Poem: De La Mano

You are a million miles away brother.
Why should I bother?
We do not share blood brother.
Why do I care?
I arrive, uncertain.
You offer me your bowl of colour,
that I’ve never tasted before…
sounds of drums that reminisce with me,
from the very first beat.
At first sight we may be perfect strangers.
So why?
Because your tears are clear like mine…
your fears are real and make-believe like mine.
Our mothers gave us the same side-ways glare
when we got too close to the rebel’s edge.
And so I will step over the ocean,
we’ll sit around our steaming cups and conspire to inspire…
chat for hours, speechlessly.
Brother, Sister,
I thought you needed a helping hand,
but you led ME to safety and sanity…
and away from the aimless thoughtless version of myself.
Gracias hermano.

Poem: Optimism

-image by Oswaldo Guayasamin

Seeing is receiving.
So take your gentle eyes and open them up to our upside-down world.
The pain pierces; your eyes shut then open again, tugged by Love.
How easy it would be to look away, and walk away;
but stubbornness and passion are long lost brothers
who reunite in the breath, voice, and angry trembling hands
of those who dare to see.
Maintain your solid gaze,
because eventually one sees that the insanity machine has been tampered with
by millions of weathered fingers…
and its pieces will soon be scattered and rusting
under tears of joy.