Phantoms

When I was 11, I discovered poetry. It was one of those types of awakenings that you dream about, a connection I had never felt before. When I started writing verses of poetry in the fifth grade for a class project, I knew I had met my match. I fell in love, if you will, with writing, and how it sets you free from all your woes simply by putting them down on paper.

By the time I was accepted to Interlochen Arts Academy in 1998 for their creative writing program, I had accumulated eight full journals of poetry - all hand-written, all my own. Some had been published, some not - but that didn't matter. What was important to me was that they were heard. I made sure, during my high school years, that all my friends and classmates read my poems. I would bring my journals of poetry to school at times, and pass them around so everyone got a chance to look.

It dawned on me recently that I haven't shared my poetry in a long time. Given, I don't write it as much as I used to, but I still miss seeing and hearing people's reactions to it.

So, I've decided to share a poem that I wrote about a month ago, in hopes of reviving this long lost tradition of sharing the written word. I hope you enjoy.

Phantoms


Take them all out of the closet, there's no use hiding them now.
Everything you used to think was true, never could be anyhow.

Take a deep breath, and let them soar over your chest,
through the woods and over the rain-soaked mess.
There's always more to life than the past.

Explore your options, keep an open mind.
If you keep looking for answers, sooner or later you'll go blind.

Break open the ice, dive right in.
There's nothing to lose and nothing to win.
After you let them go you'll be ready to live.

Always forwards, never backwards.
Climb out at twilight and listen to the birds.
They'll teach you what you have to learn.

Go down to the shore, and howl back at the wind.
Let loose your demons and all that harbors you within -
This is the time to move, this is the time to begin.

Take out your swords and have one final fight,
now that you've escaped you can finally see the light.

Winning and losing are particles to none.
All that matters now is what's done.
Close your eyes to the world,
and become one.

####


love, me

From the Earth we Come, and to the Earth we Go

Going back to nature, I've found, helps me make sense of things.
As the revered naturalist, John Muir, once put it,
"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."
This quote comes alive for me when I take walks
with my camera and capture the beauty I see blooming around me.
It's only then that I realize I'm just a
speck in this wide expanse of earth.
There's so much more to life than the bubbles
we live in from day to day.
Just take a look outside.

L'Hiver

Below are some photographs I took in the past few months,
searching for images that would capture the beauty and
quiet solitude of the winter season.
Enjoy.

Change is Good

A couple weeks ago I turned 29 and it dawned on me then just how much my world has changed over the years. I used to hand write everything - poems, letters, diary entries...even essays. And now, in 2010, I can't even imagine writing without my computer - pens & pencils don't cut the bill since I have a keyboard that follows the rhythms of my brain waves.

But that is only the beginning. There is, of course, the internet and sites like Facebook that make you feel like you're connecting with people you never really see. And remember dictionaries? We never use those anymore, we just Google words and, like magic, their complete history appears before our eyes in less than a minute.

It's strange just how evasive technology has been in the past decade or so. It's literally taken over our lives where we can't function without our machines in tow. This blows my mind sometimes and makes me wish I hadn't jumped on the bandwagon so soon. But without all this robotic technology, I would feel strangely out of touch with the world. And that, I guess, is what keeps me hooked.

Change is good. That's what I have to keep remembering. Whether it's a change in technology, a change in a relationship, or even a change in season, there's always something beautiful to attain from it.

You start dying slowly

You start dying slowly
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.

You start dying slowly
When you kill your self-esteem;
When you do not let others help you.

You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colours
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.

You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.

You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life
when you are not satisfied with your job,
or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…

Pablo Neruda