This is where I put all those poems, stories, song lyrics, etc.  There are things here that may touch you or make you think.  Words can be very powerful.

"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena. Whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood...who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat"

- Theodore Roosevelt

"All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy." "That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day."
- Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke"

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” -- Helen Adams Keller

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

“Tears are often the telescope by which men see far into heaven.” -- Henry Ward Beecher

“When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." -- Albert Einstein

Him...

His eyes, are like crystal blue streams,
His hair, is a golden color, only seen in my dreams,
His skin, is as soft and smooth as silk,
and looks as creamy as fresh, cold milk.
When I look at him,
and hear his voice,
my heart beats faster,
it has no choice.
My stomache flutters endlessly,
I only wish,
that he could see,
how much his love,
means to me.

think about this

A Simple Gesture

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed  the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying along with two sweaters,a baseball bat,a glove and a small tape recorder.  Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles.  Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boys name was Bill,that he loved video games, baseball, and history, that he was having alot of troublewith his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a coke and to watch some tv. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from high school. They ended up at the same High school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things from school that day?" asked Bill.   "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together I realized that if I had,I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark,when you picked up my books for me that day, you did alot more. You saved my life."

ABSENSE OF YOU

BY: NICOLE GRYWALSKI(in memory of Amy Avellino)

You once were there, my best friend.
I told you everything, I never thought that would end.
You comforted me in times of sorrow,
but now I cant even face tomorrow.
When the phone rang I completely knew,
that it was someone-- but not you.
I look at your picture and think of the memories
and sit and wonder how much you meant to me.
I hope you know that you are loved
and can see that from up above.
I miss you so much but what can I do?
But sit here and mourn the absence of you...

Fading Faces

by Melissa Doyle

Fading faces show through the light
but yours will never die
An undying image lasting through the night
in our heart our memories lie

So many lives that you have touched
your love was always there
We never had to look too much
to see how much you cared

An endless smile across your face
a loving hug to give
You brighten up a lonely place
and made our lives better to live

...And in out hearts we'll always keep
our loving memories
of a life that touched us deep
the life of our angel, Amy

LEARNING IN COLLEGE

College is about learning. It's not as simple as learning whatever it is that's being taught in your required gen-ed classes, though. It's about learning how to listen, how to speak, how to think. Learning who you are, who your friends are, the type of people you want as friends. Learning how to trust your innermost feelings, and how to find those feelings in the first place. It's about learning what's really important to you, and learning what you really don't give a damn about. College is about learning how to tolerate, how to accept, how to like, and how to love. Learning how to give as well as you receive, and how to trust that everything will even itself out on its own (you buy a pizza one night, your roommate will the next night). It's about learning that your mom and dad actually do have the right answers sometimes, and that your kid sister isn't such a dumb little kid anymore. College is about learning how to treat people as people, not as stereotypes. Learning that sometimes a kiss isn't just a kiss, that sometimes it means more, and that sometimes it means less. Learning how to achieve, how to succeed, how to accomplish. It's about learning how to not come in first place and still be proud, and about coming in last and learning how to admit that you could've done better. College is about learning that loud parties don't necessarily mean a good time. Learning that loneliness doesn't go away in a crowd, and that sometimes it's okay to be by yourself on a friday or saturday night. It's about learning that your lunchtime crowd doesn't constitute your popularity, and that popularity is all a matter of perspective. It's about learning that boredom is simply laziness of the mind, and that watching three hours of Thursday night NBC is not quality relaxation time. College is about learning how to pack a bag, how to pack a car, and how to pack a room full of way too much stuff.

***It's about learning that people probably like you a whole lot more than they'll ever tell you, and that it's your responsibility to make sure your friends know how much you appreciate them***.

It's about learning that simply doing what you're supposed to do isn't enough, you need to put forth twice that much in order to fully grasp whatever it is that's sitting in front of you. It's about learning how to make people smile. College is about learning how to miss people enough to not stick them in the past, and how to not miss them so much that it keeps you from moving into the future. Learning how to motivate yourself and how to motivate others. Learning how what the phrase "make do" means, and how to use it to make it seem as if you're not simply "making do." College is about learning. Learning how to live.

Life.....

I will, I can, I try. I live my life eachday hoping, loving, caring,and dreaming!!! I know one day this life will all end, but until that day shall come...I will be old, not young,I want to live, I want to learn, I wanna love!! But wait I see the light, Its all over my life has ended... Wait what will I do when my family & friends cry...Please god let me live. Wait dont worry, Im happy. Now im safe and loved even more than before. Eventhough i miss u all, just remember we will all be together again in HeAvEn! I love u All..... Why................ Why do people feel so sad, we need to find somebody, that can appreciate what they have. We need to find a heart beat thats always, always glad. We look around and everythings so short for life, I need to see u but your miles away, cant u see what is happening... Theres childern crying, theres people diying, & we need to look & find away. Its sad to wonder why noones looking over but cant you see what is happening, Happening, whats happening.. I wish we could just find a Way

This is 4 all our family & friends who passed away... MaD LoVe To All those Young Teens that have past away, may u rest in peace!!! Peace & love to teens all around the world!!!!!!! I'LL Be Missing u this goes out to everyone that has lost someone, that u truly loved. Every step I take, every move I make, every single day , every time I pray I'll be missing u!!! Thinking of the day, when u went away, what a life to take what a bound to break Ill be missing u!!!!! R.I.P. To all the teens who passed away we miss & love u...Peace!!!!!  

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."
-Barry LePatner

Techno-prayer

-by Bjork
and I weave
the marvellous web
glow-in-the-dark threads
all neon-like
the larva surrounds me
so I can sleep
foetus-style

I'm askin for help
the luminous beam
to feed me
while I sleep

There's a strong relationship between music and art.  It's not so much music or an art exactly, it's lifestyle.

-Jeff Mills

The Burning

-by Laura Willis

The Burning in my head
The Burning in my head
Anger and hate
Ripping me apart
Churning in my soul
Loosing al control
Crimson tears
Drip down my cheek
A liquid ocean
Rising up to my waist
Up to my chest
and over my face
Comsumed by the evil
I, myself
Did Create

Birthday of Passion

-by Sonali
Behind the Blackhole,
lies the lover, under the stars;
is his partner, over the clouds.

Above the chrystle ocean,
lover swims through the clouds,
gliding and swaying in gentle motion.

On the moist fluff,
partner glimpses the lover
and those cherry cheeks never heats any
warmer.

Across the mid wind,
lover drops on the fluff
and sweet embraces the partner.

By the tangerine sun,
creating a dream of passion,
they knead the cloud to their desire.

In the morning dew,
united into a single soul,
birthday fo Passion
slips through the hole
into the entire cosmos.

The Trouble Tree (Inspirational)

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just  finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an  hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck  refused to start.  While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he  invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door,  he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with  both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing  transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged  his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.  Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity  got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do  earlier. Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help  having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't  belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them  up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I  pick them up again." "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick  'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night  before."

Walking down a path through some woods in Florida in 1977, I saw a water puddle ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked!  Yet I did nothing for the attack was so unpredictable and from a source so totally unexpected. I was startled as well as unhurt, despite having been struck four or five times already. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Instead of attacking more, he hovered in the air on graceful butterfly wings in front of me. Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing, but I was unhurt, it was funny, and I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!  Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in the chest with his head and body, striking me over and over again with all his might, still to no avail. For a second time, I retreated a step while my attacker relented in his attack.  Yet again, I tried moving forward. My attacker charged me again. I was rammed in the chest over and over again. I wasn't sure what to do, other than to retreat a third time. After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. This time, though, I stepped back several paces to look the situation over. My attacker moved back as well to land on the ground. That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier.  He had a mate and she was dying. She was beside the puddle where he landed. Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it upon himself to attack me for his mate's sake, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her.  Now I knew why and what he was fighting for. There was really only one option left for me. I carefully made my way around the puddle to the other side of the path, though it was only inches wide and extremely muddy. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety justified it. I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the puddle. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed. I left them in peace for those last few moments, cleaning the mud from my boots when I later reached my car.  Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge obstacles facing me. I use that butterfly's courage as an inspiration and to remind myself that good things are worth fighting for.

Author Unknown but to God

This one's amazing: [From Hamlet by Shakespeare]

To be or not to be: that is the question, whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

==

In one of the Bard's best-thought-of tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten.

Politicians:

George Herbert Walker Bush

== Huge Berserk Rebel Warthog

George Bush == He bugs Gore

Ronald Wilson Reagan

== A long-insane Warlord (or Insane Anglo warlord)

Ronald Reagan == A darn long era

Leroy Newton Gingrich

== Yon Right-winger Clone

Margaret Thatcher

== That great charmer

The Conservative Party

== Teacher in vast poverty

And the grand finale:

"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

-- Neil A. Armstrong

==

A thin man ran; makes a large stride; left planet, pins flag

on moon! On to Mars!

TITANIC SONG

Every night in my dreams I see you I feel you, that is how I know you go on, Far across the distance and spaces between us, You have come to show you go on...

Near, Far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on. Once more you opened the door and your here i nmy heart, and my heart will go on and on...

Love can touch us one time and last for a lifetime, and never let go till we're gone. Love was when I loved you one true time I hold to, In my life we'll always go on...

Your here, there's nothing I fear, and I know that my heart will go on. We'll stay forever this way, you are safe in my heart, and my heart will go on and on....

This is very true especially the green part.

SO IF YOU WANT TO FIND YOUR ONE TRUE LOVE, OR GET BACK THE LOVE YOU ONCE LOST...SEND THIS TO 10 PEOPLE IN THE NEXT HOUR!

Or you will be destined to be alone for the rest of your life!!!

<3

I dance
With thousands of people
In my head.
We all dance in unity.
From the outside world,
it's moved,
instead,
to the inside;
inside my head.

Come stand beside me,
we'll dance together.
We can dance forever
since the soul is eternal.
The drums pound out the rhythm.
The child forgets.
The man neglects
the spark of what is left
within him.

It is the DJ
It is the DJ who turns it
It is th DJ who blends and melds the sounds
He coaxes rhythms and entices movement
It is this movement that we call dance
Dance takes us away
Floats away our cares
Takes away sadness
And replaces it with longing
A longing similar to that of desire
The DJ will take you on a journey
Of sound and sentiment
He shares his passion ofr music
His talent for programming
For a brief moment
He shares with you
What is in his heart
And lets you see
What is in his head
Beware
For you will soon be dancing

Do you value your friendships?

I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU, I NEVER COULD!!!!!!!!

By Henson Towne

Around the corner I have a friend
In this great city that has no end.
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell,
And he rang mine. If, we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorow" I say "I will call on Jim"
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner!- yet miles away,
Here's a telegram sir--"Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.

........

If you love someone, tell them.
Remember always to say what you mean.
Never be afraid to express yourself.
Take this opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you.
Seize the day and have no regrets.
Most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for
they have helped make you the person that you are today and are what
it's all about anyway. Pass this along to your friends. Let It make a
difference in your day and theirs. The difference between
expressing love and having regrets which may stay around forever.

"A friend is someone who knows the song to your heart and can

sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

It's National Friendship Week @}~~~~~~~~~~~

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their heart to us. Show your friends how much you care...Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND.

If it comes back to you, then you'll know you have a friend for life.

Let's show our friends how much we appreciate them and what they  mean to us...

Happy Friendship Week

MOONLIGHT RIDE

Jenny was so happy about the house they had found.
For once in her life 'twas on the right side of town.
She unpacked her things with such great ease.
As she watched her new curtains blow in the breeze.

How wonderful it was to have her own room.
School would be starting, she'd have friends over soon.
There'd be sleep-overs, and parties; she was so happy
It's just the way she wanted her life to be.

On the first day of school, everything went great.
She made new friends and even got a date!
She thought, "I want to be popular and I'm going to be,
Because I just got a date with the star of the team!"

To be known in this school you had to have a clout,
And dating this guy would sure help her out.
There was only one problem stopping her fate.
Her parents had said she was too young to date.

"Well, I just won't tell them the entire truth.
They won't know the difference; what's there to lose?"
Jenny asked to stay with her friends that night.
Her parents frowned but said, "All right."

Excited, she got ready for the big event
But as she rushed around like she had no sense,
She began to feel guilty about all the lies,
But what's a pizza, a party, and a moonlight ride?

Well the pizza was good, and the party was great,
But the moonlight ride would have to wait.
For Jeff was half drunk by this time.
But he kissed her and said that he was just fine.

Then the room filled with smoke and Jeff took a puff.
Jenny couldn't believe he was smoking that stuff.
Now Jeff was ready to ride to the point
But only after he'd smoked another joint.

They jumped in the car for the moonlight ride,
Not thinking that he was too drunk to drive.
They finally made it to the point at last,
And Jeff started trying to make a pass.

A pass is not what Jenny wanted at all
(and by a pass, I dont mean playing football).
"Perhaps my parents were right....maybe I am too young.
Boy, how could I ever, ever be so dumb."

With all of her might, she pushed Jeff away:
"Please take me home, I dont want to stay."
Jeff cranked up the engine and floored the gas.
In a matter of seconds they were going too fast.

As Jeff drove on in a fit of wild anger,
Jenny knew that her life was in danger.
She begged and pleaded for him to slow down,
But he just got faster as they neared the town.

"Just let me get home! I'll confess that I lied.
I really went out for a moonlight ride."
Then all of a sudden, she saw a big flash.
"Oh God, Please help us! We're going to crash!"

She doesn't remember the force of impact.
Just that everything all of a sudden went black.
She felt someone remove her from the twisted rubble,
And heard, "Call an ambulance! These kids are in trouble!"

Voices she heard...a few words at best.
But she knew there were two cars involved in the wreck.
Then wondered to herself if Jeff was all right,
And if the people in the other car were alive.

She awoke in the hospital to faces so sad.
"You've been in a wreck and it looks pretty bad."
These voices echoed inside her head,
As they gently told her that Jeff was dead.

They said "Jenny, we've done all we can do.
But it looks as if we'll lose you too."
"But the people in the other car!?" Jenny cried.
"We're sorry, Jenny, they also died."

Jenny prayed, "God, forgive me for what I've done
I only wanted to have just one night of fun."
"Tell those people's family, I've made their lives dim,
And wish I could return their families to them."

"Tell Mom and Dad I'm sorry I lied,
And that it's my fault so many have died.
Oh, nurse, won't you please tell them that for me?"
The nurse just stood there ~ she never agreed.

But took Jenny's hand with tears in her eyes
And a few moments later Jenny died.
A man asked the nurse, "Why didn't you do your best
To bid that girl her one last request?"

She looked at the man with eyes oh so sad.
"Because the people in the other car were her mom and dad."
This story is sad and unpleasant but true,
So young people take heed, it could have been you.

The Night Before Finals

Twas the night before finals,
And all through the college,
All the students were praying
For last minute knowledge.

Most were quite sleepy,
But none touched their beds,
While visions of essays
Danced in their heads.

Out in the taverns,
A few were still drinking,
And hoping that liquor
Would free up their thinking.

In my own apartment,
I had been pacing,
And dreading the exams
I soon would be facing.

My roommate was speechless,
Her nose in her books,
And my comments to her
Drew unfriendly looks.

I drained all the coffee,
And brewed a new pot,
No longer caring
That my nerves were shot.

I stared at my notes,
But my thoughts were all muddy,
My eyes went ablur--
I just couldn't study.

"Some pizza might help,"
I said with a shiver,
But each place that I called
Refused to deliver.

I'd nearly concluded
That life was too cruel,
When futures depend
On grades earned in school.

When all of a sudden,
Our door opened wide,
And Patron Saint Put-it-off
Ambled inside.

His spirit was careless,
His manner was mellow,
He walked across the room
And started to bellow:

"What kind of student
Would make such a fuss,
To toss back at teachers
What they tossed at us?"

"On Cliff Notes! On Crib Notes!
On Last Year's Exams!
On Wing-it and Sling-it,
And Last Minute Crams!"

His message delivered,
He vanished from sight,
But we heard him laughing
Outside in the night.

"Your teachers have pegged you,
So just do your best.
Happy Finals to All,
And to All, a good test."

UNDYING LOVE

When I first saw you
I knew it was right
I knew I felt love so true
that I never knew before that night

I now know about Juliet and Romeo

what they were feeling
I only wish everyone could know
the love to me felt so healing

No matter what they could've done
I would never get mad
Sadness, no, there was none
everything they did made me glad

There is nothing that could break us up
no mountain and no river
Full of love my heart did pump
your kiss, it made me shiver

Dream on until your dreams come true.
Express yourself don't repress yourself.
Fail to see the tragic, turn it into magic!
You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.

"What ain't no country I ever heard of, they speak English in what? "

-Jules Winfeld (Pulp Fiction)

(from Ezekeil 25:17)  "the path of the righteous man is beset an all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyrrany of evil men.  Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepards the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost childeren, and I will strike down upon thee with great vengence and furios anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers, and you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengence upon thee"

"My grandmother always said, "Why buy the cow...when you get the sex for free."

-Brodie (Mallrats)

"Get out of my ass you stupid rainbows"

-Eric Cartman (South Park)

"Never pass up a good thing"
"Figuring things out for yourself is the only freedom anyone really has, use that freedom, make up your own mind."
-Jean Rasczak (Starship Troopers)

This is for all those people who finished their "First Year in College"

Now that we are ending our freshman year of college it's kinda funny how much we have learned in such a short amount of time.... Remember your very first day of college when you said good bye to your parents. You saw them cry and maybe you cried, too. As they left, you thought about how different their lives were about to become without you at home... and now that you were far away from home. Some of you were terrified and were so close to saying "take me home, I don't want to be here anymore". But some of you were excited and knew it would all be okay. Those first few days of college you met some people. You discovered what a small world it really was. And you finally began to realize that this whole college thing was going to be pretty cool. Do you remember sleeping in your bed at college for the first time and thinking how long it would be until the year ended? It seems like yesterday that that happened. Your first classes seemed cool and you were so determined to get all A's. (Yeah, like that was going to happen!) Once you finally got settled, you found out so many things-- who you're real friends were back at home. How there are only a few. But for some reason, that's okay. After your first million dollar phone bill, you weren't too homesick anymore. But, you'd salivate at the thought of your mom's cooking at home. You missed your bed and a clean shower, and a bath was close to heaven. But even though you missed these things, you kinda didn't want to leave college. The friends you met at college you became very close to. You discovered things about yourself and about other people. You felt comfortable around these friends-- and it was really hard to believe that you only knew them for a few months. You learned about that "real world" people were talking about: You learned what alcohol poisoning really was-- what it looked like and maybe what it even felt like. You learned that date rape and sexual assault really does exist-- wow. You learned that sometimes a cry for help can lead to a suicide attempt and it scares you. You learn that you really can take a crap in the bathroom b/c everyone does, too. You discover what it really feels like to NOT sleep one night b/c you have to type a paper (that you didn't begin until midnight anyway). You make your own choices.... should you go to class to day.... nah. Should I drink tonight even though I have class at 8 am. Sure why not. You learn about love. You fall in love. You fall out of love. You get dicked over and you get dicked over but you get over it. You know that love is waiting for you down the road. You know that you have to live it up in the meantime. You learn to look at people differently, you spot genuineness easier than you did before. You read people better. You know what you like to look for in people.... and if they turn out to be different than expected, it's okay. You gained a sense of respect and learned what trust really meant... Maybe you learned to trust yourself and how important that is.  We all grew up during this first year of college. It's amazing that it was in such a short amount of time. And to think-- each year from now on will go even quicker. Live your life to the fullest. And count your blessings along the way.

OOOOO The Circle OOOOO