Christmas is around the corner, and pretty soon, we will all be gathering our wish lists and shopping for those that we love.  While Christmas isn’t just about the gifts, it is about family and coming together to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We will all definitely keep in mind this year about the true meaning of Christmas, and try not to let our current situations get us down-either it be unemployement, financial woes, or others.  As long as you are with your family or those that you love and care about the most-then that is truly the best Christmas present that you can have.

ACTIVITY FOR BLOG READERS:

By leaving a comment, let me know what your Christmas wish is-tell me about it in a few lines, and I will see if a poem can be formed by your Christmas wish request.  Think about what is truly important to you this year, and what your heart would like to have for Christmas.  Gather your paper and pen-pretend that I am “Santa” and write your wishes, and let’s see if your wishes can be turned into poetry….

A few took part in our blog’s “Create a Poem” for the Thanksgiving holiday.  The lines that were submitted were wonderful and so well thought, -although there wasn’t as much participation as the last poem.  I do hope that as you all gather at your Thanksgiving table this year, remember all of those that have passed, the ones who are still with us, and of course remember the soldiers who are still fighting for all of us.  While the economy is still hurting, and Americans are leading a somewhat future that is unknown, do be thankful for the life that God did give us all-While things may seem bad now, there is paradise waiting for all of us in heaven.

 Enjoy the poem below that was created by blog readers like you…..

 BE THANKFUL

At the table of Thanksgiving,
Family gathers ’round….

To give thanks and their blessing,
as they bow their heads down.

Singing praises
to the heavens above

sharing this feast
with ones they love.

Remembering the little things so often we disdain,
The air we breathe and the life we live the entire human frame.

Life itself retains its beauty with all its joys and pains,
For what more is sadness than freedom from its chains?

On this holiday, we should be thankful for the freedom and country that is alive today,

Without the help of our soldiers, perhaps many of our families may not be together this day.

Hold hands, and bow your head in prayer, as we remember, in our hearts,

that the life God gave us,

is truly something that we should all be graciously thankful for.

This is one of my narrative or story poems that I wrote awhile back, and has been one of my favorites….  Sometimes at one moment or another-especially while we are young, there are moments when we get lost.  Life can get difficult and events will test us.  There are other moments, when it’s like we have been walking around in a daze, - until something or someone finally wakes us up from our “dream,” or nightmare.   No matter what-somehow we always find our way back home. Home is where our heart is-and no matter how bad things get, we always go back home.

Home is our comfort zone-we always return.

Finding Home  

She awoke just a few moments after sunrise.

Feeling the wetness of morning dew sticking to her face

After a long sleep upon the cold grassy ground.

Gathering her strength to awaken tired eyes,

She stretches in a state of confusion.

At once, she questions herself how she ever had ended up here

in the first place.

Laying upon this cold damp grass,

She finds herself in a yard she once called home.

Yet with no memory or recollection of how she traveled here.

Perhaps it was her deep conscious that lead her to this drunken state.

Sometimes her heart knew how much home was missed before she too

Could realize it herself.

Feeling around her surroundings, her heart felt an unwelcoming ache.

A place she played while she was young…

Yet a place, deserted years ago.

Looking to the sun, tears stung her virgin eyes.

“Please bring me home,” she whispers

So many years after a wrong turn,

Her growing journey had stopped to a halt.

… An aching heart that had begun to lead the way.”

“Please bring me home...” again she whispered.

With a ray of glorious light, the loving arms of a golden angel

Wrapped herself around the poor young girl’s fragile body,

And carried her to a cozy brick home with a antique red door,

A heart engraved with the word “home“ hung upon it.

An elderly couple answered and immediate embraced this young tearful woman.

The Lord, had helped her finally find her way home

after such a  troublesome journey.

“I love you mom and dad,” she whispered.

 ———————————————

-ariana r. cherry 2008

Barack Obama been elected the next president of the United States.   I just wanted to take a moment to note this moment in history.  This shall be some trying times for the next few years of our nation.  While he lead an inspirational campaign, in my opinion, I am a bit nervous as well.   America has overcome racial barriers and now we have our first African American president.  That is definitely something historic in itself.

While Obama may have led the better campaign, I am nervous of how much Barack has won over America and how citizens fawn over him.  I really hope that this nation doesn’t get let down—-I do hope that he can bring change, yet like I said, I am sorry to say (while voting democratic most of my voting life-while having a few liberal tendencies), I am nervous. While I have seen Americans support their president elects, I have never seen quite anything of how Obama can light up a room, and change the opinions of an individual’s mind. He is quite the keen speaker. And yes-he does have charm…

I really hope that congress and our next president elect can better our economy.  I hope that more Americans can find better health insurance.  I also hope that low -middle class families can begin to learn to survive without worrying about the status of their home before going to bed at night….

I will pray.  I will write poetry to help myself look for the answers and hopefully overcome in doubt that I may have.

I will hope-Just as Barack promises to bring us hope, …..and change.

Whatever that may be. 

Hold on to your seats come January 2009. We are in for a ride. 

It’s always shaky the first few moments of a new president, and it could be interesting to see the events as they unfold.

…..Maybe things will get better.  We can only hope.  Until this economy can get better, that is when perhaps America can begin to see the results that Obama has promised us.   Remember to pray every night, and God will lead us through.

Hello readers,

 Here is another video poem reading called “Cupid & His Arrows.” It’s a humorous love poem that I hope you can enjoy. Just in case you don’t hear all of the words on video, the poem is posted below as well…

Enjoy!

Cupid and His Arrows 

Who is that fella?

You know…

The overgrown child in those silly pants.

He who carries the arrows

Who claims to make a man and woman give love a chance. 

All around his name is known as Cupid

He plays love games

And shoots his arrows.

Lots of people think such a sighting is quite stupid. 

Whoever heard of a man that could turn love into such a game?

A man and woman simply falling for one another because of an intoxicated love arrow? 

Cupid and those silly love arrows.

 Why love is so much more than that. 

Love is a force, brought by something else from far beyond.

Perhaps a gift from our great power-maker 

Love is the mind of our souls which… 

OUCH!! Whoa…who is that blonde???

Darn that Cupid and his arrows!-

Ariana R. Cherry

A different look into the way we dress up for Halloween and what it could possibly mean….

Enjoy!

Did you ever battle with your parents over the Halloween candy after trick or treat? Seems like all the time, they had to get their hands all over it and say they were “searching through your candy to make sure it was safe?”  Then when our parents thought they weren’t looking-they would swipe a piece of candy or two from your bag -especially after you did all of that hard work of trick ortreating!?

The poem below kind of reminds us of our candy battles back at Halloween-and how we liked to try to eat it up all in one night!…  This poem may give you some chuckles…

Enjoy!

THE HALLOWEEN CANDY BATTLE

Candy bars, tootsie rolls, m&m’s, suckers, bubble-gum, and candy corn

All collected inside my Halloween trick or treat bag,

Ready to be devoured within the coming hour.

My mouth is watering, the hungry tummy is growling

For some of these delicious spooky holiday treats.

Oh how my hands can’t wait to unwrap the first golden piece of candy

Of this treat filled evening…

The growing excitement draws near, as I run happily on home

All dressed up and floating in my white sheet ghost costume,

Feeling rewarded in my successful Halloween candy searching night.

With the turn of the doorknob in my warm family home,

Those sneaky parents of mine greet me with a smile

And begin to reach out their arms for my precious tote of candy…

They shall not take it away for me!

Numbers of doors were knocked upon,

With plenty of repeats of the words ”trick-or –treat”

As I smiled through my anxious awaiting teeth.

Long hours of trudging through the dark cool moonlit night

On the search for that perfect taste.

And now, THEY want me to hand over my treasure!

Furiously, I refuse, and run on up the stairs, with door behind me, locked closed.

Threats of stomachache and rotten teeth are heard through the walls,

They can’t scare me on my Halloween night!

I’ve worked too hard for my paycheck!

Like a little candy monster, I gobble up all of my favorite sweet chocolate bars,

And then challenge myself to see how many pieces of gum shall create

The big bubble of my sea

Before I know it,

Those tummy ache cramps begin-rumbling in the pit of my stomach…

They have poisoned me!

For this time, I guess they must have been right, as I ignored the fair warnings…

Perhaps they weren’t after the golden candy treasure after-all!

Sadly, in defeat,

I slump on down the stairs to hand over the precious candy cargo-

With the chocolate stains still swiped across my mouth,

In defeat, I retreat

To turn in for the night, with only

Delicious memories of those Halloween candy-searching nights…

-ariana cherry

Hey Readers & Poets!….

(WE NEED LINES!)

If you haven’t’ already-or if you want to add a second line, please add some more lines to our Thanksgiving poem! Add a few lines of what you would say at your table, or something that you favor about Thanksgiving. You do not have to be a professional writer to add your lines to these poems-It’s all just in fun! Right now, the poem I believe still falls short a few lines, and there could be more. —If I finish it, it will ruin all the fun Everybody come participate in our fun Thanksgiving poem….

THANKSGIVING POEM…

At the table of Thanksgiving,
Family gathers ’round….

To give thanks and their blessing,
as they bow their heads down.

Singing praises
to the heavens above

sharing this feast
with ones they love.

Children at the table laugh and giggle in delight,                                                                 their smiles lighting up through the shadows of the flickering candlelight.

• (NOW ADD YOURS BY LEAVING A COMMENT IN THE

“CREATE A POEM” SECTION  

Sometimes poets may want to try to recite their poems to others.  I have recited my poetry to children, my church, the members of my poetry club, and also to residents at a nursing home.  Something I haven’t done is recite one of my poems by video.  Each week, I am going to try to take a moment to post a poem that I have written and recite it on video to share with the readers of this blog.

This poem may be a bit rocky, as this is my first “live performance,” reciting poetry to my webcam.  So please excuse this first try.  Later on, perhaps I can get a little bit more creative as I do more of these.  So as you read through my blog, be on the lookout for any “live poetry performances,” and feel free to leave comments on how I did–or how I can be better

Laying down in the grass in the shade,

I listen to the wind blowing and dancing through the trees.

Above, the bright sunlight glistens in my eyes,

And I lay back and enjoy the peace my wandering mind has found.

In my heart, I feel the words of wisdom,

Heard through many times ago.

In my head, I put together the phrases of a poem that I know.

A touch of spring,

And a flicker of a butterfly upon my nose inspires me to

narrate the sentences which now have bloomed into a beautiful colorful poem.

And oh, that sun, so sweet, and so warm that it sprinkles my face.

Its rays relax my entire soul,

As I drift into my wonderland,

Forgetting that beautiful poem that I used to know.

(ariana cherry 2008)

In just a little bit over a month, we will be sitting down to friends and family, reciting what we are most thankful for this year.  With the economy in overhaul, and figures moving up and down-I am sure some of us are just thankful to have food, a place to live, and clothes for our body.  I don’t even want to think of asking for more money. I am just happy that our bills are being paid for now.

When we sit down to prayer with our family and friends, in a way-it’s like a poem from our heart. A prayer is somewhat like a poem.  There’s not really anything that is hard to say, because it’s from our heart. When you sit down to write your poem/prayer-only write what you feel.   If you compare a poem and a prayer-there really is nothing to it.  So if it’s your turn for the prayer at the table, remember what you are thankful for, what makes you happy, and if there’s anything special about the day that brought you and your family together.   I’d like to share a Thanksgiving prayer with you…..

Enjoy…

Today, I sit amongst my family and friends.
Thank you Lord, for bringing them safely to my table,

We are about to break bread together, as you once did with your disciples.

Lord, I know the world is at odds, and there is so much poverty, loss,
and many that go each day without a home, clothes for their family, and even food to eat.
I am so thankful that you provide those needs for my family, and friends.
Please help us all learn how we can help those who are less fortunate, so that they too,
can go to sleep each night in a warm bed, nestled in cozy pajamas, and a heated house.

Please bless this food we are about to eat,
and let it nourish our minds, as well as our bodies.

Protect us from harm, and any danger that may step in our ways,
and please control our tempers, amongst any family quarrels, that could possibly
develop throughout dinner or the day…

We all do remember that we love each other,
as you have taught us to love.

…and lead us not into temptation, as we fight for that last piece of pumpkin pie…

AMEN.

(ariana r. cherry: 2008)