A Testament to the Human Soul

It may be true that only a fellow dog lover
Can truly grasp the pain of another,
When a beloved furry friend moves on
To whatever waits for their souls beyond.

Loved ones, friends, even a casual friend
Can be expected to comfort you in the end.
But I've recently learned an amazing truth,
I had absolutely no vision of in my youth.

For years now I've turned to social media like Twitter and Facebook
To share my passions and let others have a look.
Are they really "friends" in any sense of the word?
Is the question that I constantly heard.

Well, the outpouring of sympathy that I have received from these "friends" that I don't even really know,
Is such a beautiful testament to the goodness contained in many a human soul.

So, thank you to all of you that also mourn for the loss of my beloved dog, Snowy,
And have looked into your own hearts to try to comfort me.
But a special thank you, to all of you out there in cyberspace,
Who are a true reminder of the good we can do without ever seeing each other face to face.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved.

The Golden Rule

I was recently in the company of an old friend
Whose too common attitude could so easily offend.
He was hesitant to buy his residence near my own
Because there were too many people "different" than he had always known.

Funny that I'd just heard from Charles Osgood on radio news
That Dale Carnegie wrote over a hundred years ago to share some very relevant views.
He wrote about a concept considered to be common sense, but not a common act
A thing preached to our parents' parents as the golden rule, in fact.

"Love your neighbor" describes a two-way relationship, friend or stranger
Based on both sides seeing equality, not fear or danger.
Psychologically, this means empathy, not lack of concern
Philosophically, it involves perceiving others as equal in return.

Religion played an integral part in the history of the Golden Rule
Prominent figures and philosophers taught it in school.
This concept appears in many religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, to name a few
The Golden Rule can be found in some form in almost every ethical and traditional view.

So, why do we keep paying for books over the centuries that keep restating what we already comprehend
And why did my friend still fear moving to an area where people "different" from him represent a barrier he can not transcend?
It still comes down to that same old rule that becomes the key
Each individual has free will, no matter what race, religion, sex, or creed ... we each have a soul yearning to be spiritually free.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved.

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Elevator Behavior

Ever walk into an elevator with a stranger
And notice an immediate sense of danger?
You look straight ahead or to both of the sides
But you never ever look them right in the eyes.

Try to notice two apes in a cage at a zoo
You'll see it's the same exact thing that they do.
They say that it's in our genes as a way to avoid a threat
But humans have evolved and should have a better mind set.

If our eyes are truly windows to our soul
Perhaps we should try testing a new way to grow.
What if we were to ignore what nature has brought,
And rise above what the prejudice and judgement have taught.

Try it next time when you're alone with someone you don't know
How far above your comfort level are you willing to go?
Speak to that person and look right at their eyes
Push aside the awkward insecurity that everyone despises.

Reach deep into your own soul, smile and speak a few kind words
Doesn't really matter what you say as long as you're heard.
You might just find that the kind words you made the effort to say
Are just what that soul next to you really needed to hear that day.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved.

Reruns

Tired of living the same script
Feeling like the scales of justice are tipped?
Having that sense of deja vu
Like nothing is truly new?

The actors may change
Some of the scenes may even
rearrange
But the ending is always the same
Are you wondering who's to blame?

Are the hands of fate pushing you to go
Like chess pieces to and fro
Or are you wondering if it's a plan
And if so, why don't you understand?

Try listening to that inner voice
The one that's forcing you to make each choice.
You've heard it once or twice
No coincidences, only advice.

Our souls understand
The paths that God planned
Some say we even chose our life
Imagine, we might have picked such strife!

Bridges burned, lessons learned
A better ending can be earned.
We can choose to ignore
And flounder not knowing what's in store.

Or ... We can pay attention to any holy book we choose
The message within is bound to the same basic rules.
Choose your acts wisely based on love from within
Perhaps, the reruns will end, and the happy endings will begin.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved.

Heard it on the News Today

It's getting impossible to stay away
From the reality of the world in which we play,
We're connected all the time
Cameras catch every single crime.

Used to be you had to wait to hear
The awful news we've come to fear.
But now that we're all plugged in
Check the iPhone before your day can begin.

So if I heard it on the news
No one can shelter any of our youth.
These kids have to grow up really fast
Hardly any time to learn from the errors of the past.

So all of us have to hear about
The senseless shootings, bullying and endless crime.
Floods, tornados, catastrophes to boggle the mind
Is Armegeddon coming from the flaws of mankind?

If we can't shelter the little one at play
What is it that we're supposed to say?
Yet just yesterday I also saw on TV
A young women telling the world that it doesn't have to be.

She was using the power of her voice
She had been poor and homeless, but had made a choice.
This young women shared a powerful idea
Nothing is impossible if you have love to share.

That message has been around from way before Jesus' day
But it was sure nice that I heard it on the news today.
Just like the Bible said way back when
Eventually we'll all hear the good news again.

Nostradamus, Kabbalah, Revelation too
Doesn't matter if you were born Muslim, Christian, or Jew.
Mankind has a light within that was born out of love
And we all have the freedom to tackle our ego and spiritually rise above.

© Sheryl A. Skutelsky, 2012. All rights reserved