these legs have places to be

quickly up the hill

they scurry

possessed by a wilful spirit

unbound from a restless mind

beaming keep-alives to the mother ship

The strength I muster

I use to obscure this weakness

running from a monster

stalking every moment

melancholy casts a long shadow

celebration turns to doubt

anxiety filled pauses at the altar

crowds witness a future implode

good vibes lambasted to smithereens

for God’s sake, someone please

put up a screen

cart away this limp day

put off autopsy

for this dog’s day

walk it off, kid

looking up at a sky full of stars

does one star question if it‘s real

when its alone

does it define itself by other stars

does the comfort of company

give it more gas to burn

and blaze brighter

does competition

fuel it with motivation

does the earned admiration

keep it sated

does it see itself reflected in another

does the collective provide purpose

a sense of belonging

is it’s personality

a collection of learned behaviours

from others

is the common wavelength

it’s only habitat

and if so what to do if

it finds itself outside of it

adaptation is survival

but does it feel sacrilegious?

what makes a star this star

and not that star

a mix of who it‘s been,

where it’s been

where it’s headed

who it shall be

Smile,

you are on camera

yet, all rights reserved

no territory ceded

easy to write a rhyme

harder to live the life

now that we are woke

lose the shroud

resist the urge

to pick up arms

and play avenger

sit right here

let’s listen to nature’s song

every being in tune with it’s world

there are allegiances

we are taught to please

shown the authorities to appease

no mention of individual divinity

what to do with latent potents

swirling within

plenty want to fence you in

status quo policing

forever a zero sum game

your loss is their win

engineered exclusivity

based on perceived scarcity

claiming to have it all

so stay in your lane

funny, the misguided get it right

thats exactly where you need to be

digging deep

mining diamonds

out of lived experience

discarding trash ideologies

distilling personal values

criticizing character

to build guiding principals

for a new tomorrow

free from present encumberments

proudly flying your flag

like no one else can

happy Independence day!

closed mouths don’t get fed

yet screaming is so exhausting

would rather pretend I don’t hunger

till the hollowness eating at my insides

pushes reason out of the driving seat

and lands me in my next highway pile up

maybe I crawl away

to sober up in the bushes

blame it all on the rain

this decade of carnage

it’s all mine

catch a smoke on the sidelines

watch others take a shot

not so free particle

in brownian motion

greedy chasm

all the charm

masking a missing foundation

a gaping hole where your face should be

infecting all you touch with wasting disease

latching onto generous spirit

twist and snap it‘s foot clean off

then turn a deaf ear

to the howls of pain you leave in your wake

blame it on your upbringing

say they turned you this

however you choose this road

everyday you refuse to heal

war with the world rages on

Thank you for your response

It took a while but it

finally dawned on me

I prayed for your intervention

You strengthened my resolve

Back straight

Chest out

Chin up

Walk tall as I made you

any port in a storm

hunker down in ambivalent territory

stay there long enough

maybe they warm up to you

better yet they loot you good

lay eggs in your hair

make your skin crawl with sores

leave you unrecognizable

you have turned accomplice

in your own ruin

came dangerously close

to your end

lightning flashed across the sky

in that split second illumination

escape was seen

out at sea, tidal waves persist

snapping majestic ships like twigs

here I come mother nature

do with me what you will

your worst is kinder still

theres no malice in the wind