"You are not here to serve the illusion. The illusion is here to serve you."

"Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love." - Kahlil Gibran

"...but if in your fear, you would seek only love's peace & only love's pleasure, then it is better that you cover your nakedness & pass out of love's threshing-floor -- into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter and you shall weep, but not all of your tears..."

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” ― Marcus Aurelius

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” ― Marcus Aurelius

Accidentally locked myself out of my account! haha. Fixed it up, though

I should schedule these to spread them out a bit. Sometimes you remember a things in a big burst and then your mind goes quiet for a month, I can't help it. lol is there a scheduling option on Bluesky? maybe not yet? idk :P

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater." - Tolkien

"...when the sun is getting lower Then the highway marks the graves And the taillights, they circle Like the roses of an infinite bouquet And everybody leaves taillights For the grey ghosts of railways and candle holders..." - Emmy The Great

There's a ton of genuinely beautiful poetry -- that I think doesn't get the appreciation it deserves -- hidden away in those lyrics that speak to people and make you re-listen to that verse again and again. Just... beautifully, perfectly, cleverly written lines.

"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” - Faramir (Tolkien)

Instructions For A Bad Day Spoken poem, by Shane Koyczan

Longing for the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible

I want to finish my book (people are dying) I want to see my friends (people are dying) I want a hug (people are dying) I want (people are dying) to see more of the world (people are dying) I (people are dying) I think I'm (people are dying) I see... No justice, No peace... & it goes both ways

18 years ago and it's more relevant than ever

Do not let your spirit wane.

Hold the gold, Sift the dirt, but in the end it is all earth. - 2014

I want to get lost, very lost Let these roads pull me in, twist me up beside my skin, tug me loose and into strands the ones that make up who I am; the very same that tie my hands - 2014

"I feel like a crumpled paper; stomach in knots, frail and un-useful. Turned in upon itself." - 2013

I want to eat bright red raspberries in that golden sun saved for movie sets, out somewhere far enough into the grassy planes that you would lose your breath twenty times running to reach us - 2013

By a crackling fire we share a warm pot of stew -- hearty and rich and rejuvenating. Cats play on the floor and nightingales sing beyond the window. There's no work tomorrow, so we stay awake deep into a night of laughter, games, and telling stories.

Cobblestone streets, reflective from the passing rain. Old shops and taverns with their golden light spilling out of the windows. The harmony of laughter and clinking glasses muffled by distance. The earthy, salty, smell of sultry air as people bustle this way and that in their warm coats

Right now my hands are shaking with anger... but I have to remember that the world is full to the brim with good people. Good people who will always see what is wrong and though we may suffer, we will work towards what is right again and again and again...

A night walk in the snow. It crunches softly underfoot. starlight reflects so well you can see everything clearly. So quiet. You can feel that subdued excitement in your chest, like when you were a little kid... The sky is a healthy orange glow, the air fills your lungs - clean and cold and fresh

If you see injustice, bullying, microaggressions... don't just be a bystander: stand up. It is vital we look out for one another. Here is some information on HOW you can do that from the APA -

Sunset in a bay window, afloat with cushions. Dark wooden bookshelves make an alcove of your space, lit by the yellow glow of flickering candles. A good space to start the next chapter of your favorite books.

I am out with lanterns looking for myself.

I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?

I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind.

A breezy meadow speckled with wildflowers in the afternoon. The gnarled olive tree sways its branches in tune with an old radio. You stay and let the sunlight warm you on a thick picnic blanket, just for a while, just for a while...