A Seed in The Winter In this land of nothing but immobile water, There exists only dolor and grief

As there is not a single edible morsel Healthy enough to sustain our crumbling shells. Only a ghostly white blanket of finis coldly envelops Everything that was once pure in abyssal hearts. From the vast landscapes of this world To our souls replicated from above. I am but a lowly human among many Who is as unclean as the rest of my kind. We all share a tragic antiquity That has molded us into the present beings. Our ultimate pair of ancestors Consumed a forbidden fruit In which sin has devoured them And banished them from their paradise. From this fault committed by them, We are left to wander this merciless world. With abundant sins of hatred and avaricious pride We resist these temptations with our struggling hearts. This is the stigma, the icy remnants from within From the countless eons unknown. All we can do is send our most heartfelt prayers of our lives And trust that we will be with Him above. As I trot through a lifeless woodland, My eyes behold something unlike anything of the world. From the heavenly heights is a ray of sun Which births a patch of blooming blossoms amidst the deep snow. As I approach this fragment of life I am halted by a thundering voice. It says, Relieve thyself of thy footwear For what you see is a holy sign of what is to come. Upon compliance, I ask to the skies, What do you want of me? It responds, I am the one who has overseen you, Who has guided you, preserved you, And aided in your survival of this bleak world.

Amongst the gelid winds and obscure blizzards of error, I have kept my word as your father in above. I have promised you a path to righteousness And salvation for the rest of My children. From the glittering beams appears a wheat grain With an appearance so enticing and roseate. As my eyes scan the fragile seed I feel a fires warmth of reassurance. As I grasp it, the voice says to me: Know this and know this well. You hold the fate of my children in this tiny grain. Here is the task I have bestowed upon you. Plant this grain in the most unsuitable of environments. When the next day arrives, take half of the number of seeds Of the product and plant them in its surroundings. From this, you shall father a new world of salvation. Go forth and spread My holy word to My children And remember that I shall always be with you. As the sun ray dispels I rush back with the wheat grain With renewed hope and purpose to my life. I return home and preach the divine instructions Given to me by the one who reigns from above. From their smiles I realize that I have become A leader that shall bring a shining future. As night falls, I scour the land with the harshest of conditions Until I encounter a pond of silver ice. With effort I chip through the surface Plant the grain and cover it with the sharp fragments. I recite my prayers that have been taught And embedded in me like my ancestors I give thanks and praise to the little grain And rush back with burning faith. As morning dawns, I gather my new followers To the site of where the sacred wheat shall grow. Upon arrival we are blessed with an elegant stalk With numerous grains adorned on its head. We praise the one who has given us Such a beautiful reminder of salvation. As we pluck the grains we shall know True faith, generosity and love for those to come.

- Cayo Toledo 11/19/2012

The Star O bright and beautiful beacon that blazes above, How we cherish the enriching light you give us. Your recipients and yourself must realize Your purpose in existing heaven and below. Mirror upon your scalding and fiery glow And the warmth that you bestow us with. Your heart is the flame that knows no limits And shall always comfort us from the freezing doubts. Display not your shame about your luster As you illuminate with your individuality. You are one of a kind amongst your siblings A diverse blossom and a beloved treasure. Your fulgor is the purpose of the outspread skies A meaning of glamour in the ascending blankness. Whether you zip or stay in your place You are the only beautifying blanket of the welkin. You are like your loving kin A precious son and daughter of a grand family. Should your spark burn out to naught The above shall fade from twinkling life. Bethink your resolve as an abiding candle That is the crest of virtue in sanctuary. You are the shard of unfading hope Invincible in the deep depths of darkness. You are child of the paternal pansophy A product forged from the eternal legacy. You are a holy herald, a sailing scholar With its own acumen to administer. You are scattered in the uncharted spaces An ultimate objective of various things. We strive to cross the distant horizons To achieve sapience like never before. You are our angelic shepherd Who guides us among the snares of error. You aid in leading us to divine truth An example of living true morality. - Cayo Toledo 11/26/2012

Lights in the Darkness The darknesss overwhelms the innocent world As an endless ocean of infinite blackness. Though angst is abound like an ever-looming blade There are those who stand with valiance and courage. See the procession of the holy monks Clad in the brightest white of holy purity That avert the unseen storms of sins And bind them to their almighty lord. They are the sainted army from above With sacred fire and seraphic crosses As tools for the sharing of peace Or the repulsion of the foully depraved. The followers approach from close behind Singing hymns of beloved praise and glory. The children merrily imitate the ongoing commotion Being the next generation of expected virtue. The crowd braves the forest of no life Staring into the all-present faces of terror. Through battering showers and startling flashes They have their God in their hearts. They arrive at their secluded sanctuary Where their God dwells from within and beyond. They eagerly enter through the hallowed doors And walk down the aisles of perfect serenity. They chant in angelic tones unlike any other To uphold devout traditions of their religion. Their images established on every wall Are reminders of existing eternal salvation. Before the concluding prayer that sends them forth They consume the sanctified nourishment set before them. It is their medicine for their mortal lives To feed their burning spirits of their undying faith. All this worship for the birth of a child That was brought to an existence, corrupt and cruel. His innocence is the light in the darkness That shall lead the world true righteousness. - Cayo Toledo 12/17/2012