Sometimes

Sometimes I love being who I am

other times I wish I didn’t need to explain that

I am not black,

I am not white,

I am me.

I am the blend of those who came together in love

and created me.

Sometimes I am grateful

to have had my light skin,

and sometimes I hate it

because it leaves me feeling

and being told I do not belong

When I stand up for my blackness

I am no longer white enough.

When I come out as mixed,

I am not black enough

Sometimes I wish my skin

was just a shade darker.

so people could see my blackness.

But then I remember

I am perfect just as I am

and what matters most is

my pride in being biracial,

my remembering that I represent

what wholeness can look like

Sometimes I get tired of feeling

like the bridge that helps people understand

Then I realize this is my purpose

to be the bridge.

To be able to talk about

white privilege

racism,

colorism,

and all the other ways

we have come to distrust each other

and ourselves.

Sometimes I wish

I didn’t need to be a bridge,

but then I give thanks that I am

because bridges make it easier

for us to connect,

to cross divides

to move over walls

to find solutions

which could not be found

without the willingness

to use a bridge.

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On the Edge

There are days we all feel
as if we are on the edge.
There are those moments when we feel
as if we have done all we can.
Those moments when we feel as if
we cannot handle anything more.
While a song tells me
I should just stand,
the voice within me
says I have you.
Trust me.
Take one step towards me.
Hold on to me.
I won’t let you fall
And I do
and the edge moves
and my faith becomes stronger
and I make it through
the very situation
which felt overwhelming,
crippling,
and left me feeling
on the edge.

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Giving Birth

Each day of my life
I have the opportunity
to give birth
to new possibilities,
new ideas, and
new understandings.
However, first I must let go.
I have to declutter myself and
my inner space.
I have to get go of ideas,
beliefs,
explanations,
relationships,
and all that are cluttering
my mind and soul.
As I do,
I open myself up
to the possibility
of giving birth
to that which
will help me
grow and evolve
as I give birth
to new paths
in my journey.

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Giving Thanks

As a child I would get a toy
and it would be the focus
of all my attention
until it was no longer new and
then I began paying it little attention

Life is like that as well.
We have so many things
we forget to give thanks for
because they are no longer new
sparkling, and the focus
of our attention

Then something happens and
we begin to give thanks for that
which we once took for granted
like sitting next to someone
and holding their hand.
or breathing,
traveling,
walking,
visiting and
living our lives

May we give thanks for
the times which remind us
that these are gifts
not to be taken for granted,
because someone,
somewhere
cannot just do them
for a moment,
they cannot do them at all
I give thanks
for what I am mindful of
and that which I am not.
May the universe continue
to remind me of that which
I have, like an old toy,
forgotten and taken for granted.

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Solid and Calm

I remember reading
how the disciples woke Jesus
up in the middle of the storm
and all he said was
“Peace, be still.”

He did not panic
or stress
or worry,
He just laid there
solid and calm
and said
peace be will

What if we did that
when others are
stressed and worried?
What if we are the ones
who are solid and calm?
What if we are the ones
who remembers
this too shall pass
amd models that for others?

We have the power
to be the solid and the calm
in the midst of the storm
and help others
make it through

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My Brace

They gasped,
as I took my brace and shoes off
and placed it on the altar.
They wanted me to move them
but all I could ask was
how many braces do you see.
They answered one
and then again requested
I take them off the alter.

For them the table we used
as an altar was holy,
but the brace,
which keeps me from falling,
is not.

When we stop and look at our lives,
we all have ways the Divine
keeps us from falling,
stabilizes us,
holds us,
whether we see it or not.
When they looked at my shoes
all they could see was the visible
they could not see
the presence of the Divine
in the one that
appeared empty.

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Simmering

The advice has always been the same, let the sauce simmer,
and for hours it would,
because it takes time
to develop layers of flavor
It takes longer periods of time
to cook some cuts of meat.
They just need to cook
low and slow,
until the meat falls off the bone.

There is something about food
that has been simmered.
It is full of flavor
and every bite seems to have
one layer after another.
The problem is
we rarely simmer anymore.
We microwave,
pressure cook,
and do whatever we can
to speed up the process.

The same is true
in our spiritual journey.
There are some situations
we can microwave our way through,
but there is a wisdom and understanding
which comes from time,
meditation, and
reflection.
It comes when we allows
the ideas
to simmer within us
allowing us to gain
a deeper understanding
from the time we
simmering.

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Room for Improvement

No one knows me
the way the Ultimate knows me.
I would like to say
I know myself well,
but I don’t.

The Ultimate creates opportunities
for me to learn about me
in ways I may not always like.
I get to see that which I appreciate
and that which needs improvement.

I have friends who think
they know me, but in all honesty
they only know what they have been
allowed to see or experience.
They only see what I allow them to see,
or experience,
and the person I allow them to
get to know.

However, in my relationship
with the Ultimate I get to say
love me,
mold me,
transform me
and make me better
than I or anyone else
will ever know.

Help me become who
you created me to be.
Help me to become a
reflection of your love,
wisdom,
grace,
mercy,
compassion,
and all
you wish me to be.

I know there will always
b e room for improvement,
but for today I ask you
to help me grow,
and become a better me
then I was yesterday
and that tomorrow
you will bless me in the same manner
always creating
room for improvement
in my life.

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Living with Hope

Hope is not a person.
Hope is what keeps me positive,
focused,
and patient.
Hope is what reminds me
there is a light at
the end of the tunnel.
So today I choose
to live with hope.

I know when hope has left,
because I become irritable,
impatient,
and agitated.
I live with fear,
frustration,
and am unfocused.
it is then that I seek
to know what I have
lost hope in

Hope is what brings
me through the storms.
Hope is the understanding
the Ultimate is holding me
and walking through it all
with me.
When I live with hope,
I live with the Ultimate
and the Ultimate lives within me.

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Noon

When I hear the word noon
I stop and chuckle
and remember a play I was in
called Noon.
Then I stop,
give thanks
and take a moment
to pray,

Noon
is not just a
time to eat
but also to give thanks
and pray
a time to reflect
on what we have
and all which surrounds us

Noon
is a time
to stop,
sit,
listen,
and just be
grateful
it is noon.

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Prayer

Insights come
at the most unexpected of times
like a virtual happy hour
and a friend’s comment about yoga.
Then I realize the world
is like my yoga mat,
not that I am doing yoga these days.
Rather that the world
is my yoga mat,
my prayer beads,
my candle,
my whatever that
inspires me to stop and pray

The world
what I see,
taste,
feel,
smell,
hear,
is my inspiration
to stop and pray.

It is the reminder
of the presence of the one
we call on by so many names
which says in the midst
of everything,
I am here with you
I am listening to your prayers
to the words of your mouth
and the meditations of your heart.

It is the reminder
that no matter where I am
or what I have
or don’t have
I can stop and pray
and spend time with the
one who created me,
transforms me
and loves me
just as I am

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Thank you for being a friend

Thank you for being a friend.
That line always makes
me laugh and smile.
How easy it is to
make someone smile
or lighten their load
by simply saying something nice
or paying them a compliment

When we stop taking people for granted
and tell them what they mean to us,
we let them know they are of value.
Sometimes we all need to know
we are making a difference, and
what people admire in us.

How do you feel when
someone says thank you, or
tells you that you are loved,
or that you make a difference?
How does it feel when you
do the same
Let’s raise the vibrations
in our world
and make this world a
better and happier place

1

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Free

We are in uncharted and
unprecedented territory. Right?
At the same time, we are not.
We are in the territory of fear.
We are in a territory which enslaves us.

What if we had a beginner’s mind
and we did not know we are supposed
to be afraid.
What if we saw this as an adventure?
What if we forgot we were
supposed to worry?

What if we freed ourselves
from worry
fear.
expectation,
prejudices
and concern.
What if we opened ourselves
up to faith,
trust,
love and adventure.

What if we took precautions
without worrying about
hoarding toilet paper.
What if we had faith we could
pay our bills in time.
What if we learned games
which allowed us to laugh
and play.
What if we found new ways of
relating and discovering
new things about ourselves
and others because
we set ourselves free.

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Courage

Scared,
nervous,
uncomfortable
all of the above,
however, in the midst
of the storm
I tap into my courage
I hold onto the one
who gives me peace,
joy, and
courage.

Courage
it is what inspires me
to step forward in faith.
Courage does not mean
I am not afraid.
It just means
I overcome it.
It means I master it.
It means I resist it.
It just means I walk in my
courage.

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Wonder

Twinkle, twinkle little star
how I wondered what you were
when I was young and did not know
and experienced all of life
for the first time and
everything was new.

Today I wonder with my students
and the young people in my life
who are discovering life and
sharing their wonder with me
and reminding me to see
the wonder in all things new.

I may no longer wonder about the stars
but I can appreciate the joy and mystery
of those who are discovering
things for the first time,
just as my elders are discovering
with me
the mysteries revealing themselves
in this stage of my journey.

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Divine by Design

There is not,
never has been,
never will be,
anyone like you.
Why?
Because you are divine by designed.
Why?
Because you were designed by the Divine

This is true
for each of us.
We are each Divine originals.
What if we were intentional
about seeing the uniqueness
in each other.
What if we focused on seeing
the Divine in each other and
celebrating that uniqueness
and beauty?

This is an original you do not
need to be wealthy to own.
We just walk the runways of life,
showing off and modeling
for the world
the features sewn into us.
So go on out and
strike a pose.
Let the world see the
top model in you and
know you are Divine by Design,
because you were designed
by the Divine.

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Baby Steps

I try to remember this e very day
it is all about the baby steps.
Sometimes we all face tasks
that seem challenging to complete,
Then I remember to take baby steps

Baby steps get me through.
I just do a little bit every day
and eventually it is done.
I set an achievable goal
and then I focus on meeting it.
Just one baby step at a time.

Sometimes I think
that is how God answers my prayers.
in baby steps.
One revelation at a time,
one step at a time,
until I have been guided through
what was insurmountable.

I have to remember
I am just one.
I cannot do it all,
but I can do a little at a time.
Baby steps, just baby steps.

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Listening

I hear you talking
but am I listening.
How often are we in a room with someone
but not present?
How often do I not stop,
and think before I speak?
What if I did?

How much different would
our lives be if were mindful
in our listening and
intentional in our speaking
with others?

Can you hear my feelings
just by the energy
radiating from me?
What if we were present?
What if we listened with our
hearts, minds, and souls?

Just for today,
may we be intentional
about being present
and intentional about
listening and
speaking
and being a channel
for the Divine.

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Beyond My Coward

There has always been
a coward living inside me.
It is that part of me that
has been afraid,
insecure,
and afraid to face my fears.
It has looked at the obstacles
and shuddered

My relationship with the Ultimate
has been giving me
the faith
to battle through the fear
and face my obstacles
and move beyond my inner coward

Life has called me into battle.
I have had to face opposition and challenges.
They have developed strengths in me
I did not know I had.
I have been training under the Ultimate
and preparing to leave
the coward in the dust.

The coward has been my biggest obstacle,
but as I evolve and grow,
I develop the skills I need
to be the spiritual warrior
I was created to be.

I am more than a conqueror.
I am an overcomer.
I am one who is growing
in my reflection of the one who created me
the Ultimate.

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Stones

I was reminded the other night
how fragile life is
as I remembered how
I almost died 4 years ago,
as a friend’s house burned down
and her cat died in the fire,
and a friend’s grandmother passed away
I remembered my mother and father
and the frustration I have about
my father not having a tombstone.

Then I thought about the stones
that sit on my shelf.
The stones that represent them,
the memories I hold of them
and the feelings which live in my heart.

My parents may be gone,
but like the stones I have
they live on in me and
the memories I have.
They are in the care of
the Ultimate and when
I hold my stones,
I know the Ultimate is
caring for them on heaven
as they were cared for on earth.

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