Tag: poem

Summer

Hi there. Sorry that I have not posted anything in a while. June has turned out to be a busy month and July is already upon us. June 21st was the first day of summer. It is also the longest day of the year and it is also my grandpa’s birthday. He would have turned 105 this year. So happy belated birthday grandpa AJ, wherever you are!! Anyways, that day is easy to remember because of all of the things that happen on that day. We had some nice weather for the start of summer. I think summer is one of my favorite seasons right after spring and maybe fall. As a kid I always enjoyed the summer because that meant no school. I still appreciated the summers as I got older, but I kind of miss getting summer vacation when I became an adult and did not have to go to school. I feel like good things happen in the summer. Charles Bowden says “Summertime is always the best of what might be.” So you never know what might happen in the summer.

There are so many other things that I like about the summer besides having no school. The weather becomes nice, but sometimes you never know in California. The flowers are out and the days get longer. You might have a little summer romance. You make amazing memories and go to the beach. Go to concerts. The list can go on and on. You get lots of sunshine and can be lazy all you want to. I think that about sums up this post, but here is a quote to leave you with by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “Then followed that beautiful season … Summer … Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.” In other words there is just something magical and amazing about summer. And I love Longfellow as a writer. Here is a poem to kick off summer. I hope that every one of my readers enjoy their summers. Make memories and have fun!! Happy reading everyone!

Summer

Those eyes that are taking on the summer heat,
But it is life around us that brings that extra treat.
Flowers that find their way to be blooming despite
Everything that keeps trying to stop them, but light
Does not stop glowing or shining bright. The blaze
That causes endless fires, but through all the haze
We are still smiling and laughing like we are kids
Again. With our open spirit and our closed eyelids
We are souls that are feeling whole again. We are
A part of this universe that has clear skies and stars
That we can see without trying too hard. Summer
Is already upon us and we are every single color.

Being Worthy and Being Around Positive Energy

Sometimes we have to really stop and think…We have to ask ourselves if we are worthy enough. We should not really have to think or ask that question to begin with, but unfortunately we live in a world and society where we always have to wonder that. Are we worthy of love? Are we worthy of respect? Are we worthy of all these other things? If we really have to ask all of those questions and have those thoughts constantly swirling around in our head then we are definitely surrounded by the wrong people or we might be doing the wrong things like having the wrong job, relationship, etc. There will always be some people in this world who do not think you are worthy because they think you do not deserve it or just do not know you at all. Do not let one of those people be yourself. We have to let go of that feeling of being unworthy. Louise Hay says it the best way in this quote. “I am willing to release the need to be unworthy. I am worthy of the very best in life, and I now lovingly allow myself to accept it.” In other words, we have to accept our self worth. We need to let go of that unworthy feeling, especially because it does not allow us to share who we are.

That is why we have to surround ourselves with positive energy. Sometimes that has to come from within. I put these two topics together for a reason. Being worthy enough goes hand in hand with positive energy. I feel like if you have positive energy you will feel worthy enough and vice versa. There is this quote I found about energy, that relates to what I am talking about. “Be the energy you want to attract.” I hope that you all get what I am talking about here. I want every single person to know that they are worthy enough, no matter what they have been through and even if they do not think they deserve it. That would be like saying that you do not deserve respect and other things. Here is another quote, saying how much we are worth everything, especially love and other things in life. “You are worth finding, worth knowing, worth loving. You and all your one million layers. Always hold that close.” In other words, we are worth everything and we should hold onto that. This following poem goes out to every single one who feels they are unworthy. I hope that you allow at least some positivity into your life. A lot of the time you need it. You are all a treasure. Enjoy!!

Infinity of Positivity

Today there are clouds just behind the sun
And tomorrow there is going to be a light
At the end of the tunnel. Just run and run
Away from the negative doubts. The flight
That you used to be afraid to take is taking
You to the heavens and beyond. The amen
Is what you ache for and you are mistaking
The pain you think will last forever when
The big truth is that it is all only temporary.

The sadness and disappointment you carry
Around like weights slowly disappearing like
The stormy sky. The smiles and laughter you
Used to keep hidden comes back like a strike
Of good fortune. Everything will come back to
The surface of the sparkling water you tried

To tamper down just like the tears you cried
Were trying to be wiped away so no one would
See you in all your weakest moments. I could
Never understand why anyone would pretend
Like there was no single strand of positivity
Left. Darling, you are the perfect mix and blend
Of everything good in this world. You are infinity.

Dreams

Dreams… they come to us when we go to sleep. It is like that state of mind that we go to when everything is good, but we can also have bad dreams or what is called a nightmare. Dreams do not always come to us when we go to sleep. People close to us always tell us to go chase our dreams because growing up we always dreamed of something whether it was to be a teacher or an actor or to have a nice house or a fancy car. Whatever it was we we were told to “dream big.” Sometimes as we get older we lose sight of those dreams because they are too far to reach or we are told they are impossible to obtain. Never lose sight of those dreams just because they may take longer to achieve. “To the ones who still believe in dreams: Chase them. Chase them until you’re out of breath. Then, keep running.” So in other words keep running, even after you are done chasing your dreams.

We are never too old to stop dreaming because if we do not dream then we are not living. Maybe our dreams were given to us for a reason and the best thing to do is to surround ourselves with people who believe in those dreams too. Those are the best kind of people. Those are the people who will push you and want you to achieve your highest goals/dreams. They will bring out the best in you, that is for sure. Anyways… I found a quote by one of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt. She says “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” There is such beauty and amazement in believing in your dreams. It really does take courage, strength, belief and a lot of hard work. Yes, it is difficult but as I always say, it will be worth it in the end. Dreams are there for a reason. I just want to encourage my readers to never stop dreaming. Enjoy this poem!!

Endless Dreams

Fight and never stop chasing your dreams.
Nobody has to tell you to stop chasing them
If you want them badly. Your body screams

At you to stop, but if your lungs are not numb
Enough then you have not done enough to go
What you are after. Nothing should ever stem

From your fear and this time should not grow
Or be in your way of dreams with no set limit.
They should be giving you purpose. You know

Measures of time like every hour and minute
In a day should not block us from our drive
We are meant to pursue. That one way ticket

That can lead us anywhere. You have to dive
In headfirst. Be bold and be fearless, but do
Not wait for time to tell you how to be alive

Because there is a contrast between what you
Want to do versus what pays the bills or to fit
Into society’s one box. It is like having blue

Skies versus letting all of the darkness flit
Or letting it always hang over your head.
In five years from now will you regret it?

All of the dreams that got you out of bed,
In the morning, but decided not to follow
All because you whispered, pouted and said

No to them. The one word that will hollow
You, leaving you empty and dead because
Yes would have been easier to swallow.

Utopia/Ideal World

When I think of utopia, I think of some place like you see in the Hunger Games or The Giver or something along those lines. When you look up utopia on in the dictionary, one of its primary definitions is “an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.” We have all at some point wanted to have our own version of utopia. I think we have all wanted it because we are safe there and there are no specific rules. I think of it as an alternate type of world. In other words, it is a place we can escape to, especially when we do not want to be in the reality we are currently in. There is this quote by John Malkovich. He says “Utopia means elsewhere.” In other words, it is another place. I do think that each person has their own version of utopia. This is very similar to my post about your safe haven. This utopia is more or less the same. It is that place you go to be safe and where you are okay. I feel like we all need that utopia and safe haven. However, I feel like safe haven and utopia can have some differences.

In addition to utopia, there is dystopia which is completely opposite. I think of utopia and safe haven as secure, even peaceful. Dystopia is as the word describes itself as destruction, chaos and not so peaceful. I do not want people to confuse the two, so I will just leave it there. I will conclude by saying that utopia is the ideal world or society. Utopia can be viewed as something outside of the box or even crazy. Anyways, I will tell my readers to find their utopia or ideal world. It is perfectly okay to dream and think about it. This is one of my shorter posts since I think I have already talked about something very similar to this subject. Enjoy these poems and let it take you to paradise!!

Utopia

A place that is somewhere between heaven and hell.
When you close your eyes you are under that spell
Because it is a place so charming. A place where you
Can get lost and never come back from. You slip into
Some new dimension and reality. A new dream world
That you have always wanted to be a part of. It will curl
All around you, keeping you safe from your shadows
And lurking demons. A place where no one truly knows
Your deep secrets. You run through fields upon fields
Of wildflowers while never worrying about the shields
Falling down all around you because you know they will
Always be there to protect you. It is a big rush and thrill
Because everything is perfect here. This is your place of
Utopia. There you will find happiness; everything you love.
Remembering Utopia
Take me back to the spot where we first kissed,
Overlooking the city right before us. The mist
And clouds part, making way to the city lights
That still twinkle within the distance. No heights
Or limits can stop us now. This is utopia where
We do not have to think of anything and the air
Is fresh like the breezy ocean waves. Nothing
From the past or dystopian world can ever cling
To us while making us feel like we are drowning
In the fire because we are on top, always counting
The universe of stars. We are living in the present
Moment and that is utopia too. The strong scent
Of us is surrounding us, but I am no longer afraid
Of falling down and the sharp edge of the blade
Is non-existent. The place where the sun shines
Stronger than any piece of broken glass and signs
That point out the right direction. This right here
Is our heaven when all methods of time disappear.

Rose-Colored Glasses/Seeing Things As They Really Are

Ever heard of “rose-colored” glasses? I know it is something a lot of people know about, but do not know that name for it. It is like we see the world through these rose-colored glasses, which means we see things in a perfect world and when nothing goes wrong. It is like living in a dream world when we wear them. When we take them off we see things for how they really are. There is nothing wrong with wearing these glasses because like I said before, they help you see the goodness all around you, but they do not always help. You become blinded by what you do not see. There is a quote I found to kind of explain it a bit more. “Do you look at life through rose coloured glasses? I crushed mine so I could see the truth.” In other words, we sometimes take off our glasses to see the truth around us. I have to admit that it takes some time to see this, but if we look hard enough we can spot it. Sometimes we have to let go of our expectations and things that hold us back in order to see the truth. So, I am going to keep this post short.

I just want to remind my readers that it is okay to keep your rose-colored glasses, but it is also okay to take them off. I just want to conclude this post with one more quote to justify a case in which it is perfectly okay to wear these rose-colored glasses and maybe I will talk about this in another post. “See everything through rose-colored glasses and be happy with the little things in our life.” The one thing I may talk about more in another post are the little things in life. We want to enjoy them to the fullest that we can and in moments like that it is okay to wear the rose-colored glasses. I will leave that choice up to my readers. Do whatever is best for you individually. In the meanwhile, enjoy this poem. Happy reading!!

Taking Off the Rose-Colored Glasses

Maybe it is going to be onto better and brighter
Things. There is a brighter smile and a better
Life without you being right in the center of
The storm. Every step away from you is lighter.
Darling, you let me take off the heavy sweater
Without suffocating me. You taught me to love

Myself more than I could ever be loving anyone
Or anything else. It is like life has a whole new
Meaning without you to steer or guide it where
You want it to be going. Darling, it is like the sun
Has come from behind the dark and stormy blue
Sky. I know that there is way more oxygen and air

To breathe in without the toxins surrounding
Me. I used to think I was making some terrible
Or awful mistake, but I was right in cutting ties
This time around. My heartbeat was pounding
Loudly like drums, but everything was bearable,
Including the pain. The tears cleansed my eyes

And I could finally see things for how they really
Were. I was not living or watching through rose
Colored glasses anymore when things were perfect
Everything was no longer feeling ice cold or chilly
Like the windowpanes in the snowstorm. I chose
My life over everyone else’s. Everything was clicked

And locked into place, but I knew that they could
Not stay that way forever when things were going
Around in circles instead of being straight or linear.
I just had to let things go and drift away like wood
Floating along the river stream. I was just showing
That the world’s beauty was going to be shinier.

Beginning of Spring and Cleansing

We are within the first month or so of spring. I do not know what everyone else’s favorite season is, but spring is definitely one of my favorite seasons of the whole year. There is just something amazing about spring. I do not know if it is because there is more sun or maybe the fact that winter is finally over. It is interesting to talk about the transition from winter to spring both physically and mentally. In winter it is like you carry everything heavy and spring is usually light. Winter this year has especially been hard on me. We do have to thank winter for making spring such a pleasant feeling. There is this quote by Anne Bradstreet that explains it so well. She says “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” So yeah, as much as we try to hate on winter and curse it… we thank it too because without it we probably would not have spring.

I think I really like spring because it represents something symbolic. It is like our soul and everything within us is cleansed. It is like what we call “spring cleaning.” We get rid of the things that are heavy and we throw away the old junk. I think that it is important to have spring because it is a lot like starting over. As much as we want to not do any spring cleaning, it is extremely helpful and therapeutic anyways. William Morris says “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” There is something so beautiful and rewarding about spring cleaning. The last thing is that there is always going to be spring no matter what. Welcome it with open arms. I know that there is so much more I can say, but I will stop there. I will conclude by posting one more quote… it’s one of my favorites by Pablo Neruda “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” So I advise my readers to accept spring. I hope that this poem puts you in a good mood. Happy spring and happy reading!!

Springtime

Your beauty always comes from behind the clouds,
Like a halo of light that has saved me from the tears
That poured down like raindrops of winter. Crowds

Of flowers that bloom like there are no bad years
Or days coming ahead. Eyes that still watch over me.
Your sunshine that leads me straight to the stairs

Of heaven. Nobody could ever predict or foresee
How important you are to me and how everything
About you helped me grow. Petals that hold the key

To living life, we cannot always hang onto or cling
Onto what holds us back. Everything from the past
And those things that are heavy belong to be a fling

Or temporary. There is a lot of strength that will last
Forever. There is everything bad that will unroll.
Darling, you have turned me into an enthusiast

Of everything spring and light. I have a clean soul
That is ready for giving and receiving. Love that
Is ready to be accepted fully 100%. Every hole

That is ready to be fixed. Your words, no longer flat
Or falling on deaf ears. That ice smashed with a bat.

Pain

First of all, I just want to apologize for being away for a while. I hope that you all did not miss me too much. We are all different so we all deal with things like pain, in different ways. That is a given. Pain comes in different forms like physical pain and emotional pain. We automatically associate pain with being hurt. They go hand in hand together. I am sorry to say this, but nobody can avoid pain forever. It is not so much about the pain, but how you deal with the pain. Marc Maron says it best. “You can’t avoid pain in life. It’s how you handle pain, that’s what defines you.” I deal with the pain by writing about it and talking about it. There are some times when I stay quiet and do not say anything about it. It is okay to speak up about it because like I said before, pain and being hurt go hand in hand.

As crazy as this sounds, the pain does eventually go away. It may not seem like it will, but over time it will and there will be some pain that may stick around. This quote by Philippos Syrigos says it the best. “Pain never really goes away; you just elevate and get used to it by growing stronger.” In other words, the pain never truly goes away, but you gets used to it and makes you feel stronger. It makes you feel tougher and maybe closer to being indestructible. Not quite indestructible all the way, but it makes you feel like you can handle anything once you handle and deal with the pain. You learn so much through the pain. One of my favorite quotes by Alicia Taylor says it best. “Sometimes you must to hurt in order to know, fall in order to grow, lose in order to gain, because life’s greatest lessons are learned through pain.” And she is so right. Things in life feel painful and hurt a lot, but you have to go through all of the pain to learn those lessons.

Like I said before, you should know at least how to deal with the pain. Some people know how to, but some people do not and that is okay. You eventually learn over time. You just sometimes have to simply deal with it. James Jones said it best. “He knew how to handle pain. You had to lie down with pain, not draw back away from it. You let yourself sort of move around the outside edge of pain like with cold water until you finally got up your nerve to take yourself in hand. Then you took a deep breath and dove in and let yourself sink down it clear to the bottom. And after you had been down inside pain a while you found that like with cold water it was not nearly as cold as you had thought it was when your muscles were cringing themselves away from the outside edge of it as you moved around it trying to get up your nerve. He knew pain.” In other words, it is acknowledging and knowing pain. Sometimes it may not seem as bad as it looks or feels. One of the best feelings is when the pain stops. For a lot of people, it may not, but for some it may stop all the way. It is like seeing again for the first time or like a new dawn or day or however you want to look at it. It feels so liberating. Here is to all of my readers, may you find a way to deal with the pain.

I can go on and on about pain. I could tell you why it comes and how to deal with it, but everyone is different in that, so why bother. All I can do is to make some final pieces of advice… Whatever you do, do not not ignore it because if you ignore it, pain will fester and may turn into something even worse. We can end up hurting ourselves or worse, unintentionally hurting others. Dean Kootz, I think says it the best way. “Pain can be endured and defeated only if it is embraced. Denied or feared, it grows.” So in other words, we should never ignore the pain. I am not here to say you should stay with it for long, but everyone is different. There are so many amazing quotes out there about pain and how to deal or cope with it. So I will stop there. Here is a poem to make everyone realize that there is almost always something good after the pain and that although it hurts now, it will go away after some time. I just want to make one final point which is although you are dealing with pain now, you should never give someone else pain on purpose. I just wanted to point that out. Cheers!!

When The Pain Stops

The tears stopped coming. For once it felt
Like both my heart and me could breathe
Again after all of the pain. I have dealt
With the devil, but no longer. I unsheathe
The anger and frustration. It is like I can
Finally see every color and sunrise again.
There is a change to every person and plan
I once had. I broke free from every chain
That bounded and tethered me to that
Bone splintering heartache. Everything
That used to make me want to take a bat
And smash it all into pieces that cling
To my skin does not hold that power
Over me anymore. I do not hide in
The shadows and darkness or cower
In corners anymore. I smile and grin
Like I have never been hurt before.
I stand and walk through that door.

Being an Introvert/Enjoying Solitude

I know that there are tons of people out there who will relate to this subject and topic, for I am one of those people too. I am talking about something that is on everyone’s mind and that is being an introvert. I want to start by saying that there is nothing wrong with being an introvert and in fact, people who are introverts are some of the smartest people we know. Famous people like Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks and Eleanor Roosevelt (another one of my heroes) have been known to be introverts. Yes, they may come across as shy, quiet, and someone who keeps to themselves, but nothing is wrong with that either. When you look up the definition there are many definitions, but one that sticks out is “a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings.” That, in my mind, clarifies who an introvert is to the t.

I think people are introverts for a variety of reasons. Maybe the primary reason is that they like silence in a world and society that is noisy. They enjoy the quietness, solitude and calmness of every moment. Although introverts tend to be quiet, they are observant of what goes on around them. They would observe rather than participating. Introverts are the ones who stay quiet, but that does not mean their thoughts are quiet too. Sometimes it is the quiet people we have to pay attention to. Stephen Hawking says it the best. “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” That is definitely something that is true and applies to introverts.

A part of being an introvert like I said before is enjoying solitude. To introverts it is important and vital like breathing. In other words, introverts need solitude to survive. Susan Cain says it pretty much the same way. “Solitude matters, and for some people, it’s the air they breathe.” People do not always believe me when I tell them I am an introvert because they think with the way I talk to people and socialize they think I am an extrovert. I am only that way around people I know and with people I am completely comfortable with. My therapist once explained that it all has to do with where you get your energy from and how you recharge. You either get it from being around other people or being by yourself and in solitude. I think I am right on the fence of being an extrovert and an introvert. I enjoy being around people, but more and more these days I enjoy the time I take to myself. I am not always the one who loves going out every Friday and weekend day. I wish people would believe me more on that, but each to their own I guess.

I wrote this piece for introverts and non-introverts alike because although a lot of us are introverts, there are also a lot of people who are not. I wrote this kind of as a rule book of what makes someone an introvert and how to deal with these kinds of people. This is a quote to kind of explain how to deal with someone like that. “Yes, I am an introvert. No, I’m not shy. No, I’m not stuck up. No, I’m not antisocial. I’m just listening. I’m just observing. I can’t stand small talk… But I’ll talk about life for hours. I’d rather be at home with a close friend or two than among a crowd of acquaintances. Don’t scold me in public. Don’t embarrass me in public. Respect that I am reserved. And if I open myself up to you, know that means you’re very special to me.” In other words, introverts should be respected just like everyone else. It does not matter what kind of introvert they are because they can have multiple layers. Respect and enjoy that!! Some of the best people are introverts, but that is just my personal opinion being one myself. This poem just touches some of the points of being an introvert. Happy reading and enjoy!!

Quiet Thoughts

In a noisy room, I want every moment that is
Quiet and peaceful. Darling, there is no need
For me or anyone else to be the one who says

Something just to fill the silence. You will lead
And I will follow right behind you. Take me to
Where the horizon meets the ocean. The seed

That nobody thought would grow. Give it a few
Drops of water. Watch it grow into something
Nobody thought would happen. A cut through

The serenity and something magical. A spring
By the waterside and a pretty flower that will
Unfold when you give it a place to grow. A wing

That uncurls and flies away. The quiet thrill
Just as the sun rises every morning and we
Are thinking every thought that keeps us still.

Disrespect of Women

There are so many topics we all get sick and tired of hearing about. One of those is the disrespect of women, especially with the whole thing around Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein. It is the 21st Century, but it makes me feel like we are back in the ’50s or something because we are still treating women with disrespect almost every single day. It makes me sick and tired because women deserve better. We have to do a better job as a country and as a nation to take better care of our women. After all, we come from women, so what gives us a right to disrespect women? Tupac pretty much says it the same way. He says “A woman brought you into this world, so you have no right to disrespect one.” And he pays homage to them in his song “Keep Your Head Up” where he raps about how women should be treated better. Here is a sample from that song. “And since we all came from a woman/Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman/I wonder why we take from our women/Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?/I think it’s time to kill for our women/Time to heal our women, be real to our women/And if we don’t, we’ll have a race of babies/That will hate the ladies, that make the babies/And since a man can’t make one/He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one!/So will the real men get up/I know you’re fed up ladies,/But keep your head up/(Keep ya head up) Oooh, child things are gonna get easier/(Keep ya head up) Oooh, child things’ll get brighter/(Keep ya head up) Oooh, child things are gonna get easier/(Keep ya head up) Oooh, child things’ll get brighter…” So he is telling women to keep their heads up and telling the guys to respect women.

It really disgusts me how we can elect a president who disrespects women every day with rape, sexual harassment, etc. The list goes on and on. One thing about respecting women is believing them when they step forward and speak up about those things I just mentioned. That support needs to happen right now. That starts with women respecting other women. I know society has taught us to tear each other apart and to speak bad about each other. That all needs to stop. In other words, we need to have a strong community of women. Sophia Nelson says it like this. “Be a woman other women can trust. Have the courage to tell another woman direct when she has offended, hurt or disappointed you. Successful women have a loyal tribe of loyal and hones women behind them. No haters. Not backstabbers or women who whisper behind their back. Be a woman who lifts other women.” If we start there we can just do about anything. To continue more about this I want to throw in one similar like the one above, which I got from Amber Riley’s story on Instagram (she was in the TV show “Glee”). She wrote “Part of my 2018 focus will be creating deeper roots with my girls we really do need another creating a safe environment where we all feel we can share triumphs and failures.” In other words we need to make it safe for every woman.

I wrote this post purposefully almost exactly a year after the Women’s March. We went and participated in one in Oakland. It was such a wonderful experience. We went to another one this year (it was yesterday in fact). It was a wonderful turnout at this one and at other marches across the country, even across the world. I think the way to stop all of this disrespect is to continue to speak up, protest and do whatever it takes to be heard because like I said, it is something I get tired of hearing about. In fact, we should not even be talking about it today, but we are! We are going to continue to talk about it always. To quote my hero Maya Angelou “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” So in other words, once one woman or in this case, one group of women, can stand up for all women. It takes a lot of work, but I know we can do it. So here is to the end of the disrespect of women although there are many other groups that are disrespected like immigrants, Blacks, Latinos, etc. and we should not forget that. Enjoy and march on!! I am with you all!

The Disrespect of Women

Women of every race, religion, shapes and sizes
Getting mistreated everyday, not making the same
Amount of money that men are. We are no prizes
To anyone but ourselves. When we have no game
Or hustle, but we bust our asses off just to get food
On the table and make a name for ourselves. Catcalls
From the street when we just simply walk by. Nude
Bodies admired when we are a size zero, but falls
Short when we have any extra body fat. Being called
Bitches and whores when we show off too much skin.
Being threatened, beaten, blackmailed or being hauled
Away when all we said was no thank you. When we grin
We are too easy. When we are frowning we are told to
Loosen up and smile. When we are supposed to please
Men and never ask any questions of why? The queue
Of men allowed to abuse and rape us repeatedly. Sleaze
Balls staring at us and asking us for our numbers when
We said we are not interested or already have a man
At home. They think they can write all over us with pen
Like we are their property and thinking they think they can
Hit us all they want to because we are small fragile creatures.
They lecture us when we have sinned and are too much of
A temptation for men. They think they become preachers,
Luring us into traps. We are told we are not worthy of love
Or respect when we want to be alone and without anyone
Else. Those lies we are being fed will always be outrun.

Meeting People

We all cross paths with people on a daily basis. Whether it is simply strangers passing by on the street or friends or people we know or meeting someone when you go out on a date, etc. there are very few days when we do not meet new or old people. There is no accident to meeting these people either. It reminds me of this quote that I got on one of my birthday cards this year, which is one of my favorite quotes. “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.” What I am saying is that these people we meet or come across, whether it is simply for a minute or an hour or a day or weeks or months or years, they come into our life for some reason. In other words, they teach us something whether it is about ourselves or about them or about the world all around us. That brings me to this quote. “You will meet many types of people in your life. You will meet delicate flowers, raging oceans, quiet forests, towering mountains, and colourful skies. You will meet thunderstorms, you will meet lightning. They will knock you down, they will leave you breathless. You will meet sunrises, you will meet gardens. They will give you light, they will take you on adventures. Explore them. Get lost with them They all have something different to teach you.” That quote describes what I am talking about so perfectly.

Like I said, there are so many types of people that walk this Earth everyday and we are blessed enough to meet these people as well as sometimes getting to know these people. It is true that we may find and meet people who are very similar to us, but we also meet people who are different. Those people all teach us something. There are people we never see again. There are people who we meet but then lose touch with. There are some people who come into our lives but then leave again. Some of those people we do not want to think about ever again. C.S. Lewis puts it in a better way than I can. He says “In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do.” He brings up a lot of the points I already made. We think about people, that is a given and we have a tendency to think about people we never want to think about to begin with. No matter if you do not want to think about them or not, that still teaches you something.

What I am saying is that even if you cross paths with someone who only stayed in your life temporarily versus permanently they still taught you something. No matter if they end up hurting you or if one or both of you ends up getting hurt they still taught you something. Even if there is anger there, that still teaches you something. Like I have said before, there is no accident in meeting people. This quote says it the best way. “You don’t meet people by accident. There’s always a reason. A lesson or a blessing.” There is simply no other way to say it other than that. We can go on and on about this subject matter, but I will leave it at that. I just want to let my readers know that they should be thankful and grateful for whoever they cross paths with. This is the post that I want to conclude 2017 with because that is a big part of what my life was about this year and for the previous years. I want to conclude by wishing everyone a happy and slightly early 2018 since I will not be writing my first post of 2018 for a little bit. Enjoy this last poem of 2017!

Crossing Paths With Different People

There is never the right time to meet people. They come
Into your life like a hurricane or a gentle breeze or the sun
Behind the clouds. There is always something about them
That will either make your heart race or will make you run
The other way. They will calm your spirit or will make you
Want to be wild, reckless and live on the edge. Some of
Them you never think about again and others you want to
Know because they are intriguing. They teach you to love
And respect this Earth we walk on. They may even teach
You something about yourself you did not know otherwise.
Darling, they will be some people who will help you reach
For the stars and your dreams. You will look them in the eyes
And for some reason you will feel like you are finally at home.
It is there you can finally rest and you can become yourself.
Darling, they make you want to stop trying to find and roam
This world to find ourselves in those people. The high shelf,
They will help you touch and feel it. Those are the good
People who will make your soul feel whole and satisfied.
There are times when you feel misguided and misunderstood,
So keep away from people who will keep you on the curbside
Like yesterday’s trash. You do not belong there. You possess
A heart of gold. Some people will help you realize and fulfill
That. Sometimes you will be looked at like you are a mess.
Never let that bother you because it is okay to be like a spill
Across the canvas. Chaotic, sloppy and muddled is what we
Are always going to be. Some people might join us in our
Unorganized and crazy life. Some people just might see
That we are anything but normal. We learn in every hour
And moment. We learn to knock down every tower.