Engine died
The car is in the shop
It's been a week, still not fixed -
cannot afford a payment, so have to wait

Meantime, driving my brother's twenty-two year old antique -
a collectible - Nissan Sentra

Over forty miles an hour it starts to shake
and grumble under the strain,
so we go according to how it feels on
a given day

It's like driving a stick shift -
deep concentration, manual thrusts.
Hope no rain; sunroof leaks -
have to wear my rain gear

So quiet, yet so LOUD -
no radio ...
The sounds of the moving machine
keeps me wide awake, alert.
I can hear it squeak and groan.
Feel every pebble and crack on the pavement

No complaints - it's reliable, durable
Takes me where I need to go

Built of real steel -
very old - reliable

PAIN, PAIN, PAIN !!!
No more Pain !
Don't want to go there.
Wished not to experience it
Can't get away!

It's a part of life that is deeply entwined
in our own existence. It will make or break you

Are you strong enough, Bad enough,
to endure Pain ?

Dealt with this evil feeling for a long-time.
Eating into my skin, seeping into my brain.
Fighting to regain.

There has been times when it stops me dead
in my tracks. I have to control the attacks

I cry, I hate, I debate...
Struggling, I stand strong
my heart grows weak; I reason with God

In the end, Pain takes its toll. I wither; I hide
The outside world sees my smile
even though my eyes are dull, and
my laugh, is full of Pain.

I'm a woman first -
can you hear me ?!
I am a woman - hear my cries:
look at me - not past me.

Why do you think I scream and holler!
That's because you seem blind to my wants and needs
If you only want cookies, don't move in and sponge off me

My make up, doesn't involve a break up
If you can't be man enough to uphold me -
don't trip up
keep it moving, boo

I am a woman, I am true
If you're with me
I take care of you

You're supposed to be strong,
what's wrong with you?

Take care of your woman -
even if you a dog, under cover
be good to the one you choose to live with

Women will come and go,
there's thousands of us.
Just be kind to the one that you were with
from the start -

that cleaned up your a** and got you on the move -
to bigger and better plateaus

I am woman
boo

Hobbling over rock and dust,
The Nameless winces with every weary step.
His soles scorched and torn
By the unaccustomed roughness underfoot
The jagged teeth of a prickly piping earth.

Alone he makes his way
With tiny treads towards the dying dusk.
Fatigue dragging at his limbs
Bowing his neck to leave eyes downcast
And unfocussed; seeing naught but blurs and
The swirling and swaying of the trembling past.

A city:
Grand buildings stretching as one toward the sky;
Great lions waking from their feast and basking
In the brilliance of noonday air.
The bustle of flesh coursing about their purpose
The tight press of bodies all around
And the chatter and the natter and the laughter and the anger.

And then the silence.
The fear and the glares.
The hunger
And a guilty aversion of one’s eyes.

The shattering of glass
The raising with fire and boot.
And the stealing of Names.

And now here he trudges.
With tiny treads and into naked night.

My Black is:
Quiet, Strong, Independent,
Loving. Too nice.

My Black is
Beautiful...

Risk taking is not for the faint of heart
The fear of the unknown is strong
Not knowing what is in store is scary.

Stress and unhappiness buds sprouts of flight, into risks.
After years of pure hard labor and ungrateful  hands
risk taking looked like a good option

You can't think about it or you won't take the leap

Leap of strong, un-fore-bearing faith
knowing that you have to succeed -

because, God is good -
all the time -
and all the time -
God is good