GOOD PEOPLE

 

A simple message to begin Pride Month (and every day)

It works for families, strangers and friends…

Good people do good things for other people

It’s where this message begins.

and where this message ends.

PROUD TO BE WOKE

 

I consider myself woke….to me…woke means love…

I wear the woke badge proudly…I slip love on like a glove.

To be woke is to believe that love can find its way

into the life of everyone on Earth…

whether straight, bi, transgender, lesbian…or gay.

To be woke is to believe love does not discriminate 

whether one is male or female…young or old…overweight or thin…

Woke does not care what religion one believes or the color of their skin.

To be woke is to believe everyone is equal… 

It understands everyone is our sister or our brother.

Woke means never putting any person higher or above another.

Woke teaches acceptance, hope and generosity

principles on which to live…

Woke believes it is not how much we can take from life…

but how much we give.

To be woke is to accept and welcome everyone with open arms…

To help everyone get ahead…

To ensure every person in the world is clothed and housed and fed.

Woke means understanding how most people in the world abhor war

and wold love for wars to cease…

It understands most mothers and fathers want their children

to live in a world of joy and peace.

To be woke is a wonderful feeling…as valuable as the most precious jewel

But lately some politicians and their followers use this word 

to disparage, defame and ridicule.

And so I hope and pray…everybody who misconstrues woke this way

this feeling you will quell…

that you will wake up from the dark cloud that engulfs you…

and become woke as well.

And once you enter the cloud of wokeness…

from inside here you’ll see

woke is not only a beautiful thing

but a wonderful place to be.

DAILY GRATITUDE FAMILY AND FRIENDS

 

I am grateful throughout my life…

as my life moves by so swift…

To have viewed any time with family and friends

not only a bonus…but as a gift.

TOGETHERNESS

 

If we ever want to fix our divided world 

may we all be blessed…

To understand…

We heal, 

not inisolation

but in togetherness

UMBUNTU AGAIN

 

In a world where humanity is something many lack…

Here’s another reminder…it’s not too late to bring it back…

UBUNTU

It was an anthropological study…that I shall now describe:

A basket of fruit was placed near a tree…in front of the children of an African tribe

Who were told they needed not only to be fast but resolute

because the one who gets to the basket first…gets to eat all the fruit.

When they were told to run…they didn’t at first…instead like birds of a feather

they each took the hand of the child next to them…and then they ran…together.

Together they ran to the basket…fast and resolute

Together they reached the basket… and together…they ate the fruit.

When asked why they chose to run that way…”UBUNTU” cried each lad…

adding, “How can one of us be happy…if all the other ones are sad?”

In South Africa the word UBUNTU…means ‘I am because we are’

It’s a belief we are defined by our compassion and kindness towards others…

and it’s a word that travels far

For every culture, every civilization…across the land, the sky, the seas 

has a word with similar meaning…In America…it’s humanity.

Arabic, French, German and Hindi have similar words like these:

(Al Insaniyya, Humanite, Menschlichkeit, Manavata)

So do the Spanish, the Italians, the Finnish as well as the Chinese

(Humanidad, Umanita, Ihmiskunta (Renlei) 

It’s a simple word…humanity…that has an allure…a wonderful attraction

but it remains only a word…until we put it into action.

I’m glad to see so many cultures have this word as part of their folklore…

I think, however, the entire world…need sto practice UBUNTU a little more.

We need to spread humanity and let our actions travel far….

We need to teach the world UBUNTU…'I am because we are’.

We need to follow the example of the children…we need to be fast and resolute…

We need to join hands as one…together…and together enjoy our fruit.

FINDING JOY

 

I am grateful for something my parents instilled in me

from the time I was a little boy…

how the less things in life I need to be content…

the easier it is to find my joy.

REMEMBERING JOY AND WONDER

 

How blessed would we all be if at least one time every day

we would stop…and with a dash of innocent flair

remember a time when we were children…

and found joy and wonder everywhere.