If you want to stop time,
kiss and if you want to
travel in time, read and
if you want to escape time,
embrace music , and if
you want to feel time,
write and to release time,
breathe.

Learn to love without
condition, talk without
bad intention, give
without any reason and
most of all, care for
people without any
explanation.

Don't think about what
can happen in a month,
don't think about what
can happen in a year,
but focus on the 24
hours in front of you
and do what you can
to get closer to where
you want to be

Don't look for things
you aren't ready to find
and never accept anything
less than you deserve
and remember, you teach
people how to treat you
and every level of life
will demand a different
version of you and things
are as they are and we
suffer because we
imagined different, so let
it hurt, let it bleed, let it
heal, and let it go.
                                     Jon York    2016

Worry is like a rocking chair,
it gives you something to
do, but gets you nowhere
and the reason people hold
onto memories so tight, for
so long is because memories
are the only things that don't
change, even when people
do, so don't get caught up
in your thoughts so much
that you can't see that it
isn't what you look at that
matters, it is what you see
so keep in mind that at any
given moment you have the
power to say, this is not how
the story is going to end.

The world is going to judge
you no matter what you do
so live your life the way
you want to knowing that
worrying doesn't take away
tomorrows troubles, it takes
away today.

The happiness of your life
depends upon the quality
of your thoughts so be
grateful for another day
knowing that not
everybody made it, and
don't take it for granted
and know that those
mountains that you carry,
you were only supposed
to climb.                         Jon York      2016

When something bad
happens you have
choices, you can either
let it define you or
you can let it destroy
you or you can you
let it strengthen you
but know that stars
can't shine without
darkness,so if at first
you don't succeed,
destroy all evidence
that you tried and
cleanse your mind of
anxieties and
broodings and forgive
yourself for your
transgressions and see
the beauty that surrounds
you and listen to all of
the joyous sounds of
your world and always
be aware of the marvels
in your life now and not
when you are in the
depths of despair.

Dance like no one is
watching,
Love like you've
never been hurt,
Sing like no one's
listening
Live like heaven is
on earth and be kind,
for everyone you meet
is fighting a hard battle
and every day may not
be good but there is
something good in every
day.
                                       Jon York        2016

Nothing lasts forever is the hardest
lesson we all learn in the hardest way
and the world is going to judge you
no matter what you do, so live your
life the way you want and work on it
every single day and be done and
know that to be outstanding you must
get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Every positive change in your life begins
a clear decision that you are going to
either do something, or stop doing something,
so stay too busy on your own grass to
notice if the grass is greener on the other side.

It's nice to be important. but it's more
important to be nice and know the truth
doesn't cost anything, but a lie could cost
you everything so make it your mission in
life to be so happy and loving that you
have no time for hate, regret, worry, or fear.

Words are free, it's how you use them
that could cost you, so focus on what
matters and let go what doesn't and people
who wonder whether the glass is half
empty or half full miss the point.
The glass is refillable.

The secret of being happy is accepting
where you are in life and making the best
out of every day knowing happiness is a
choice that requires effort at times, so make
today amazing and stop complaining and
appreciate what you have.
                                                          Jon York     2016

Count your age by friends, not
years and count your life by smiles,
not tears and know that time you
enjoy wasting is not really wasted
and the rest of your life could be the
best of your life because you never
get too old to be young and life may
not be the party you hoped for but
while you are here, you should dance.

In youth we learn, in age we understand,
no matter how hard life is, and don't
lose hope, just fill your heart with what's
important and be done with it, and love
those random memories that make you
smile, no matter what's going on in your
life right now, and work in silence, letting
your message be your noise.

Love the life you live and live the life
you love knowing life is to be enjoyed,
not just endured, and do things that
move you because life is too short to
wait, so be happy knowing that every
day is a new beginning and take a
deep breath and start again, and don't
chase people, be yourself, and do your
own thing, working hard, because if
you do, the  right people, the ones who
really belong in your life, will come
to you and stay.

The idea is to die young as late as
possible, so forgive yourself, again and
again and again, as many times as it
takes to find peace, and people will
love you, people will hate you, and
none of it will have anything to do
with you so no matter how hard it is,
don't lose hope, realizing that character
like a photograph, develops in the dark
and know that something that can't be
done is just something that hasn't been
done before.
                                                      Jon York     2016

Excuses will always be there for you
and opportunity won't, so remember
how far you have come along with
everything you have faced and all of
the battles you have won and all of
the fears you have overcome, while
realizing that life is too ironic to be
fully understood and remember that
you have the power to make the future
better than the present if you  have
power over your circumstances instead
of letting your circumstances have
power over you.

A positive attitude gives you power
over your circumstances so know that
you have the power to change your
life at any given moment and never
forget that, so laugh at the confusion,
smile through the tears, and keep
reminding yourself that everything
happens for a reason.

Everyone sees what you appear to be
but few experience what you really are,
so remember it takes sadness to know
what happiness is, noise to appreciate
silence, absence to value presence and
remember that no one is you and that
is your power, so live your dreams and
take risks because life is happening now.
                                                            ­       Jon York     2016

You did not wake up today to be mediocre and
you didn't come this far to only come this far and
you know each circumstance is a gift and in each
experience is hidden a gift and know that your mind
is a powerful thing and when you fill it with positive
thoughts your life will start to change, so choose your
path and never apologize for saying what you feel
because that's like saying you're sorry for being real
and know it's not who you are that holds you back,
but who you think you're not.

Climb mountains not so the world can see you but
so that you can see the world and go where you are
celebrated, not tolerated knowing that the person that
you will spend the most time with in your life is yourself,
so you'd better try to make yourself as interesting as
possible and know that everyone you meet is afraid of
something, loves something, and has lost something.

Never waste your time to explain who you are to people
who are committed to misunderstanding you and realize
that people aren't against you; they are for themselves
and it shouldn't be a fight to feel loved as time decides
who you meet in your life, your heart decides who you
want in your life, and your behavior decides who stays
in your life and a moment of patience in a moment of
anger saves you a hundred moments of regret.

Human behavior comes from three main sources; desire,
emotion, and knowledge and the less you respond to
negative people, the more peaceful your life will become
and don't be ashamed of your story because it will inspire
others and be sure you taste your words before you spit
them out.
Be open to whatever comes next and stay humble, work
hard, be kind and don't be afraid of being different, be
afraid of being the same as everyone else and know that
most people do not listen with the intent to understand,
they listen with the intent to reply and know that weak
people revenge, strong people forgive, and intelligent
people ignore.                                                                 Jon York    2016

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up,
show up and never give up being sure that
you never water yourself down just because
they can't handle you at 100 proof and
remember that life is short, so break the
rules and forgive quickly, kiss slowly and
love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never
regret anything that made you smile.

Never stop doing your best just because
someone doesn't give you credit and know
that you are not born a winner and you are
not born a loser but that you are born a
chooser so understand your worth and
value your life and appreciate your blessings.

Always believe that something wonderful is
about to happen and train your mind to see
the good in every situation and work so hard
that one day your signature will be called an
autograph as you **** them with success and
bury them with a smile.

One day you will just be a memory to some
people so do your best to be a good one and
be a voice, not an echo and make today count
because you'll never get it back as you accept
what is, let go of what was and have faith in
what will be.

Be somebody who makes everybody feel like
a somebody and give but don't allow yourself
to be used and love but don't allow your heart
to be abused and trust but don't be naïve and
listen but don't lose your voice.
                                                  Jon York    2016

I swim in a sea of words floating around in my
head and I am sometimes beaten down by the
waves but I have managed to survive and am
still alive and I have not given up on life even
when surrounded by strife.

Can't say. . .
that I haven't had enough time or that I don't have
enough time left in my life to be productive or say
something with my words that will affect people
that I teach and those that read me.
Can say. . .
that it is never too late in my life to find real love
because love is all around me even though I can't
see it or touch it but I know that she is out there
somewhere and all I have to be able to is see it.

Can't say. . .
that I won't survive the reality of the past because I
am still here after so many years and after so many
near death experiences and I can't say that I don't
hold my life to be dear.
Can say. . .
that it seems like the older I get the more questions I
have and no one to answer them and nothing makes
sense anymore but as I get older the more I discover
that learning is discovering what I didn't even know
I didn't know.

Can't say. . .
that I have felt everything that I am going to feel and
from here on out I am only going to feel lesser versions
of what I have already felt.
Can say. . .
that I still learn something new every day and I still
have a lot more words to put out there if I dare and
that it is so important , even at my age, to dream and
dance for laughter, dance for tears, and to dance for
hopes and dance for screams because we are the
dancers and we all create our own dreams.
                                                         ­                        Jon York   2016

Success is not final just
as failure is not fatal but
it is the courage to continue
that counts so know that it
ain't easy as the days are
long and the years are short
and today you are the oldest
you have ever been and the
youngest you will ever be
again and as we get older the
less we listen to what people
say and the more we look at
what they do and we learn
that it is not the words of our
enemies we will remember
but the silence of our friends.

Your life is a story so write
well and edit often knowing
difficult roads often lead to
beautiful destinations and
life is short, so live it and
love is rare, so grab it, and
fear is awful, so face it, and
memories are sweet so
cherish them.

Know that one of the hardest
things to do in life is letting
go of what you thought was
real and remembering those
two words of six letters that
are easy to say, hard to
explain and harder to do,
"move on".           Jon York      2016

The greatest gift you can give someone
is your time because when you give
your time you are giving a portion of
your life that you will never get back
and time is more valuable than money
because you can always get more
money but you cannot get more time.

Time has a wonderful way of showing
us what really matters because good
things take time so live every moment,
love beyond words and laugh every
day and don't let your struggle become
your identity because nobody can go
back and start a new beginning but
anybody can start today and make a
new ending.

Age is not a guarantee of maturity and
sometimes your heart needs more time
to accept what your mind already
knows so know that any time you enjoy
wasting is not wasted time because good
things take time and if you have time to
whine and complain about something
then you have the time to do something
about it.

Hard times will always reveal true friends
just as time discovers truth and time is not
free but it is priceless and you can't own it
but you can use it and you can't keep it but
you can spend it but once you have lost it,
it is gone forever.

                                                               ­           Jon York     2016

We are only here for a short visit so don't
hurry and don't worry and be sure to smell
the flowers along the way and be an optimist
and see the opportunity in every difficulty,
not the difficulty in every opportunity.

The trick is to just keep breathing, knowing
that there were those times when you were
in a dark place, buried and left for dead but
actually you were planted and were able to
grow in new directions.

Know what you are able to bring to the table
and trust yourself when you say that you are
not afraid to eat alone knowing that everything
is hard before it is easy as you discover that
your mind is saying go but your body says no.

Don't go through life, grow through life and
enjoy the moment because you never get the
same moment twice in life so celebrate every
tiny victory and when life is sweet, say thank
you and celebrate and when life is bitter, say
thank you and grow.

You can't do anything about the length of your
life, but you can do something about its width
and its depth and know you can't change your
situation but you can change how you choose to
deal with it and never worry about tomorrow
like it is promised, because tomorrow is never
guaranteed.

Just because some people are fueled by drama
doesn't mean you have to attend the performance,
so just live for those moments that can't be put into
words and remind yourself that it's okay not to be
perfect and learn to appreciate life as it happens
because those moments will soon pass and you will
wish that you had treasured them more.
                                                                                 Jon  York      2016

Sometimes you will find that you have
to fight through some bad days to earn
the best days of your life and learn that
life is for the living and our scars have
the power to remind us that the past
was real.

Sometimes good things fall apart so better
things can fall together and it always seems
that about the time we decide to make the
most of life, most of it is gone and we find
that the closing years of life are like a
masquerade party when the masks
are dropped.

Sometimes you find yourself in the middle
of nowhere and sometimes in the middle
of nowhere you find yourself and I find
that as I have aged I become kinder to
myself and less critical of myself and that
I have had to become my own friend after
discovering that the greatest challenge in
life is discovering who I am and the second
greatest is being happy with what I found.

Life is too deep for words so don't try to
describe it but just live it and don't wait
for the perfect moment but take the
moment ant make it perfect because in life
you are either a passenger or a pilot and it
is your choice and don't forget to enjoy
your journey.
                                                               Jon York     2016

We are all traveling through
time together and all we can
do is just do our best so flood
the universe with an ocean of
good karma and you will in
return receive only the best and
good fortune will come your
way so be prepared to accept
all of the happiness that comes
your way if you don't count the
days but make the days count.

Nothing is fixed and everything
is always permanently changing
as change is part of our existence
and  is really its foundation as
time passes and the years fly by
bringing many mental changes
along with so many physical
changes and we look in the
mirror and discover that we
are not the same person
anymore and neither are any
of our loved ones or our friends
and we soon realize that
growing old beats the
alternative of dying young.

Resisting change is like trying
to hold water in your hand
because change is life and life
is change so don't be afraid
of changing but always be
afraid of not changing and
remember that it never gets
easier but that you just have to
get better and remember that
life is only complicated when
you make it complicated.
                                                  Jo­n York       2016

Tell yourself. . .to believe yourself and
that pain makes you stronger, tears make
you braver, and heartbreak makes you
wiser and tell yourself that a moment of
patience in a moment of anger will save
you a hundred moments of regret.

Tell yourself. . .that everything will work
out and that you are strong and that you
can do this thing called life and tell yourself
that the past is a place of reference and not
a residence and remember to tell yourself
to thank the past for a better future.

Tell yourself. . .to stop looking for happiness
in the same place that you lost it and tell
yourself to never let the things you want
make you forget the things that you have
and know that it is not about having time,
it is about making time.

Tell yourself. . .to do what is right, not what
is easy knowing that Neverland is not a place
but that it is a state of mind and tell yourself
that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional
and tell yourself to be thankful for all of the
troubles that you don't have.

Tell yourself. . .that it is what it is, accept it and
move on because even at your worst, you are
incredible and tell yourself to embrace reality
even if it burns you and tell yourself to finish
each day and be done with it knowing that you
only are responsible for what you say and not
what others understand.

Believe what you tell yourself.
                                                           Jon York       2016

Every year is getting shorter
as I get older and the seasons
come and go at the speed of
light but the Winters feel so
cold and slow and the Summers
feel long and hot as you look up
and everyone you know has aged
almost beyond recognition and
you wonder how they let themselves
get in such a condition as the pages
keep turning and you wonder to
yourself, "do I look that old?"and for
your youth you are yearning.

As I look for something to say on this
lazy Summer day, I know that I am a
strong person, but every now and then
I need someone to take my hand and
say everything will be all right because
sometimes it is the little things that
matter and the few kind words that
people speak and the few precious
moments that we choose to keep
forever in the back of our minds
as we ride out the final years in
what sometimes feels like an
endless grind.

Forget what hurt you, but never
forget what it taught you and
don't promise when you're happy,
and do not reply when you're angry,
and do not decide when your sad,
and know it's better to bite your
tongue than to eat your words
knowing that the word listen contains
the same letters as the word silent
and know character is how is how
you treat those who can do nothing
for you.

There will always be a "lie" in believe.
an "over" in lover, and an "end" in
friend, an "us" in trust, and an "If" in
life, so be kind, for everyone is fighting
a hard battle and realize that the happiest
people don't have the best of everything,
they just make the best of everything
so don' be afraid to swim upstream
to find that dream.
                                                       Jon York     2016

The trouble is you think you
have time but you soon discover
one day that it is all gone and
in the end your only regret
is the chances you didn't take.

People just want to feed their
egos, so feed your ego, I am
busy being driven by passion,
seized by obsession, delighted
by creation, enthralled with
expression, entranced by vision,
diverted by daydreams, filled
with emotion, fueled by
compulsion, consumed
with beauty, and blindsided
by inspiration.

Everything is going to be ok in
the end, so they say, and if it's
not ok, it is not the end I guess,
because sometimes when things
are falling apart, they may
actually be falling into place.

Find that place where there is
joy and the joy will burn out
the pain so just stay inspired.
                                                    Jon York      2016

Don't wait, because life goes faster
than you think and worrying will
never change the outcome so enjoy
life now because this is not a rehearsal.

Time goes on so whatever your
going to do, you had better do it
knowing that to live is the rarest thing
in the world as most people just exist
and that is all.

Every morning that you wake up you
have two choices and that is to
continue to sleep with your dreams
or to wake up and chaise them.

In the blink of an eye everything can
and will change because nothing
ever stays the same in the game of life
and every time that we embrace a
memory we meet again with those
we love and those we have loved.

We worry about tomorrow like it
was promised and we wonder
why that if time is infinite, why
is there never enough of it?

Accept the sweet and the bitter
along with the joys and the sorrows
that enter into your life everyday
because tomorrow isn't guaranteed
so stay patient and accept your
journey knowing that some walks
you have to take alone.
                                                          ­  Jon York
                                                            ­                         2016

As you get
older you
gather
layers of
life.

You wear
them
proudly or
they take
you down.

I choose to
wear mine.                
                                         Jon York   2016

Take time to do what
makes you happy
knowing that life is
the art of drawing
without an eraser.

Just wash away
from the soul the
dust of everyday life
and console those
who are broken by
life and know that
some days you just
have to create your
own sunshine.

Sometimes the reason
good things are not
happening to you is
because you are the
good thing that needs
to happen to other
people so remember
that tomorrow is just
another day.

Be ready come what
may and know if you
should never see
tomorrow there will
be no cause for sorrow
because you made the
most of each day while
you were here and if
you don't understand
I can't explain.
                                          Jon   York    2016

As I grow older I learn that pleasing everyone
is impossible but ******* everyone off is a
piece of cake and what screws us up most in
life is the picture in our head of how it is
supposed to be and we often become blind
and refuse to see what is right in front of us
moving us to disgust.

Hurt me with the truth if you have to but
never try to comfort me with lies and know
that it is during the worst times of our lives
that we get to see the true colors of some of
the people who say they care for us and
nothing worth having comes easy and
sometimes you don't get closure, you just
move on.

I am stronger because I have had to be and
smarter because of my mistakes and happier
because of the sadness I have known and
thankful for my struggles because without
them I would not have stumbled across my
strengths.

What comes easy doesn't last and what lasts
doesn't usually come easy and our greatest
pains often become our greatest strengths
so be strong enough to stand alone and smart
enough to know when you need help and
brave enough to ask for it.    
                                                         ­                    Jon  York    2016

Yesterday is a
cancelled check;
tomorrow is a
promissory note;
today is the only
cash you have
- so spend it
wisely and take
the time to look
around you and
see the beauty
and love that is
out there and
realize that people
do care even
though your life
may have been
unfair.    
                                  Jon York   2016

Don't be quick to see the
faults of others but instead
see your own faults with
a desire to correct those faults
and see your troubles as
opportunities in disguise.

See beyond those painful
times seeing the needs of
others while responding with
an open heart knowing that
peace comes with forgiveness.

Fill your voice with kindness,
your ears with compassion
along with using your hands
for charity and your mind
for truth and your heart
for love.

Remember to tell someone
that they are appreciated and
that you are grateful for their
friendship and love as you
bury and forget all of those
bitter and unkind thoughts.

Hang in there with patience
and perseverance while making
the rest of your life the best of
your life and remember that
in the end it is with you  
you have to live.
                                               Jon York    2016

Time is like a river because you never
touch the same water twice as the flow
that passes you by will never pass again
so enjoy every moment of your life and
make the rest of your life the best of your
life and one day you will be at the place
that you always wanted to be.

Have the determination to make things
happen, the strength to overcome all things
and open your eyes so that you may see all
of the beauty that surrounds you and open
your ears so that you may hear all of the
joyous sounds of the world and be aware
of the marvels of life while not taking the
rest of your life for granted.

Within you lies the determination, the
strength, and the will to survive even
when life seems overwhelming and you
are preoccupied with the troublesome
details of life.

Realize deeply that the present moment
is all you ever have and that you must
make now the primary part of your life
righting the past wrongs and accepting
what you cannot change and turning
toward the positive knowing that in
order to be loved, you must be lovable.
                                                               Jon York     2016

Each day is a sentence
in the story of your life
and each day you can
make the choice of
whether that sentence
ends with a period, a
question mark or an
exclamation point!

Before you can live a
part of you has to die
as you let go of what
could have been and
realize what you are
here today because of
choices you made
yesterday and it doesn't
matter how hard it was
to make those choices
but that you did.

Choose thoughts that give
you the emotions of being
alive and excited about life
and know that you are here
today because of the choices
you made yesterday and that
you can change your tomorrow
today.

You cannot change where you
came from but you can change
where you are going by knowing
that you cannot continue down
the same path and expect to
arrive at a different destination.

Life is not lived with intentions
but with action and the past
cannot be changed so we must
carry those choices we made
in a few brief seconds and pay
for them in the time that we
remain here.
                                 Jon York     2015

The best thing you can ever do is
to believe in yourself and take it
day by day being grateful for every
breath you take and realizing that
you are not a product of your
circumstances but a product of
your decisions and recognizing that
along the way of your journey
sometimes you must fight a battle
more than once to win it.

Have the courage to embrace dreams
and the strength to sacrifice for them
and the determination to fulfill them
because life goes faster than you think
and in the end we are all just humans
and that should be enough.

Learn quickly that you alone are
responsible for the quality of your life
and when you decide that your life is
your own only then can the first day
of your life really begin so decide
what you want and decide that there
is no better time than now to get it
no matter how far along you are
in your years.

Nothing haunts us like the things we
didn't say and hell is something you
carry around with you, not somewhere
to go so survive by forgetting and
finding that quiet voice at the end of the
day saying"I will try again tomorrow."
                                                                      Jon York       2015

We all have faces that we hide away
forever and we take them out and
show ourselves when everyone is
gone and we look at what the years
have done and realize that everything
on the outside changes but what
really matters is on the inside and that
mostly remains the same.

We tell ourselves stories in order to
live and we cure physical diseases with
medicine but find out that the only cure
for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness
is love, so don't hope but decide and
have some fun on that final ride as
you approach the end.

Wash what is *****, water what is dry,
heal what is hurt, dry tears that are shed,
warm what is cold and guide what goes
off the road so you can lighten your
load and don't be afraid to try again
as everyone goes south every now and
then as we all fall in love though we
disregard the danger but learn that it
takes strength to love again but it
takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive but it takes
courage to live just as it takes strength
to feel a friends pain and courage to
feel your own pain, so change the
changeable, accept the unchangeable
and remove yourself from the unacceptable.
                                                   ­                          Jon York    2015

Truth is. . .
every one is
going to hurt
you so you
just have to
find the one
who's worth
the pain.

Sometimes it
takes a good
fall to really
know where
you stand.

Everything is
maybe and
nothing is so
painful to the
human as a
great and
sudden change.

And someday,
in retrospect,
the years of
struggle will
strike you as
beautiful, so
realize that
there are stars
in your darkness
brighter than
the Sun.    
                               Jon York      2015

My entire life can
be described in one
sentence: It didn't
go as planned, but
that's ok because I
discovered that a
better life isn't a
destination, it's a
daily process and
I learned that life
is like an ocean,
it can be calm and
still and rough or
rigid, but in the end
it's always beautiful.

I might be having
a bad day, but I am
having a day and in
the end we are all
human and that
should be enough
in the great big
adventure that it is,
so enjoy the little
things in life, for
one day you will
look back and
realize they were
big things.    
                          Jon York       2015

At midnight in the month of
June she and I stood beneath
the mystic moon with our hearts
full of what I thought was my
last and final love that came out
of nowhere as if from above.

Now the Sun on this brief
September day rises briskly over
my feelings of gray because I
really had nothing to say to her
except, "why did you do me
that way?"

Love will dream and faith will
trust that somehow somewhere
meet we must to discover if it
was love or just ***** lust because
we both watched it crumble to
dust so fast when we were sure
that it would last.

All I can say is wash what is *****,
water what is dry, heal what is
wounded, sooth what is hurt,
dry tears that are shed, warm
what is cold, guide what goes
off the road and love those who
are least lovable because they
need it the most.
                                                  Jon York      2015

There is no such thing in our lives as an
unimportant day and in order to make
a difference in our lives we must make
a difference in someone else's life and
the longer I live the more my mind
dwells on the beauty and the wonder
of the world.

I see beauty and goodness everywhere
and I have learned that the real joy of
life is to love and it is good to discover
people who are worthy of respect,
admiration and love but it is vital to
believe yourself worthy and deserving
of such things.

Strive to be better, strive to be more,
and strive to be amazing and learn to
keep the right company and learn to
leave those loser friends behind because
those you surround yourself will
determine your success so surround
yourself with people who are truthful
and people who will build you up.

Learn quickly that you alone are
responsible for the quality of your life
and when you decide that your life is
your own you can start living
regardless of where you are in years
and if you do that the result will be
fewer tears.
                                                          ­             Jon York     2015

I hope that you woke up this morning with a big smile on your face and in a new place and I hope that the sun is shining just for you and the birds are singing their very best songs...

I hope your coffee is hot and tastes just right and I hope you still remember when we had morning coffee together and talked about us being forever...

I hope that when you read my poetry that you know the words are for you and about a love we once had that now has left me sad...

I hope that when you think about me your thoughts aren't bad and you are glad that you chose to leave...

I hope everything goes your way since you decided to leave someone who could only give you love, but you needed more so you walked out the door...

I hope that every day will bring you a perfect end to a perfect day and your days are filled with love and I hope the bridges that you burned light the way for you...

I hope you know that to make a difference in your life you have to make a difference in someone else's life and you made that difference in my life and I hope you know I am grateful for that and I thank you...
                                                          ­                                   Jon York     2015

In the wild and crazy dance of life
sometimes you will trip or fall maybe
because you made a bad call but
know that you don't need a weather
man to know which way the wind blows.

One day you will wake up and there
won't be any more time left to do the
things that you always wanted to do
so do them now and along the way
give thanks to everyone who has been
part of your life's amazing journey.

Being alone makes one realize that
there is nothing more freeing and
empowering than learning to like
your own company so don't try
to be everything to everyone or
you will come undone.

Just try to be something to someone
and remember that love leaves a
memory no one can steal so if you
stumble make it part of your dance
and give yourself another chance.
                                                       Jon York    2015

Love . .
is never born,
people are born,
plants and animals are born.

but love is never born,
for with the birth and the being
of all living things,
love is. . .

Love. . .
is being with her,
is touching her,
is knowing her,
and with her,
love is. . .
                             Jon York     2015

Life is too short and I am too old
to play games and it has been
my experience through the years
that when someone says to you
that they "just need some time"
what they are really saying is
goodbye and maybe I'll see you
around.

At my age a person just doesn't
know from one day to the next
which one is going to be his last
so he tries to get over the mindless
things that might have happened
in the past and live for today
because tomorrow might be his
last as the years disappear too
fast.

Never thought I'd be alone this
far down the line but sometimes
it just turns out that way but
at this particular time when I
heard love knocking at my
door  I answered her but she
just turned and walked away
saying to me "not today",
"I just need some  time" but
maybe someday I will come
back around and stay if I
should have anything more 
 to say."
                         Jon York      2015

It's amazing out there so
take one day at a time
and enjoy every minute
and love, laugh and enjoy
today because today is all
you have as the clock goes
ticktock and takes all
you've got.

Don't even try to
understand but be sure
to find a place to make
your stand and hold on
to what is dear in the
short time you are here.

As you hide from all of
the madness realize that  
the beauty of it is that as
we live we die and life is
what it is and we are what
we are and it will be made
into what we make it.

The art of being wise is
the art of knowing what
to overlook and the
journey is as enlightening
as the destination and
know that it is unwise to
be too sure of one's own
wisdom because if you
think your wise your
probably not but know
that wisdom is founded
upon knowledge and
shaped by uncertainty.
                                 Jon York         2015

You say to yourself
"I want happiness"
so  you remove the
I which is ego then
remove the want
which is desire and
all you are left with
is happiness and if
you want to be
happy, be.

You will often find
that happiness sneaks
in a door that you did
not think was open.

The gift is yours in
this amazing journey
called life and you
alone are responsible
for the quality of it
so focus on what is
important and capture
and remember the
good times as you
move forward from
the negatives and if
things don't work
out the first time
simply try again
and happiness can
be yours.      
                           Jon York      2015

Don't regret growing
old because it is a
privilege denied to
many and while you
are here be in
competition with no
one and have no desire
to play the game of being
better than anyone else
but just try to be better
than the person you were
yesterday.

Getting lost will help
you find yourself so
make every act count
since we are going to
be here only for a
short time and learn
to enjoy every minute
of your life and be
happy now not
waiting for something
outside of yourself to
make you happy.

We are all here for
a single purpose and
that is to grow in
wisdom and to learn
to love better and
this can be done
through losing as
well as winning
or by having and
by not having, and
also by succeeding or
by failing so
remember that love
is what we are born
with and fear is
something we learn
so make every act count.              
                                           Jon York       2015

The road is long with many a winding turns
of which there is no return and for some it is
straight, smooth. and clear while for others
the road is bumpy and cloudy filled twists
and turns

There are those who never need to worry
about their journey because everything is
handed to them on a silver platter while
for others it seems a different matter as
some have to dig and claw to get down
that road while carrying a much heavier
load making it easier for them to fall.

Don't compare your life to others because
sometimes life isn't fair bit it is still good and
it is too short to waste time hating anyone
because the past cannot be changed and the
future is yet to come and no one is in charge
of your happiness except you.

In all of my life-changing events I have
always chosen life when it would have been
easier to choose a suicide death but I have
forgiven everyone everything and given
time the needed time.

However bad something was and however
many lies I was told I knew it would change
and I would be loved and respected not
because of something I  did or didn't do but
for who and what I am and I realized that
growing old beats the alternative of
dying young.

As a poet I tell my tales with words of truth
that can touch you or burn you and in
those words I know that life is not tied with
a bow but it is still a gift and sometimes
I am impatient and sometimes a little
insecure while I make mistakes along the way
but if you can't handle my worst than you
don't deserve my best.

It's not the words of our enemies that we
remember the most but the silence of our
so-called friends that cuts so deep but over it
this poet won't lose any sleep.          
                                                ­              Jon York     2015

Time passes as the years go by
bringing many mental and many
physical changes to each and every
one of us and we look in the mirror
we discover our face and body are
not the same anymore.

Nothing is fixed as everything is
always permanently changing because
change is part of our existence and
its foundation.

One day life is serious and the next day
it is meaningless and one day we are
in so much pain and the next day we
are measuring and broadcasting to
the world our gain.

One day we are crying and the next
day we are wondering why as we
laugh about it and wonder why we
believed such ridiculous ****.

Realize that we are who we are and
the past never returns and know that
we will be someone different in the future
and know that resisting change is like
trying to hold water in your hand.

Change is life and life is change and
the meaning of it all is that there is
no meaning and as the wheels keep
turning the Sun will keep shining just
as the stars will keep falling and the
moon will keep shining in this world
where we are really nothing more than
a microscopic speck of nothingness in
a giant universe.
                                                  Jon York      2015

Living in seclusion and
trapped in the worlds
illusion of what is right
and what is wrong as I
continue to search for
things I can't seem to find
because I am trapped inside.

All seems a grand illusion
and there seems no escape
from all of the confusion
but I am happy alone
because my mind can roam.

Don't judge others and others
won't judge you and don't be
so ******* others and others
won't be so ******* you.

Forgive them and they will
forgive you and you will
harvest what you plant,
whether good or bad.

We don't stop loving because
we grow old, we grow old if
we stop loving and life is
beautiful so let us admire it.

Life is sometimes a dream
so let us realize it and let us
dare it and let love be our
guiding light so we may
know that all of the hurt
and pain will eventually
fade away.

People and things quickly
become the past so enjoy them
while they are here because you
look up and they are gone and
you didn't even get to say
so long.

Know that it is better to have
given too much then not enough
and that in the end all you can
do is lose or make a friend,
needing no longer to pretend.
                                                      Jon York        2015

Life is more than
a song: it is a concert
and life is to be lived
so be thankful for
bad times for they
herald the onset of
the good and know
that the most important
lessons in life are the
most painful.

Remember that the
greatest trees are
humble enough
to bend in the wind
so be strong and you
can bend: be rigid
and you will break
                             Jon York   2015

Collect, collaborate
and share thoughts
from your experiences
knowing that at any
given moment you
have the power to say
that this is not how
the story is going
to end.

Life will expand
or shrink in
proportion to
your courage and
it is not the
mountain that
we conquer but
ourselves.

Realize life while
you live it and
every minute savor
what you have
whether it is
being rich or poor
or being alone
and just be glad
to be alive and
to be here now.

It is not what
you look at
that matters,
it is what you
see and patience
is a companion
of wisdom.

We first make
habits then our
habits make us
so seek first to
understand then
to be understood.      
                                Jon York      2015

Self-respect is so hard to come by sometimes
knowing that we cannot buy it because it is
never for sale and it cannot be fabricated
out of public relations either.

Self-respect comes to us when we are alone,
in quiet moments, in quiet places, when
we suddenly realize that knowing the good,
we have done it and knowing the beautiful,
we have served it, and knowing the truth,
we have spoken it.

Blowing out someone else s candle doesn't
make ours shine brighter or give us any
self-respect so finish every day and be done
with it and press on because nothing
can take the place of persistence so make
it work and discover your world realizing
that seldom does an individual exceed
his own expectations.

Know that the best thing you can do
is the right thing, and the next best thing
you can do is the wrong thing but the
worst thing you can do is nothing.

so know that powerful minds always
encounter opposition from simple minds
and if we believe in ourselves self- respect
will follow in our world and we can
stand tall in a big world where we
feel so small.
                                                  Jon York    2015


         Jon York         2015

In my actions I try to write in such a way that
others love to read me and I try to listen in
such a way that others  love to speak to me
so learn that your actions are your only true
belongings and the more that you are motivated
by love the more fearless and free your actions
will be and know the the only real action takes
place on the bridge between people.

We all want our lives to matter and our lives to
make a difference so welcome every day that
you wake up with a smile because today will
never happen again and don't waste it as you
walk through your life going from room by
room drawing up a list of work to be done,
cracks to be patched and don't look for flaws
but look for potential.

Sometimes in our lives when we just get used
to something it fades away so don't allow
waiting to become a habit and live your dreams
and take risks because life is happening now
and every step forward begins with a firmly
planted foot in the past and if it doesn't challenge
you it won't change you so know that the past
cannot be changed, forgotten, edited, or erased,
it can only be accepted.

Don't try relentlessly to understand because time
will decide and your joy will come when it is time
and every single change you have made and every
action you have taken has brought you to this
exact moment of reading my poetry,so have a
good day.                                                   Jon York    2015

In this new year. . .
comes another
twelve months
of unspoiled pages
in your book of life
so practice what
you learned about
life from the past
twelve months and
know that all that
you seek is hidden
in the upcoming
twelve months that
wait ahead for you
so search it out
with determination.

In this new year. . .
there will be a
bridge upon which
you will stand and
you must know that
only you are in
command and what
you do in these next
twelve months rests
only on you.  

Have the courage to
embrace your dreams,
the strength to sacrifice
for them and the
determination to
fulfill them.

In this new year. . .
choose love and
goodness and mercy
and compassion as well
as strength and courage
along with the deepest
wisdom and the highest
truth.

In this new year. . .
do not worry about
whether the sun will rise
again, just be prepared
to enjoy it.
                                         Jon York       2015

We are just mortal beings in an
ever-changing phenomenal existence
and our life would be very empty
if we had nothing to regret but
at the same time we have to know
that kindness, beauty, and truth can
show us the way and give us the
courage to face life for another day.

Life may not be the party that you
had hoped for but while you are here
you should always try to remember
to not ask for much knowing that the
truth will do just fine and you need to
accept what is, let go of what was,
and have faith in what will be.

It is good to discover people who are
worthy of respect, admiration, and love
but it is vital to believe yourself deserving
of such things so act without acting,
serve without serving, map difficult
through easy, and approach great
through narrow.

We are born soft and weak but die
stiff and strong while sometimes sincere
words are not pretty and pretty words are
not sincere and remember that we all
have to go through the same thing,
we are born, we do some living, then
we die, but so many never know why
and having no clue, they just live and die.

Know that a mediocre person will tell
you something, but a good person will
explain it to you, while the better person
will demonstrate it for you, but the
great person will inspire you so open
your eyes so that you may see the beauty
that surrounds you and open your ears
so that you may hear the joyous sounds
of the world and slow down so that
you may have time to revel in the
glorious world around you and know
that all that you touch and all that
you see is all your life will ever be.
                                                               Jon York      2014

Thought I'd something more
to say as another day passes
away and I think about all of
the loves that have come and
gone leaving tracks across my
heart and some leaving
memories some of which I
want no part.

Every year is getting shorter
and the seasons come and go
so much faster but I know it
isn't just me and that every
one ages and everybody turns
those pages and so many of
those memories fade away
and each day it seems like
I have less to say.

Sometimes it is the little things
that matter and those few kind
words that a few may speak
and those few precious moments
that we choose to keep forever
in our minds as we ride out those
final years of this grind that we
call life.

Every day that I wake up to
a new sunrise I am grateful to just
be alive and so happy that I was
able to survive so long as I have
but I still can't help but be a little
sad that I let the years slip by me
so fast and all I can do now is
live from day to day hoping
that I can find something more
to say.    
                                                          Jon York     2014

Life is really amazing out there
so I write poems about it and if
I can learn to master change
rather than allow it to master me
I will continue to write poems
about life while continuing to
enjoy it not going through it
acting as if it will never end
and simply following every trend.

My poetry is not obscure and
it speaks clearly about things
that readers can recognize in a
language that can be understood
and it focuses upon feelings and
responses that we have all shared.

My poems have a simplicity and
a directness and communicate
directly without confronting the
reader with either excessive
difficulties either of language
or allusion.

My poems live on their page in an
unrehearsed natural rhythm of
experience and moment of time
rather than of ideas and above all it
is readable while focusing upon
significant and recognizable human
feelings and responses of daily life.
                                                              Jon York      2014

I have trusted so many and
if for each I had a penny
I'd be rich but it would appear
that my unfounded faith has
left me in this lonely place but
I had some fun along with my
15 minutes of fame as I played
their game but as a result I will
never be the same

The worse thing I could do is
waste another day sorting
through old memories so I'll
keep the ones I hold to be dear
and just forget the ones that
brought a tear and forget the
ones filled with hate and fear
knowing that the past is dead.

I am no longer fragile but strong
and what was thought to be
broken beyond repair is healed now
and as I sit in front of my PC and
write another rhyme this time I
have an open mind and an able
to write away some of the past pain
knowing I can only gain.

The meaning of a poem is the
experience it expresses and nothing
less while the idea of a poem is the
only part of the experience it
communicates and some words are
timeless because our entire life
consists of many fires and so much
rain and after each experience we
never come out the same because
they are part of our growing and
as a result of them we become
more knowing.                                    Jon York         2014