While hiking around Lake Sabrina—just outside of the city of Bishop, CA— in the winter, I sat down to watch the sun poke out from behind the range in the distance. As the wind picked up, I hunkered behind a rock to write this poem. Lake Sabrina is a summer destination that keeps holds water for Los Angeles. In this poem, I review an internal dialogue I have with myself about the human race.

As a photographer, my main focus is to chase light. A mentor of mine described photographers as the “Seekers of Light”. While I must admit, the majority of my work is focused more on the moment than light, I will say that my favorite photographs are those with unique light. Regardless, the purpose of the poem is to dive into what makes us human, keeping in mind the cycles of life. Hoping to highlight the daily as well as yearly cycles we all encounter, putting into perspective the one, hopefully long, cycle of life we are all living.

It's almost impossible to neglect the reality that most of us are wasting our lives. Taking notes and accounting of my interactions with others, I look at and observe how we waste our lives. Often these observations make me as questions like; Why do we do this? Why do we allow ourselves to live an unhappy life?

Chaos, uncertainty, fear. Most would say,

“You’re lost.”

However, I am just now beginning to find myself.

This world is like a blur, moving so quickly, it is hard to focus.

Click here, double-tap that, swipe left… no right…

Hang up the phone and begin looking beneath your nose.

Having the mindset to live on the road means you are willing to work through the punches. As a digital nomad, these books will help you find yourself along your travels as well as give you a perspective that showcases how others have done it in the past. In the end, what you read influences your daily life, your thoughts, and eventually your actions, so read the books which will help you get to where you want to go!

This poem was written with the intention of encouraging others to step outside of thier comfort zone and start engaging with their dreams. I use the motif of watching your dreams go by, season after season, from a window. This idea is pulled from a quote I learned while I was working as an outdoor educator (teaching backpacking, rock climbing, etc.) for Outward Bound that goes like this: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that isn’t what a ship is for.”

Warming Rays

Warming rays beat down through the crystal-like sky,

upon the everlasting grassy plain, where you lay.

Exposed, your delicate body rests in the thick green grass

shimmering from the reflection off the beads of sweat

which trickle down your brow, across your chest, and down your elegant stomach.

Absorbing the rays of heat, like a butterfly preparing for flight,

your beauty radiates. Blinding all those

who look at your body, and not at you.

For your true beauty lays below the skin,

In your mind which creates and destroys

everlasting thoughts of love, harmony, and solidarity.