Alms for the poor

"You're still kind of dopey," Rosa told me yesterday afternoon as we were sitting down at the shopping center.

"Well, dad gave me enough medication to anesthetize a horse," I replied.

"Did it feel good?" Rosa asked, always the consummate addict.

"It just knocked me out and I slept for sixteen hours straight," I said. "I feel like a new man this afternoon."

I and Rosa watched as one very grubby old man came walking up the sidewalk. He was stopping to ask shopping center patrons for spare change and was mostly being spurned. People would hurriedly walk past him without making eye contact as if he were a leper avoiding him at all costs.

"Who's this dude?" Rosa asked me.

"I don't know," I replied. "I have never seen him before."

He finally made his way to I and Rosa.

"Senor, my car is broken down and I need some money to buy a new battery," He said in a heavy Hispanic accent. "Can you spare some?"

I reached into my wallet and gave him a five dollar bill.

"Gracias senor," he said as he shook my hand profusely and then walked off.

"You are the biggest sucker," Rosa said. "He is just going to go drink with that money."

"It's not my place to judge," I said thinking of my own homeless days. "Besides, he looked like he needed a few drinks."

Rosa was angry with me for giving that old bum money, but I didn't care. I knew from my own homeless days that little comforts such as a beer or some smokes are what make life bearable. I gave the money unconditionally and it is not my place to judge. That is one of the biggest lessons my homelessness taught me.

http://4thavenueblues.blogspot.com

Love

Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.

"A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here":
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord; but I have marred them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.


George Herbert
http://www.poemsandlove.com/poems/love13.aspx

MY GENTLY MELTING FACE

My gently melting face
Drips down the mirror
As though lies and lakes were mapped on the moon;

My gently melting face
Turns inwards,
Eating away at the beauty of youth,
Carving out age,
Holding my values to the world for all to see -

My gently melting face
Unfortunately
Is me.

http://www.richardmacwilliam.com/doesheknow.html

Here I Stand

Here I stand,
Until the time
Was it a crime to see what cannot be touched
Hear voices speak words that can't be undone
Was it my fault I was invincible
To the naked eye, I am invisible
I cannot be seen
Because no one wants to see me
I am different
Different from the rest of them
So they ignore me
But I don't ignore them
No one is friendly
Why were they so blind
Because I am not them
I am only mine
I am different
But I can see
But they can't see me
I watch them fall
Divided they fall
Together they die
But here I stand
Until the end of time
Was it a crime that I was unique
Original to the human mind
I was invisible to there standards
Invisible to their lies
But as they kneel to beg
I watch them beg
But here I stand until the end of time
Was it a crime for me to live my life
A crime for wanting to survive
No one would answer
So I will wait until the end of time

(Found this on my cousin's profile on Orkut)
http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=18078223656194988419

Show me...

Show me the way to home
I will carry you all the way
lend me you dreams
I will live them all today

Tell me what the wind
whispers into your ear
Share with me the secrets
that you've kept so near

Let me stay forever
in your hidden paradise,
Give me a chance to see
your world with your eyes.

- Pseudo-poet
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-gSUS22wieqjajm_Gl2P2yA--?cq=1

War and the Small Nation - Khaleel Gibran

Once, high above a pasture, where a sheep and a lamb were grazing, an eagle was circling and gazing hungrily down upon the lamb. And as he was about to descend and seize his prey, another eagle appeared and hovered above the sheep and her young with the same hungry intent. Then the 2 rivals began to fight filling the sky with their fierce cries.

The sheep looked up and was much astonished. She turned to the lamb and said, "How strange, my child, that these 2 noble birds should attack one another. Is not the vast sky large enough for both of them? Pray, my little one, prey in your heart that God may make peace between your winged brothers."

And the lamb prayed in his heart.

Those Hard Good-Byes

I explained to St. Peter,
I'd rather stay here,
Outside the pearly gate.

I won't be a nuisance,
I won't even bark,
I'll be very patient and wait,
I'll be here chewing on a celestial bone.

No matter how long you may be.
I'd miss you so much, if I went in alone,
It wouldn't be Heaven for me.


Anonymous

Self Help Fun

Self Help Fun

Life changing Attitude

Author: John Giagkiozis

Do you really believe that there is anything in this world that is impossible?

I�m 21 and I had to grow up at accelerated rates because of multiple circumstances in my life. One of them was the divorce of my parents, my mother had no money and my father didn�t seem to care about me and my brother. And to make it clear �no money� means that we didn�t have enough even for food.

Now, I�m not saying these things so you can feel pity for me. I�m telling you because somehow I managed to survive, I found a Way.

Today I make 2000 euros a month, I know it�s not a fortune but at least I have a budget that is 4 times more than the average budget in Greece and this amount grows every minute even as I write this article. By the way my father make less money than that.

How did I manage to make it while I didn�t have a quarter of a penny in my pocket? ATTITUDE is the answer, I never ever stopped learning about anything that could be learned and that made me look like Guru in my circle of influence. Even with no money I had the most beautiful girls and the highest grades of all. When someone had a problem I was the one who solved it.

Imagine how it is like to have your own problems and the problems of others. It�s great, why? Because you get feedback from all the flanks, imagine yourself like a giant sponge whose only job is to soak information. It gives you an edge over the entire community, simply because people can�t cope with their own problems and helping you with yours is out of consideration. Can�t cope? Or so they think.

You see I wasn�t always like that till family problems �made me� take Responsibility. I had no one to rely upon except myself and to tell the truth I felt like I was Lost in complications and trouble. At that point I gave a promise to myself that no matter how many troubles I had I Would Succeed in Life. I was so determined that I slept only 3 to 4 hours a day.

What I did find out, was that the key to get what you want is ATTITUDE and not just any attitude but the right attitude. Let�s say you want to get rich, in order to get rich and successful you must behave like rich and successful people even if you are starving to death. You must believe you deserve to be rich and I don�t mean some superficial belief deep in your head, rather a strong conviction that you do deserve what you ask for.

When you have that kind of convictions and determination people will start treat you the way you deserve. It�s a weird thing but most people form an �Opinion� based on things you believe about yourself, so if you believe you are rich you will be perceived like one, if you believe you deserve to be respected you will be respected. In time those same people, will make your �false� conviction come True. The future �You� is made from the present �belief of� you.

The only restriction of what you can achieve is your Imagination. Imagine the best �YOU� in every detail and you will certainly become this �YOU�.

About the Author

John Giagkiozis Publishes Self Improvement Tips, he is dedicated helping people like You! If you�re looking for the Home Business Opportunity that will make your Dreams Come True, information and helpful support from an honest friend in the business, come by and subscribe for FREE at: http://www.success-factory.net The Life all Deserve, An Opportunity and a ChallengeFeel free to reach me at: info@success-factory.net PENDTAG ...

Leave Me, My Blamer -- Khalil Gibran

Leave me, my blamer,
For the sake of the love
Which unites your soul with
That of your beloved one;
For the sake of that which
Joins spirit with mothers
Affection, and ties your
Heart with filial love. Go,
And leave me to my own
Weeping heart.

Let me sail in the ocean of
My dreams; Wait until Tomorrow
Comes, for tomorrow is free to
Do with me as he wishes. Your
Laying is naught but shadow
That walks with the spirit to
The tomb of abashment, and shows
Heard the cold, solid earth.

I have a little heart within me
And I like to bring him out of
His prison and carry him on the
Palm of my hand to examine him
In depth and extract his secret.
Aim not your arrows at him, lest
He takes fright and vanish 'ere he
Pours the secrets blood as a
Sacrifice at the altar of his
Own faith, given him by Deity
When he fashioned him of love and beauty.

The sun is rising and the nightingale
Is singing, and the myrtle is
Breathing its fragrance into space.
I want to free myself from the
Quilted slumber of wrong. Do not
Detain me, my blamer!

Cavil me not by mention of the
Lions of the forest or the
Snakes of the valley, for
Me soul knows no fear of earth and
Accepts no warning of evil before
Evil comes.

Advise me not, my blamer, for
Calamities have opened my heart and
Tears have cleanses my eyes, and
Errors have taught me the language
Of the hearts.

Talk not of banishment, for conscience
Is my judge and he will justify me
And protect me if I am innocent, and
Will deny me of life if I am a criminal.

Love's procession is moving;
Beauty is waving her banner;
Youth is sounding the trumpet of joy;
Disturb not my contrition, my blamer.
Let me walk, for the path is rich
With roses and mint, and the air
Is scented with cleanliness.

Relate not the tales of wealth and
Greatness, for my soul is rich
With bounty and great with God's glory.

Speak not of peoples and laws and
Kingdoms, for the whole earth is
My birthplace and all humans are
My brothers.

Go from me, for you are taking away
Life - giving repentance and bringing
Needless words.