Butterflies

People are like butterflies
Everyone has the potential
To become a beautiful creature
Soaring through life
When we reach past our fears
And see the beauty that lies all around us

We start as voracious caterpillars
Consuming as much of the world as we can
In a frantic dance driven by modern culture and naïveté
But there is so much confusion in this process
And a chaotic world filled with illusions only increases that effect
Delaying or preventing our ultimate transformation

So we continue blindly consuming
Until we reach an unhealthy point in life
Where we realize change must come
As we are forced to question
Both what we have consumed
And what lies ahead for us

Once we are in this cocoon
It can be difficult to see the world for what it is
When in the darkness of misinformed thoughts
We are often lead astray
Both by social norms and pressures
And by our own misguided desires

This is only made more difficult
By the burden of the human ego
That wants us to paint ourselves as Mona Lisas
While stopping us from seeing our true selves
So that we might work on our imperfections
And shed the weight of a material world

How can one expect to be free
When we are controlled by the weakness
That is the human ego?
A curse that seeks to run from our truths
Rather than face them in a positive way
That could give us real hope for improved quality of life
      
When we look for a way to escape from our cocoon
That is based on misrepresentations of life
We find ourselves running in circles
Unable to break free
Because false truths make strong
The silken bars of our imprisonment

Our insecurities grasp for certainty that does not exist
Which only serves to create more uncertainty
Our fears run from discomfort
But fear is self-actualizing
And leads us to false comforts instead
In the cruel reality that cocoons us

If we allow ourselves to believe
That happiness comes from outside ourselves
We are regularly presented with false hope
That gets snatched away by the hard truth
That we can never be truly happy
Until we find happiness within ourselves

Where we replace the frail ego
With the power of self-respect
And personal responsibility
That leads us to love ourselves
And be grateful for what we have
So we can love others too

This trap can last a lifetime
As many fail to seek guidance
Or even know that it may exist
Yet some emerge early in life
And some catch up later on
And find a way to emerge into the sunlight

And when they do finally emerge
Their wings take hold of the wind
And the sun embraces them with her warmth
As they soar into a new world
Filled with beauty, light and potential
Where there used to be only darkness and confusion

And having found this Shangri-La
We wish that we could bring those we love with us
But it is not so easy
Because the vision to see through the haze
And the fortitude to break the cocoon’s bonds
Does not come to everyone

So all we can do is try to guide them
And hope that they can find their inner strength
As we discovered ours
And give them a hand up when they want it
And catch them when they fall
So they know they are not alone

It is often said that those in cocoons are broken
And those of us who aren’t should stay away from them
But I say that we are all butterflies
And those caught in the cocoons of their past
Just need help to find freedom
And if we do not help them to fly, Who will?

For there is no one more qualified
Than a freed spirit
Whose wings already glide upon open skies
And whose heart has the capacity to love
Even those who do not love themselves
Because love is the greatest power in life

by David Stein
September 30, 2014
© 2014 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.

Blood Moon

Quiet soothes the night

Those who do not fully live

Are asleep to face tomorrow

Without seeing today

How many falling leaves have they missed?

Yet aware of none

For they are trained to require more

And boredom perpetually obscures

The beauty of rare moments

And the details of an ever changing life

That make even the simplest experience

Feel rich, diverse and serene

Crickets are the only sound

Reminding me the world’s alive

I am in the moment

I do not care what is tomorrow

I am caressed by the soft breeze

The stars are standing

Ever vigilant above me

Watching over us

Influencing us

With invisible puppet strings

But I am a child of the moon

And that is why I am here

It begins a perfect radiant sphere

Then minute by minute

It collapses in upon itself

Until it is consumed

Leaving no more behind

Than a glowing shadow of itself

Is it a luminous ping pong ball?

Or a flushed eye looking back at us?

Is it an early representation of the man in the moon?

Inspired by the gleaming crescent to one side

With a friendly profile smiling off into the night

Like a kindly grandfather out on the porch

A wispy cloud drifts across his face

Mars screams out “I’m here too!”

But he is no match for the majesty

Of this Blood Moon’s omnipresence

Nor can the clouds diminish him

Though they try to hide his magnificence

Then reinforcements are summoned

And the tide changes

The moment is fading

But it is not lost

Because I was here

Living instead of dreaming

by David Stein
April 15, 2014

© 2014 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.

The Speed of Love

What is this thing called “love at first sight”?
Which can be born of meaningful conversation
And the realization of two like minds
As easily as the unexpected meeting
Of eyes that become fixed in a singular gaze
And cannot see anything else in the room.
Is it not the experience that we long for
When we seek romance within the arts?
Is it not the amorous dream of most people?

But why then
When we find such bliss
Do we perceive excess speed
When we have simply lived the moment
And why does it feel so overwhelming
That we often feel the need to run from it?

Is it because the feelings come so fast
And we cannot control the natural urge
To bond with someone so closely
Because we are pack animals
And we have a natural desire
To be in a protective union
Regardless of the cautious instructions
Giving to us by those
Who may have failed at it
And settled for less?

Or is it because                  
Most have felt it with someone
Who did not reciprocate
And the memory fills us with fear
Because no one wants to experience
The desolate humiliation
Of unrequited love
And the pity of those who care for us?

Wisdom says that if we do not control that fear
It will undermine the pursuit of future love
Because fear is self-actualizing
So when we fear losing something
We take actions that fail us
And increase the likelihood of losing it.

Like when we pull back from a new love interest
When it feels so good
That we trip into the mental ruse
That its velocity is somehow wrong
And fills us with uncertainty
Or self-doubt
Or questioning the balance of another
Where the knowledge
That it is better to have love and lost
Than never to have loved at all
Becomes clouded by that fear
Until you cannot see anything but danger
And it’s weight overwhelms you
And you run screaming from it
Leaving only regrets behind

But like everything in life
Only a small portion
Of what happens to us in life
Is caused by what happens.
Almost all of our experience
Comes from how we choose to react to life
So if we choose to stay focused
On the light that is found in its promise
And reject the fear that envelopes it in darkness
We can help the sapling of new love to grow
Instead of depriving it of sunlight
And watching it die in solitary gloom.

How many more love stories
Would we have to celebrate
If more could learn
To reject the love eclipse
And instead
Embrace the light that shines
From the tender branches of the sapling
And nourish it with trust in ourselves
And in the beauty that we see in another?

This question I cannot answer
But I can answer for myself
That no more will I run from potential
And I will stand firm
When presented with opportunity
So that I may grow that sapling
Into a mighty tree
That will provide shade
When the sun is too strong
And provide shelter
When it rains
And provide wood for a fire
When I need warmth
And provide fruit
When I need nourishment

And for all who read these words
I would wish that together
We can grow a new forest
And create a new world
Filled with love
Instead of fear.

by David Stein
March 11, 2014

© 2014 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.

A Familiar Smile

Can you see a beautiful heart in a smile?
One that speaks of innocence and light
Expressing a feeling of purity
Like a lone flower in a great meadow
Or the only star visible in the night sky
So that when you see it the first time
It embraces you
Wraps you in its light
Warms you
Entices you
Creating a hunger for knowledge
Of the soul that emanates from it       

Or is it a trick of the heart
An illusion of desire
But then how could it be so instantaneous?
How can that moment exist
Except as a pure feeling?
A spontaneous reaction
Started by a trained eye
In tune to the souls around it
An empathic link
A sixth sense moment
A timeless connection
To a familiar smile

by David Stein
1/16/2014
© 2014 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.

Time

Another year is coming to an end

Another year will take its place

Life continues no matter what we do

Time drags us along

No matter how much kicking and screaming we do

It continues

Why do we waste so much time trying to control it?

Trying to deny it with plastic surgery

Always pursuing fantasies like the fountain of youth

Or eternal life

But this life was not meant to be eternal

It is precious, precisely because it is limited

So many people live their days

Abiding by social norms

Participating in accepted wastes of time

Disrespecting their time here

Until they find out that they are terminally ill

Then suddenly, they start to live fully?

You shouldn't need impending doom

To wake you up to the truth about life

To feel its precious gift

To want to live it to the fullest

To want to share your joy with others

And celebrate in theirs

Yet so many people wrap themselves in self-absorbed pursuits

Until the point of no return

Wasting minutes, hours, days, months and years in fruitless labors

Like self-pity, anger, hatred, fear, and mistrust

Things that only subtract from life

Ours and the lives of those around us

Why do we put so much emphasis on certain days

That when we are alone on them, we feel like lesser beings?

Is any day truly any different from the next

Other than what we make of it?

If you view a holiday as just another day

Do you not release the weight of social stigma?

Time is relative to our perception of it

If I am alone on New Years Eve

I am only a lesser man if I view myself that way

I am not a better man if I go out and get drunk

If I have nowhere worthy of going

I should be fine with being alone

Do we enhance ourselves by being slaves to time?

Why do we wear watches?

I no longer do and my life is freer because of it

We surround ourselves with reminders of time

And then we find so many ways to waste it

And so many ways to regret doing so

The last time I hung a calendar

It was not to know the date

But to see the picture my niece drew for it

The year, the month, the day did not matter

The substance of her imagination did

For it was a representation of her light

Creating is never a waste of time

Like my time spent writing this

Humans are pack animals

If we do not share our gifts, we waste them

When we share them, we shine

We create beautiful moments for others and ourselves

Learning is never a waste of time

If we stop learning, are we really alive?

Learning is growth, growth is living

A person who ceases to learn is more dead than alive

You can see them fading away

Lost in intransigent beliefs

Loving is never a waste of time

If we take our time to love ourselves

We can better love those around us

When we take time to love those around us

We make the world a better place

If we all did this, we would all be happier

So take these thoughts into the new year

Consider that each day

Is the first day of the rest of your life

It is no different from any other day

We can live it to the fullest

Simply by choosing to do so

by David Stein
12/31/2013
© 2013 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.

Soul Circles

I have been on the long journey to find myself

Little did I know that the real journey in life

Is not finding someplace new``

But rediscovering someplace old

We are born innocent and full of light

But we live in a world that can easily steal our light

And though I have found light throughout my life

I could never hold onto it

Because I was not at peace

And although, I think absolute peace may not exist

I have now found relative peace

A place where I do not need to scream at someone for cutting me off as I drive

Where I do not need to fret over lost or damaged possessions

Where my heart does not scream at rejection

And my strength does not wilt at the prospect

Where fighting the good fight is a reflex

Where helping others is its own reward

Where every problem has a solution rather than an excuse

Where calm pervades

Where patience is the overseer

And understanding is the guide

Where everyday is the first day of the rest of my life

And where the past is truly in the past

And does not reign over me

Or rain onto me

I have steered my ship through many storms of emotion

I have climbed over many mountains of fear

I have fought my demons and tamed them

And by doing so

I have found my way

Not to the end of a long road

But back to the beginning

My beginning

When my soul was pure

When I did not judge

When all I had to do to fly

Was fall asleep and dream

And when I dreamed

It was not of carnal pleasure

But of innocence and light

Of freedom and honor

And of romance and inner beauty

Yet now I stand in my birth-light having grown

Now I have the wisdom that staves off my weaknesses

Now I am equipped with insight instead of fear

Now I know myself

I know my faults and how to repair them

I know my fears and how to control them

I know my wants and how to pursue them

I know my needs

And I am strong enough to reach for them

I once read in a poem

That “there are men too gentle to live among wolves”

But I say that even the most gentle of men

Can learn to survive amongst wolves

And thrive

When he is true to his soul

And has the spirit to persevere

by David Stein
12/28/2013
© 2013 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.

Learning to Fly

Pushed towards so many cliffs over a lifetime

No matter what lays ahead

No matter how much fear I feel

I always manage to take the leap

And catch myself when I fall

With the help of my higher power

Sometimes I land hard

Leaving me feeling broken

Though the injuries are not physical

They often take a long time to heal

Perseverance and understanding are my friends

They will get me to my desired end

Now that I know myself better

The landings are softer

And take much less time to heal

It was not easy to get here

It is not easy to be here

It is a much better place than where I was

But someday

I will learn to fly

It is in my bones

It is in my soul

I will fly

I will fly

I don’t know when

I don’t know how

I just know I will

I know I will find a way

I will fly

I will fly

I will soar amongst the clouds

And relish in the sun’s warmth

I will sing of days gone by

And spread joy as I go

I will fly

I will fly

I will sing of brighter futures

I will share the paths I have found

I will teach others to fly

As I reach new heights

I will fly

I will fly

by David Stein 12/24/2013
© 2013 by David Stein.  All rights reserved.