When silence
Serves but shame
Breach the stigma.

We are not dying yet,
But the day's still young.

Old winds, weak and stale,
Might still turn a leaf.

Flavorless, colorless
We wage war
Over texture.

We cannot pause life,
Just our participation.
We can't control the world —
Only our expectations.

In life, unlike in travel,
Remember —
No two journeys are alike,
Yet all share
A destination.

Go ahead —
Act the part,
Flash that smile.
When I close my eyes
Or look away,
All that remains
Is the hollow,
Flat approximation
Of a laugh.

Words with a pulse —
Emotion distilled to
An open connection.

Regardless your beliefs,
Tradition does not justify
Bringing harm
To anything
Or anyone.

Do not despair,
Keep going —
Getting lost
First requires
Giving up.

Engage the undiscovered trail,
Reacquaint with long-lost thrills —
Awaken, adventurer.

A quick hello,
A little encouragement,
Just to let you know
That I think of you, my friend —
A reminder
That you are not alone.
You've got this.

Tales of hardship —
Bumpy roads
And broken wheels —
Remind me
How far I've come.

Shake the right tree
And you'll eat,
Just beware —
Shaking the wrong one
Might get you chased
By angry monkeys

Layers of composure —
Decorative and paper-thin,
Separate my inner turmoil
From the face bearing a grin.

Wry impossibility,
Stalled contingency,
My ultimate regret.
Painful afterimages
Burned into my
Mental retina —
You're with me still.

Comfort me
Until my tears run dry,
Love me
Until the pain subsides —
Never let me go.

Cast into uncertainty —
Fiddle until it feels right.

Positive spins
On negative thoughts —
Only you can
Make your day.