how to keep hope alive

hope is a candelight vigil

of the waking mind,

the battery of existence,

a metaphysical pacemaker.

allow me to show you

how to keep it alive.

/

traverse the deserts,

abandon your footprints,

and your pride,

in aimless coordinates.

for hydration,

scatter empty buckets

for miracles to fill.

trust in the

improbable baptism

of rain.

/

visit graveyards,

alone,

and bring with you

a pair of shears.

snip whatever flora

remains unclaimed,

and place them on

the heart's center of

neglected tombs.

upon departure,

seek a spider's web.

admire the gossamer

woven from patience and air,

stare curiously at the spider

within.

envy its devotion,

mourn its fragility,

and learn from its resilience,

as you sever

the spokes of

its silky wheel

one by one

and watch it begin anew.

/

save yourself a trip

to the mechanic

and study

the anatomy of cars.

push them to the edge,

without fear of stopping.

learn to let go of what keeps you safe.

release the brakes

in your mind

and move in the direction

of your desires.

/

go to an atelier

and take up

painting classes.

harness

your inner

da Vinci.

experiment

with acrylic,

oil,

and watercolor.

find the style

that soothes your soul

and glazes

over the canvas

without the encumbrance of friction.

paint your inner tumult,

the chaos in your mind,

a mirror shattering but still reflecting,

a tornado of unsent letters and photographs,

a beautiful island set ablaze.

be certain to leave an aperture of faith,

paint birds flying in V formation.

/

take your net worth

and exchange it for coins

and flick the various metals

into wishing wells.

/

but if you really want to keep hope alive,

encounter a girl,

immerse yourself in the architecture of her mind,

discern the intricacies of her soul,

love her from her profound interior outward,

memorize the boundaries of her being,

the confines of her skin,

know in your unfathomable depths

that she is the genesis.

then,

grab a front row seat

and watch her live

in another place

and that special

connection

survive

in

intermittent messages

typed with

distant fingers.