AT A WINDOW

Give me hunger,

O you gods that sit and give
The world its orders.
Give me hunger, pain and want,
Shut me out with shame and failure
From your doors of gold and fame,
Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger!

But leave me a little love,
A voice to speak to me in the day end,
A hand to touch me in the dark room
Breaking the long loneliness.
In the dusk of day-shapes
Blurring the sunset,
One little wandering, western star
Thrust out from the changing shores of shadow.
Let me go to the window,
Watch there the day-shapes of dusk
And wait and know the coming
Of a little love.

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AS YOU GO THROUGH LIFE
Don’t look for the flaws as you go through life;
And even when you find them,
It is wise and kind to be somewhat blind
And look for the virtue behind them.
For the cloudiest night has a hint of light
Somewhere in its shadows hiding;
It is better by far to hunt for a star,
Than the spots on the sun abiding.

The current of life runs ever away
To the bosom of God’s great ocean.
Don’t set your force ‘gainst the river’s course
And think to alter its motion.
Don’t waste a curse on the universe –
Remember it lived before you.
Don’t butt at the storm with your puny form,
But bend and let it go o’er you.

The world will never adjust itself
To suit your whims to the letter.
Some things must go wrong your whole life long
And the sooner you know it the better.
It is folly to fight with the Infinite,
And go under at last in the wrestle;
The wiser man shapes into God’s plan
As water shapes into a vessel.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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BETTER TRY AND FAIL

Some say "dont take any risk",
Others say no guts no glory,
"nothing gambled nothing gained"
Go all out for your dream.
Life can be lived either way,
but for me,I'd rather try and fail,
than never tried at all.

Some say "Don't ever fall in love,
Play the game of life wide open,
Burn your candle at both ends."
But I say "No! It's better to have loved and lost,
Than never to have loved at all."

When many moons have gone by,
And you are alone with your dreams of yesteryears,

All your memories will bring you cheer.
You'll be satisfied, succeed or fail, win or lose,
Knowing the right path you did choose.
William F. O'Brien

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CARRY THE CHIN IN
When ever you go out of doors,
draw the chin in,
carry the crown of the head high,
and fill the lungs to the utmost;
drink in the sunshine;
greet your friends with a smile,
and put SOLE into every hand clasp.

Do NOT fear being misunderstood
and do NOT waste a minute
thinking about your enemies.
Try fix firmly in your mind
what you would like to do;
and then, without veering of direction
, you will move straight to the goal.

Keep your mind on the great
and splendid things you like to do,
and then, as the days goes gliding by,
you will find yourself unconsciously
seizing upon the opportunities that are
required for the fulfillment of your desire,

just as the coral insect takes
from the running tide the element it needs.
Picture in your mind the able, earnst,
useful person you desire to be,
and the thought you hold is hourly transforming
you into that particular individual.

Thought is supreme.
preserve a right mental attitude -
the attitude of courage,
frankness and good cheer.
To think rightly is to create.
All things come through desire
and evry sincere prayer is answered.

We become like that on which our hearts are fixed.
Carry the chin in and
the crown of your head high.
WE are GODS in the chrysalis.
ELBERT HUBBARD

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CHILDHOOD
Sweet and sunny childhood,
With its careless, thoughtless air,
Like the verdant, tangled wildwood,
Wants the training hand of care.

See it springing all around us --
Glad to know, and quick to learn;
Asking questions that confound us;
Teaching lessons in its turn.

Who loves not its joyous revel,
Leaping lightly on the lawn,
Up the knoll, along the level,
Free and graceful as a fawn?

Let it revel; it is nature
Giving to the little dears
Strength of limb, and healthful features,
For the toil of coming years.

He who checks a child with terror,
Stops its play, and stills its song,
Not alone commits an error,
But a great and moral wrong.

Give it play, and never fear it --
Active life is no defect;
Never, never break its spirit --
Curb it only to direct.

Would you dam the flowing river,
Thinking it would cease to flow?
Onward it must go forever --
Better teach it where to go.

Childhood is a fountain welling,
Trace its channel in the sand,
And its currents, spreading, swelling,
Will revive the withered land.

Childhood is the vernal season;
Trim and train the tender shoot;
Love is to the coming reason,
As the blossom to the fruit.

Tender twigs are bent and folded --
Art to nature beauty lends;
Childhood easily is moulded;
Manhood breaks, but seldom bends.
David Bates

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CHOOSE A LIFE THAT MATTERS
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,
Not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice
that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when your gone.
What will matter is not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
by Michael Josephson

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A CHRISTMAS PRESENT
I wanted a rifle for Christmas,
I wanted a bat and a ball,
I wanted some skates and a bicycle,
But, I didn't want mittens at all.

I wanted a whistle
And I wanted a kite,
I wanted a pocketknife
That shut up tight.
I wanted some boots
And I wanted a kite,
But I didn't want mittens one little bit.

I told them I didn't like mittens,
I told them as plain as plain.
I told them I didn't WANT mittens,
And they've given me mittens again!
Marchette Chute

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CHRISTMAS TREE
In the dark and damp of the alley cold,
Lay the Christmas tree that hadn't been sold;
By a shopman dourly thrown outside;
With the ruck and rubble of Christmas-tide;
Trodden deep in the muck and mire,
Unworthy even to feed a fire...
So I stopped and salvaged that tarnished tree,
And thus is the story it told to me:

"My Mother was Queen of the forest glade,
And proudly I prospered in her shade;
For she said to me: 'When I am dead,
You will be monarch in my stead,
And reign, as I, for a hundred years,
A tower of triumph amid your peers,
When I crash in storm I will yield you space;
Son, you will worthily take my place.'

"So I grew in grace like a happy child,
In the heart of the forest free and wild;
And the moss and the ferns were all about,
And the craintive mice crept in and out;
And a wood-dove swung on my highest twig,
And a chipmunk chattered: 'So big! So big!'
And a shy fawn nibbled a tender shoot,
And a rabbit nibbled under my root...
Oh, I was happy in rain and shine
As I thought of the destiny that was mine!
Then a man with an axe came cruising by
And I knew that my fate was to fall and die.

"With a hundred others he packed me tight,
And we drove to a magic city of light,
To an avenue lined with Christmas trees,
And I thought: may be I'll be one of these,
Tinselled with silver and tricked with gold,
A lovely sight for a child to behold;
A-glitter with lights of every hue,
Ruby and emerald, orange and blue,
And kiddies dancing, with shrieks of glee -
One might fare worse than a Christmas tree.

"So they stood me up with a hundred more
In the blaze of a big department store;
But I thought of the forest dark and still,
And the dew and the snow and the heat and the chill,
And the soft chinook and the summer breeze,
And the dappled deer and the birds and the bees...
I was so homesick I wanted to cry,
But patient I waited for someone to buy.
And some said 'Too big,' and some 'Too small,'
And some passed on saying nothing at all.
Then a little boy cried: Ma, buy that one,'
But she shook her head: 'Too dear, my son."
So the evening came, when they closed the store,
And I was left on the littered floor,
A tree unwanted, despised, unsold,
Thrown out at last in the alley cold."

Then I said: "Don't sorrow; at least you'll be
A bright and beautiful New Year's tree,
All shimmer and glimmer and glow and gleam,
A radiant sight like a fairy dream.
For there is a little child I know,
Who lives in poverty, want and woe;
Who lies abed from morn to night,
And never has known an hour's delight..."

So I stood the tree at the foot of her bed:
"Santa's a little late," I said.
"Poor old chap! Snowbound on the way,
But he's here at last, so let's be gay."
Then she woke from sleep and she saw youthere,
And her eyes were love and her lips were prayer.
And her thin little arms were stretched to you
With a yearning joy that they never knew.
She woke from the darkest dark to see
Like a heavenly vision, that Christmas Tree.

Her mother despaired and feared the end,
But from that day she began to mend,
To play, to sing, to laugh with glee...
Bless you, O little Christmas Tree!
You died, but your life was not in vain:
You helped a child to forget her pain,
And let hope live in our hearts again.
Robert W. Service

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COMFORT
Say! You've struck a heap of trouble --
Bust in business, lost your love;
No one cares a cent about you,
You don't care a cent for life;
Hard luck has of hope bereft you,
Health is failing, wish you'd die --
Why, you've still the sunshine left you
And the big, blue sky.

Sky so blue it makes you wonder
If it's heaven shining through;
Earth so smiling ' way out yonder,
Sun so bright it dazzles you;
Birds a-singing, flowers a-flinging
All their fragrance on the breeze;
Dancing shadows, green, still meadows --
Don't you mope, you've still got these.

These, and none can take them from you;
These, and none can weigh their worth.
What! you're tired and broke and beaten? --
Why, you're rich -- you've got the earth!
Yes, if you're a tramp in tatters,
While the blue sky bends above
You've got nearly all that matters --
You've got God, and God is love.

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DARWIN'S MISTAKE
Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree
Discussing things as they're said to be
Said one to the others "Now listen, you two
There's a certain rumor that can't be true,
That man desended from our noble race.
That very idea is a disgrace.
No monkey ever deserted his wife
Starved her babies or ruined her life,
And another thing you will never see
A man build a fence around a coconut tree
And let the coconuts go to waste,
Forbidding all other man to taste.
If I put a fence around this tree,
Starvation would force you to steal from me.
Here's another thing a monkey won't do,
Go out at night and get into a stew,
And use a gun, club or knife
To take another monkey's life.
Yes, man descended, the ornery cuss ---
But, brother, he didn't desend from us!"
--- Anon.

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DIRGE
Pure spirit! O where art thou now!
whisper to my soul!
let some soothing thought of thee,
The bitter grief control!

'Tis not for thee the tears I shed,
Thy sufferings now are o'er;
The sea is calm, the tempest past,
On that eternal shore.

No more the storms that wrecked thy peace
Shall tear that gentle breast;
Nor Summer's heat, nor typhoon's rage,
Thy poor, poor frame molest.

Thy peace is sealed, thy rest is sure,
My sorrows are to come;
Awhile I weep and linger here,
Then follow to the tomb.

And is the awful veil withdrawn,
That shrouds from mortal eyes,
In deep impenetrable gloom,
The secrets of the skies?

O, in some dream of visioned bliss,
Some trance of rapture, show
Where, on the bosom of thy God,
Thou rest'st from human woe!

Thence may thy pure devotion's flame
On me, on me descend;
To me thy strong aspiring hopes,
They faith, thy fervours lend.

Let these my lonely path illume,
And teach my weakened mind
To welcome all that's left of good,
To all that's lost resigned.

Farewell! With honour, peace, and love,
Be thy dear memory blest!
Thou hast no tears for me to shed,
When I too am at rest.
Dirge: Written November 1808
Anna Lætitia Barbauld

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FAMILY
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,"Oh excuse me please" was my reply. He said, "Please excuse me too; I wasn't watching for you."We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day,cooking the evening meal, My daughter stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked her down. "Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

She walked away, her little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, "While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers she brought for you. She picked them herself: pink, yellow and blue. She stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled her little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small, And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by her bed; "Wake up, little one, wake up," I said. "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "I'm very sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way." She said, "Oh, that's okay. I love you anyway." I said, "I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow,the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

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I AM THANKFUL
FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS HE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS
TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES
THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW
THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN
THAT NEEDS MOWING,
WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING
AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH..

FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY
BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY
AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN
CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY,
FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

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UTOPIA FOR THE WORLD

Christmas is a special time                                                          of peace and harmony                                                                  to every girl and boy.
A new world should be born
without hatred, greed or war.
Where we all can live
in a Utopia for ever more.
So spread the word for it to be heard
is it our only hope for human kind
We need to learn how to live together,
to share our love, our bread as one.
Christmas is a special time
for the world to dispense with it's differences
but to make it for eternity for everyone.

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ALONE
I am alone, in spite of love,
In spite of all I take and give—
In spite of all your tenderness,
Sometimes I am not glad to live.

I am alone, as though I stood
On the highest peak of the tired gray world,
About me only swirling snow,
Above me, endless space unfurled;

With earth hidden and heaven hidden,
And only my own spirit's pride
To keep me from the peace of those
Who are not lonely, having died.
Submitted by Venus

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BE FREE TO SIMPLY BE
Foraging for feeling, reaching out for touch,
longing to be loved, when it really can't be rushed.

Dreaming of a future,when the bank will know your name,
when you're no longer just a number, who hangs his head in shame.

Time to visit nature, to see through different eyes,
to marvel at the wonders, to celebrate our lives.

Free to simply be, to go anywhere and see,
hug the world around you, free to just be free.

See you when we get there, if we ever do,
so many wanting places, where there's room for just a few.

So many more deserving, from a life we never knew,
I give my seat to those, who walk without a shoe.

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LION AND ALBERT
Subject: 'The Lion and Albert' Body: humorous poems Taken from the Marriott Edgar Monologue
'The Lion and Albert'
This is writen from the lions point of view.
WALLACE ON DEATH ROW
There’s a famous place called Blackpool
That's noted for fresh air and fun,
However, I'm waiting on death row,
For I'm to be shot with a gun.

A Lancashire lad named Albert
Stuck a walking stick into my ear,
I asked him politely to stop,
And go for a walk on the pier.

But Albert being a Ramsbottom
He took no notice of me,
Still poking wi' his 'orse head 'andle
Saying "Oi, I'm talking to thee."

I will not let him annoy me
For I'm starting my yoga trance,
I'm oh so calm with my karma
I know that he hasn't a chance.

However, the wife's getting angry
And building up quite a rage.
Reaching out with her claws
She dragged Albert into her cage.

Now that my yoga is over
I'm back in my cell all-alone.
I open my eyes and I'm shocked,
To see a blooded cap and a bone.

They blamed me for eating Albert
Though the wife she though up the plan,
I know I couldn't have ate Albert
For I'm a vegetarian

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MOMENTS IN LIFE
...hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget...

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.

What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never assurance that they'll love you back!

There are things you'd love to hear that you would never hear from the person whom you would like to hear them from, but don't be so deaf as not to hear it from the one who says it from his heart.

Never say good-bye if you still want to try; never give up if you still feel you can go on; never say you don't love a person anymore if you can't let go.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless

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MY ACACIA TREE
i visited our house in the province,
as usual....the huge acacia tree in front greeted me,
i know he is happy to see me,
because leaves from him showered over me

i used to talk to him, back when i was young and free
and though no response was there for me,
i understand because he is just a tree.

he has a life and its a thousand years they say,
since the spanish regime of the 18th century he stays
he witnessed everthing for sure, and my ancestors he knows

he wants to share to me, the stories he holds
and the answer to all my questions, he wants to show
but he cannot and i understand...he is just a tree, and i know.

but there's a person i love so much
to talk to her, i always dreamed in the past
i want to embrace and wake up with her since i was a child
but she cannot...that i dont understand

but just the same....whether you understand or not
to know how to love is more important
whether he loves you back or not
by: mariel ganda

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PASSING BY
As I watch the people passing by, I got some nod or no reply
Their body moves so quickly by, Rushing around until they die

As I watch the people passing by, behind the smiles darkness lies
some just move the way they should, Sometimes a laugh or just a sigh

As I watch the people passing by, A lot just seem all distraught
Moving fast no time to get caught, Forgetting who they sought

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POEM FROM GEORGE
A little poem for you my dear
From thousands on the net we met.
This i will never forget.
Long live to the friendship that is great

Thank you GOD for the blessed person Mariel i met
this i will never regret.
May one day we met
our hearts will be a flutter
and maybe melt like a butter
With our great spirit and goodness
like honey to a bee
you and me"
from:george lund
(Diane gave me some words to put in the poetry)

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RENDEZVOUS
i wish i could see you large as life
and have a gentle, happy, and peaceful time together
having many stories to tell
each other would be sublime
my spirit as yourself is in this words and sentiments to banter
to convey goodness and understanding of our unique encounter
i cherish the day of our rendezvous and always be here
with good intentions and feelings for you

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YOU'RE NOT WITH ME
I was on the Internet one night.
And came across someone so nice.
We introduced ourselves and talked about certain things.
But never did I know that this could be.

How could it be that you're so far but yet near.
When constantly, I'm wishing you were here.
Why is it that the treasures you long for most,
Are always so far, but never too close?

I thank God for sending you my way.
And to see you soon is what I pray.
Everthing I do, I can't do without thinking of you.
All I can do is hope my wish come true.

I can't figure out what to do.
All I seem to think about is you.
Before I go to bed and when I wake up too.
That's how I know these feelings are true.

Sometimes I'm scared to open up to you.
Wondering if this is really true.
It's funny how one night we're online.
Then the next, you whisper in my ear
"Goodnight".

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RACIST
You call me:
"redneck"
"Hillbilly"
"Slaker"
"Cracker"
"Honkey"
"Whitey"
"Gringo"
"Sage"
and you think it's OK.
But when I call you:
jungle bunny
spear chunker
coon
wet back
jiggaboo
porch monkey
sand nigger
rag head
towelhead
Camel Jockey
Gook
Spook
NIGGER
slant eyes
or Chink
you call me a racist.
-You have the United Negro College Fund.
-You have Martin Luther King Day.
-You have Black History Month.
-You have Cesar Chavez Day.
-You have Yom Hashoah
-You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi
-You have the NAACP.
-You have BET.
-If we had WET(white entertainment television) ...we'd be racist.
-If we had a White Pride Day... you would call us racist.
-If we had white history month... we'd be racist.
-If we had an organization for only whites to "advance" our lives... we'd be racist.
-If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships...you know we'd be racist.
-In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights...you would call us racist.
-Did you know that some high school students decided to make a club for only the white students because the other ethnicities had them. they all got sent to court for being racist but the african-american, Latino, and Asia clubs were not even questioned.
-You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride, you call us racists.
I am ASIAN.
and
I am proud.
But, you call me a racist.
Why is it that only whites can be racists?
Now watch, I'll be racist for reposting this
So what? no-one will re-post this for fear of being called racist
if you agree w/ this than repost saying "i'm not RACIST but its true.

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TAO
Lumuha ang Diyos ng tanggihan ng tao
ang kanyang pagka-Diyos na syang totoo
Naging Cain,
Naging Jacob
Naging Absalom ang tao

At nakita ng maykapal na hindi pala sapat
sa kanyang nilalang, ang utos at ang tipan.
Kaya sa hiwaga ng laman
Iniwan ng Anak ang kalangitan

at nag anyong tao sa kalupaan
Hinanap Niya ang nawawalang tupa
Inilarawan ang naglahong paraiso
Hinintay ang anak na alibugha

Inako sa Golgota ang sala ng madla
At nabalik sa tao ang buhay na nawala
Nang sa Krus ay madipa
Si Hesus na naging panubos na tupa

Kaya ang tao'y
naging Pedro
naging Mateo
naging Pablo

subalit bakit may Hudas...may Tomas sa daigdig
Ahh....may pangako at ang mga tanda'y nagtuturo
na ang sabi'y magpapatotoo
TAO HANDA KA NA BA, SA ARAW NA DAKILA?

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TO REALIZE

• 
  To realize the value of a sister
  Ask someone who doesn't have one.
• To realizeThe value of ten years:
  Ask a newly divorced couple.
• To realize the value of four years:
  Ask a graduate.
• To realize The value of one year:
  Ask a student who Has failed a final exam.
• To realize The value of nine months:
  Ask a mother who gave birth to a still born.
• To realize The value of one month:
  Ask a mother who has given birth to A premature baby.
• To realize The value of one week:
  Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
• To realize The value of one hour:
  Ask the lovers who are waiting to Meet.
• To realize The value of one minute:
  Ask a person Who has missed the train, bus or plane.
• To realize The value of one-second:
  Ask a person Who has survived an accident
• To! realize The value of one millisecond:
  Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics
• Time waits for no one.
  Treasure every moment you have.
  You will treasure it even more when
  you can share it with someone special.
• 
  To realize the value of a friend:
  Lose one.
  

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WHEN LOVE FAILS
* I swore that it would never happen to me again;
*A hopeless romantic, swept up in a whirl wind.
* I wonder what suddenly went wrong;
* The tenderness, concern, respect and love are gone.
* The sun attempts to kiss my sadden face;
* And my feet are walking at a slower pace.
* I stand and welcome the falling rain;
* For no one can see me cry or see my pain.
* My nights seem to run together into days;
* And now neither of us have anything positive to say.
* At least I know that I gave it my best;
* For God knows he put me through many tests.
* So as I pick up the slivers that once was my heart;
* And chain it once again from falling apart.
* I gave him every ounce of what was me;
* But now its time to set myself free.
* So here I stand alone once more;
* Knocking on my attorney's door.

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I BELIEVE
I believe . . .
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.
believe . . .
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I believe . . .
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I believe . . .
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I believe . . .
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I believe . . .
that you should always leave loved ones
with loving words. It may be the last
time you see them.
I believe . . .
that you can keep going
long after you can't.
I believe . . .
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.
I believe . . .
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.
I believe . . .
that regardless of how hot and
steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had
better be something else to take its place.
I believe . . .
that heroes are the people
who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I believe . . .
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe . . .
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.
I believe . . .
that sometimes the people you expect
to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe . . .
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me
the right to be cruel.
I believe . . .
that just because someone doesn't love
you the way you want them to doesn't
mean they don't love you with all they have.
You have to decide if that is enough.
I believe . . .
that maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe . . .
that it isn't always enough to be
forgiven by others. Sometimes you
have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe . . .
that no matter how bad your
heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe . . .
that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe . . .
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.
I believe . . .
that you shouldn't be so eager
to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
I believe . . .
that two people can look at the exact
same thing and see something totally different.
I believe . . .
that your life can be changed
in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I believe . . .
that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you you will find the strength to help.
I believe . . .
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe . . .
that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

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IF YOU HAD THE CHOICE
If you had the choice of two women to wed,
(Though of course the idea is quite absurd)
And the first from her heels to her dainty head
Was charming in every sense of the word:
And yet in the past (I grieve to state),
She never had been exactly "straight".

And the second -- she was beyond all cavil,
A model of virtue, I must confess;
And yet, alas! she was dull as the devil,
And rather a dowd in the way of dress;
Though what she was lacking in wit and beauty,
She more than made up for in "sense of duty".

Now, suppose you must wed, and make no blunder,
And either would love you, and let you win her --
Which of the two would you choose, I wonder,
The stolid saint or the sparkling sinner?
Robert W. Service

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LIFE'S MIRROR
There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your upmost need;
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your work and deed.

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind,
And honor will honor meet;
And the smile which is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.

Give sorrow and pity to those who mourn;
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thoughts outborne
Though the sowing seemed but vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave,
'Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you.

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MY PROMISE
I know there’s lots of sadness
that surrounds the world about,
and can hear the laughter fading,
as the street lights soon turn out.

I understand your heart,
that has been broken many times,
I can see the pain that bears within,
and instead of yours be mine,

I only want the best for you,
for I can only do so much,
to take away what makes you cry,
and diminish it with a single touch.

I can’t promise you the ocean,
or promise the heavens sky,
I can’t promise you the things you deserve,
for I cannot tell that lie.

But I will do the very best I can,
to make you understand,
that what you mean to me is more
than just a friendship hand,

I cannot promise you forever,
and that I will never die,
but I can promise you one thing,
while I’m here, I'll never say goodbye.
Jessica Firth

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NEVER FOUND THE TIME
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.....
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God! h eld a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"

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OLD MEMORIAL TRAIL
I find the way to live again,
The pleasures from before,
Is listening to the old folks' tales.
It's pleasant time, spent in repoire.

Both are blessed, the listener
And the story teller, frail.
Pull up a chair. I'll lead you down
Life's old memory trail.

Old Friends I lingered with dear friends today,
Reminiscing all the while.
We shared our thoughts, each tender touch,
Some tears, more laughs, a smile.

We must do this more often.
I am at their beck and call.

Charming friends inspire me to respond,
Eagerly - with them all.

Some, I've known since childhood;
Newer ones, I greet with glee!
Dear friends increase in number,
For I bring them home with me.

They'll share time with you gladly,
(Their inner charms, their classic looks).
Pick the sweetest and the wisest
From among my friends: my treasured books.
Martha M. Fuller

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ONCE UPON AN AUTUMN DAY
Once Upon an autumn day,
Colorful leaves began to fade
In the midst of a chilly, frosty air
As multitude of trees grew steadily bare.

Once upon an autumn day,
The whispering breeze was here to stay
Moving aimlessly through the countless trees
Scattering leaves with the greatest of ease.

Once upon an autumn day,
The leaves whirled freely in every way,
Until at last they came to rest
Finding a haven in which to nest.

Once upon an autumn day,
The trees were dormant, and the leaves lay
Waiting for the winter snow to fall
To quickly obscure them one and all.
Joseph T. Renaldi
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1 TO 21
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

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ORACLE OF THE ROSE
In the nether land of sleep
the place where Morpheus
gathers those to dream
I encounter The Oracle

'Oracle' I ask,
how long does it last
this life without
someone beside me?

'Until you find a rose'
The Oracle replied
with subtle disdain
I could not deny

'Where is this rose? '
I asked,
somewhat aghast
for I feel like I know

'This I cannot say
but you will find
her one day
when you least expect it'

'You will know in
your heart
that she will be yours
forever'

'Lies! ' I accuse,
'I cannot enthuse
for fables at
my expense! '

'We shall see'
said the Oracle
to me,
then life will be

sweeter tomorrow.
Samael Wolf

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A PRAYER OF HABAKKUK(Habakkuk 3)
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

2 LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Selah
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.

4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.

5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.

6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed.
His ways are eternal.

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

8 Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD ?
Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode with your horses
and your victorious chariots?

9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
Selah
You split the earth with rivers;

10 the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing spear.

12 In wrath you strode through the earth
and in anger you threshed the nations.

13 You came out to deliver your people,
to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
Selah

14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched who were in hiding.

15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the great waters.

16 I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments

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REAL FRIENDS
Into each life a little rain will fall,
but if you have a friend, you can bear it all,
for a friend is an umbrella, to hold above your head,
and help you think about, the sunny days instead.

Into each life a little wind will blow,
but if you have a friend, to whom you can go,
your friend can help to guide you, can help you make the choice,
by offering their view, and adding a new voice.

Into each life like leaves things will fall,
but if you have a friend, you know that you can call,
they'll always steer you clearly, when their counsel's sought,
for a friend is like a safety net, in which you will be caught.

Into my life my friend came as you,
for I know I have a friend, to share experiences old or new,
a person who is loving, loyal and most true,
that sees my best qualities, and knows I'm their friend too. unknown

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THE RIVER OR TIME

NO, THE RIVER of time
sweeps on with regular,
remorseless current.
There are hours when
we could give all we possess
if we could but check
the flow of it's waters,
there are other hours when
we long to speed them more rapidly;
but the desire and effort alike are futile.
Whether we work or sleep,
are earnest or idle,
rejoice or moan in agony,
the river of time flows on
with the same restless flood;
and only while the water
of the river of time flows
over the mill wheel
of today's life that we can utilize it.
Once it is past, it is in the great,
unreturning sea of eternity.
Other opportunities will come,
other waters will flow;
but that which has slipped by
unused is lost utterly
and will return not again.

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SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

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SMILE
Smile a little, smile a little,
As you go along,
Not alone when life is pleasant,
But when things go wrong.
Care delights to see you frowning,
Loves to hear you sigh;
Turn a smiling face upon her –
Quick the dame will fly.

Smile a little, smile a little,
All along the road;
Every life must have its burden,
Every heart its load.
Why sit down in gloom and darkness
With your grief to sup?
As you drink Fate’s bitter tonic,
Smile across the cup.

Smile upon the troubled pilgrims
Whom you pass and meet;
Frowns are thorns, and smiles are blossoms
Oft for weary feet.
Do not make the way seem harder
By a sullen face;
Smile a little, smile a little,
Brighten up the place.

Smile upon your undone labour;
Not for one who grieves
O’er his task waits wealth or glory;
He who smiles achieves.
Though you meet with loss and sorrow
In the passing years,
Smile a little, smile a little,
Even through your tears.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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SONG
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policmen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W. H. Auden (1907-73)
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SONNET 29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone be weep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

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STRESS AND WORRY
inwardly scream, and I do squirm,
As the itch does linger for a further term,
On my body racked with the Shingles’ Itch,
And the pain which makes my nerves twitch.

I inwardly cuss and scream and shout,
Thankfully the words are not spoken out,
From early morn until the night,
As if centipedes are walking out of sight.

From my spine along my torso bare,
Towards my midline with Shingles there,
When clothes do touch those areas fraught,
They itch and pain me, ~ leave me distraught.

The Body created by HIM On High,
With defence mechanisms exquisite are,
But, why so much pain must I endure,
Before the area is mended with a cure.

I should not mind if it were my fault,
If I had done something that was wrong,
But Shingles is caused by Stress and Worry,
The pain will linger ~ the cure’ll not hurry.
© Jonathan Goldman [Jgthepoet] - 27 February 2006
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SUNDAY MORNING
Well, I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head that didn't hurt.
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad,
So I had one more for dessert.
Then I fumbled in my closet through my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt.
Then I washed my face and combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day.

I'd smoked my mind the night before
With cigarettes and songs I'd been picking.
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Playing with a can that he was kicking.
Then I walked across the street
And caught the Sunday smell of someone frying chicken.
And Lord, it took me back to something that I'd lost
Somewhere, somehow along the way.

On a Sunday morning sidewalk,
I'm wishing, Lord, that I was stoned.
'Cause there's something in a Sunday
That makes a body feel alone.
And there's nothing short a' dying
That's half as lonesome as the sound
Of the sleeping city sidewalk
And Sunday morning coming down.

In the park I saw a daddy
With a laughing little girl that he was swinging.
And I stopped beside a Sunday school
And listened to the songs they were singing.
Then I headed down the street,
And somewhere far away a lonely bell was ringing,
And it echoed through the canyon
Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday.

On a Sunday morning sidewalk,
I'm wishing, Lord, that I was stoned.
'Cause there's something in a Sunday
That makes a body feel alone.
And there's nothing short a' dying
That's half as lonesome as the sound
Of the sleeping city sidewalk
And Sunday morning coming down.
anonymous

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SUNDOWN
Here I am again...trying to hold back tears,
was busy all day and not thinking,
but now at day's end my head is hung,
it goes down as the sun is sinking.

The wheels start slowly turning in my head,
then faster, this Ferris Wheel of my mind.
The past, the memories, good and bad,
they won't go away, no peace will I find.

Again there'll be no sleep, no rest,
no way to stop and no end in sight,
fast forward only speed they go,
can't seem to find a red stoplight.

Reading cannot stem the flow,
and when I try to close my eyes,
it only makes things worse,
thats when the flashbacks arise.

My son gone now these past five years,
I remember him so well,
cutting up at the marina,
laughed so much I almost fell in the water.

My sister also has left me behind,
she too was so much fun,
us catching crawfish with our hands,
then another coffee run.

I try to shut it off cause it hurts,
have to get the boys up in the morning,
even if I manage to doze off,
my eyes pop back open with visions forming.

It is a vicious cycle that I am caught up in,
the only thing good, I give myself advice;
as I seek a reason to go on,
thank God you cannot lose them twice.
Vallerie Lobell

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10 INDIAN COMMANDMENTS
Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect
Remain close to the Great Spirit
Show great respect for your fellow beings
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind
Give assistance & kindness wherever needed
Do what you know to be right
Look after the well being of mind & body
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good
Be truthful and honest at all times
Take full responsibility for your actions

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THE ART OR LOSING
The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the
intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day.
Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel.
None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother's watch.
And look! my last, or next-to-last,
of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones.
And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.
---Even losing you (the joking voice,
a gesture I love) I shan't have lied.
It's evident the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like disaster.
-- Elizabeth Bishop

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BUILDERS
All are architects of Fate,
Working in these walls of Time;
Some with massive deeds and great,
Some with ornaments of rhyme.
Nothing useless is, or low;
Each thing in it's place is best;
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.
For the structure that we raise,
Time is with materials filled;
Our todays and yesterdays
The blocks with which we build.
Truly shape and fashion these;
Leave no yawning gaps between.
Think not, because no man sees,
Such things will remain unseen.
In the elder days of Art,
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part;
For the gods we see everywhere.
Let us do our work as well,
Both the unseen and the seen;
Make the house, where goads may dwell,
Beautiful, entire, and clean.
Else our lives are incomplete,
Standing in these walls of time,
Broken stair ways, where the feet
Stumble as they seek to climb.
Build today, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall tomorrow find it's place.
Thus alone can we attain
To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
And one boundless reach of sky.

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THE DAY IS DONE
The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:

A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain.

Come, read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.

Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.

For, like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.

Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;

Who, through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.

Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.

Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.

And the night shall be filled with music
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away.
Henry Longfellow

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THE GIFT OF KNOWING YOU
There are gifts of many treasures
For both the young and old,
From the tiniest little trinkets
To great boxes filled with gold.

But, put them all together
And they could not stand in lieu,
Of the greatest gift of all
The gift of knowing you.

When your times are filled with troubles
Sadness, grief, or even doubt,
When all those things you planned on
Just aren't turning out.

Just turn and look behind you
From the place at which you stand,
And look for me through the shadows
And reach out for my hand.

I will lift from you your burden
And cry for you your tears,
Bear the pain of all your sorrows
Though it may be for a thousand years.

For in the end I would be happy
To have helped you start anew,
It's a small price to pay
For the gift of knowing you.
- Dave Stout -

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THE INVITATION
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love...for your dream ...for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own without moving to hide it
or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to be careful ...be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty every day.
And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
By Oriah

I would risk it all... would you?

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THE MASTER ARTIST
I watched a sunset one lovely
summer day. I watched as
the sun went slowly away.
Leaving behind colors of gorgeous
hue, shining there on the
sky so blue.
Watching the sunset that summer day
made me realize that along my way,
God makes His greatness plain in his own way,
Like sunsets, flowers and trees, winding rivers, deep blue seas,
silvery moon and twinkling stars.
All of these more lovely by far than any human could make them.
Scenes so beautiful no artist could paint,
to create such beauty, human being just can't.
For God is the artist, the master,
you see, creating such a beauty for you and me.
Autumn's Invitation Autumn is in her glory
All dressed in her beautiful ball gown,
Designed in the lovely fall colors
Of hues of red, green, and brown. Autumn is having a party,
All are invited to come
And join in the gay festivities,
Held in the autumn sun. All are invited to walk in gardens
on all the hills and vales,
And enjoy the blaze of vivid
tints and fragrances
On all the hills and dales. She has her sky a clear bright blue,
Her breezes are balmy too,
Making the weather just right
For each guest to enjoy the things they do. So won't you attend her party?
Autumn is inviting you,
Come and enjoy the hospitality
That autumn offers you.
Velma G. Robinson

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THE NIGHT I DANCED WITH YOU
Slowly, we danced to the music
Our bodies so close, swaying
With your arms around me
And the sweetest song playing,
I gazed into your eyes
And felt shivers down my spine
...I've never felt this way...
With just your hand on mine,
The world I once despised
Has turned into a magical place,
With the lights down low
And the smile on your face...

Then we danced the night away,
And a new day came
Yet the mem'ry hasn't passed
For I still feel the same.
I can still see your eyes
Searching through my soul,
And to you I relinquish
My heart, my love, my all

And now as I recall
The night I danced with you
It's the most unforgettable thing
I have and will ever do.
Ruby Mae Heard
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THE OUTLAWS
1914
Through learned and laborious years
They set themselves to find
Fresh terrors and undreamed-of fears
To heap upon mankind.

All that they drew from Heaven above
Or digged from earth beneath,
They laid into their treasure-trove
And arsenals of death:

While, for well-weighed advantage sake,
Ruler and ruled alike
Built up the faith they meant to break
When the fit hour should strike.

They traded with the careless earth,
And good return it gave:
They plotted by their neighbor's hearth
The means to make him slave.

When all was ready to their hand
They loosed their hidden sword,
And utterly laid waste a land
Their oath was pledged to guard.

Coldly they went about to raise
To life and make more dread
Abominations of old days,
That men believed were dead.

They paid the price to reach their goal
Across a world in flame;
But their own hate slew their own soul
Before that victory came.
Rudyard Kipling

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THE PIG
In England once there lived a big
And wonderfully clever pig.
To everybody it was plain
That Piggy had a massive brain.
He worked out sums inside his head,
There was no book he hadn't read.
He knew what made an airplane fly,
He knew how engines worked and why.
He knew all this, but in the end
One question drove him round the bend:
He simply couldn't puzzle out
What LIFE was really all about.
What was the reason for his birth?
Why was he placed upon this earth?
His giant brain went round and round.
Alas, no answer could be found.
Till suddenly one wondrous night.
All in a flash he saw the light.
He jumped up like a ballet dancer
And yelled, "By gum, I've got the answer!"
"They want my bacon slice by slice
"To sell at a tremendous price!
"They want my tender juicy chops
"To put in all the butcher's shops!
"They want my pork to make a roast
"And that's the part'll cost the most!
"They want my sausages in strings!
"They even want my chitterlings!
"The butcher's shop! The carving knife!
"That is the reason for my life!"
Such thoughts as these are not designed
To give a pig great piece of mind.
Next morning, in comes Farmer Bland,
A pail of pigswill in his hand,
And piggy with a mighty roar,
Bashes the farmer to the floor…
Now comes the rather grizzly bit
So let's not make too much of it,
Except that you must understand
That Piggy did eat Farmer Bland,
He ate him up from head to toe,
Chewing the pieces nice and slow.
It took an hour to reach the feet,
Because there was so much to eat,
And when he finished, Pig, of course,
Felt absolutely no remorse.
Slowly he scratched his brainy head
And with a little smile he said,
"I had a fairly powerful hunch
"That he might have me for his lunch.
"And so, because I feared the worst,
"I thought I'd better eat him first."

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THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE
Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip
around the sun every year.

How long a minute is
depends on what side of the
bathroom door you're on.

Birthdays are good for you;
the more you have,
the longer you live.

Happiness comes through doors you
didn't even know you left open.

Ever notice that the people who are late
are often much jollier
than the people who have to wait for them?

Most of us go to our grave
with our music still inside of us.

If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day,
how come nothing is free yet?

You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun
to only make once.

Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.

We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp, some are pretty,
some are dull, some have weird names,
and all are different colors....but
they all exist very nicely in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who
can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Have an awesome day, and
know that someone
who thinks you're great
has thought about you today!..

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THE TRAIL OF NO RETURN
So now I take a bitter road
Whereon no bourne I see,
And wearily I lift the load
That once I bore with glee.
For me no more by sea or shore
Adventure's star shall burn,
As I forsake wild ways to take
The Trail of No Return.

Such paths of peril I have trod:
In sun and shade they lay.
And some went wistfully to God,
And some the devil's way.
But there is one I may not shun,
Though long my life's sojourn:
A dawn will break when I must take
The Trail of No Return.

Farewell to friends, good-bye to foes,
Adieu to smile or frown;
My voyaging is nigh its close,
And dark is drifting down.
With weary feet my way I beat,
Yet holy light discern . . .
So let me take without heart-break
The Trail of No Return.
Robert W. Service
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TO EACH HIS OWN
I cannot change the way I am,
I never really try,
God made me different and unique,
I never ask him why.

If I appear peculiar,
There's nothing I can do,
You must accept me as I am,
As I've accepted you.

God made a casting of each life,
Then threw the mold away,
Each child is different from the rest,
Unlike as night from day.

So often we will criticize,
The things that others do,
But, do you know, they do not think,
The same as me and you.

So God in all his wisdom,
Who knows us all by name,
He didn't want us to be bored,
That's why we're not the same
~Author Unknown~

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TRANQUIL NIGHT
They walk on clouds of the tranquil sky
A gift to each other, their purpose only to defy
The rules of attraction, and mistakes redeemed
Searching for their love in such a lucent dream
Of their endless passion and iridescent future
Two souls that are enfolded in the lord’s karma sutra
Blinded only by the obscurities that surround today
And of a conflicted soul which lingers from yesterday
Each day is a never-ending battle of love and passion
To attain a goal to defeat the devil’s assassin
As two lovers falling into life’s lonely endeavor
Both man and women, a bond they will always treasure
Dreaded uncertainties fall into deep thoughts
Conquering all of the tragedies that leave them distraught
Of once peaceful minds and of jaded complexities
They stay on the path of endless possibilities
The angel and the lord, together they are complete
The ongoing fear of each other becomes obsolete
It’s the struggle to find each other tomorrow
To run far away from the worlds pain and sorrow
In a field of growing flowers, and everlasting joy
As we run wild without timorousness in the world
Time seems to be running still in high hopes
When they are apart, it seems difficult to stay afloat
For the fate driven couple’s dreams to come true
For this man to look into her heart where she becomes unglued
Where their feet touch the ground of the unspoken reality
And their souls sore above the earth without gravity
The iridescent light has begun to fade to black
When these two lovers are apart, they yearn to come back
The darkness falls as the two come together
They fly into the future, as light as a feather
And the guilt stricken pain has started to subside
Heavenly soul mates, their passion collides
Only the heavens above predict what is to come
Where the two nomads’ of love can join as one
The two pray each night as they close their eyes
Meet each other in the clouds of the tranquil sky
Oh vivid love, where their hearts are so true
Fade into the night, where the endeavor is through
Nick Catozzi

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TWO BLIND MEN
Two blind men met. Said one: "This earth
Has been a blackout from my birth.
Through darkness I have groped my way,
Forlorn, unknowing night from day.
But you - though War destroyed your sight,
Still have your memories of Light,
And to allay your present pain
Can live your golden youth again."

Then said the second: "Aye, it's true,
It must seem magical to you
To know the shape of things that are,
A women's lips, a rose, a star.
But therein lies the hell of it;
Better my eyes had never lit
to love of bluebells in a wood,
Or daffodils in dancing mood.

"You do not know what you have lost,
But I, alas! can count the cost -
Than memories that goad and gall,
Far better not to see at all.
And as for love, you know it not,
For pity is our sorry lot.
So there you see my point of view:
'Tis I, my friend, who envy you.

And which was right still puzzles me:
Perhaps one should be blind to see.
Robert W. Service

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WE SHALL OVERCOME
And we shall overcome.
Dead and gone we will be one
And man will still be sure;
Even when all the luster and splendor is gone;
We will still laugh and go on,
Though we are made insane;
Though we are surrounded by the darkness above;
Though love that was won was sorely lost,
We shall overcome.

And we shall overcome.
Over the barren dark land
We groan alone and wait;
Pining, twisting when the bow gives way,
Though broken down, we shall not brake;
When faith is broken into stain glass shards;
And the evil is all is known and around;
Take our wings and we still shall fly;
We shall overcome.

And we shall over come.
When no more tears to dim our eyes,
Or pain to hold us back;
When our cares are are blown into the dark past
We will lift our heads to the golden sun,
And though our sprits were once broken;
We rose above the oppressors of old,
And we over came what once overcome,
Jamie Simmons

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WHEN WILL I FORGET
When will I forget that I'm in love with you,
When the sky above forgets to be blue.
When the grass in the spring forgets to be green,
And little children forget the sweet taste of ice cream.

The day will come between Sunday and Monday, boy
The day will come between Sunday and Monday,
Thats the day I'll stop loving you.

When will I forget the sweet love that you give,
When the good man above forgets to forgive.
When a boy and a kite no longer leads the wind,
When a duck on a pond forgets how to swim.

When will I forget how your, "I love you" sounds,
When my ears go deaf and the world shuts down.

I can't name the day when your love I'll forget ,
It hasn't been named but I know where its set ...

The day will come between Sunday and Monday, boy
The day will come between Sunday and Monday,
Thats the day I'll stop loving you,
Thats the day.
Ruby Mae Heard
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WHEN YOU'RE LOST IN THE DARK
When you're lost in the wild,
and you're scared as a child,
And death looks you bang in the eye,
And your sore as a boil,
it's according to Hoyle
To cock your revolver and... die.
But the code of a man says:
"Fight all you can,"
And self-dissolution is barred.
In hunger and woe, oh,
it's easy to blow...
It's the HELL-served-for-breakfast that's hard.
Your sick of the game!
"Well, now, that's a shame."
Your young and your brave and you're bright.
"You've had a raw deal!" I know-but don't squeal.
Buck up, do your damnedest, and fight.
It's the plugging away that will win you the day,
So don't be a piker, old pard!
Just draw on your grit;
it's so easy to quit:
It's the keeping-your-chin-up that's hard.
It's easy to cry that your beaten-and die.
It's easy to crawfish and crawl;
But to fight and to fight when hope's out of sight,
Why, that's the best game of them all!
And though you've come out of every grueling bout
All broken beatened and scarred,
Just have one more try-it's easy to die,
It's the keep on living that's hard.

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WHERE LIES THE LAND TO WHICH THE SHIP WOULD GO
Where lies the land to which the ship would go?
Far, far ahead, is all her seamen know.
And where the land she travels from? Away,
Far, far behind, is all that they can say.

On sunny noons upon the deck's smooth face,
Link'd arm in arm, how pleasant here to pace;
Or, o'er the stern reclining, watch below
The foaming wake far widening as we go.

On stormy nights when wild north-westers rave,
How proud a thing to fight with wind and wave!
The dripping sailor on the reeling mast
Exults to bear, and scorns to wish it past.

Where lies the land to which the ship would go?
Far, far ahead, is all her seamen know.
And where the land she travels from? Away,
Far, far behind, is all that they can say.
Arthur Hugh Clough

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WHISPER

The inky blackness settles in
another sleepless night
I turn my mind inside myself
and search to find some light

memories like moonlit nights
dim, yet sharply clear
a trail cuts through my life
my burden grows with fear

confusion is a greyish fog
a voice calls out to me
I cannot find my answers now
fog hides reality

accepting life and giving in
is often hard to do
but then I feel a new life start
a whisper from the womb

j.c. clark

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WHY ME

Why should I be the first to fall

Of all the leaves on this old tree?
Though sadly soon I know that all
Will lose their hold and follow me.
While my birth-brothers bravely blow,
Why should I be first to go?

Why should I be the last to cling
Of all the leaves on this bleak bough?
I've fluttered since the fire of Spring
And I am worn and withered now.
I would escape the Winter gale
And sleep soft-silvered by a snail.

When swoop the legions of the snow
To pitch their tents in roaring weather
We fallen leaves will lie below
And rot rejoicingly together;
And from our rich and dark decay
Will laugh our brothers of the May.

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WINDS OF CHANGE

Oh, God the winds of change, they are blowing
Bringing a revolution to this life
Whether relief or challenge, not knowing
Always of benefit, even in strife

What of the days past of comfort and rest
Whose hours were filled with laughter and joy
To be a child once more: happy, blessed
For the simple things in life to enjoy

Oh, but these winds of change aren’t new to me
I am used to being tossed to and fro
Though these winds don’t always bring harmony
They all bring opportunity to grow

So, let the rain pour down upon my roof
Let the sun beat harshly upon my head
May this wind, no matter the storm, be proof
That you, oh God, are with us where we tread

Danny Speicher

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YOU NEVER GET BACK

As we grow up,
we learn that even the one person
that wasn't supposed to ever let you down
probably will have your heart broken
probably more than once
and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too,
so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You'll fight with your best friend.
You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.
You'll cry because time is passing too fast,
and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures,
laugh too much,
and love like you've never been hurt
because ! every sixty seconds you spend upset
is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.
~anonymous

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YOU WHO ARE

You who are letting miserable misunderstandings
run on from year to year, meaning to clear them up some day;
You who are keeping wretched quarrels alive because
you cannot quite make up your mind that now is the day
to sacrifice your pride and kill them;
You who are passing men sullenly upon the street,
not speaking to them out of some silly spite,
and yet knowing that it would fill you with shame
and remorse if you heard that one of those men
were dead tomorrow morning;
You who are letting your neighbor starve,
till you hear that he is dying of starvation;
Or letting your friend's heart ache for a word
of appreciation or sympathy, which you mean
to give to him some day;
If you could only know and see and feel,
all of a sudden, that "the time is short, "
how it would break the spell! How you
would go instantly and do the thing which
you might never have another chance to do.
by Phillips Brooks

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YOUR FENCES

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
* Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it a second time.Don't interfere with somethin' that ain't botherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with,
watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

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YOUR FRIEND I ALWAYS BE

If I could catch a rainbow

I would do it just for you
and share with you its beauty
On the days you're feeling blue.

If I could build a mountain

You could call your very own;
A place to find serenity,
A place to be alone.

If I could take your troubles

I would toss them in the sea,
But all these things I'm finding
are impossible for me.

I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who's always there.

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