Happy Spring!

Spring
Robert McCracken

Today is the day when bold kites fly,
When cumulus clouds roar across the sky.
When robins return, when children cheer,
When light rain beckons spring to appear.

Today is the day when daffodils bloom,
Which children pick to fill the room,
Today is the day when grasses green,
When leaves burst forth for spring to be seen.

Winter

Winter

Autumn winds are dying
As winter rears its head.
Soon the land will sleep again
In the silence of the dead.
The gray sky seems a blanket.
The golden trees now bare;
Their branches reach out to the sky
To grasp the misty air.

Dark browns replace the orange
And grays replace the blue
Soon snow will change this landscape
As the spiral dance holds true

The silence will be welcomed
By a solitary crow.
An eerie song of mystery
That few will ever know.

For winter keeps its secrets,
The ones not hard to hide.
The answer's all around us,
But the question sleeps inside.

Irish Prayer

Today is a very cold morning, it's freezing outside!, but I found this Irish prayer that could make you feel warmer inside. I hope you like it!

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.

But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.

But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.

But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

I believe

I Believe...

I believe-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.
I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I believe-
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I believe-
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I believe-
that you should always leave loved ones
with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I believe-
that you can keep going long after you can't.
I believe-
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.
I believe-
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.
I believe-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.
I believe-
that heroes are the people who do
what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I believe-
that money is a lousy way
of keeping score.
I believe-
that my best friend and I
can do anything or nothing
and have the best time.
I believe-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe-
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe-
that just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I believe-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe-
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.
I believe-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
I believe-
that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I believe-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.
I believe-
that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you you will find the strength to help.
I believe-
that credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

by Unknown

Somebody sent me this poem by e-mail and I really liked it, so I want to share it with you. Enjoy it!

Benjamin Zephaniah

Here you have more info about Benjamin Zephaniah:

"Dr Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was born and raised in Birmingham, England. He cannot remember a time when he was not creating poetry but this had nothing to do with school where poetry meant very little to him, in fact he had finished full time education at the age of 13. His poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls 'street politics'.

Young writers have said that the accessibility of his work has inspired them to take up writing, many record sleeves bare witness to the fact that he has inspired many of the new generation of rappers, and of all the performance poets that emerged in the late seventies/early eighties he is one of the few that is still going strong. He has thirteen honorary doctorates in recognition of his work and a wing in a west London hospital has been named after him. Zephaniah believes that working with human rights groups, animal rights groups and other political organisations means that he will never lack subject matter. He now spends much of his time in China, but he continues working throughout Asia, South America and Africa, and is as passionate about politics and poetry now as he has ever been." http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/

This is one of his poems and my favourite one.

The London Breed

I love dis great polluted place

Where pop stars come to live their dreams

Here ravers come for drum and bass

And politicians plan their schemes,

The music of the world is here

Dis city can play any song

They came to here from everywhere

Tis they that made dis city strong.

A world of food displayed on streets

Where all the world can come and dine

On meals that end with bitter sweets

And cultures melt and intertwine,

Two hundred languages give voice

To fifteen thousand changing years

And all religions can rejoice

With exiled souls and pioneers.

I love dis overcrowded place

Where old buildings mark men and time

And new buildings all seem to race

Up to a cloudy dank skyline,

Too many cars mean dire air

Too many guns mean danger

Too many drugs means be aware

Of strange gifts from a stranger.

It's so cool when the heat is on

And when it's cool it's so wicked

We just keep melting into one

Just like the tribes before us did,

I love dis concrete jungle still

With all its sirens and its speed

The people here united will

Create a kind of London breed.

You can find more about him here: http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-literature-publications-and-resources-poetryquartets-benjamin-zephaniah.htm

Welcome back to school!

Welcome Back to School

"Dear students, the summer has ended.
The school year at last has begun.
But this year is totally different.
We're going to only have fun.
"We won't study any mathematics,
and recess will last all day long.
Instead of the pledge of allegiance,
we'll belt out a rock-and-roll song.
"We'll only play games in the classroom.
You're welcome to bring in your toys.
It's okay to run in the hallways.
It's great if you make lots of noise.
"Your video games are your homework.
You'll have to watch lots of T.V.
For field trips we'll go to the movies
and give away candy for free.
"The lunchroom will only serve chocolate
and triple fudge sundaes supreme."
Yes, that's what I heard from my teacher
before I woke up from my dream.
--Kenn Nesbitt

A scary poem

Here is a nice and scary poem I found. I hope you like it!

I Am The Night

I am the night.

I am darkness at it's bluest.

To me there is sheer delight in the shadow of the night

No need to insist, for the night I exist.

The light of day is not night's way.

I am the night.

I am a creature of the dark.

I have been groomed for gloom.

For eons of time, the night has been mine.

I can't remember when the night and me didn't function as twins.

Just as the ocean's floor holds mysteries, the night alone conceals my history.

I am the night

Just as poetry flows from ocean currents and from the slashing force of wind

springs forth designs,

Each drop of rain delivers music to our minds, poetry never ceases.

From my point of view, at night it increases.

I find beauty in each dancing shadow and exquisite delight in the secret of the night.

The spirit things clothed in the unknown,

Travel the same path that I consider home.

Things that move skillfully at night do so without sight.

I love these wonders for I am the night.

My five senses are more acute than most.

Of this superiority, I proudly boast.

My movements are as swift as lightening dashing across the sky.

They can't be held in focus by the human eye.

Question - Who am I?

I feed on a secret vein of life and rest in the protective cover of dusk in disguise.

My skin is cold to the touch, don't worry you won't touch me much.

My beginning is of no importance, but I see no end in sight.

I believe I am forever;

I am the night

I have been known by many titles and names.

For none of them do I feel shame, for I exist as all do.

Just as I am me, and you are you.

I am called Satan, Impaler, Death, Blood Drinker; just to name a few -

Pick one that suits you.

Some even call me a Ghost;

yet, vampire is what I am called the most

Whether these names are wrong or right, the fact remains -

I am the night.

©2002 Bernard Thompson