Beyond the world of discovery that music has been for me, there was always the bigger world, the universe of questions about what we’re a part of, how it works, and how to best fit into the larger whole.

My love of words, a fascination with scientific, philosophical, and spiritual inquiry, and a quiet determination to learn how to be a better human (and a happier man) have led me on a path of shaping my experience, breath by breath, into poems.

Here are some of them.

The Meaning of Meaning

August 2, 2021

When something “good” happens,
it doesn’t mean anything.

When something “bad” happens,
it doesn’t mean anything.

Nothing that happens
means anything
except to the extent
that you give it meaning.

Be more mindful
of what you give meaning to,
and much of your suffering
will give way to joy.

Don’t Be Afraid

July 22, 2021

Don’t be afraid
of your own energy.

You may label it
“good” or “bad”,
but it is just
the life force
of the universe,
expressing itself
through you.

You may have hidden from it,
for all these years,
because it felt bigger than you
and might swallow you up,
but it IS you,
and you are safe
in its embrace.

And you will know this
in your heart and soul,
when you stop struggling
against it.

The Crimson Moon

July 21, 2021

Almost twenty years ago, I looked south from this same spot,
at a sky filled with the scar of a senseless tragedy,
a horrific reminder of our failings as a species. Now,
the signs of a different type of tragedy call out to us,
if we’re only willing to hear.

A crimson moon pokes through a murky but cloudless sky,
the lights of the city muted, further landmarks erased from view,
the air tinged with the faint scent of distant conflagrations.

3000 miles from here, the world is on fire,
and we cannot ignore the message
that this smoke has traveled so far to tell us:
once again, we have brought catastrophe upon ourselves,
on our brothers and our sisters,
and we can no longer afford the luxury
of pretending we don’t see.