In Battle or War

Mistakes are costly--time, trust, sleep;
Prepare for what can't be predicted,
Anticipate what shouldn't be assumed,
Accepting casualties as a gain of inner strength,
Or a test to see if you have any room to grow;
Adapt to the unforeseen, because foreseeability
Can only take you to the edge of your reality;
Quick thinking is the bridge over turbulent seas,
In battle...or war.

Mistakes are costly--time, trust, sleep;
Quick wits rely on the recognition of key points,
Lack of focus is the ultimate adversary;
Take heed to the advice of a veteran,
Yet full application without interpretation
Will distort optimal outcomes;
Not applying proven strategies increases
The possibility of failure, which is the
Opposite of the desired goal,
In battle...or war.

Mistakes are costly--time, trust, sleep;
Trust demands a non-refundable payment
Of vulnerability, which can damage any
Fortification, no matter the reinforcement;
Don't let yourself get in the way of victory,
The ability to trust breeds loyalty, which
Feuls fire of the brave, maintains the
Determination of the triumphant, and
Tells the story of the unforgettable,
In battle...or war.

The Irony of Leadership

Leaders are defined by the people they lead;
Their decisions are admired,
Their ability to make and stand by tough choices,
Their determination to achieve, in spite of adversity;
Yet, no one can be a leader if no one follows.

Leaders are defined by the people they lead;
At first leadership qualities are fresh,
Sharp--exercised daily, maturing adequately
With each new event that presents a challenge;
The inspiration, though many may try to argue,
Is derived from the intimate relationships between
A leader and the people that choose to follow;
People so close that the leader can truly empathize;
So close that the leader is fueled by a mere sigh.

Leaders are defined by the people they lead;
Strangely enough, every great leader faces the
Irony of an inevitable truth...
As time passes, so does a good word, and more and
More followers come because of this good word and
Allow themselves to be lead;
The irony is that the intimate relationships
Between the leader and the followers is jeopardized
By additions to the flock,
Yet a great leader will not turn a genuine heart away,
But the more followers a leader has,
The less the leader knows of his followers.

Mad Men

Mad Men say sin is the root of inspiration,
Suggestions are subliminal and literal interpretations,
Can be taken out of context, the subject of reality;
The intensity of invitations made in the moment,
Blurred lines of intentions
Scorned lives of the hopeful;
Sad sounds of a frowning clown's laugh is an opus,
A second hand smokers stabbing forks into toasters;
Death comes in many forms,
Can even walk among the living,
Money devours relationships--Marriages end,
Seen the rich disown their siblings.

Mad men say sin is the root of inspiration,
Suggestions are subliminal and literal interpretations;
Exhaustion clouds judgements,
Like liquid courage in a glass;
Intoxicated by the stage,
All of the lights is like a cage
Your image and behaviors are captured in plain sight,
Still stare out at the audience,
Claiming you have the right;
Setting fire to house that built your foundation,
The insurance check slaps you like why the hesitation.

Mad Men say sin is the root of inspiration,
Suggestions are subliminal and literal interpretations.

Consequences Are Dealt

Instead of talking, confused stares surveyed
the lot, eye brows caved into the slope of
a nose growing...away...

"I'm not who you think I am! This is only a
mere shell! The real me cannot be seen or
felt by touching! Don't! Don't...
touch...me..."

Instead of listening, hands stretched out,
expecting to catch the liar in their grasp,
some pulled, some scratched...He cried out,
"Don't! Don't...touch...me! What you see
and feel will deceive you!"

Yet the nose grew, in his disbelief, and their
sights agreed, "he is guilty, a living lie! Let's
teach him a lesson, cast this demon aside!"

So they held and chopped, chopped and pulled,
removing the lie, as fast as they could. It felt
right, seemed like the only thing to do. "Those
who look guilty and sound guilty too, deserve
to be removed, consequences are dealt."

That night, there was a rumble, a commotion by
the pile. The wood was higher, for the liar
was stacked. As a crowd grew, staring in disbelief,
his mouth didn't move, yet they heard him speak.

"I'm not who you think I am! This is a mere shell!
The real me can't be seen or felt by touching me!"

Confused...the town's people turned and tried to
speak and condemn, but their voices were never
heard, not even a whim. They reached out to console
one another and felt nothing. Tears bursting from
their eyes, silent cries muffled in silence, he spoke
once again atop of the stack...and vanished,

"Those who look guilty and sound guilty too,
deserve to be removed, consequences are dealt."

My First Time

My first time was amazing! No, no...it was
spectacular! Unreal! Beyond words...seriously,
I have probably read through an entire
thesaurus searching for words to describe what
I felt...after my first time...

My first time was amazing, not because it was
perfect; not because I knew what I was doing;
it was amazing because I knew it was what I wanted;
once I started, I knew I would need to do
it again, I HAD to do it again--I wanted to be the best...
after my first time...

My first time was amazing...I mean, it had to be;
that's where it all began; it's when I got my first
taste...it's when the thirst began--mirroring the
chase of the first high--my eyes, ears, and hands
were wide open, awaiting the chance to do it...again...
after my first time...

My first time was at a laundry mat, thanks Mom...then,
in the comfort of the home I grew up in, with an Atari 2600...
since then, I have never been the same...thanks Dad!

Once Upon A Time...

Once upon a time...
I became regretful;
Second guessing from contemplation,
the dwelling and pondering persuaded my
rationale to bend, in hopes that the pressure
of a definite position would subside to allow a less
painful feeling to endure, other than this...

Once upon a time...
I lost focus;
Drifting off into an abyss,
falling steadily into a perilous plight;
the flight of a kamikaze submarine, defying reality's
explanation of acceptable and recommended behaviors.

Once upon a time...
I failed;
After trying my best,
seeing my worse case scenario win
a game of musical chairs, all other options fell
unexpectedly...recklessly...intentionally...
the revelation that my best was...the best of my
mediocrity that had become my normal expectations because
they exceeded those placed upon me...

Once upon a time...
I started over;
Deciding to take control over the only
thing I could...me...
Deciding that my decisions were
more than what others thought I should do,
believing in something much more than "I" was the best decision
anyone could prescribe--because if death is the only way to truly rise,
then a time like this may only happen once in a life...
so I'm glad I decided to live thrice times thrice.