The flame.
Oxygen fans flames
to keep them alive
like souls in bodies.
Breathing in –
inhaling,
dragging, drawing,
sometimes panting,
or even gasping –
to stay alive.
Then the inevitable
exhale.
The contraction of the lungs.
Release.
Relief.
Then expanding once more –
to stay alive.
Fanning the flame of the human spirit.
First the initial spark.
Then brightening,
glowing,
flickering,
dimming than bursting.
Oxygen flowing in and out –
to stay alive.
Today, you are born.
Everything has re-created itself for you.
And in response,
All there is to do is love.
Inhaling, exhaling.
Eyes cracked open for the first time,
Seeing:
the world for the first time.
Your mother, your father,
Your sister, your brother.
Yourself –
for the first time.
Him, her, us, them – all.
The dense blades of lush green grass
and blazing canary yellow sunlight.
Cool, cerulean skies
dotted with shape shifting cotton candy clouds.
Wind rushing toward your fresh face,
Glittering ocean waves.
Entire bodies of water
re-created for you
to love for the first time.
The feeling of cool, gritty sand
slipping through your clenched fists,
shifting underneath the weight of your feet.
The first time you heard a crack of thunder,
Shivered in the rain,
Then tasted a warm strawberry sunset.
Experiencing it all today
For the first time.
And in response,
All there is to do is love.
Inhaling, exhaling.
Until you lay down for another rest.
Until, again, the opportunity presents itself –
Born again, to another new day.
The world re-creates itself for you.
And you awaken, and crack your eyes open,
To love it all again,
Like it’s the first time.
“Today, you are born.” – BEM
The most fearful moment is
when we stand on that ledge
looking down below
from the airplane
cliff
diving board.
Butterflies in your stomach
Life flashing before your eyes
Like film,
polaroids,
stills.
But the weird thing about it is
If we never took that leap of faith,
Swallowed that ball in our throats,
Ignored the butterflies
and the adrenaline that made our
blood pump and hearts race like hell,
There would be no highlight reel
8×10 glossies
Instagram feed
of memories
Flashing through our minds.
And so, as we go on,
There will always be that new moment,
Dying for its place on the reel.
And the only thing that allows it to happen
Is that same moment
In different places
At different times
On different ledges
Where we find ourselves
Feeling that screaming feeling
Between fear and courage.
Mocking you,
Taunting you,
Because oftentimes what looks and feels like falling down
Is really a jolt up
Into that sparkling, crackling, newness,
And the look down is merely
A reminder
of what you’ve accomplished
Lying beneath you, behind you, underneath you.
Supporting you
As you stand tall,
preparing to skyrocket forward.
Screaming
between clenched teeth,
eyes,
fists
Into that sparkling, crackling, newness.
“The ledge” – BEM
When I love myself,
I love the world.
When I respect myself,
I respect the world.
When I love myself,
I love the world.
If eternity is within
a grain of sand,
All of humanity
is within itself.
My neighbor is my mirror.
I look into his eyes
and I see myself.
When I speak to my sister,
I hear myself.
Self-love, self-care, self-respect
are all just an act of
community service.
When I love myself,
I love the world.
When I love the world,
I love myself.
“compassion is self care” – BEM
heartbreak and cigarettes 