Never be afraid to be quiet,
For you don’t have to be the loud Extrovert:
Putting on a life and soul of the party act,
While secretly sad inside.

Just be yourself.
Be cool and calm, and of course, collected
As they say.
Be happy with yourself,
At peace with all the world.

Esteem yourself and others will esteem you too.
Be cool,
For that is cool.

Just feel that tranquil lake,
Within your mind:
Rippling gently in the moonlight,
Stirred only by a sighing breeze.

Then bask in golden sunshine,
Reclining on the shimmering sand.
A thousand summers all in one.

Engage with people
And listen
To all they have to say.
Then when the time is right
Make known your point of view.

Until that time,
Stay quiet…

Paul Butters

As you know, over the last couple of days, I've posted some about plagiarism and stolen poetry.
Plagiarism is a disgusting practice. It undermines the whole art of writing, be it novelic or poetic or any other kind of writing where the author has pieced together words that are their own. To copy and paste and present as your own is sinful and most colleges and universities (and the whole literary world) takes a dim view of it.
So, this is one simple tip, in the age of the Internet, to ensure your work is not claimed by some... wannabe!
Take a line from one of your poems, just one line (the more obscure the better) open google and go to the advanced search. Paste that line into where it says 'search for exact phrase' and review the matches. It will show exactly where on the Internet is has been posted or shared and you can check out whether you have been acknowledged or not. I've had poems shared on the WWW and have been happy to be acknowledged but have also found sone unauthorised (posted in the name of others) where I have made it known they breached copyright...
Take care of your writing my friends... it's the one true part of you :)

Oh bearer of the lamp,
Do not let your flame extinguish,
But lay your wick within the oil,
So that it may soak.
Let it soak and be covered in oil so that it may burn the brightest,
For those who are lost may see.
Let the shadows pass away as the light reaches the far corners of the room.
Burn bright.
Open your doors so that the weary traveler may find a place of rest.
Lock your windows though, so that the thief may not enter in.
Stand on the roof tops and pray.
Water your garden so that the seeds may grow into trees with deep roots within the flowing waters below.

As you draw in a breath,
I see the sun rising over an endless sea.
Touching the dark waters with its light.
Filling the sky with captivating colours.
As you exhale,
The sun sets slowly disappearing behind the horizon.
Allowing the moon to shine and the stars to come out like diamonds on a dark blue ballroom gown.
Dancing boldly across the sky.
As you look towards me and your face.
I look upon snowy mountain peaks with sharp edges,
and scenery that leaves you breathless.
As I look at your hands, the hands of a craftsman who creates awe inspiring art.
As you speak I hear the sweetest melody as each chord is plucked on the harp between your hands.

Are you another shooting star that draws my attention to you as you skip upon the horizon?
Announcing your arrival as you enter earths atmosphere with a sizzling sound like waves crashing upon a shelly shore.
Are you another shooting star bringing a glimpse of white light as you flare up as you bounce upon the layers of the ozone?
Bringing a sense of joy as you quickly pass by, leaving behind only a memory of you as you disappear in the darkness of the night.
Oh how I wish I could go out and find you.
Find the place where you collided into the surface of the earth.
On the outside you appear as a burnt rock worthy of nothing but perhaps enough to skip on the face of still water.

But what a fool I would be, to toss something like you away.
A special black rock that holds secrets within.
To us, you bring other worldly treasures that no other can compare to on this little planet of ours.
This time I'm not going to throw you away,
But I'm going to treasure you the way you ought to be.
Remembering the way you entered my view with your flame of light.