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.

This is one that I wrote earlier this earlier, but in light of Hurricane Sandy, definitely worth reposting.

Surfing the Waves

I've been reading an almost daily Facebook post of late
From someone who seems to believe that life is entirely fate.
I've read over and over from this Facebook "friend"
That she is anxiously awaiting the day that her life will end.

Now, like so many, I've never even met this person, but I find
That her sadness has been laying heavily on my mind.
She says that her lot in life is so heavy and she is often so tired
That she has already tried to leave this world before her time here has expired.

I want to take a moment to tell you what I wrote to her,
Just in case anyone else finds that their life has become such an awful blur.
I've lived for over fifty years now through many an up and down,
And I've found that life is like surfing waves
While trying valiantly not to drown.

My Facebook "friend" said she believes this world is "a hell full of hatred, apathy, and distress,"
And she has no problem leaving here for a better place that's not a mess.
I even read a comment saying that there are more people than we know that feel the same way,
So, I felt the need to comment to tell my "friends" what lights my flame.

I pray that each of us can find our way to the gifts that are hidden all around,
Because I'd hate to see anyone miss the positive that can definitely be found.
While so many are busy hoping for the next life where promises exist,
We only have the reality of this moment which can so easily be missed.

I don't think we can really appreciate the highs without the low,
Nor, can only living the easy life allow many of us to spiritually grow.
While sharing negative thoughts allows us to completely empathize,
Sharing positive thoughts and love is the root of how we survive.

So, again, I pray ... no matter your upbringing or religion ... that each of us learns to live in the now,
For this very moment is the only real reality that our brains are wired to allow.
Yesterday will be ingrained in our memories, different for all that observe,
While tomorrow is just a vision of the future that we hope to deserve.

Try to remember, just like surfing the waves and awaiting the next
None of us can really predict the future and what we can expect.
It's the wave we worry the most about that never seems to come our way,
Causing us to waste our precious energy worrying, while we go astray.

So ride the high of the moment, or choose to learn something from the low.
Allow your spirit to surf in the moment, because most likely we were put in this crazy ocean to grow.
We can anticipate the promised next life in the religion and belief we've been taught,
But we should try to not miss each and every moment because looking back life always seems too short.

We all own strength we sometimes only find when put to the test,
But, please don't miss the high moments while worrying about the rest.
I personally hope to sense without any doubt or fear,
That I became a better individual by always staying positive just in case the end is near.

Maybe one day I'll actually find that it is true,
That I can once again connect with the loved ones that I knew.
But until that time let each of us keep on surfing every up and down wave to the shore,
While living in the light of the moment so that we can learn to share the lessons of love others might choose to ignore.

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

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.