We're so obsessed with
finding someone to love us
Because we need to feel like we matter to someone
When we can't
matter to ourselves

They say you can't love others
If you can't love yourself
But some of us love others so much
That we have no love left for ourselves
And that's the thing about people
Who mean everything they say
They think everyone else does too

I cannot boast about worldly wealth
Nor can I boast about physical health
But what I have none can take away
I prefer my freedom any day.

I am no King with a worldly crown
With both my feet firmly on the ground
I know that life is an illusion
So nought over me has dominion.

Around me people fight for riches
The chinking sound of gold bewitches
Content does not come from worldly gain
It comes when no desires remain.

I want nothing, so my heart is free
Unattached and just content to be
Very gently with nature I blend
All is my brother, sister and friend.

Together everything makes a whole
We are units of a single soul
We have all been made blind by the “fall”
There is but one god and god is all.

Open our inner eye…we will see
Our past, present and future to be
God is not an outside entity
It is the spark within you and me.

When every ego its job has done
Then the universal prize is won
Like a picture the artist has drawn
The ultimate masterpiece is born.

All the things the world has ever known
As a child into the adult grown
Lives need to be lived and then depart
All is made perfect and becomes art.

My verses are sorrows
       of what I collect
       within my refection's.

But I will only tell the truth
                  of what is sunken
                  in the sockets of my sight.

"We only haunt ourselves with what we see"

Hello everyone,

  I'm so very sorry … I feel horrible doing this, but I have no choice. You see, I have published my first book on Amazon/Kindle! This piece (and many others) had to be taken down because they do not allow published material to be available online for free. (Go figure) I wanted to leave the shell of the posts because I felt compelled to leave all your helpful and loving comments. (Silly sentimental, I know), but I also didn't want to just have the pieces disappear without an explanation. I feel bad enough as it is!

  I owe ALL of you so, SO much for all of your reads, love, and support. It was YOU that gave me the gumption to FINALLY get off my **** and publish! Thank you all for the warm comments, camaraderie, and encouragement! I will still be here, reading, uploading and just being the Rascal that I am. How could I EVER leave you guys?

  The book is called “The Way I See It – FictionPhilosophySoul Food” and it will be FREE for the first few days on Kindle Select, so watch for it, if you are interested. I hope that you go and grab it. If you do, I would also hope that you find it worthy, you would leave me a good review. That will help me get in the public eye! Soon afterward (2-3 days or so), it will be available in paperback.

Find the book(s) here: www.amazon.com/author/jeff.gaines

Or find the book(s), and all about me, here: www.JeffGaines.world

  Soon after, I also hope to have my first novel (a supernatural thriller), called “Wanderer” available as well!

  Wish me luck!

                                Big, Biggest Love,

                                               Jeff Gaines

Impressions of self,
        show us the depth
        of our inner strength.

And no matter how
          faded we may be,  
          we'll never forget ourselves.

We all want to be enough,
for the people around us,
for the ones we rarely see,

We want to feel accepted,
by the ones we love,
by the people we see,

We never stop to question,
that maybe we should be,
enough to ourselves,

We should be proud of ourselves,
unafraid to say that we know we got it,
tearing each other down should be something we hate,
yet we all do it anyway

Why not choose to love ourselves first,
then love someone else?
We're all looking like blinded fools,
and the Devil treats us like tools.