+ from other writers +

the future remains a mystery
so i'll smile and believe
that within the unknown 
lies joy and peace

oh lord with you there is peace
and joy beyond bounds,
a smile that captures hearts
and a love that won't let go.

rescue me, sweep me up
from the dirt and the grime
left there in the openness

it permeates my being
i can't escape its stench 
why do we try to Be
when we only end up dying

laugh? really? i'm tired of that
i look for love. i find unstoppable tears
am i wrong? the cow bell home is ringing
but I run the other direction
are my senses dulled? my discretion altered?

love me is my plea
fight for me
and fight off the evil around me
it hurts.

make me genuinely happy
make my smile fake no longer
make my laughter bring truth not lies

-lydiakind

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i have the best best friends. :)

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A Regret Forgotten

My thoughts follow the pattern of my feet. One after the other, calm and slow—simply leading me in their own direction. I linger in that stillness between the here and now and fond reminiscence. I smile as the sun shines down on me; I can tell it’s just begging me to take my jacket off. Summer hangs on the sun’s rays like a delicate trapeze artist, floating and flying through the air; but autumn races in under the cool breeze and a leaf crunches occasionally underfoot. The crisp smell of the tea I hold warms my heart more than my hands, and I welcome the comfort it brings. As I wander, I think to myself, “This is it; life, in its simplicity, can’t get better.”

I come to a crossroads, but there’s only enough time for one path. They both look enticing: one calls to me with its towering, beautiful trees, the other with its wild, unpredictable, twists and turns. I am caught between beauty and adventure—between appreciating is, and appreciating what could be. I wish I had the time for both, but I must choose one. Beauty, or adventure? Will I relax and enjoy Creation, or will I race forward with blessed imagination as my guide?

I turn back, with a sigh. My true fault is that I am afraid to choose—I cannot choose between beauty and adventure. It would be unfair…and what if I chose wrong? I would never know what the other held for me. So, in my fear, I turn. I settle for what I have and choose to not reach for more. Now every day I will live with my regret.

- anonymous writer submission on the dustjacketproject.