What do I take with me when I pass on? nothing What do I have that is really mine then? nothing I don't even take my body. nor my hair or my skin not even the warm color of my eyes everything I make and anything I take all stays right here when I turn to heaven Every face I ever painted every breath that I have taken every word I ever wrote and every one of these love notes I leave it all right here when I turn to heaven If we came in with nothing and we take nothing and we leave with nothing then why must we always fight about something? why does this color hate the other? and why do we always blame each other? can't you relate my brothers? then why do we hold onto grudges? why? I'll leave this all behind only taking a peace of mind I'll leave you all of my paints only taking a life free of hate I'll leave every word that is written only taking the memories within I'll leave every hug I ever gave only taking the love that we made And I'll show it all to God lay my hands open before him with awe I'm clean of the material I'm free of a man made world I'm free of lust and greed I'm free of things that I "need" I've washed my mind of hate and cleared within my heart the blame I've emptied the pockets of rules and corrected the mind of a fool I say live a life of love say this was how it's supposed to be done Because when I go is when I'll know that love was meant to be given R.Arriagada 2008

There was once a time Where I didn't like the brown in my eyes I wanted blue ones Like those of my friends I remember how I hated my curly dark locks I wanted straight blond maybe light brown or so I thought Cause I wanted to be like my friends Cause I just wanted to fit in Growing up in the pacific northwest I hated the fact I was of Mexican/Chilean descent I remember once my best friend said "Of all people……I hate Mexicans" And I said nothing and did Nothing…. Maybe that's why we aren't Friends anymore I remember being told "you're too tall to be Mexican" "you're too light to be Mexican" "you don't even have an accent" And I look at my father He's 6 foot….and his brother 6'3 And He said to me "all the men in our family are tall" "See we're not all short and darker skin some of us are tall and with a lighter mix I've been labeled everything from every land From Italian, Greek, Spanish, Jew, even Persian Shit even Hawaiian. But hardly Mexican or Chilean And never just a man Am I to you what you want me to be? Does my race matter to you? Do you need that identity? Aren't we all from the same seed of Adam and Eve? The human gene I been to many cities across this great nation And I see we still live in the mindset of segregation I don't think we've even come close to our ………. greatness There once was a time …… But that time has ended for me I'm proud of who I am Just free to be me R.Arriagada 2008

Sometimes I need an escape from my reality Conscious to the sub, lies a fine line in between I love to live on this edge Cause theres my fantasy just over the ledge And my mind shifts back and forth Take me to wonderland, my foot to the pedal to the floor This is what you do And this is who you are I except this gift of creation Hone in on your gift son and it will take you far So I paint and draw within my head And I study the world till I lay down to bed Then it hits me soon enough My realites melt to dreams and stuff Don't tell me I'm crazy man My roots are planted see and so I stand My life is vibrant as it is green and free Give me the sun and water and I'm the strongest tree. And I perch up high Just over the heavens If I had wings I would fly Doing it again and again I been through some rough times and weathered the storms But that's what life is about boy and I'll go through it some more Just stay strong and don't give way You might lose a friend or two as they stray But the true ones, they'll stick to the ground We'll have a reunion of laughter and good times all round And that's when I won't need to escape my reality As I'll be really.........truly living a dream R.Arriagada 8/2007 Acryiic 24" x 30"

Where red meets blue birth to the passion purple hue red studies all the things you do and blue does the same thing too while red is radical blue is methodical it's a cosmic connection of love that's infectious red is bright and its bold and shines like gold it's passion like fire not one to retire He wears his heart on his sleeve Always jumps in with both feet Throwing caution to the wind Opening himself to be hurt again Red has a furnace within him And it burns hot like an engine You can't put him out He's an inferno, no doubt Blue is cool and collected But not one to mess with She sits back and observes Steps lightly un-nerved She has passion subdued Expressed when she unglued Her creativity is refreshing And her touch, it's inviting Like a cool oasis She'll bring you back to the basics Bringing you nourishing life Her light shines so bright When these two get together Ain't nothing they can't weather But it would take both to realize That the self must be set aside For these colors combined Could produce a love that is blind............. R.Arriagada 24" x 30" 06/2007

The Man Within This goes out to anyone and everyone and nobody in particular It goes out to those in my past, My present And those who are still yet to come It is about you, But more importantly it is about me................................. .............................................................................. There is a battle that brews inside It lives in my heart, and grows in the mind I've been gone for so long, that It seems I'm learning who I am And where I stand With the powers that be The One who created me I can bring you to joy and peace And I can bring you to tears Making your soul come to its knees But have no fear For……. When I say something to you When I express a thought with those few It comes from a pure place Even if I don't say it with much grace. If I give you the benefit of the doubt Don't scream and shout That I'm weak that I'm among the meek If I forgive you over and over again For eternity on end It means I'm showing you love For it's pure like the heaven above When I share a story with you Thoughts and feelings come through Why do you take them, turn them around And spin it like a merry go round You pass judgement on me? Don't put me in your corner Just let me be….let me be me Enjoy the moment For however long it is Don't think about tomorrow And fill my future with sorrow Don't put that expectation on me Just let me come to you naturally In my own time Grant me freedom of mind Don't abuse it, Don't misuse it Be a person of your word Walk what you talk Or don't talk at all Give me that decency Show me your honesty have confidence, have power but Don't act like a coward. Cause I'll lose respect for you If you give me something And expect something in return Did you give out of love? Or was it out of love for yourself? To gratify the self I need space, I need time I need the freedom To think, do, say, paint, and write… Whatever I want If you take that and twist it To form some kind of opin-ion . . . Based on YOUR experience You just put me in within your fence So My walls will go up My mouth will close up My heart will still feel But my expression to you won't be real I have only myself to rely on I'm here day in and day out So it's time go To a place I know Where I can work on my mind Work on my body Expand my heart And hone in on my art I have a talent you see it's God given Shit , it was free. It would be a shame to waste it True love, I can taste it So I take my brush My pallete and load it up The colors are applied My greed is set aside It will be a fight..I know Lonely nights….I'll grow But the search begins For the Man within. R.Arriagada 4/2007 18" x 24"

Cocoa Butter Blues What is it abOut Her that pulls me In sO close, That makes me want to forget everything else   She lifts me up by the way she looks at me And is attentive to my needs without asking to be She knows just how to touch me, caress me As she snuggles in close and melts into my body   And I can hold her for hours on end, hoping time will stop Feeling the rise of my crop For it grows And she knows as it pokes...... Knock knock doc is anybody home? Teases my eyes with the sway of her hips The seductiveness of her strip Yeah boy….she is the shit Her ample booty fills my eyes And it's getting tight beneath my fly   I'm quickly reminded the sexual being that I am Thanking God that he made me man   Her mind is so sharp, so quick a refreshing challenge to match wits   She is new to me, but at the same time so familiar She flirts with me without speaking words   I love to watch her, touch her, kiss her, smell her, feel her   Indulgence of chocolate, is it a sin? Cause I love the feel of her velvet skin And the flirt of her sexy ass little grin The fold of her eyelids exotic around her beautiful dark pupils The fullness of her lips The peaks of her hips The feel of her finger….tips   I love the scent of her cocoa butter blues And her cinnamon sweet molasses hue   The vibrance in her eyes The cream between her thighs She puts me on a natural high I can read the expression in her eyes   She isn't perfection but she's perfect for me the most beautiful woman in the world is she Exquisite in every way A queen from the very first day And I say.............   She is strong where I am weak As she compliments my shortcomings   A dios mio que linda is she and I love to watch her compete, watch her concentrate when she is in that moment I'd never be bored for she is my heaven   I love that she lets me be me I love how free I feel with her I love how we play, how we talk, how we laugh and how we love I cherish every minute I am in her company I love the challenge of learning her body If you saw her you'd think…"damn, girl, you're a hottie" Learning what she likes and doesn't like Learning her "spots" Hearing her thoughts Intertwined together we make a multicultural knot R.Arriagada 3/2007 22" x 28"

This measures 18" x 24" The poem I wrote, goes with it Love in the Meadows And she says "How do you feel about me?" I feel like growing my hair out and feeling it blow across my face. Like never wearing shoes again Like taking my shirt off in the sun and feeling it's warmth against my skin Like the world around me in its busy-ness doesn't exist Like the softness of your touch caresses my very soul Like the sound of your voice soothes my ears and warms my heart Love in the meadows I feel like you know me from another life Like you loved me before, long, long ago Like we finally found each other after all these years Like God sent you from heaven to me You are my Angel I am your world Love in the meadows I feel like I can live forever in your arms Like time stops when I look into your eyes Like my heart jumps when you smile at me I'm lifted up I'm empowered My soul is refreshed and my body is strong Like I can do anything, and conquer every obstacle I feel like a new man Love in the Meadows R.Arriagada Dec. 2006

This poem I wrote goes with it E-man-cipation of my soul Put me in pen with a bull and he will over-power me Put me in cage with a lion and he will devour me Put me in open water with no ground below and the shark will shred me to pieces..... But... Lift the gates of the cages Fill the water with a meadow And watch me break loose with graceful abandonment When the light turns green and the gate flies open, I am free In the game of creativity, I will run circles around you Where imagination is the only barrier, I will dominate you. My mind is sharp and my vision is perfect My senses are keen and my body is strong I can see anything and everything I can go anywhere I see grass grow where it shouldn..t grow I see colors flow in a world of black and white Life is an open arena, where this is no cage, there are no fences. The bull is let loose and his power is useless. I run circles around him The lion is let loose and he gets lazy and lays down The shark...well he is just a fish out of water and surely dies. I climb mountains and run through the valleys You see me play and laugh But no matter where I go I will come back to you Always... And when you see me You will see the dance in my step The play fullness in my stride And the innocence in my eyes I will say to you "What's the matter?" "Don't be sad" With the flip of my head, I look to you "Climb on my back and I will take you for a ride". R.Arriagada Nov. 2006

Hey God… I'm here Rich. What's wrong? I feel weak. Heart Singing sad songs Come here Son, let me show you something Look in the mirror here…what do you see? I see…..me Right…now tell me what do you really see I see….pieces Ok..and what do these pieces make? All that I been through The ugly, the bad and the good All of me Pretty much everything These pieces of me I'm all that you see And you can't take one away and think That I'll still be complete God….it's been one of those day's Realizing that I've come a long way I just can't go back now And lose myself, lose my grip….drown Look around you…..see your growth Remember to be humble, no need to boast Don't forget those dark ages How you got there, the path that takes us I know that you love unconditional But don't let it go and lose yourself Can you be strong and be meek? Can you give mercy and not be weak? Don't forget the roots of your revolution And those I sent to help get it done You're not the most obedient but you got a good story You're a loving, honest man..a true testimony Have courage, and be strong now Look squarely in the face of doubt now And say……. This is me….I came from HE You can choose to accept it Cause I can't change this And remember Rich I know you, I made you. I love you… R.Arriagada 16" x 20" 20008