The nightmares we believe

When we are children, we are afraid of the dark. We seek a candle to light us to bed. And still we dream of monsters. The battle between light and dark is constant. For without light, life cannot exist. The darkness twists and distorts, creating illusions and playing tricks on the mind. People spend most of their lives running and they forget the very reason they start running in the first place. It is only when the path forward is blocked that they have time to stop and catch their breath. And what do they see when they turn around? The creeping darkness.

So what is the darkness and what makes it so terrifying? Therein lies the  problem. The darkness is many things at once; regret, sorrow, guilt, anger, jealousy, rage. It is every secret kept, every opportunity not taken, and the time that you can’t get back. It is death incarnate, always chasing and never slowing, only wearing. And at the same time… It is nothing at all. We shine a light through the darkness and see nothing. No monsters and what we thought would be there, isn’t.

And yet we are afraid. It is only when we see the sun peak over rolling hills do we realize that forever long the night seems, the sun always rises.

Personally, I find comfort in the darkness; its shadow like a blanket. Perhaps not so much the darkness but rather the light that shines through. Some nights you may get a rolling breeze, and the soft glow of moonlight, which can be both mesmerizing and somewhat unsettling. The breeze can easily turn into a howling and the light can slowly recede, leaving only darkness. And yet, when we open our eyes, we realize morning has already come.

The Don’t let Mike Starve fund

This post, fun fact, has been sitting in my drafts since July of 2017. It felt incomplete and I had always meant to add more. So come today, I reread the post and have found it to be one of my better pieces and what was missing, was found. The only change I have made since then and now is the final line, "And yet, when we open our eyes, we realize morning has already come." I hope you enjoy this piece and am glad I finally get to share it with the world.

$1.00

A leaf falls gently

A leaf falls gently

Alone in the silent night

At peace and happy

Support this blog

Like my content? Consider donating to the blog! A lot of work goes into each post and something as simple as a haiku can take a lot of work to find the right words to capture. All content is produced by myself at the moment and I appreciate each donation.

$1.00

Autumn Photos just in time for Winter

This year has gone by fast. In the blink of an eye Summer was over and Autumn has come and is on it’s way out as we head towards Winter. So I decided to go out and take photos.

All the leaves are brown but the sky is not grey.

I’m quite proud of this trip. Coming home and looking at the photos, I’m glad I decided to go out. The colors absolutely pop with the photos and it truly does feel magical.

Photography is perhaps the most difficult hobby I’ve picked up; it requires taking the ordinary and portraying it in such a way that it becomes extraordinary. We walk by trees every day but do we ever truly notice how beautiful something is? And if we do, can we express it to others in a way that intrigues, that captures ones interest?

When we think Autumn, we often think of warmth; as such, most photos should reflect what our mind already wants to perceive. However, diffused, soft lighting can be just as beautiful. 

A stretched hand reaching out to greet you 

It is easy to overlook the little moments and often times we forget to look at the bits and pieces that make up the machine. Autumn simply wouldn’t be if it weren’t for the leaves.

An Autumn stroll is sometimes all we need. To feel the wind blow and the leaves rustle. It’s a time to relax and catch our breath.

As my life becomes increasingly more corporate, I hope I can still find time to capture a moment in time. A moment where I can simply take a walk and hear the birds chirp, the river crackle, and the wind sing. Moments where the rain taps my shoulder in greeting and the sun smiles through a canopy of leaves.

Cheers,

Mike

Time falls as raindrops: A short poem by Mike Cole

Time falls, all around us.

Each moment, a splash.

When life knocks, time answers.

A constant monsoon; sweeping, churning.

Breathing. sighing. And crying.

When time falls, it falls as raindrops;

A soothing melody to lull you to sleep;

Or a constant storm, left sorrow to reap.

When we reach out our hand, we feel the rain.

Every memory, as real as the day before.

Those moments, unchanging or born anew.

In the end, it not so much matters,

For time is all around us and nothing is ever truly lost.

Thanks for reading! It’s great to be back in the swing of things. I’ve really enjoyed writing poetry for the last 6 months and am happy to see my skills moderately improving. I have big plans for the year and am hoping to finish the year strong with plenty of content heading into November and December for the blog. It’s been tough adjusting to work and while I might feel exhausted, I haven’t been willing to sacrifice quality for quantity.

Cheers,

– Mike

Funds to send Mike to Mars

I love producing content. As I grow as an individual, so does my content. What was once acceptable now isn’t. As such, more time is spent working on each post. I do all edits, research, and content creation. Whether it’s taking photos for a post one day to writing poetry the next, my blog is keeping me busy. Donations are appreciated and are used to invest in creative pursuits whether that be writing classes, art lessons, and anything in-between.

$1.00