Tag: prose

this is what i’ve learned about love

December 24th, 2022

It’s all there is, all there ever was and all that will truly be. It has no end or beginning, no right or wrong way. There’s a certain flow you can feel, one that has no words or labels, but one that swims freely in the oceans of our now.

There’s a star I look at every night. And I think about all the people I’ve ever loved and wonder if they look too. I wonder if it’s the love in the star I’m seeing or the love of my journey I’m feeling. There’s that cheesy line that comes to mind that we’re all made of stardust, but more vulernably, we’re all made of what we trust.

I used to wonder if she would come out, the woman I looked up to inside of me. The firewood was always there, but it was about lighting the match. I forced it a few times, I pictured it many times – but it only took one time to choose to be her in every day. And the funny part is, she never knew when the timing would be right, but I did.

If there’s anything real in this world, it’s what keeps us breathing. Everything around us could be fabricated by our perception or some force bigger, but what’s within will always be real somewhere. There’s no clear answer; that’s ours to create. But the question will always be clear because something inside already wrote it.

This is what I’ve learned about love.

-Grace
Alive In The Vortex

August 31st, 2021

I take my first step. The rustle of the rocks, the softness of the dirt, the warm embrace of the greenery, the crisp and comforting sound of my shoes touching the ground and the breath of life truly wraps its arms around me. I’ve seen it before, but as I begin this new trek, it’s like a new experience. I guess you could say life is like that sometimes.

My eyes always look up first, but this time, I look down. I watch my footprints make a mark in the red dirt, I watch the bushes and trees as they speak through their being-ness, I feel the rocks shift as my steps become their beacon of change and I realize I am a piece of them just as they are a piece of me.

All is silent on this little adventure. My thoughts and my steps are all I can hear, and it is oh so soothing. The voices in my head are swaying to the rhythm of my stride and I find myself looking down at the path ahead. Both rocks and dirt lie ahead, and as I subconsciously decide where to step, I find the balance of both is best. Just as the pillowy dirt is comforting, the rough rocks are very much alive with meaning — it’s a neat analogy that reminds me of my soul within.

Now, I look up and the voices in my head become deeply still. As the mountains see me, I feel them. There is something so breathtaking about this moment, words float away and silence flows in. So much can be said in the unspoken, and in this moment, conversation has never felt more natural.

The crunch of my feet evaporates in the beauty of what my two circles see. Red was never my favorite color, but this red is my favorite vision. The textures, the green growing through it, the vastness and the presence of it all takes one to a different dimension. Thoughts seem so foreign, because breath is all that truly exists here.

The wallpaper of a sky lets my mind get lost in this waking dream. To my eyes and to my body, it all seems so real. But to the me within, it all feels so much bigger. Maybe “real” is just what I imagine it to be.

I guess the best part of this trek is the freedom through it all. Sure, man carved out this hike to be walkable, but, the hue of Creation birthed this magical life we call nature. I can feel freedom flowing and dancing in every scene. As I ponder about this freedom, I realize the uniqueness of every plant, rock, patch of dirt, and mountain is what makes it is so magical. I think hue-mans are a lot like that.

I stop to soak in the harmony before I turn back around. I’ve always had this image in my brain of holding my own book in Sedona, and in this moment, I know now is the time to make that image a reality. I let the pages of my words breathe in the melody of peace that surrounds. And as I do this, I hear a tree speaking back to me. So, I let my book rest in its gentle arms. And all feels so truly complete.

Well, if you haven’t guessed it, I am back in Sedona! It’s already been such a magical trip, I hope my words do it justice! Just wanted to share a piece of it with you and take you into a little vortex of the beauty Sedona brings. Thank you so much for reading! For a fun bonus, I compiled the images into a quick video too! I think these images deserved to be experienced in the stillness of the soul and in the beat of music’s imagination! Be fearless and free -Ace

My debut book, The Waking Dream, is out now! To purchase, click here more info!
flow

July 30th, 2021

If you see my face
I’d smile in the space
Would you see the real me?
Either way, I’ll be free
If you deal with my phase
I’d fall in your gaze
Would you then be afraid?
I’m more than reflection’s shade
If you read my phrase
I’d still be traveling my maze
Would you frame what I feel?
I am me, always real
If you stitch with colorful threads
Wound tight, my love still spreads
Would the patterns be revealed?
I’ll be courageous, take down my shield
If you look in darker clouds
I stand apart from the crowds
Would you shine the pure energy?
I am my own galactic synergy
If you sea me dead
I still exist, never fled
Would I fly in the sky consciously?
I’d be at home, honestly
If you smell the essence
I’d absorb love’s fluorescence
Would you inhale the serenity?
I’d exhale fear’s identity
If you sense with grace
I dream the rest of this chase
Would you be divine synchronicity?
I am infinity’s electricity

Ace + Navin

And here’s the image version 🖤

Thank you so much to my dear friend, Navin, for doing this collaboration with me! Such a blessing to combine flows on this one! Be fearless and free and soak in all the lessons your flow is teaching you!

My debut book, The Waking Dream, is out now!! To purchase, click here for more info!
The Familiar Portal

June 30th, 2021

Vision goes blurry, my reality becomes blank. All I can do is hear and feel, and I smile at that comfort because, sometimes, all the labels are overwhelming.

The chirping birds come first, but, they quickly fade. As I go through my day’s events, Mom’s voice starts speaking to me showing me all the little lessons. Her voice evolves into the Universe’s, me. This chill and tingling feeling comes over my still being as I find comfort in the voice that’s speaking to me. I know it’s my higher self, but, the more I listen, the more I let go of labels.

“Remember, this life is but a blink. A seemingly big event to you, is a speck to the infinite Universe you really are inside.”

As my conversation ends for now, music’s soft hum and clear words come through. Music is like my invisible blanket – always comforting my soul, warming my heart, soothing my mind and taking away anything cold. I find peace in lyrics and vibrations in tunes; and when they magically come together, harmony is achieved. Music triggers my memories and now they’re dancing together. Lyrics take the stage, then an associated memory joins, the lights start flashing and I instinctually know the lights are the tunes. Then it becomes the ultimate paradox – my mind’s eye and my ear’s feelings.

As the music evaporates into my being, everything begins to fade into the astral world. But, I’m still awake enough in this reality to soak in the coziness of my warm bed, the tenderness of the pillow holding my head and the cool breeze of the fan above. Then, my mind picks something else to bring me back. People start visiting; he shows up, then her and then my imagination chooses to wander around and turn them into my perfection. All my thoughts suddenly want a turn, so, I breathe deeply and access that soothing universal voice from before.

“This is all an illusion. I choose my dreams, I choose the beyond. The divinity within this speck of a moment is my creation. Mind, thank you for your memories and lessons. Ears, thank you for the adventures. Through love, through stillness and through my stardust – I ascend, I always choose.”

With that, I drift off to my other home. And when I awake, I’ll repeat the same process to enter this world, this home. It’s the eternal seesaw of the Universe and this portal is becoming familiar.

Be fearless and free -Ace
You Can Always Shine

June 13th, 2021

There was a sun planted in a wallpaper of a sky. The sun was an infinite being and very much alive. It shined an enchanting glow to all, but only the few who had tapped into their own light could truly see.

One day, a cloud covered the sun’s soul. The sky went dark and murky, and all of the sudden the world seemed so lost. The sun smiled through its rays, as the cloud shifted a little.

With one ray peeking through the cloud’s dome, the sun felt so peacefully still. Its light was being shadowed, but its heart was beaming. The sun had remembered it was a star.

The cloud tried to expand, it tried to drift to cover the sparkling rays; but, it was still losing this invisible battle. The cloud couldn’t get to the sun – no matter how hard it tried, the sun just smiled and sat deeper in joy’s depths.

The sun gently, preciously and lovingly whispered to the cloud, “I forgive you.”

The cloud lost all control, it was flustered by the sun’s genuine love. And in an instant, the cloud disappeared. The world was aglow once again, as the sun basked in freedom. All had changed with just a few simple words.

Through true love, you can always shine.

Be fearless and free -Ace
anything but ordinary

June 10th, 2021

In my eyes, skies are still warm
In my heart, breaths are still surviving
I search for meaning of all existence,
as I draw lines in my mind.
So many doors of emptiness surround
me as time scatters, but even the eye
has an exit.
I fall asleep on my pillow of pain
and hope to awake on a wing
and a prayer.
A fullness then gathers inside me, and
I now feel anything
but ordinary.
I watch love nestle
in every crevice of my being,
I watch the stars
pour their light into my veins.
That something extraordinary is without form,
boundless and forceful.
A gentle whisper
A ferocious cry,
all at once.
The sun sets behind the ocean of my dream,
and rises over the sky of my vision.
The wind blows
through every thought in my collection.
The trees and the flowers cradle my heart,
while the mountains nudge me to grow.
I’m in this infinite flow,
or maybe
I am this infinite flow.
And I now feel anything
but ordinary.

Ace + Diana

It was so magical to work with the amazing Diana on this piece! She’s always inspired me and I feel very lucky to call her a dear friend! Diana’s lovely instagram reels also inspired this video!

I hope this piece reminds you that you are anything but ordinary!!
We Are One

June 3rd, 2021

We are all puzzle pieces in the infinite puzzle of this life. Each piece is unique in their structure and color. But together, all these unique pieces create something bigger than their forms, something divine. The Universe in each piece reflects upon the other, because together, we are one.

We are each a unique wave in this eternal ocean of the Universe. Each wave with its own force, its own rise and crash, its own depth and its own soothing sound. But together, each wave connects into something much more ethereal, a forever intrinsic feeling. The light within each fragment of every wave shines, because together, we are one.

We are each a step on this endless staircase of destiny. Each step is equal, but special in its purpose, action, foundation and gentle nudge. Together, every step helps each other evolve and build something grand, something sacred. The inspiration to progress and the drive to climb this boundless journey is found within, because together, we are one.

We are each a magnet connected to this board of fate. Each magnet is distinctive in its personality, design, perception and strength. But together, all the magnets unite and present something deeper, something precious. The wonder and character through the vastness in each piece travels through many dreams, because together, we are one.

We are One. We are a team, here for a reason and living this dream together!! I’d so love to hear your favorite analogy!! Be fearless and free – Ace
The In Between Dreams Of Divine Silence

June 2nd, 2021

There was a force – its presence indescribable, its space comforting, its aura beyond words and its soul so familiar, yet oddly empty. When the force traveled and danced around in the space known as, air, it would whisper and holler at once. Its soft embrace would eventually land on something. Sometimes, that “something” would present itself as the sky, the sun, a blooming rose, a fleeting hummingbird or, better yet, the magical beings even the force couldn’t quite understand – the human beings.

All time and space folds on top of itself, for time is the ultimate illusion. This force lived beyond constructs known as “time”, the force lived in the vastness and yet soothing emptiness of the Universe. So, at this seemingly current timeline, the force landed in a human being, a soul. In an instant, the force knew every piece, every dream, every past, every now and every wonder this soul had ever immersed herself in – because in stillness, creation speaks.

This soul felt the warm touch of a certain something around. The “certain something” was alive but beyond vision and words, it seemed to play in the echoes of love, peace and harmony. So, this soul let down her shield of protection, took a deep breath and let the “certain something” swim in every wave of her ocean.

All else stopped – the walls became malleable, everything her eyes could see became blurry, her mind was blank, but her intuition vividly spoke. There was such comfort in the emptiness; like a connection to something bigger than this life, something vast – something like home.

The force had found its resting spot in this soul’s intuition. Something about it was open but protected, alive but calm and in touch with a fragment of our true home, the Universe. So, the force nestled in her intuition’s vortex and breathed to the tune of her heart’s rhythm.

It didn’t take long for the force and the soul to become one, because together they were already source.

“When you blink, you’re entering two different realities. Eyes open – illusions are present, labels are aplenty, and versions of you are simultaneously testing the piece of you here in this timeline. Eyes closed – you’re home. Empty space, imagination for eons, free of illusional constructs, adventures in your daydreams, a certain indescribable grandness to be explored – a certain familiarity, a certain magic, a certain comfort, a certain home. As you enter and exit both realities, soak in your emotions and be gentle with yourself. You’re here for a reason, a reason to find home in this lost dream you now call, life.”

The force floated away. The soul smiled, basking in the last few whisps of the force’s essence. To the soul, it seemed like a few seconds. To the force, it was a quick forever. The soul knew these forceful visits well, she called them “the in-between dreams,” for they were little in-between moments only familiar from her dreams. The force knew these ethereal visits well, it called them “divine silence,” for the soul is divine and the force, it, has always been silence.

Author’s Note – The Soul is always beyond his/her, the soul is oneness. For the sake of writing, I chose to make the soul “her”, but keep in mind that the soul is beyond all labels.
The Life Of Her Journal

May 12th, 2021

There was a journal, leather bound, medium in size and filled with crisp, unlined pages. It sat on the shelves of a cozy little shop waiting for a writer to hug it tight and bring it to life. It wasn’t long before the Universe delivered its wish. One starry Wednesday night seemed to be the perfect moment for this journal’s true journey to begin.

The soul who chose this journal had a lot of thoughts. She was a writer at heart, a dreamer in the mind and a galaxy within. The journal connected to the soul’s creativity in her veins and drive in her heart – together they would make a magical team.

The first entry was always the scariest for both the journal and the soul. Something about ruining the first blank page scared her. And for the journal, the feeling of the pen hitting its smooth paper skin or the words burning into its essence brought a little fear. But, what’s a true victory without a little practice of courage?

So, she untied the string that held this journal together, opened the leather folds of the cover and rested her hand on the first blank page. She took a deep breath and began writing. And while the soul was still courageously getting into her zone, the journal had lost all fear. When the soul’s hand rested on its skin, they were connected forever. Touch has the power of creating magic, remembering emotion and connecting beings together eternally. In the purity of her small hands, dainty fingers and callused scars – the journal knew love would always be her quest and that took away any fears.

The journal soaked in her deep, adventurous and raw words. She wrote about change, about growing, about missing someone, about moving forward but most importantly, about her truth – her feelings. Her rhymes felt special on its crinkly pages and her honesty was soothing to the journal. As she wrote a piece of her story, the journal read a piece of its own.

And with their first meeting finished, she folded the leather cover, wrapped the tie and placed her hand on its smooth soul. The journal smiled through the insides of the pages and continued to dive into her words. Her words were words this journal would be reading forever and ever.

Some poems, a song, and a few unfinished drafts later, the journal and the soul were bonded. The soul would pick up this journal usually at night, right before she drifted off into dreamland but was still awake enough in her waking land. The journal patiently waited all day for those nights when it could dive into her pen’s interpretation of her feelings and her erased words – for those were the words that spoke the loudest. She took her time in filling the journal’s precious pages, as the journey of completing a journal was a life in its own. She cherished the feeling of more blank pages, it let her imagination play around more and somewhere inside, she truly felt the journal was alive.

And that’s what the journal loved, it’d found a soul who believed in the Universe, who believed in love and who believed in IT.
Love’s Shadow

April 28th, 2021

Dear Love:

I know as I’m talking to you, I’m talking to the purest form of the Universe, the purest form of me. But, love, you’re a beautiful mystery, a magical history, a courageous now, future’s bow, all that’s truly real and the rush we all feel.

There are moments it seems you’re not there, but, then I feel your gentle touch and flow through the air. Even in the scary moments and even in the tough moments, I see you watching. Like my forever friend in my corner watching how I’ll emerge; it’s comforting to know that you are always truly there.

You move with a certain grace, it’s a sway I’m starting to pay more attention to. Maybe you’re in slow motion, maybe you’re at a standstill, maybe you’re speedy – maybe you’re timeless. When I’m in “that zone” or alive in “that flow”, I know it’s just times I’m closer to you. You ebb and flow, you weave and wander, you whisper and forcefully speak; but, no matter what form you come through, you always believe in me.

I am the wand, you are the spell and the result is the magic we create. I am your vessel, you are my gift. I am you, you are me. To some you’re electric, to some you’re soft, to some you’re the force of life, to some you’re a gentle voice, to some you’re an emotion, to some you’re a relationship, to some you’re a vibration, but, to me – You are all.

Even when my little mind gets loud, you’re there giving me the gift of courage through overcoming fear’s cloud. Even in life’s downs, you’re there presenting me with an opportunity to grow. Even when I can’t see you in the outside world, you’re there reminding me reality is just a show. Even when I doubt myself, you’re there whispering in my dreams, “You are more than you know.” Even through the “evens” you remind me all is an illusion, I am just here to learn and glow.

Dear Love – thank you for letting me experience you. Thank you for showering in me in all your lights. Thank you for illuminating my relationships. Thank you for all the tough love too. I still have a lot to learn about you, but, I do know all we truly are is your shadow.

Ace (Author’s note…this is not at all written about romance, but, however it resonates with you is perfect).