Everything has its own spirit
Everything on this earth sings
Breathes
Lives in its own way
The spring of life
Gushing forth
Bringing animation to everything

Grace and love
Peace and grace
God wants to

Anoint us and
To protect us in
His grace and

Mercy and
Everlasting
Love and mercy

He is always
A prayer away
We just have to

Accept that healing
And power and
Strength that

Comes from
Gods ever
Powerful hand

God has all
The mercy and
Power and grace

To heal all wounds
God is the creator
Of the universe

He created our
Hearts and he
Knows the pain

And the trials
And the terrors
And the fears

God is just
Waiting to
Wash us clean

To anoint us
With his peace
With his spirit

Giving us power
And love and peace
And strength to

Last through the
Storm and to pass
The anointing power

To every one
Who calls your
Name in earnest

God will strive
With you in your
Struggles and your

Trials God wants to
Be there to offer you
That strength

You just have to
Accept it and he
Will give it to all

Children who pray
And call out in the night
God will hear you

Dont worry
Help is surely
On the way

Even when things
Seem darkest God
Will light the way

I want people to know
That tomorrow is another day
Another day on this planet
Another day to learn
Another day to try again
Changing a little bit
As we go along
Moving from day to day
Just trying to keep our sanity
Trying to keep afloat
While still trying to live
Today

We live in a world
Full of diseases
Full of pain
We live in a world
Where it seems
Like hate rules
Where antipathy
Rage
Violence
Wins the day
It seems like
The cure
Is hard to find
It can feel like
The world is doomed
But the cure
The antidote
Is a lot easier found
Its right in front of our eyes
We just have to be willing to see it
The antidote is love
Once you understand that
Everything else
Starts to fall into place

A place where I can be free
by Ahmad ***
I want a place someday
Where I can be free
Free to roam
Free to be myself
And to plant and grow for myself
And for anyone that might come by
I would love a place
Where I know I could make a positive difference in my community
While being able to go be by myself sometimes
When I need to be alone
And when I need some time to reflect
And to breathe
And to collect myself
I would love to be able
To be that old person in their neighborhood
Who everyones knows
And all the little kids come over
To sneak cookies from
Who knows the best secrets
And tells the best stories
And knows when it's time to rest
And when it's time to get things done
I would love to be able to build community around me
And feel the joy that can come from being connected with people in open and loving ways
Being able to accept what is
And accepting what isn't
And I would love to dance
And to love
And to live fully
With each breathe
And be able to smile
And to cry
And even sometimes wonder about the state of the world
And where this crazy world we call home is going
All in the comfort of my doorstep
And be able to know that I was home
And that other people could call my home as well
If they needed a spot to sit for a bit
And just talk about their lives
And talk about their day
But most importantly I feel like
It would be nice to just be
And to be able to enjoy life
And spread that joy to others

Life is apparent
If you want it to be
Life is simple if you
Make it out to be
Life is easy if you
Allow it to be
You just have to
Live life a little
With a little more
Simplicity
Letting go of
Every thing that
Complicates life
Letting go of
Every thing that
Holds you down
And holds you
In place in the world
Letting go of ever thing
That doesn't make you
Happy or brings you joy
Letting go of every thing
That makes you feel
Like you are stuck in the
World or makes you feel
Like you can't do any better
Or complicates your life
Any more than it has to
Living more simply
Is very apparent
Its very easy once you
Know how to let go
Of every thing
That makes life
Complicated
To begin with.

The archaic knowledge
The old truths of sages
Long gone and past
Still have a lot of wisdom
Especially in todays times
We live in a world where
People are more disconnected
Than they have ever been
We live with disease and wars
People stealing and killing
Living with hatred and lost
In the cold without a place
To stay and a friendly face
To see for miles and miles
Living in a pavement jungle
Not knowing which way
We are truly going
Just wondering without
Direction or hope
Just floating a long
Without any type
Of mooring to graft to
The sages of old
Talked about the
Interconnectedness
Of everything in the
Universe and everything
Comes from God and spirit
There is a world beyond the
Physical and the material
That supercedes all
Material thought and
Consciousness just beyond
The veil of knowledge and
Intuition that ultimately springs
From the source of the universe
If we are to move forward we
Must not take the God out of
Equation when it comes to science
Or understanding the universe
Or trying to interpret our world
Or how we even fit into it
If you remove God from the
Universe and the equation
All together you are denying
Existence and everything in it
The old sages used to say that
We shouldn't harm another being
We should respect our planet
Respecting our mother and
Respecting spirit and each other
Respecting  nature and the animals
Respecting the whole of everything
Living in peace and harmony with
Everything and following the order
Of the world instead of trying to
Change or to alter it
We need to get back to this understanding
If we are truly going to move past
The separation we feel with ourselves
And with nature and even with our planet
We somehow think we are separate or
Somehow better than the plants or the
Animals as if somehow they are expandable
Not understanding or seeing the true spirit
That lives and breathes in all living things
If we did we couldn't even do half of the things
We do to our animal brethren on this planet
If we could understand and see the spirit
And the beautiful life and light in us all
We could never do half of the things
We do to each other out of hate and anger
We commit atrocity after atrocity
Thinking that somehow these
People are separate or different
From us they aren't the same
They are lesser than us so
We can treat them however
We want and not have any
Thought about it after
Ultimately even if you try
To justify these actions there
Is no true justification for
The ****** or slaughter
Of people simply based
Off of false fears and prejudices
And anger that boils up inside
No life should ever be forfeit for
Any reason whatsoever
There is no such thing
As a justified death or a
Justified ****** or a
Justified war that ultimately
Kills and destroys everything
In its sight leaving nothing
Behind for any body to
Ultimately take or claim
In the end once they are done
The sages used to say that love
Is the key to the universe and
And that light and love removes
All darkness in the world
Living with universal love
In your heart and being
Able to exude love from
Your breathe and from
Your pores and breathing
In love and light and healing
And passing it to every one
Around you and transmitting
It into the universe as well
Sharing love for the world
Sharing love for the life you live
Sharing love for the people who
Haven't found the light yet
Being able to love your enemies
Because you can see a piece of
Yourself inside of their hearts
And ultimately inside of their souls
Feeling ultimate joy and happiness
At the simple fact of living
Reveling in each moment
Being completely in yourself
Feeling that divine love and
Connection to everything
And feeling the universe
And everything in it
Sitting in your heart and
Being poured out through
Your thoughts and mind
As you float through space
And time sharing love and
Light and healing to as many
People as possible before you
Return to the source again where
You join in the union with the source
And with God and the universe
Where you join the ever lasting
Knowing and truth of the cosmos
Only to return to do it all over again
Bringing as many people to the light
Guiding souls with love and comfort
Guiding them into the ever lasting light
Imbuing Gods love and grace and
Showing the way through example
We need to get back to this universal love
And knowledge so that we know it in our
Hearts and we know it in our minds
There is a lot of hate going around
But there is not as much love
We tend to ostracize certain people
Or even judge people and see them as
Somehow different or worst because
Of where they are at in life or even
Because of the position they are in
We need to be able to feel and breathe
That love and light for everything
Being able to truly love ourselves
Loving our position in life
Loving our bodies and everything
That comes with but more than anything
Learning how to love everyone regardless
Of who or what they happen to be no matter
How far they might have fallen there is never
Anyone that doesn't deserve to be healed or
Loved or saved in some way and when we come
To this greatest realization and sharing and feeling
The love we will begin to understand and see just how
Beautiful and wonderful a place we live in and what
A special time it is to be alive and living in peace
And harmony with everyone and everything
And learning how to love in more whole ways
Spreading the love and light through the Earth
Until a wave of love and light sweeps over us
And peace and love become all we know
We just have to get back to those old archaic truths
That the sages knew a along time ago

Are you ready for love
Could you really accept it
If it came to you today
Could you accept yourself
Could you love completely
Loving with your whole soul
If love were to come to you
Could you look deep inside
And find the love that is waiting there
Tucked inside your soul
Just waiting to come out
Could you feel and receive love
Could you give it back completely
Without hesitation or regret
if the answer is yes
Don't be afraid to give love
We all need to feel loved
If you are truly ready to receive
Open up your heart and let love in
Love without fear
Allow the love
To settle in your heart
Until love becomes all you know

I think that its very arrogant
For some people to believe
That we are somehow better than
Or greater than any other animal
Or any living organism on this planet
We all live and exist just the same
Floating on the same beautiful ball
That we all call home
Everything has a spirit
You can not separate spirit from matter
So to say that animals don't have a soul
Or don't have a spirit
I believe is a very arrogant statement
It denies them the spark and spirit
And ultimately denies the fact that they
Are living breathing beings just like us'
I don't believe that we were put here
To subjugate the fields and the animals
We were meant to live in harmony with
The other living things on this planet
And to live in harmony with ourselves as well
Learning from each other
Existing in harmony with the planet
Not against it
In the effort of trying to tame the wild
We have ultimately destroyed
Our planet in the process
I believe that we need to get back to the natural way
Living in communion with each other
And living in communion with every living thing
That is on this wonderful
Beautiful blue ball
We call Earth
And we all call home

The universe is art
We all create our
Own beautiful
And unique color
Shape and form to
The wonderful mess
We call this universe
The inner creativity
And inner joy and
Child is calling to
You make sure to
Heed the call as
You begin to feel
The unique and
Beautiful parts
That make up
The whole like
A mosaic of
Internal voices
Trying to be
Noticed and
Heard as they
Cling together
Like a symphony
Of consciousness
Pouring its beautiful
Melody through our
Hearts as our hands
And souls play the
Tune as we write
Our destinies in the
Sand and dance with
Abandon as we praise
The universe and the
Beautiful and unique
Gift and creative art
And spark and life
That flows through
Everything you see

People die every second
A life blinking out
In the blink of an eye
Life's antithesis
Death rears its ugly head
But we never truly die
Our bodies become recycled
Being consumed by the earth
Ashes to Ashes
Dust to Dust
Our bodies will always return to its source
But our spirits never die
They simply transform
Returning to the source
Where our spirits can be free
Where we become one with the universe
Where we become one with God
Repeating the great cycle
Only to fall again.

At all times
We are loved
At all times
We are looking
Inside trying to
find the truth
At all times
We doubt
We wonder
Why we are here
At all times
We question
Ourselves
We wonder
Why things
Are the way
They are
At all times
We must
Remember
We are whole
We are loved
To make it
Through the day
You must
Remember
At all times
My friend so
You can make
It through the day
Never forget the
Lessons from your past
At all times
Never let go
Of who you are inside.

At last
I am here
I am me
I am breathing
Each Second
Each minute
Each moment
At last
I have arrived
I am alive
I exist
Always
Forever
In the endless vacuum of time
Flowing ever present
Gliding ever freely
I am beyond myself
At last

Its easy to get attached
To the things of the world
Its easy to get stuck
In the muck
Settling for
Earthly gains
Settling for less
Than what we actually deserve
Getting attached
To all the things
That hold us
All of the things that hold us down
Attached to the Earth
Stuck on the ground
Not truly being able
To soar into heaven

They attack our minds
Tell us things that aren't true
They shackle our minds with their half truths
Hiding their lies
Making us feel like we are less powerful
And less whole
Than we really are
They exist in our miseries
In our discontent
Off of our confusion
Taking us away from the one central truth
We are all one
Bound by love
The more we understand this truth
The more their lies will be unravelled
And the truth will be revealed

We have to win by attrition
The enemy is strong
But love is stronger
Even as we are bogged
In self doubt
We are stronger
Than we think
Even when it seems
The darkness is
Overwhelming
Even the most dim of light
Can shine through
The haze and shine
Through the night
Even as strong
As the enemy is
Even the most
Smallest light
Can drive away
The dark
Can drive away
The pain
Our light is a beacon
A beacon in the dark
For all to see
Chasing away the darkness
Chasing away the night
A beacon to all
Combining our hearts
Until the light is so
Overwhelming
That all can't help
But stop and look
And take notice

I think we need to become more awake
We need to become more aware
Of what is going on around us
If we continue to stick our heads in the sand
Not actively seeking the truth for ourselves
Just accepting certain things without really
Thinking about the ramifications
We will continue to make the same mistakes
To go down the same path
To keep ourselves from moving forward
We need to change
Because the way we are doing things just isn't working
Until we realize that
We are going to continue down the same path
That got us all here in the first place
We need to start accepting radical new ways of business
To really start moving in the right direction
Or else we are ultimately dooming ourselves
And dooming this planet along with us
Our mother can only put up with so much
We need to start taking better care of ourselves
Becoming more aware and awake
We all need each other
We can't do this alone
We need to come together
To really get us through
To become more awake
To what we need to do

I want people to know
That we don't have to fight each other
We don't have to fight ourselves
That we don't have to suffer
That it's possible for us all to live in peace
We would rather justify war
It seems like it's really hard for people
To think of what life would be like
If we weren't constantly at war
Or fighting
Or hating
Or somehow condemning someone else
Well it's those people who are causing the problems
It's those people that need to be dealt with
If it weren't for those people over there
There wouldn't be any problems to begin with
Do you see those people over there
What right do they have to be here
Taking up our space
Taking up our land
That's for us and us alone
We have to get them before they get us
We have to keep ourselves constantly ready
Constantly waiting
For someone to attack
To destroy our way of life
To upset the status quo
That we have established today
I think we need to be willing
To change the status quo sometimes
Because the status quo as it is
Is just not working
As long as we continue to feel hate
And we feel like we need to be at war
And we need to hurt other people
To propagate the status quo
We will never be able to live in peace
And know what it means
To live in a world without war

Baby
I see in your eyes
The future
The present
Little knowing spheres
Of wonder and knowledge
Gleaming brightly
So fragile
So beautiful
Creation and knowledge
Hidden in your form

Some people
Can take a back seat
When it comes to
Their own lives
Sitting in the back
Not really taking any
Responsibility
Or taking any actions
In their lives
Allowing people to run them
Giving up control of their lives
To everyone else but themselves
Not really knowing
How to take charge
How to take responsibility
For their own lives
And their own actions

Balled Up
by Ahmad ***
I'm balled up inside.
I am slowly crawling out.
I'm awakening

Angels surround me
Angels in front of me
Mercy in action
Souls united
To the heavenly father
Returning to the source
Returning to their home
Finding their place in heaven
Their sins have been atoned
Swallowed up by God
Cleansed by the cross
Swallowing the darkness
In our hearts
Once again
Made pure

The sound of life
Is a beautiful chorus
Playing many tunes
All playing at once
Yet they all have their own unique sound
There own unique part
All playing along
Creating this beautiful chaos
This beautiful mess that is all around us
We can feel the song
The song of the universe
The song of the stars
The song of the earth
The song of the people
We all have our own voice
We all make up our own unique note
Playing in beautiful harmony
Beating the same heart
Beating to many different drums

Beauty
Comes from
Inside our souls
Springing from inside
Sharing the beauty
With everyone
Sharing peace and love
Beauty
Springs up from our hearts
Casting love and light
Wherever beauty goes
Touching people
With grace and mercy
Extending the beauty
And their hearts
To whoever they meet

Beauty abounds
Even in something
As simple as a snowflake
In something as simple
As a child's smile
Life is beautiful
It's the small things
A flower just budding
Opening up to the sun
A bird
Floating free on a breeze
The warmth of the sun
The breeze in the trees
That quiet voice
That let's you know
That everything will be o.k.
Beauty abounds
In the smallest of places
You just have to know
Where to look

People surprise me
I can't help but
Get a little bewildered
When I think of some
Of the things that people do
We would all be a little better off
If people started acting
With a little more sense
Because I can feel like
I am going crazy
Trying to figure people out

I think
Our minds can
Be a little bit
Of everywhere
All at once
Flying
All over the place
Disconnected
Thoughts
Randomly
Flying
In our minds
Not connecting
Flowing chatter
In the background
It can become tiresome
Being everywhere
All at once
Sometimes
You have to come
Back to yourself
Center
Quiet
Your
Mind
And
Focus
On
The
Now

Its easy to be bitter
Just laugh
And smile sometimes

Black is the color of the dirt
Black is the color of life
The black soil in our souls
Helping us to grow strong
Composting the dark times
Composting the good times
Taking all of the nutrients
And mixing them together
We couldn't have light
Without dark
Everything has its value
We go through turmoil
We have struggled
Had our turmoil
We have been kicked down
And put down
And yet there is strength
Even in the darkness
Still bringing light
To all who are willing to see

Blessed Mother
Blessed Father
Divine love
Flowing
Through
The spirit
Spirit
That resides
Spirit that dwells
Connect us
To that inner well
That inner knowledge
Connecting us
To the Earth
Connecting us
To each other
Connecting us
To the healing
Loving
Powerful
Energy
That flows
All around us

Sometimes the truth can be so blinding
Sometimes it can sock us in the face
Sometimes we can become blindsided
By the cold hard facts
Running head first
Smack right into the truth

Blown out
Washed up
Torn down
Torn asunder
Laid to ruin
Laid bare
Laid out
Torn out
Destroyed
Conquered
Demolished
Smashed
Assaulted
Pushed aside
Pushed down
Stepped on
Feeling low
Feeling trapped
Feeling scared
Feeling alone
Getting out
Feeling lost
Our souls know
What it is
To fear
What our souls
Is really craving for
Is love

Bombs are going off
All over the world
People are fighting
Dying every second
Every minute someone
Else passes away because
Of war and hate and pride
Bombs go off in the night
They go off during the day
Snatching life in their wake
Leaving nothing but a hole
In the ground as they wound
The Earth and wound each
Other as bullets fly over head
Not always finding their target
But always leaving damage
Somewhere as the fly along
Carnage and destruction and
Hatred all over the world
The world needs a healing
She is weary of the wounds
That bombs and bullets and
Man inflicts on the Earth and
Even to each other in the
Advancement of war and
Anger and hatred and greed
Propagating death and disease
Destroying the Earth and her
Children as well and leaving
People without a place to stay
Without a home as they wonder
The globe wondering how they
Are going to feed themselves
And their families when they
Have been violently torn away
From everything they know
Because of war and what has
Been claimed that was never
Meant to be taken in the first
Place to begin with and staking
Claim on the land and on the
Hearts and will of the people
That just happen to be there
At the time just trying to live
Their lives their way until
Bombs fly over head and
Death finds them like a
Thief taking everything
They have ever known
Forever changing them
And the world around them
We need a healing and the
Earth needs a rest from all
Of these bombs and wars
And bullets that tear through
Our mother's heart as she
Watches her children destroy
Needlessly for no good reason

The brain is an interesting thing
It seems like it carries all of our thoughts
And yet scientists know so little about it
We tend to think of our brains
And our minds
As somehow being
These separate entities
Somehow connected
Yet disconnected
From our bodies
And from each other
But I believe that our minds
Are more interconnected
Then we might think

I think that we all need time to breathe
We spend so much time running
We seldom take the time
To just enjoy life
To go for a walk
To enjoy the simple act of living
Allowing yourself to truly breathe
And feeling your worries dissolve
Taking the time to do something
That makes you happy
And taking the time to build
Positive relationships with the
People around you
Building your community
Getting to know the people around you
Take time to breathe
Just breathe in
And breathe out
And you will start to see
Just how much more stress free
Life can be
If you just take time for yourself
Every once in a while
To let go
And just be
BREATHE!!!

There are people
That are broken
So many people
That are hurting
Today in their
Hearts and souls

We are all broken
In our ways as we
Try to heal ourselves
As we move along
In life and death

Healing ourselves
As we mend our
Hearts and soul
One scar at a time

Fixing what used
To be jagged and
Worn and creating

Something new
Until we are

Whole again.

We hurt
Sometimes life
Can seem like it
Doesn't make sense
It can feel
Like we hurt
We are in pain
Life can hit us hard
When we least expect it
Its tough to lose a child
Its a hurt
And a pain
That too many mothers
Have had to feel
Wondering
What they might have
Done different
Might it have made
A difference
Ultimately
Even through
The hurt
Even through
The turmoil
And the crying
And the pain
And the doubt
Sometimes
It takes seeing
The bigger picture
To truly see the plan
Being able
To feel the pain
Being present in the pain
That loss can bring
But also being able
To let it go
Releasing the hurt
And the pain
And the confusion
And understanding
There is always a plan
Even though you may wonder
If it is God's way of punishing you
Or even God's joke
There is always a plan
Their souls were ready
It was their time
While you
Still have time
Here on Earth
But they will always
Be watching
Always still be with you
In your heart
As long as you
Remember them
And when
Its your time
To return
Your hearts will join
You will meet again
No one ever truly leaves
We are always still here
Waiting to return home
When we are called
So don't fear
Even though it might
Hurt for a little while
Take comfort in the fact
That they have simply
Returned home

How beautiful you are
You are the master
Of transformation
Bringing on a new life
Bringing joy and
Inspiration to
Everyone who sees
You fly in the sky
So ethereal and so free
Flying above the
Trials of life
Teaching us
What it truly means
To transform and
To emerge
Completely
Different
Completely
Beautiful
Shedding
Our whole
Selves in the
Process of life
Reaching for
Newer heights
Newer joy
Transforming
From moment
To moment
Living for
Physical death
To be reborn
Into the ethereal
Taking flight
On your wings
Of strength
And of hope
Teaching us
What strength
And transformation
Truly looks like
In such a small
And fragile creature
Fly little butterfly
Fly free on the winds
Of change as you
Fly into the sky
Ever higher and
More free than
You have ever been

Butterfly heart
With Gossamer wings
Floating in the
Gossamer sky
I see your wings
Extending from
Your heart
Blowing butterfly kisses
To wayward fairies
Who have lost their way
Giving life and flight
To the wings of the night
To that angelic spirit
That consumes your soul
As you extend your wings
And you extend your heart
Fly with me with your
Gossamer wings
As we sail across
The sky together
Sailing through the mist
Sailing through the fog
Carrying all of those
Who are lost in flight
Searching for their wings
But can't quite make it
Off the ground
Searching for that
Angelic light
To uplift and to
Help them soar
Carrying along
On the breeze of life
Butterflies marching together
Marching toward the dawn
As we migrate and move
To a new horizon
An unknown destiny
As we fly together
Sailing along on the breeze
Lets fly together
Lets let our wings
Take flight
Lets fly above
The world
And look down
Looking down
At all of the troubles
Looking down
At all of the strife
Putting it behind
And below us
As we sail together
Into the night sky
Butterfly hearts connected
As we dance together
In the night

Being calm through the storm
Can be just as simple
As taking the time
To trust yourself

That inner calm
Is in us all
We tend to focus
On the things
That distract us
The things that keep us
From returning
To the source
Returning
To that inner calm
So that when life becomes turbulent
You will have that inner calm inside of yourself

Life can seem to spin
Like you are on
A cartwheel
Spinning out of control
Spinning you off
Of the edge
Sometimes
Life can feel
Like it's spinning too fast
Spinning so fast
That you just want to get off
Stop the spinning
Getting a chance
To clear your head
Even if it is only for a minute

There are castaways
People lost in the cold
People without a place
To go and wondering
Where their next meal
Is going to come from
There are people who
Are lost in their hearts
And in their heads
Stuck in an inner
Darkness that threatens
To consume their
Soul in hatred
And anger
There are people
Who are cast aside
Who are left out
Of society and
Ostracized on
A regular basis
Who can't fight
For themselves
And so they
Inevitably
Get left in
The cracks
Of life not
Belonging
Any place
Feeling like
They are lost
In the cold
With no way
Out in sight
We could all
Use a life raft
That life saver
That helps us
Float back to
Life and put
Our feet on
Solid ground
Helping us float
Through the hard
Parts and saving
Us when we really
Need it the most
We must be willing
To be that life raft
Or that life saver for
Other people in the
World who are the
Castaways with
No land or hope
In sight just stuck
In a never ending
Rolling sea that
Threatens to drown
Them with each
Passing moment
If we can all extend
Ourselves and be that
Life raft and that
Life preserver for
Someone else
I think you will
Be surprised just
How much life
Will throw you
'Those little lift rafts
In return when you
Need it the most

Center of
Everything
Center of
The universe
Center of
Life and earth
Center of
Heaven and mind
Center of
All knowing
Center of
Power and
Light in the
Vast and
Wonderful
World that
Lives in our
Minds eye
We see so
Much in
Our own
Center and
Thoughts
Knowing
The truth
As we go
Along as
We get
More
Centered
In life as
We move
Along in life
As our souls
Get closer to
That inner
Oneness
The inner
Knowing
Of all that
Comes from
Centering
Our minds
Thoughts
Intentions
Into one
Single
Point
Purpose
Goal
Heal
Grow
Learn
As you
Go along
Becoming
Closer to
Finding
The divine
Oneness
That comes
From love

Spirit horse
Horse of spirit
You are very
Beautiful to
Everyone you
See as your
Spirit shows
It glows bright
Shining through
Everything like
An ethereal glows
That surrounds
You in its warm
Embrace as you
Move in spirit
And move in
From your true
Beauty begins
To expand ever
Greater ever
Brighter for
All eternity

We can feel choked
Like we can't speak
Like the air
Has been taken out of us
Life can hit us like a brick
It can be hard
To really stand
To catch your breath
To take in air
When the world comes down
When the world begins to collapse
Right before your eyes
It can be hard to bear
Its get easy
To want to quite
To step away from the game
It can seem so unfair sometimes
Sometimes we can even break down
Wondering what has happened
How did this all happen
How did I let things get this way
Will things ever be right again
Will I ever be able to catch a break
Catch my breathe
In this insane mess
That has become my life
You have to be willing
To step back
Look at life
Understanding
That we go through
Things because
We are always given the chance
To learn and to grow
It can get easy
To get caught in the muck of life
Getting caught in the daily grind
But if you truly understand
You will come to see
That this world isn't so bad
After all
That there is goodness all around
If you know where to look
That finding peace
Even in this crazy existence
Is only a breath away
Just take the time
To breathe a little
Let things go
Finding a little more light
In what you see
When you step outside

Christmas is this thing
It's an enigma
There are many converging factors
That make this time of year equally hopeful
But equally stressful and plastic
Giving unrealistic ideas
That  can drive some people to poverty and insanity
Within a mere week
Sometimes within a day
I think the thing that makes this particular holiday special
Is the offering of hope and good will that it is supposed to stand for
Yet it's also the time of year when we are told that we must spend our money
Buy that big screen t.v.
Buy your hope
Go broke trying to buy our penance
Spending money to wash away the guilt
To feel like we have actually given something
To somehow feel like we can make up
For all the other times we didn't give
Or make up for the distance we have with our families
And somehow make up for all the times we weren't there.
And we somehow feel entitled to receive these gifts
And some people will actually feel mad
Even angry if no one gives them a gift on Christmas
Whether they have been naughty or nice
And then there are the people who are left out in the cold
Who have no family
No loved ones
No gifts
No hope
Who feel even more estranged
And lost
And forgotten during this time
But even with that said
There is still a kernel of goodness and wisdom
To spreading good will to all men
And trying to spread hope and faith
For your fellow man
And trying to give just because we can
Instead of trying to receive something in return
I think that we need to imbue these qualities all year
Instead of trying to simply focus on them
When the holiday times comes
Giving to people just because you can
And sharing that empathy and good will
And showing people that you care
Just because you can
I think that if we were all to take these lessons to heart
We would all be a little better off

I wonder sometimes
What it is the that people see
When they look at me
What it is that people notice first
It never ceases to amaze
Just how many seem to have
A hard time really classifying me
I think that we tend to classify people in general
Its often very easy to just
To automatically make assessment off of what we see
We almost have a harder time
Dealing with the people that are ambiguous
That we can't classify right away
Than the people that seem to fit
The stereotypes
Or are preconceived ideas
About how we think
People should behave
Or even look
And if people don't
Automatically fit
Into our neat little boxes
And into a neat little
Classification
Its almost like we repel those people
Somehow it scares us to see people
That don't fit into our ideas
Our ideals of normalcy that is based
On social constructs that we have
Built ourselves
I think we need to step
Away from putting people
In small boxes
We need to start really
Looking at people
Getting past the stigmas
And the social constructs
That we put on certain people
And seeing the person for who they are
Everyone is lost in their own ways
We all could use a little help here and there
But when you automatically
Shun someone
Or push someone aside
Based on superficial constructs
You ultimately end up alienating them
But you are ultimately alienating yourself
Living in lies and false fears
That are based on false precepts in the first place
We all want to be seen as people
We all want to have our own voices
To have our own views
Without worrying about being judged
Or classified by anyone
We are all human
We all deserve to be treated as such

We tend to close ourselves
We tend to shut ourselves off
We tend to close our hearts
To keep ourselves from hurting
We shield ourselves
We shield our hurt
To hide the pain
We are taught that
We are supposed to keep smiling
Keep pretending everything is o.k.
Afraid to crack and show any weakness
We have to shut off our emotions
To play the game
We learn very early
That if we open our hearts
If we allow ourselves to be vulnerable
We will ultimately get hurt
So we learn to become callous
To become cynical
To protect ourselves
Not allowing ourselves
To be optimistic
Actually hoping
Or wishing for something
We are so afraid of losing something
That we automatically shut off
Whenever we feel like we might
Have the chance to fail
That way when we do
We won't feel so bad
We can just convince ourselves
That we weren't meant to have it
That we shouldn't have tried in the first place
Pushing aside our own feelings
To shield our hearts
But ultimately all this ends up doing
Is bottling the hurt inside
It will manifest in other ways
If you don't let it go sometime
Being able to open up your heart
And being able to open yourself
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable
Putting your heart out
And trusting that it will be o.k.
We all have times in our lives
When we want to hide ourselves
When we are dealing with
Negative things that happen
But its about being able to express yourself
And not bottling it up
Being able to express whatever you feel
Being present in the emotion
No matter what it happens to be
Whether it be anger or joy
Allowing yourself to be present with yourself
Opening yourself up so that you can be present
Being present with the people around you
And sharing your heart openly
I think you will find
That if you share your heart openly with others
They will do the same for you

It can be easy
We have a tendency
Of making things hard
Life can be just as simple
As stepping out of yourself
Stepping out into the life
Living each moment
Excepting your life
And excepting your end
Living each moment
And spreading love
Kindness
Compassion
And empathy
To every one else around you
If every one could just live
A little more simply
And stop making things
So complicated
This world would be
A lot less complicated
And start becoming
A lot more simple