Dear Unsealers,

My goals have always been productive This year I let go of fear Listen to my heart when it tells me NO To feel how my body embodies joy Say yes to the moment Make friends with strangers Take a risk Be seen so that those who love me can draw near Have an affair with creation And devotion as my potion To use my imagination as my compass Dare to be unproductive Let play lead the way Be friends with my inner me <3

New Year, new Me shall see Twenty Twenty-five

Transformed by the holy and living God. 

I should seek the Lord more than ever, but

I am nothing.

My life needs cleansing.

My mere existence is thanks to the Lord.

I seek goals while the Lord shapes me

Oh, Lord spark a purpose for the road.

I am a mess.

Your light is dazzling. 

I have been blinded from your greatness.

The Dark drowned in pools of misery.

Tricked me to fall in that same blackhole.

I saw their pain. 

Happy to sadness

Although I could never feel their pain.

I could never fit into this world.

I thought I was the burden because

How can my life!

How can my life be 

Compared to the world’s gory horrors.

My hope vanished in the air and then

This nightmare seemed to swallow itself.

It was a lie.

But a shooting star,

A vivid sign to write poetry.

I need to become disciplined and

My Lord gives me strength in my weakness.

My King save me!

My Lord and Savior,

I will worship him and he has been

Faith, unmatched unlike other human

He is God and will create the best,

The Newest Me.

The one with tongues that

Will speak with a soft, but thundering 

Melody that will reach many ears.

From english to spanish, I will learn

Italian.

A melody that

reaches the depth of my soul and heart.

The sounds that inhabit a room of 

Intimacy and scented perfume.

He takes my hand.

Love scented roses

Mesmerize my eyes and holds my hand.

Always guiding me and renewing.

I should not worry because at the 

Highest Mountains, 

Depths of the Ocean,

The shame of my sins and my mistakes,

I will embrace my God and he will 

Perfect our relationship in trust.

In Confidence,

I will reflect love.

Slow to anger, selfish love becomes

Forgiveness that is my remedy.

I will be patient to others and 

Active to my 

Self-care and Body.

Not just hygiene, but nourishing meals.

A daily routine that challenges 

My body to radiate itself

Like bright glitter.

Not to flaunt, but stand

Against the power that holds me down.

I’m determined to showcase my goals

Til I accept my Lord makes things new.

I am Renewed.

Serendipity

December 31, 2025-My future self reflects in the mirror.

As I’m chanting a meaningful phrase,

I am clearing the room with divine sage.

It has been done… great, wondrous, aspirations achieved.

I’m confident my future self knows my highest timeline transceived.

“What,” you ask, “Do I want this year?”

My spirit guides, lead me, making this clear.

BALANCE, LOVE, GIVE, RECEIVE.

Keep learning to LET GO, ACCEPT, and be UNAFRAID to GRIEVE.

Travel a little, read, and ATTRACT.

Challenge your comfort… when necessary, REFRACT. 

Write poetry, a novel, all with authenticity.

Do something brave every day; serendipity.

Enjoy creativity, LOVE MY CHILDREN in all aspects of life.

Play board games with family and friends any night.

EXPLORE and grow in spirituality.

Become a reiki healer, whimsically.

LOVE MY CHILDREN, be silly, play with the dogs.

Always be open. Don’t let distractions or barriers mud up the cogs. 

I saw my first wishing well when I was still a child
The idea was so novel, I remember how I smiled
What a silly thing to believe, I told myself that day
Why would you pointlessly throw all your pennies away?

I wish I had a ticket back to when I was a kid
I wish I could have learned a little sooner how to give
I wish I’d had the courage to tell her that I loved her
Or hadn’t acted so embarrassed every time I hugged my mother

I wish all those poems I wrote weren’t left unfinished
And that those songs in my head made it out to begin with
I wish I wasn’t such a dreamer, a believer, or
Maybe I wish that I had believed a bit more

I really wish this poem wasn’t written by a hypocrite
Afraid to guarantee any of the things that he says
And maybe then I wouldn’t doubt these words as I say them
And I’d believe in the promises I made, verbatim

I wouldn’t laugh at the people filling wells with pennies
And look down and realize that I’m the one who’s chucked to many
So here’s my final penny, the only one that’s left
It’s something that I’m trying very hard not to forget

I wish to go back and hug the younger version of me
And tell him things are never quite as hopeless as they seem
I wish that I could stare into his eyes, head to head
I wish that I could stop that kid from wishing he was dead

Wish that I could hold his hand, but when I look at my side
It baffles me to realize he’s the one who’s holding mine

Every time he made a wish, taped up a dream that he liked
All those melodies he hummed, all those pretty little rhymes
He’s holding out their broken pieces as he stares into my eyes
You can fix these, He whispers, You’re the only one who can
And then he knocks the horrid little pennies from my hands

I’ve been wishing all my life, it left me penniless and poor
But lately I have found that I’m not wishing anymore
Yes, wishes got me nowhere, so I traded them for goals
Believe your life is in your hands and you’ll hold the controls

This year I have decided that I’m going to believe
For that little kid who told me wear your heart on your sleeve
I’m going to finish those songs for the one who began
Because I owe my inner child for the man that I am

I’m going to hug the ones I love, pick them up and spin them ‘round
And hold on tight forever like I’ll never put them down
Lose myself giving to people, light a smile on a face
Because that’s the way I found myself in the first place

I might buy a ticket back to my home by the mountains
And find somebody throwing pennies, sitting by a fountain
And I might knock those precious little coins out of their hand,
And as they bounce around I’ll giggle like a crazy man

After they curse at me, I’ll tell them, pennies are like moments
Please, don’t just throw them all away wishing that doors would open
If you only looked around, you might find that there’s a key
Pennies are so valuable, don’t treat them like they’re free

I was today years old, when I realized. There is a reason it was never my season. I cannot do what everybody else does. I will not go wherever they go. Alone I may know. As I journey this winding road. Picking up pieces of peace, as I grow. Sewing seed of redemption and faith. As my eyes see the lies I taste. My dreams hold on as my memories change.

10 years ago, I could write a song about anything. From wars on words and vengeance to resiliant melodies. Easier to imitate than to live. Terrified my all wouldn’t be worth the give. I hid behind intelligent performances. But emotionally I could not lie, so logically loneliness began to overwrite. Permeate the inner sanctum of my mind. Making simple the impossible. The rejected, the respected. The forgotten, the source and seed harvested in every moment of grace.

Loneliness made an enemy of me. The moment it let me think that my obedience was punishment for the smile and laughter God gives. For the praise I lift in love, even when my tears have only just begun. I am more than anger and rage. I’m more than smiles and joy that you can’t erase. I learned to love me, flaws and everything. Merciful thru my falls. Forgiven for AWOLS. Uniquely seasoned and reasoned for being me.

Goals – “The object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.”

Beginning in grade school, as we return to the schoolhouse once again, dragging ourselves into our respective classrooms, the routine of asking, “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” is all too familiar. And, you know, the question never stops. It does, however, change in the way it is posed and, possibly, in how we answer. This year’s adult iteration is, “Write a poem or letter about your goals for 2025.”

Frankly, the very thought of being required to employ brainpower to plan further than my next oil change, tomorrow, if you were asking, frightens me to my innermost core. To be more specific, goal setting is a process that fills me with so much anxiety and dread that I find myself craving the comfort of a 5150. Too much? You know what? You’re right. Back to the topic at hand, as I’ve digressed.

Since I’ve made it to this side of 30, my New Year’s goals have been much simpler, making them more easily attainable. That said, my only goal for 2025 is to wake up and live. I know, I know. Cliché, right? Yes, but all I can seem to commit to is waking up each day and giving that day all I have—which isn’t even enough to partially fill a thimble. My only goal is to wake up and try.

Try to make it at work.
Try to show up for my friends and family.
Try to show up for my beautiful and precocious godson.
And try to live.

The world is burning. If you’re paying attention, you know it’s always burning, to be honest. Groceries are expensive. They are attempting to criminalize the unhoused. Eggs and the cheapest bottle of tequila are equal in shelf life and price. And through all of that, all I can do is put forth the bulk of my energy to waking up, then trying.

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

Everyday a bit more gets done
Frustrated progress is not faster
Uttering Patience…it will unfold
Embracing silent meditation
Listening deeply to my soul

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

Starting again from scratch
A fresh canvas & creative goals
Releasing the accumulated stuff
Freeing myself from this …
Possession prison

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

A sloth in slow motion
No end in sight, but suddenly…
Faith is restored on the journey
Accomplishing goals, baby steps
Slowly CAN accomplish more

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

My goals are monumental
Referred to as fantasy by some
Relying on faith and imagination
Helping humanity grow
Finding the true me in the process

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

Many years now on this journey
Dedicated to reaching goals
This is the year to shed it all
To build a solid foundation
Envision a humanity to be proud of

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

This is a 9 year, the sign of release
The year of the Wood Snake too
Significant with shedding it all
Go for the gusto and let go
Everything is telling us to do so

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

Next year it is a ONE
Signifying new beginnings
A fresh start to dream & discover
Focus now on really letting go
Make room for dreams to manifest

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

Afraid to speak my thoughts
Afraid to be who I am
Ridiculous in all reality
To let others hold you back
This is the year to let the fear go

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

My goal this year begins with clearing
Preparing for greatness to come.
A lightworker, a healer, a magician of love
Sent to help the world transform
Let my message be heard, that is my goal

The sun arises with dreams & goals
A routine created – a delicate plan
Boom…suddenly the sun is setting
Repeating …I know I can
Persistence & Another Day

the sky feels like a reel unwinding,
a hand turning the crank, frame by frame.
i ask it to pause, to let me see where the light falls next.

somewhere, a house waits for us to arrive.
its walls hum with the sound of our voices,
its windows blink open like eyes adjusting to sun.

but first, i build a scaffold of hours.
i carve out the future with each paycheck,
each line on the page another brick in our home.

we will touch the light, frame by frame.
you will hold my hand in the doorway,
and we will call this place ours.

Another turn around the sun has begun
And I must greet it with gratitude and ambition.
Can I make my fortieth round worthwhile?
With enough effort, luck, and gumption… perhaps.

First, I’ll quit the habit
Of sucking toxins into my lungs,
The smoke so unappealing
To my dear loved ones.

Second, I’ll sleep soundly,
So as to follow the sun,
Arising in the dewy dawn
And dreaming under the moon.

Third, I’ll train my brain
To stay sane and focus,
Focus on the words of each page,
One after another until I’ve completed a book.

Fourth, I will grab that pay,
Earned fairly and duly with grit,
In a position only I could play
For my gifts will finally be seen.

Lastly, I’ll return to the wilds,
With all my needs on my back,
Traversing mountains and rivers,
Curling down nightly into the earth.

Imagine what could be with these goals achieved.
All the good – and not just for me.
A stronger body and a stronger mind
Will contribute endless gifts to society.

promises and good intentions,
all made in wintertime
will find the spring, then
summer heat,
and autumn’s cooling breeze
then wintertime and promises
that either came to stay or
faded when the gold June moon
seemed tethered tight
and goals had half a year
to come to stay in place

so just this year…

I will set aside the rules and lists
of what I need to do, and
will instead allow the things
I want to do to take their
place in hours where chores
have had their way with me
for decades past their usefulness
I hope to celebrate the days I live
and not what I accomplish
for when I’m gone, who will care that
my laundry was always done?

Dear Unsealers….

Dreams bloom from behind the pages,
Whispers of stories through life’s stages.
Words take root, their branches spread,
Revealing dreams merely stuck in my head.
The author inside, bold and true,
A world of wonder unfolds as each new story blooms,
With words that shine and visions clear,
Inspiring hearts far and near.
From quiet corners to center stage,
I’ll write my name in history’s page.
With every step, my light will grow,
A beacon for others, the path I’ll show.
A sought-after speaker, strong and wise,
My voice will soar, inspiring countless lives.
With courage and passion brightly shown,
I’ll show the world how much I’ve grown.

Hours fading while my desire continues commiserating

I will wipe away the cobwebs in my mind to see what I might find

Putting down the phone to discover the unbeknown

Facing a challenge of the heart, mind, and soul, that is how I’ll roll

They say that it’s too late for you, but that won’t change what I’ll do

There is no substitute for hard work, will, and a positive attitude

Write, write, and write some more, that is the only solution for sure

Rejection is the expected, but it will not get me dejected

Need to secure an agent, though I will need to be patient

Win a contest or two, feedback will help me get a clue

Land a million-dollar fee, they don’t know I’d do it for free

I’ll even try to write a poem and maybe take my first award home

GOALS ARE FOR SUCKERS.

Who cares?

They won’t exist long enough for me to achieve them.

The world changes too quickly for me, and many of us, to reasonably keep up with.

How many professions and passions have been rendered out-of-date in the last two decades? In the last 10 years?

The planet is literally and figuratively on fire.

Every goal I have ever had has been ripped from my hands by the greed of those who would rather see an imaginary number rise in their digital wallets than actually make life easier for the NPCs stuck in their world of worker bots.

Except those bots are people.

People who need food that isn’t poison

And water than isn’t poison

And homes that aren’t poison.

And you know what?

Fuck it.

My Goal this year is to become everything they so desperately wish to rip from my person.

My goal is the health they deny me with disabling policies.

My goal is the community that politicians and lobbyists and the oligarchical corporations continually and strategically fracture.

My goal is to live when systems would rather have us die than become unproductive.

My goal is to exist for the love of my fellow person, and myself, and for the spite of everything else that would dictate we should not do exactly that.

Dear 2025,

Every written moment has been a golden one. One of those moments had me realize I am a person who has a chance at an opportunity for change. To shift in the way I view how I accept the things that I can change. To find the courage to accept that there are things about myself that I cannot change. Do I want to change those things? I think so, I don’t know, maybe. I don’t know what the future holds. I am ready for change though. I’ll need some time to think about what I’ve said, 1/3/2025.

I’ve self-reflected, and I’ve concluded that I know there are things I can change. Things that I want to change about myself. What are those changes? I have to think it over, 1/10/2025.

I slept on it. There’s two things I’d like to change. One. To give my community and the rest of the world an opportunity, through my writing, to see my world in a way that no one else can. To dedicate and commit my hands to the craft of interpreting what my eyes see and feel, so the rest of the world can see it as well. Two. An opportunity to make myself available for those I love. An opportunity to share my life with family and friends. To make memories that will last a lifetime. Gifted by those that enjoy the work I’m now doing with my hands. That’s all I got for now, 1/13/2025.

A third thing I’d like to add that I know I can commit to. To use my hands, those that are dedicated to the craft, to continue writing and change the world one written letter at a time. A written letter that spells out an opportunity for those that don’t see what I see. A written letter that shows the rest of the world the struggle my community faces. A written letter that shows the rest of the world the people that my community builds. Hands that make the world a better place, a place worth living. A place worth exploring. A place worth learning from. A place worth building a family in. A place worth building traditions in. A place, worthy of calling home, 1/15/2025.

From a person who embraces the journey of change, and accepts the unchangeable.

A friend told me today that she would love to make soup for James Baldwin in the great beyond. She is known for wanting to cook soup for those she adores. She said something similar when Timothée Chalamet was at the U; she also wanted to knit him a sweater. I can picture her in her kitchen chopping chicken and stanzas and pouring in hot broth with haikus. Her comment made me wonder who I’d make soup for. Who would I give my ladle of love and lust to? Do they deserve my sautéed stories? My strained stories? My stories of fresh tomato soup and grilled cheese? Are my words worth their appetite? Is this why I write? To feed the mouths of those who are starved and deprived of nourishment from a creatives garden? Yes. Because there is someone out there who needs a bowl of my soup. To slurp through their reality and feel the warmth of words slide down their throats. For now, I will make soup for myself. I think I need it the most.