Risky Business Indeed

There is a place between fear and excitement
It exists within each of us, Thank goodness it does.
Reverence and vitality frolic in our hearts in the face of risk.
Standing on the edge of a cliff peering down into the ocean, our pulse races
Adrenalin bubbles like a pot left unattended on the fire
In gambling with the fleeting nature of our humanity
we are possibly never more in touch with it.
'Taking chances', or 'rolling the dice' if you prefer, a delicious game.
Preposterous to propose that the salmon has any other choice but to surrender to and instinct
And trust the currents.
Similarly, where is the boundary of our influence on the environment? Does it matter?
Through our victories, we often boast a mastery of chance,
When we lose, it is common to accuse the universe of injustice, even cruelty.
When we purse our lips in pursuit of a first kiss, we risk rejection. Terrifying!
If we could remove the terror,
I tend to believe that we would then dilute the nectar of that delicious kiss.
Love, the riskiest endeavour of all.
When the fear, nervousness and anxiety are neutralized..
Does that not allow for a far more dangerous result; complacency, indifference.
A warrior's heart invites death to his table, before the aforementioned evils.
Oppose the gamble if you wish,
but know that there is an unmistakable union between risk and reward.
Our souls rely on our Defeats as much as our Victories to define us.
So please, take a chance.

Naked confession

Judgement and opinion whip across the plains of humanity like a cold wind,
We drape ourselves in many robes of misdirection and illusion in defense of being ridiculed or even exiled.
You entered my life and were charmed by these cloaks of experience, and offered love
I have betrayed us both through my insecurity and fear.
My costume of stories I have told myself, and others for years has imprisoned me.
Too long has it been since I have felt the warmth of my own skin.
Not to mention the guilt and regret I feel around not having the courage to allow our respective truths couple with one another.
Perhaps, I cannot revive the love we shared.
Like weeds in a garden, that flower was most certainly choked out long ago.
What I can do however is disrobe.
Return to the nakedness of my youth,
Truth; the only thing I allow to touch my skin evermore,
Let vindication come in the form of a kiss of forgiveness.
I now know that acceptance is the only foundation on which to build a home for my heart, my dreams, my future.
These things I hope for you as well.
If one day you can forgive my fear, perhaps friendship can blossom.
Until then, I lay my body under the Sun
Every breath that fills my lungs under its warmth is born of gratitude.