Because I Could Not Stop For Death

Because I could not stop for Death
He kindly stopped for me
The Carriage held but just Ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the School, where Children strove
At recess in the ring
We passed the fields of gazing grain
We passed the setting sun.

Or rather, he passed us
The dews drew quivering and chill
For only Gossamer, my gown
My tippet only tulle.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the GROUND
The roof was scarcely visible
The cornice in the ground.

Since then 'tis centuries and yet
Feels shorter than the DAY
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.


by Emily Dickinson

Jail

Sitting in my cell
thinking
what the hell is wrong with me
I'm going down
for prostitution
and don't know what to do next
waiting
to see what the judge
has in store for me
I am scared
to death
I let a pimp abuse me
and let him walk free

damn

I wish I could go back in time
scared to look my mom in the eye
scared to become judged
by everyone I know

How am I just going to let this ride off me?
So now
sitting where I started
all because I'm too scared
to talk about what's going on with me.

In my cell
everyday, thinking
why
I let him walk free

Now I am doing a 6 month bid
for someone who doesn't even care
where I am

I'm in jail
In my cell
aching from the pain
of jail.

by Paulette Essie

What I Have Lost

I lost my mother to a gun
Ever since then I’ve been on the run


On Mother’s Day I cannot phone
She’s not here I’m all alone


After she was killed I heard her voice
She said, “I’m sorry I left, but I had no choice.”


The man who killed her never did time
It never cost him one thin dime



by Betty Phillips

Just Say Goodbye

why do you have to lie?
why make up all those alibis
you just have to say goodbye
let me walk away and cry

you said you love me but,
fine with me, I can live with that
you asked for some space
I heeded and gone back to my place

why do you have to lie?
why make up all those alibis
you just have to say goodbye
let me walk away and cry

a week later I called to say hi
you told me you needed more time
I held back, let you be alone
knowing everything’s just fine

why do you have to lie?
why make up all those alibis
you just have to say goodbye
let me walk away and cry

a month, you haven’t return my calls
confuse I am looking at the walls
I decided to surprise you and all
bringing wine and some chicken rolls

but to my surprise you weren’t alone
you were with someone new all along

why do you have to lie?
why make up all those alibis
you just have to say goodbye
let me walk away and cry

two years have passed by
you called me to say hi
telling me you’re sorry and cried
and that you were so blind

it’s all behind me now, I have a good life
now that I have somebody to hold at night

I don’t need to lie
I will not make up alibis
I’ll just say goodbye
let you walk away and cry


by  R.S. Mallari

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for,
And if you dare to dream of meeting
Your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
For love, for your dream,
For the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,
If you have been opened by life's betrayals,
Or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain,
Mine or your own,
Without moving
To hide it or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy,
Mine or your own,
If you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
Without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic,
or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself,
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.
I want to know if you can be faithless and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty
Even when it is not pretty every day,
And if you can source your life
From its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure,
Yours and mine,
And still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
Weary and bruised to the bone,
And do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
In the center of the fire with me
And not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
From the inside
When all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
With yourself,
And if you truly like the company you keep
In the empty moments.


By Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Hidden Mystery

For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.In the deepest depths of you and me
In the deepest depths of we
Lies the most beautiful jewel
Shining forth eternally

Within that precious jewel
Within that priceless piece of we
Lies a time beyond all time
Lies a place beyond all space

Within that sacred source of radiance
Lies a love beyond all love
Waiting
          Waiting
                    Waiting
Ever so patiently

Waiting for you, waiting for me
Waiting patiently for all to see
The beauty that is you inside of me
The beauty that is me inside of thee

In the deepest depths of you and me
In the deepest depths of we
Lies the love and wisdom
Of all Eternity


By Fred Burks

5 Quotes by Javan

"I didn't ask for it to be over. But then again I didn't ask for it to begin. For that's the way it is with life, as some of the most beautiful days come completely by chance. But even the most beautiful days eventually have their sunset"


I don't wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone."



"The pain we feel When someone leaves our life is in direct proportion to the joy they bring while a part of our life for a few moments. In my life you made me feel as if I truly meant something to someone"



"Listen closely as those around you speak; great truths are revealed in jest."



"Love can sometimes be magic. But magic can sometimes... just be an illusion."

Look Well to This Day

Look well to this day,
For it and it alone is life.
In its brief course
Lie all the essence of your existence:

The Glory of Growth
The Satisfaction of Achievement
The Splendor of Beauty

For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

by Anonymous, 50 B.C.

Touched by An Angel

We, unaccustomed to courage

exiles from delight

live coiled in shells of loneliness

until love leaves its high holy temple

and comes into our sight

to liberate us into life.

Love arrives

and in its train come ecstasies

old memories of pleasure

ancient histories of pain.

Yet if we are bold,

love strikes away the chains of fear

from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity

In the flush of love’s light

we dare be brave

And suddenly we see

that love costs all we are

and will ever be.

Yet it is only love

which sets us free.

The Don't Quit Poem

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit. 


Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow. 


Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown. 


Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

RIP Amanda Michelle Todd - November 27, 1996 - October 10, 2012

In her life Amanda Todd suffered at the hands of bullies who stalked her and harassed her, in an ordeal that started in cyberspace and spilled into the schoolyard.

Before she died at the age of 15, Amanda created a video telling of her painful experiences in the hope of saving other youths such suffering.

"I'm not doing this for attention. I'm doing this to be an inspiration and to show that I can be strong," Amanda wrote.

Her dream of helping kids is being carried on in the Amanda Todd Legacy, established by her family. This initiative will raise money for anti-bullying education and for support programs to help young people with mental health problems.

Despite growing awareness about the potentially devastating consequences of bullying, advocates working to combat the problem say they're badly in need of financial support.

The Todd family knows Amanda would want to help, to see her mission carried on.

"Amanda was a very caring individual. She would help others who needed help," Amanda's mother Carol told the Vancouver Sun. "One of Amanda's goals was to get her message out there and have it used as a learning tool for others."

It is a message that must be heard; a message aimed at ending bullying.

"We as adults have to pay attention to it. We have to recognize when we see it happening, and then once we see it happening we have to address it properly," British Columbia Premier Christy Clark told the Vancouver Sun in an interview following Amanda's death. "I don't believe for a second that anyone who is bullied doesn't want to report the fact that they were bullied; they don't trust that the people to whom they'll report it will use the information in a way that's going to protect them."

As reported by the Vancouver Sun, "In putting together her video, which Amanda did all on her own, Carol said her daughter wanted to help other young people who are being bullied and to bring attention and education to the problem in the hope of seeing it eradicated."

"I have lost one child but know she wanted her story to save 1,000 more."

For more information please visit:

https://vancouverfoundation.ca/Amanda/donateonline.asp 

Indian Boarding School: The Runaways

Home’s the place we head for in our sleep.   

Boxcars stumbling north in dreams

don’t wait for us. We catch them on the run.   

The rails, old lacerations that we love,   

shoot parallel across the face and break   

just under Turtle Mountains. Riding scars

you can’t get lost. Home is the place they cross.

The lame guard strikes a match and makes the dark   

less tolerant. We watch through cracks in boards   

as the land starts rolling, rolling till it hurts   

to be here, cold in regulation clothes.

We know the sheriff’s waiting at midrun

to take us back. His car is dumb and warm.

The highway doesn’t rock, it only hums

like a wing of long insults. The worn-down welts   

of ancient punishments lead back and forth.

All runaways wear dresses, long green ones,

the color you would think shame was. We scrub   

the sidewalks down because it's shameful work.   

Our brushes cut the stone in watered arcs   

and in the soak frail outlines shiver clear

a moment, things us kids pressed on the dark   

face before it hardened, pale, remembering

delicate old injuries, the spines of names and leaves.

 By Louise Erdrich

All Is Finished - Tribute to Russell Means

I wanted to give something of my past to my grandson.
I told him that I would sing the sacred wolf song over him.
In my song, I appealed to the wolf to come and preside over us, while I would perform the wolf ceremony.
So that the bondage between my grandson and the wolf would be life long.
I sang.
In my voice was the hope that clings to every heartbeat.
I sang.
In my words were the powers I inherited from my forefathers.
I sang.
In my cupped hands lay a spruce seed, the link to creation.
I sang.
In my eyes, sparkled love.
And the song floated on the sun's rays from tree to tree.
When I had ended, it was as if the whole world listened with us to hear the wolf's reply.
We waited a long time but none came.
Again I sang, humbly but as invitingly as I could, until my throat ached and my voice gave out.
All of a sudden I realized why no wolves had heard my sacred song.
There were none left!
My heart filled with tears.
I could no longer give my grandson faith in the past, our past.
I wept in silence.
All is finished!
...Chief Dan George Salish (1899-1981)

DO WE NEED THIS KIND?

A wind of change is in the air.
Do we need this kind?
Is it really fair?
Do we really need bailouts?
Along with many, I have my doubts!

We are living in perilous times.
Too much greed, too much crimes.
Poor are poorer, rich are richer.
Are you finally getting the picture?

11 Timothy 3:1
''This know also,
that in the last days
perilous times shall come.''

But we don`t have to fear.
''And when these things begin
to come to pass; then look up,
and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draws near.''
( Luke 21:28 ) 


 By poetalthomas

I'm Going To Be Fine

I'm going to move on with my life
even though my heart is bleeding painfully...
though I'm dying and hurting...
though you're leaving me,
I'm going to live my own way, still.

I'm going to cure my pain
and look forward to the future.
Leaving the memories away
and put my dearest past behind.

I'm going to smile again
and find myself together again
even without your love...
without your care... without you,
I'm going to survive.

I'm going to be wise enough to forgive you.
To forgive your flaws...
to forgive your lies,
to forgive your mistakes...
and forgive your broken promises.
I'm going to get over you... soon.

I have my family and friends.
I have everything I need
to continue my journey of life.
I'm not going to be sad...
I'm not going to be scared...
I'm not going to feel lonely...
I'm okay without you.

Now I'm going to end this poem,
I'm going to end my pain,
and forget everything that ever happened...
I know I'm going to be fine
I'm going to be happy without you...

 by Nicole  Evans
  

Native Commandments

Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
Remain close to the Great Spirit.
Show great respect for your fellow beings.
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Do what you know to be right.
Look after the well being of mind and body.
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
Be truthful and honest at all times.
Take full responsibility for your actions.
Let us greet the dawn of a new day
when all can live as one with nature
and peace reigns everywhere.
Oh Great Spirit, bring to our brothers
the wisdom of Nature and the knowledge
that if her laws are obeyed
this land will again flourish
and grasses and trees will grow as before.
Guide those that through their councils
seek to spread the wisdom of their leaders to all people.
Heal the raw wounds of the earth
and restore to our soul the richness
which strengthens men's bodies
and makes them wise in their councils.
Bring to all the knowledge that great cities
live only through the bounty
of the good earth beyond their paved streets
and towers of stone and steel.


by  Jasper Saunkeah, Cherokee

Lost Without You - A Broken Heart

How do I mend a broken heart?
My entire world has fallen apart.
How do I find hope in a brand new day,
when the one I love has gone away?
My mind overflows with memories of you,
of all that we've shared, all that we knew.
I long for your touch and your warm embrace,
the look in your eyes, the smile on your face.
My dreams are filled with your soft gentle kiss,
I wake and cry for all that I miss.
How do I mend a broken heart,
when my one true love and I are apart?
My heart knows to love only you, it won't let go, what do I do?
Our moments together were precious and few,
but I cherished them all more than you knew.
I love you my angel and always will,
I loved you then and I love you still.

by Jenna