THE STRONGEST GIRL I EVER KNEW - by Ronald Doe

 

THE  STRONGEST  GIRL  I  EVER  KNEW by Ronald Doe She never got to dance Or go to her own prom. She never got the chance To forget where she came from. She never got to kiss, A man she idolized. She never felt love's bliss, 'Cause she was paralyzed. She never got to talk About love with a smile. She never got to walk Down a church's aisle. She never got to say Those precious words, "I Do." But she was far and away The strongest girl I ever knew. She couldn't brush her hair Or put make up on her face. She couldn't hold you dear Or give you a warm embrace. She couldn't clasp her hands As if in the form of prayer. She couldn't understand Why she was in a wheelchair. She never showed her fears Or let you hear her cries. She never showed the tears That fell down from her eyes. She never looked for pity Or sympathy from you. That's why she'll always be The strongest girl I ever knew.

LAUGH A LITTLE - Poet Unknown

 

LAUGH  A  LITTLE Poet  Unknown Laugh a little - sing a little, As you go your way ! Work a little - play a little Do this every day ! Give a little - take a little, Never mind a frown - Make your smile a welcome thing All around the town ! Laugh a little - love a little, Skies are always blue! Every cloud has silver linings, But it's up to you !

DESIDERATA - by Max Ehrmann

 

DESIDERATA by  Max  Ehrmann      Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender,  be on good terms with all persons.     Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even  to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.  Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.  If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or  bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons  than yourself.     Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested  in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession  in the changing fortunes of time.     Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;  many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere  life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical  about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment  it is as perennial as the grass.     Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering  the things of youth.     Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.  But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are  born of fatigue and loneliness.     Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are  a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;  you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

I GIVE YOU BACK - by Joy Harjo

 

I GIVE YOU BACK by Joy Harjo I release you, my beautiful and terrible fear. I release you. You were my beloved and hated twin, but now, I don’t know you as myself. I release you with all the pain I would know at the death of my children. You are not my blood anymore. I give you back to the soldiers who burned down my home, beheaded my children, raped and sodomized my brothers and sisters. I give you back to those who stole the food from our plates when we were starving. I release you, fear, because you hold these scenes in front of me and I was born with eyes that can never close. I release you I release you I release you I release you I am not afraid to be angry. I am not afraid to rejoice. I am not afraid to be black. I am not afraid to be white. I am not afraid to be hungry. I am not afraid to be full. I am not afraid to be hated. I am not afraid to be loved. to be loved, to be loved, fear. Oh, you have choked me, but I gave you the leash. You have gutted me, but I gave you the knife. You have devoured me, but I laid myself across the fire. I take myself back, fear. You are not my shadow any longer. I won’t hold you in my hands. You can’t live in my eyes, my ears, my voice my belly, or in my heart my heart my heart my heart But come here, fear I am alive and you are so afraid of dying. Joy Harjo is the first Native American (Mvskoke Nation) United States Poet Laureate.

COURAGE - by Edgar A. Guest

 

COURAGE by Edgar A. Guest Courage isn't a brilliant dash, A daring deed in a moment's flash; It isn't an instantaneous thing Born of despair with a sudden spring It isn't a creature of flickered hope Or the final tug at a slipping rope; But it's something deep in the soul of man That is working always to serve some plan. Courage isn't the last resort In the work of life or the game of sport; It isn't a thing that a man can call At some future time when he's apt to fall; If he hasn't it now, he will have it not When the strain is great and the pace is hot. For who would strive for a distant goal Must always have courage within his soul. Courage isn't a dazzling light That flashes and passes away from sight; It's a slow, unwavering, ingrained trait With the patience to work and the strength to wait. It's part of a man when his skies are blue, It's part of him when he has work to do. The brave man never is freed of it. He has it when there is no need of it. Courage was never designed for show; It isn't a thing that can come and go; It's written in victory and defeat And every trial a man may meet. It's part of his hours, his days and his years, Back of his smiles and behind his tears. Courage is more than a daring deed: It's the breath of life and a strong man's creed.

FRIENDLY OBSTACLES - by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

 

FRIENDLY  OBSTACLES by Ernest Lawrence Thayer For every hill I've tried to climb, For every stone that bruised my feet, For all the blood and sweat and grime, For blinding storms and burning heat, My heart sings but a grateful song These are the things that made me strong! For all the heartache and the tears, For all the anguish and the pain, For gloomy days and fruitless years, And for the hopes that lived in vain, I do give thanks, for now I know These were the things that helped me grow! 'Tis not the softer things in life Which stimulate man's will to strive; But bleak adversity and strife Do most to keep man's will alive. O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep, But brave hearts dare to climb the steep

A FRIEND I CAN COUNT ON - by Joanna Fuchs

 

A  FRIEND  I  CAN  COUNT  ON by Joanna Fuchs When troubles come a callin’As those gremlins often do,And my spirit keeps on fallin’Till I feel low down and blue… When I look around for comfort,Someone quickly jumps to mind,One who always will support me,And whose words are always kind. Who will make my mood feel lighter,Who’ll help beat my troubles back,He/She makes the sun shine brighterAnd gets my spirit back on track. Who helps the road seem straighter,And helps me get around each bend,Who makes each day seem greater,And that someone is you, my friend.

HAPPINESS AND CONTEMPLATION - by Josef Pieper

 

HAPPINESS  AND  CONTEMPLATION by  Josef Pieper Repose, leisure, peace, belong among the elements of happiness.  If we have not escaped from harried rush, from mad pursuit, from unrest, from the necessity of care, we are not happy. And what of contemplation ?  Its very premise is freedom from the fetters of workaday busyness.  Moreover, it itself actualizes this freedom by virtue of being intuition.

SOLITUDE - by Ester Buchholz

 

SOLITUDE by    Ester Buchholz Now,, more than ever, we need our solitude.  Being alone gives us the power to regulate and adjust our lives.  It can teach us fortitude and the ability to satisfy our own needs.  A restorer of energy, the stillness of alone experiences provides us with much-needed rest.  It brings forth our longing to explore, our curiosity about the unknown, our will to be an individual, our hopes for freedom. Alone time is fuel for life.

YOURSELF - by Ronnie Brackett

 

YOURSELF by Ronnie Brackett You look at all your yesterdays,Memories gone forever,The journeys that you've traveled,They're yours, forget them never. You write the words of your past,With each minute passing,Pages in your 'Book of Life','Memories' it's asking. Not always sure which way to go,But every day's a lesson,A lesson called 'experience'.With hope, you keep on guessing. You look back on yesterday's,Journeys where you've been,You read this book of who you are,So you'll remember when. Always changing as you grow,It's yours, so live it well,You write this book of who you are,This book is called, 'Yourself'.

AFTER THE RAIN - by Anonymous

 

AFTER  THE  RAIN by  Anonymous Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,There will always be sunshine after the rainPerhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,But God's always ready to answer your call He knows every heartache, sees every tear,A word from His lips can calm every fearYour sorrows may linger throughout the night,But suddenly vanish at dawn's early light The Savior is waiting somewhere above,To give you His grace and send you His loveWhatever your cross, whatever your pain,God always sends rainbows after the rain

MY DARLING - by Emma Marie Etwell

 

MY  DARLING by Emma Marie Etwell    My darling, my girl, Why are you so sad ? Why can't you see that life is not all bad ? You're my angel. Please don't cry, I don't understand, so please tell me why ? Your beautiful face, Your fading smile, I vow to make you happy for more than just a while. You're so precious, Why can't you see ? I beg you to break that chain, Then you'll be free. The past is gone, It's not going to change, But the future is yours... For you to arrange, Live your life, Be happy, don't cry. I'm here and now those tears can dry. I love you, my darling, Let go of the sorrow, Because I'm here for you.... Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

CHARGE THE HILL - by Kristen Feighery

CHARGE  THE  HILL by   Kristen Feighery At the base of the mountain I raise my eyesTo the climb that looms ahead.And though I tremble at the road beforeIt is the path that I must tread. My heart beats wildly and my legs feel weakbut my comfort comes in knowingThere’s a power greater than all of meSo my faith just keeps on growing. Though the world may try to tell meFaith is simple and quite naive,I’ve felt His presence in the blackest of timesAnd I shall continue to believe. There may be days to come where I feel aloneDuring the pain and hardest trials.But there’s an unseen world holding me upAnd protecting me all the while. I know prayers and love will come to HimFrom those who share my suffering.Whose hearts and souls are tied with mineIn this journey laid out for me. So I take the first step and begin the climband I know love will gently lead.Each hand firmly held by family and friendsWe charge the hill to victory.

IT IS EASY - by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 

IT  IS  EASY by   Ella Wheeler Wilcox It is easy to be pleasant When life flows by like a song, But the man worth while is the one who will smile, When everything goes dead wrong. For the test of the heart is trouble, And it always comes with years, And the smile that is worth the praises of earth Is the smile that shines through the tears.