Clouded Mind

    The sky,
releasing its drowning cry,
transforms the world into a
maddening sigh.

    The rain,
plummeting with disdain,
fights the fall but descends
in vain.

    The trees,
swaying from the torrid breeze,
shiver and pray for the slightest
of ease.

    My mind,
thinking of thoughts unkind,
wishes for better words to
be rhymed.

(b.m.)

Wildflowers

There once was a young girl whose spirit

glowed with an unwavering passion and zest 

for life. As the years went by, there came

others who envied her exuberance and, unable

to accept their lack thereof, sought to dull her

luminance. One by one, they planted a seed

within her mind, each taking root between the

folds of her brain and germinating as destructive

thoughts. As time passed by, they leeched

away her liveliness and threatened to replace

anything worth living for. Until one day,

as if the clouds had parted for the first time in

years, she was reminded of how much power

lightness held. And in that moment, the seeds

that were once nothing more than malignant

weeds, suddenly transformed into wildflowers.

Hues of gold and violet and emerald blossomed

from within her mind. No longer was she trapped

within the confines of darkness. No longer would

she allow others to shade her brilliance because of

their insecurities.

And just like that,

she was free.

(b.m.)

Nature's Bounty

Does a river stop rushing in fear of
being too loud?
Does a tree hide its leaves in fear of
taking up too much space?
Does the sun dim its brightness in fear of
being too noticeable?
Does the ocean hold back its waves in fear of
disturbing the shore?

Do they?

Should you?

(b.m.)

Elements of Him

i'll never forget

the    c    r     e      of his lips,
              u    v    s
prominent on his face
    like mountains
risen from the earth.

or
the    w    v     s      of his hair,
               a     e
cascading over his head
    like waterfalls
powerless to gravity.

or
the    r    m     l      of his voice,
              u     b    e
carried through the air
    like gusts of wind
moaning as it blows.

or
the    t   r    l        of his touch,
             h   i    l
heating up my body
    like wildfires
scorching the earth.

i'll never forget.

(b.m.)

Reflected

I stumbled upon this empty shell,

as I walked along the river.

Maybe it was the decaying smell,

that made my body shiver.

Something about it drew me near,

as I ventured beyond the trail.

Maybe it was the feeling of drear,

that made my skin go pale. 

Most beguiling was this ivory stone,

as my eyes became transfixed.

Maybe it was the stark white bone,

that made me so affixed.

I soon realized the connection,

as my chest welled up inside.

Maybe it's my own reflection,

that this empty shell implied.

-b.m.

Solace

I seek solace within nature,

In moment of utter despair.

No presence is there greater;

For loneliness I cannot bare.

First, 

I hear the gossiping trees,

Whose whispers fill the air.

Curses travel with the breeze;

To the woodpeckers they swear.

Second,

The restless stream passing by,

We've little time to chat.

To each other we never lie;

A simple tit-for-tat.

Next,

Always one to voice an opinion,

The cardinal's never shy.

Loudly claiming his dominion;

Must he constantly pry?

Last,

The sound of a howling tune,

From where else but the wind.

As a wolf to the full moon;

Confessing of all his sin.

The sounds occupy my tired soul,

Quieting my destructive mind.

Slowly filling the hollowed hole;

Dissipated are thoughts unkind.

-b.m.

Aware

Life is but a reflection of,
The Earth, the Sea,
And the Stars above--

The Earth teaches many a thing,
What wisdom its soils do bring.
From it, sprouts plants and trees,
Whose leaves dance in the breeze.
On it supports buildings and homes,
In it conceals diamonds and bones.
It is never judging of those it meets,
To everyone it graciously greets.
Within its lips, truth there lies,
Of the day light, and night skies.
Secrets it holds for those who tell,
For above it heaven,
And beneath it hell.
Always to it does life return,
From Earth, there is much to learn.

As a balance to Earth's benevolence,
There lives the Sea's bold arrogance.
Thrashing and swaying with gust all day,
To the Earth, it has much to say.
Never does it withhold a confession,
But done so with utmost discretion.
Although the surface looks of steel,
Beneath it flourishes a great deal.
In the shallows communities thrive,
Stimulating the waters to feel alive.
The dark abyss is a different being,
Hiding demons, within it screaming.
Many are there secrets untold,
In the Sea a mystery does hold.

Keeping watch over the sullen Sea,
Are creatures unlike you and me.
They fill the sky with sultry lights,
And take away the lonely nights.
But the Stars are not what they seem,
Despite their envied lustrous gleam.
Behind the light is a shadow of death,
A projection of beauty is all that's left.
This reality is their burden to bear,
For your sadness they wish to spare.
It's no wonder they are looked upon,
And their shooting light wished on.
From the Stars I've come to learn,
Even in death does passion burn.

So you see, that all around,
Are inspirations,
To be found.


 -b.m.

Star-Crossed Lovers

A tale of love as old as time,

Of the moonlight and sunshine.

Every morning, as she wakes,

Dawn approaches the land.

Through the sky her light breaks;

A beautiful array, so grand.

But where is the moon,

To witness her splendor?

Gone much too soon;

His grace he cannot render.

A sacrifice he must bestow,

Each and every day.

So she can shine her radiant glow;

How he longs to stay.

They meet again as daylight ends,

Such little time they are given.

What a sight as their colors blend;

Toward each other they are driven. 

But together they cannot stay,

As she finally must set.

A given order they must obey;

An end to their duet. 

His love illuminates the night sky,

As his stars come out to shine.

Surely for her, you cannot deny;

A tale of love as old as time. 

-b.m.

Simply Pure

Hello moths!

I took this picture about two months back, and every time I look at it, I relive the emotions I felt when first encountered it. I know, that sounds silly but I have this deep connection with nature, and I believe that this leaf is a metaphor for something really special. Now I know what you're thinking:

It's a dead leaf Bri...

Just take a closer look, what do you see?

.

.

.

.

. 

Still don't see it? (fine, I'll tell you) 

Directly in the center is a perfectly shaped heart--see it now?? How adorable is that? I'm a pretty vigilant person, so as I'm walking to class all of a sudden this little dead leaf stopped me *dead* in my tracks and made me back up to take a closer look. I was so in awe of this perfect heart being in the middle of this leaf on the sidewalk. Now I know plants/leaves/dead leaves don't have feelings (I'm not that crazy) but it almost gives you a sense of how precious life is. We, as humans, coexist with so many other things on this planet, from animals to trees to the smallest flowers. Together we are whole. One day, we will all die (a simple fact of life) because, well, that's the circle of life. Organisms are born, they live, and they return back to the earth in death. It's actually a really beautiful concept the way we once again become a part of that which we originated. That's another thing to point out: our culture in America is one that absolutely fears death and generally avoids discussing it, from the way we bury the dead in coffins that are hidden underground, to the way the media never shows funerals or related images. In the bible (not getting too religious here) bodies of the dead were exhibited on open tables where loved ones and those around them could view the deceased with respect and clarity. It wasn't a scary or disgusting thing, it was a part of the culture of that time because death was universally accepted (that, and the bible ensured those who repented their sins and lived an honest life had no reason to fear dying). Whether you are a religious person or not, it is a beautiful concept. Death is such a feared thing today that we sometimes divert our attention away from life and focus on what will happen once it comes to an end. Live the best life you can and take the most out of it: if this one life is all we get, then you better be damn sure you live it to the fullest. Otherwise, be a kind and compassionate human being and you will be rewarded for it in the end, simple as that. It's a little something to think about. 

Anyway, the thing I was getting at with the leaf is that yes, it is a dead leaf, but even in death it has this little beautiful image within it--in the shape of a heart. This dead leaf had the power to make me, a human being, stop and take a second look at it. How amazing is that? I think it's important to really connect to our surroundings and have love and respect for every single element that exists around us. We are often times a selfish species, believing we are at the top of this "pyramid," but simply being able to reason or converse does not make us pure. A human woman nursing her newborn baby is no more pure than a gorilla doing the same for hers. We are simply a reflection of the environment around us (one of which we have manipulated and exploited, leading to the misdirection of human nature). Who is to say we are the highest power? Nature is constantly retaliating, showing her supernatural powers in the form of hurricanes or tornadoes, things that are uncontrollable and exposes the vulnerability of the human condition. The bottom line is that this dead leaf represents the purity of nature. Nature does not think ill of others, does not judge, does not seek material things: it simply is. What's more beautiful than that (besides you, of course..)?

Let's aspire to be as pure as the nature that surrounds us: that is my challenge to you. 

Happy living, moths. xoxo