it’s a slippery slope
when you take a risk
and it starts to slip
you can’t do much
but to wait and hold on.
have the strength to withstand
seeing all of what you had falling.
perhaps only in letting go,
you’ll find the right one.
11.19.2023
Month: November 2023
Light
even though we were wrapped in darkness,
we could see each other under the light
hovering over our heads.
it was a brief moment
but it was enough for me
to see the face
that shined so brightly.
11.18.2023
Sun
do not despair my dear
don’t you see
the sun is shining for you
the ocean waves at you
if you listen carefully
you’ll see the world loves you.
11.17.2023
Choice
how would you choose to live?
to take all the risks and jump in
or save yourself from it all
and wait for your chain to arise?
“do not follow a fool’s path”
you might say.
“unlived moments are like being dead”
you might also say.
I am sad to see you must choose one.
I hope you make it to the next phase.
11.16.2023
Shine
those of you who aged,
shine!
brighten the path forward
for those who follow you.
let them choose their challenge,
guide them through chaos,
and lead towards wisdom.
let us remember our humble past.
let us hope for the best
in our future.
let us shine
to bring forth brighter light.
11.15.2023
Radiant
all became white;
(even when I blinked)
the whiteness filled the universe.
and then it was dark.
like a smile that flashed
— and then gone —
there was the universe
and then aloneness.
As this ebbed and flowed,
I held on.
I don’t know what it was.
But it’s inscribed in my bones.
touch my calluses
taste my tears
peer into my iris
and you will see —
all of it is there.
11.14.2023
Arm
it’s an honor
to be here
at this moment
and hold these people
with my arms.
allow me to be useful to them
allow me to keep my principles
allow me to grow.
11.13,2023
Cold
when the truth is not what I want, I often morph it into a storyline I want it to be and put it over my eyes and ears. When it bit me, I said it was my sacrifice I willingly made. When it stole from me, I said I willingly gave to it. When it lied to me, I said I knew the truth already, but willingly feigned to believe the lie.
But in the end, the story never held,
and dark spots started to spread all over.
From the start to the finish nothing had changed.
so I told myself, I won’t do this again.
11.12.2023
Chicken Feet
She had bushy permed black hair like an average middle-aged woman. Occasionally she would chew gum as our heads stared at my math textbook where I scribbled solutions to each question. Like her dog, she was observant. She would quietly hug me from behind for a few seconds, release me softly, and mumble, “It is sort of an emotion-deprived syndrome, you know.” Her son would enter her tiny apartment during our session, slip into a bathroom across a thin wall next to where we sat, and take his hot shower. She would spread a large towel arms-wide to cover her son as he slipped out of the steamy bathroom into his room; he was too tall for the apartment. In the kitchen, she pulled out a white cubic styrofoam box. She called my attention, opened it like a Pandora’s box, and stared at my face, challenging me. Black, wrinkled, and bare-bone chicken feet sat in the box hopelessly. She pulled two out, one to me, another to her mouth. She sucked it with her jaw and then spewed out little white pills of bones. I followed, feigning courage, but my stomach was already ready to repel what was to come. Cold, rigid, and salty, I wanted to destroy it as soon as possible. When it dissipated into my stomach, I was grateful. She smiled. I felt the warmth coming back. I had grown up a little then.
11.11.2023
Laugh
let’s laugh about it.
the problems, mistakes, the faults,
let’s laugh about them all
and let’s pick it up again
from where we fell down
and keep going at it
until we get a crack at it
in the meanwhile
let’s laugh about it all.
11.10.2023
Ralph with Coffee 
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