mysteriously,
it’s not about how smart you are.
it’s about how long you can hold on
in spite of all the shit being thrown at you.
having low expectations,
and having high hopes,
one day at a time
we make a progress
no one has dreamed of.
10.20.2023
Month: October 2023
Possible
in silence, I often forgot
to remember
I can still grow.
I can be better than yesterday.
I can be wiser, more resilient,
and be more humane.
I can use these new capacities
to teach, to amend, and to improve.
in repetition, we don’t stay still.
we either regress or progress.
I choose to progress
while holding onto my virtues.
I hope to continue to grow
and be in harmony with all.
10.19.2023
Guard
behind the surface,
there is a guard.
one knee on the ground
a sword to the heart
ready to strike.
for the world is to be enjoyed
but to be prepared for
when a need of help arises.
may we have the courage
when the need arises.
10.18.2023
Facade
when I was a teenager,
I thought I’d be mightier when I get older.
Now I see the macho facade was
something those adults desperately needed
just to keep up with
what’s being demanded of them
from the society to protect what they loved.
I see now
what I loved used to protect me as a child.
as an adult, it is my turn
to protect what I love.
Heart
a heart that has been through years
of loving, fights, and endured them all
will know when is the right time to move.
we all become a fool in front of an attraction
but a soul that has been through it all
will know what lies ahead.
I pray that I make a wise decision
and proceed with caution.
10.16.2023
Feeling
I stopped and took a breath.
words are rushing in my mind.
in this deafening sound of rush
a sharp and clear thoughts
rarely rests for a second.
as I stopped, I started to feel.
I started to feel the hollowness.
I suddenly felt so alone
after all the gushing sounds dissipated.
and as far as I could see, I was alone.
it’s another dagger to be dodged, this one.
better to take a nap than to dwell on this.
10.15.2023
Guide
when I saw a new kid
walking down the street I walked,
I realized I will face them
as my mentors and challengers did.
I started to smell how they would have felt
as they stare down at this naive minded being.
so much that could go wrong, but so much potential there is.
such an ephemeral thought crossed my mind,
as I take up my roll and play to a part,
for them to perhaps remember me as I did
of my mentors and challengers.
10.14.2023
Win
smile.
even if you are tattered,
bruised all over, bleeding,
you have won your game
by staying in the game.
do not concern with others.
judge based on your own knowing
you’ve done your best.
that in itself is a win.
10.14.2023
Withstand
I start to see that when you endure,
all the challenges will become your strengths.
if you run away,
they will haunt you for the remaining days.
some are very scary.
some are deeply hurtful.
so remember that you are not alone.
you must seek company.
and then endure the hardship.
it may not make sense now,
but it will once you’ve overcome it.
10.12.2023
Grace
I am grateful
for the fights I can have
I may lose sometimes
and I may win sometimes
people may come and go.
but the fight remains.
it’s a way of life,
a way of growth,
and way of wisdom.
I grew to respect it,
and recognized it in others.
it’s a personal mission,
and we will carry it on.
10.11.2023
Ralph with Coffee 
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