

I admit, not all of them are beautiful, some pieces ****
Parts undesired, but parts that stuck
Lessons paid with a hard price, some twisting my self
I am still grateful they are a part of me, in my unbroken Theseus ship
“I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all the women that I have loved; all the cities I have visited.”
― Jorge Luis Borges
Pyrhos Dec 2023
Setting sail from battered shores
To wide expanse of grey and blue
Eyes set forth to unknown doors
Dawn's brilliance shining anew

To grand 'ventures worth detailing!
What better day to keep on sailing?

Flailing wildly in storm's fury
Tired and bruised, but holding strong
From water's depths shine eyes most glary
With wind and rain I sing along

From small joys, light keeps prevailing
Hold on tight and keep on sailing!

Through oases of long lost islands
Exploring shores, creeks, caverns deep
Painting memories of azure highlands
Like treasure cards to always keep

With newfound bravery, to great avail
Better shores await! Come now, set sail!
unknown Nov 2023
When I met you, it felt like a dream come true,
Finally met the coffee that’s my kind of brew,
The type of someone who’s my style,
In tea, you’re my chamomile.

Entering your ship was the best,
I can feel my heart finally at rest,
Watching the sea looked serene and still,
See with you, that’s how my soul feels.

The waves became unpredictable,
Accurate leeward was impossible,
Some parts of you were locked in the fo’c’sle,
Hence, I must learn how to drive this vessel.

Captain, without you the ship isn’t stable,
You’re safe inside while me outside, struggle,
You have your priorities, I don’t want to interfere,
But I just you’ll be with me ‘til the storm clears.

Maybe it’s not safe being with you,
Entering your ship wasn’t the right thing to do,
My decision is still clouded with fear,
Should I just jump or stay with you here?
Timmy Shanti Jul 2023
and just like that
off we went
setting our course
for uncharted waters

full to the brim
with hopes, ideas, memories
free at last
of values, tastes, prejudices
that weren’t even ours, to begin with

a mere word, said en passant,
was the very wind filling our sails
our hearts the wheel
our eyes the rudder

whatever storms we might face,
whatever perils lie in wait,
we shall overcome

for the ship we’re on
is called ‘love’
Written on a breezy summer day…
19-7-23
Bardo Jul 2023
Finding little Beauty in his world he thought
Like Jason and the Argonauts

"I'll build myself a mighty Ship with words
And out of the best parts of myself select a Crew

Then we'll set sail on the Seas of Rhyme
To the Ends of the Earth if need be

We'll bring back Beauty's Crown
To heal ourselves... and the world too".
Larry dillon Jun 2023
Crafty Waters lured the Captain
To the middle and the deep.
in the height of the hurricane,
It proceeded to speak.

"What do i matter to the birds
who exist between sky and tree?
These fish swim in my currents,
yet are unaware of me.
But for you, oh captain,
I'm everything you need me to be!
You have your ship, and your men,
and your lives at my mercy.
Today you will learn
you can't control the sea."

The dastardly Waters led him to believe,
In exchange for his life,
his crew would survive,
brief cessation from the culling winds,
and unabiding tides.
The captain decided then and there
To make the sacrificial dive.
But before he made a splash,
the hurricane came back  
and claimed his crew.
A Sage Seagull swooped down
saying," dear Captain,
those Sneaky Waters lied to you."

The trusting captain stranded,
his ship capsized,
despair in his voice,
to the clever gull he cries.
"stoic grey winged beast,
with blackened,beady eyes,
what difference does it make to you,
if a captain dies?"

The apathetic gull got close
and in a whisper replies-
"we'll trade words for fish one day,
now, repeat as I say."
The captain certain it won't help,
but he spoke them, anyway.

"Proud Waters don't you gloat!
boast about how big you pretend to be.
your power buys our fear,
turning men into memories.
But my life holds your story!
I'll tell it, if you set me free.
Am I drowning in you...
or are you drowning in me?"

Returned home.
the Captain captured fish
for the seagull to eat.
And from his lips told a story
of his time out at sea.

Still new ships think they will prevail.
Distant from diminutive land,
sailors set sail dreaming of the safety
of a mundane harbor.
Unaware of the schemes
between the Shifty Seagull

and those Maniacal Waters.

-
A story of a captain's shipwreck, an ocean's pride, and a seagull's duplicitous nature.
Hussein Dekmak Feb 2023
Your life could be going smooth like a ship sailing in calm waters, yet a sudden change in your life can turn it upside down, suddenly this ship is caught in a raging storm.

Are you ready for the rough ride? With all of your planning, knowledge, and skills?
Have you prepared your survival boat to safe shores?

Hussein Dekmak
Nigdaw Oct 2022
my ship has sailed
I waited all my ****** life
for it to come in
and now I turn round
it's on the ****** horizon
heading into the metaphorical sunset
admittedly it was only a metaphorical ship
anyway
but none the less
I've missed it
Andrew Rueter Jun 2022
While working my routine at Amazon
picking the same items I always have before
I was trans shipped to trans ship
filling me with anxiety
understanding unfamiliarity
nerve racked novice
sweat trickles down my face
soaking into my PPE.

Two man crew I'm meant to join
black guys wearing reflective vests
"I'm here to help, can you help me?"
blank stare foreground
empty workload background
perplexed aesthetic
French accented walls muffle communication
I form a reluctant alliance with repetition
yet my counterpart understands everything I say.

Their patience eases my troubled mind
when my capability falls short of my enthusiasm
hand gestures guide me free of frustration
I stay silent, only saying
"I'd talk more but I figure it'd be a hassle"
my learning ambassador understands
but his extra steps start a conversation
creating comforting small-talk acclimating aliens.

Sydna and Josue from Ivory Coast and Congo respectively
and respectful was all I wanted to be
yet I got the impression Josue was uncomfortable
after I had brought up gold, diamonds, and oil
but Sydna had taken control of the conversation
telling me all about the lottery he won to be here
I wondered what lottery's prize was living in Cincinnati
to work a factory job in Hebron.

We work bundling totes together
printing confusing and mysterious tags
reading ACY, CMH, SDF, JFK, or CSG
these bundles will be leaving CVG eventually
carried away on skids
to their indifferent destination
of the same capitalist company
just at another fulfillment center.

I guess I should be more grateful
to be in the poor nation of transportation
but I'm not—I'd rather be picking
where I can communicate with compatriots freely
but I'm far away from the south mod now
near the north side red tag area talking to strangers
it's just a shame
because there's plenty of material where I came from
but transitory shipment is where the work is.
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