Let the vision of God be not blinded nor his hearing deaf. Let your hand oh lord be ever strong. Look at those who strive with your servants and call them into question. Remember the persecution of your children. Keep watch over your chosen and bring them peace. Give mercy where it is due and judgment where it is required. Be long suffering and forgiving, but bring justice to those who suffer persecution. I seek you oh lord to avenge me on those who are against me.

You are worth more than you know. You are capable of more than you believe. You can become what you desire, though perhaps not in the way you think. A dream should not be neglected, it should be pursued and nurtured. You should never settle for less than your worth nor should you let others tell what your value is.

Piece by piece monuments are torn down. Brick by brick that which is distasteful is set aside from public view. Ignorance is bliss to the nay Sayers, as they writhe in discomfort at remembering past ideals. To some they are heritage, to others a stain on a memory. To all they are reminders of things that should be remembered. In taking down that which we dislike, we offend our children and hide our mistakes. Ugliness isn't always welcome, but it is part of who and what we are. To dismantle any part of it and pretend that it didn't exist, is to discount a part of ourselves, for good or ill.

My breath grew short and I began to feel faint. I was awash in a sea of blackness. Then I felt a hand grab me and pull me to the side, I saw a fuzzy figure, but could not discern who it was. In a moment of desperation, I ask who the person was? The only response was I receive was that I am a friend and a foe. I was puzzled for a moment, still in a confused state. I had been in a dark empty void, now I was no where and somewhere. I asked the ghostly image, why I am I here? It responded, I am not truly sure, I only know this is where you are supposed to be. Time passed, but I had no sense of it. Then the shadowy figure said that it was time for me to go. As quickly as I fell into the black void, the light surrounded me. I remember passing quickly through many layers of light. Then my eyes opened and I was back on the mortal plain, people hovering over me, working on me. I went black again, but not like before, this time I only slept. In one moment of a dream, I caught a glimpse of the former ghostly figure that I had briefly spoken with. I then awoke and had clarity of mind. For a brief moment, I had a talk with death. In truth a friend to some who are seeking it and an enemy to those who are not ready for it, and ever so often, a temporary stop on another part of a life's journey.

Currents churn oceans and winds blow leaves, but love is more volatile than them both. Fancy can become pain if the wrong word is uttered. Hearts can become as fragile as a glass figurine or as hard as a mill stone, depending on how love goes. No one can measure the ways of love. Knowing when the earth will quake again would be an easier task. Philosophers and wise men can discern the mysteries of the universe, but to know the reason that love changes, is likely beyond mortal understanding.

In the windy city on the shores of lake Michigan, the streets are Crimson with innocent blood. The princes and potentates that laud themselves over the general populace pull the wealth out of the city and impose byzantine rule on the innocent and the deprived. While they sit in ivory towers and refuse to see the war that people wage on each other. Violence seems to be the only cure for poverty, as well intentioned efforts on the way to the hell that their leaders have created have failed. So in the end, who is guilty of the streets of such a great city being filled with innocent blood?

Putting on red heels and traversing a mile of a journey, doesn't equate to what a woman feels. When she is taken for granted and berated of her worth. No sacrifice a man can make of his humility or time can undo the pain she feels. All that you can do is make others aware and offer a helping hand. Then do all in your power to make sure abuse never happens again.

I wanted to be devoid of feeling. I wanted to be free of emotional weight, so I bore my soul in my poetry and now I am without a thing to say.

I love shoes all shapes and sizes. Flats and pumps, sandals and wedges. A closet the size of a Cathedral might be just enough room. Bogos are my favorite things, even on the high end. I could spend a day buying a hundred pair, then spend the next year finding ways to wear them. Such is my curse, I love shoes.

Reach out to those who are lost and confused. Give to the poor and forgotten. Give help where it is needed and wanted. Speak words of peace to any who will hear them. Stand up for what you believe and do not compromise your principals. Honor God in all things and seek him humbly every day. In these things you will give hope to others and prepare yourself for battle. For evil does not rest, and wants to steal the joy from life. When you are the light in the darkness, you are being a blessing to someone, even if you are not aware of it.

Many doors lay before me, some are closed and some are opened. Some will be for the future and some are for the here and now. I hold some of the keys while others have control of the locks. Some doors can lead to the past and some can take you to no where. Knowing which door to take is often tricky. Sometimes if you go through a door, it will close behind you and if you wait too long to go through a door, it will close and you cannot reopen it. Life is full of choices, thus we must be careful as to which doors we take.

You don't need a reason to show me your love. You can let me know it anytime you like. What I feel for you cannot be killed. No one can come between us, no matter how they try. I love when you do special things to show me you care, but just having your love is special to me. So if you want to shower me with gifts then it's all right with me. You do not need a special occasion to let me see your love. Give me flowers if you like, I like Roses any day.

I lose all track of time when I am with you and I cannot wait until we are together again. When I am separated from you my heart aches and I can't think of anything else. Of all the things in the world to which I could have become addicted, your love is the one I most desire.

Bang one goes down, Bang another home boy hits the ground. Pop, Pop, Pop goes the chopper, cutting down the enemy for what he did to my brother. Life in the street is about banging for the buck. You can get money if you have a lot of luck. Keeping it on the down low, that is how the street life has to go. You live by the law of the AK and the 9, they are the only ones you can trust when you choose this life. Making your way by the kilo and the gram, sometimes you run, and sometimes you must make a stand. Keeping it real, in the belly of the beast, looking around every corner for the police. Rat tat tat, someone is trying to end your life. You in the street hustling, trying to provide for you kid and your wife. Where does this nightmare end, if you aren't really lucky, in the grave yard or the Penn. .

Young men and women are lying in the street soaked in their own blood. Simple disagreements are now solved with a gun. A generation is being lost to uncontrolled violence. Kids are soldiers in a war that has no boundaries. Drive by shootings are the form of combat. Ambushes in back alleys and at parties are the new form of gorilla warfare.  There are senseless killing over nothing of consequence. Guns are color blind and bullets aren't biased. Both **** equally when wielded by persons who do not know how to solve their problems without violence.

When I was lost and in need of guidance, I happened upon a stranger as I traveled along. He asked me how I was and gave me comfort. He understood what I was missing and was willing to listen. As we parted, I felt a new peace in life. I went my way and later on I did the same for another person to whom I was a stranger. I know not where the stranger who met me went to nor do I know what effect I had on another life. I only know that if not for a stranger in my path, I might have taken a very different road.

I wanted to speak what was on my mind, I turned my prose inside out and inverted my verbs. I reversed my pronouns and skewed my adjectives in an attempt to express myself. I turned my a sentence backwards, then upside down until nothing made any sense. It was only when I looked at it all in a mirror, that I was able to express my thoughts.

Up rough hills and over mountains I have climbed. Through dry hot deserts and deep valleys I have walked. My body is worn and I am tired. I see only more road ahead of me. So I will stop for a while and wait on someone to pass by and hopefully they will carry on my journey for me.

Some people cover up their scars, I wear mine in the open. Some people are ashamed of being beaten, I show that I can put up a fight. Some people lose the will to get up again, I will not let anything keep me down. With each wounding and each life battle, I learn from my mistakes and do better the next time. I carry no illusions about my life, for it has not been easy. Nothing has been given to me, all has had to be fought for. In this I have earned my battle scars.

Once there was a building made with human hands, but it became defiled. Then it was seen that  new temple would need to be built, but who would construct it? Then one came more worthy than all, yet he gave up all to be humbly sacrificed. In a moment of unimaginable anguish, that which had been rejected became the foundation and corner stone of the new temple that God would build.

Not seeking fame and fortune, but looking to heavenly things. Holding fast to the way of service, taking each day as it comes. While denied earthly rewards, with caring hands you give of yourself. Not giving a thought of your sacrifice, but looking towards the welfare of others. In all things being humble and seeking the well being of the less fortunate. All for the cause of heaven, to show that unconditional love truly exist, in a servants life.

Giving is not meant to be reciprocal, it is meant to be out of compassion and love. Love for a fellow human, or love for a true friend. Caring for a family member when they are down on their luck. Showing mercy is it's own reward. Caring is not a requirement, but a way of living. The greatest givers go unseen by others and the greatest expectation for charity and kindness is to get nothing in return.

From birth, we fight to draw our breath. We are often put at a disadvantage from our first day. Not being born to privilege, most are forced to struggle for their daily bread. To those who go through the harshness of life, we are purified like precious metal inside a fire. It is this that gives rise to our strengths and makes us a success. Though many may never know our accomplishments, our greatness is in the legacy that we will leave. As we rise to life's challenges to let the world that just because we were forced to struggle, that we will not be held back from achieving our dreams.

I lie down now for I am tired. My journey is nearly at an end. I did not accomplish all that I would have liked, but perhaps it was enough. I ask you to go on after me, do not give me a second thought. Just carry on the work I started. Please dream for me, what I could not have imagined for myself.

There was a frog who was slimy and green. He sat on a dead log and loved to sing. Then one day a stork came by and the frog became very quiet. Hoping the stork would soon go away, the stork looked at the log and said I am not interested in you today. Though he couldn't see the frog, he waded around then in glee the frog made a sound. The stork scooped him up and left well fed. In the storks belly the frog said, I thought you weren't interested in me. The stork said oh I didn't see you I was talking to the log.

A building reaches to the heavens and glass and steel shine in the sun. People stand in awe and wonder of the amazing structure, then go on about their lives. Offices are opened in the massive structure and people move in to apartments and begin to live their lives. Turn back the clock one year and the building wasn't finished and most people paid it on attention. Men and women ran across the superstructure like ants on a play ground. Busily they worked and labored to make the building come to life. When the last window was installed, they went quietly away, but each one was important in this accomplishment. Nothing is done alone, and there is always someone to help. If not for the contribution of many nothing would be achieved. The doctor in the emergency room, wasn't always that skilled. The solider on the battle field wasn't born holding a gun. Someone had to help them get to where they were. In some way each of us contributes everyday to the success of something greater than ourselves.

The world looks for the creator of all things, but cannot see God. Many people talk about God , but don't live what they teach. There is enough misery and suffering in the world to make us wonder where God is. Yet it is in the most obvious and unlikely places that we find God.

Dust thrown up from footsteps that pound the ground like iron. The sounds of thunder coming from an unruly herd that is completely out of control. The roar from their yells is deafening. You try to hold the gate, but it is busting at the seams. All attempts to calm them down are to no avail. They are riled up and hell bent for leather. As the gates open, they surge forward, in organized chaos, they come. A stampede of hormone enraged teenagers, pushing and shoving to see the next hot band.

Doctors have mapped the cancer genome, and fuel is made from air. *** has been cured and there is plenty of food everywhere. Nations have learned from past mistakes and we now live on the moon. All of this sounds like fantasy you say, but some of it will be here soon. If we as a people can learn to agree to disagree and accept that there is a brave new world waiting, what an amazing tomorrow it will be.

Oh imperfect soul, that does not know it's worth. Oh damaged flower that feels less than beautiful. Know that you are of great value, your kindness cannot be measured. What may seem as nothing to other, is truly an undiscovered treasure. If you feel that you lack any good thing, remember that the simplest kindness to one in need is more valuable than a precious gem in a kings crown. So do not despair, you are of great worth. Show kindness and pray for wisdom and in time you will shine forth like the sun on the first day of creation, for you are indeed a beautiful soul.

The room is getting smaller, I swear it is. I try to fit through the door, but I just can't squeeze through. Everything is shrinking or I'm getting bigger. I can't really decide which it is. I just know that everything is an inch closer than it was a few moments ago. I am fighting to keep hold on my sanity, but the walls are closing in on me.

The water falls as black as night. The sky blocks out the sun. The ground looks as if it is covered in liquid soot. The rain flows into the streams and lakes, turning them to the color of oil. Life is choked out of the world. We sit quietly and watch as we cannot take a drink. It is as if heavens tears mourn for our impending death. Down the rain falls, covering everything. The trees, the grass and our homes. The rain has become black because of our own legacy, our unwillingness to find a new way to live.

Sitting on bails of hay, listening to the rain on the tin roof. I close my eyes and hear echos of the past. I take in the smell of damp wood and the tapping of the rain on the metal. I hear chickens clucking and scratching in the dirt. I drift back into years past, as I hear the creak of the barn doors and the sound of horses in the stalls. I can feel the presence of an old time grand father and hear child hood laughter as he tells stories and piles up hay. I can once again feel the cool dirt beneath my feet and smell the corn drying in the rafters. Here I sit and rest is still quiet, thinking of times gone past. In an old barn with a rusty tin room and a few missing boards. A place where my childhood was simple, and for a brief moment, time stood still and happiness could be found.

Falleing between the cracks, forgotten and left behind. Taken from loving homes and placed in cruel and merciless surroundings. Victims of war and hatred, left homeless because of battles they don't understand. Generations of children are forced to just find a way to survive. Why is there such cruelty? Why is this allowed? Who can answer this question? They are the disadvantaged, the abused, the neglected and the unloved. Left defenseless and hopeless, they become easy prey for opportunist. If each of us would stop and care and try to do a small part. Then perhaps children would not be lost or keep falling through the cracks.

A twinkle in the night sky, a cold and distant light. A precious jewel that pierces the curtain of night. What is a start that we should wish upon it. When we in our mortal state call to it for guidance of our fate, can we be sure that it is still there. Its light has traveled so far so that we can see it. At one particular moment it is there then can be gone. So I choose to believe that wishing upon a star holds a purpose and a place for me, even if the star upon which I wish may have been gone before the world even knew of me.

You hold me up, but I would rather fall. I put on a brave face, but the real me doesn't show. Each time I come to you, it gets harder to leave. You are an addiction I can't seem to shake, but you are bad for me. I am unsettled that I can't seem to function on my on for long. I have tried to forget you, but it all goes wrong. Every vice that I use will not erase the addiction I have to you. Even drugs won't work, so what am I to do. I know your bad for me, but I can shake it off. You are poison in my veins, you stay under my skin. I guess I will just have to accept that I am dependent on your love and just finally give in.

We look but things do not register. We scan but do not pay attention. The eye is the window to the soul and takes in everything. We just choose to ignore most of it. What if for one moment, we observed everything the eye sees? What kind of world would we live in then if we actually took time to perceive?

I was always told that there were monsters in the darkness. Then I found a mirror and realized I was one of them.

When someone shows me cruelty, lord show them kindness. When someone afflicts me, lord give them justice. When I am persecuted and denied fair judgement, lord forgive my oppressors. When all that is done has been recorded, then lord offer my enemies space to repent. In this let me be blameless and let your judgement be righteous. So that the record will be straight, that all were given mercy, even when they denied it to me. Then will I be avenged oh lord, because of my enemies shame.

Childhood was supposed to be play, until they took mommy and daddy away. Strangers came in and life suddenly changed. There were no locked doors, everything is theirs not yours. Home was supposed to be a safe place, but mommy and daddy had to go away. You were supposed to be loved, you weren't supposed to be hurt. Bruises were not supposed to come from the hands that were supposed to care. Happy times are gone, and tears are all that remain. Now that you are in a strange place, since they took mommy and daddy away. I was told I shouldn't tell, but someone was going to see. The marks and scars couldn't be hidden forever you see. So now its just a waiting game, to see if someone wants me. Perhaps there is a loving family who wants someone like me. Then the nightmare will be over and I will again want to play, just like I did before they took mommy and daddy away.

Oil runs through my veins and into my heart. The loss of your love has made my blood run thick and it is difficult to breathe. As if the cold has thickened my life's essence to oil that my heart cannot pump. I grieve for you but my tears have dried up. I sit quietly trying to move, but each joint aches. Though my blood thickens, it does little to help my motion. I sit as a machine incapable of action, until the warmth of your love gives me life again.

There are many pursuits that you can choose to engage in. Some are selfish, while others are selfless. Still others are neither for good or ill, they are just a way to earn a wage. In the grand scheme of living, the span of human existence is but a blip on the scales of time. Beyond the mortal trail we walk, is the eternity. Many question how to come to this place. Some believe that self sacrifice can gain one entry. Others seek to understand the philosophy of life beyond a mortal plain. Still others simply live a day to day existence, while doing simple acts of kindness in order to assure a better place beyond this world. Which ever path one chooses, the truth still exist that all will perish. Beyond that we must make our own choices and hope we have picked the right road to eternity.

A distance star calls to me and I follow it. Over the horizon I go, looking for the next place to rest. By the light of a pail dark sky filled with a thousand pin ****** in the veil of night I am guided on my quest. I do not know where adventure will take me or if I will find good fortune or failure. I only know that I must go. For to sit idly by and not take a chance, is to ensure failure, but to risk everything with absolute uncertainty is to have lived, even if I never succeed. So by the light of my star, I will venture forth. Holding only to hope that wonder will find me and that I will at least have good stories to tell.

Blue Orchids bloom in the middle of winter as green Apples hang from frost covered trees. Gold dust falls out of seed pods and Diamonds glisten at the bottom of a half frozen stream. The air is heavy with the perfume of maidens playing silver Lyres as they watch the Blue moon pass the Red sun. The forest is filled with plain white birds and bears with Red and Yellow fur, paw in the water for fish the color of rainbows. All of this happens, as I sit quietly in a swing made from hanging vines covered in black Roses, in the land that came from my mind.

I was on a lonely stretch of highway, between there and no where, when I saw a blonde in a red sports car speeding by me on the highway. I felt a chill run over me and I stared at her car disappearing in the distance. For a moment I could have sworn that she winked at me, as she shot on by. Looking in my rear view mirror, I was a large white car coming out of the waves of heat rising up from the open asphalt. As it approaches, I can hear the music flowing from it's speakers. I look in my mirror and see a man with dark hair and sun glasses. The drop top is down in his classic Cadillac. As he pulls along side of my car, I see he is dressed all in white. The Rhinestones of his jacket glisten in the western sun. From behind dark sunglasses he smiles at me and points a finger at me. He then drives on into the distance, rock and roll spilling out of his car like water on to a thirsty desert. On I go, one by one people pass me by. I feel as if I know them some how. The as the sun begins to set in the west, I pass by the coast and I see ghostly images on the side of the road. They wave at me and the blonde from the sports car blows me a kiss. I feel a warm breeze touch my cheek. I settle back as I head on to California, realizing I have been in on a little part of history, as I travel along route 66.

Screams of hatred spill out over the airwaves. Through the computer lines they are sent. God has commanded me is the call to persecute a neighbor. Submit to what I believe God is or die. Horrific acts are committed and millions are robbed and displaced. In the name of religious ideologies, these things are done. Who is this God of which people speak? Why does he not show himself? One group says he spoke to them, and another say he told them what to do. Let actions be the bench mark of whether or not a God is just, let us see for ourselves. If what you say is true, then teach it openly, and you will not need a gun or a sword. Yet fire and destruction still are brought in the name of God, by people who's perception has become twisted to the point of lunacy. If God is in truth a judgmental God, then can he not speak for himself?

Long, tall and dark made of glass or plastic. Bravery in a liquid form, 100 proof or more. Like a shot of fire going down, after two or three you don't even feel it burn. Whiskey, *****, Gin, or Tequila, all loosen inhibitions. The lines between wisdom and ignorance are blurred. What in one instance could be courageous, has now become fool hearty. It is amazing how many hero's there are when a bottle of courage is around.

The walls are melting around me! I am screaming inside! I lie in a pool of sweat and misery! I want to feel the cool night air. I climb out the window and scale the walls like a fly. I drag myself to the roof and look back over the edge. I wonder if I can fly? Oh to see the day break and to know that sanity hasn't left me!. If I make it until morning, I think I will be ok?

Often taking chances, willing to step out of the safe zone. Into the churning waters of controversy I will sail. No one has ever become favored from the safety of shelter. Only when you are willing to face the storm and risk making the ultimate sacrifice, are you apt to be rewarded. So live quietly and in safety if you wish, I shall step forward into the breach of danger. To protect the innocent and help the lost, for fortune only favors the bold.

I have cried the tears of disappointment. I have wept through the long night. I have been wounded and I carry the scars. Through all of the anguish, your hand has been with me. Even when I thought I was alone, I was being guided by the unseen love that you feel for me. Now after the long journey, I have come through to the other side. The burdens have been lifted and the pain is fading. I see the new day dawning and now I realize what true love is. For despite my mistakes, you have been faithful. You kept your promises and did not forsake me. Always you were present with loving kindness and the strength of the nail scared hands.