There are two men in a trash pile That I see everyday As I walk to and from school One shirtless And with all the enthusiasm Of a bottle of soda shaken up About to bubble over. He sorts through the bags For what, I’m not sure The second in a tank top Sitting in […]
Life goals
To be satisfied with simplicity To be unafraid of indulging To see in each person a complex bundle of mysteries – not to be figured out, but to be enjoyed To make myself available – to moments of opportunity, to the people I know, and to some that I don’t – as much as I can
On witnessing (proselytizing) and dehumanization
To sit for an hour Maybe more Maybe less Listening, quietly Trying so hard Not to judge Not to get angry And lash out Nodding, maintaining eye contact Not to show agreement, but rather To show I will listen Because you are a person And people deserve the right to be heard You present stories […]
Paradox and the fullness of life
A. What does it mean To live a full life? It is something more easily felt Than explained In some ways my life has been Reckless Strange Aimless Misguided Rebellious Sinful Yet it is nevertheless a life of Discipline Self-control Drivenness Conviction Loyalty Routine Purity And I suspect that only in the fullness of these […]
To the American soldier in Afghanistan
In a way, there is much we share: A common homeland A common country of service Emotional wounds that words cannot do justice A bond with brethren deeper than the wounds Which makes returning stateside the most difficult part the journey My uniform, however, was a blue burqa The same worn by millions of Afghan […]
Human connection
How much can be captured in the locking of eyes Or the shaking of hands What sort of meaning is hidden Behind these seemingly trivial acts The mystery Wondering if the same meaning is shared By the other Or if it is your own fanciful imagining And finding a peculiar peace In the knowledge that […]
On perceived expectations
The expectations I perceive That others have of me Normally among my lesser concerns But when I sense my own Flesh and blood Wishing That I was someone different Or some former version of myself Pretending that I am Or at least could be That person Then the suffocation begins My very being Gasping for […]
On privilege
Could it be That ‘rights’ are like money? Some people are born into a place With a broad understanding Of their own rights And in fact have more Than many others Something curious happens When a person becomes aware of their ‘rights’ (Read: privilege) And of their ability to hand them over On occasion Spending […]
The fullness of joy
Contentment. Satisfaction. Sometime so elusive And at others overwhelming The knowledge So deep. So undeniable That there is beauty Incomparable beauty in everything, every person, every moment. And for some moments some hours, some days I am taken by that beauty It envelops my soul There are no words Only gratitude Tears, and gratitude.
Misaligned focus
The heaviness Not quite sadness Anxiety, perhaps Or its distant cousin Who am I When I am not myself? The cause, in part, Is one of focus The external shrinks Overwhelmed By the internal
PrOsETRY Reflections 