An exhale to rid the conscious of deliberation and doubt,
to cleanse the body from worry and anxiety,
to center the soul to its origins,
a moment to bask in solitude;
a solo journey through life and it's many triumphs.

Rough around the edges she's a ravenous piece,
Capturing light and reflecting elegance at every turn,
Raw to the core her wit is unmatched by trivial mineral composition,
She's a gemstone to cherish,
A glory to salute,
A sister worth a thousand leagues beyond that of this realm,
An emerald in our wake.

Grace your presence on each living entity that roots itself solemnly in your grounds,
Rejoice at the mercy of the infinite as he showers his benevolence on your path,
The road to redemption is a tedious feat,
May you guide the course with light and serenity.

To settle down and reflect on the months passed,
Relishing memories and moments kept sacred,
Looking inward and healing a child once forgotten,
A year's end to really pause and live,
For self actualization is as complimentary as winter and rain,
A chill flourishing among a fresh becoming; annual.

Infinite was the reservoir of love she poured for him,
Abundant was her acceptance for the imperfections he held,
Tireless was the pursuit of her loyalty,
Wasted was her time on a man momentary.

It is not a mere assortment but a testament to the sentiment we share,
A bundle of heartfelt glee I present to you,
An array of colors crossing symbolism itself,
A gesture reigning classical to say the least,
A bouquet of roses for you my dearest,
My sincerest regards.

Living in contrasting hues their duality clashes,
Oppositions transcend logic and bare pains of confusion,
Words take form and pierce the fabric of union,
Timeless ventures into the abyss,
A departure premature.

A treacherous journey one embarks on to heal,
With unexpected turns in the path it is not linear,
Through adversities there will be triumphs,
In hardship you will prevail,
Keep going in the direction the universe has set for you,
Keep growing at the pace that is right for you,
Individualize your experience and embrace your process,
You are deserving of the kindness bolstering within.

A full rotation.
Another year cycles by marking your arrival,
You entered this world with uncertainty and lived it gracefully,
You had mishaps along the way that formed you into the being you are today,
Further you propel into the vast,
Beaming with wisdom more than the year last,
Blossom forevermore on your birthday oh soul,
You are a speck of the divine,
A true marvel to witness.

Her hands are delicate from the burden she carries,
The lines seen on her palms trace journeys her ancestors traveled for her to be here today,
Her fingers grasp the pen firmly as she strokes a new narrative into existence,
Rings sparkle in the light with each motion as a symbol of sovereignty and culture,
Mehndi celebrates her heritage in a bashful pursuit for representation,
A female successor in the works,
Breaking the norms and defining her identity one step at a time.

Weary is the wanderer who travels with no true destination,
Hesitant is the past he's abandoned home,
Unconscious is his pursuit with no avail,
Forgotten is her memory as he treads sporadically; endless turmoil.

Universe vested within and galaxies scattered beyond,
A moon child fathoms her demise.

Bending to the moon forevermore the waves collapse against the shore,
The push and pull a rhythmic tantrum abiding by natural cause,
A sparkling realization to the infinite balance vested beyond our reach,
A tale predestined transcending script and linguistic compression,
Oceans galore.

Graceful is her stride as she treads through the journey of life,
Peace lies within as she harbors solace among the mayhem,
Organic affection towards the world unbound she travels through the myriad of phases,
Embracing the unknown and entrusting the sovereign she persists fearlessly,
Effortless charisma engulfs her trance,
She is a woman warrior,
Defying the odds and living her ancestors dreams,
A raw glory to be seen.

Beyond the eye can see is where my beloved waits for me,
Amid my despair he guides me everywhere,
Casted into this realm of mortality I dance with my sins,
Seeking to cleanse my accounts and embark on the journey within,
I sit in prayer,
I uplift in meditation,
I transcend the arbitrary.

It was as if he had swallowed milk and honey,
intoxicating all who listened.

His words melted reality and crafted illusions beyond her mind's eye,
evoking dreams from the broken fragments she claimed whole.

He painted her canvas with colors she could only fathom,
the charismatic allure surrounding the energy they shared.

They crossed paths in an unlikely time,
feeling depth beyond destinations defined.

Boundless is the darkness that blankets our consciousness,
Infinite is our desire which lies hidden in our whispers,
Empty are our hearts at sunrise,
A forsaken encounter for memories unified.

His memories echo in yesterday's silence,
An abyss of agony singing in her wake,
Forgotten symphonies.

Push and pull forevermore as you bend to the moon's will,
Enter effortlessly into life's oasis as you heed the universe and its call,
You are a reservoir of potential and abundance,
Flow courageously at your own stride,
For this too shall pass.

Arbitrary numbers scatter her mind's surface,
Operationally stunted she scurried,
For no deviation could solve the turmoil vested within,
It was hope vested in the cosmos,
An escape adorned in constellations,
The unwinding of a student.

To give life to the inner workings of my mind I ink the surface of these pages with secrets untold,
A breath of fresh air is this release of suppressed expression that now flows freely,
Life is but a muse to the poet’s pen.

Poetry is a universal language that defies all boundaries,
Such serene stanzas touch souls with hidden splendor,
This prose awakens dreams in the heart of the wanderer,

Lost is the mind as it travels across the words on display,
Connected is the spirit as it creates meaning unique to the self,
Life is but a poem waiting to be discovered.

When hope simmers down and despair sets in,
Look up.
See beyond the clouds,
Past the sunlight,
Into the abyss,
And receive the abundance that lies above,
The universe loves you,
You're here for a reason,
Embrace your individuality.

It all led up to this moment,
The dedication we casted our ambitions in,
The triumphs we rooted our adversities in,
It brought us to the next chapter of our lives,
And for you I'm forever grateful to,
Thanks for joining me on my journey.

The California dream is what we were living,
From the adventurous summer splendor,
To the heartfelt bittersweet departures,
Those unified celebratory cheers,
It was summer 21' of unprecedented affection,
Onto the next phase of life we go where unknown possibilities lie dormant,
Here's to the discoveries to come,
The gratitude to bestow,
& memories we'll create.

Take me away,
To the brighter days where daylight trickles into the crevice of my despair,
To the sweet escape that lingers in the air,
Take me away,
For I am of this sphere no more,
I long for you as you play in the wind,
As you brighten universal hues of contentment,
I seek your benevolence.

Moonlight cascades down her spine highlighting the subtleties forgotten by sunrise,
Masking realities flaunted by recognition,
Soft corners celebrated at midnight's call.

A companion through the seasons you welcomes our every phase, From the bittersweet triumphs to the deafening cries,
You stood alongside us through the mayhem.
Whilst mortality is fickle and forevers aren't certain,
You were the constant that prevailed,
Alas at summer's end you submerged with the currents,
Washing away any potential of tomorrow's sunlight,
Basking in infinite radiance you rejoin the promised,
Memories strike annually of your departure,
A forever friend.

Confide in me she whispers,
Peeling away each layer that traps his essence,
Share your devious truths that ache to surface,
Confide in me,
Trusting her gestures he dismantles his barriers,
Flooding her refuge with stories untold,
He confides in her solitude.

You are integral to the functioning of this universe,
You hold merit in your pursuit and ambitions,
Be present with your body and still your mind,
You are capable of overcoming even the worst hurdles life has to offer,
This too shall pass,
Be patient with yourself.

I saw your ghost on a train downtown -
it beckoned me to walk down memory lane once more

What a feverish recollection of unspoken dreams,
for familiarity of passing your stop created this melancholy haste -
the agony of persisting despite the lack of closure

your shadows still linger on the platform as I push forward,
ever reminding me of what could have been; nostalgia.

A bundle of decisions and and actions,
A synergy of cause and effect,
The push and pull from the benevolent,
A wild and precious life lived.

& when it doesn't make sense,
& the wind blows in your direction,
I'll surrender to your will,
For in your benevolence I rest my faith,
Abundant expectancy.

The monotonous haze of suspicion clouds her perception, Uncertainty meddles with speculation as she ponders,
A decision avowal.

Awakened she stumbles upon the remains of her conscious,
Forever being a fantasy she held onto solemnly,
Fragments of realization pieced with passion left astray,
Broken hearted prayers uplift and revive,
A warrior goddess prevailing.

& as you shade me with relief from scorching rays I bask in your benevolence,
For you are a creation of infinite cycles,
A manifestation of life itself,
An essence of soul's past,
A recollection of karmic accounts,
My friendly companion.

life is unpredictable in its fickle nature,

moments can transform into a lifetime of shared splendor or somber recollection,

healing isn’t linear nor is life’s trajectory as we tread this path scattered with trials and tribulations,

time challenges our wit and forces our hand at resilience as we build ourselves countlessly to brace the changes that come our way,

that is the beauty of existing— understanding the significance of loss and relishing the triumph of union,

savoring the essence within us and radiating faith amid our silent prayers,

healing isn’t linear, nor is life’s trajectory as we are riddled with fates that at times make us question our purpose in retrospect to the everyday,

this breath is but a gift of chance for us to continue walking mindfully with the beauty that surrounds us,

you are but a flower in the garden of tomorrow; blossom endlessly.

A forsaken smile crawls forward as she greets her past,
Rushing with euphoria and glee - his call beacons her,
Uplifting and fulfilling does he compliment her every day,
A mistaken encounter solidified as she prays.

An assortment of constellations scatters her surface,
An aura of serenity cascades across her conscious,
Benevolent is the truth vested within her,
Divine is the mystics she pursues,
A wanderer weary from travel she rests upon the fallen star,
Regaining her momentum to stride across the dreamscape she ponders,
A silent soul forevermore,
Searching for the essence infinite.

Infinite rays trace the waters ashore,
Warmth radiates year round - engulfing the winds with glee,
How serene it is to have an endless summer,
A splendid decree.

looking up looks good on you,

you weren’t of this world,

your heart was beyond the realms of reason,

a ray of sunshine returns to its source today,

continuing to shower her light on life as she did for 84 years.

Looking up looks good on you,

you make mortality beautiful with such celestial hues,

bringing peace to the plants you tended,

solace to the animals you fed,

and warmth to the hearts you touched.

looking up looks good on you.

Watching her as the last breath had already left her grasp… to see a light cease… was a conflicted reality. She was there — but gone. Finally freed from the cycle of samsara. Touching her face, seeing the color wash away the pains of yesterday, and feeling her body chill to a gruesome cold… it was in that moment I realized she won’t complain i’m cold anymore. She will warm and light up the sky with her smiles now.

Mortality is but a fickle yet omnipresent reminder to cherish each moment as it scatters past our horizons. It is but a gentle reminder to hold onto hugs a minute longer, savor a conversation a sentence deeper, and sit in the sunshine till dusk greets our departures. It is in the everyday we remain rooted in the reality of what lies hidden in the inevitable. Thus, in the moments mortality beacons at our doorstep — sending the gruesome chill of conclusion up your spine — cherish the warmth that radiates within your waking breath. It is in the inhale and exhale we seldom forget the gift of today that is bestowed on our conscious.

The ability to create, to debate, to deliberate on the topics that itch our fascination lies within mere moments of the now. She taught us to immerse ourselves in the ravishing splendor that life is because the inevitable looms above us all. Such a kindred spirit was she, a woman with a heart of gold. A soul that radiated in a light blind to the common eye. She held onto a glow that constellations graced — a burning light in of herself.

looking up looks good on you.

Departures casted in moonlight decorate her heartbreak,
Feverish realizations settle,
A forgotten union dismantled at sunrise.

Manifest a reality worthy of your being,
Appreciate the cosmos aligning within.

Trickling down the skies above does rain kiss the land solemnly, Moonlight hidden from eyesight to protect lunar fantasies from brutal realities,
The storm rages.

Breaking free from confinement her roots emerge,
Cracked ceramic cascades across the fractured memories she bore,
She is growing past the bounds they placed her in,
She is defying the norms they mistaken her for,
Her overgrowth is fierce and intimidates all so.

Dealt grief - heartbreak - and trauma this woman survives,
No vessel capable of containing her spirit,
Overgrowth is her resilience that pushes past the comfort of garden beds,
The skies sing her praise as nature paves her way.

Hear her silence for it tells a tale to seeking ears,
Through pursed lips she spills secrets the mind's eye has led you to fathom,
The wisdom that lies in her intellect is that of awe,
Spare her a mere moment to witness a world of constellations and revelations.

In the ruins of memories shall I scavenge for relics,
I seek totems of our union and idols of our departure,
For in the battlefield we shared I sit to relish the agony of separation we now bare,
To the crimson kisses staining our surrender,
A salute to fractured promises.

oh precious flower,
we marvel at how you uprooted yourself in pursuit of a healthier home,
not only did you sow your seeds in foreign soil,
you defied the seasons to tend to their every need till they flourished into the blossoms we regard today.
your discomfort is now their triumph.
their victory reigns as a testament to your sacrifice.

In the silence surrounding her she harbors solace,
with a candle burning her imagination and intuition is churning,
She scribes through the hours of the night to reason with the jigsaw of jargon outlined before her.

A scholar defying the norm,
a messy bun with a few strands undone,
that's the mark of her intellect,
it's the crown she carries.

If I could repeat this life there would be much to do,
Hearts to mend and deeds to undo,
Time spent mustering courage would transform into acts of expression,
My journal would be blank for my prose would meet your ears and not the page,
I'd share my mind's cavern with you,
And the journey would be ours to conquer,
If I could rewind and reverse time,
I'd relish a life with you.

You subject me to the norms that stem from your fears,
your ignorance shrouds you from the generational trauma endured by the BIPOC community,
you continue to suffocate and silence the masses,
it is the color of your skin that reigns supreme,
however the same heart beats within us all,
a tantric hymn fighting for recognition,
so the world rises to have their voices heard,
to end the norms that are wrongfully placed upon marginalized communities,
for we will be heard,
it is well deserved.

Life is but a brief blink of an eye,
Awakened at the clock's end to infinite light,
An endless continuation of the benevolent.