Do not stand at my grave and weep -Mary Elizabeth Frye

Hope... by shelley

To suffer woes which Hope thinks infinite;
To forgive wrongs darker than Death or Night;
To defy Power, which seems Omnipotent;
To love, and bear; to hope, till Hope creates
From its own wreck the thing it contemplates;
Neither to change nor falter nor repent;
This, like thy glory, Titan! is to be
Good, great and joyous, beautiful and free;
This is alone Life; Joy, Empire, and Victory!
-Percy bysshe shelley

Is It Any Wonder

Is it any wonder
That friendships die and fade,
When we forget the reasons,
Why they first were made?

Is it any wonder
There's so much grief and sorrow,
That we don't even seem to care,
What will take place tomorrow?

Is it any wonder
Our world is like it is,
When all we do is grumble,
And no action do we give?

Is it any wonder
Racism thrives, my friend,
When we cannot see the person,
Just the color of his skin?

Is it any wonder
That evil's strong and bold,
When we can't see any goodness,
And we let our hearts grow cold?

THE JORNEY by mary oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life you could save.

My best friend

Today I found a friend
who knew everything I felt
she knew my weakness
and the problems I've been dealt.
She understood my wonders
and listened to my dreams,
she listened to how I felt about life and love
and knew what it all means.
Not once did she interrupt me
or tell me I was wrong
she understood what I was going through
and promised she'd stay long.
I reached out to this friend,
to show her that I care
to pull her close and let her know
how much I need her there.
I went to hold her hand
to pull her a bit nearer
and I realized this perfect friend I found
was nothing but a mirror....

Life Still Has A Meaning

If there is a future there is time for mending-

Time to see your troubles coming to an ending.

If there is time for wishing then there is time for hoping-

When through doubt and darkness you are blindly groping.

Though the heart be heavy and hurt you may be feeling-

If there is time for praying there is time for healing.

If with harvest over there is grain enough for gleaning-

There is a new tomorrow and life still has meaning.

Memory's Friend

Should your past be a lifetimes’ trial
Of lessons trained in joy and tears

Such recall of this lifetimes’ style

Is help to those with similar fears

No time, in its quality, is the same

Some good, or bad, in mood’s reflection

Remembered are the ways one overcame

The worst of times in recollection

Smile at those hours when all was dark

How you fought your way into the light

How bold ideas became inspired spark

Which then became a tool of insight

Should a friend need such confidence

Who sits in dark times, all alone

Help shoulder the burden of such torments
Sift your mind when time felt the groan.

Bring forth the trial you similarly face

Infuse your friend with advice of time

Help in constructive ways, memory traced

Take away bad and allow the good to climb.

Often the past can be put to the good

What seemed bad is well in the end

Your memory can be nourishing food

If put to good use when helping a friend.

'JUST ME'

Accept me as I am-I have no guarantee.
A claim to perfection I have not.
Perfect I cannot be.
I, like you.... ,am human.
Prone to make mistakes.
Failure is not a character flaw,
Just a part of the human makeup.
I live, I laugh and I also learn.
My knowledge is incomplete.
I am searching all the time,
in waking hours as well as sleep.
I have a long road to travel,
as well as you do.
We learn our lessons on the way.
Wisdom we shall acquire.
Accept me as I am
Because I am ....me.
And You are you.
No one like me in the world.This is my only guarantee.

Real strength

She lays her head on my shoulder
She lets free all her fears
I do my best to hold her
And end the trembling tears

We sit there in silence
Then we talk for a while
I say something funny And I make her smile
And she asks, "Why are you always so happy?"
"How can you never be sad?"
"You're always here to catch me."
"But who's got your back?"

I just shrug and laugh
I push the conversation on, I hold it all in
And I break down when she's gone
I'm never really that happy

I'm almost always down
But I just hold it all in, until no one else is around
You wouldn't cry to me
If you didn't think I was strong

So I can't break down, unless you're gone
You'd have to be like me
And never shed a tear
If you didn't think, that I had no fears
I always feel so empty

But I guess you'll never know I’m always swallowing my pain
So that it won't show I'm never really that happy...