Saturday, May 7, 2016

A PRAYER FOR PEACE--WHAT I WRITE ABOUT(COPIED & PASTED FROM MY PRESONAL FACEBOOK PAGE)--WHEN I'M NOT ON MY BLOG

SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
FOR YOU
TODAY.

A POST ON MY
FACEBOOK 
PAGE--
INSPIRED 
A PICTURE I SAW
AS I SCROLLED
THROUGH
MY 
NEWS FEED.

EQUALITY--PERCEPTION--WHY IT MATTERS.

SIMPLY--A PRAYER FOR PEACE.

I APOLOGIZE
FOR THE ODD
TEXT FORMAT,
BUT I'M MORE OF A
WRITE-IT-ON-A-NAPKIN
KIND OF WRITER,
RATHER
THAN
A TECH SAVVY
ONE.

HOPEFUL
THAT WON'T
DETOUR YOUR
HEART
FROM HEARING
WHAT MINE
TRIED
TO SAY,
&
YOURS
HOPEFULLY
TAKING
A PIECE
OF IT
WITH YOU.

MY RANT FOR THE DAY...A SUBJECT I WILL NEVER BE CONVINCED IS OK...THOSE WHO DON'T LEARN FROM HISTORY-ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.....
THIS-THE HOLOCAUST-WASN'T CAUSED BY ONE MAN'S HATE-IT WAS CAUSE BY ONE MAN SPEAKING LOUDLY ABOUT THE HATE OF MANY. HE WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO THINK HIS PUBLIC HATE-SHARED BY MANY ACROSS EUROPE FOR GENERATIONS-WOULD BE ACCEPTED-WOULD BE ALLOWED-WOULD BE FOLLOWED-BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.
WAS HE UNBALANCED-EVIL-& JUST PLAIN WRONG??...YES...WAS HE ALONE??....NO.
HIS TRAINS DIDN'T DRIVE THEMSELVES TO THE CONCENTRATION-WORK-& DEATH CAMPS.
HIS GAS CHAMBERS DIDN'T BUILD THEMSELVES. THE INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN, & CHILDREN DIDN'T SHOVE THEMSELVES INTO THE BUILDINGS-WITH PROMISES OF CLEANSING SHOWERS.
HIS COUNTRY'S CITIZENS DIDN'T STUMBLE INTO THE STREETS-DRAG THEMSELVES FROM THEIR OWN HOMES-& KILL THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF THEIR OWN FAMILIES.
HIS LEADERSHIP OF AN ELITE, SPECIALLY CHOSEN ARMY-DIDN'T BUILD ITSELF OVER NIGHT. HIS LEADERSHIP DIDN'T CREATE EVIL-IT SIMPLY ALLOWED IT A VOICE-AN OPPORTUNITY. GAVE IT PERMISSION-TO PUT INTO FULL SCALE, PUBLIC PRACTICE-THE VALUES OF MEN WHO LABEL, SEGREGATE, ABUSE, TORTURE, & MURDER-THOSE WHO DIDN'T AGREE WITH THEIR OWN NATIONALIST, MORAL, & RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN THESE KINDS OF PEOPLE EXISTED. I'VE GROWN UP UNDERSTANDING-THAT THE SCARS OF THESE SACRIFICES MADE TO EVIL-WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US. THAT THEY ARE PASSED DOWN-LIKE A GENETIC CODE-INGRAINED IN THE PSYCHE OF A NATION. 

BUT-I'VE ALSO BEEN HONORED TO SEE-THAT THERE WERE *OTHER* PEOPLE-WILLING TO SAY NO-TO SAY THIS WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THAT IT SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN-& WITNESS THEM WEAR THE HEART OF THEIR BATTLE SCARS-PROUDLY ON THEIR SLEEVES.
YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH ME. YOU CAN BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU IS OVER STATED. YOU SAY-THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE-THAT IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN WHERE WE LIVE-BECAUSE WE'RE DIFFERENT-BECAUSE *WE* WOULD NEVER LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN....
BUT IT HAPPENS A LITTLE BIT EVERY DAY. IN OUR HEARTS-IN OUR PRIVET THOUGHTS-IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR FRIENDS-IN PLACES WE THINK WE ARE ALONE.
IN MORE PUBLIC PLACES-RALLIES, & PROTESTS-IN LINE AT OUR GROCERY STORES-IN OUR CARS, AS WE SCREAM AT THE DRIVES IN FRONT OF US, WHO DON'T EVEN DESERVE TO BE HERE, LET ALONE SHARE *OUR* ROADS.
OUR CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT, & FED BY *THEM* EVERYDAY. OUR FAMILIES ARE DOCTORED BY *THEM* IN YEARLY CHECK UPS.
OUR HOMES & LAWNS ARE CLEANED-& MADE ACCEPTABLE TO OUR OWN FRIENDS & FAMILY-BY *THEM*.
WE RECEIVE EMERGENCY CARE IN FIRES, CAR WRECKS, & DOMESTIC ABUSE CALLS-FROM "THEM"....THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T REALLY AS GOOD AS "US".
"THEM"-IS ONLY WHO "WE"-MAKE THEM. IT'S AN ILLUSION. AN IMAGINED CONCEPT. A WAY FOR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE FIT TOGETHER-HOW WE RELATE TO EACH OTHERS LIVES.
BUT-WE ARE ***ALREADY*** TOGETHER-EVERY DAY.

OUR ONLY JOB NOW-IS TO FIND A WAY TO UNDERSTAND THIS-HAVE THE COURAGE TO ACCEPT IT-& STRENGTH TO WITHSTAND THE ASSAULT OF MISGUIDED PERCEPTIONS & BELIEFS-THAT TELL US DEPENDING ON EACH IS WRONG.
WE-BY IT'S NATURE-IS AN INCLUSIVE TERM-*WE* STAND UP-*WE* FIGHT-*WE* OVERCOME.
WHAT KEEPS ME BELIEVING-MAKES ME STILL HAVE FAITH IN AN ALL INCLUSIVE *WE*??.....
IMPROVISE-ADAPT-& OVERCOME-A USMC MOTTO-I LEARNED GROWING UP, FROM MY DAD.
DO WHAT U CAN LIVE WITH-A MOTTO FROM MY MOM-I CAN ONLY BELIEVE SHE LEARNED THE HARD WAY.
BE THE CHANGE-YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD-GANDHI'S EXAMPLE OF PEACEFUL SOLUTIONS-TO VIOLENT PROBLEMS.
I HAVE A DREAM-KING'S PUBLIC OUTCRY-& CALL TO ALL WHO STILL BELIEVED EQUALITY WAS IN THEIR REACH.
IMAGINE-LENNON-A SONG-OF MANY-THAT SHAPED MY PERCEPTION OF WHAT WAS-& STILL IS-POSSIBLE.
THESE ARE NOT FAR OFF WISHES. OR SILLY DREAMS. THESE ***ARE*** WHO MANY OF US ALREADY ARE-WARRIORS IN OUR OWN RIGHT-FIGHTING FOR PEACE.
I STILL BELIEVE-& I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE.


Friday, May 6, 2016

YOU-BLACK SERIES

THE RAIN
IT COMES HERE
AGAIN,
THIS STORM 
I CRAVE.

THUNDER 
&
LIGHTENING
CARESS 
MY SOUL,
LIKE ONLY 
YOU DO.

STREAMS 
OF RAIN WATER
WASH OVER ME,
MY TOES
WET WITH 
IT,
A RELIEF.

QUIET 
SURROUNDS ME,
AMONG THE
NOISE
OF THIS 
PLACE.

CHAOS
IS 
WHAT I
KNOW,
WHO I AM,
THE ONE 
I
CRAVE.

YOU 
HEAR ME,
IN MY 
NOISY 
SILENCE,
WAITING,
COUNTING MY
BREATHS
UNTIL I
SEEK 
YOU.

OH,
BUT
YOU
SAY,
THIS CAN'T
BE SO,
FOR 
THE STILLNESS
I SEE IN
ME,
IS YOU.