The Understanding

We build Peace in our lives a moment at a time - and this is a poem story of how it can start early in childhood as it did for me.







The Understanding


My thoughts flew back to primary school
When I heard the news today about a woman in Iran
Who was condemned as a scapegoat for evil men.
Women in her culture are considered subhuman and
Deserving of whatever is heaped upon them.
They just have to bear the injustice and cruelty.








I remember another female who was blamed
Through no fault of her own. It was accepted.
The kids at school thought it fine to harm her.
The kids at school treated her as subhuman.
What was so horrible about her that everyone
Thought it acceptable to treat her shamefully?

She was French-Canadian.








My father was stationed in Maine during that time.
Eleanor’s father moved her often as he followed one
Engineering project to the next engineering project.
Her mother had died the year before and Eleanor,
Well, Eleanor felt lost and alone. She forgot how to smile.
Then one day Eleanor came to our school to join us.







I could tell Eleanor needed a friend so I walked up to visit.
Eleanor was surprised at the offer of kindness and friendship.
I asked why and she replied, “Because I’m French-Canadian.”
To which I answered, “So? What has that got to do with anything?”
“Do you want to play with us on the swing set or not?” She followed
And we enjoyed laughing while we pushed our swings higher.







Soon the kids began to gravitate away from our area.
It was as if we were contagious. Then a boy called to me.
He whispered in my ear, “She’s French-Canadian, you know.”
He scampered off to join the growing group away from us.
“I tried to warn you,” Eleanor said sadly. “It’s always like this.”
“Do you want me to go?” Her eyes pleaded not to send her away.







“Keep swinging,” I said. “They aren’t going to spoil our fun.”
Eleanor slowed her swing, wondering what was going to happen next.
Soon, a group of big boys bunched up together to approach us.
Eleanor wanted to run away from them. I stopped my swing and stood up.
The boys told me not to friend “the French-Canadian.” I shook my head “No.”
The boys moved closer, trying to intimidate me. I asked what was the problem.
“Because she’s a French-Canadian,” they accused like it was a dirty word.
“Let me see if I understand you correctly. You hate her because she is French and from Canada. Correct?” They nodded a “Yes.”
“Now has she ever said anything cruel to you?”
“Well, no,” said the lead boy.
“Has she ever insulted or harmed your parents or any of your friends?”
The lead boy scratched his head while his sidekicks nervously shifted their stance, “Come to think of it, no, she hasn’t harmed any of us.”







“So, what’s the problem?” I asked.
“Well, she is French-Canadian,” stated the lead boy.
“So, what you are saying is that she is of French heritage and was born in Canada. Yet she speaks English just like us. She acts like us. What’s the problem?
“Do you and your parents live at Camp Stupid or something?”
I was losing patience with them.







The big boy started to grow angry at me for calling him “stupid,” raising his fist.
Fighting ready, I was the strongest football kicker, well placed on mean boys.
Both Eleanor and the group standing behind the lead boy were growing scared.
I might have been the size of a gnat compared to the lead bully but he did not hit me.
The crowd knew I wasn’t scared of him and would stand my ground no matter what.
The crowd drew away from the boy when they realized he could not break me.







Suddenly, the boy slowly lowered his fist and a strange look came over his face.
I recognized that look and was thankful for it. It was the look of awareness.
He looked at me then at her, shook his head, mumbling about French-Canadians.
The boy turned to leave and then looked back at us, gesturing us to follow.
“Well, come on, do you two want to play with us or what?”
He saw me give him a suspicious look, not trusting his next move.
“Camp Stupid is a bad place. None of it makes any sense of why not to like her.”







Eleanor glowed with acceptance – at last. Such was my first foray into civil rights.
It was one of many firsts of negotiating with bullies, some dangerous, some not.
I stood my ground before that day and stood my ground for decades since then.
But I never forgot how good Eleanor felt that day when she learned that being
French-Canadian no longer carried a stigma for her. That day all the power was
Taken out of those two words, and now, well, they were just words.








Denny Lyon
Copyright 6 Sept 2010
All Rights Reserved


* * * Check out the Complete Poem List for more selections.



Dennys Photo Gallery: Swinging Good Fun! - Check out some wonderful photos from around the world validating how much we all have in common as children: we love to swing! (These photos are just a few of the gallery.)



Photo Credits

Blonde girl and boy swinging high photo by wsilver @ flickr

Single boy on long swing black and white photo by Divine in the Daily @ flickr

Empty swing at Navajo nation in Arizona photo by shulamit0903 @ flickr

Brunette girl posing on still swing photo by Brittany ((Halo)) @ flickr

Great fun swinging high "Weeee!" photo by annnna_ @ flickr

Balance of power of boy and girl facing off photo by Ken Wilcox @ flickr

Fighting boys photo by Aislinn Ritchie @ flickr

Mean boy with a gun photo by comenKlein, J. Scott 2 @ flickr

Child's shadow as he swings photo by miamism @ flickr

Girl in red dress swinging photo by anthrovik @ flickr

Empty swing by the tree of battle photo by Robb North (a Canadian photographer) @ flickr


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*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Walk The World

*** A poem about sharing our life with others - when we are both in need - to receive the greatest gift.





Walk The World


The young ones were curious about life that was.
The grandmother began the remembering of a long life.
She told them stories of how sweet life can be.
She told them stories of how tough times were too.

The old woman leaned back in her comfortable chair,
Closed her eyes for a moment and her face grew sad.
She remembered the jobs disappearing and the fear.
She told how her neighbors worked fewer and fewer hours,
Worrying about how they would feed their children.







The old woman opened her eyes and spoke softly,
“I remember friends moving away because times were tough.
They couldn’t afford their homes anymore and they cried.
The sheriff and the bankers threw them out on the street.
It was a terrible sight to see, wondering too if it would happen to me.”

“Back then life was so grim, people everywhere living in fear.
It got to the point that every single penny was far too dear.
The bills kept piling up high in tall stacks. We didn’t know what to do.
We quit spending on anything, nothing misspent, but for food and rent.”







The old woman was remembering their grandfather, her husband.
She smiled fondly, feeling his warm heart touch, hugging herself.
She leaned forward to continue her story as the children sat at her feet.
“There was this one birthday of mine when times were tough.
Your grandfather always liked to buy grand gifts for me and celebrate.
I told him not this time but to save our little money for important things.
He said he agreed and I went to sleep reassured and not expecting anything.”

“I was happy just being able to pay our bills back then and nothing else mattered.
When I woke up on my birthday morning and went into the kitchen there it was.
There was a packaged gift with a birthday card sticking out of the top.
I remembered thinking about trying not to worry about what he spent.
It was a beautiful card with a bear and a honey bee that meant so much to me.
I smiled and we enjoyed his excitement at giving. Then I peered inside the gift bag.
I never laughed so loud in my life. He bought me the gift of my favorite cookies!
Cookies! Imagine that as a birthday gift? Cookies! I was so relieved he kept his word.”







The children asked her why grandfather gave her cookies and she replied,
“Why, it’s because our love was sweet no matter how tough the financial times.
Your grandfather was an optimist who loved life and loved being in love.
I thought it was a perfect morning on a perfect day and that was enough for me.
The mail arrived and there was this wonderful birthday card from someone
I had not heard from in many long years, a childhood close friend I enjoyed.
How unexpected and delightful it was to hear from them after such a long time.
It brought me great joy at being remembered at this especially tough time.”

“Then your grandfather decided to take me out to a small lunch but I hesitated.
He knew what I was thinking. He reminded me there are others in need besides us.
He reminded me the only way to know the need of another was for us to walk the world.
At the humble restaurant we shared a meal between us so we could tip the server.
As I looked about me I could see the need of others and knew what to pray.
One lady was trying hard not to have a panic attack while with her family in public.
Most of the people in the room did not look healthy and I realized they were getting sick.
But did you know the prayer of a stranger can prevent serious illness for you?”







The children were amazed that one person could have that much power if they prayed.
The old woman talked on about how the perfect day was not yet finished for her.
“When we were about to leave the restaurant another waiter arrived with a dessert.
In all the times I had been at this restaurant, no one had ever done this on my birthday.
Our waiter knew it was my birthday and it was a special sweet gift from him at no cost!
It’s like he knew we were there to pray for him and the others to gain back their health.
He was saying thank you when we expected no thanks or recognition for our deeds.
We smiled and enjoyed our gift and, oh, it tasted so very good with that whipped cream.”







“Your grandfather and I returned home to marvel at our day of unexpected surprises.
We talked about how we received more than we gave and it didn’t cost much either.
Suddenly, there was this sense of Peace all around us and inside our hearts too.
We realized we didn’t need to worry any more about losing our home or job.
We now knew it was more important to walk the world and give to the need of others.
All that we were, and all that we were to become, crystallized on that one perfect day.
Little did we know God was training us to handle great wealth to give to others.
That’s when we began planning for our future foundation for charities.
We lived the life of the needy and now truly understood the needs of others.
The birthday celebration was a perfect day because we chose to walk the world.
Now it’s your generation’s turn to walk the world, pray powerfully for others and give.”



Denny Lyon
Copyright 30 July 2010
All Rights Reserved


* * * Check out the Complete Poem List for more selections.


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor



Photo Credits


Child walking in the grass by Victor Bezrukov @ flickr

Grandparents out in the boat by Let Ideas Compete @ flickr

Closeup child's face by Pink Sherbet Photography @ flickr

White doves flying by Muffet @ flickr

Grandma's hands by hweiling @ flickr

Old woman's hand by Ricky @ flickr

Life is About Everything

I Am a Joyful Thought Photo by alicepopkorn @ flickr

*** The life incidents that tickle our minds to write, record and remember…

From Denny: While compiling the most popular posts this year on this blog, I was blown away by just how much writing I did this year, covering a wide range of thought wanderings and wonderings. So... I had another one of those famous RDTs (Random Denny Thoughts), and decided to compile most of my writes into one poem just to see the themes of the year.

You might enjoy this as a writing exercise too as it sure does surprise you to review the year like this. And, for conceptual and abstract thinkers like me, you will find this a neat and tidy way to condense your writes all into one place! :) I just know there was a good reason I've had ultra left-brain friends over the years who were such a help. Trust me; there is nothing like having a Virgo come into your clothes - or mental - closet and properly get you focused for a project. You will be eternally grateful. The rest of the time they are eternally grateful you tell them to "take a chill pill because Life will turn out well anyway; quit fretting."

We creative types tend to roll our eyes and snooze when it comes to filing, naming, and other busy office work and end up "organizationally challenged" if we aren't careful. My friends did teach me that organization is the key to yet more creativity unleashed. This year of writing proves them right! Oh, how they will live on that comment for years... :)



Dance of Love Photo by Kjunstorms @ flickr

Life is About Everything
Review

When I began this year’s journey I didn’t know where I was going.

I didn’t much care nor worry – only living in the moment of awe.

Life has so much to experience: ugly and beautiful, joyful and sad.

I chose to witness with my heart, my eyes and my listening soul.

Chronicling Life seen, felt and heard with a flowing pen, tapping keyboard,

Life unfolded its meaning, its depths, its teachings, revealing its purpose: discovery.

Love

Relationships were talked about from love to war and terrible loss.

A Man in Love retold a soldier’s 60 year old story of yearning to reunite with his wife.

Loving You recounted marriage love, roles unexpectedly changing over time.

Opposites in Love: Night and Day revealed how we opposites learn to live together.

Loss

Personal loss spoke in Rock, My Children, compounding when others are too cruel.

A rock legend’s legacy lives on in Michael Jackson: Talk About My Life.

Musings of understanding spoke in A Spiritual Perspective: Michael Jackson.

Abuse

Social issues like abuse wondered aloud in Flinging Dirt from a telling dream.

You Are Worthy Every Day! honored an abused poetess gone uncelebrated too long.

I defiantly declared to only speak, honor and fight for the Truth in Why I Write.

Defining myself in It Isnt In Me because Love is, in the end, how we all win.

They Pull at Your Heartstrings explored how tough news stories affect us deeply.

Thinking of my mother’s birthday and the Chinese custom of celebrating birthdays so different from our America came my cultural shock of A Chinese Birthday Favor.



Writing Ideas

The hilarity of finding out how we find our inspiration in the middle of the night through our insistent nagging muses of Dreaming Words.

Writing exercises explored, thinking outside the box and beyond the tried and true.

Thinking the “how-to” write on many levels was the fun of discovering What Do You Like to Write? Talk to We! and Eye I.

Writing fun acrostic poems in POETRY and for the rigors of gestating a write was Eyeing Think Time.

Life of Words went on a journey to decide how words affect and influence our lives.

Encouraging writers and poets to quit worrying and focus upon their one reader came An Audience of One as you never know the true impact of your words: Believe!

Discovering a weird words site I was amusingly inspired to write 22 Weird Words Story: Oyez, calling attention to odd words rarely used that tickle our minds.

Curious about those odd phrases we speak every day I wrote the entertaining Word Smithing: Those Funny Sayings We Hear Every Day to delight and amuse.

Fantasy

Soon I turned to the fun of writing fantasy thoughts about dragons in Primordial Dragon and a world only imagined.

Writing outrageous fantasy to blow off tension using a writing exercise of run-on sentences that built emotional tension just to break it was Totally Ridiculous Comedy: Jacks Nightclub.

And an amusing excuse for Haiku as Dennys Not Haiku But Short Enough On the Whim of a Grin winked playfully.



Humor

Writing love poetry from the point of view of a romantic cheeky greyhound dog came the amusing romp of The Interesting Man.

Humor tickled my writing pen one day as my husband surprised me with a slight-of-hand slip in The Husband Who Cleans.

I laughed on after a bad experience with summer poison ivy in Bitter Romance in the Garden.

Then thoughts danced on the idea of a paradox: Do we own our homes or do they own us? Chasing down home photos around the globe came into my mind the poem, Hunting Our Home.

Fun

I sauntered on into exploring my fellow humanity and food whims in Foods We Love to Hate: Knowing Why.

While cruising through the Flickr photo database I happened upon more than 50 fun Santa Claus photos. I was inspired to write an article just for the goodwill believers all around the globe in We Believe In Santa.

On Christmas Eve of 2008 my husband and I started laughing about our childhoods and the crazy things our parents told us in Funny Christmas Conversations: Parents to Their Children was so inspired it was written on Christmas Eve night.



Photo by subflux @ flickr
Balance
Thinking often of the spiritual condition of humanity there came Poetry of Life, to lift up others struggling with the deepening economic recession and job losses by changing our focus.

Thinking aloud about how to gain our balance in life in the most precarious places, I watched Nature in the form of a Blue Heron one late summer day endeavoring to find his balance on the tiniest piece of branch high up in a tall tree in Parable: Blue Heron Balancing the Wind.

As the summer was disappearing into fall with the hint of change in the air was written Louisiana Summer Sigh, alluding to our inner selves changing with the seasons too.

Weeping Freedom">Weeping Freedom came from preparing for Hurricane Gustav and its 100 mph whistling winds by pruning back an overgrown top-heavy jasmine vine so it would live through the storm and thrive again one day. The vine reminded me of people not prepared for Life’s storms because they won’t prune what’s dead inside to create new space to breathe and grow.

The Art of Waiting took you inside my world of perception and patience as my damaged brain went through the healing process from a car accident, nine months to fully awaken.

The Long Road talked about how friendships improve our lives, then maybe its time to slow down and help others who are in the distance straggling behind us, trying to catch up.

Nature and Spirit
Looking to Nature again as many poets have through the ages, I noticed how Rain Blessings can prove destructive if too fierce or constructive to growth if soft and gentle. Yet both of Life’s storms can bring balance into our world.

When researching beautiful landscape photos one day I found a cache of awesome tree photos and how it struck me that people are so like these trees in People Trees.

I reflected upon how patient our soul is with our ego on our Life journey of growing spiritual awareness in Soul Journey.



Photo by D.SharonPruitt @ flickr

Angels

When The Angels Cry For Us pondered how we may look to outside witnesses as we live a life of trying to force a situation to work when it never will and how important it is to grow and change from our experiences.

Angels Bridge recounted an example of many teaching experiences from encountering strangers - as my motto has always been to remain teachable in Life from every person and situation I encounter.

Angel Diaries: Samuel is the true story of some of what I experienced in early childhood from growing up in the dangerous vile world of the CIA.



Photo by Temari09 @flickr

Courageous Men
When the Lion of the Senate died this year, American women and children, the poor and the disenfranchised lost a champion, a man who was not a perfect man and yet chose to set right his life after many serious mistakes. As he changed his focus he changed his life. I reflected upon his body of work in How Senator Ted Kennedy Affected Your Life in America.

On Father’s Day I chose to think about the three kinds of men who mentored and influenced my own life when my father fell down on the job miserably in 3 Kinds of Men to Honor: the courageous, the compassionate and the nurturing.

Reflections of That Moment was a remembrance of those for whom we grieve in death and how important it is to take the journey of inner discovery to the unknown positive new awareness, waiting on the other side of that moment.

Millennium Blessing

And I wrote in Keeping The Peace the only true way to bring Peace into the world.

To commemorate the year 2000, the new millennium, I wrote Ode to People of the New Millennium: A Blessing, thinking a blessing was the most positive thing to do for the future. In the light of the 2012 prophecies for which many are afraid, this poem takes on a new and stirring promise. How strange what you wrote almost ten years ago speaks loudly into the present…



Denny Lyon
Copyright 4 December 2009
All Rights Reserved

* * * Check out the Complete Poem List for more selections.

*** This was not the full year of writings, about 7 months worth of just the poetry and a few articles. There are still those crazy Cheeky Quotes posts which I guess will have to go into a book of their own... :)

*** Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend!

Three Endings and One Beginning

*** 4 life stories of people I have known: 3 committed suicide, 1 reclaimed their life.

From Denny: It's difficult to stand by and watch when a few people around us are on self-destruct. Sometimes, you can take time and engage as it helps them get through one more day. Sometimes, no amount of talk or company will help because what they need is prayer, the prayer of love and light to shine into their confusion and darkness to make them strong again. The following are only four stories of many I have known who have lived difficult lives for themselves and those around them. I could fill a book.

Since there is so much stress and pressure in America and around the globe this year because of the economic downturn, I thought it was time to write a poem discussing the social issue of suicide. Suicide affects us all. Three of these friends were conservative Republicans who refused to learn to be more emotionally flexible when life did not go their way. The fourth is no longer a Republican.

Why do I bring up the political preference? A few years ago, there was a study about who had the most nightmares and experienced the most fear in life. The Republicans scored high for fear and nightmares, personal rigidity and divorce over the Democrats. Right now a number of our Republican friends are recently divorced. It happened as soon as Bush left office, like a contagion. Once the Republicans were out of power, these Republicans felt powerless and trashed their relationships.

There is a better way to live...




Photo by Adan Garcia @ flickr


Three Endings and One Beginning


I ask into the quiet air:
Are we a society of yearning?

When I’m sitting still in contemplation
Thinking of others who are gone
From this earth by their own hand
I wonder how things could have been.

I ask into the stirring air:
Are we a society of depression?

We have beautiful homes, air to breathe,
Holidays to enjoy, people to know,
Awesome food to share with friends,
Yet still we revel in the darkness

Are we really here in this abundant life
Just to pay the bills, show off to the neighbors,
Buy expensive electronic toys and games,
Scrambling to get rich quick and forever?

When we ignore the simple things in life
When we sideline people trying to friend us
When we take for granted our partners and family
When we push away all that supports us - can we be happy?

I ask into the turbulent air:
Are we a society of suicide?

This year three friends killed themselves.
One was a builder undiagnosed for depression
Who clearly cycled in and out of excited highs
And lowest anti-social lows yet no one dared
Confront him to help because he employed them.
John increased his life insurance a few months before
Then he took his gun and shot into his heart
Dead in his truck on a construction site where
Some horrified Mexican painter found him.
John left his wife and children deep in debt
Never considering the legacy he left them.




Photo by nattu @ flickr


Another friend was a waitress who started
Her life far too early at age fifteen married.
Her story was perhaps the saddest for sure.
She married her first love, had three girls
Then they divorced later only to begin anew
Five years later when he was found with cancer.

She still loved him so much she mortgaged
Her tiny house to pay for his medical bills
The insurance companies denied.
When she found he was terminal and
The foreclosure papers came in the mail
She started drinking heavily and got into her car.

They were about to move in together again
Like life was once before, so simple and rich.
She drove to her husband’s yard angry.
Angry at life, angry at her rash choices,
Angry he was now terminal, angry.

She called out to him, he opened the door
Only to find her quickly pulling the trigger
Killing herself in the car - while the motor hummed.
She did not want to live when he was soon to die.
Judy forgot all about her three teenage daughters
Who are now orphaned twice for her sister to adopt.
Judy never considered the legacy she left her daughters.





Just last week we heard about yet one more.
A severe alcoholic on self-destruct
Chasing easy wealth and chasing women.
He grew up abused by a harsh father
Only to now abuse everyone around him.
He had a loyal young wife and two children
Who were patient and loving, always there
Supporting him at every turn, no matter what.

He ignored them for his own selfish world.
He abandoned them emotionally every moment.
He loved no one but only himself exclusively.
After years of abuse and neglect his wife left.
Natalie is a beautiful person inside and out
Who deserved a second chance at real love.

She separated, began to date again and
While on a date dining out, Rene showed up
Angry and drunk. He had just lost his job.
He had lost his wife and children, his home.
He lunged at the other man, stabbing him.
Rene left quickly, went home where the police
Arrested him. Yet the next day he got out on bond.
He foolishly called Natalie to pick up where he left off
Fighting with her over the phone like it was the other night.
The man was stuck in life, determined to destroy all in his path.

Rene yelled and screamed about what he demanded,
Never listening to anyone other than his own words.
Then the screaming stopped and he grew too quiet.
Natalie was about to speak; it was a long pause, then
She heard the gun shot over the phone; Rene killed himself.
Rene never considered what legacy he left to his children.

We wonder together where such darkness begins
We know how it ends, no matter how many try to stop it.
Darkness comes from a closed harsh heart self-absorbed.
Darkness cannot feed, heal, bring understanding or give life.
Open the door, let in the light and darkness is diminished.
Open the door and loneliness and confusion evaporate.





It’s a bumpy road back to wholeness, walking out of the dark.
Another friend had finally reached the end of his welcome
With everyone around him. He bullied and condemned all
Who would not enable him. His father had taught him to hate women.
Since a teenager he abused drugs and alcohol – and people – twenty years.

His father was the source of his anger and confusion, a crushing manipulator.
When I met the man I realized he was insane, yet he had convinced all
Around him that everyone else was at fault. He harangued his wife
For so many years she finally had a nervous breakdown. He placed
Her on far too heavy medications and told everyone she was insane.
Their sons were confused, angry and resentful. Angry at the mother
They thought her weak not stopping the father’s condemnations.
With years of programming they believed all women were useless.





Then Flynt blew into my life like a storm, trying to dominate
Odious, hateful, high on five tabs of Ecstasy and drunk too.
Everyone tolerated him, his lousy attitude, he was top dog.
He was in my home bullying friends at a celebration.
Then he crossed the line with me by insulting my husband.

No one said a drunk was smart and it was then I decided
Flynt was going to get straight and sober. To this day he tells
The tale of when I physically bounced him out of my house,
Declaring, “You are not going to be an alcoholic, not on my watch!”

Of course, Flynt retaliated with convincing all his friends I was horrible.
They all talked bad about me; I ignored it. People who don’t respect
The truth and don’t have the courage to stand up for it are not friends.
People who will not stand up to alcoholics are not their friends;
They are their enablers, their weak accomplices. Flynt needed
Someone stronger willed than him, someone strong enough
To put her foot in his back and kick hard enough to get him
Across the finish line. Flynt’s new wife turned out to be a mini-me,
Her strong convictions made me smile I was so proud of her.
She would not tolerate his beatings, berating or hating her as a woman.
She left him twice in the first two years of marriage.





For Flynt that was finally it; he realized he did not want to be alone.
His wife and I and a few others kept praying love and light into him
To make him the right kind of strong, eroding the darkness in him.
Flynt has now been straight and sober for four years.
He quit talking harsh and hard-hearted about women and others.

It’s taking time, a lot of time and effort, yet he is doing well in his marriage.
He has finally faced the dark motives of his father and seen the truth.
As he walked away, spending less and less time with his toxic father
Flynt has grow stronger and more loving. He finally freed himself
And the rest of us. Flynt still doesn’t like me but he sure respects me,
Quick to remind all that he didn’t stay an alcoholic “on my watch.”




Photo by claudiogennari @ flickr


Are we a society that care too much about ourselves,
Refusing to risk anything for what matters more?

Real love for others is about risking your ego to be trounced and
Misunderstood and condemned by others who do not love.
Do it anyway. Maybe you will get lucky and someone will learn to live again.



Denny Lyon
Copyright 5 Feb 2010
All Rights Reserved


* * * Check out the Complete Poem List for more selections.


In the news: Designer Alexander McQueen found dead, Flamboyant British fashion icon an apparent suicide at age 40


*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave comments, a big shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!