Mistress

What's in a name?

Some would have you think "nothing",

But I say otherwise.

It's all in the name.

Don't deny it.

But

What's in the name to 

You?

Is it the one that exists to meet you

Where you are?

The one that you know

You could live without?

The one whose time

You feel is disposable?

Or

Is it one that commands

The utmost respect?

The one that you know

Will demand your best?

The one who you understand

Will hold you to your place?

Hear me when I say

You best be aware of the ones who will

Snap you back into place

Without a second thought

To your pride.

So,

What's in the name

To you?

Risk, Reward, Recovery

<What are you willing to lose in order to gain?>

What’s the nature of the toll?

<Name your price.>

Magnetic North

If I close my eyes,

It’s as if I’m spinning.

I’ve no sense where north is.

I could fall out right here,

But something keeps me upright.

Maybe it’s centrifugal force…

Whatever the case

It’s my senses that keep me planted

In the moment

Like a magnetized pull.

Temperance

 I thought I was helping you,

But I was also hurting myself.

It's not your fault that I chose to go out.

I had to sink before I could swim again,

And the other side is like a first breath.

What am I forgetting?

I don't know anymore.

But I feel that my hands are empty

when it should not be so.

I'll have to gather the forgotten pieces later.

What do we do when

No one is in control?

How many times can we start over

before judgment day?

Will a spark burn down our progress,

Or 

Can we endure long enough to see the roots flourish.

Ci piacerebbe

Ci piacerebbe.

…dove andremo?

…dove ci troveremo?

Sei figo. Sapevi?

In fatti è la verità.

Mi sente come se stessimo percorrendo

Senza la mappa,

Però

Non importa finché

Impariamo insieme dove andremo.

Scales, Stingers, Stripes

Let’s play a game.

You poke me,

And I’ll swing at you.

Let’s test our wits.

I’ll follow your instructions,

But you’ll have to predict the loopholes.

It’s all fun in balance.

Can a scorpion resist using its stinger?

Can a tiger change its stripes?

I doubt it.

Dust to Dust

From particles we are gathered together,

And

To particles we return.

One is all; all is one.

It's the circle of life.

So,

Surely we can feed ourselves

Through this loop…

Right?

Right.

What about the dead?

Might we feed them too?

The dead decay into the soil

Ready to be consumed

By the living.

Let not their offering be in vein.

Absorb their nutrients…

Metabolize them…

Fertilize them…

Then

We might find we

Can give life to the dead.

So then

They might find

They have strength to depart.

Una mucca unica

Le mucche sembrano strane.

Sono è nascite solo per essere cibo

Dal umano.

Ma non questa mucca. 

Quest’una è importantissima.

Giusto perché

È viva.

In una statua di plastica

Il secreto dorma.

Mentre l’orologio guarda,

Il cerchio resta all'interno.

(un)Learning

 Why is it easier to learn bad on accident?

 Why is it so hard to unlearn bad?

Well...

 Perhaps it's that we can see the long road ahead,

Or perhaps it's that we can't see ahead after all.

 But...

 We can see behind us,

 And

 It's probably a longer path behind us,

 So more to see and get out.

 Yeah maybe.

Degrees of Slope

Lab.

The practice arena.

A training ground.

A controlled space where the rules are plain.

Touchpoint.

Involved, but not always significant.

The slope forms.

Finish line.

A goal is set.

It's not about reaching the line.

It's the intent to try that marks this presence.

Bond.

Forged through chemicals.

Sometimes forgotten.

Always in effect.

Cat Eyes

Have you ever been shocked by a cat?

You go to caress the soft fur when suddenly

The experience turns painful.

Have you ever learned from a cat?

They will not come by prompting.

It must be their own decision.

But also

That just means the work morphs

From patience to maintenance.

Their attention is not free

To choose

Out of convenience.

So work every

Day

To earn their presence.

Simple Answers… Ed una verità complicata

<The simple answer is yes, but the truth is more complicated.>

I understand firsthand now what you meant then.

Glass

Have you ever felt like glass?

What kind?

<What're my options?>

Float,

Tinted,

Reflective,

Coated,

Mirror,

Laminated,

Tempered,

Insulated,

Textured,

Acid-etched,

Stained,

Smart,

Anti-glare,

Anti-reflective,

Borosilicate,

Choose.

Money Matters

I wish I could predict how the winds will blow.

I wish It was okay to sink the eggs into one basket.

But it’s not.

I wish I could protect you without fail.

I wish I could count on the best happening.

But I have no way to do that.

How do I know the worth? 

How will I know the level is met?

Surpassed?

What more than time can show for it?

That worth is placed correctly in the dark.

Basta così

What is enough?

Is it enough to love,

To work hard,

To give it all?

What is worthy?

Is it worthy to feel fulfilled,

To feel free,

To feel happy?

When is enough?

When is return diminished,

Too much effort for the payout,

Too much sacrifice for the promise?

Who's to say when the line is?

Who's to say where the bar is sits?

Basta così.