Wilberto Ortiz
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The Illusion of Self and the Ever-Presence of Love
What first drew me to Buddhism was the idea of non-self—the insight that the “self” as we know it is an illusion. At first, this concept can feel deeply counterintuitive. From the moment we’re born, we are flooded with the markers of identity: our name, our birth weight, the exact time we entered the world.…
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Kouign-Amann
Señior Bustelo, upon his final days, Thought to which Goddess would he last like to play. Without a doubt in his mind, Comes Empress Kouign-Amann, The most decadent divine of his time. Philadelphia the scene, January 2025. I stumbled upon this little dream, A shop called Machine, Operated by meticulous queens, Who knew exactly what…
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Apricottom
There she is, looking so free, Exposed to the world, tell me, Sun-kissed, velvety, May I have this dance, A moment of your fine? I want to feel you on my hands, Tell me that you’re mine. So I can take you home, Wash you from that grime. Display you on the table, Embrace you…
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Dear Mother Nature
Dear Mother Nature, Will you lend me an ear? I’m not sure about God, You’re the highest to whom I kneel. My spirit is compromised, And I have no way to heal. I shout this in front of your Image, The one that She made real, Just like the Love, the Truest I feel. Why…
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wibi (staying) cosmic
I’ll fucking die for this Art, Emanating from my heart, Radiating from my mind Gotta finish what I start. Gotta trust my design. The most important metaphor To the chaos in my mind, wibi suitably sublime, Both scary and divine. And if I have the courage To face them both with my eyes, I might…
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Thoughts on Death 1.28.24
Fact: You have one less day today. It is never an easy feeling to hear someone is dead. What do you mean they are gone? Then how do they live rent free in my mind still? There has to be more to the picture then alive one day, and then dead the next day, forever.…
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1.21.24
At this pivotal moment in my life, a month after my 29th birthday, I find myself in a state of introspection and growth. As a professional athlete might be at their peak, I, too, feel at a prime of sorts, albeit in a different context. This period has been marked by a profound connection to…
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coffee & cherry pie
This that love for the brain, This that love for your mind, The infinite within, shall we divine? In our creative time, Heaven gets designed. Through our intimacy, we shine. I wanna see you glow, I wanna feel a moment of your fine. I wanna get to know, How beautiful your soul, When you and…
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Silent Paparazzi
I scoff at your desire for fame, As the silent paparazzi lurk in the mundane. Don’t you see they are obsessed with your name? Capturing all the trends that you byte, An incessant micro-dosing of the limelight. Constant quiet snaps of your galore, Subtly feeding the ego without deplore, Only to convince that you deserve…
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Margate City 7.16.21
As a wandering observer, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience some of the most affluent areas in the United States. One place that particularly struck me was Margate City, New Jersey. Walking around, I couldn’t help but marvel at the extravagant homes, vehicles, and establishments, each one vying for attention. What’s more striking is the…
