To liveUnder the open skyDreams unboundedAnd hopes unfurledRipplingIn the windOur spirits riseCatching its currentAnd soarThrough timeAnd space
Across the landOver the seasInto the heavensOur spirits soarAn aerial balletOf aspirationAnd ambitionAn ambassadorOf our lifeTo the stars.
Into sun swept skiesAnd harsher climesOur spirits soarEver higherUnbound by roomsOr rulesOr guaranteesThey roostOnly to rest
Beneath these skiesOur spirits rootFreedom and fulfillmentPartners to the landAnd foundationOf our great claimLet lightning strike!Let kingdom come!We do not fearOur spirits soar!
Copyright © 2001 K. S. Shain. All rights reserved.
Happy Birthday Mr. President
How can I say, Happy Birthday?
And how can I in a day, his troubles allay?
Paupers like me never get to see
People like he, with such pedigree
Yes we can was his cry, but how can I
Bring happiness to a President, how ever hard I try
I’ve seen the joy one man can bring
Realized that if you believe, you can do anything
The audacity of hope is within my reach
He taught me to believe and then each
Dream can be made into a reality
And so I’ll believe and with audacity
Yes I can give the President what I desire
May this day be as my dream, and as I require
Real happiness amidst his busy schedule
Peace from the haters, backstabbers, and all things cruel
Resolve of the problems of immediacy
Enemies no longer a threat to our country
Soft answers to carry away people’s rage
Integrity to know the time to turn a new page
Devoted colleagues that will always have your back
Economy, Health Care and Immigration put back on track
Nothing can stop my dreams and my earnest pray
To wish President Barack Obama a Happy Birthday!
The Police Acted Stupidly
The President dared to say what he can
He described actions and not the character of the policeman
Even with his measured and careful word
People attacked what they think they heard
On that night when the arrest was made
Lawman, who trains other acted stupidly, I’m afraid
Invading ones own home, how could this be?
Could a man jimmying his own lock be described as guilty?
Even when he says to the police he’s the lawful owner
Are there no checks that would verify this, is there no procedure?
Can I expect that had this man been a White
That he would’ve been meted out that same treatment, that night?
Ever considered the mood you would have been in
Disgusted from your circumstance now the police, outside, beckoning?
Sir! Get out the house! And you asked, Why? Cause I’m Black?
This is no reason for the police to get out of whack
Using a cane, standing 5’5”, with proof of ID
Police surely could’ve walked away, even without an apology
I agree with the President and think our trained policemen
Diffuse many more volatile incidents, so why not then
Locked emotions, Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley
Years of racial mending being broken because the police acted stupidly.
Wow! Saturday was awesome! Messy house and all, I was determined to host a HealthCare kickoff meeting, and I did, in the backyard. Angela and I dragged tables, umbrellas, HDTV, speakers and laptop outside with a few plastic chairs and TV tables to make our own Healthcare Viewing Room under the Fremont sun. Between sneezes from her allergies, Angela set out bottles of juice and water, healthy snacks, and connected everything up. I made lots of copies for our little group and ran the video.
Paul, the intellectual among us, wrote his own manifesto, which you can view at our Yahoo! Groups website. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/irvingtonfremonthealthcare/
Glenn even wrote a poem, just for the event which he delivered and I recorded! You can listen to it here:
by Glenn Meisenheimer© Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved http://www.glennmeisenheimer.com/the_end.htm
Also, here are all our stories, showing the wide disparity of experiences in US healthcare:
“I was working for a dot com company when the bubble collapsed. This (because of my age) left me out of work for 2 years. During that time I was dealing with severe back pain but couldn’t afford to see a doctor. I wasn’t eligible for Medi-Cal because I was desperately trying not to lose my house. Because I owned the house I couldn’t qualify for assistance.”
“My best friend died fighting to find doctors to assist with her heart condition. She was on Medicare and Medicaid. It took over a year to find a willing doctor to perform the surgery. Her heart was too weak by that time to survive the procedure. She passed June 12, 2008.”
“As an uninsured (unemployment for >1yr) my husband had a fall. Emergency room was $10,000. Health Care reform is needed because of all the debt created by unpaid medical bills. Either it takes all savings or ruins chances of credit in the future. Husband has given up on any kind of financial self-sufficiency. We need it for the overall health of our country.”
“My husband and I are self-employed, we have to purchase our own health insurance, premiums are way high and do not cover our dental neither eye surgeries, which are considered ‘cosmetic’ and cost us a total of $8,000. Both of us ended up getting private laser eye surgeries and going to Mexico for dental care. Fortunately, my sister is a dentist and she helped us with low pricing so we could afford it. We want more coverage and more affordable prices.”
“When my husband had a job that did not provide health care, we attempted to get health care on our own. Due to pre-existing conditions, we were uniformly denied coverage by many providers. We did get on minimal county insurance we were not covered. I had to go to the hospital and for a one day visit which turned out was not covered by the county, we received a bill for $7,000. We also delayed needed medical tests. One clear thing was that any catastrophic medical issue would have ruined us.”
So much to be done! Will we get there? Will we effectively render a positive change? Stay tuned!
Renegade - 2
Roads of uncertainty, in fact not even a path
Every step we take, every row of the wrath
Nothing there to guide us but faith and trust
Each decision is his and so we must
Give him the opportunity to lead the way
All our efforts before him had led us astray
Doing things against the grain needs someone who’s not afraid
Electing Barack Obama gives him the chance to be the Renegade
Chain
Mother, I will not shut up
And suffer the brunt of abuse;
The hour of grace has long since passed
And I will not be ill-used.
Mother, I will not be mute:
The beaten and raped in body or soul,
Those held without charge, due process or trial—
All are scapegoats of human beings.
Mother, I will not pretend
As I witness the psychic perversion:
Those traumatized in childhood
Victimized time and again.
Mother, I will not look away
As the gossip mongers berate their prey
While credulous mules gobble every word
On their narcissistic forays.
Mother, I will not ignore
The mentally brutal outrage
Whose echoes are heard in Guantanamo
And the prison of Abu Ghraib.
Mother, I play by different rules;
I do not accept the dysfunctional chain.
We're not animals: we have a choice;
I've made mine, now I'll raise my voice.
Mother, I will not be stopped;
The day of reckoning is at hand.
The chain is ancient, savage, cruel:
It’s time to take a stand.
Mother, I will not "be nice;"
I'll use my pen, my will, my thought
And resurrect the sacrificed.
With the upcoming Memorial Day holiday approaching, my thoughts turned to the many many soldiers who have lost their lives to war. I was inspired to write the following poem "Fields of Graves" which I submitted to Triond, an internet publishing company. One comment I recieved on the poem was that it should be seen by our country's leaders. So I decided to go straight to the top! I pray that someday we can all get along and have peace in this big beautiful world that we share.
http://www.authspot.com/Poetry/Fields-of-Graves.710287
Today’s Inauguration
Today’s inauguration will go down in history books,
As elders are reminded of all the struggles that it took.
Many lost their lives so one day all could be free.
Free to choose their paths and fulfill their destinies.
Today some may get emotional and may even shed a tear.
We thought one day this would be possible and now that day is here.
It’s not all about his color, but what it represents.
Word can’t sum up what this presidential race has meant.
As President Obama stands to give his inaugural speech,
We know the importance of what his inaugural message will teach.
That anything is possible and that we all are one,
No matter what our color or which country we come from.
I think that at this moment color no longer exists.
Hopefully one day racial tension will only be a myth.
© Angel G. Howell
Obama, I made this poem for you. It was an assignment, and I thought you might like it.
It's not supposed to rhyme!
Barack Obama: A symbol of Hope
Barack Obama provides hope for our struggling country.
He is the symbol of change.
When people who think all hope is lost, hearing his name will make them become hopeful again.
The doubters of humanity, the ones who are surrounded by the darkness that is called despair,
Will be brought into the light of hope once more.
The middle-class families, the overworked parents,
They will rejoice, for change is coming.
The ones who have been praying for this day,
Will celebrate, for at long last, their prayers are answered.
The young ones, who come from families who are enduring a time of struggle,
They will grow up, and be able to say these precious words,"I was alive during the presidency of Barack Obama, the first African-American president."
This man, this face of newfound hope, truly cares about us.
He is diffrent from the presidents who have come before him.
Obama is truly for the middle-class.
The hard-workers.
The people who are struggling.
The people in debt.
The people who are facing foreclosure.
The people who are in need of hope.
Barack Obama- You are the beacon of hope, that pierces even the darkest of the dark, before it swallows us whole.
That guides our souls to a better tomorrow.
That eases the burden of taxes for the middle-class who can't afford to pay.
He has outdone John McCain for a reason: He wants to bering change to America.
He's bringing more than that.
He's bringing along his determination.
His willpower.
His compassion for ordinary people, who are just like you and me.
He is more than a President.
He is a kind soul, and one of my heroes.
~Cierra Johnson.
Madama reads Song of Myself by Walt Whitman.
click here to listen...scroll down to Pickle Player...
10:14 min.
I am alone. I just want to know what it is that I can’t seem to get right. I cannot make a relationship work. Love, to me, is stepping out from the bushes into the most beautiful view you have ever seen, only to find out you have stepped off the edge of a cliff and are now plunging to your imminent demise.
I live, I love, yet I am alone. I seek, I find, yet I am alone. I struggle on without shame or pity; the world’s problems are far bigger than anything I could burden them with, yet I am alone.
I do not choose to be alone. I flirt, and engage. Yet I rarely get a response. Then, once in a while, I do get a response. And it fills my soul with a passion not rivaled by Mars. I push it further; perhaps I don’t push it far enough. But I expect a self-respecting woman to put in her fair share of the work.
Something happens every time that I cannot explain. I recognize it, yet I can’t make out it what it is. I try to stop it, yet I know it can’t be stopped. The Great Cosmic Reality offers no protection against this rampaging demon.
What is this love they tell me about? What is this fairy tale that is the true leading cause of divorce? How do I combat its evil, destructive power? What can I do to make them realize the power of true, lasting love? Monogamy is a fraud to all but the hopeless.
I still believe in the noble qualities; honesty, fairness, willingness to confront and overcome one’s demons, trust, empowerment, sacrifice, generosity. But they don’t seem to impress anyone.
Do I expect too much? I don’t expect anything. I hope for the best. But, after a fortnight or two, she always comes to realize she doesn’t want to be with me. Why? What have I done to be burdened by this curse?
I am alone and for strength I give my love to the world.
Change
How can we best prepare for changeWhat is it you want to rearrangeAs to where it is your mind is bentAnd how can we best circumventWe live in a world of possibilitiesWhy not face realityIf you really want to growYou must go with the flowChange is inevitableWhile forgetting the impossible!
I'm only 34 not even half way through with life; and yet here I stand... A young black man... two beautiful children... A loving white wife...Wasn't 'posed to make it this far... A paid for car... A house... Nay... A home... Almost black as tar...I've served 6 1/2... Defended her proud... And it's time to speak out loud...WHO WOULDA’ THOUGHT!From 'I have a dream'... and to the back of the bus... To rap being full of cuss... And jiggaboo's n wanna be's to truly the land of the free... The home of the brave... Oh I've done my share... Transferring from place to place... Moving from here to there... Christmas n Dubai... It just didn't seem fair. But n the end...it was all worth it... n the end WHO WOULDA’ THOUGHT!The war with Iraq... The search for Osama... Thank u God for this... OBAMA!Boo... Some surely will say... But it was inevitableThat we would reach this dayThe year... 2008... Mark this on your calendar... and do not hesitate... As I stand here and witness history in the making... My bones are weak... I'm tired n shaking... But rest assured...And tomorrow morning... We'll all be waking... And celebrate Lent... With a black president! WHO WOULDA’ THOUGHT!From Oprah... Applaud... to the Good Reverend Martin Luther King Jr... Malcolm X... Those were only a test... For they paved the way... To this joyous day... These were trials well spent...We got us a black president! The slave cotton pickers... Do you hear my voice...?They didn't come here by choice... Probably didn't even wanna come... But the path set by God had only just begun!And to the doubters n haters... The 'grand master'-baiters... The ones who said 'hell no' The Enron stock I bought... To the victims of 911
WHO WOULDA’ THOUGHT!
I Was There
Barack Obama came to my town today,
and I was there.
Twenty-one thousand came out in the rain,
The roars of the crowd, the whistles and cheers
His words moved us all to smiles and to tears.
We answered his words with shouts, "Yes, we can!"
The crowd all agreed, every woman, every man.
Twenty-one thousand strong, every color, every creed
Twenty-one thousand strong and we all agreed.
This is the candidate who must succeed!
His vision is clear, his commitment is strong.
The opposition's platform is completely wrong.
and I was there!
To ensure his win, he needs your help and your vote. Will you be there?
America the beautiful can't you see
the time is now for a new policy.
No more under handed politics for me,
Just the truth shot stright is what I need.
We need hope and change
to live prosperesly.
There's been so many wrongs
done to us over the years
We now need someone who can help calm and ease our fears.
I want to shed a new type of tear
Those without pain, agony and fear.
I want to cry tears of joy, peace and resilance you see.
For America the beautiful can't you see,
My heart grows full when I think of my family's chances of prosperity.
America the beautiful can't you see,
I want the whole world and its offerings available to my beautiful seeds.
I want them to grow rich in culture and education
morals and values
I want them the be rooted in faith, hope and service.
I want them to know that mommy and daddy worked hard for them
and then came along a man known as "Mr. President Obama" to them
to help us reach our goals and give them what they deserve
a chance at success coupled with all of our love.
We need Obama and his tenacity
We need Obama and his hope
We need Obama and his change
America the beautiful
I am sure you see
a nation in dispair
not wanting to be.
It's time for change
It's time for Barack Obama and Joe Biden!
