In hindsight and 
with the kind 
of pain that 
only comes late 
in the night 
I finally admitted 
that the valor 
that I’d embraced 
so many years 
ago that selflessness 
was somehow better
than being selfish 
then I blamed 
others for taking 
advantage of me 
so I set
out to be 
selfish with myself 
at long last 
and generous to 
those I choose 
and not everyone 
and that little 
shift has made 
all the difference 

The tea kettle 
steeps with water 
and sometimes vinegar 
making it shiny 
inside and out 
and those nasty
scaly mineral deposits 
cling to its 
poor insides like 
broken promise’s residue 
on the soul 
until at last 
vinegar of hope 
and its acidity 
washes them away 

And when everything 
is finally done 
and I sit
coffee in hand 
and feet up 
I feel calm 
in knowing that 
and from outside 
I can hear 
the laughter of
and footsteps belonging 
to the children 
and I remember 

Focus on one 
one thing one 
moment one task 
just one person 
one place and 
just one purpose 
all else are
distractions and drama 
and chaos impeding 
for the purpose 
of denying destroying 
and delaying progress 
peace and mindfulness 
then be brought
by just one 
being itself present 

The ocean doesn’t 
change very much 
nor the beach
they’re out there 
or near here 
but besides being 
blue or green 
or white or 
beige they don’t 
oh but mountains 
those behemoths of
rock and ascent 
they certainly do
and forever will 
with snowy peaks 
and frosted foothills 
and little bits
of green between