Musings of a Warrior, Wrestler, Poet

Nicolas Cabrera goes into the origins of his love for writing and shares one of his poems at the request of a reader.

Nicolas Cabrera on a hike in Vernon, NJ. He is headed to the Stairway to Heaven.

I have been considering what this news page is about and what I would consider writing regularly. The biggest thing I stated was that I would avoid political discussions. I am a massive follower of politics, and it is difficult for me not to write about the current state of affairs surrounding our country on multiple political fronts. So, I was asked by one of my coworkers to publish one of my poems here for some of my readers to check out.

Poetry is how I started my writing journey, and I have been writing since I was a kid. As a child, I would sit in my room and play with action figures, creating long story arcs about good and evil. As a teenager, I evolved into writing poetry and eventually found spoken word through my uncle Mike (a close friend). I went on to perform poetry in multiple states, running an open mic venue in multiple locations (at 16), performing with the Slam Global Youth National Poetry Team in 2007, and making the adult Loser Slam team in 2012 (I did not get to compete because I left for military duty). Poetry never left me, but the typical life circumstances and avoidance of coming to terms with my adult self stopped me from regularly writing. I found the passion again a few years ago and have been writing more than just poetry.

So at the request of my co-worker and new friend Tim… here is some poetry…

Astrobuddist

I am an Astrobuddhist. 

When you examine it, 

there is very little difference between 

science and philosophy. Einstein, 

a distant reincarnation of Socrates, 

the wheel always turns birth and rebirth.

Science says 

some atoms exist in 2 places at once, 

but when viewed, they disappear 

like a father in the night. We know this 

because his atomic-level shoes 

leave an imprinted shadow in their unseen position.

Buddha once spoke 

about the transient nature of objects we crave. 

Like a glass menagerie, both broken and intact, 

reflecting beautiful patterns of our bodies intertwining light 

shattered into glistening snowflake-shaped pieces.

Science also says 

that gravitational waves from the Big Bang 

can still be felt in faint whispers 

they bleed across the cosmos getting weaker and weaker, 

reminding us of who we were. 

Buddha says 

our suffering lies in our subconscious, 

slowly pushing out while our conscious mind, 

like NASA satellites, picks up frequencies of distant 

broken dreams and shame. 

Our suffering spews out like a supernova. 

A wave pulses out from the cavernous reaches of my mind: 

Look out into the ocean as water crashes 

into the sand pushing mussels and fragmented shells to my toes. 

A gravitational wave pushes faded murmurs 

about the salt water scent of your hair blowing in the breeze, 

your feet crossed on the dashboard. 

A reminder of us: 

An initial explosion

of love smaller than an atom. 

Memorial planets, moons, and stars

bursting and vaulting through the cosmos. 

But, like the heavens, 

things began to cool. 

Space becomes more space, 

empty pockets a vacuum. 

Stars implode into black holes. 

Planets crashing like marbles. 

Like any good Astrobuddhist, 

I examine each memory

noting its size and shape 

as it dives into the night.  

-Nicolas Cabrera

Owner and Head Coach of Diesel Wrestling Academy