Do you have a safe space?
Where do you go when in trouble?
Where do you hide?
How do you decide?

Where do you find peace?
Do you turn to religion?
Do you trust your horoscope?
Join a cult?
Maintain Hope?
How do you cope?

Where do you go to be alone?
Do you go to your room
For the silence?
Do you dwell in darkness?
Silently pray
To forget the day

Where is your safe place?
Is it a place where you hide your secrets?
No one allowed to enter
Worries and fears locked out
Dreams become real
Moments surreal

Everyone needs a safe place to call their own
To settle the issues that life has thrown
Your car
The library
The park bench
Movie theater
Going home
Your dreams
Your work
Read a book
Etc,Etc.Etc.

My safe place I will never tell
Reading this poem
You know it very well
************************************
“We can’t be brave in the big world without
one small safe place to work through
our fears and falls”
Brene Brown

“

Oh, when I was young
The sweetness on my tongue
The songs that were sung
Are no longer found among

Left bitter-sweet
That taste I would treat
Moments of cheer
Was found everywhere

Oh, when I was young
When my songs were sung
Brought music to my ears
Happiness and tears

Dreams were in reach
The future was near
Put in drive
Nothing to fear

Oh, when I was young
Wedding bells were rung
Words that we say
Never went our way

No one could stop
Rising to the top
Looking down
I saw no one around

Oh, when I was young
Those I counted among
Friends I held so dear
Seem to disappear

Now that I’m old and gray
The days just slip away
One cannot depend
Waiting for the end

Oh, when I was young
Life was short
That death would follow
Too much to swallow

Now that it’s near
It becomes very clear
Youth only”procrasted”
While youth lasted
**************************************”
“Rejoice young man during your childhood
and let your heart be pleasant during the days of your
manhood. Follow the impulses of your heart and desires of your eyes.
Knowing that God will bring judgement for all these things
Remove grief and anger from your heart
put away pain from your body
because childhood and the prime of your life
Are fleeting
Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

.

I will:
Walk like a man
Speak up like a man
Show empathy like a man
Father like a man
Love like a man
Honest and faithful like a man
Believe like a man
And with God’s mercy and grace
I will die like a man
*************************************
Man doesn’t know whether God will show favor to him.
Everyone will die someday.
Death comes to godly and sinful people alike.
It comes to good and bad people alike
Ecclesiastes (9-2) in- context

I

Good times or bad
Happy or sad
Mistake or regret
I never forget
I never stopped
I kept on going

Time was free
I saw everything
I wanted to see
Held on to memories
I wanted to keep
Nothing left to reap!

I witnessed:
Hate
Anger
War
Hypocrisy
Lies
abuse
Rage
Etc.etc.etc.
Humans whose hearts were
Kept in a cage

I witnessed:
Love
Peace
Sorrow
Sadness
Happiness
Joy
empathy
Etc.etc.etc.
Everything a human heart can carry

As I neared the end of my time
I saw vanity
Touch humanity
Was it all vanity?
I asked
As I passed on through
NO! NO!
I also found wisdom
Throughout the land
For wisdom gives humans
Strength knowledge and protection

At the end 0f my life
I will return to dust
And my spirit will return to God
Who sent me on this
Life’s journey
**************************************
“The fear of the God is the beginning of wisdom (knowledge)
fools despise wisdom and instruction” Proverbs (1-7)

What do they say? What do they do?

Embellish the truth
Spread false information
Condescending responses
Trust and honor trashed aside
Mutual respect destroyed
Friendship never considered
Contact silently pushed aside
Choices to be made
Bread and butter
What have you discovered?
Only one side
Is there another?

How do you forgive someone?
Do you forgive forget?
Do you forgive not forget?
Do you not forgive not forget?
Have you come to a decision yet?

Choice met
Without regret
Peace of mind
You will find

Drop the pride
Nothing to hide
Humble yourself
Wisdom abides
*****************************************

“The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never
comes from your enemies; it comes from
those you trust the most.”
author unknown

How do you forgive someone?
Do you forgive forget?
Do you forgive not forget?
Do you not forgive not forget?
Have you come to a decision yet?

Time wasted
Time in
Time out
Time up
Time was
No time like the right time
To return to where you belong

Leaving is easy Returning is hard
Leaving behind memories
Leaving friends and loved ones
Time took you away
Hard to return
That I’ve leaned

Time to give up on your dreams
Life is not always what it seems
Your heart has to mend
Its time must now end
It’s not what you want from this life
That satisfies
But what you need
******************************

“A man travels the world over
in search of what he needs
And returns home to find it.”
George Moore

How do you qualify for greatness in this world?
Is it who you are or what you are?
Nothing wrong with the list below
Achievement is the way to go
But rising to the top, makes you see below

Possessions
Position
Appearance
Human service
Education
Popularity
Talent
Sports
Philanthropy
Etc.etc.etc.

Take your pick add or change the list
Do what you wish
But a list is just a list
It has nothing to do with your character
You determine what you must and what is just

Character defines greatness
Do you:
LIE
Cheat
Gossip
Disgrace others
Ruin reputations
Show contempt
Etc.etc.etc.
As you look down below
Is this how you reaped what you sowed?
Only yourself can change yourself
******************************************
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit
but with humility of mind regard one another
As more important than yourself
Do not merely look out for your personal interests
But also for the interests of others”
Philippians 2:3-4bs

Of
Reaching for scarlet skies
Searching for midnight blue
In times of sorrow
In times of sadness
Looking for times of gladness
Looking for times of happiness
Each constellation tells a tale
Of the north star that never fails
But !
To find contentment in your life
You must

Search far beyond
Before life and hope are gone
For!
On your journey’s end all you have is faith and love To depend up
************************************************
“The world is looking for spectacular happiness
While they snub contentment”
Doug Larson

f

65 Grove is the street where old friends meet
Memories collide as you walk side by side
Every step a step in the past
Half of our lives are gone
Yet, we cling to our youth to inspire us to move on
Lessons taught Lessons learned
Life does not lead us to the grave
We are told to let the dead bury the dead
WE walk with accomplishment and pride
And hope to meet again on the other side
************************************
“True friends are those you have not seen in years,
but feels like you were never apart”
author unknow

Beware of the leaven of the hypocrites
The more you feed them the more they grow
Whose masks grow to fit their faces
Creating your happiness on others opinions
Robbing your self-esteem
Playing on your emotions
Letting others control your life
Taking away your self-control
Identify the mask Identify the face.
The mask will soon fall off

Beware of the leaven of the masked people

Intelects: Who want you all to think alike
in a population not very intelligent
Teachers: teaching our precious resources they bow to others and follow the lead of the teacher’ unions under political pressure to keep their jobs
Religious Leaders: Who treat people like things this is the beginning of religious slavery
Politicians: no debate slander becomes a weapon stupidity becomes an honored virtue lies become truths
Others: Born without masks Children tend to wear them at play many are dropped at maturity while many see them as an advantage in life and are determined to keep them fixed until they as are identified as to whom they really are
************************************************************
“I was ashamed of myself when I realized life was a costume party
and I attended with my real face.”
Franz Kafka

” We wear the mask that grins and lies
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes
This debt we pay to human guile
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile
And mouth with myriad subtleties”
D.L. Dunbar