You, who laughs like a waterfall, who smiles like the stars are her friends, who dances as if the world will always love you. You, who is beautiful, still as you cry your crystal tears. Plink. Plink. Plink. They drop to the ground and sadly I ask you, “When will you learn to love yourself as much as you yearn for someone else’s love?”

I have done nothing but

sit still & wonder about love

watching beautiful things happen, never participating

letting opportunities pass by, forgetting

what could be

in this life I could have done everything, but

instead I dream. Instead I listen to music

and write down every escaping thought.

I have seen so little

and loved so much;

I have felt the world

without living in it.

and, having only experienced this,

I know one thing:

you can choose to board a plane

or not.

neither option is wrong.

Haunted empty house

One place setting

Leave request denied

I miss home

Don’t cry mom

America is safe

Your hometown hero

#life #military #truth #lonely

Her skin smelled like cinnamon, her eyes a dark golden brown and her warm smile freely given to anyone who crossed her path. She was more than beautiful — she was divine energy in petite human form. Her long, curly dark brown hair as untamed as her spirit and her walk, full of purpose. You’d never know it, but she’d been broken more than a few times and still she refused to withhold her heart from those she encountered. She knew she was strong enough to break a thousand more times if it meant fearlessly living her life while giving people courage to live the same way. Nothing was better than knowing no matter what happened to her, she would always come out stronger. She had a warrior’s spirit and a philosopher’s mind, unbiased in her constant search for wisdom. Faith was her ultimate weapon, for it guided her and strengthened her. Truth, her muse and source of power. She was magical. Her small, pear shaped frame commanded much attention but her words commanded even more. She spoke, wrote and sang with conviction and authenticity; with vulnerability and strength. Words which she used to edify others; to heal the broken; to convey love and emotion as only she could. She was a true artist, finding beauty in even the darkest corners of the earth and seeing through to the deepest parts of the soul. She saw potential instead of failure in those around her because she knew a secret: those who dwelt in darkness were also those who could reign in light, given the right guidance. She was prepared to give that guidance whenever an opportunity presented itself. She was a divinely appointed healer of souls — a shaman, even — leading others deeper into their own spiritual journeys. A prophetess with almond-colored skin that smelled of spicy, sweet cinnamon . . .

Please cease and desist from saying that Chivalry is dead, unless you knocked your cranium

My parents have raised a well mannered son ever since I was really young

People who care to notice have to ask if I practiced the gentleman’s curriculum

But like several of my fellow male counterparts we just naturally exuded a great sense of decorum

Just because we don’t cause an interruption with self praise or beating our own drums

Doesn’t mean that chivalry is nonexistent especially since you only examined the mainstream mediums

For they may not wear expensive classy business suits or dress in all white like on the lawns of Wimbledon

Chivalry is expressed in simple ways such as allowing ladies before gentlemen first upon the step of the podium

Or we forego the chance of fun instead end up being covered in blood, tears and watery sodium

What about the time we willingly give up without a second thought the front row VIP seats in the stadium

Or not to mention the many times we accompanied ladies on the long lonely far walks to the auditorium

Stop blindly believing the popular cliché for there are indeed real gentlemen who still exists in real life and not in a museum

For it is hurtful that people are so quickly to cast us off with the bad apples amongst the bunch into the crematorium

So the next time you heard someone say Chivalry is dead, please correct their ignorance with the actual facts in a friendly forum

#Chivalry

#ChilvalryAintDead

#Poem

#Poetry

She ran with the wolves,

rode upon the backs of grizzlies,

and laid with the lions.

She had no fear

and I found that more dangerous

than the company she kept.

Instagram.com/m.h.marie

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The tattooed woman inspired by The Road to El Dorado | Fly Art Stuff ...

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Secretly, I had wished to die. I did not believe in divorce, except for in cases of infidelity so the months leading up to the day my husband told me he had been unfaithful, I had already resigned to being unhappily married for the rest of my life. He was brutal, you see. Never laying a hand on me but always demeaning me, telling me I was worthless and that he didn’t want to have one of those fat Mexican wives who never got their body back after the baby. Over a period of 5 years, he had managed to strip away all the layers of who I was and constantly manipulated every situation to work in his favor. He was lazy, a narcissist and a liar, a chameleon of sorts with the ability to sway most people in his path. The only reason I had not ended my life was because I could not bear the thought of my baby girl growing up with her father alone. After coming home from work on December 13th, 2012, I knew something was wrong. My husband sat me down with my best friend in the room and he told me of their affair. I don’t remember feeling rage at the time but I do remember very quickly and quietly packing up all of my things along with my baby’s. I think I must’ve been biting my tongue and avoiding eye contact with everyone. My husband followed me around the house trying to get me to say something but he knew it was too late to change my mind and he didn’t want to anyway. He already had what he wanted. The sad part was, my friend’s husband was also there and his unbelief echoed mine as they too had a baby of their own. As soon as I had gathered as many of our things as I could, I took my baby and drove away without direction and ended up in the parking lot of my nearby church where I let myself finally feel something and cried aloud, “How could he do this to me, to us?! We have a 6 month old baby!” My head pounded as a migraine came over me and my broken spirit sought comfort. I called my best friend Michael from work and just cried as I told him everything. He offered to help but I told him I’d manage and we hung up. As I scrolled through my contacts in my phone, I realized I couldn’t call my parents or my sister, at least not yet, because I didn’t want any I-told-you-so’s or even comments on how stupid my husband was for doing this. My cousin Diana and her husband ended up driving 2 hours one-way to come pick us up and after a weekend with them, I called my parents and told them to please come pick me up so my baby and I could move in with them. Months of anger and bitterness followed along with desperate prayers for healing and wholeness. There were even nights of reckless drinking and feeling sorry for myself. I needed to get back to me again so that I could be a good mother to my daughter. Even though she was a baby, she knew I was hurting and she would comfort me like only a baby can while I nursed her. Then one day, my perspective changed and I started to see that this was God’s way of leading me out of that miserable marriage. I was still young, being only 24, and I could start my life over! I started taking walks in the park with my baby and I started feeling good about myself again. Even after the divorce was finalized, and my ex-husband married my former best friend, I felt so free and grateful that I had a fresh start. It wasn’t always easy, of course. Being a single parent is all-consuming, especially when you don’t get any help from the other parent but her father had never contributed before so why would he now? He was completely out of our lives now, having moved 20 hours away. About a year after the divorce, a co-worker of mine asked if he could give my number to his best friend because he knew we would hit it off. I reluctantly said yes because he was so persistent and I could always just change my number if his friend ended up being a creep. I had given up on love even though I knew I was strong enough to love again but I had not thought about becoming romantically involved since I had a little girl who needed me first and foremost. A few weeks later on the 4th of July, I got a text from his friend. We texted and talked on the phone for the next 3 weeks and I fell in love with his mind. He was very intelligent and we had many of the same likes, dislikes and beliefs. We had our first date on July 21st, 2014 and it was the beginning of the rest of my life. Today, we are married and are raising my daughter together. He has shown me that a true relationship is one where you learn and evolve together; where you love each other even on days when you feel distant. Love is not some emotion but rather a mutual decision to stick by each other even when the romance is fleeting. We are a real team and together we are so strong and fiercely loyal to each other because of all we have accomplished together. I am now a firm believer that in order to feel the highest highs, you must first feel the lowest lows. My dark days are a distant memory now, only there to remind me of how grateful I am to be where I am now in the presence of those who have truly loved and supported me. God had truly rescued me and restored my hope; He restored me and strengthened me through my struggle. My newfound strength is a gift I can share with others who are going through similar struggles and dark times. It is because of my experience that I can now help others find their own restoration and hope for a brighter future; the true silver lining in the dark cloud of my past.

#divorce #infidelity #restoration #newlove #blessed #lowestlows #highesthighs #strength #testimony #silverlining