Journeys

We journey now

From warm to cold

From young to old

From shy to bold

We journey now

From wise to wiser

From honest to liar

From high to higher

We journey now

Not always for 

The 

Better

But the point

Is still

The journey

Letter

By

Letter

Whose definition
Of  you
Do you
Live by?

And can you
Truly
Love yourself
Without

First
Being loved
For everything
You are?

We need
Each piece
Of your
Uniqueness

Every single
Person, ability, shade
We need every single
Dang difference

Every
Single
One
Of you

(And
There is
Only
One of you.)

Who let
The pets out
And who let
Them play

Hide and seek
In the storm
In the world
That I made?

Because
If we wait
For light --
For good --

To celebrate
Then
We never
Would.

So make your
Own light
Find some
Way

To shine
Right where
You are
Today.

Normalize
Perspective-shift
Changing of opinions

Normalize
Growing
More evolved

Normalize
Knowing when
To stay in
Our own lanes

Knowing when
To listen
And when
To stay silent

Normalize
Apologizing
When we make
Mistakes

We can change
Grow, know
When to stay silent
And when
To speak.

When you speak
Be mindful
Of the words --
Of those you choose
To use --

Of those
Around you now --
Of those nearer
To you
Than the one
You're putting down

Words have
Weight
And spikes
They stick
They stone
Those words
Break souls...

Be mindful
Of the words
You use.

Where does your
Bravery live?
Behind layers
Of fear?

Behind
Sweaters
And braids?

Does it
Live behind
Tears?

It's okay--
It's still here--
And so, too,
Are you

To keep saying
And doing things
Brave souls
Can do.

Make yourself up
We all do
Really

Taking bits
And pieces
From others
From experiences

From imprints
Of love
And of harm.

And if we're lucky
We have people
Who see us

And the way
We've painted
Ourselves

From bits
Of
Detritus.

If we're lucky
They see us
Rise.

I am here
And I am growing
I am the most
Imperfect
Form of me.

But I am learning
Changing, knowing
That
I cannot stay
The same.

There is betterness
Within me yet.

I see it.

I believe.

So fan its flame
And grow it
Make mistakes
And know it
Means

Come back.

Try again.

For the sake
Of those
I love.

Feeling Myself

Feeling myself
Growing
A little
At a time

Knowing
It's time
To be gentle
And kind

Because
Trauma and cold
Make processing
Slow

It doesn't
Make me less
Or worthy of
Woe.

It will be okay
We'll come out intact.
Loving ourselves
Is a radical act.

Feed Yourself

Nourishment
In this era
Of fear
And vulnerability
Is so vital.

So let's fulfill our
Basic needs
For actual food --
And also for
What feeds
Our souls --
What supports
Our emotional
Growth.

Let's let the
Examples of
Humanity
Not go
Unacknowledged
Or
Ignored.

Feed yourself
And feel
Your stuff
And know
You are
Enough.

Emotional Example

Words may fail

But your

Ample

Example

Does not.

Your honesty

Vulnerability

Your realness

Your transparency

Those things 

Show

And shine

And rise.

And you lead

And you teach

How to be human --

How to feel everything --

Grief at the brevity

Of this greatest thing.

You felt it.

And we see you.

Creating community --

Routine, structure,

Safety --

In the midst 

Of this darkness

Lurking at life's

Edges.

Drink the coffee,

Leave the

Dregs.

Nobody's Perfect

What lies just
Around the bend?
I hope it's better
Than it's been.
I want to do more
Than I can show.
Nobody's perfect.
I should know.
What lies beyond
What I know now?
I hope to somehow
Turn it around.
I want to give more
Than I can take.
Nobody's perfect.
No mistake.
What lies just
Within my heart?
Believe it's ready
From the start.
I am everything
I can say.
Nobody's perfect...
And that's okay.

Someday

Someday is a place.
It is a feeling.
It is an attitude.
It is a choice.
It does not have to be
Distant and impossible to grasp.
It can instead be here.
It can instead be now.
Because why put off
Chasing dreams?
Why put off
Living better?
Why put off
Pursuing whatever
Is best for you
When someday never really
Comes.
Because
Someday is always
This day.

Be a Tree

Have roots
To ground yourself.
Roots that anchor
You firmly
To the place
You are meant
To be.
Have bark
To guard yourself.
It may be thick
And scarred
With wounds
But still
It does the job.
Branch out -
Always keep reaching.
It is never wrong
To strive
For greatness.
Believe, in fact,
That you are
So very great.
Have leaves
To leave behind
For someone else
To find.
Leaves that grow
More brilliant
With age.
Leaves that carpet
Their walk with your
Wisdom.
Leaves that
Let them know
You were here once
And you are never
Truly
Gone.

Beyond Breathing

To be loved
Is not
The point.
The point is
To love
Now
While
You can.
To be amazing
Is not
The point.
The point is
To inspire
Others
To act
Now
While
We're here
To act.
Once the
Ink dries
On the
Pages
Of our
Lives,
There is
No going
Back.
We must
Make
The most
Of the
Days,
The hours,
The minutes
Before us.
We will not
Get a
Second chance,
But what we do
Will last
Beyond
Our breath.

What Was Left

It would be
Easy
To lie down
In the ruins
Of what was
Left.
To stay
Broken.
To stay
Sad.
To live
Anxiously
From day
To day.
But instead
Of concentrating
On what was
Taken
From us.
Why not
Focus on
What
We are
Left
With?
Even if
It takes
A little
Time
To come
Into our
Awareness,
It is
Healthy
To think
Upon
These gifts
And what
They mean
To us.

Remember To Remember

It's good to remember
Where we have been,
And it's good to remember
To trust in the future.
It's hard to remember
We are not in control
And it's hard not to
Place blame when something
Should've happened sooner.
It's sad to remember
How some lessons don't stick.
It's sad to consider
What might never get kicked.
But it is still good to remember
It is good to think back
On the good times and hard times
And the lessons attached.

Wish For Impact

Today, I am
Inspired by a friend
Who said,
She does not wish
To be amazing.
Instead,
She wants to
Inspire others
To be great
And to leave
The world
A better place
Than when
She got here.
Today, I have
Decided, too.
I do not wish
To be amazing.
I wish only
To make
An impact.

Lift

I have
A new outlook
And
Many dreams
Of this
Great day
And what's
Ahead.
I have to believe
That the past
Is the past.
That what I have
Is now.
That I can choose
My reactions.

This Is It

Lift your head up
Carry on
Keep going forward
Even if
You cannot move beyond
It's not where you stop
It's the steps
That truly
Matter in the end.