POEMS

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If

by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream and not make dreams your master; If you can think and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same: If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools

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My Friend
My Friend when I think of you. I think of all that we've been through. All the times we argue and fight, I know deep inside that it isn't right. I, then feel bad and alot of pain. It feels like I've fallen from the sky like the rain. I love you dear friend with all of my heart. But now that you're gone I've fallen apart. I'm getting better as the days go by. I wish sometimes this was all a big lie. I pray to you every night. It's like you're my fire, a burning light. My dear friend, I miss you alot.

I still wonder why you were put in that spot. I know you're in a place much better than here. Watching and helping me with all of my fear. Our friendship my dear friend, we will have to the end. Friends till the end is what we will be. Someday we'll be together, together you and me.

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Why GOD Gave Us Friends
GOD knew that everyone needs Companionship and cheer, He knew that people need someone Whose thoughts are always near. He knew they need someone kind To lend a helping hand. Someone to gladly take the time To care and understand. GOD knew that we all need someone To share each happy day, To be a source of courage When troubles come our way. Someone to be true to us, Whether near or far apart. Someone whose love we'll always Hold and treasure in our hearts. That's Why GOD Gave Us Friends!

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An Axe
I was browsing this year's censored books, the top ten list just out, when it hit me: cockroach Kafka, creeping into every literary cabinet much to his deceased horror, was absolutely right. Franz wrote:

"A book should be an axe, to break the frozen sea within us." If its not dangerous, sharp-edged and swung with all the author's might, what the hell use is it? Chop, chop, chop, on my mind, on my soul. Better break a sweat and bleed a little. I feel a chill in the wind.

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Bleeding radiators
To heat our cold, shivering hearts Aching with need, filling with dry dust So frozen & abandoned The air hurts to breathe I crouch beneath our furniture Head pressed against the hardwood floor Some old tools in my hand & pray to God this works.

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Gatsby
The odd moments of intrusion are what get me. Walking up behind someone shivering arms outstretched before the dark waters with the sudden intimation that they want to be alone is enough to make the flinch involuntary when I look away searching for the deep sea lights blinking go-green before it is all too late, but it already is for Gatsby, he vanishes and I am alone again in the unquiet darkness.

Something Wonderful
It's the start of something wonderful The chance to start anew A brand new life lies waiting That's tailor made for two It's a beautiful beginning full of romance and delight As you start each day with kisses Share embraces through the night There is so much to discover So much fun you've yet to share Lots of really great adventures And many new ways to show you care There's a future full of happiness And more magic for you too And it all begins to happen with those magic words "I Do".

TANKA
Carefully I walk Trying so hard to be brave They all see my fear Dark glasses cover their eyes As mine flow over with tears only a one sentence rebuke to my kid and all day the lousy after-taste and when the sand runs out? the stillness of the hourglass and I are one this past August, all at once, the abuse of a decade condensed into a bulletthere's a house for sale in our neighborhood a rooster on a leg string stands at the end of his world daring trafficeven a chicken feels the pinch of a tethered life blood-soaked the bodies littering the marketplace this hot afternoon one melon and a small child not hit by flying shrapnel

Way up in the tree, There is lots and lots to see, Tress have lots of leaves. That fall down during autumn time, It brings me lots of fun things.

Winter and Spring comes Also every year it runs When weather changes It might be good for bankage So winter is better than Spring the old woman with a walking stick bent over her daughter's grave like a question mark I could tell from the look in her eyes the cancer had spread from her lungs to her liver and into both our lives

HAIKU
An old silent pond... A frog jumps into the pond, splash! Silence again. In the moonlight, The color and scent of the wisteria Seems far away.

Autumn moonlight a worm digs silently into the chestnut. 1. Lightning flash what I thought were faces are plumes of pampas grass.

Trusting the Buddha, good and bad, I bid farewell To the departing year.

A summer river being crossed how pleasing with sandals in my hands!

Everything I touch with tenderness, alas, pricks like a bramble.

Over the wintry forest, winds howl in rage with no leaves to blow. Light of the moon Moves west, flowers' shadows Creep eastward. The crow has flown away: swaying in the evening sun, a leafless tree.

PRAYERS
Praying for schools... Keep those of bad influence from teaching in our schools. Make our schools platforms for learning virtue and praticing it. Give our kids a heart for God that is unapologetic. Build strong character in our school kids. Teach our children character as much as knowledge. Don't allow self-centered religious leaders into schools to teach hypocrisy. Return educators to moral principles, rejecting political pressure not to do it. Turn back the secular worldview focus. Help them make godly choices. Return a spirit of integrity to our schools. Protect the halls and keep those who walk there safe. Embarass and defeat those who try to revise history to their liking. Seal the leaks that allow sin to creep in. Take away distractions that separate students from You. May the curriculum being used be one promoting virtue. May they learn everything, especially the things to reject. Guard over those who wait for buses. May the influence of schools be a positive one. Prevent sin from entering the door. Frustrate any NewAge educator. Expel false teaching. Teach truth and not baised opinions. Protect those who go in and go out. Give the staff wisdom to deal with disobedience. Weed out ungodly influence and replace it with Your Word and prayer. Make is a safe place for students and students Praying for teachers... Grant boldness to godly teachers to speak the truth, even when threatened for doing so. Protect those whose passion is to teach what is right in Your eyes Bless godly teachers richly as they serve you and not man. Build strong character in teachers who are mature and wise. Give my children teachers with godly character. Bless the teachers who instruct by godly principles rather than secular humanistic values.

Help them reject any teaching that contradicts Your Word. Give them desire to do what You say is right. Quieten theose who discredit You. Create a thirst for righteousness in their life. Give them a zeal for truth even as they go against those who don't. Crown the godly teachers with good reputation. Open their eyes to curriculum that speaks llies. Protect those who deliver truth and reject deception. May they utilize their time wisely and teach the same thing. Reward richly those who serve for so little. May they show no partiality to students. May their instruction be sound and correct. May truth alone be what they teach. Give them godly examples for their lessons. Extend the influence of godly ones. Give them honest, reliable sources to cite. Protect those who go in and go out. Create safe classrooms for them to teach. Create desire in them to build-up and not demean. Give them passion for truth, not manipulation. Give them passion to make passionate learners.

Praying for my friends... Teach me how to be a good friend toward another person today. Help me be a friend to the friendless and faithful to those who befriend me. Help me be a true and loyal friend today. Build a spirit of mutual cooperation between myself and a friend. Teach me how to be a good friend to another person today. Give me an opportunity to make a new friend today and lead me, Teach us to live reciprocally according to Scripture. Bless those who bless your Name. Create a praying spirit in them. May the Bible be a dominant influence in their life. Bless them who bless You and convict those who don't. Bless those who have influenced me rightly. Create a joyful spirit in them that can only come from praying. Create a close bond between us that creates trust. Bless their coming and going. Thank you for the positive influence some had on my life.

Give them a heart for godly recprocity. May they be understanding and supportive. May You increase in them as they decrease. Bless the time they spend with You. Make them strong in Your might. Bless those who love and serve You. Make Your word dominant in them. Teach them to spend more time with You. Salt their oats with your Word. Bless their going and coming. Praying for government leaders... Keep our leaders from making ungodly decisions, but lead them to be righteous instead. Guide government leaders to do only that which Scripture teaches. Slow the growth of evil in government and strengthen your people. Impede the progress of those civic leaders who are unrighteous. Give our city godly leaders upon who you have influence. Reveal the hidden dangers in all revenue generation based on immoral activity. Return our leaders to the godly principles our Nation's Founders employed. May our lawmakers have to live within the ones they make for us. Remove the wicked from office and replace with the godly. May they act in a way that pleases You, not men. May they respect You who gives them power to rule. Bring shame to those who devise destruction on our country. May the snares the wicked set spring on themselves. May all public officials hold a high standard of morals. May they act out of humility and not selfish ambition. May the choices made today honor You and not men. Use representatives to make fair and just laws. Productive or weed them out. Give those who protect your Word confidence. Meet the needs of those who serve faithfully. Shine Light on them so laws are passed that honor You. Grant wisdom to rule with integrity. Keep them from abusing their offices. Give them a virtuous accountability partner. Crush any attempt to circumvent righteousness. Teach them holiness and make them desirous.

Praying for my country... May our citizens recognize the greatest patriot is the one who recognizes Jesus as Lord. Convert our country's patriotism "fever" into a passion for holiness under Your Banner. God bless our country if she blesses and honors your Name. Restore godly principles to our judicial system Refresh our memory of the spiritual foundation upon which our country was founded. Restore a spirit of humility that comes by realizing we moved away from you, not the other way around. Make righteousness look good to the purveyors of sin. Restore our pride in our godly heritage. Restore pride in rigtheousness, not ungodliness. May we see that the Light on a shining hill is Jesus. Give all citizens the holy desire of the Foundering Fathers. Restore honor and integrity to all elements of our nation. May we not be allowed to use Your Name if we fail to honor You. Keep our eyes on Jesus as we watch out for each other. May they work to remove all legislation that's contradictory to our Consitiution. Bless those who have served for our freedom. Give us leaders who pledge allegiance to You. Keep our pride from becoming arrogance. May the Light of your presence fill Your people and influence the destroyers. Restore our reputation for integrity among the nations. May we desire to correct wrong before doing anything new. Protect those who serve to protect us. Create in us a true spirit of patriotism. Meet their needs to do Your work. Protect our borders from those who intend to harm us. Restore pride in godliness.

RIDDLES
1. Three eyes have I, all in a row; when the red one opens, all freeze. The answer is traffic light. 2. What animal walks on all fours in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening? The answer is man, since he crawls as a child then walks and uses a cane when he gets older. 3. I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I'll make it lighter. What am I? A hole. 4. What falls, but does not break, and what breaks but does not fall? Night falls and day breaks. 5. You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat? An ear of corn. 6. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? A river. 7. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? A towel of course. 8. I have a tail, and I have a head, but i have no body. I am NOT a snake. What am I? A coin. 9. I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in the middle. But I still hold water. What am I? A sponge. 10. I am the black child of a white father, a wingless bird, flying even to the clouds of heaven. I give birth to tears of mourning in pupils that meet me, even though there is no cause for grief, and at once on my birth I am dissolved into air. What am I? Smoke.