New Year's Toast

Happy new year to you all!

Here I stand with this glass so tall,

in front of all of you I would like to call,

so let your ears catch my words as they fall.

To new beginnings,

to new endings,

to new friends,

to new enemies,

to new lovers,

to new haters,

to new pleasures,

to new regrets,

to new problems,

to new lessons,

to new failures,

to new successes,

to new lives,

to new goodbyes,

and to one constant reminder.

Be happy to see the new

because that’s one thing others can’t do.

Be grateful for everything you go through

because that’s what will make you.

Never fail to be kind and true

because love is found on days so few.

Now this may be called cliché,

but just remember one year I will lay

and never rise again to say

I love you as we embrace at the bay.

I accept that there will be that day,

so when my time comes, and I go away

remember these words and don’t betray.

It’s okay to regret,

It’s okay to hate,

It’s okay to fail,

It’s okay to make a mistake,

but don’t be constant.

We are all flawed,

no exceptions.

As long as you have time,

then you have a chance.

Have moments, not memories.

Take chances, not security.

Remember briefly, forget often.

Love your haters, the way they love you.

Live for me, the way I die for you.

Happy new year everyone.

For Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade

Depression
By
Anthony Labson

Depression is like being at the beach
And you’re standing in front of the waves.

It will hit you repeatedly
and you can try to resist
but once the waves get too high
you’ll fall under the pressure.

Once that happens
you’re under.

Your eyes begin to burn
because they can’t stand
to look at what they don’t
want to see and even if you try,
everything is out of focus anyway.

People can try to help
but they don’t understand that
it’s not just problems with sight.
Their words can’t penetrate the water
that fills your ears.

This leaves you deaf to their cries
and the loneliness sinks in.

You believe there’s no hope
that there is nothing to live for
so what’s the point of having air
in your lungs?

It’s better just to invite the water
and let it pull you down further
by then it’s too late.
Hands try to reach you
but your too heavy to pull up.

The numb sensations start
and you move by involuntary reflex.
Your end comes and the wave
takes you out into the ocean.

People think it’s a sign of selfishness
and they don’t deserve the attention.

You are in the right state of mind.
so how can you possibly understand
what you may have never experienced.
In the mind of someone depressed
you are the selfish one.

You say you want them around
because seeing you makes them happy.
But their life is miserable
so to them you’re saying,
“You want them to stay alive
so they can remain miserable?”

It’s a powerful and destructive
Disease.
If you disagree with me then fine
but I speak from experience.

I’ve been depressed,
I’ve been angry at the world,
and I still fight with it
even to this day.

Yes, others have it worse.
Some people drink
while others smoke
and some do even worse.

Depression is a powerful wave
that has taken many lives.
To those still fighting,
you’re in my prayers.

Rise

 Now is the time to care

and see instead of stare.

Get up! Out of your chair

and release the burden you bear.

We need to fight the power

of those who sit high in the tower

and use our tears to take a shower.

What is life when you must cower?

Now is the time to rise

against the tyrants we despise.

No more leases, break the ties.

To see them run and hear their cries

as their legacy begin to burn and dies.

Let truth be like rain as it falls from the skies

to wash away the lies in front our eyes.

Freedom is for the people, not private lives.

It can’t be contained, no matter how hard the tries.

No more Conformity, time to rise.

Why Does a Rose Represent Love?

ANSWER TO A FRIEND ON MY BLOG

"A rose is supposed to be the representation of love. If that's true then why does a rose have thorns that cut you and why does it have to die." Amber, a friend of mine once asked me that a long time ago and it took me a long time to finally answer this question. It takes a long time because love is a very powerful marvel. I believe a simply "I love you" answers a lot of complicated questions. When there is a great truth to be discovered, then you must first experience this before you can see the truth. Here is why a rose represents love, but also has thorns and must die.

A rose represents love, but has thorns because like being in love, it must be handled carefully. You need to treat it with respect and be careful not to mishandle it. You can't be careless handling the one you hold just because there may be roses with less thorns. If you do then eventually, you will be cut and when that happens, you’re scarred for life. You will have a scar that will take a lifetime to heal and never go away, that cut will always remind you of your loss. That is why the rose has its thorns.

Now why does a rose die? That's the hardest part of the question, but I remembered everyone I ever loved and it came to me. A rose must die because love must be cherished. If love was eternal and always around then the inevitable outcome is that it would be taken for granted. Love should never be taken for granted. Like with people, roses must be loved while we have them because everything that is born must die, so we must appreciate the time we have with them. A rose is the perfect representation of love and these are my reasons why I believe so.

This is an excerpt from my novel, Faces of the Masses. Available now on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Faces-Masses-Anthony-Labson-ebook/dp/B00R1OHYZW/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Venti

Walking in 30 degree weather,

wearing shorts and sandals

in the middle of the night,

and for what?

Venti.

 His height reaches my ankle

and he’s a breed between a regular dog

and a farm animal.

But, unfortunately, is as fast as lightning.

When a door is left open,

it’s a mistake waiting to happen and

that’s what leads me here.

The odds of me finding this dog

in these conditions are as good as

a man with no tongue winning

a spelling bee.

So why am I doing this?

For one main reason.

I’ve been punched in the face,

kicked in the stomach,

survived a car crash,

broken my leg,

bruised ribs,

overcome illnesses.

No problem.

But the one thing that always hurts my heart

more than the unfaithful,

the materialistic,

and the dependent,

is the sight of seeing my sister’s face in a pillow,

soaking the sheets in her tears

and filling the room with her sorrow

because I failed her.

I’d rather freeze to death.

Death Didn't Part

A woman walks up a steep hill.
She does it twice every day before
she eats breakfast
and before she goes to sleep.

Her journey is long,
the air is hard to breath,
and without her cane
her muscles would give out halfway.

The hill is a high steep incline,
with rocks in certain locations.
If she were to lose her footing
then she would surely be killed.

She has never missed a day
and the weather is never a factor.
The clouds don’t control her desire
to make it up the hill.

She has struggled through
rain, wind, thunder, and snow.
She has crawled through
ice, mud and has never slipped.

She doesn’t forget the danger,
she knows all the risks
even at her old age.
It doesn’t stop her from her desire.

She goes when she has a cold,
when her temperature boils,
 and her arthritis is in effect.
What’s up that hill is her heart.

A cross that’s been there for a decade.
Underneath it, is the person
who gave his heart to her
and made a vow she broke.

They swore till death do them part
but she hasn’t left him
even after he left.
She lives, as if he still does.

She puts on a pot of coffee,
she goes up that hill,
kisses the cross
and says, “Good morning.”

During the day.
She keeps their chairs together,
 she’s watches their shows,
and tend to daily events.

She connects with his family and
shows his picture to the new generation.
She does what she can,
to keep his spirit alive.

At the end of the day.
She’ll put on a pot of soup
and go back up that hill
to kiss it and say something.

The one thing that death can’t control.
“I’ll see you tomorrow my love.”