Thanksgiving is almost here,
annoying school bells have stopped ringing.
Turkeys are huddling, out of sight,
and the garbage men are singing.

We’re beginning to prep side dishes,
slicing, dicing, mashing, peeling,
and I’m smiling ‘cause I feel myself
swept up in holiday feelings.

I hope that Macys is ready
for their seasonal parade.
We’ll be watching as we start to cook
the banquet that we’ve made.

I’m wishing everyone plenty,
as we shelter in our homes.
On this tame 2020 holiday,
that we’re spending home alone.

our palms form steeples
where friendships and family
fed a lean year -
sails align with stars' constancy,
assurances that celestial visions
will chart our course
from inter coastal brine
toward Prussian blue sea-spray
unfiltered sunlight,
blissful afternoons await
beyond today's uncertainty
splayed clouds break, reforming
parceled dreams,
awaken your heart to feel
the healing days outstretched,
this gravitational pull of love

when we first came to this land,
blood was shed for our entitlement.
when we first came to this land,
we took the things that were never ours
and trampled its native growth.
when we first came to this land,
we instilled in it a sickness that may never be cured;
we tarnished sacred lands with greed we call virtue,
and when we did so, we stood on the throat of humanity.

there are some people who are doomed to repeat history.
there are some people who will trample native growth,
spread sickness,
and stand on the throats of our people.
with the heavy weight of six centuries upon our shoulders
we stand,
a hobbled nation no longer able to stride,
heads held high,
through this sea of blood without meeting challenge.

with six centuries passed, we commit genocide anew.
it is not the native growth that suffers,
but the very peddlers of greed who are infected
by the sickness of consequence.
but they alone will not suffer.
as we march through this new iteration of history
wearing death masks instead of cloth,
thousands of innocents lose their lives
in a battle of which they were never a part.

the single day that we dedicate to gratitude,
the one day of the year some remember
to give thanks in between passing heavy dishes,
is not a commemoration of discovery.
it is a commemoration of consequence and greed.
and six centuries later,
it is our own people who we will massacre with the cry of freedom.

Seeing it again
That innocent view
Undisturbed eyes
Bright, clear and new
Open

Feeling it again
Pastures of grass and light
Butterflies as fairies
Magic is true sight
It feels so good

To be open
To feel alive
Excited to be alive

I am human
Imperfect naive little human
But it's so hard to Be
I have to give us some sympathy
This is a frightening journey
But I am doing it

Prouder
Stronger
Open
Here

This experience is art
My Life is a symphony
The human experience an exhibition
It's all so tragic and beautiful
I love it

Thankful
Prouder
Stronger
Open
Here

given name
given ***
given the eyes of a billion
spectacles that look you
up and down, giving because
they have to give.
what to do then?
1. grip the silver lining
and begin a journey
(REPEAT, REPEAT)
2. face the glass doors
that lead to a different forest and bring
the honey back
to the hive
you must give
who are you?

082920

Nagbibilang na lamang ako ng oras
Upang ang bukas ay tuluyan nang kumalas
At kusang sumabay sa palakpakan
Sa entabladong nakatikom sa aking damdamin.

Ilang taon nang nakikibaka ang Iyong mga kamay
Sa modernong pagkatha at paglikom ng mga salapi.
At sa aming hapag-kaina’y ilang ulit na akong tinutukso
Ng mga matatamis na panimula sa telebisyon —
Na baka sakaling matikman ko rin
Ang hain nila sa sarili nilang hapag-kainan.

Minsan akong nangulila
Buhat sa kawalan nang may mga katanungang,
“Sino nga ba ang tama?”
Na sa paulit-ulit na pagtatapon ko ng mga ito’y
Ang mga ito rin ang sumasampal sa aking pagkatao.

Ngunit ang totoo’y:
Nilimot ko na ang mga katanungang iyon
Hindi ako sumabay sa agos ng galit
Na bumabawi sa aking paghinga
Na tila ba ako’y pagod na
At gusto ko na lamang manahimik mag-isa.

Nais kong sambiting
Hindi ako nagalit nang minsan mo kaming pinagtaksilan,
Inisip ko na lamang na iba ang latag ng kapalaran —
Iba ang laro sa loretang ito
At hindi ito madali —
Pero ito’y panandalian.

Siguro nga —
Iniisip **** saan nanggaling ang mga ito
Ang mga salitang tila ba hindi ko man lamang pinag-isipan
At tuluyan kong binitawan
Gaya ng pagbitaw mo para sa amin.

Pero gaya ng sambit ko —
Hindi ako galit,
Hubad ang aking emosyon
At umaapaw pa rin ang aking pagpapasalamat
Na sa mga oras na ito’y —
Hindi mo kami iniwan.

Higit pa sa pagpapabatid ko ng pasasalamat sa ito’y,
Nais kong ihagis ang aking mga kamay sa langit
Na tila ba higit pa sa nagagalak ang pakiramdam
Ang aking puso’y tiyak na ang grasyang alay ng Langit
Ang gumawad sa akin ng kalayaan.

Malaya akong piliin ang saya kesa sa galit,
Na parang paghihimay ng mga butil ng buhangin,
Parang imposible, di ba?
Pero naging posible
At wala na akong maihain pa
Kundi ang umaapaw kong pusong
Ginawang Malaya ng Maykapal.

Lubos ang aking pagsamba,
Salamat Ama.
Salamat sa dalawa kong ama at Ama.

This isnt a poem of my thought,
Its a deep lesson life taught
In the darkest wees of the morning,
I woke feeling like ****
The previous day drowned me in defeat,
Weakness overtook me without  warning ⚠
The dawning morning was no better
Rats had eaten my drugs
I've never felt such bitter
I cursed them little thugs
The shouting and horning came within warning
In the background, groans of pain
I happen to be a staff of accident and emergency
Where we treat injuries of utmost urgency
Someone was dying at my gate,
I let them before its too late
All who brought him were more tensioned than power lines
I only had to look to understand their deep worry lines
A man's gut was outside, dripping red
This ain't just red, it's blood
Being military born and bred,
Emotions never Flood at sight of the red
Kidney, intestines, liver and all
Whose for rhymes sake i call paul
We're torn, even his bladder and gall
My legs shivered, I almost took a fall
My body shivered despite engine heat
I searched for the nearest seat
At the sight of man's raw meats
My heart skipped 10 consecutive beats
What made it even more touching,
Was what he kept moaning,
What he kept asking
He'd been climbed by a tow vehicle engine,
While sleeping,
His tow vehicle engine
A trailer that tows trailers
He'd been virtually killed by it
Partially killed by it
Yet he kept asking of it
Praying nothing happens to it
My eyes almost broke in tears
Something that hadn't happened in memory long years
Despite everyone's fears
This man had different fears
This was something he didn't value before
But as he laid on death's dark shore
He valued it like never before
This made me feel bad, then sad, then mad
Realizing I don't value enough, all I had
Always complaining things are bad, times are hard
But not anymore,
I won't get to death's dark shore
Till I appreciate, give thanks even more,
What I have now even before,
Every single scrap in my life store
Life is a gift I realize,
A gift, a trophy, a prize
Not by chance or a game of dice.
To live is divine consent,
Every second, years, every moment
It's a gift called the present
Life's too short to resent
Be thankful sister, be grateful brother,
And please share this with another
This isnt a Made up story,
It's a true life story.