Photo by Aaron Burden One of the last vestiges of being human, The unseen moments of tenderness, Shown towards one another, Bringing hope to each. They say we are not completely lost, They say somewhere deep within, A part of us is still fighting, Fighting to keep our humanity afloat. In those many layers lie hidden, The actions we leave behind, One of compassion and concern, Towards a fellow being who walks alongside They are the silver lining behind dark clouds, The creators way of showing us who we are, A social creature above all, With a capacity to empathize. Silently seeping inside, Creating a positive reaction towards each other, Unspoken but felt at our core, Nurturing a sense of friendship and comfort. Unnoticed and unconscious by nature, They rise above our ego and pride, The gestures we show, Towards one another who we live by.

Photo by Ester Marie Doysabas Will I be part of the history that is written, Or fade away as part of the history forgotten, Will I live eternal in the words on these pages, Or will I be a memory struggling against time. It is a choice I make Live for glory or live like just another, Be remembered after I am gone, Live in the memories of others. A part of me that lie dormant woke, And drove the change that was needed, With unprecedented force I had not experienced, Compelling me to oblige with obedience. I had side lined this part of me before, Now he was in control, He was the result of my father's teaching, Bold and meticulous in his ways. He was late to wake up, But I'd say it was better than never, Years of learning had created a full being, Living inside me growing alongside. We are now one, He lives through me as I him, Forged a middle ground to coexist, To live passionately with ambition.

Photo by Aditya Saxena Fly like birds, Soaring in the skies, Majestic Kings of the earth above, Beyond the sight we are gifted. See what they see, From heights unimaginable, The miniscule details of this land, We plunder and conquer. The effects we have had, The transformations we have caused, The ugliness we have created, And the beauty we have destroyed. Search for those places, That still holds good, Amidst all these adversities, So that we can protect. The time is upon us, Change our nature and conserve, Salvage from what we have lost, In memory of what we were once given. Have the courage to do no harm, Be it living or inanimate, This is my faith, What goes around, comes back around.

Photo Credit: Sandra Mode The year has come to end, As the queen dawns the sky, In all her glory one last time, I write about the time expired. Another year of experience, Another step in a long career, Growing alongside the young and old, On this crossroads we are at. Hope I have grown the wiser, Hope I remember the lessons learnt, In the years to come, Hope I make better choices. There was more joy than before, There were disappointments too, There are times I'd remember forever, There are moments I will forget Another year is about to begin, With the promise of better times to come, One last play before spring begins, One last hurrah, the winter is here.

Photo Credit: LUM3N Fight and struggle are everlasting, Walk out of one walk in to another, At every turn and in all circumstance, As real as the air we breathe. The war with peers to succeed, The fight with family because of love, The struggle with nature to survive, The clash of opinions among friends They are bound to cause pain, Happiness otherwise, They are what lets us define, Our place in this glorious time. The recursive right of passage, Passed only by men of valor, Men with integrity in their blood, Who endured adversities with fortitude. Pride in the fight they take up, Respect for each other, In the long drawn war for living, Honour in the way they live and die .

Photo Credit: Chris Ensey Worship Gods carved into stones, With deep reverence stemming from generations, Wishing for health and prosperity, For yourself and your next of kin. Shower gifts and offerings in plenty, Hoping for a blessings, a better future, In return for our unsullied adoration, Pray stone Gods save our tomorrow. Do they truly? Or is it a facade of our "self", A "self" that we are too estranged to see, A "self" lost in the pages of our beliefs. Aching for validation in rocks, Why don't we chisel inward through the veils of our glorified illusion, Seek within, and reverberate with every speck for all the faith we yearn, And in return find the self that was once born pure. But if you must, pray to the sun that shines every morning, Pray to the winds that bring rain, Pray to the earth that lay beneath, Pray to your health that suffers your carnage everyday.

These are a set of things I wish I had done or had happened but did not have the courage to follow through or fate did not permit Wish I was born wealthy, I do not wish to work, Wish I didn't have to earn for survival, I Wish I was free Wish I had the courage to follow my dreams, The metal to reach for the stars, Talent imbibed with confidence, One I am always proud to be Wish I made my own decisions, When my life was very young, Wish I thought far and wide, Instead of the today and the tomorrow Wish I had studied well, When I was told I showed promise, Wish I knew what I want in life, When I languished the moments of young. Wish I spoke to my first crush, While it ate away at my soul, Wish I knew how it went, While all I know is sorrow. Wish I stood for what I believed, When the moment presented itself. Wish I had made myself heard, All I know is what I should've done Wish I was surrounded by seri...

Do you know Every moment I live by, Every second I breathe, I live in your memory Do you know we walk on separate paths You are nowhere to be found all the moments are lost in time What do I do to find you, In this crazy world of mine What do I do to make you, Feel the way I feel about you Tired winds, tired lives All the sadness here entwine Throw it out of my mind Bring me back, bring me back Bring me back, bring me back Bring me back from the undead Bring me back, bring be back Bring me back to the present life 

Give me insight while in darkness, Give me depth of the seas, Give me the prowess of a lion, Give me the strength to be free. Let there be courage in fear, Smiles and happiness, let there be, Let there be vision to cohere, Connect my timeline with this key. When the drive is missing from my heart, When my passion is lost at sea. When the zeal is nowhere to be found, When I am better off being the absentee. I yearn for the time to think and ponder, I yearn for the chance to sip a cup of tea. I yearn for a moment to live and create, I yearn for the chance to be wild and free

When the wind stops, leaves stand still, When the clouds clear, the sun shines bright, When the child stops crying, his smile convey a thousand words, When we stop to think, rhythm of life unfolds. A million ways to say sorry, none at the right time, Of all the women out there, the right one hard to find, Glorious dreams of the night, forgotten legends of the day, An era of time we live, the present, a second in the game of life. Towards our aspirations and goals, we all walk, Wandering in the wilderness, clueless and drained, The light in this dense forest nowhere to be seen, This is the rhythm of life, the legend of our living. With friends and family, we flourish and prosper, Our terrified living, put at ease with friendship and love, One step at a time, we walk toward our destination, Though diverse in our goals, united we walk as time flies by.

Wish to be there, at the top of the hill, Wish to be there, with the whispering winds. Wish to sit under the silent tree and see, What a wonderful sight, your home that once had been. Withering away in the rain and the sun, Flowering away in the mist at noon. Rocks of the hill who have stories to tell, Lovely as can be, flowers of heaven and hell. Hours and hours, seem stagnant in time, Sitting under the tree, the moment sublime. Rappelling on the rocks, what a wonderful climb, Luscious and calm, I live for this moment divine. Take me there, I plead to thee, Let me live, where I wish to be. Let me breathe, the air under the tree, your home, that once had been