come, stay and let's talk. it's a good day to be alive
We’d beam at the sight of a green forest,
and run barefooted into the unknown.
Snails, crayfish, and tadpoles were the treasures.
I did not know a laughter could be dispensed so freely.
Songs we sang, the mountains we climbed,
all now awashed in the torrential rain.
Yet our work is still there for us.
Let’s keep going at it.
Tomorrow will be a better day.
6.29.2025
I hope you will find the way.
When you are tired or hurt,
Remember you are loved.
Many in the past and future
have, and will love you.
With what I can, I will do my part.
Take good care of yourself.
6.28.2025
I started to recognize a piece of myself in their story.
The nomadic wandering in cold darkness,
the whisper of intimacy with a knowing smile,
and the restraint to withstand what must be done.
With each step, I collect each of these pieces,
slowly weaving a collage of kaleidoscope
to guide those who may find themselves wandering
as I have been in those times.
6.27.2025
How in-depth of a conversation can you go
when you are honest is still surprising to me.
It calls a moment a realization of
how much more training you need.
I am humbled by each stroke of talk,
and appreciative of the opportunity to grow.
It appears it’s not a path walked alone,
but in the company of many, for which I am reverently grateful.
6.26.2025
After a long, arduous walk,
when someone looks into your eyes
and recognizes you,
through the labels, the ragged clothes, and pungent smell,
something inside starts glowing.
The breath becomes lighter,
the spine stretches straighter,
and the eyes soaking in more of the world.
It’s a mystery where such courage comes from,
but it’s one I am indebted to, and hope to pay forward.
6.25.2025
Like a wall of ice against a glowing sun,
a memory deeply buried in the back of the mind emerges.
Between what is appropriate and what isn’t,
I hesitated and regurgitated my words.
And then miscommunication and misunderstanding ensued,
Until I had to straighten it out and realize
that eventually, the life converges to an end.
So let me at least just say: hi.
6.24.2025
To see one glow so brightly with wit and humor
is such a gift that most unknowingly receive.
Unassuming compassion and empathy
is the utmost form of humanity.
While I find sorrow in knowing the acquaintance must come to an end,
I vow to remember it as long as my strength allows me to,
and hope that one day I can emulate at least
a tenth of the warmth unto others when the time comes.
6.23.2025
Running away is not an option.
You can face it or walk away,
carrying with you till you’re in your deathbed the notion
that you have chosen to look away.
There’s no practice.
There are formulas.
You choose among your options
and hope that you can bear the burden.
6.22.2025
Everyone loves it.
A white hair woman with magnifying glasses and stage one breast cancer who doesn’t like taking chemotherapy pills likes it.
A bald man with a boisterous laughter after a gaudy joke about his deployment to Korea in the 60s likes it.
It’s a little something we look forward to.
It connects us all with a bit of a smile.
6.21.2025
One more time, let’s shine.
Get back up and build it again,
even if it will fall down.
I have a dream. It’s not just for myself,
but for the ones I love.
In spite of all imperfections and mistakes,
I will continue on,
and we will cherish it together when we get there.
6.20.2025
Ralph with Coffee 
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