Thursday, March 30, 2006

Rainbows



There's just something about rainbows that conjures up
images of hope, dreams, wishes and that proverbial
pot of gold that's waiting at the end !
Perhaps the spectacle of all that color in the midst of a storm
can so unexpectedly take our breath away and cause us to
realize that even in adverse situations there can lie a beauty...an oasis of hope, promise or a feeling of well-being.
Who's to say that the pot of gold can't be in forms even more beneficial to us than mere money ?
The paper and coins so sought after by man have never once held the power
to restore one's soul....or soothe one's heart...or ease a burdened thought...or weave the fabric of
immeasurable love!
Those are the true gifts we find along the paths we follow....
a happy heart.....a peaceful soul.....a caring nature....
an understanding mind....a compassionate thought....a fulfilling journey....
and a meaningful love
that transcends not only this life, but Time itself !
My Friend, I wish you rainbows in the midst of all your storms,
and rest assured that the pot of gold we seek at its end,
can be found safely lodging within our very selves !!!
~© Author Unknown~

Monday, March 27, 2006

Barter



Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And childrens's faces looking up
Holding wonder in a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstacy
Give all you have been, or could be.

~© Sara Teasdale~

Sunday, March 26, 2006

The Trees...



The trees were budding, the birds were singing - the grass was wet - the whole earth was shining. And suddenly I was the trees and the flowers and the birds and the grass - and there was no I at all.

~© Kahlil Gibran~

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Laughter...



Laughter is the sensation of feeling good all over and showing it principally in one place.

~© Josh Billings~

Thursday, March 23, 2006

My Declaration Of Self-Esteem


I AM ME
In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me
Everything that comes out of me is authentically me
Because I alone chose it - I own everything about me
My body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions,
Whether they be to others or to myself - I own my fanatasies,
My dreams, my hopes, my fears - I own all my triumphs and
Successes, all my failures and mistakes Because I own all of
Me, I can become intimately acquainted with me - by so doing
I can love me and be friendly with me in all my parts -I know
There are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other
Aspects that I do not know - but as long as I am
Friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously
And hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles
And for ways to find out more about me - However I
Look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever
I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically
Me - If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought
And felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is
Unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that
Which I discarded - I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do
I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be
Productive to make sense and order out of the world of
People and things outside of me - I own me, and
therefore I can engineer me - I am me and
I AM OKAY

~© Virginia Satir~

The Greatest Weakness...



The greatest weakness of most humans
Is their hesitancy to tell others,
How much they love them
While they're alive.

~© O.A. Battista~

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Nature Rarer Uses Yellow



Nature rarer uses yellow
Than another hue;
Saves she all of that for sunsets,--
Prodigal of blue,

Spending scarlet like a woman,
Yellow she affords
Only scantly and selectly,
Like a lover's words.

~© Emily Dickinson~

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Beauty is...



Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.

~© Sophia Loren~

Monday, March 20, 2006

The Risk Of Loving



There is a risk involved in everything
Every time you share a smile
Every time you shed a tear
You are opening yourself up to hurt.

Some people tread slowly through life,
Avoiding the closeness risk brings,
Sidestepping the things they can't understand
Turning away from those who care too much-
Those who care stay too long,
Those who hold too tightly.

There is never an easy way to love
You cannot approach it cautiously
It will not wait for you to arm yourself.
It does not care if you turn away
It is everywhere, it is everything.

Love is the greatest of all risks.
It is not reliable, it is not cautious,
It is not sympathetic
It is unprejudiced and unmerciful.
It strikes the strongest of mind,
And brings them to their knees in one blow.

Even in the best of times, love hurts.
It hurts to need, it hurts to belong,
It hurts to be the other part of someone else,
Without either of your consent.
But, from the moment it overtakes you,
It hurts worse to be all alone.

The risk of love never depletes;
It grows stronger and more dangerous with time.
But, it's in the total surrender of all defense,
That we, no matter weak or strong,
No matter willing or captive,
No matter what, we truly experience love.

Despite the many things love is not,
Outweighing it all are the things that love is.
Love is surrender without a loss.
It is a gift without the cost.
It consumes your every thought and desire,
Every breath you take.

It is the fire that fuels you
To do more than pass through life;
It urges you, instead, to live.
No matter the outcome, having felt love,
You will never be the same.

It may scar your heart and soul
And leave you only memories of forever.
Or, it may cause every day of your life
To feel like there is no need for tomorrow.

But, love is worth it.
It is worth the risk...
For in all of life,
Love is truly the only risk worth taking.

~© Kris Hydmore~

Saturday, March 18, 2006

There Are No Guarantees....



There are no guarantees.

From the viewpoint of fear, none are strong enough.

From the viewpoint of love, none are necessary.

~© Emmanuel Teney~

Friday, March 17, 2006

Sonnet XVII



I do not love you as if you were the salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

~© Pablo Neruda~

I Believe



I believe in the sun when it's not shining,
I believe in love even when I feel it not,
I believe what whiskey will not cure,
there is no cure for.

~Irish Proverb~

~Artwork used in tag is © Alan Ayers-www.alanayers.com~

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Why Do I Love You, Sir?



"Why do I love" You, Sir?
Because—The Wind does not require the Grass
To answer—Wherefore when He pass
She cannot keep Her place.

Because He knows—and
Do not You—
And We know not—
Enough for Us
The Wisdom it be so—

The Lightning—never asked an Eye
Wherefore it shut—when He was by—
Because He knows it cannot speak—
And reasons not contained—
—Of Talk—
There be—preferred by Daintier Folk—

The Sunrise—Sire—compelleth Me—
Because He's Sunrise—and I see—
Therefore—Then—
I love Thee—

~© Emily Dickinson~

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Rest In Peace

In memory of Ronald "Gene" O'Brien
March 16, 1951~March 13, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Death is not extinguishing the light;
it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come.

~© Rabindranath Tagore~

Monday, March 13, 2006

I Would Live In Your Love



I would live in your love as the sea-grasses live in the sea,
Borne up by each wave as it passes,
drawn down by each wave that recedes;
I would empty my soul as the dreams that have gathered in me,
I would beat with your heart as it beats,
I would follow your soul as it leads.

~© Sara Teasdale~

Sunday, March 12, 2006

The Best And Most Beautiful Things...



The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.

~© Helen Keller~

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Attraction



The meadow and the mountain with desire
Gazed on each other, till a fierce unrest
Surged 'neath the meadow's seemingly calm breast,
And all the mountain's fissures ran with fire.
A mighty river rolled between them there.
What could the mountain do but gaze and burn?
What could the meadow do but look and yearn,
And gem its bosom to conceal despair?
Their seething passion agitated space,
Till lo! the lands a sudden earthquake shook,
The river fled: the meadow leaped, and took
The leaning mountain in a close embrace.

~© Ella Wheeler Wilcox~

Friday, March 10, 2006

Happiness Is A Sunbeam



Happiness is a sunbeam, which may pass through a thousand bosoms without losing a particle of its original ray; nay, when it strikes on a kindred heart, like the converged light on a mirror; it reflects itself with redoubled brightness. It is not perfected till it is shared.

~© Jane Porter~

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Thoughts Of You



Upon the dawn when I arise
Wearily from under the warm covers,
(Passion)
I feel the sun shining in my window
Onto me and all of my sleepiness.
(Inspiration)

As I make my way
Throughout the fog of mid-morn,
(Electricity)
A smile graces my lips and runs to
The darkest corners of my heart.
(Important)

Lunchtime comes and I warm
A batch of my famous potato soup,
(Laughter)
Waiting for it to heat through
So that I can savor the taste.
(Delightful)

Today, Mister Sunshine
Is spending great amounts of time
(Cherish)
With his arms enfolding me
Warming me from head to toe.
(Warmth)

Lazy evening, warm breeze blowing
Smell of apple blossom in the air...
(Desire)
Curling up on my porch swing,
I close my eyes and breathe it all in.
(Butterflies)

The sun sinks down and moon rises,
Stars filling the night sky.
(Happiness)
Sounds of the crickets serenading
In time with the beating of my heart.
(Love)

~© Lady Treemont~

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

The Dance



I have sent you my invitation,
the note inscribed on the palm of my hand by the fire of living.
Don’t jump up and shout, "Yes, this is what I want! Let’s do it!"
Just stand up quietly and dance with me.

Show me how you follow your deepest desires,
spiraling down into the ache within the ache,
and I will show you how I reach inward and open outward
to feel the kiss of the Mystery, sweet lips on my own, every day.

Don’t tell me you want to hold the whole world in your heart.
Show me how you turn away from making another wrong without abandoning
yourself when you are hurt and afraid of being unloved.

Tell me a story of who you are,
and see who I am in the stories I live.
And together we will remember that each of us always has a choice.

Don’t tell me how wonderful things will be . . . some day.
Show me you can risk being completely at peace,
truly okay with the way things are right now in this moment,
and again in the next and the next and the next. . .

I have heard enough warrior stories of heroic daring.
Tell me how you crumble when you hit the wall,
the place you cannot go beyond by the strength of your own will.
What carries you to the other side of that wall, to the fragile beauty
of your own humanness?

And after we have shown each other how we have set and kept the clear,
healthy boundaries that help us live side by side with each other, let us risk remembering
that we never stop silently loving those we once loved out loud.

Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance,
the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart.
And I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet and the
stars overhead make my heart whole again and again.

Show me how you take care of business
without letting business determine who you are.
When the children are fed but still the voices within and around us shout that
soul’s desires have too high a price,
let us remind each other that it is never about the money.

Show me how you offer to your people and the world
the stories and the songs
you want our children’s children to remember.
And I will show you how I struggle not to change the world,
but to love it.

Sit beside me in long moments of shared solitude,
knowing both our absolute aloneness and our undeniable belonging.
Dance with me in the silence and in the sound of small daily words,
holding neither against me at the end of the day.

And when the sound of all the declarations of our sincerest
intentions has died away on the wind,
dance with me in the infinite pause before the next great inhale
of the breath that is breathing us all into being,
not filling the emptiness from the outside or from within.

Don’t say, "Yes!"Just take my hand and dance with me.

~© Oriah Mountain Dreamer~

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Lovers....



The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was.
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along.

~© Maulana Jalalu'ddin Rumi~

True Poets



True poets don't write

Their thoughts with a pen...

They release the ink that flows

From within their heart.

~© Author Unknown~

Monday, March 06, 2006

A Special Love



How can I compare your beauty
to other faces?

You seduce me in the sunshine
unashamedly, knowing I cannot look away.

My soul cries out more, more,
and again I search your dark eyes
until I'm strapped in a trance like state.

You proceed to tease
my lips with your tongue delegating my mind
to your ocean, where I glide above the
surface gushing with exhilaration.

Your bouquet fills my face and body
projecting me to hovering heights
that have my heart
racing as if in a lover's embrace.

Yet, you free me
to further savour your endless delights,
till I cannot get enough,
and consume you like an army
of leaf ants would ravage to build their home.

Just as I can feel the slip into the next dimension,
a painless place free of blame,
I open my eyes and you sit there waiting.

Gee I love Mudcake.

~© Rob Swales~

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Some People



Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.

~© Flavia Weedn ~

Friday, March 03, 2006

The Happiest People




The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others.

~© William Lyon Phelps~

Thursday, March 02, 2006

The Universal Rx


No moving parts, no batteries,
No monthly payments and no fees;
Inflation proof, non-taxable,
In fact, it's quite relaxable.

It can't be stolen, won't pollute,
One size fits all, do not dilute.
It uses little energy,
But yields results enormously.

Relieves your tension and your stress,
Invigorate your happiness;
Combats depression, makes you beam,
And elevates your self esteem.

Your circulation it corrects,
Without unpleasant side affects.
It is , I think, the perfect drug:
May I prescribe, my friend,......the hug!

(and, of course, fully returnable!)

~© Henry Matthew Ward~

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Affirmations of Your Basic Rights



Nobody has the right to know my mind or my business or to tell me what to think, what to feel or what to do.

I have a right to my own thoughts, feelings, values and beliefs.

What I share with others about matters that concern me is determined by what feels right to me - not what they want.

If people are abusive or disrespectful to me, I have a right to tell them so, to ask them to stop and to avoid them.

I don't have to be nice to people who aren't nice to me.

I don't need abuse or to be disrespected.

I have a need and right to love myself, respect myself and to stand up for myself.

I have a right to be who I am and to harmlessly live my own life regardless of whether others don't like it.

I don't have to feel guilty for not behaving as others might want me to or for not giving other what they expect of me.

I accept myself just as I am in the moment with whatever thoughts and feelings I have.

I accept my right to my imperfection and shortcomings and don't feel guilty for not being perfect.

I believe that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us - to be treated with love and respect.

I believe that if I am true to myself and live by the highest truth I know, things will turn out for the best in the long run.