#1

Life, fulfilling or not, is life and needs
no explanation of why it is the way it is;
it’s a matter of choice and acceptance.

#2

Life hangs on by a string of broken dreams,
as told by one human being after another
looking for some magical bean
called hope: the fuel for tomorrow.

#3

This mission called life; only a few
in the world have the wisdom
to accomplish it; there are so many
ingredients to add to make its taste unique
to each person’s plate of food.

#4

Many people equate life
to love, family, and laughter.

Responsibility is a wake-up call
—prioritizing need over want.

Bright, hypnotizing lights; lukewarm smiles
center stage hit the spotlight
boy bands in grown men’s bodies
they have something to prove
and everything to lose rusty moves
join the line for physical therapy
insert a little drama, egos galloping in the way
the goal is to make a comeback.

Hold me gently, lovingly; keep my heart
safe even when the world is crumbling
around you; don’t lose track of
my uniqueness; safeguard my presence.

Sometimes those random memories resurface
(from a long time ago), out of the blue,
without warning, projecting me back
to that moment when everything good
around me crumbled in my hand;
my bad days were plentiful,
and I felt sorry for myself.

Thoughts sprint through my mind
like track stars; I have to chase
after them before I forget my ideas.

I’ve got a lot of things pedaling
through my mind; I see the world
in a brighter light; suddenly, those materialistic
things I raced after seemed pointless; I wanted
to join the crowd of the best-dressed,
best bank account, best car, best apartment/house,
best family/kids—I aimed for my best
outside appearance; meanwhile, I was a mess
inside, handing everyone what I thought
they want to see or hear from me
suppressing my unique personality.

Man cannot
fit
into a broken system.

Back then, I thought my life was hell
and I wanted the torment to end; I dreamt
of a better, peaceful life; mentally exhausted.

I’ve searched for love and thought I found it
but it wasn’t what I expected; that kind of love
demanded a piece of me that didn’t feel right
I had to walk away from the fear factor
and emotional abuse wrapped up
neatly with its multiple personalities.

As I sit here and write, I realize
I possess the power
to strengthen or weaken people’s mentalities.