Faces

Behind every face

Is a darkness

In many imperceptible

In precious few

Visible

In virtually none

Hidden

You do not see

Because you do not look

Do not want to see

Occasionally you 

Recognize

And realize

You are not alone

Elements that matter

Air
Fire
Water

Maya

The true love of my life

I love her

Without question

I would do anything

To keep her...

She is not mine to keep

Only to protect

And shelter 

Water

Air 

Fire

The elements of my life:

Water - her

Fire - our instinctual bond

Air - an undeniable necessity

I breathe and receive

All that is good

And quiet

In silent acquiescence 

I appreciate the silence

Adhere to it

With fire in my heart

My daughter

My soul

No matter what she does

Who she becomes

Etched on my soul

She is life incarnate

She is fire

Water

Air

She is real

And I will never forget

I am the one

Who brought her

To co-exist

Fire

Water

Air

I breathe

I drown

Exhale

Ascend, and

In the end

We are all that matters.

Relax

Each person who has touched me
Has left a mark
Indelible
On my psyche,
my soul,
my mind,
my body
By choice or by force
Irreversible

Any attempt at removal would leave scars
Scars that exist upon scars
Bruises shaped over bruises.

A body does not move backward
It is not locked in place

A mind creates pathways
Connections that later cannot be disconnected
Only revised

Once healed, scars inflict less pain
Sometimes none at all
Some scars invoke pleasant memories
And some unpleasant
What's done cannot be undone
That is as it should be

We inch closer each day toward new wounds,
New scars,
New memories
New pleasures and new pain
The old are not forgotten but diluted
Extinguishing the flame

I am glad for this
I welcome the freshness
Of life not yet lived
Future promises fulfilled and broken
I do not hesitate to step forward
I rarely look back
What would I see there but damages done
To my body,
My flesh,
My soul

Mind over matter.
Never mind.
Only ask
How have I fulfilled my fate?
Have I created destiny?
And when I sleep
I dream
And there is nothing can take that from me

Would I choose to do things differently?
Yes
Do I regret my actions or the actions others inflicted on me?
Yes
Would I change them if I could?
Yes
Can I change?
Yes

I can change.

Don't ask too many questions
Only ask what drives me forward
Through each moment of clarity
In the present.

Relax.