Poetry

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Welcome to Amy's Page

Poetry

A compilation of thought provoking anecdotes that I've gathered over the years.

The Search
There must be a wonderful morning somewhere
A dawn lit by justice and judgment is fair
A place where a helping hand is always held out
An ear that will listen stands poised and devout.
A place you can go when your heart needs attending
A place where a spirit gets healing and mending
A place where loves fire burns bright day and night
And in from the cold you may warm by its light.
There must be a wonderful evening somewhere
Where the sun finally sets on pain and despair
Where the coming of night is not filled with grief
And comforting sleep brings you joyful relief.
A place where the sunset is apt to reflect
A day without malice, without disrespect
A place where the only tears shed, are for joy
And a heart is not battered and bounced like a toy.
There must be a wonderful day somewhere
In a place filled with love and a great need to care
A place where the burdens of conflict are lifted
Where love is a skill and all lovers are gifted.
Where daily are spoken the words that support
And every mistake is not met with retort
A place where the land has not soaked up the blood
Where honor and truth are not cast in the mud.
A Place where the children are not left alone
Where Sisters and Brothers may come to atone
Where homeless and helpless don't cower in fright
Where the hearts and minds of the world can unite.
So you set on a journey to seek out this land
With compass and map and a vision so grand
To find peace and comfort in a world that's so new
Where waters are crystal and skies are so blue.
With showers that cleanse and winds that refresh
Where the spirit is fed and not just the flesh
But search as you may, what you'll find to be true
That it cannot be found, till it's found within you.

- Author Unknown-

"Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost."
Thomas J. Watson

"If the whole world followed you, would you be pleased with where you took it?"
Neale Donald Walsch

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...one old love she can imagine going back to... and one who reminds her how far she has come...

...enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...

...something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

...a youth she's content to leave behind...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age...

...a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

...one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

...a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored..

...a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

...how to fall in love without losing herself...

...how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...

...when to try harder... and when to walk away...

...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

...that her childhood may not have been perfect... but its over...

...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

...whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...

..where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing...

...what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year..

Phenomenal Woman
By Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
Im not cute or built to suit a fashion models size
But when I start to tell them,
They think Im telling lies.
I say,
Its in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I am woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
Its the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I am woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they cant touch
My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,
They say they still cant see.
I say,
Its in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I am woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.

Now you understand
Just why my heads not bowed.
I dont shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
Its in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need for care.
Cause Im woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
Thats me.

GIRLFRIENDS

You were born a daughter.
you looked up to your mother.
you looked up to your father.
you looked up to everyone.
you wanted to be a princess.
you wanted to own a horse.
you wanted your brother to be a horse.
you wanted to wear pink.
you never wanted to wear pink.
you wanted to be a veterinarian.
you wanted to be president.
you wanted to be the president's veterinarian.
you were picked last for the team.
you were the best one on the team.
you refused to be on the team.
you wanted to do well in algebra.
you hid during algebra.
you wanted boys to notice you.
you were afraid the boys would notice you.
you started to get acne.
you started to get breasts.
you started to get acne bigger than your breasts.
you wouldn't wear a bra.
you couldn't wait to wear a bra.
you couldn't fit into a bra.
you didn't like the way you looked.
you didn't like the way your parents looked.
you didn't want to grow up.
you had your first best friend.
you had your first date.
you spent hours on the telephone.
you got kissed.
you got to kiss back.
you went to the prom.
you didn't go to the prom.
you went to the prom with the wrong person.
you spent hours on the telephone.
you fell in love.
you fell in love.
you fell in love.
you lost your best friend.
you lost your other best friend.
you really fell in love.
you became a steady girlfriend.
you became a significant other.
you became significant to yourself.
sooner or later, you start to take yourself seriously.
you know when you need a break.
you know when you need a rest.
you know what to get worked up about, and what to get rid of.
and you know when it's time to take care of
yourself, for yourself to do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete.
because you know it's never too late to live life.
and never too late to change one.

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."-anonymous

Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow is wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.

Inuit Saying

"We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all have to learn to live in the same box."
Author Unknown

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend."
Melody Beattie

What if life were perfect?

What if you lived in a perfect world of perfect people and perfect possessions, with everyone and everything doing the perfect thing at the perfect time?

What if you had everything you wanted, and only what you wanted, precisely when you wanted it?

What if, after a perfect length of time, you decided, "Perfection is a perfect bore."

What if, at that point in your perfect world, you noticed for the first time a button marked, "Surprise."

What if you walked over, considered all that might be contained in the concept of "surprise," decided, "Anything's better than perfect boredom," took a deep breath, pushed the button...

...and found yourself where you are right now--feeling what you're feeling now, thinking what you're thinking now, with everything in your life precisely the way it is now--reading this?

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON... It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

An old Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way."

"But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which on wins, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather solemnly said, "The one I feed."

Not my fault

You are responsible for your present circumstances.

But it's not my fault. Someone cheated me. I got laid off. A storm hit my house. My husband spent all the money. I have a disability. I didn't ask for this. I didn't do anything to deserve this. Life is so unfair.

That is all very true. Still, you are responsible for your present circumstances.

Why should I be?

Because it's your life, and no one else can live it for you.

But it's not my fault things turned out this way.

No, it's not your fault. It's your responsibility. There's a big difference. Your circumstances are your responsibility not because of how they came to be, but because of what can be done about them. The past is over. Time only moves forward, so no matter where your present circumstances came from, they're your responsibility now. Which is great, because it means you can do whatever you wish with them.

-- Ralph Marston