I wrote a poem today
And now I feel better
I was productive and courageous despite the weather
I see on Hello Poetry that I am not alone
It's cured me of the shake and shiver in my bones

Maybe if I take the leap of faith
that you will jump into the stream with me
I will enjoy the swim.

Last night a man told me the story
of his visit to a mass grave of believers
made by the former KGB in Russia.
As he looked on that scene
his sadness surged into sobs
thinking of the torture and death
suffered by those good people.
But then a flow of joy merged in the moment
as he looked at his Russian hosts
who still carried the faith and fidelity
birthed by the prior generation.

As I listened last night
and now reflect on his story
I am struck by the depth, pathos
and sheer humanity
underneath my friend’s tears.
In that profound moment
the ineffible mixture of sadness and joy
seemed a creature of the spirit -
of an invisible higher realm.

makes us submissive.
prevents us taking action.
we can do better!

It was the next day
after I saw her walking down the hall
with pain still etched on her face
that my anger began to give way to remorse
the erosion of my ego
together with an almost divine spark of mercy
finally led me to seek her out, face her,
and say “I’m sorry honey for raising my voice to you.”
She looked at me, the tension in her face gone,
smiled and said, “I’m sorry too.”
At that moment we were together
in a small peaceful, glorious
and powerful
space in the universe.

There's no denying the darkness
can be harmful.
People can hide. You're all alone.
It can feel impossible to find a way out.
But there's also no denying the darkness
has its charm. You can hide. You can be alone. You finally have a place to scream, shout, and let it all out. Whatever your situation, you can break through. Start by finding the courage to talk to someone. Then, keep following through. It will be hard, but for what it's worth, I'll be cheering you on

Make noise!
Let the night know
That you are alive
That you are worth listening to

No need to wait
This is the right moment
These are the right words
Say them with all your heart

May you be morning's great champion
The angel in the desert of thought
The bright morning star
In the darkness of everyday

Say it to their faces!
You are right! You are never wrong!
You have the intelligence of saints
You have the power of lions

Let them know who you are
That you are master of your life
And of others' lives
Your opinions are great

You may win or lose
It doesn't matter
Nothing matters
What matters is the action

What matters is the action

The thorns in my side
I try so hard to hide
with humor, cleverness, even kindness
but after so long they are well-planted
like seeds they’ve taken root.

I am a man full of grace and gratitude
even changes in attitude
I float on great waves
in my wooden dinghy
precarious atop mighty waters
and angels visit
take me into smooth azure lagoons
where I reside in peace
even serenity from time to time.

I weep in great sadness
occasional fits of despair
drowning there
I swim up to gulp for air
leap and glide into the light
breathe mercy in my flight
pray for courage and gumption
but discover
I cannot stay afloat alone
so with abandon I dive
into bright souls whose hands and hearts
reach down to rescue me.
Some of them are thorn people too
battered, broken, and rugged
who’ve found the courage to change
the things they could.

I guess these thorns are there
to ******* up for air
to give me the zephyr of humility
the certainty of a love
that save me.