Privilege

I don’t think I’ve ever felt
entitled to all the cards I’m dealt.
Whatever my particular circumstance
is more often than not left up to chance.

Yet here I am,
the victim and the beneficiary,
and somewhere in between
lies the truth of my entire being.

One who can be pushed down
before I even try to get up,
and still one who can do all too little
to grab ahold of all I want.

A state of success,
too often I’m told,
earned on merit alone,
but hearing that gets old.

Sure, I do all I can
to build on what the man has given me.
But I’d be lying if I said
I earn more because of this nation
than I do from a particular situation.

Now, that is not a self-critique.
I simply aim to speak
about how we don’t choose
the lives we’re born into.
And that hard work alone does not atone
for luck or lack there of.

Opportunities handed out
because I look or talk a certain way.
Someone else, better qualified,
may never see that light of day.

So I never take for granted all that I’ve been granted. For, I try my best on my ladder to the sky. But I must lift those whose step up didn’t start quite so high.

It holds me

Your love surrounds me.
Even the parts that go in circles.
The holes where pieces are missing.
The cracked parts that can sting you.

You never judge why things are broken,
you only try to heal.
Any beauty you find in my flickering light
is a small reflection of the beauty I find in you.

Your love envelops me,
like a never ending hug.

It holds me to remind me I’m seen.
It holds me in the only way I need.
A love we hold dear,
in our hands and in their eyes.

These are the things you never see

A pretty picture of two kids glee
took one hundred tries as they kicked and screamed.
A meal made fresh loses its steam,
as you tend to everything else before you can eat.

A restful moment loses its wings
as the cries let you know they’re no longer asleep.
These are the things you never see
because she handles it all so gracefully.

Not a moment to spare without a want or need.
Not a moment to stop, close your eyes and breathe.
These are the things you never see
because she handles it all so gracefully.

I just want it

Only when you lay still
can I admire you up close.
See how peaceful you are
when your eyes are shut closed.

I breathe you in for just a moment
as you breathe in my pillowcase.
Never do I feel more comfort
than when I know you're sleeping safe.

Ari boy, we spend our days
watching you, chasing you, feeding you yogurts,
talking, laughing, arguing,
hugging, crying, learning, searching for patas.

You live life like it's a race
and you're always trying to win.
We're just trying to keep up,
while rooting from the stands.

And buggy, I wouldn't change a thing.
You're exactly who you're meant to be
and we adore every piece.
And I love the all the laughs
And sometimes all the tears.

And perhaps my favorite is when you emerge from sleep,
observant, talkative, detailed.
Ready to play and run some more.
It's something that never fails.

Feel It

This is one of those times
no words can match my mind
when I think of how grateful I am of you.

To know you,
to be around you,
to feel you,
to love you.