I host an infinite universe of subjective meaning within my being. In the midsts this universe, centered around my consciousness, is a galaxy of introspection. Every solar system is an aspect of my “self”. The functions of my perceived roles and responsibilities orbiting around an essential incarnation of “me”. At the core of this star system is my favorite planet. It is the point of origin for my perspective. This is the world where I choose to spend most of my time. In this world, I am unquestionably brilliant, lovely, brave, just, kind, generous, loving, and fulfilled. I am also equally stupid, terrible, cowardly, cruel, selfish, hateful, and discontent. I call it paradise; hell. I am wonderfully free; I am hopelessly tethered. Sometimes, I get caught in the gravity of this small rock. I forget that it’s only a minuscule pebble floating in the middle of an endless sea of time and space. In this way, the boundaries of this world close in around me, transforming into a fortress where I remain safe from the influence of the outside world. My hidden place reduces down to a single room; room to walls; walls to bars. Fortress to prison; prison to cell; cell to trap. Every so often, I open my eyes and I realized that I’ve dug myself into tiniest of holes… meanwhile there’s an entire universe waiting, out there, for me. I claw at the sides of my standing grave before I’m totally buried, before I pass the point of no return. When I feel like I’m getting nowhere, I take a deep breath and I remember that I can scream. I scream and everything that I’ve built to obtain my peace of mind just crumbles around me. My world lies in ruin. I return to my default state. I have nothing; I am nothing… and in the moment, every time, I can finally see all the stars above me. I reach out for the unknown; spectacular, infinite possibility. I am the empty womb waiting for the seed of all; everything, everything… ♥