Opundo

Another Mothers Day…

My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso….. ~Pablo Picasso 

Poem:

You can shed tears that she is gone or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile,
open your eyes,
love
and go on.

~ Unknown

Happy mothers day…. See, I remembered.

Will

25th October

I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life ~Abraham Lincoln

Today is one of those days when i do a special tribute to a special someone.
Well, as usual i never have words for this special Memorial Day so i turn to poetry. Here’s one that comes close to what i feel right now…

The title is “If Roses grow in Heaven.”

If Roses grow in heaven
Lord Please pick a bunch for me
Place them in my mother’s arms
And tell her they’re from me

Tell her i love her and miss her
And when she turns to smile
Place a kiss upon her cheek
And hold her for a while

 Because remembering her is easy
i do it everyday
But there’s an ache in within my heart,
That will never go away…

~Unknown..

R.I.P

I still Remember

Will

IF,

If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it 

If only desire of it
Makes you quite mad enough
Never to tire of it,
Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it 

If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it,

If gladly you’ll sweat for it,
Fret for it,
Plan for it,
Lose all your terror of God or man for it,

If you’ll simply go after that thing that you want.
With all your capacity,
Strength and sagacity,
Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity,

If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt,
Nor sickness nor pain
Of body or brain
Can turn you away from the thing that you want,

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
You’ll get it!

Berton Braley (1921)

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow

Today is filled with anger, fueled with hidden hate. 
Scared of being outkast, afraid of common fate. 
Today is build on tragedies which no one want’s to face. 
Nightmares to humanity and morally disgraced. 
Tonight is filled with Rage, violence in the air. 
Children bred with ruthlessness cause no one at home cares. 
Tonight I lay my head down but the pressure never stops,
knowing that my sanity content when I’m droped.
But tomorrow I see change, a chance to build a new, 
build on spirit intent of heart and ideas based on truth. 
Tomorrow I wake with second wind and strong because of pride.
I know I fought with all my heart to keep the dream alive.

~Tupac Shakur

R.I.P

Keep Them Close

One day a mother died.
And on that clear, cold morning,
in the warmth of her bedroom,
the daughter was struck with
the pain of learning that sometimes
there isn’t any more.

No more hugs, no more lucky moments to celebrate together,
no more phone calls just to chat, no more “just one minute.”

Sometimes, what we care about the most goes away,
never to return before we can say good-bye, say “I Love You.”

So while we have it … it’s best we love it .
And care for it and fix it when it’s broken
and take good care of it when it’s sick.

This is true for marriage … and friendships!
And children with bad report cards;
and dogs with bad hips;
and aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it,
because we cherish them!

Some things we keep -
like a best friend who moved away
or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that
make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, and so are the people we know.
And so, keep them close!

Unknown

Lessons From a Dog

Begin your day with a stretch – on the bed, on the floor, on a mat, anywhere. Stretch before you rise.
Always run to greet your loved ones when they come home. When they pet you, be happy. When they don’t, well, maybe they’re tired, but tell them you’re happy they’re home anyway.
Never pass up a chance to go for a ride, even for a short trip around the block, because every second spent with the one you love is precious.
When your loved one is having a bad day, just be there for him/her. You don’t have to say anything, just sit close by and let them know you’re there.
Never be too lazy for a walk and enjoy the experience of having the wind in your face
Take lots of naps. Run and stomp and jump often. Always find the time to play.
Let people come close enough to you to touch you. A touch does wonders for both sides.
Be grateful for family and for everyone in it, no matter how or what they are. Be loyal to them.
Love extravagantly, care deeply, speak gently, forgive quickly, and live simply.
It’s no wonder that a dog is said to be a man’s best friend. Loving everybody all the time and being nice comes naturally to them, and they take no pride or ego for themselves.
So please, love all the dog in the world, because they are one of the most beautiful creature that God has made. 

Will

Just One….

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what’s true,

One life can make a difference,
You see, it’s up to you!

Unknown..

Will

Hope, Faith, Destiny…….Optimism

“Life is but a dream for the dead.”                                                ~ Gerard Way 

Life is never easy. Most people today dabble their way through life, focusing on the negative things that happen to them. They carry grudge in their hearts. They don’t wanna forgive and forget. Nurturing grief and hatred is never a good thing as this leads to chaos, hunger for revenge and irateness.

Living here on earth might seem like hell for most, as if grouping in the darkness..but always remember that somewhere in the corner there is always a ray of light. There is hope. Faith plays a big role in surviving this game called life.
Believing in God and making him the core of your life makes things easier to bear. Cast all your cares on Him…He is your peace. Many might cast stones on you and try to deter you but always put in mind that there are people around you like your family and friends that will support you and help you shine. Be optimistic…be patient…be determined…believe in God. God allows trials to happen for us to learn. We commit mistakes in life and sometimes God’s correction is painful, yet afterwards, perhaps years later, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it. If life was meant to be easy,and bad things never happen then how can we appreciate life. Life will be so boring if we are happy all the time.NO PAIN NO GAIN. 

According to Shing Xiong, “In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away”. I agree..Count your blessings. When life gives you a thousand reasons to cry, show life that you have a million reasons to smile. Be optimistic. Live, Laugh, Love and have FAITH.

~LIyah L

Thank You

Nothing can replace the space created in your heart for the love your mother has for you, even after she has left the world you live in…..

You were a precious gift from God above,
so much beauty, grace and love.
You touched my heart in so many ways,
your smile so bright even on the bad days.
You heard God’s whisper calling you home,
you didn’t want to go and leave me alone.
You loved me so much, so you held on tight,
till all the strength was gone and you could no longer fight.
He had called your name twice before,
you knew you couldn’t make Him wait anymore.
So you gave your hand to God and slowly drifted away,
knowing that with our love we will be together again someday.

It gets tougher by the day… But i manage; i just wish i got a chance to give it all back….hopefully your watching and guiding me through life’s endeavors as i keep my head up and make the best of what you stood for…all in all, Thank you, and just so you know, i still haven’t forgotten.

Happy Mothers day….

Will

M.F…….

All I ever wanted was you from the moment I grew
Inside the womb because that process takes two
And mama was there as she has always been
But it hurts me in my soul to know I was conceived in sin
I guess that’s why you never laid your hands on my heart
Since with some of my siblings, you’ve been there from the start
Still when I was a child, you received my innocent love
Because mama gave me the teachings of the man up above
And I wanted you in my life, and believe me I tried
But my every advance was swiftly denied
Do you know how that feels in the heart of a child
The cause of many tribulations and trials
Noticeable scars all to the mind and the soul
Neglect is the weapon that turns the heart cold
Producing pure hate because the heart is deprived
But everyone knows the strong will survive
And mama gave me love, the source of my strength
And where were you on my sweet 16th
You didn’t teach me to drive or help me develop my shot
So I strive to be all that you’re not
You didn’t teach me to fight or how to holler at girls
You left it up to a woman to shape a man’s world
But I don’t hate you, even though I once did
Because there’s only 2 emotions in the heart of a kid
But I’m a man now, and that’s no thanks to you
And since I was a child, the anger just grew
I want to fight you, just one real good time
That’s the only way I know to get the stress off my mind
But I can’t do that, mama said it’s in vain
So guess what, I got to live with the pain
And it hurts for 1440 minutes a day
But I know there’s a God, and through Him, you will pay
Because He gave me life, but I came through you
And I was raised by 1, it should have been 2
And mama worked hard to keep food on the table
And taught me that there were better things than fine clothes and cable
But she defended your ass and I never knew why
Since you had the finer things that money could buy
And we were poor, truly poor indeed
Nothing that we want, but everything we need
And I was rich, I know that’s misunderstood
But mama was teaching me the power of good
And I couldn’t help but learn since she talks so loud
Even though I know she isn’t completely proud
Since I haven’t forgiven you, though I pray I 1 day can
But it will take some time, I’m only a man
And you’re a sucker, even though you look like a man
But I had to come through you, it was in His plan
And a mistake is all that He can’t make
And I know that only He can sooth the ache
So I pray for the strength to forgive, to ease the pain that I live
The pain that I live, you caused the pain that I live
Cause all I wanted was you since all I had was a mother
I wish I had a father, instead I got a motherfucker

Eric L. Boddie

#REALTALK

Those Things….

If you do big things they print your face, and if you do little things they print only your thumbs……… ~Arthur Baer

The little things…
Those little things that make you happy, those people who make you laugh and smile like a little kid. Learn from the past. Don’t let it break or define you. Things happen for a reason. Make sure you make the most of what you have. Show your friends how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate them. Smile and make the most of your life. Make it what you want it to be. Don’t take the little things for granted. Sometimes you just gotta let it be…… Reminds me of this poem by Regina Riggs

Too often we don’t realize
what we have until it is gone;
Too often we wait too late to say
“I’m sorry - I was wrong”

Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones
we hold dearest to our hearts;
And we allow foolish things
to tear our lives apart

Far too many times we let
unimportant things into our minds;
And then it’s usually too late
to see what made us blind

So be sure that you let people know
how much they mean to you;
Take that time to say the words
before your time is through

Be sure that you appreciate
everything you’ve got
And be thankful for the little things
in life that mean a lot

Will

Fate Factor

You choose your fate
By the things you do
If you are good
Your fate will be too

Fate does not choose you
It won’t take time to choose you
Just watch what you do
And fate will be good to you

A fate worse than death
For being bad that’s what you get
I’ve been there and back
So I know the facts

Take my advice
Live life right
Just do onto others good
And fate will do onto you

Follow one of the golden rules
Do onto others what you, 
Want them to do onto you
And that’s how you choose your fate 

LaTisha Parkinson