In favor of more balance

How far is it worth going

for the sake of others?

Not far at all, would probably

be the reply from the West.

All the way, would probably

be the reply from the East.

Just like that, the world is split

into school shootings and

bombings in foreign lands. 

Freedom & Commitment

Freedom can be equated to poverty:

you have nothing to lose.

Commitment can be equated to wealth:

you have everything to lose.

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

Independence

Independence is an amazing thing

it is empowering, dizzingly so,

it is like drinking margaritas on a sunny deck.

It takes us far on its wings, to places

we never imagined we'd go if we ever bothered

taking off our PJs and leaving the comfort zone.

With independence we drive our own Ferrari

no one tells us where to go or how fast to drive

but, then again, no one tells us anything at all.

Indeed, I'd say, the fall from grace can be worse

than the hangover from the margaritas on the deck

when no one is there to catch us on our fall.

Going for a Walk

I love being places where

I can walk far on my own.

It's better even if those places

are lined with trees and dirt paths

that every once in a while come to a fork

or offer a pebble to throw or a bench to sit.

I don't even mind if my feet get dirty

and my back gets sweaty and I stumble

once or twice on a stray piece of rock

if I get to glimpse one animal or flower.

And if I get rewarded with the upside down

smile of a rainbow in the sky or by the golden

setting of the sun from the peak of a mountain top,

then I know that I have done well choosing that path.

Back in the '80s in 2008

Brazilian coastline

Two Anchors

To know your priorities

makes life so much easier.

It serves as a compass

pointing you North

and letting you know 

when you're facing South.

The trouble begins

when life gets in the way

and we lose our compass

and are left stranded,

looking every which way,

like a boat adrift in the sea. 

Body and Mind

I treat my body a different way

depending on the day

sometimes I treat it like a receptacle 

there to absorb the excesses of my mind

and the abuses of society.

Sometimes I treat it like a vehicle, 

there to take me someplace else.

Sometimes it takes control

and treats me like a prisoner

trapped in its confines.

Other days it is my friend

and we have a great time together.

More often  though, it is my enemy, 

unwilling to change for my benefit.

This never-ending parade,

this work in progress,

this disaster of a body,

this beautiful machine,

gives me so many choices

and my mind, this constantly changing,

restless, impatient, fast moving, dangerous

controller of my fate, gives it so many purposes

it's no wonder we rarely meet halfway, in peace.

Take responsibility

Unresolved feelings

are like bad loans

Passing on the heartache

by ignoring it and moving on 

is not much better than

passing on a bad loan

as an attractive derivative:

they both come back 

and bite you in the ass. 

If anyone asked

If anyone ever asked

this is the advice I've give:

Stay true to yourself

be in touch with your feelings

ignore what's purely rational

because feelings have a way

of getting in the way.

I'd also say:

be persistent but don't be pushy,

be assertive but don't be aggressive.

Just don't hold it in, don't let it

build into a furious red rage.

Try to be as honest as you can.

This is what else I'd say:

Don't make assumptions

especially ones based on 

feeling rightful and empowered.

Never be afraid to ask questions.

Be flexible, but don't be a pushover.

Don't be afraid to be passionate, 

but be willing to make concessions

and keep your eye on the big prize,

which is to be alive, and mostly:

don't ignore your feelings. 

On the road to Paris

The Roller Coaster

I was on a roller coaster today,

even though I don’t like them,

I had convinced myself again

that it was silly not to like a toy.

It took me up slowly, steadily chugging along,

while I happily spied the top of people’s heads

as they moved about, consumed by their lives. 

“This isn’t so bad,” I thought to myself.

It was a beautiful view once I got to the top

I felt like I owned the world from up there.

But then the car I was in suddenly raced downhill

and I was digging my nails into the safety bar,

my hair was flying behind me making my spine cold

and I was terrified, petrified, feeling paralyzed. 

It was so beyond my control, so unexpectedly violent

I felt my lunch come up in protest and my face lose color. 

I couldn’t understand why such a fall was necessary. 

And then it happened again and again

until, by the end, I was placid and conformed

to this way of life, but I was no longer smiling. 

When I got off I refused to speak to anyone around me

feeling like I needed to figure out what had happened

and that’s when I saw that this mad roller coaster,

with all it's dips and turns, ups and downs, was just life.