When I dare to go deep inside
I get scared at what I might find
It’s not that I loathe myself
But I fear that if I expose myself
Nothing will ever be the same
When I go to that sacred space
Where no soul has ever dared to peer
A place where I long retired the key
I fear that once that door has opened
All will be in vain
When I go past that protected entry
I know that you are curious to see
It’s not that the sunlight will scorch you
I fear that the rivers might drown you
So that you no longer remember my name
I am a sifter
So I can be objective
Regarding the sincerity of my smile
About why I laugh
About whom I assign
The key that renders my being whole
I am a sifter
So I can be intentional
Regarding the weight of my words
About when I speak
About whom I honor
With the deepest secrets of my soul
I am a sifter
So I can be purposeful
Regarding the circumstance of my cares
About what I love
About whom I anoint
As partner on the chariot of my vexation
I am a sifter
So I can be held accountable
Regarding the direction of my dreams
About where I peer
About whom I embrace
As the beacon of my aspirations
No speech, no thoughts,
Quiet is what they want.
So that is what they get.
I will never speak about love or respect-
For anyone, so I will still as a stone.
Cold, frozen, and hard as bone,
But bones can still break and crack.
Pressure, consistently adding to the stack,
Of many worries that hide inside of me,
And they do not know or see
Anxiety, is the name,
Of the thing that came,
When my friends said.
“Love with him is dead...”
("Halves of a Whole", 2019, original encaustic)
The Great Paradox of Being
The great paradox of being
is simple really.
It’s that no matter how confident we are
in our own experience and values,
that can all be thrown into question
by our experience of others.
Why is it we let other’s reactions and judgments
weaken our resolve, and confidence in being who we are,
the only thing we ever really know,
the only thing we should never really doubt?
The great paradox of being
is the reality of being a social animal,
individually grounded
but socially dependent
in need of acceptance and validation
warmth and nourishment
knowing in our bones
from hard knocks and harsh words
that no matter how strong
we can’t do it alone.
The great paradox of being
is simply being both
one and many.
(11/17/23)
Our teacher says, “By peer teaching you can learn,
You can share your thoughts lovingly through cooperation”
But there’s always a big problem with my peer partner, Fern
She's quite clumsy! Keeps dropping her stuffs when it’s my turn.
She crawls on the floor to get things, taking time to get up,
Her attention is so shallow, my patience is no longer enough;
Just enjoy crawling on the floor my friend, I won’t let you stop,
Anyways, you’re the best student in this class… always at the top.
I’ll just lay down cozily my head on our old school desk,
Thanks for sharing your bright ideas, clarifying things and all the rest;
I fervently hope you won’t hurt your knees, back and neck,
And nobody will find you crawling on the floor especially Mrs. Leclercq.
The talebearer with words as sharp as nails,
Etched with a mark of tales,
Prancing with thoughts of maim,
Proclaiming an innocent face touche,
"What will you gain,"
"By causing peer pain,"
Oh talebearer foul minded you are,
What is it?, bound to it you are,
Rip your tongue out,call you,
Rip your tongue out,save you,
Two faced is your tone,
No fear to your baritone,
Your tongue twisted,
A trouble grave presented,
Talebearer your words are as sharp as nails,
Etched on you is a mark of telltales,
Prancing with thoughts of maim,
For you proclaim an innocent face touche,
"What will you gain,"
"By causing peer pain,".
ancients believed time lends...
any-chance for anything
anywhere that science be correct...
so its manifestations not crrrack
however two dozen ancient pyramids sank
into the sands unlike the boats of plank...
that carried the stones across distances
to the desert locale of historic instances...
of stone creations built to float on sand...
ancients science and mathematics was something grand
stan sand
Walking through the halls unopposed,
Seeking weakness and pillaging fears,
Bullying the weak and it’s all cheers,
All those around with their eyes closed.
Large crowd, feeling alone; enslaved behavior,
Tied and bound to posts of false peers,
No one here seems to be as they appear,
Looking around seeking help from a savior.
Where are angels, the volumes they speak,
All over the socials, videos and internet,
Protection from demons whom all forget,
Yet, no voice for the one whom seeks.
To act in good faith for the ones in need,
False angels, the peer pressure they require,
It must change, their mindset in crossfire,
Else the slave here continues to bleed.
. for public domain
I noticed a hollow in the banyan seed,
but I would not have seen a hollow was there
if not for the boundary,
the inner lining of the flesh.
And so I notice when I look inside me,
deep beyond the hum and the light, silence lays bare.
An emptiness hovers there,
where the light and the hollow mesh.
Every hollow that I have yet noticed
seems the same as any other I compare.
Beyond senses, thoughts, and feelings,
I dive into it and refresh.
his daughter is smiling
this bedouin full of trust
but she is so beguiling
and bed her I must
"fair lady, enchantment I see
would you care to dance"
"kind sir, you honour me
I am grateful for a chance"
Can we love forever
and forget never
she moves with such grace
matching his swing and sway
and as they embrace
they merge into a ballet
she agrees to retire
to passions of the night
fulfilling his desire
before he drifts into twilight
Can we love forever
and forget never
Peer awakes to thoughts of bliss
he moves to caress
but no one there to kiss
looking around just emptiness
outside there is nothing
all possessions gone
even missing his gold ring
just clothes he has on
A love forever
is now never
so abandoned he learns
it is often the way
to take what one yearns
there may be a price to pay
(inspired by Peer Gynt ballet "Anitra's Dance")
blazing hot like cayenne pepper,
especially in adolescent years,
malleable youths
bend and capitulate
to peer pressure;
grown folks take the bait, too.
it could be a simple
"try this like the rest of us cool kids!"
or just an effortless nudge of
"you're missing out!"
to descend
an impressionable youngster
down
down
down
the rabbit hole
of insidious seduction.
the benefits of peer pressure are there,
though few and far between.
It's challenging for a lone hold-out
to resist the temptation
of wading in deep into
the muddy waters of coercion
when all his "cool kids" buddies
have crossed over
to the dark side.
no matter your relationship
with anyone forcing you to try
or do anything that goes against
your belief system,
your moral code, say no
if you feel even a tad uncomfortable!
refuse to go down
the primrose path of uncertainty.
don't allow yourself to be
handcuffed, or guilt-tripped
into walking down the road to regret.
It's best to abandon ship,
or better yet, don't board
if any proposition feels false.
Date written: 11/20/2022
Man loves friends
Babies have toys as friends
Children have peer groups as friends
Young men like making friends
Friends can become spouses
Entrepreneurs have ambitions and dreams
as friends
Stars are friends of the moon
The splendid glow is the friend of sunset
The shore is the friend of the sea
We are friends of our grandchildren
Pets are man's friends
Only genuineness and sincerity of heart
Showing a true love
Only sincerity and cordiality
Is a sign of friendship
Technically, not a sea at all,
Lake Superior churns up its share of sea storms.
There is not a lot to do in Marquette, Michigan:
Except for high school drivers to "buzz the gut",
Or cruise past a courthouse where "Anatomy" was filmed.
You could smoke dope or drink underage
Under a disused, fourteen story ore pocket dock.
Rusted off shards of flat black paint
Fall on the gently sloshing waves.
There is a breakwater of dumped cement blocks
That has a chain-linked fence and sign that says,
DANGER! NO TRESPASSING!
But of course, the young ones do.
And better yet if a sea storm comes.
Maritime law forbids including those who drown
As sailors lost at sea.
PEER PRESSURE
I slit my wrists
To put some ice on it
Being cool has a price
(Tesem Tellz Ikima 2021)
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