I wanted to speak what was on my mind, I turned my prose inside out and inverted my verbs. I reversed my pronouns and skewed my adjectives in an attempt to express myself. I turned my a sentence backwards, then upside down until nothing made any sense. It was only when I looked at it all in a mirror, that I was able to express my thoughts.

My veins burn, they are on fire. I feel the rush as the pain goes away. Everything is not all right, I am high once again. I can only go a day or so before I have to get it again. It takes part of my life from me, but I cannot do without it. I have tried to put it down, but it has a hold on me. At first, it was something to do with friends, now I need it to live. What was I thinking when I started this? Someone said let's have some fun. I was all right on my own, I didn't need it, I just wanted to fit in. Now I am addicted and I can't break the chains. I am a prisoner to my own desires to feel high and forget about the pain that comes when I try to break free. Addicted to something, that has taken so much from me.

My nose is cold, my heart is warm. My fur gets matted and I like to chew. My favorite play thing is your best pair of shoes. I will wait for you endlessly until you get home. I am always happy to see you, no matter what the hour of the day. I love tummy rubs and long walks where you talk endlessly about nothing. I suffer being dressed up as a party guest or riding to save the day, when bandits steal the princess and it is time to play. In all things I am a loyal  trooper to the end. I am your beloved doggie, truly your best friend.

Reaching into the sky grasping at the nothingness. Pulling on a string and watching a kite sail. Running into the breeze but holding nothing nothing. Drawing a sail to its full height and feeling the motion pushing my boat forward. Jumping off a mountain top and letting a glider dive then push up with the draft from the valley below. Rising into the sun before zipping past the clouds. Wrapping myself and the one I love in a blanket as the cold ocean breeze blows through her hair. Catching the wind in so many ways and enjoying the nothingness of it's existence as it fully touches my life.

People scream for help but it falls on deaf ears. The rulers adorn themselves in finery but abhor the unwashed masses. In fortified cities that gleam of white marble and steel, they make plans and dictate what they think life should be, while outside the high walls and vaulted towers, the reality of life is ignored. Who cares about high ideals when you have nothing to eat. What are principled arguments when a baby is sick and dying? The people speak but they will not hear, the poor complain but they will not see. So why won't they listen, who can really say?

Setting up the display took me all night. I had to get every single firework just right. Covering them with a tarp to keep them from getting wet, from the possible rain storm or an unruly pet. Nearing the zero hour, so close to midnight. That's when it all went bad from a single cigarette I think . We suppose Grand Maw was the culprit, but we can't be sure just yet. What a spectacular display it was though not how I had planned, but the trailer park will never forget the fireworks New Years night. When they started in the middle and blew things out of sight. First the Roman candles fired off out of sync, they hit howling **** dogs and cans of gasoline. Then bottle rockets chased away chickens and stray cats, in a patriotic salute, can you imagine that. Then the middle came but it was supposed to be last. The largest firework missile took off with a blast, but instead of launching into the sky, it turned left at the stop sign and hung in the power lines. The arcing and the sparking was quiet a sight. So many random sparks that it set the rest of the fireworks alight. So in no particular order they all fired off. What an uncoordinated mess some of you might scoff, but it made everybody come awake, and what wonderful coverage we all did get. We are now famous on YouTube and the views haven't stopped coming yet. So in a blaze of glory went my fireworks display. The volunteer fire department were still putting out the flames on New Years day. So when next year comes if I am out of jail, no more fire works will I attempt to display. I will just watch football and drink a few beers to celebrate New Years day.

The world is filled with trouble as those who cling to the past gasp at the dying of some old ways. Knowledge increases and new things are imagined everyday. Some want to go backwards and take us with them, while others create the future and seek to better the world. Two arguments are being made, but only one can win out. All things that are past cannot be forgotten, but they will not stop progress. Tomorrow will arrive and become today. New ideas will flourish and amazing things will come to pass. Those who refuse to change will be left behind as the rest of us move forward and see what tomorrow brings.

I look at a sea of Orange across a Pumpkin Patch. I watch stacks of corn stalks shaking in the wind. In bare feet I walk upon the cool dark earth and I shiver slightly as it passes between my toes. I look out in the distance and watch children at play around an old scarecrow. I feel a rush from the north wind and I see falling leaves blown in all directions as they carpet the ground in a canvas of color. I immerse myself in all that I see with fond memories of riding on a tractor with my grandfather. I feel the golden Autumn sun as it touches my face and I once again take comfort in lost innocence with memories of harvest time.

People think that life is complicated, but it is really a recipe. Like making cookies or a cake, life requires a lot of whipping of the batter or kneading of the dough to smooth out the rough spots. All of the ingredients must be in balance in order for the batter to achieve the right consistency. The batter or dough must be poured or cut precisely, although it is sometime fun make things different shape. When the things of life  become complicated, just like the cake, go back to the recipe and read the instructions again. While life is happening, just like making cookies, take time to either lick the bowl or eat some dough. In the end with all confections as with life, the proof is in the pudding. If you have achieved balance, not left the food in the oven too long or dwelled on a problem too much, then you will have a great treat to eat, or wonderful times as long as you share with others either the cookies or life .

Burning with a passionate fire, revenge is going to be sweet! When he sees what he is missing, his jaw will drop to his feet. After weeks of preparation, and mascara that ran all day. I am stepping out tonight and its time for him to pay. In a dress he would never buy me, and an exciting pair of dancing shoes. I am going to strut my stuff and leave him singing the blues. I am going to be someone's eye candy. A hot looking potential trophy wife. I am going to rub his nose in it, you can bet your life! With a diamond white smile and lips of luscious red! I am going to put on a show that will knock him dead. Where I wake up in the morning will depend on how the night life goes. He will feel the heat of a woman scorned as he imagines someone else helping me out of my clothes.

Where is Gods voice, and why is he silent. Why are there no whispers or convictions of the soul. I ask this of heaven and waited for an answer, but nothing was forth coming. I pleaded for understanding and sought wisdom, but still all was quiet. In personal reflection and intensive study, I still could find no answer. Then when it seemed that no more could I do, I sat quietly and listened. In that moment, I heard a voice inside of me. I ask God is that you. The voice said yes. Filled with so many questions, I wanted to know where God had been, then I felt the spirit wash over me and I looked around. I saw birds flying and heard them singing, I heard the water running and saw the golden sunlight shining through the trees. I began to cry and I understood why the heavens were quiet, God had been busy taking care of me.

I walk on egg shells everytime I go out. My nerves are frayed like a split wire. I feel like I am drowning in a river of sweat as I walk down the street. I keep my jacket and hood tight around me. The light of day burns me like a searing iron. Eyes are everywhere and everyone, at least what my paranoia is telling me. I try to walk quickly so we not to draw attention to myself. Getting back inside is all that matters to me. My veins burn and my heart races as I crave the sustenance that calms me. Into my building and up the stairs, the light bulbs flicker and the back ground noises buzz in my head. I struggle to get my key into the lock of the door. The pain grows like a wave inside me, I am living on a kniefs edge and I am about to fall off.

When you see an old woman stranded with a flat and you change it for her and ask nothing in return. When you take food to a neighbor who is down on their luck and leave it without a note. When you just sit and listen to someone's problems and do not say a word. When you give a few dollars that you can spare to a cause just because it feels right. When you think of the welfare of another with no thought for yourself. When an innocent man dies for all of humanity, with no one to help him out. These are some of the things that are God's love.

Two souls bound as one. Two bodies as one flesh. Two lives woven to each other, separated only by death. Strings that bind with passion and commonality. All things joined and apart. Love, life and laughter intricate parts of the same puzzle. Lovers, friends and individuals each part of the other. A relationship complex and yet simple. Two people intertwined.

Emotionally wounded, but not bereft of compassion. Tired but not defeated. I have seen the setbacks come and have walked through the drudgery of life. Things are not always clear and the path can sometimes be mired down with problems. Despite the afflictions, I know that there is always hope. For when I am at my lowest, I seek to pass on kindness to another. In doing so I restore hope to myself and prove that I am still human and that I am not empty as one might think.

To each of us there is a refuge, for each of us there is a safe harbor. To others it is not always obvious, but in a quiet place we find comfort. To some it may be faith, to others a good book. To some their labors for the good of others is a gateway to peace, while others may seek to do nothing but reflect on their inner selves. What ever your refuge, each of us has a place where we find hidden solace from our troubles.

Born out of a larva, set for a purpose. Only knowing what it must do. No freedom of thought for itself. Living a short span while avoiding being swatted or squashed under someone's shoe. A bug is often resented and called ugly. Much disdain is held for the lowly insect, but for the set purpose the bug is important. For without the insect, many things would not be possible. Fishing would be boring without the joy of watching a child trying to hook a cricket. Flowers would not bloom unless a bug pollinated them. Then you could not give your wife Roses when you forgot your anniversary. So though the life of bug may seem short lived and mundane. It is a very important life indeed.

Stick me with a pin and roll me around to make sure I am cold. Shed no tears for me, but throw me a party. Call all of my friends and spend what I have left you. Celebrate who I was for now I am gone. Remember me fondly and try not to over do it. I would like to see you again, just not that soon. So let the music play and let your heart be glad. I have lived my life and now when it is said and done. Let all who care to throw a wake for me and wish me well now that I have moved on.

Trees that have seen generations pass are cut down and the lakes are black with death. Rivers are muddied by runoff from what we call progress and the sky is Grey with pollution that makes the rain acidic. People walk in waste lands that used to be lush and Green and children play among trash that we have no where to put. People have too much while others have not even enough and that is taken away too. When one people hold some land and another finds a thing of worth, it is taken away and they are given nothing for their lost heritage. The ground quakes and the mountains echo with natures displeasure. One place is arid, then runs with an abundance of water. The mountains tremble and rocks fall down as if we are trying to be told something. Not until the rivers dry up and the sea turns red with poison do we see what happens when the earth cries.

On the open water, waves crashing around the hull. Pulling the wheel and turning tight to catch the wind. The single sail rises full and the canvas glistens against the sun. It is in these moments that I can clear my mind. No power to guide me, just the will of the wind to drive me. I am at the mercy of the air and the sea. Beneath the open sky feeling the salt spray and the warmth of the sun, here is where I relish my solitude.

Locked in a cold Grey room. Walls of cement and steel. I look through the bars as I hear time creep past. I hate my life and wish to end the loneliness. I made mistakes and now I am paying the price. I sit here while others are out having life. I have broken and shattered the peach of others. Now I sit here in my own version of a personal hell. I sparsely have any freedom, trapped in my prison cell.

Looking into a mirror, I see my beauty fading. My eyes are showing signs of age. Youth is fleeting and my bones ache. A soul that was once vigorous is now weary. My hair has lost it's luster and I get cold all of the time. The warm sun does little to give me comfort,the bright light hurts my eyes. Loud noises disturb me and I just want to sleep. What has come over me I cannot say. The doctor can find nothing wrong, and yet my spirit finds no joy in life. If nothing changes I will just waste away. Were it over quickly, it would be a blessing, but unless I can will myself to cease to exist, I will suffer a slow death as my spirit loses the will to live.

Life is a puzzle that we have to put together. The pieces do not always fit the way they think they should. One part seems to go one way, then a different piece comes from somewhere else to take it's place. Try as we might, we cannot figure out the whole picture. Only in bits and pieces do we get to put a life together. Sometimes we must take the puzzle apart and try to fit the pieces together again. The only thing of which we can be sure, is that we can only put life's puzzle together one piece at a time.

The snow has lost it's luster and the winter has stayed too long. That which was beauty is now cold and uninviting. Oh how I miss the song birds and the soft gentle breezes, for now is the season that the grip of sleep must relent on the earth and the new life must come forth. So I will sit idly by my window and watch the sun cast an even longer shadow as the ice melts drip by drip from the trees. Until I can see the ground again, I will be waiting on the Clover to let me know it is spring.

Emotions separate us and tear us apart. Distrust, suspicion and lies are the things that get in our way. We throw up barriers to protect ourselves. Physical barriers such a separation and distance from the ones we used to love. We set up emotional barriers to guard our heart so that we won't be hurt again. Brick by Brick we build these obstructions, the things that keep us from really living Our Lives. Until we begin to Tear Down the Walls that we build, we cannot again feel the warmth of love and know trust nor can we begin to heal until this is done

When planning out your day simply start with an open block of time. Set one hour aside for nothing to go right. Then move on to your first task and mark who to call for help, because no matter how you try, you will always find that the task is larger than you and fraught with unexpected delays. Next schedule play time, either for yourself, your dog or your kids. Regardless whether you a lot an hour or two leave room for a nap. Because big meals makes adults sleepy, kids wear out fast and dogs like to lay lazily in the sun. Next mark down chores to be done. A lot time for each then double it and add lots of soap and water. Because no matter what you want to sweep, dust, mop or clean up, something will always get spilled or spotted all over what ever you are working on. Lastly but in no wise unimportant, make alternate plans for your dinner, for as much as you might know how to cook, pizza delivery is always a lifesaver when you try to plan your day.

Beaten with stripes of a sinner, bruised as a reed beneath the heel of oppression. Crowned with mocking thorns, hanged on a tree for our sins. Unjustly persecuted and reviled, the lord gave up all. On the cross he surrendered to his affliction, abandoned even by the father above. By his affliction we find redemption in Christ undying love.

Hear the melody that the wind plays as it blows through the reeds of the marsh. Listen to the wind echo as it whistles through the tree tops. Hear the howls of the breeze that rushes down the cracks in the aged mountain that stood before man was. Hear the song of the wind chimes as the wind toys with them as they dangle from the front porch of a family's home. Like a conductor of a symphony, the wind directs many songs and plays many tunes on various instruments. In a harmony that we seldom respect or take time to enjoy.

There are lots of ugly weeds in the places of the world. They are born from seeds of hate and ignorance. I will come on a journey and plant seeds of hope and service. Giving to others to help lift them up. I will be a light and shine in the dark places. I will seek to make better the lives of as many as I can. I will hold fast to the hope that each life I can touch will be for the good and not the ill. Offering a future of prosperity and accomplishment instead of one of death and misery. Helping others to make life beautiful again.

Taught to hustle at an early age. Learned the code of silence and a gangsters ways. Making money as fast as I can. You got to have a gun to become a man. Hoping not to die before I reach seventeen. Trying to forget some of the things I have seen. Living my life by the hustlers code, giving nothing and taking what ever I want. Let others sacrifice for the state, getting what I want cannot wait. Learning hard lessons just to survive, having to grow up street wise.

Glistening on the runway, turning for a profile, walking up and down in heels, this is just our style. Immersed in glamor, should I wear sequins or a backless dress? It can be quite confusing, I must confess! Hair styled in unbelievable ways, often defying gravity thanks to enough hair spray. Eyeliner and rouge to highlight the correct lines on a model's face. The lighting must be perfect, everything is in its place. The DJ gets the cue and the music gets to start. The curtain opens and everybody plays their part. Delighted fans take pictures and get lost for a while. They have to come here to see what near perfection can be achieved with a proper sense of fashion and style.

If there were no America, freedom would not ring. If it was never born, there would be no from sea to shining sea. If there were no America, the world would be ruled by despots and monarchies. If there were no America, millions would have died in vain. If there were no America, oppression would be the law of the land. If there were no America, things would be really bad. All of the freedoms that millions of people hold dear, would have never been imagined, if America were not here. So to those who hate the idea of the land of the free and the home of the brave, live one year in another place and see what they crave. While there are many other lands, there is not nor will there ever be, a place like America, where people are truly free.

When I was young and full of wonder, I set out to change the world. I went forth to make things right only to find that life got in my way. As I struggled along my path, I found my goals fleeting. Until one day I looked into the mirror and saw my hair had began to turn Grey. In this moment I felt as though I had failed in my hope. So I resigned myself that it could not be done. As I lay down to rest one evening, my eyes fluttered with sleep. As the shades of night fell over my face, I felt myself pushed backwards. I woke up to the sight of a younger version of myself as I helped a woman cross the street with her children. I saw her look back in gratitude as she walked away. I then moved forward to a house that I helped build. It was a small home, but it was given to a family in need. As I lay there dreaming, I saw the path of my life with each passing day. I noticed little things I had done along the way. Helping people in some small way, I awaken with a new found knowledge, I truly had changed the world, but not as I had envisioned with a grand plan or ingenious scheme, but simply by being there with kindness, to help one person at a time.

Giving flowers to a friend for no reason. Encouraging someone who feels they have reached a crossroad. Reminding someone that they are loved. These are simple acts of kindness that are part of giving joy.

Shaved ice falls down upon me as blue streaks melt out of my hair. The sea thunders on rocks that form a jetty and I walk in silence with nary a care. The heat of the sun seems unbearable to some, but it makes me feel alive. Though the heat can be torturous to some, it keeps me sane. The board walk gets hot and burns my feet, but it is just another reminder that I am real. These days I need much more of that than usual , if it is only pain, I am just glad I can still feel something.

In a dark corner of Washington filled with ghostly Grey light, the remnants of could have and should have been lie in dusty heaps. The hollow and empty skeletons of forgotten political careers. Where all would be great leaders careers go to die. A place filled with forgotten slogans and scandal ridden files filled with half truths. Ghost haunt this place whaling and bemoaning their ends. Where never a thought is given to those who ran and lost. The political bone yard is a reminder to all would be giants, of just how far one can fall into obscurity and to what end a political career can come.

Feelings mingled with fire burn the skies blood Red! The bridal bed forsaken, the groom lies dead! White turned to Crimson before the wedded bliss was sealed! She never agreed to be a part in this deal! So now she flees the wrath of those who would hunt her down! Still filled with rage, she sheds her clothing like a second skin. Baring all for the world to see, she jumps into the sea. Behind her lays revenge and sorrow, fueled by rage she seeks her own tomorrow! No bargain will determine her fate! If it is death then so be it, but vengeance will have to wait! Born again across another border, she climbs out of the chilling water beyond the reach of her persecutors! Into the arms of a waiting true love, he takes her to a secret place and there a bond is made! Ever should he show her his loyalty, lest he feels the wrath of a scorned woman's blade!

Burn in tribulation and let the fire purge your soul! Walk into the flames of trial and let yourself be made stronger. Let the old constructs be destroyed and new ones be forged from the molten core of your being. Become as Gold or Silver from the smelter. Dust off the afflictions and take your place in a new creation, where you will become what you are destine to be.

The sound of keys echo down the cellblock. The footsteps of the officer follow in kind as time passes at a snails pace behind iron bars and stone walls. Looking out of a ***** window you get a sense of the hopelessness as the grey skies pass and the rain falls into a barren and lifeless yard. Nothing grows down there but a few scraggly weeds. It feels like your in a pressure cooker and that something has to boil over sometimes. Yet the days drag on and the bland colors of cement and steel drain the life out of you little by little. You grasp at every thread of sanity you can imagine, but in the end all you hear is the familiar echo of keys and the foot steps of a never ending watch. The pieces on the chess board occasionally change, but the game remains the same. Sitting behind the walls and fences stuck in a lifeless room, waiting on something to change as you die a little each day.

I look in the mirror and I don't like what I see. For years I have done what others wanted. I have been something I am not. Well today that all ends, I will no longer conform. I am tired of being hungry so I can fit into clothes that I do not like. I will no longer walk in shoes that are uncomfortable to me. I will eat until I am satisfied and wear my hear how I please. I will gains some weight if I want to and feel good in my own skin. I will voice my opinion even if others do not agree. Today I am reinventing myself, today I will finally be me.

In an array of bright colors in the light of the morning sun, when the cool air begins to fade and the fog lifts leaving dew drops on the petals of flowers that form a tapestry of color. The sky becomes bright with layers of color as butterflies rise on warm air. Swirling too and froe in the wisp of air, they leap from flower to flower taking great care. They land on dew drops that hang like jewels glistening in the days new light. As they finish on one blossom they rise to seek another, creating a winged rainbow as they dodge in and out between one another. Thus is a symphony formed on the warm summer breeze, with the dance of the butterflies and they live for a beautiful short moment in the sun.

Stepping into the heights of heaven, I walk along the misty ways. Where Eagles fly and the sun shines just a little brighter. From on a high peak where few will ever walk, I look back on the problems I left below. In quiet solitude I travel in contemplation of things that I want to know. I search for answers in the sky and the land around me. As I watch nature, I see that my footprints fade with each step, as I travel through the mountain mist, and leave no footprints in the clouds.

I cannot eat one bite of food. My stomach is tied in knots and sleep has not been my friend. I wrestle with my emotions and the emptiness that I feel inside. I am tossed about like a ship on the ocean as I suffer through each day in misery. I long for rest and understanding, but no one seems to be able to relate to how I feel. So I will drift along the shore of emotional despair, looking for a safe harbor where I can find emotional stability and shelter from the storm of confusion that now consumes my life.

Weeks of planning are coming to fruition. A vision of loveliness waits in the bride chamber. Caterers and florist, musicians and maids of honor all come together to make this moment special. The guest are seated in order of importance and the groom waits with his best men. The brides maids in their unflattering dresses, wait to escort the princess for a day to her betrothed. The music begins to play and chaste flower girls in small white reflections of the bride come forward with baskets of flower petals. The stage is set for a marriage made somewhere. The room rises as the starlet makes her appearance, such a sight to behold. Mean while the groom takes one more quick nip form a bottle hidden in his coat pocket. This is it here comes the bride.

Starlings chirp and call to each other as they dance on the wind. Robins sing and chirp among the greening branches of a Willow tree. Little Chickadees sing a bright tune as they play among the thorny leaves of an evergreen Holly. The wind whistles through the tree tops and the sound of a 1000 Sparrows comes alive as an orchestra. Music is alive in the world, we just often fail to take the time to hear it.

There was a skinny girl who didn't eat too much. She was never satisfied with how she looked. Despite being really thin, she tried to be skinnier,eating only what she needed to stay alive. She got to a point where she was as thin as a nail, but still she wasn't satisfied. Then one day she went to her mirror to see what she looked like. When she tried to look at herself, she found that she was finally so thin, that she could only see herself if she turned sideways.

Oh mountain that I cling to, sacred rock of ages. Rock of the foundation of all things, that is higher than I. Let thy name be exalted and given adoration, for thou oh rock are higher than I.

The cold air fills your lungs and the snow blows up around you. From the top of a peak, you look down on an ocean of white. Setting your sights on the far run below, you jump up and tear out into the white sea. Swishing this way and that into the cold powder, you come alive hitting bumps and taking the air like an unguided missile. You crash down with a crunch and cut through the layers of frozen covering as you head for the valley below. With the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning, you feel the wonderful delight as you finish your run. Then you look back over the land and see the trail you blazed, then you inhale the thick richness of the cold air and head back up the mountain with anticipation of doing it again.

Our bodies are far apart and yet are souls are knitted together. We said we would not part, but that was in another forever. I long to hold you and feel your gentle touch. Yet all I get to hold is empty space and it tears my heart to pieces all of the time. I know that you are frustrated, well so am I, but what can two people but slowly watch time pass by? I promise that this distance will not diminish how I feel. I want you to always know that my love for you is true. Until I can bridge the distance between us, I am not sure what else I can do.

I let the garbage go until I could not stand it. I refused to wash one more pair of socks. I did not wash one dish or glass because something had to stop. I needed to get things in focus. I had to get him to see things my way. So to resolve all of our problems I came up with a training day. I stopped dressing like a lady and acted more like a man. I walked around in sweat pants with holes and kept my hand in my waste band. I let the house and my duties go. I decided why should I care. I made every meal pizza and an ice cold beer. I didn't bother to the change the channel I just preprogrammed the remote control. Now all we see are racing and fishing shows. When I needed to dress up and go out, I just found what ever was on top of pile of close that smelled like an old wet mop. I pulled my hair into a pony tail and slipped on my flip flops. At first he seemed to like it, but then he said it was getting weird. He wasn't sure how he liked me as one of his friends constantly living here. It didn't take long for him to see things my way. Especially when no bills got paid on time, and the took the cable away Suddenly things got better as he came around to my point of view. He now takes out the trash on time and does what I ask him to do. So if you are having problems with a relationship and a man can't see things your way. Just become a reflection of him and give him his own training day.