There was never a perfect day for me.
Sure some where good or great. But I can’t even imagine the perfect date.

All the great days I ever had were so different. Sometimes even looking back on them makes me sad. Like times had with previous partners or friends.

I’ve come to realize even those days end. So did the connections. Yet I’m still glad that they happened.

Without them I wouldn’t be who I am today. Sure these imperfections don’t make things great, but there were lessons learned along the way.

I think that is the important takeaway. To appreciate the time that you have. Making the most of each day. Even doing nothing has its grace.

I wish I could wake up in the morning
To a house that’s prepped and made
No dishes or mess to clean up
The laundry is folded and put away

I wish that I was understood
That my efforts were noticed
And in return the context clues I love to scatter
Get swept up by loved ones
Offering to return the favor

I wish that I could walk the streets late at night
No mace or pepper spray in my line of sight
My keys are meant to unlock my door
Not clenched between my knuckles
Waiting to be bore

I wish that I could shake the hands
Of each passerby I encounter
Grinning widely from cheek to cheek
Exchanging pleasantries and
our hopes for the future
Morals aligning and feeling at ease
Knowing many people feel the same as me

I wish I had one perfect day
To rest and partake in hobbies
No work to stress
Just reading my favorite books in hotel lobbies
I would sing and dance and play in the rain
No anger left, no unresolved pain

Because womanhood is often a burden
That at times feels like a tyrant warden
Patiently waiting until my time is served
And knowing my aptitude is mildly absurd
But I often hope for the little things
Because to me they feel like extraordinary wins
And when this mindless duty is fulfilled
My perfect day will be without guilt

I like to be quiet.
I like to get lost in the wrinkles that hug a strangers eyes and wonder how much time he’s spent in the sun. Did he live by the sea or get a chance to hold the hand of the one he loved under that same sun that embedded itself around his eyes?
I like to sit quietly in the loudness of a busy dirt road in a foreign land and make up life stories of those who walk by.
How many scarves does she own and what made her choose the one with bold flowers and stripes and does she see herself as beautifully as I do?
Did she tie up her hair and think “damn I’m a queen” because she walks down this dirt road like royalty.
I bet she has scars in places no one can see.
Just like me.
I wonder if I pulled out my scars from their quiet place and shared them with her if she would pull hers out too.
And we could marvel at our human pain and laugh and eat food I’ve never heard of before.
And that man with the wrinkles around his eyes from a lifetime spent in the sun would walk up and hand us each a flower from his field and say something like “all roses have thorns”.
And when the sun begins to fall we’ll put our scars back in their place and keep them safe for their next human embrace.
I’d thank her for her time and her smile and her humble beauty.
I’d let her know if she ever needs me I’ll be here in quiet, making up life stories of those who walk by.

A Perfect Day is accepting there are no perfect days,
While there may be a flaw, a blemish upon the face,
There is the joy of lipstick,
A pop of color giving life to an old soul,
An iridescent smile accepting the stale reheated coffee, of which
Faded red lipstick stains still clutch on to old coffee mugs,
While the bittersweet memories remain intact,
An outlook has changed,
Despite being in bed tossing and turning the night before,
You spend your morning in gratitude,
Until you allow yourself to seize the day and run into life,
Allow yourself to not let your inner melodrama to bring you down,
You inhale the air of life, and exhale the negativity,
A perfect day is not allowing the bad dreams in your body
To dictate your awakened state of reality,
 
I find the best moments in a perfect day to be full of laughter,
Laughter and having a sense of humor helps provide sunlight
To a darkened room, I find that my perfect day is where my sister
And I laugh and giggle like two partners in crime,
My perfect day is filled with moments of calm and piece,
It is not just a perfect day, but a days worth of memories,
That happily sit with me,
I find that there are perfect moments in the utter realms of destruction,
Opportunities to make something broken stir alive again,
 
My perfect day is where I begin with a fresh mindset,
An early morning walk with the dog,
I allow my perfect day to not be a pity party,
But a day of forgiveness and healing,
A perfect day is flooding the darkness with pure light,
And not allowing the burnt stale coffee to foul my mood,
 
For in my perfect day I am freeing myself from what brings me down.

Beautiful Day 

It’s 6am 

When the sun first 

Wakes me—gently, 

With caution,

As if a lover

Tiptoeing from bed

To brush his teeth 

Before work, 

A small light escaping 

From under 

The bathroom door; 

I know I have no lover, 

But I smile anyway—

I fall back asleep, 

It is not yet 

My time. 

The sunlight nudges again

At half past 9, excited 

This time – she wants 

To spend her day with me –

The birds chirp to remind me

There is no rush  –

I can keep resting 

If I need to  –

But I don’t, 

Not today.

I’ll grab my novel 

From my bedside, 

Make pancakes and a latte

With maple syrup,

And sit 

By the pool in the back.

Before lunch 

I run a PR at the track 

Of the high school that 

Broke me, but it won’t 

Break me today.

I’m stronger – I’ve trained –

And not 

For weight loss, just 

For me.

The clouds run with me

Around and around lane 3, 

And I’m smiling to the 

Sad songs on my playlist,

Immune—

I’m content enough 

To stay smiling for now. 

Dinner I do 

With family;

Mom makes red sauce 

From her garden tomatoes and

Dad makes salad

With oil and vinegar, and 

My sisters 

Are all home. 

Mom tells a story about 

The business she runs, 

We tease her 

Like we’re children still,

And I go quiet while 

They laugh.

Not a sad quiet—a 

Museful one. I listen, awed; 

It occurs to me I’ll miss this 

Soon. 

I’m at the climax 

Of the novel, I lounge 

By the pool while 

The sun is setting.

It becomes dark 

And dad flicks on 

The backyard lights. 

The day’s come 

Full circle.

It’s warm 

But I hear mom’s wind chimes;

There’s fireworks 

In the distance – someone’s small 

Celebration – 

And I’m drinking peppermint tea 

With milk. It’s still only 

9pm—my, I have hours

To keep reading. 

At midnight I hop out 

Of the shower, I throw a towel 

Over my head.

I mark my novel finished 

On Goodreads, I rate it 

5 stars. 

I wear a vintage bathrobe;

I know no one will see it 

But it’s enough 

That I will.

I admire myself 

In the full length mirror

And for a moment

It hurts 

That I’m alone; 

It’s only for a second and

It almost feels nice—if

Only to remind me 

Of all this good.

This beautiful world—

I watched a beautiful sunset, 

I read a beautiful book,

I wear a beautiful bathrobe,

And I lay under my covers now 

To write a beautiful 

Poem. 

In a city I adore, the morning sun’s kiss,
A perfect day unfolds, free of worry and pure bliss.

Awakening with gratitude, a heart full of grace. In God’s presence, I find my tranquil place.

A gym’s vibrant energy or a fitness class so bright, invigorating my body, an uplifting morning delight.

Professional goals embraced with an open heart and mind. A purposeful journey, building dreams and maximizing time.

Shared some laughter and wisdom with a good friend. These moments so dear. In her company, hope whispers, dispelling loneliness and fear.

Through inspiring streets, I take a thoughtful stroll, a world-class neighborhood, empowering my soul.

With a loyal puppy,
Abundance Love is her name, a playful bond, so sweet.

With her, there is never a dull moment, no emotional need she cannot meet.

For me and the world, an abundance of love and joy she spreads, she is so friendly, there is not a person or pup that she has not already met in her head (lol.

As the hours of my day quickly march on,
it is afternoon already and much work has been done.

It is time for some well deserved self-care. Perhaps I will read a devotional and say a prayer or two, brief yet sincere.

I will remind myself that I worked hard to be here. I deserve this. I belong.

Maybe I will listen to a good book or a few of my favorite songs.

I will end my perfect day, with tasty dinner delights. Perhaps, I will cook myself dinner, hmmm, I just might.

A feast for the senses, a culinary endeavor.
My home fills with aromatics of a meal I will savor.

As the sun sets, peace wraps its arms around me.
I’m so grateful for this day and night full of life, hope, and serenity.

Sitting on my balcony, underneath the stars, I find a tranquil reprieve, reflecting on the day, I am grateful: there is still some good in this life for me, I believe.

Perfect in simplicity, this day I hold dear, thank you God for this alignment.
With God all things are possible. With Him, whom shall I fear.

Sunset comes in muted hues

Orange fire and baby blues

Seaside skies, so vast in views

Birds pass lovers, two by twos

The day erased to bygone news

Sunlight fades to starry muse

Gentle flames from bonfires fuse

Bring restful bliss from daytime’s ruse

From sunrise lies to nighttime truths

Our life resets when dawn renews

“Have a great day!” It’s a common wish among friends and well-wishers. We can easily say to someone “I hope that you have a great day today!,” and, unlike other hopes that we might have, is easy and effortless stuff.

At the core, it all depends upon what you make of your day. It has a different meaning for different people. Since we’re here, I’ll give you mine.

Simply put, my definition of “A great day” is easy as pie. A great day means getting up in the morning and being able to know that I have new episodes of podcasts to listen to in my feed.

Every weekday (barring major holidays), I start the day by listening to Nothing Personal with David Samson, a former Survivor castaway and President of the Miami Marlins. He’s smart, fresh, and funny.

A great day means that I can write. Since writing about combat sports is how I make my livelihood, I’ve had so many great days over the last six years.

Perhaps most importantly, a great day is one spent talking to and hanging out with the people most important me. The greatest days happens when my nieces get to spend time with me, their uncle.

Thanks for reading. Make this day a great one.

Perfectly Equal

Once upon a perfect day
All were equal in every way

Not color nor gender
Did prevent the render

Of kindness and care
Bestowed on everyone everywhere

In fact, all differences at hand
We celebrated in fashion most grand

And an impenetrable sphere
Protecting both straight and queer

And those dark skinned and light
Surrounded our earth, preventing a blight

Which threatened evil and strife
Upon this our most perfect life

For hate may have been the prequel
But equal would be the sequel

On this most perfect day
Conjured and imagined my way

It’s a perfect day, let’s go slay.
Waking up feels great, my body’s not in pain. My brain no longer insane, I’m tame.
I put my doc’s on and stroll out the door on this beautiful 80 degree day.
My gosh the beauty I see before me,
neighbors smiling and I am stylin’
Jeeps workin’ just fine wow that just blew my mind
I feel like I’m in a Muppet movie surrounded by singing
And dancing I feel fantastic not a bit sarcastic
nope…. no work today! Just me, myself, and I

We chase the dream of a perfect day,
But imperfections won’t go away.
In this world of chaos, we stumble and sway,
Yet beauty hides in the mess we create.

Laughter echoes, but tears fall too,
In every hello, there is a goodbye too.
The sun shines bright, but my shadows loom,
In every moment, a story’s hidden gloom.

We quest for control, but life’s untamed,
Unpredictable twists and turns we can’t reclaim.
Yet in the midst of turmoil, we find our strength,
A resilience that guides us through life’s length.

So let’s embrace the journey, with all its flaws,
And find the beauty in the imperfect laws.
For life’s not about seeking perfection’s gleam,
But dancing with the mess, and making it our theme.

In the uncontrolled moments, we find our voice,
A unique melody that echoes our own voice.
The same melody that makes us make a choice.
Let’s cherish the imperfections, the quirks and the flaws,
For they shape our story, and make our life pause.