Midnight Rose's blog: "favorite poems that really touched my heart from other poets"

IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream -- and not make dreams your master; If you can think -- and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same: If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings -- nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man, my son! Rudyard Kipling

What the heart of the young man said to the psalmist TELL me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream!-- For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem. Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal; Dust thou art, to dust returnest, Was not spoken of the soul. Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, Is our destined end or way; But to act, that each to-morrow Find us farther than to-day. Art is long, and Time is fleeting, And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still, like muffled drums, are beating Funeral marches to the grave. In the world's broad field of battle, In the bivouac of Life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife! Trust no future, howe'er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act,--act in the living present! Heart within, and God o'erhead! Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time; Footprints, that perhaps another, Sailing o'er life's solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again. Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

WHEN I compare What I have lost with what I have gained, What I have missed with what attained, Little room do I find for pride. I am aware How many days have been idly spent; How like an arrow the good intent Has fallen short or been turned aside. But who shall dare To measure loss and gain in this wise? Defeat may be victory in disguise; The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

MY friend, the things that do attain The happy life be these, I find: The riches left, not got with pain; The fruitful ground; the quiet mind; The equal friend; no grudge; no strife; No charge of rule, nor governance; Without disease, the healthy life; The household of continuance; The mean diet, no dainty fare; Wisdom joined with simpleness; The night discharged of all care, Where wine the wit may not oppress: The faithful wife, without debate; Such sleeps as may beguile the night; Content thyself with thine estate, Neither wish death, nor fear his might. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey

Oh My Child Oh don't cry, my child, Don't be sad, for a brighter day is to come, All your other experiences are mild Compared to this yet have faith in some. Because not all people are bad. There are people who also lost their mom or dad. They feel the same as you, mad and sad. But others are supporting you They're helping you, my child With your pain and sufferings. A brighter day is waiting to blossom from this. And I know that they will be amiss. But don't fret now, they're with God. They're watching you from up above. And sending you all their love. They want you to go on because they're safe. And they'll try their best to prevent the same. Oh be true, my child, for with each passing day, you will heal until you are whole again. Sharon Xiong Copyright ©2007 Sharon Xiong

Why Freedom's Stripes Are Red I don’t need a weatherman to tell me of this cloudy day, I wasn’t playing against them when they took my rooks away, I saw the pigeons fly as all the clouds were turned to gray, And I hear the peoples cry, “We’ve got to make them pay!” Who covered streets and people with such a dirty snow? No one takes the blame whichever way we go, Who has burned our books that we had stacked so tall? We are now not running, for we can only crawl. A saw a black man turn white and a white man turn red, If we are not frightened then why have we fled? The children were orphaned as their poor fathers leapt, We mourn much more now than when their fathers wept. I say all five sides were the wrong sides to strike, And recall of pasts sins of the kings we don’t like, But we didn’t bear arms or capture the game, Out of our sloth march the bloody and lame. Call up neighbor and brother to make use of your hands, Don’t strip stars of freedom from all of our lands, Lower your Glory and save all the dying, All our heart was poured out in our sorrowful crying. All they could do then was shed their blood, All we can do now is give our blood, All we can do is take more blood with the dead, Twas the price of our freedom that stained our stripes red. Mike N Miller Copyright ©2007 Mike Miller

The end of our innocence Was seen in twisted steel, In shattered glass and hearts Of those who cannot feel. What tainted mind could Ever dream of this? What dark heart would Ever make it real? Our hopes and dreams drown As a mourning nation cries, From sea to salty sea Tears run from every eye. How can we recover from this loss? How can our hearts Begin to heal? Together we must stand, For they want us to fall. And even through this tragedy America stands tall. Heather E. Armstrong Copyright ©2007 Heather E. Armstrong

I see the event in the horizon Two planes have crashed into the WTC And another in the Petagon. Who would do such a thing? An evil so big it would cause a nation pain and tears New York is crying, And nothing can take the pain away. so many dead, so many injured. the death, and destruction won't stop until the capture of the terrorists. we wont stop until they are caught. Our nation won't stop until it is finished. Amii Lou Broughton Copyright ©2007 Amii Broughton I see the event in the horizon Two planes have crashed into the WTC And another in the Petagon. Who would do such a thing? An evil so big it would cause a nation pain and tears New York is crying, And nothing can take the pain away. so many dead, so many injured. the death, and destruction won't stop until the capture of the terrorists. we wont stop until they are caught. Our nation won't stop until it is finished. Amii Lou Broughton Copyright ©2007 Amii Broughton

What was it you had said? Why did you have to go? Each simple little memory Now passes by so slow. I am stuck in the yesterday Not wanting to accept The horrid truth that you are gone Your life taken without threat This morning you awoke To face a brand new day But a cold-hearted terrorist Took that gift away Though the grave cry for the lost In the settling of the dust They failed to shake our foundation For in God we put our trust. Michelle Lynn McPeters Copyright ©2007 Michelle McPeters

A plane hits- many will die Another hit- people begin to cry Where is God? A third plows into the Pentagon Plane number four crashes- many more are gone Where is God? Rescuers rush in- the buildings fall Our country mourns- death has touched us all Where is God? Churches open- people come to pray People are found in the rubble- alive they say Here is God Strangers helping strangers fast become friends Working together united till the very end Here is God Chorus' of God Bless America ringing in the air Proving to one and all- Terriorists we will not fear Here is God Peace will come to those in pain For as sure as the sun shines after the rain GOD IS HERE!! Patricia F. Sheffer Copyright ©2007 Patricia Sheffer