Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

Eternity….

I made a promise to myself
Not to see you as a wandering soul again,
Not to leave you when you needed me the most,
Not to see you cry silently,
Without letting anyone hear
Those sleepless nights you had,
Nights you cried till your eyes ached,
Only your pillow knew your sorrows,
The pain that was inside your heart,
That you carried every day, as if a stone tied to your neck
I promised that you would be happier
I promised that you would smile everyday
I promised I would give my hand to hold
I promised I would be your shadow
Those promises are not just words, I’m guarding them with my life
Tomorrow would be full of promises and hopes
I would still be your guardian, your friend in need,
Till death play his cruel game with me,
I would be there for you , I will be forever
Till eternity….

The Secret ~ unknown

One day, one friend asked another,
"How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy,
and you never seem to get down."

With her eyes smiling, she said,
"I know the Secret!"
"What secret is that?"
To which she replied,
"I'll tell you all about it,
but you have to promise to
share the Secret with others."

"The Secret is this:
I have learned there is little

I can do in my life that will make

me truly happy.
I must depend on God to make
me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life,
I have to trust God to supply
according to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don't need half of what I think I do.
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that

'Secret',

When My Mind is Still

When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I remember things too easily forgotten:
The purity of early love,
The maturity of unselfish love that asks --
desires -- nothing but another's good,
The idealism that has persisted through all the tempest of life.

When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I can find a quiet assurance, an inner peace, in the core of my being.
It can face the doubt, the loneliness, the anxiety,
Can accept these harsh realities and can even grow
Because of these challenges to my essential being.

When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I can sense my basic humanity,
And then I know that all men and women are my brothers and sisters.
Nothing but my own fear and distrust can separate me from the love of friends.
If I can trust others, accept them, enjoy them,
Then my life shall surely be richer and more full.
If I can accept others, this will help them to be more truly themselves,
And they will be more able to accept me.

When my mind is still and alone with the beating of my heart,
I know how much life has given me:
The history of the race, friends and family,
The opportunity to work, the chance to build myself.
Then wells within me the urge to live more abundantly,
With greater trust and joy,
With more profound seriousness and earnest service,
And yet more calmly at the heart of life.
~ Paul Beattie

So Many Things... by Cate Haggland

There are so many things I want to thank you for
And when I think I have thought of them all, I suddenly think of more.

So here is a list of some things, just a few
To let you know a little, about what I think of you.

I guess a good place to start is your lips, sweet and soft to the touch
When pressed against mine no words are spoken, yet they say so much.

Then we could go to your hands, that are so gentle and so kind
When you brush them against me, it sends chills down my spine.

Continuing on with your heart, so sensitive yet so tough
You always give me your time and understanding, when I need it so much.

Then there are your ears, that listen to me every day
No matter if I'm happy or crying, you hear what I have to say.

Next there is your humor, and all your silly jokes
You can always make me smile or laugh, just when I need it the most.

I must also mention your honesty, I know you'll never lie
You always make me so happy, it makes me want to cry.

Then there are your strong arms, with which you gently wrap me up tight
I wish I could stay in them forever, away from all harm and fright.

Now there is your patience with me, that seems to have no end
And I love you for the fact that I can call you my best friend

Then there are your eyes, that can see deep within my heart
I know that we'll always be together, that we'll never have to part.

I think you are so cute, in every little way
There is a million and one more things that I could still say.

But I have one more thing that I will leave you with
It will just take some simple arithmetic...

You + Me, and add in some 'Forever'
And that = a lifetime we can share together.

Prayer

"The supreme prayer of my heart is not to be learned, rich, famous, powerful, or good, but simply to be radiant. I desire to radiate health, cheerfulness, calm courage, and good will. I wish to live without hate, whim, jealousy, envy, fear. I wish to be simple, honest, frank, natural, clean in mind and clean in body, unaffected, as ready to say I do not know, if it be so, and to meet all men on anabsolute equality, to face any obstacle and meet every difficulty unabashed and unafraid. I wish others to live their lives, too - up to their highest, fullest, and best. To that end I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I'll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves; and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference, and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be radiant - to radiate life." 
- Elbert Hubbard

I have a Friend By Ashley

I have a friend
Who is perfect for me
She listens to all my problems
No matter how dumb they may be
She likes herself for who she is
And never tries to change
She tells me to be myself
And that I should never change
She was shy on the phone
But she would still call
And we would talk for hours
About nothing at all
We would talk about love and life
And discuss what we wanted to be
She knew just how I felt
And how happy I could be
She listens to me patiently
But never judges what I do or say
She helped with all my problems

And never went away
I never once felt judged by her
How much that meant to me
That I could tell her all my dreams
And she would listen to me
My friend never goes and tells
What is dear to me
She keeps it all bottled up inside
And doesn't spread it like a bee
I am thankful for that friend of mine

Our friendship will never end
And she will always be there
For she is my best friend
It is a sweet thing, friendship, a dear balm,
A happy and auspicious bird of calm..