Monday, November 16, 2015

Love and Light

Stepped into warm waters
Hide away welled up tears
Wash away the day's troubles
A time out, pause, reflect
Thoughts replayed back to 
Conversations of days past
Realizing these sorrows, fears
Minuscule in comparison 

There are never words found
Deep enough for a loss so profound
One cannot say "I feel your pain"
Insensitive to say "I can relate"
While we all have loved and lost
Have dreams fall apart
Felt a rug pulled under feet
A life envisioned turned bleak

There are never words
One can say to ease the pain
Drown out the loud silence
Fill the void, the darkness
Of all deepest condolences
Thoughts, prayers bestowed 
But three words resonate

 - Love To You.



Photo Credit: S.Rebeles @rebelesoteric.com

I wrote this piece on 11/11 for a friend who lost his spouse earlier this year. Re-reading it after the events last week, sharing it felt right.

For the City of Light, for Beirut, for Baghdad, for Syria, for all who have lost a loved one, their home, their country, their liberty... 

The more love and light we send, the less darkness there will be.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

El Dia de Mi Partida

No temo la muerte, la respeto 
Es por ella que 
La vida apreció
No sé cuando 
Ni cómo me encuentre

En ese día,
De mi despedida
Entre lágrimas saladas 
Dulce compañía, tequila
Sones, ofrendas 
Copal, cempasúchitl

Bailare en las mentes
Cantaré en los corazones
De mis seres queridos
Entre los recuerdos 
Eterna vida será mía





Monday, October 12, 2015

Brother.

I'd be lying if I said,
I thought of you every single day.
After all, it's been 17 years,
Since you went away.
At first, it was incredibly hard.
At times, I'd walk though the door,
Bite my tongue, on the verge of 
Asking where you were.

For myself I can say,
The pain has passed.
Just as you would've liked,
Life has gone on.
Every now and again,
I catch myself wondering
What you'd be like?
What you'd think of modern life?
Of all which has transpired?

Smashing's 1979 came on,
Makes me think of you.
Coincidentally, the year of your birth.
I wonder if you'd be into the same scene.
Hendrix, The Doors, Soda Estereo,
Writing poems, riding bikes, smoking blunts?
Would you have outgrown them all?
Would you be married with kids,
All serious and tied down?
I bet you'd still be young at heart.

One thing I know for sure,
You'd be crazy about my girls.
I do wonder if now unlike then,
We'd made amends, be on speaking terms?
Would you be proud of your big sis?
Or still question my life decisions?
I like to think you'd be impressed.
Not my title and career, to you
These would be insignificant.
You'd be glad I finally realized,
You were right about what's his face.

I like to think you'd agree
I turned out alright,
Significantly more chill
Than what you'd perceived.
Much older and wiser,
Surely we'd let bygones be.
Agree to disagree, heck
We might've turned out to be 
- Best buddies.

Bittersweet, life turns out to be.
Gone in an eye's blink.
Though you left with no regrets,
As the good tend to.
Year after year, 
We in the fish bowl -
Wish you were here.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

#CeciltheLion

Majestic African king
Eyes of Hazel, 
Golden Mane.
Against all odds
A loner self made,
Leader of the pride.

We failed you,
Your majesty.
Allowed the vile
To name his price.
Disgrace your kingdom 
Your throne gentrify. 

Cecil, We failed you.
Allowed the devil's
Privilege, white 
As his coat.
With his hyenas 
Enter the motherland
Desecrate your reign. 

We failed 
To protect you,
Your royal highness,
As you did your pride.
As certain as the sunrise
Your mane, your name
Will be avenged. 


Sunday, June 21, 2015

Party of 3


Tough Loving Pops

Thinking about you today
On Father’s Day, trying to find
The perfect words to say
While I think and ponder 
How my life has been
Through thick and thin
You’ve always been there for me.
We have not always agreed
In fact, often butted heads.
I never understood until
Just now, it dawned on me
A straight up epiphany.

All those years, I called growing pains
Discussions, arguments, tantrums
Trying to get my way
You stood your ground
As I did, to your dismay.
“If you don’t stand for something
You’ll fall for anything”
Those words you taught me,
Always stayed with in my head.
Through your tough love,
A perceived lack of nurturing
I learned just that.
To stand up, fight for my beliefs
Even if they went against Dad’s.

You didn’t edit your content
Sugar coat your words
You didn’t give in to,
Your sweet little girl.
You didn’t hug constantly
Dry away my tears,
That is what mom is for.
She has always been my pillar
Gotten credit for who I am
Yet I realize, more than ever
One tough old man
Shaped my character.

It only took 37 years 
To realize the tough love 
Of one constant man
Made me stronger, than any man.
So much so, I’ve proven
I don’t need one to stand.
For that, I am eternally indebted.
Through your tough love,
I grew into the woman
I was born to be.
As I am proud to call you father,
Hope you are equally proud of me.
For all I am, I owe to you.
Much like Cash’s
Boy Named Sue


Sunday, June 14, 2015

Lighter Shade of Mood

Never got around to writing that song 
'Bout thinking and missing 
'Bout returning from a visit 
Coming off the high of with you being

The thought was always there
Though the words would not come 
Wasn't quite as dark, indigo mood
Many moods, lighter shades of blue

Never got around to writing them blues
'Bout all the different shades, moods gone through
From the faintest, lightest sky 
To the deepest, starkest ocean hue

Never got around to writing that,
For a song author I am not
Though the words didn't come 
Maybe it's the thoughts that count

Never got around to writing....
Damn, I've forgotten what 
Drawing up a blank, case of writers block
After all is said & done & done & said

Guess the thrill is gone.


Thursday, June 11, 2015

HIBOTAN🌙🌵

Do not shower me with flowers
Be the water, quench my thirst
Do not over water, drown me
Leave me room for growth

Be the caring hands, transplant me
When the world around becomes too trifling 
When roots are overcrowded tipping
Over, falling unbalanced from overgrowth

Be sustenance, feed my mind
Pollinate my every thought
Propagate my offspring - respect
Support and kindness to all you come across

When all the work, care and nurturing
Become too much to maintain
With trimming shears, remove what needs to
Careful not to cut yourself

Be constant in your resolve, do not fear 
I will not wither or dry out
Do not startle, or be confounded to find
I was never a delicate rose,
still a cactus bloom


Monday, June 1, 2015

I wish ...

                         Photo: @rebelesoteric 

I wish I didn’t care

       When and if you think of me

       If you knew the amount of times 

       You cross my mind’s eye

       Would it be foolish of me

I wish I didn’t care

       Where it is you might be

       Hundreds of miles away

       Perhaps trudging over wet sand

       Maybe holding another’s hand

I wish I didn’t care

       To know who that might be

       Do they appreciate what I did

       Are you content, fulfilled, inspired

       Do they take my place 

                                  as your biggest fan

I wish I didn’t care

       What you do with the time

                                                once mine

       Do you carve out space in your life

       For new memories, travel

       Remember the helicopter ride

I wish I didn’t care

       Why you decided the one wasn’t me

       Though you swore 

                               we were meant to be

       Too good to be true, I thought

       Yet still believed

I wish I didn’t care 

       Enough to wish you well

       And just be

  

   C’est la vie

 

                 

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

#ferguson


My heart is heavy
My mood somber
Finding it hard to express
While my mind wonders

So much injustice 
In these modern times 
The more things change
The more they stay the same

Another brother taken
Too young, too soon
A mother, father, grandmother 
A whole community mourns 

Angry words to the already insulted
Tear gas, though already crying
Rubber bullets shot at the already wounded
Barrickading the already imprisoned

By preconceived notions
Centuries of hatred and poison 
Treated as second class citizens 
Expected to bow down and take it

Thursday, April 9, 2015

So much more...


I'm so much more than tits,
So much more than thighs.
Still you tried to trick me,
To let you come inside.

Down played perceived imperfections,
Falsified affection.
Played the part to a tee,
Trying to claim your stake on me.

Painted a pretty picture,
Conjured up a nice story.
Weaseled your way into my head,
With hopes of getting a little head.

No longer the girl you used to know,
Falling for pretty, smooth talking romeos.
Into a woman I've grown,
Hustling & getting my own.

I'm so much more than what you see,
So much more than a pretty face & curved lines.
Still you tried to step,
Come at me with the same tired line.

Pretty things may be appealing,
Don't even get me started on shoes.
But even I know it's time to let go,
When the souls have worn through.

There's so much more to me,
So much more than you will ever see.
See this? Me drawing the line,
Protecting my heart, dignity & mind.

I'm so much more than a silly crush,
Worth so much more than infatuation.
Bigger than what you fed, a fantasy.
Don't believe me? Just look at my reality.

I'm so much more, so let by gones be.
Immaturity & insecurities did you a favor.
I'm just getting started, yet
Already more than you're equipped to handle.

Whatever it wasn't, let it be - Absolved.
You once said I'm the smartest 
Woman you've known,
How do you like your knowledge served?


Photo Edit: Sonia Rebeles 
www.rebelesoteric.com


Monday, March 23, 2015

Scent of a man

Rain kissed Chihuahuan desert 
Magnolias lingering 
In the night's summer breeze 
Intoxicating, addicting like 
Honeysuckle to a bee

Grounding,
Relaxing Lavender
Exotic jasmine infused oil,
Luxurious roses, hyacinths
Welcoming spring

Frankincense, myrrh
Venerable, heavenly blessing
Cleansing, 
Purifying burning sage
None compare to his

Pheromones
Exiting, enticing to me
Stimulate ol factory
Elicit ancient memories of my
Nubian King



Thursday, March 12, 2015

My Child, My Sweet



My child, my sweet
How I've waited so,
Impatiently to see you,
To hold you, to meet you

Carried you in my womb 
Kept you safe and warm
Fed you, read to you
'Til you were ready, full term

Yet on that day, of your birth
The same person I was no more
With your first breath, with your first cry
It was you who gave me life. 

Thursday, March 5, 2015

I thrive

Photo by: @rebelesoteric 

I will thrive
For every stick and stone
For every evil word
Burns my desire 

For every lie and indiscretion
For every callous
Back hand 
I will thrive 

For the power 
Of my silence 
Is no longer
Yours to keep

For only weak
Resort to violence 
Powerless over me
I thrive 



Friday, February 27, 2015

Onomato(poei)a

All held in, distended 
'Til it couldn't hold anymore 
Such a relief to let it all go
To release, to let it flow
Held in for so long,
Shhhh
Take time, deep breath
Readjust to normal size
Exhale, sigh

Photo By: @rebelesoteric