Animal Instinct

Maybe it’s a sixth sense,

Or

Perhaps it’s intelligence.

Whatever its source,

I just knew.

No explanation.

I just saw something,

Felt something right.

Supposedly dogs can

Smell fear,

But I think strength too.

Times

How many times do we check on time?

How much time will it take?

What time is the right time?

Where does time go?

Time waits for no one.

Rather

Time moves around us.

We swim through it,

And

We forget where we are.

We arrive late where

We thought we ought to go,

Because we were

Timely for where we ought to be.

What hurts more:

The fresh wound

Or

The forgotten scar?

Where do we go

When time takes over our being?

Do we fall into a loop

Like the analog clock?

Or

Do we drift through a sea

As if in an abyss of timeliness?

Or

Do we hover and cling

Frozen to a familiar timezone?

Or

Do we hop, skip, and leap

Across timelines finally free of countdowns?

Plastic

 The brain is a funny thing.

Supposedly,

Is only takes three days

To normalize and acclimate.

I guess that assumes

The user wishes to change.

Resistance goes a long way.

Still,

Testing plasticity is

Part of the fun.

Perhaps even most of it.

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?

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.

(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.

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.

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.

Archetypes

The Ghost 

The reminder of times past.

They can be friend or foe.

They may be overbearing,

But remember their memory is fed by the haunted.

The Yapper

The comedian.

They're the life of the room.

Perhaps you've known each other for ages.

You're drawn to their good nature,

But keep in mind the benefits of moderation. 

The Little

The unfiltered mirror.

You can count on their honesty.

They’re open to any topic,

But try not to fault them for ignoring social graces.

The Big

The wise one.

They feel like the compass in your life.

You can count on their input,

But think critically for they are imperfect like you.

The ESP

The rock.

They embody empathy and compassion.

They may be your Emotional Support,

But remember to also value their Personhood.

The Partner in Crime

The playful one.

They are easy to get along with.

They know how to boost your ego,

But beware their presence can be fleeting between missions.

The Circle

The true all-arounder.

They are adaptable and can go with the flow.

They may be the Jack of all trades,

But be careful not to pull them in too many directions at once.