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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

What Love isn't is where it isn't.


Waiting for Something
By: the iHope Poet

we all have stories
we'll never tell
and those blank pages hold
the empty space
where love should be
only isn't

we all keep secrets
with locks and keys
like pocketfuls of shadow
within sore hands, which are
grasping, waiting
for some source of light
to chase away the darkness

we all dream of love
to show up at some point
and fill those gaping holes
which splatter our hearts
with vacancy
yet we're still holding back
from the outstretched hands
that could save us from
the darkness 

and the stories, the secrets
the bitter-bound locks
will be left to exhaust
any hope that surrounds
Then, as long as you wait
there will be no more chance
to fall back into love
and be full once again.




Friday, November 30, 2012

Two paths cross...


Two paths cross,
friend is made, 
heart is touched, 
life is changed. 

 Crossing Paths
By: the iHope Poet

I took the road called 'Dreams to Make,'
towards a home I hoped to find.
I walked alone, for comfort's sake
and was not used to passersby.


     Not before long, I thought to rest,
for it seemed I'd hit a sort of end.
But no -- I saw (to my distress)
a crossroads and there, an unknown friend.

He stood just opposite my own roadside
and waved a brave and kind, "Hello!"
I quickly picked the next path to stride,
the same which he then chose to go.

So together, we strolled the road called 'Light;'
we saw many things, my new friend and I.
He taught me love, and hope, and flight,
he showed me how to touch the sky......
                                                                             
Not long ago, my dear friend left
to travel down his destined path.
I could not follow, as he'd told me then, 
for I had other stars to catch.

With a kiss goodbye and heart-felt pain
He turned without a second glance;
Perhaps we'll meet sometime again...
Even still, I walked while looking back. 

Oh, it hurts! to leave your love behind
and walk as far from him as he does from you --
The dusty crossroads risks that bit of  hope you'll find
Yet the expectation lingers that you'll still stay true....

And so..

Today: I wave to an unknown friend.
I take their next chosen road --
And just as He did before He left,
I'll teach what I've learned, for them to know.

And that is how the system works,
this ever-changing line of travel,
For each crossroads there's a chance to learn
and a chance to make 'em marvel.


Thursday, November 15, 2012

My Failure is Fleeting


And it Will Be OK
By: the iHope Poet

The wind is blown and all my dreams are out the window.
the dirt was swept up too, so that it mingled with the sunshine;
and now the light is dim.

The storm is past; it made the airplanes plunge into the ground.
It left yesterday's tallest towers in heaps of ashes on every road,
and now my path is blocked

Truth be told, I tried my best to stay nonchalant;
yet, in the end, I didn't stand a chance in the face of destruction.
And now it's up to me to get back up and keep on walking.

So I'll stay true; for I trust my failure has it's meaning;
and I won't just sit here, waiting for the mess to clean itself up.
Yesterday's castle has crashed from the sky, but tomorrow it will be put back together...

And built even higher, stronger and more majestic than ever it was before. 


Living in a castle built from EXPERIENCE

Friday, November 9, 2012

Come and Gone...


They Sing the Song of the Deep Green Slumber
By: the iHope Poet
 (Eighth Grade) 

Deep in the forest on silver white hills,
A rain falls as cold and as silent as ice.
Ripe on a branch of an old empty tree,
The leaves whisper a tune of sweet sleep, to entice.

Then the wind joins the song as it sways through the air;
The thunder claps twice and the lightning is there.

Down come the snow and the sleet and the fire,
While the golden sun sets behind the hilltops.
Further out spreads nature’s wild autumn choir;
They sing the song of the deep green slumber.

Now the mountains are dancing to the shrill, savage words;
Each line is recited by the south-flying birds.

There are leaves and twigs flying into the sky,
Every color mixed in from yellow to red.
The verses are stronger and making a change;
Our forests and creatures are departing to bed.

The summer is banned for the rest of the year;
Now the next season’s song is back for us to hear.

Come next spring, new life will sprout from the frosty earth.
As for now, nature is transformed into a temporary death.
Still the song of the green slumber progresses,
While autumn continues her memorized breath.

Soon winter will sing her part of the melody;
When the ground will be whiter than autumn can see.


via


Thursday, November 1, 2012

So....the Deal-io :0

The Deal of the Difference
By: the iHope Poet

What's the deal here?
Am I not working hard enough?
Sometimes, it seems,
I've literally left my head in the dark.

What does it take
To turn on the lights?
How long will this drought of mind last?
Too often, I guess,
My best isn't good enough.

Then what can I do now?
Will I ever be able
To help other people in as good a way
As so many have done for me?
Perhaps my efforts will improve...

...But as for today....
Who will make up for the difference?
(will He make up for the difference?)




Saturday, October 27, 2012

one verse at a time...part 3 (final)

Just to Know - vs. 3
By: the iHope Poet

I sing a lullaby
in the key of my heart
may it carry it's tune
to the ends of the earth --

-- If someday,
I should ever turn bitter;
forgetting to sing,
Let this song
help me learn
to be fearless
and free.

Let it help me remember
that once, long ago,
I had opened my heart
and my life....

Just to know.



First and second verses, here and here.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

one verse at a time....part 2

Just to Know - vs. 2
By: the iHope Poet

I know a lullaby;
it's about hope and faith
and it plays on and on
in my wake and my sleep.

Even now,
my foundation is singing --
this song of my life;
let me live...
in the midst
of a small,
silent world.



First and final verses, here and here.




Saturday, October 13, 2012

one verse at a time...



Just to Know - vs. 1
By: the iHope Poet

I hear a lullaby 
so I'll open my eyes
and my ears and my heart
just to know what it sings--

--even though 
it may simply be trying
to put me to sleep,
let me rest...
on this dark
restless night.




Friday, September 28, 2012

the things you won't regret...

It Takes a While
By: the iHope Poet

You can only try so hard before your efforts make you fall;
Don't stop to rest, for that is when the pain begins to hurt.
Go spend your time, your life, giving your only and your all,
And don't be disappointed when you end up in the dirt.

I thought you'd know:
It takes a couple tries,
So keep trying --
The journey only needs hard work and a smile
And getting there will take a while.

A million voices say that its OK to let it go,
But you know how it feels to know you didn't do your best.
And though a hundred times you'll wish to live without such far-fetched goals,
Just keep in mind that this way, you won't have to reinvest.

It's hard, I know:
To take so many tries
But still, keep trying --
All you really need is hard work and a smile
And getting there will take a while.






Note: the key to doing hard work is working harder :)
and even more often, it's about working smarter. 



Thursday, September 20, 2012

Gray reflects Potential

The Gray Song
By: the iHope Poet


Walking on my shadow under
Deeply ashen skies
The rain is falling silver in the dark
And so it shines.
All is strangely peaceful
And despite the somber fog
There’s a feeling in the air of desperate
Hope for something more.

A sea of fallen teardrops buries
Lost and broken hearts
Mute and leaden in their color, they’re unsure
Of where to start
After all the hurt they’ve been through
All the twisted, tinted pain
Now, for once, there is a chance that
They’ll be healed inside this rain



in this Shadow -- the Extended version --

at the Edge of the Rain
the final verse

In the end we rely
on our faith in the dark,
so perspective will oft times
seem lost;
but
if we try to believe
and help others achieve
maybe then we can all
do our parts.

At the edge of the rain,
Find our hearts.


First and second verses, here.





Sunday, August 19, 2012

forGivers forGet

Let There be Light...
By: the iHope Poet

To forgive 
is to shed light
over a shadowed corner
in a sunken room -
to let go  of the rope 
that burned your fingers
because you won
that treacherous game of
tug-of-war.

To forgive 
is to accept 
that there's something better 
in the light
than to continue to fight 
in a dim and shattered battlefield - 
it's to open the dirty window
and breathe in some fresh air
as you lock away the poison;
never to inhale its fowl influence again.

To forgive
is to forget
the haunting hopelessness
and leave behind the past
to progress forward - 
Forgiveness 
is the enlightened heart 
a battle won
a clearer window
and a brighter future.

To forgive is ultimately
much easier
than remembering
the sorrow and the hate
by choking back their bitter tastes 
on your tongue
 (spit it out:) 



Thursday, August 9, 2012

stand Tall


Because it matters:
By: the iHope Poet

Its a miracle
that
we're given the means
to stand as tall as we may be
and touch the sky
to light the stars
and give the world some lightning scars
It's a perfect dream
that
we're given the things
which we are
though helpless as they may seem
at times;
they'll provide us the tools to build
our pillars and towers, and let them be filled
with wisdom and hope
as tall as they'll grow
Oh
it's a miracle that we all may know
of our incredible talents to stand so tall
and let us do so, even after we fall
because it matters
because duty calls
for each soul to become
the miracle they are
and then some



Tuesday, July 31, 2012

In this Shadow

at the Edge of the Rain
By: the iHope Poet

It's a beautiful world
with the clouds on the top
and the rain falling down
in the dark
No one sees what I see
through this fraud harmony
For when light shines
it all falls apart.

What would happen if hope
were to flutter away
all suppressed under secrets
and fears
Then the gray would turn black
with no promise of light
at the edge of
the rainstorm of tears
     

Final (extended:) verse, here.


Monday, July 30, 2012

Smiles and Sunshine


Sunshiny Day!
By: the iHope Poet

Oh today it is a sunshiny day;
Yes today it is a sunshiny day!
All this light is streaming out in a ray…
Plenty goodness is now on its way.

No more fears of the clouds that lingered yesterday.
Not one tear from the saddest stories told.
No one’s giving in to darkness almost caving in.
We’ll keep singing until we’re good and old.
We’ll keep singing ‘til we’re good and old.

Oh today it is a sunshiny day;
Yes today it is a sunshiny day!
All this light is streaming out in a ray…
Plenty goodness is now on its way.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Heaven's Quest


He Told Me
By: the iHope Poet

God can whisper audibly
only if I choose to listen

He can touch my life each day
if I pay attention to Him

He can share with me His love
when I offer Him my heart

God will use me in His quest
As I learn to do my part




Wednesday, July 11, 2012

To Be

The Pursuit of Beauty
By: the iHope Poet

I fold up in the darkness
Neither seeing, nor being seen
And alone I consider
Beauty and ugliness

As a weed I was poisoned
Plucked from the earth
Left in the barren part of the dirt
Flowers despised me
Hated my leaves
Ugliness made me as small as a seed

Now as a rose, I’m too fair to be weeded
I’m left here to grow
I’m admired and needed
I can shine in the garden,
It’s easy to see
That beauty is better than being a weed

And nothing is wrong
With becoming so fair
But my pursuit of it all
Has left me worse for wear 

As I sought to look pretty
I turned into stone
My heart had been vain
And I acted a fool
All the things that I did to become something new
It hurt me, it hurt them; and I didn’t stay true

I unfold in the darkness
Yes, now I can see
It’s not wrong that it happened
But how it all came to be


      

Monday, July 9, 2012

Choosing to See


The Blinded
By: the iHope Poet

How can you say
That you find nothing meaningful
About what each passing day
Brings?

Then how would you know
The beauty that nature
Hums through the air high and low;
How it sings?

If you refuse
To understand the world around you
If you can’t use
The gifts that you are given,
Then why do you live?
To let those who don’t know how to look…
Can’t you give?
Soon, the blessings from you will be driven.





You don't see the beauty because you don't look for it...
But how many would give anything to simply have the opportunity?
 Remove the Blindfold, Choose to See







Saturday, July 7, 2012

A Sincere Friend

Change
By: the iHope Poet

I know that there are few second chances
But with you I feel a new change of heart
And I watch as the perimeter advances
So that we can walk together not apart

Over the years you’ve helped me yearn
To seek what’s better and be willing to work
Now I see the constant change that overcomes me
And it separates my old heart from the murk

So I hope you know just as you’ve cared
That you’ve performed a miracle here
For I am new and clean and strong
The friend I've found in you remains sincere.

Friday, July 6, 2012

I like the rain...

Nothing Else
By: the iHope Poet

To the clouds in the sky
And the sun, way up high
I will stand in this rain
Sing this song once again
There is nothing else like 
what you’re giving me now
All this power in the dark
Is a spark that somehow
I am safe, I’m alone
In this place I call home

People hurt, they lash out
Rip my heart – scream and shout
Here I go, here I cry
Here in you I confide
That I tried all my best
Just to prove to the rest
That I’m perfectly sane
Not with them – in the rain!
No, there’s nothing else like 
what you’ve shown me before
So much hope in this dark
Is a spark that there’s more
Than that place I called home
Back with them – all alone
And with you I’m still safe
In this place that I roam

To the storm in the sky
As you give your goodbye
I will sing my last lines
Thanking you for your time
There will never be anything else like the rain
For in you I am safe, I am sound
I am sane
No one knows that I cry
Under you, where I hide
And you’ve given me all, for that secret is mine


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

is it wrong?

White Lie
By: the iHope Poet

The see-through blind fold
Covers your eyes
Like a fog
But it’s white
So you still see the lines

No harm done
No swift blows
Of that filthy black dust
That would otherwise swallow
My tongue in its must

And I spoke those clear words
They were smooth
They seemed sweet
Underneath they were dim, yet
Whose ill did they meet?

Simple lies
Plain deceit
But they’re lost in the telling
It tastes good while it lasts
And my throat isn’t swelling


Thursday, June 28, 2012

A Spark of Hope


The Lantern Tree
By: the iHope Poet

In the blackness of the night
When there was nothing left to see,
I did glimpse you with the light
Hanging a lantern on a tree.

The tree was tallest that there was
And then the brightest place to shine.
No, I am not so scared because
There’s no more darkness left to fight.


May we all choose to be the ones to hang a lantern on the tree, 
for everyone who's left in the darkness to see. 


















:) Smile!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

No Matter What


My Side, Here!
By: the iHope Poet

You can try to tell me
That I’m fighting on the losing side.
You can push me down,
Just to see me get back up.
No, I won’t give up.

I believe in what I do,
 So you can never win;
Not when I’m around,
For I will never lose.
I refuse
To let you pull ‘round every string.
I want to sing
My “everything” right here.

So don’t tell me that
I'm wrong
That over there is where I belong.
I’ll only listen if you tell me the truth.
And I don’t mind
if
I let you see me fly, because
I know that in the end
I’ll only be helping you
See...


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Wishing


Princess Dream
By: the iHope Poet

Once upon a time…
forever ago
not now

…In a land far away…
a world just out of reach
in my dreams

…there lived a beautiful girl…
could she have been me?
maybe so

Those luscious words
Of a story just beginning
Perhaps I will determine the ending
Right now
Right here
First, tell me
Was there a castle?
Did she get to go there?
Wait, stop
That is for me find out
I must finish the page before
I turn to the next.

…there she wept. Now she would never make it…
it’s all unfair
I wish the tears would stop

…and her Fairy God Mother appeared…
I love magic
we should all believe

…The white palace came in view…
wishes do come true
but maybe not always in the way we expect

If only we
Could always realize
That our chance is right next to us
All we need to do
Is look around
Not back
But here
Then it could all come to pass,
True love,
Magical tears J
I’ll wait, if I must, to have that –
Forever-ness.

…She lost her glass slipper along the way…
there will always be disappointments
I’ve learned to hope anyway

…Even so, the prince recognized her! ...
but happiness can always prevail
if we put our best efforts into our wishing

…So he rode with her back to the castle,
Where they lived happily ever after.

And we will all
Have that chance:
To live a happy ending
And tie up those happy words that began the journey –
Once upon a time,
They lived
Happily
Ever After.



   




I wrote this poem a few years ago. I  can't remember why, but I'd guess it's because I read some fairy tale or another. I thought I'd share it with you...:)