The hatred and the shootings
The heartache and the pain
The name callings and the beatings
It?s driving me insane
This world is collapsing
And no one wants to see
The crying and the sadness
It?s our reality to be
If we don?t change it all
Our cruel and selfish ways
Then we will live with the guilt
For the rest of our days
The violence needs to stop
The name calling and hatred too
The pain needs to go away
It can all start with you
Try to be nice to others
Even if they don?t do it too
Or show someone the kindness
That lives inside of you
Give someone a compliment
Some smiles and laughter too
You?ll eventually come to find
You?ll make a difference if you do.

If I Were In Charge of the World
Kristen Sembrat (Reader's Contest Entry)

If I were in charge of the world
there would be world peace
And each and every person
would always have something to eat
I'd share my riches with the poor
And grant all the wishes of the old
I'd lower the prices of all the cloths
And let all the little children decide when it snows
If I were in charge of the world
No one would be judged by looks
And I would invent never ending books
There would be no such thing as sorrow
And You would always look forward to tomorrow
If I were in charge of the world
Everyone would make the team
Or accomplish my life long goals or dreams
I'd find a cure for every disease
And I'd make sure everyone said thank you and please
Everyone would have a friend
And nobody's life would ever end

The Cascade of Snow
Kerrin Montella (Reader's Contest Entry)

A long, white dress like a cascade of snow,
Many traditions held within its threads.
Now she wears it with much pride,
A moment in her life that would always be remembered.
In her hands is a bouquet of wild flowers,
Just like the ones she used to pick as a child.
Red, blue, green, purple, yellow,
Together to form a sea of soft petals.
The time has come.
One foot in front of the other,
Down the rose petal aisle she walks.
Clasping her childhood flowers in her hands,
She is the next generation to wear the cascade of snow

All Alone
Michael Duffany (Reader's Contest Entry)

All alone one lonely night
: A man began to ponder
: Of all the things he hadnt done
: In his life time full of wonders

: He hadnt danced, he hadnt sang
: He hadnt sailed the ocean
: He hadnt wed, or got divorced
: Or taken a magic potion

: He hadnt won the lottery
: Gone to hawaii for a rest
: Fished for great Blue Marlins
: Or aced a high school test

: Hadnt gone to college
: Hadnt owned a house
: Hadnt had a cat, a dog
: A bird, a snake, a mouse

: He hadnt played one single sport
: Not baseball, football, hockey
: Jailai, handball, or tennis
: And he never was a jockey

: Never owned a Jaguar
: BMW or Mercedes
: Which made it very difficult
: To be a man for all the ladies

: Never was a doctor
: A lawyer or a cop
: A cowboy or an indian
: And never spun a top

: After listing all the things
: He hadnt done both big and small
: My wifes still unborn child thought
: I cant wait to do it all

1,000,000
Heather Gram (Reader's Contest Entry)

To win one million dollars
Was the best of my life,
I was a working single,
Not a housewife.

I quit my job,
Thinking I had enough:
House, car, food,
And all my stuff.

I bought a house,
As well as a car,
I was spending money,
As if I were a TV star.

With all my bills,
I began to choke,
I wasted my million dollars,
I was broke.

An Aimless Wander
Michael Jensen (Reader's Contest Entry)

An Aimless Wander
One Must Ponder

A limitless disarray,
The eternal dismay,
for those wandering astray.

A perpetual stalk,
The relentless walk,
for something that's not.

A constant lure,
The visual blur,
for anything sure.

A peripheral collapse,
The contorted mishaps,
for nothing that relapses.

A directionless turn,
The continual burn,
for everything that yearns.

A motionless frame,
The societal game,
for all that remains.

A colorless haze,
The transitional phase,
for these pondering days.

Embrace
David L. Jones, III (Reader's Contest Entry)

Embrace
Like when the Moon rises, Full, Glorious . . . .
Embrace
What words cannot capture, . . . you know
Embrace
that Magical, that Spiritual, that Physical . . .
Embrace
Depth . . .
Embrace
Meaning . . .
Embrace
Life . . .
Embrace

The Doll That Couldn't Do Anything
Charlotte Partin (Reader's Contest Entry)

No one had noticed her there all alone...
No one had bought her or taken her home.
There'd been lots of goods for girls and for boys
- An overabundance of super charged toys -
but she was not able to talk, cry or sing...
The poor little doll that couldn't DO anything.

Her Teddy-bear shelf mate had sold right away
(he could bow low and wish you "good day".)
The blonde little doll that sat on her right
blinked sleepy eyes and blew kisses goodnight.
When Army tanks roared and launched their small rockets
they were all carried home in bags or in pockets.
No one had wanted the joy she could bring...
a poor little doll that couldn't DO anything!

The toy counters emptied as Christmas drew near
but her painted blue eyes could not shed a tear.
Her tightly sewn mouth could not even pout
-her arms were immobile, she could not reach out -
Just like a bird with a disjointed wing...
that poor little doll could not DO anything!

"Great Grandma needs something," the little girl said.
"She's in a nursing home, confined to her bed.
She needs something quiet that will not upset her,
It's nearly Christmas, oh what can I get her?"
She spotted the doll alone on the shelf...
"Oh, that is perfect," she said to herself.
"Grandma needs something to which she can cling...
"I'll take that dolly there, that won't DO anything."

The girl and her mommy went to the Home.
Grandma was asleep in her room all alone.
On her old cheek there glistened a tear...
No one would remember to visit this year...
The child didn't wake her but tiptoed right in
and laid the small doll up under her chin.

When Grandma woke up on that Christmas morn,
it was as if a new person was born!
In seconds they became an inseparable pair --
Grandma and her friend with the yellow yarn hair!
They were seen up and going everywhere!
Tied to her pocket on a short piece of string
was her best friend, The doll who couldn't Do anything.

Super charged toys may be fun for awhile,
and they can bring on an occasional smile;
but it's not like the feeling a gift can impart
when given with Love from an innocent heart.
The 'best gift' should have a nostalgic ring
like the Beautiful doll that couldn't Do anything!

Bright feathered words-
in vees - like birds
take metaphoric flight;

they soar and sweep;
some even sleep;
and migrate as I write.

A straggler phrase
hangs back and stays
while sentence-flocks fly home

At last, I find
skies of my mind
are blackened with a poem

Keep Believing in Yourself
There may be days
when you get up in the morning
and things aren't the way
you had hoped they would be.
That's when you have to
tell yourself that things will get better.
There are times when people
disappoint you and let you down,
but those are the times
when you must remind yourself
to trust your own judgments and opinions,
to keep your life focused on believing in yourself
and all that you are capable of.
There will be challenges to face
and changes to make in your life,
and it is up to you to accept them.
Constantly keep yourself headed
in the right direction for you.
It may not be easy at times,
but in those times of struggle
you will find a stronger sense of who you are,
So when the days come that are filled
with frustration and unexpected responsibilities,
remember to believe in yourself
and all you want your life to be,
because the challenges and changes
will only help you to find the goals
that you know are meant to come true for you

An Inspirational Poem
It's amazing and incredible,
But it's as true as it can be
God loves and understands us all
And that means you and me.
His grace is all-sufficient
For both the young and old,
For the lonely and the timid,
For the brash and for the bold.
His love knows no exceptions,
So never feel excluded,
No matter who or what you are
Your name has been included.
And no matter what your past has been,
Trust God to understand,
And no matter what your problem is
Just place it in His Hand.
For in all of our unloveliness
This great God loves us still,
He loved us since the world began
And what's more, He always will!

A Rainy Night in New Orleans

It was a rainy night in New Orleans;
At a bus station in the town,
I watched a young girl weeping
As her baggage was taken down.

It seems she'd lost her ticket
Changing buses in the night.
She begged them not to leave her there
With no sign of help in sight.

The bus driver had a face of stone
And his heart was surely the same.
"Losing your ticket's like losing cash money,"
He said, and left her in the rain.

Then an old Indian man stood up
And blocked the driver's way
And would not let him pass before
He said what he had to say.

"How can you leave that girl out there?
Have you no God to fear?
You know she had a ticket.
You can't just leave her here.

You can't put her out in a city
Where she doesn't have a friend.
You will meet your schedule,
But she might meet her end."

The driver showed no sign
That he'd heard or even cared
About the young girl's problem
Or how her travels fared.

So the old gentleman said,
"For her fare I'll pay.
I'll give her a little money
To help her on her way."

He went and bought the ticket
And helped her to her place
And helped her put her baggage
In the overhead luggage space.

"How can I repay," she said,
"The kindness you've shown tonight?
We're strangers who won't meet again
A mere 'thank you' doesn't seem right."

He said, "What goes around comes around.
This I've learned with time - -
What you give, you always get back;
What you sow, you reap in kind.

Always be helpful to others
And give what you can spare;
For by being kind to strangers,
We help angels unaware."

Always Create Your Own Dreams and Live Life to the Fullest
Susan Polis Schutz

Dreams can come true if you take the time
to think about what you want in life.
Get to know yourself.
Find out who you are.
Choose your goals carefully.
Be honest with yourself.
Always believe in yourself.
Find many interests and pursue them.
Find out what is important to you.
Find out what you are good at.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
Work hard to achieve successes.
When things are not going right,
don't give up - just try harder.
Give yourself freedom to try out new things.
Laugh and have a good time.
Open yourself up to love.
Take part in the beauty of nature.
Be appreciative of all that you have.
Help those less fortunate than you.
Work towards peace in the world.
Live life to the fullest.
Create your own dreams and
follow them until they are a reality

Around the Corner
Henson Towne

Around the corner I have a friend
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone

And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
She knows I like her just as well
As in the days when I rang her bell,

And she rang mine.
We were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say "I will call on Jane"
"Just to show that I'm thinking of her"

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner!-yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir-"
"Jane died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.

If you love someone, tell them.
Remember always to say "what you mean".
Never be afraid to express yourself.
Take this opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you.
Seize the day and have no regrets.
Most importantly, stay close to your friends and family,
They have helped to make you the person you are today,
What it's all about anyway. Pass this along to your friends.
Let it make a difference in your day and theirs.

Be Thankful
Unknown

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a effort.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Unknown

She was not beautiful.
Nothing about her was extraordinary.
Nothing about her made her stand out in a crowd.
She grew up in a family of six.
The eldest, she learnt responsibility at an early age.
As she grew stronger, and brighter,
She instilled a sort of light cheer to whomever she met.

She was not beautiful.
But she made others feel beautiful about themselves.
She meets a rebel boy who thinks he's all man.
Befriending him, she teaches him how to read,
A little boost the man needed to go to college.

They became friends fast and she fell,
Fast in love with her rugged, handsome student.
The "man" then finds himself in a dilemma
He soon found himself in love with a girl.
A girl so beautiful, she turned even the grouchiest men's head.
Her hair was a halo of light around her,
Her eyes the bluest blue of ocean.

Like an angel he tells his tutor
Like a beautiful angel.
The girl swallows a lump at her throat

She was not beautiful
She did not possess the heart of the one she loved
But she did not care.
As long as he was happy,
She would be or so she tried to.

She helped him write the most beautiful letter to his angel
All the time envisioning that it was she herself
Receiving those very letters.
And so the girl helped him choose the right words,
Buy the right gifts for his angel
His angel brought him much joy
And much pain to the girl who cried behind her smiles.
But that never stopped her from giving more
Than she will ever receive.

Then one day, all hell broke loose
The angel he loved left him for another man,
A richer, more successful man.
The boy was stunned
He was so hurt he did not speak for days
The girl went to him
He cried on her shoulder and she cried with him
He hurt and so did she.

Time went by.
And so the wounds heal.
The boy realizes something about his friend/tutor
He never realized before.
How her laughter sounded heavenly
Or how her smiles brightened up the darkest days.
Or simply how beautiful, yes beautiful she looked to him!

Beautiful.
This plain, simple girl was beautiful to him.
And he began to fall.
Fall so in love with this beautiful girl.

On one day, he picked up all his courage to see her.
He walked to her house, nervous ad fidgeting.
Running his thoughts over and over in his head.
He was going to tell her how beautiful she was to him.
He was going to tell her how wonderfully n love he was with her.
He knocked.
No one was home.

The next day he found out,
The beautiful girl he fell in love with had brain aneurysm
That put her into a coma.
The doctors were grim and the family decided to let her go.

One final time he got to see her.
He held her hand.
He stroked her hair,
And he cried for this beautiful girl.
He cried for he will never see her smile
Or hear her speak his name

He cried.
But it was too late.

The beautiful girl was buried and the heavens broke out
In a beautiful spring shower, a cry for their loss.
She was the most beautiful girl in the world.

Look around you.
Aren't there a lot of plain faces?
Take a good look
A real good look or you might miss out
On that beautiful person.
Forever.

Pages: 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12