Bronzed

As I receive several poems of the day from this site.  I hope to share the ones that  stand out.  

BY DEAN YOUNG

That dusty bubble gum, once ubiquitous as starlings,   

is no more, my love. Whistling dinosaurs now populate   

only animation studios, the furious actions of angels   

causing their breasts to flop out in mannerist   

frescos flake away as sleet holds us in its teeth.   

And the bus-station's old urinals go under   

the grindstone and the youthful spelunkers   

graduate into the wrinkle-causing sun. The sea   

seemingly a constant to the naked eye is one   

long goodbye, perpetually the tide recedes,   

beaches dotted with debris. Unto each is given   

a finite number of addresses, ditties to dart   

the heart to its moments of sorrow and swoon.   

The sword's hilt glints, the daffodils bow down,   

all is temporary as a perfect haircut, a kitten   

in the lap, yet sitting here with you, my darling,   

waiting for a tuna melt and side of slaw   

seems all eternity I'll ever need   

and all eternity needs of me.

Guess It's All About Point-of-View

Have always loved Roald Dahl.  Stumbled upon this little ditty today.  Little morbid, but then I guess it depends on one's point-of-view. :)  There's one about Red Riding Hood and Cinderella as well.

Excerpt –

'This famous wicked little tale 
Should never have been put on sale 
It is a mystery to me 
Why loving parents cannot see 
That this is actually a book 
About a brazen little crook...' 

'...Now just imagine how you'd feel 
If you had cooked a lovely meal, 
Delicious porridge, steaming hot, 
Fresh coffee in the coffee pot, 
With maybe toast and marmalade, 
The table beautifully laid, 
One place for you and one for dad, 
Another for your little lad. 
Then dad cries, 'Golly–gosh! Gee whizz! 
'Oh cripes! How hot this porridge is! 
'Let's take a walk along the street 
'Until it's cool enough to eat.' 
He adds, 'An early morning stroll 
'Is good for people on the whole. 
'It makes your appetite improve 
'It also helps your bowels move.' 
No proper wife would dare to question 
Such a sensible suggestion, 
Above all not at breakfast–time 
When men are seldom at their prime. 
No sooner are you down the road 
Than Goldilocks, that little toad 
That nosey thieving little louse, 
Comes sneaking in your empty house....' 

'...(Here comes the next catastrophe.) 
Most educated people choose 
To rid themselves of socks and shoes 
Before they clamber into bed. 
But Goldie didn't give a shred. 
Her filthy shoes were thick with grime, 
And mud and mush and slush and slime. 
Worse still, upon the heel of one 
Was something that a dog had done. 
I say once more, what would you think 
If all this horrid dirt and stink 
Was smeared upon your eiderdown 
By this revolting little clown? 
(The famous story has no clues 
To show the girl removed her shoes.) 

Oh, what a tale of crime on crime! 
Let's check it for a second time. 

Crime One, the prosecution's case: 
She breaks and enters someone's place. 

Crime Two, the prosecutor notes: 
She steals a bowl of porridge oats. 

Crime Three: She breaks a precious chair 
Belonging to the Baby Bear. 

Crime Four: She smears each spotless sheet 
With filthy messes from her feet. 

A judge would say without a blink, 
'Ten years hard labour in the clink!' 
But in the book, as you will see, 
The little beast gets off scot–free, 
While tiny children near and far 
Shout 'Goody–good! Hooray! Hurrah!' 
'Poor darling Goldilocks!' they say, 
'Thank goodness that she got away!' 
Myself, I think I'd rather send 
Young Goldie to a sticky end. 
'Oh daddy!' cried the Baby Bear, 
'My porridge gone! It isn't fair!' 
'Then go upstairs,' the Big Bear said, 
'Your porridge is upon the bed. 
'But as it's inside mademoiselle, 
'You'll have to eat her up as well.'

Roald Dahl

I Believe

First posted this two years ago - still love it.

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born.

A Death Certificate shows that we died.

Pictures show that we lived!

I Believe...

That just because two people argue,doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.

Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I Believe....
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe....
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe..
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them...and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated..

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if
a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything.

**Anonymous

Picture Perfect?

After completeing the TAKS test today, we found ourselves with a little time left before lunch. Apparently boredom was setting in, and one of my students decided to pass the time drawing. Harmless enough; however, the subject of the artwork turned out to be me. Can't say I'm too sure about the "writing" across the neck though. Didn't notice it until after he handed me the picture and wandered away. Oh well, at least he has me smiling.

What Difference Does Easter Make?

Chauncey Spencer, does an awesome job of keeping the message in an outlined form each Sunday, a great teaching tool.  It is my goal to share this outline each week.

The verbs within the following message stand out to me.  Jesus is, has, and does.  He is NOT dead, no past tense.  He still is, still has, and still does when it comes to us on a daily basis.  "Can be" makes an impression as well.  Our past can be forgiven, our present problems can be managed, and our future can be secured.  They can be but only ARE when we accept what is being offered to us.  We need to accept the forgiveness, to accept the eternal life offered, to accept Christ as our Savior - the only one who changes "CAN BE" to "IS".

What does the Resurrection Mean?


1. Jesus is who he claimed to be.

     "I am the Resurrection and the Life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." John 11:25

     "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one can get to God the Father except by means of me."     John 14:6 (LB)

2. Jesus has the power he claimed to have.

     "All power in heaven and on earth is given to me." Matt 28:18 (Ph)

     "No one takes my life from me.  I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up  again."   John 10:18 (Ph)

3. Jesus does what he promises to do.

     "They will mock...and flog... and kill me; but after three days I will come back to life again." Matt. 10: 34 (LB)

     "The angel said, "Don't be frightened!  I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified, but he isn't here!  He has come back to life again, just as he said he would." Matt. 28:5-6 (LB)

Why Does the Resurrection Matter?

1. My past can be forgiven.

"He has forgiven all our sins... and canceled every record of the debt we owed; Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross." Col. 3:14 (JB)

"There is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ." Rom. 8:1 (LB)

2. My present problems can be managed.

"How incredibly great is his power to help those who believe Him... the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead!" Eph. 1:20 (LB)

"I am ready for anything through the strength of Christ who lives in me." Phil. 4:13

3. My future can be secured.

"This is the way to have eternal life - by knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, the one he sent to earth!" John 17:3 (LB)

"We have been born again into a life full of hope through Christ's rising from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

***

When Confusion Is Enlightening

For someone like me who finds sometimes clarity takes time, this piece of information proved very enlightening.

When More Is Less...

Driving through town this morning, I couldn't help but appreciate the beauty in Spring's return.  The trees, especially.  As my thoughts continued to wander, I realized that I have a greater appreciation for those trees now that I live in the Panhandle.  Then "less is more" popped into my head along with its possibilities.

The less I complain, the more I enjoy the day;
the more I enjoy the day, the less I complain.

The less I worry, the happier I am;

The happier I am, the less I worry.

The less I judge, the more I understand;

The more I understand, the less I judge.

The less I talk, the more I learn;
the more I learn, the better I listen.

The less I have, the more I appreciate;
The more I appreciate, the less I need.

Ironically, often less allows us to have more of what really matters.  May we think more often about how fortunate we are and less about our losses.