Young, inspired, aspirations endless
Wide eyed and trusting
She was made helpless.
Small, quiet and forgiving
She’ll be overpowered by selfishness

A world of hate and its power-hungry inhabitants
Turning the innocent into warriors of civilization

Is it unfair that she sits and wonders where all the greatness of imagination went.
There is no such thing as fair and unfair, there’s only patience.
As she takes the time to dissect her morals she’ll begin to see how the rules became bent
Prejudice bullies, sinners, killers, and racists.

She’ll search for holes in the system, attempting to stay legal
Good to bad and better to evil.
That is what our society demands if she wants to remain equal.

When I think of it now
I am angry.
I am angry you missed out on your life.
I didn't know your middle name,
your favorite color,
or what foods you liked.
Our lives didn't matter to each other's lives,
but I would have known you next year
at college.
You were on the cusp of adulthood,
the moment of change,
leaving it all.

Anyway,
now I know from the pamphlet they gave us at the church:
your middle name was Paul.

Blurry eyes it’s one am
And sleep has yet to find me
Broken thoughts assault my mind
Can’t seem to put the day behind me

A wayward search against my will
Of missed chances I’m reminded
A fruitless search to find my flaws
By my assumptions am I blinded

The deafening sounds of a quiet night
Prevent the peace that I am seeking
All the while inside my head
Can’t keep reality from speaking

Tomorrow comes much too soon
When yesterday fails to cease its waking
The new days light on my bloodshot eyes
Another sleepless night is in the making

Yes, I see you.
You like to make your presence  known.
It’s in the flashy, the gaudy and the uncomfortably fake humbleness that  you  project.
The wealth  and championed successes you stuff into your smile and plaster across your face.
Yes, I see you,
You exude materialism with each closing swagger .
Insatiable appetite for your own procurement.--Your “driven”
You’ve everything one might acquire.
Yes, I see you,
I’ve known you in many.

  
As you walk by you politely nod and look away.
And inside my stomach swells until a small smile cracks across my face.
The irony.
You measure your wealth in commodities
and assume I’m envious of  your riches!!
  
Yes, I see you and am moved…
You know nothing of wealth.

Appearances can be deceptive,
And to the superficial gaze
The outside looks dull and grey
Plain looking in many ways,
Yet, when a crack causes
Water to seep slowly through,
A Geode can split to reveal
A dazzling sight to view!
Piles of purple crystals
Sparkling in the light,
Such wonderful inner beauty
Now apparent for our delight!

Have you noticed how some people,
May seem plain as plain can be?
Yet, if we take time to peer deeper,
Then, what gems would we see?
Perhaps a beautiful heart
We never thought was there,
Where an aching generosity
Is waiting its time to share?
Yes, a warm, glowing inner beauty
Will emerge before your eyes,
A newly discovered Treasure
For you to cherish, and to prize!