Learning To Regulate Feelings.

Tags

actions, asking for help., commitment, communicating internally, courage, emotional regulation., fear, feelings, Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., shame, thoughts

Fear gallops across the landscape of my mind.

Uncontrolled stress hits me from behind.

My heart races and beats like a drum.

Thoughts disappear and feelings become numb.

Muscles grow tight holding it all in.

I become convinced there’s no way to win.

 

I cut off my thoughts and say they don’t exist.

I let fear control me and watch myself twist.

I cry out in shame and lose all my pride.

I hold fear within and find a place to hide.

Still, I can find courage living in me

And commit to a process to set us all free.

 

I will act on a commitment to trust others more.

I will reach out my hand and seek to restore

The Self that I lost in the long ago

When my heart was crushed with a terrible blow.

I will learn to breathe deep and let muscles relax

While I connect with my parts and remove my mask.

-Yu/stan/kema-

 

 

Faith And Trust In God’s Reliability.

Tags

Believing God will follow through., faith, forest, God's reliability., Great Spirit., Indian boy's faith., mountains, Pinterest photo-tammi., Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., rivers, trust

A cold river flows from the mountains

When the ice melts on the high peaks.

A cool wind blows hard against

An  Indian boy’s cheeks.

 

Pinterest photo found on 12-20-16. Tammi.

He is braving the forces of nature,

To come where the Great Spirit dwells.

In the heart of the forest primeval,,

I hear him say, ” All is well.”

 

He believes that before he prays,

The Great Spirit will make it so.

He kneels as he asks for forgiveness,

And healing as he stands to go.

 

I hear him speak in the wind:

“It is done. It is done.”

I wish I had faith like his:

That God’s will has begun.

-Yu/stan/kema-

 

 

” I Have Found Peace,” by Edgar Daniel Kramer.

Tags

Country and Farm Photography., Finding it in many places., Found on Pinterest., peace, Peace and spirituality found in Nature., Photo on Facebook Timeline., Photo-stars by Stephen Hayward, Poem by Edgar Daniel Kramer., Poem: I have found peace., Quote from Yu/stan/kema on Peace., Taken by Carolyn Anderson

PEACE

 ” Every one of us yearns for peace in living, in some form or another. A baby finds it in the arms of his caring mother as she rocks him to sleep. A child finds it playing outside in the dappled sunlight as he watches the insects, smells the fresh clean air, and hears the sounds of birds singing and chirping in a quiet meadow or forest.

A mother finds peace as she watches her child fall asleep in a house filled with kindness and love. A man finds peace in fishing as he watches the water and the sky while casting for trout. And an old woman finds peace in knowing she has loved well the people she has cared for and has raised children who do acts of kindness for those who are most vulnerable.

Peace is something we all need, to balance out the times we encounter stress, and the times we carry losses that overwhelm us. Some people find peace in their relationship with God, their loved ones, the things they create, or in nature. This is expressed so eloquently in the following poem by Edgar Daniel Kramer.”     Yu/stan/kema.

       

Found on Facebook Timeline on 7-24-17. Country and Farm Photography. Taken by Carolyn Anderson.

 

 

 

 

 

I HAVE FOUND PEACE

I have found peace where the rippling waters

Ever whisper the willow boughs;

There I have knelt to an unseen altar.

An unseen temple has heard my vows.

 

Found on Pinterest on 12-17-16. Stephen Hayward. Stars

I have lifted my heart to the heart of beauty

And I have given my soul to her,

As I have hearkened the rippling waters,

Where the willow leaves and the grasses stir.

 

Though I was blind, now my eyes are seeing…

The mystic wonders that never cease;

The dawn in the trees, the dusk on the flowers,

The dust of the stars, and I have found peace.

-EDGAR DANIEL KRAMER-

 

I

 

Gifts I Can Give To You.

Tags

building faith in yourself., finding hope, Finding yourself, Gifts I can give, Love's limitations, Love's reality., mindfulness, Photo from Facebook Timeline, Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., Sojourner's Path.

If I could, I would

chase away the darkness

So it would never

touch you, child.

I’d spend a lifetime

spreading some kindness,

So parts of you

could be reconciled.

 

 

Found on 2-3-16. Facebook Timeline. Sojourners Path.

If I could, I would prove

that God really loves you                        

when the world around you 

is breaking apart,

but dealing with hardships

is a part of living.

Ask God to come

and live in your heart.

 

If I could, I would give                                         

you many good friends

who would fight and 

stand by your side,

when others won’t give you

the gift of acceptance,

no matter how hard

you have tried. 

 

I wish I could pave

your way with kindness,

and light a lamp 

for you to have hope,

but all I can do

is pray for the best

and teach you the skills

you’ll need to cope.

 

I’ll bind up your wounds

and wipe away tears

as you become who

you want to be.

I’ll stand beside you

and cheer you on

as you work to fulfill

your destiny.

 

When I am gone,

I hope you will see,

I did all I knew 

how to do,

to help you build

a strong faith in yourself

and find real peace

in you.

-Yu/stan/kema-

 

 

The Friends We Have In Life.

Tags

childhood friends., friends, John 15:13. The Bible., Men in battle, Old and new., Pinterest photo- American heroes, Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., Tony Evans

I have grieved for old companions,

those I knew from years ago.

Steadfast friends who knew me well,

now lying under winter’s snow.

 

Those who fought with me in battle

And wept when men around us died.

Men who shared their inmost secrets

as we tried to stay alive.

 

Childhood friends, never forgotten,             

Found on Pinterest on 5-29-16.American Heroes. Tony Evans. John 15:13. The Bible.

often come across my mind.

Memories of peals of laughter

as we shared the things we’d find.

 

Now I am old and most are gone

to another place and time.

My new friends hardly know me, 

and I have mountains to climb.

-Yu/stan/kema-

 

 

 

 

 

The Seasons In Life.

Tags

changes, Choices we make., God, growth, New growth., Pinterest photo-facilisimo.com., Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., Seasons in life and in nature.

For years I’ve watched the seasons come,

And I’ve watched the seasons go.

They reflect that all living things

Change as they grow.

 

The seed lies dormant in the earth                                       

Found on Pinterest on 4-30-17. Saved from an article on facilisimo.com.

And then sprouts forth with life.

An infant lies in his mother’s womb

And is born with lots of strife.

 

A tree needs enough nutrients

In order to grow strong.

A baby needs good nourishment

For his body to grow long.

 

Spring brings the rain and the warm sun

That enables the tree to grow tall.

Childhood and adolescence give a child

Time to prepare for Fall.

 

A tree has leaves that shake and twist

In the Summer storms that pass by,

And they change to lovely colors as

The Fall season leaves them to die.

 

A young man faces the storms of life

With courage and a strong belief:

That God will be there through the worst

And  strengthen him in grief.

 

Or a man can choose to face those storms

With bitterness and hate,

And blame God for the things he lost

And leave the rest to fate.

 

For surely as the seasons pass,

Death comes to every man,

And he must choose to walk away,

Or reach out for God’s hand.

 

The tree drops seeds on the ground

And they end up down below 

The earth and wait until next Spring

When new trees will grow.

Yu/stan/kema.

 

 

 

 

 

Fighting To Stay On Top Of The Pain.

Tags

courage, despair, Fighting Against pain, finding strength., Poetry by Yu/stan/kema.

When your tender heart is broken

in tiny, little pieces

and hope is slowly dying

inside you ’til it ceases;

 

When dreams become illusions

and nothing else is real,

past ideals have crumbled,

and you find that you can’t feel;

 

When life seems sad and empty

and your insides hollowed out,

you know you are drowning,

but you can’t even shout

 

For someone to help you 

and take you by your hand,

who restores your faith in people

and says she understands.

 

It is time to dig inside you

and really dig deep

to find a lot of courage

even as you weep.

 

Hold it tight within you

and call it by it’s name.

Sweep out past mistakes

and stop the self-blame.

 

Observe the world around you

and enjoy Nature’s gifts.

Try to find the positives

and give yourself a lift.

 

For life cannot get better

if you sit in deep despair

and refuse to make an effort

to find others who care.

Yu/stan/kema

 

 

Relationships We Make.

Tags

Choices, Choosing wisely., Good ones and bad ones;, Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., relationships

We spend our lives connecting

With people we don’t know.

With some, we hold on to;

With others, we let go.

 

Is there a hidden reason

For the choices we make?

Some bring us joy and laughter,

While others bring heartache.

 

There are times we get lucky

And a person comes along,

Who can teach our soul

To create a new song.

 

Someone who accepts us

As we really are,

And gives us the courage

To reach for a star.

 

Yet, there are those who use us,

Then toss us to the side,

After they enslave us 

And rip away our pride.

 

How can we choose more wisely

The people we let in,

So we don’t end up crying,

For “what might have been?”

Yu/stan/kema.

 

Seeking Asylum In The USA. (Part Two.)

Tags

Asylum, children, migrants, Poetry by Yu/stan/kema., the integrity of a country., The love of a mother for her child.

Shattered, she walked across the desert sand.

All she wanted was a safe place to land.

She had her child beside her

And she prayed they would endure

The violence they encountered

And the screams they had heard.

 

She kept her child protected,

Who had never been neglected.

She held her daughter deep within her heart.

They had never been apart.

They were seeking  food to eat

In the midst of summer’s heat.

 

She saw a line of migrants ahead

And followed them and put her child to bed.

She sat and talked with them by the fire.

They all shared a dream and the desire,

To find a land where they could all live free

And have a wondrous destiny.

 

She walked until her shoes

Left blisters and a bruise, 

But it was worth what it took

To climb the hill and look.

She saw the USA in the morning light

And said, “we’re going to be alright.”

 

She went to the guard at the border’s gate.

She and her child had to stand and wait.

Someone came and took her child away.

They told her she could see her in a day.

She held her fears deep within her breast

And hoped, for her daughter, what was  best.

 

A year went by and still

The news made her ill.

Her daughter in a cage

Brought forth a mother’s rage.

The “great” USA

Is filled with decay.

Yu/stan/kema

 

 

Seeking Asylum In The USA. (Part One.)

Tags

Asylum, migrants, Reactions towards migrants.., Vulnerable children. Being kind., Written by Yu/stan/kema.

These are difficult times we live in. Climate changes are disrupting our lives in ways we never anticipated. The hurricanes and the tornadoes are stronger and more intense. The floods more numerous all over the country. Homes are being destroyed, lives broken with the losses, and some have died. Temperatures are rising in the oceans and on land. Animals, birds, and insects are decreasing in number. In some parts of the world, the weather is already effecting the production of food, and water is scarce. People are on the move in order to help their families survive.

Wars are being fought because of greed and power. Corruption is rampant, even here in the United States. Terrorists and internal rival gangs are shooting people, threatening the lives of children outside our borders, and mass shootings are occurring at an unacceptable rate in our country. People leave if their children are in danger. They are looking for shelter, food, water, and safety for their families. Something we would do if we were trying to save our family members.

In America, we can choose to ignore migrants, threaten to hurt them or their children if they don’t leave, punish them by taking away their children, hold them in wire cages like animals and withhold resources, or we can treat them with the dignity and respect most of them deserve. At the very least, we can treat them with kindness and help if we can. Children do not deserve being treated like political pawns. They do not deserve to have bombs dropped on them, or to be torn from the arms of their mothers. Traumatizing them  by moving them away for long periods of time does nothing but handicap them for the rest of their lives emotionally. They are innocent and they are being punished which is wrong. There is no justification for it. A long time ago I heard a history teacher say, “What sets apart a civilized country from one that is not, is how the vulnerable are protected and cared for. “(This post comes in two parts. Part two will follow.)

Yu/stan/kema