Extend your compassion beyond
That which you hold dear
Lessen the suffering
Of that which you fear
Embrace the far
As well as the near
Gene G. McLaughlin 2016
Tag: fear
Be Human
Smile
Lose ground
Until
The end
Feel joy
It goes around
Without us
My friend
Be human
Do not fear
Feel love
Do not pretend
Gene G. McLaughlin 2014
I Threw All I Could Find In It
I had a hole I stood next to
I threw all I could find in it
I threw all the songs I could find in it
I threw all the words I could find in it
I threw all the images I could find in it
It was still empty still longing
Still a whisper I couldn’t hear
I threw all the whiskey I could find in it
I threw all the cocaine I could find in it
I threw all the food I could find in it
It was still thirsty still hungry
Just a whisper far away
I threw all the lust I could find in it
I threw all the fear I could find in it
I threw all the anxiety I could find in it
It found no peace still never resting
The whisper left me alone
I ran out of things to throw in it
I stood alone and broken
Next to the hole
Then the whisper said to me directly
It is standing right with you
The suffering and the desire
Grab it take it with you
Put it in the hole
In the hole you’ll know its name
I walked slowly forward
My nerves steeled
Knowing the whisper spoke truth
I wrapped my arms around it
I leapt with it into the whole
I saw it from within it
Then I knew I should embrace it
Then I got to giving up all of it
I knew the name of my desire
I knew the hole was me
Gene G. McLaughlin 2013
Fear Knows Your Name
Fear knows your name
It is born the same day as you
Fear knows your name
It nestles in the wind that follows you
Fear does not know your actions
It is behind you and reacts to you
Fear does not know your actions
It is subject to the whimsy and truth of you
Fear sometimes wins
If you let it guide your steps for you
Fear sometimes wins
If you do not acknowledge the subtle moves it makes for you
The moments for fear are seldom needed by you
The moments for fear are sometimes real for you
The moment you acknowledge fear has decided for you
Is the moment fear fears it might lose to you
Once we decided all differently
In the background
In the shadows of instinct
Now we can decide for ourselves
Gene G. McLaughlin 2013
