SECTION THREE
STATUS FOR
Unburn
When trust is gone
it’s hard to return,
like a bridge
in blazes
you can’t unburn
If unrest
ushers interruption,
the spiral warps
from faith
to corruption
Declared reasons
do little
to shine scars,
bleeding stems
from soil to the stars
A depletion of confidence
is treason
in the air,
as a haze of confusion
clouds an affair
Charred frames
of what housed
a bond,
provide warning
of what deceit
can spawn
To rewind
bears echo
of what was,
lying is fire
and destruction
is what it does
Arrows on Charts
At every turn
was a chance to go,
an exit from the crush-
into the unknown
Decisions are easy
if choices are few,
but abandoning comfort
is a solution
to sift through
Years of allegiance
can erode
over time,
with positions redrawn,
harsh with each line
A compass is conflicted
at a crossroad
of options,
with arrows on charts
and mazes
to get lost in
From advice
and instinct
looms a path-
it’s a detour,
to a redesigned map
Descent may be freedom
from environments escaped,
in a prelude
to an odyssey
with fortitude displayed
Need to Run
Need to run
but not to race,
need to run
to master pace
Need to run
but not in place,
need to run
but not from mistakes
Need to run
but not for health,
need to run
but not chase wealth
Need to run
to nurture progress,
need to run
but not for congress
Need to run
but not toward ladders,
need to run
for what truly matters
Need to run
to salvage pride,
need to run
to enjoy this ride
Need to run
to connect with people,
need to run
to quiet evil
Need to run
but not move back,
need to run
to curve a track
Need to run
for selfish reasons,
need to run
but never leaving
Need to run
to heal this soul,
need to run
to reclaim control
Need to run
but not to win,
need to run
to begin again
Self Sedition
Sabotaging thoughts
saturate my head
of swirling scenarios
and outcomes to dread
Ideas launch rafts
into space,
where slammed buttons
reset points in a race
I’m wise, so I’ll prevail
and tough as I endure,
but the rushing tides
make me unsure
I know a few tricks,
and will use them when needed
to keep fresh wounds
dressed if they’re bleeding
An impasse of valor
is met with resolve,
knowing stagnation
is the case when lives stall
I lean on my circle
for banks of support,
investing in allies
I have to afford
A year from this place
could bring laughter of doubts
or regret of decisions
and how they played out
Non-Lethal Wounds
If failure doesn’t kill
live to beat it,
with the strength of experience
to defeat it
Loss is an outcome
to understand-
you can’t prepare
for something unplanned
Where ridges soar
to lonely heights,
quests emerge
of required flights
Agile resilience
from a frantic time
competes with stress
for peace of mind
A taxing twist
diverging trips
forces focus
to fortify grips
Strides through crisis
injuring will,
feed capacity
failure can’t kill
Grind
Grind;
enjoy success for a moment,
then move on
Draft and construct
then create some more,
until a ceiling
becomes your floor
Censor caution
and abolish limits-
small measures
are for the timid
Find yourself
through pointed aim,
not in error,
and never in gain
A process molds
impassioned drive,
slowing cynics
from deep inside
Signals to quit
protest like sirens,
learn to listen,
but embrace the silence
Channels made
from frail misfortune,
lure your breath
in pride extortion
What breaks us
is what lets us rise,
just as truth
defines who lies
Accept events
that brings you here;
to ease or fury
with an essence clear
Be strong, be open
and unconfined,
hustle with design...
grind
What Doesn’t Matter
If you believe in something
and to you
it’s truth,
what doesn’t matter
is the burden of proof
Others might doubt you,
even mock your aims,
but that says
more about them
than any of your claims
Courage is contending
unafraid of critique,
ignoring those shallow
and a validation
they seek
Humility is essential,
but submission is not,
as wisdom is crafted
from exploration
of thought
Standing sturdy
when rattled
is a high when they’re low,
as only you are in charge
of where you won’t go
If you fall or fade,
collect breaths
and reset,
provoke comprehension
that circulates regret
No violence is vital-
it collapses equations,
pilot your divisions
between frenzy
and patience
In the end
you’ll succeed
through conviction,
by knowing what matters
and not accepting
their fiction