Literal emotions.

If tears crystallized on our face, no one would ever dare to cry.

If happiness made us crack a grin, no one would consider smiling.

If anger stayed etched on our forehead, we wouldn't bother being mad.

If joy left us in stitches, we wouldn't care to laugh.

If fear glued our eyes shut, children wouldn't quake.

If excitement blew our mind, men would never venture.

If hate boiled our blood, women wouldn't berate.

If love struck our hearts, we'd always be apart.

Never start.

Brick, Stone, Stick, Bone.

Brick by brick.
Stone by stone.
Dig your heels-
into my throne.

Stone by stone.
Stick by stick.
Light your eyes-
on candle wick.

Stick by stick.
Bone by bone.
Please realize-
I'm error prone.

Let's get creative (WARNING)

This video is mildly graphic, but it'll sure get those creative juices flowing!

ABC's of my mind

Here is where I'll try to make sense of my brain. I'm going to write the first thing that comes to my mind, and let my crazy thoughts comment on them.

A: Avocado. I don't even like them.
B: Barney. Interesting...I maybe watched this show 5 times in my entire life?
C: Carnivore. I prefer smaller chunks of meat.
D: Domino. A game I've never enjoyed, and my past employer.
E: Existentialism. We exist to be remembered or forgotten.
F: Farm. A pleasant home for many phylum.
G: Grim. An expression I'm all to familiar with.
H: Hi.
I: Igloo. One day I'll make one...who am I kidding? I don't even have the patience to build a snowman.
J: Jello. Rainbow to be exact.
K: Kangaroo. I'm surprised I haven't named more animals.
L: Land. Where I stand.
M: Mom. Oh, how sentimental.
N: Narcissism. Do I really love myself as much as I should?
O: Opponent. I don't like having enemies, but they are necessary.
P: Polo. This word is important, but I don't know why.
Q: Quail. What were you expecting?
R: Ramen. No comment.
S: Stormy. Maybe I'll post about this sometime. For now, I'll have to quickly move on.
T: Tear. It's all up to interpretation.
U: Ukulele. I'm not very musically talented, but if I was...
V: Velcro. Those white shoes I had when I was five years old. Why does this memory linger?
W: Water. Because showers are a place of whimsy and wonder.
X: X-ray Fish. Hey, look at that, another animal. Maybe one day I'll actually look this up. It sounds pretty cool.
Y: Yellow.
Z: Zenith. I just learned this word, and I'm a show-off.

Same Love.

I recently had the experience to attend my uncles wedding ceremony. It was one of the most emotional events of my entire life. They had been together for 26 years, and they were finally able to tie the knot. This song by Mackelmore is pretty self explanatory once you read the lyrics, so I implore you to do so.

When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay,
'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.
I told my mom, tears rushing down my face
She's like "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-k, trippin'."
Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn't she?
Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.
I remember doing the math like, "Yeah, I'm good at little league."
A preconceived idea of what it all meant
For those that liked the same sex
Had the characteristics
The right wing conservatives think it's a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man-made rewiring of a predispositionPlaying God, aw nah here we go
America the brave still fears what we don't know
And "God loves all his children" is somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago
I don't know

And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm

If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately?
"Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the daily
We become so numb to what we're saying
A culture founded from oppression
Yet we don't have acceptance for 'em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that's not important
No freedom 'til we're equal, damn right I support it

(I don't know)

And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm

We press play, don't press pause
Progress, march on
With the veil over our eyes
We turn our back on the cause
'Til the day that my uncles can be united by law
When kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are
And a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all
But it's a damn good place to start
No law is gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever God you believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it's all the same love
About time that we raised up... sex

And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can't change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm

Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is patient
Love is kind
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I'm not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
Love is kind

Jigsaw

Funny how I still use strategies from my childhood.

Like closing my eyes, and pretending everything around me has disappeared; and they have, visually at least, and most of the time, that's enough.

I mope when I want something. I scream and cry and have a tantrum the world has never seen, all in my head. I project those feelings through my eyes.

I've been told my eyes can be quite deadly.

I imagine and let curiosity get the better of me. I count by sticking my fingers out. I say the ABC's to remember the placement of letters. I enjoy snack time.

Hell, I've been using the same blanket since I was 6, and I don't plan on abandoning 'ole "Blue" anytime soon.

However.

As I've grown older, new strategies are required.

I can no longer share a goldfish to make a new best friend. I have to make an impression.

I can no longer be blissfully oblivious to everything happening in the world. I have to know evil to avoid it.

I can no longer speak my mind and expect no consequences. I have to bite my tongue.

But it's alright.

I understand things change.

For better.

For worse.

Till death do I part.

Till death, I live.

And during this wonderfully, horribly, real existence, I become another piece of the puzzle humanity has crafted.

I like to imagine I'm a corner piece, not some vague blur of color in the middle. But that would be alright, because that piece still completes the puzzle. It's just a little more complicated.

Replacement

This is a story about humanity.

We hold our wires, behind our back, plugged into souls.
We are infinitely more brilliant than those of the past.
The key to everything is locked behind a door that has no walls.

Yet.

We are told to limit ourselves.
We are told to be unique.

But not too unique.

Just the right amount of unique.

Our fingers are spiders.
Spinning a web everywhere we go.
Getting tangled in the halls.
Leaving our business in every crevice.
Every crack.

How can we be told to be unique?
When everyone is just trying to survive this sticky mess we've been wrapped in.

Our wires rust.
Replacement is necessary.

But life goes on.
Our soul is absorbed to that room with no walls.
Twirling in endless space.
Perhaps making the acquaintance of some other poor soul.

So be unique.
Be a machine.
You'll make a nice replacement.

Hmm. That wasn't really the best story I've ever told.

Eyeball

We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box. ~Robert Fulghum