Inspiration

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Oh joy of joys! 

Elation that I feel

In my bosom burn

Why were you

So long in coming

To this mistress of yours?

I wanted to write

For the world

For you

And now my joy! 

I can write any and all

But why all this time?

I may be a child

But I am old in heart

A fine polish emerging 

You look at my face

You see youth

But eyes deceive like fools

You touch my heart

And you will find

The age of time

So why did you wait?

Why so long in coming

When I longed for you?

But at last my joy 

You are mine... 

Though not for long

My wisdom knows; 

Tomorrow I will yearn 

For the something I still lack

Yet, there is peace in my soul 

And joy fills my heart

For now at least, 

In this precious moment.

Poem 43 ~ 9/11/2012

A Mother

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She drinks in the sobs
Of her child.
She comforts and consoles.
She brushes away the tears,
From a plump little face.
She kisses away the hurt,
And the sorrows of a second.
She firmly tells the child, "No."
Then she distracts with a toy.
She softly sings her darling to sleep,
On those fearsome nights
When only a mother's voice
Can comfort her child.
She cleans a child's muddy clothes
Without a word of thanks.

~

And as her child grows
She consoles the hurt of minutes -
The whiplash of a careless comment;
The sting of not being able to go;
The laughing faces of her child's peers.
She leads her child to safer waters,
Steering by example.
And when her child is hurt,
Truly hurt,
She hurts as well;
And her heart aches
For the wants of her growing child.

~

And when her child leaves
She gets the front row seat;
To watch the play unfold.
And if the play shows danger,
For her grown up child,
She simply slips back stage
And helps her child iron
The kinks out of their play.

~

And why does she do all this?
She does it because she loves
Her little child
With the tenderness of a butterfly
With the strength of an elephant
And with the heart of a lion.
What a wonderful love
Is the love of a mother!

 Poem 7 ~ 2011

Song of Spring

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I twirl

Feasting on the sun. 

My arms outstretched

Brushing over the grass.

So tall it tickles

And claws,

At my spinning arms.

I hum along

To the melody.

Of the birds, the bees,

And the tree frogs.

I listen to the harmony

Of it all.

It is like a symphony.

Every sound

Plays a different tune.

Yet, all work.

Together.

Making the song

Of spring.

The interlude

To summer.

Poem 27 ~ 2011

Christianity is?

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     Christianity.  It is something simple. Christianity is to have a belief in Christ. It is a belief in the words of the New Testament.

     So then, why would it ever need be asked, "What is Christianity?"

     In the world their are LDS believers, "Mormons" if you will. They live and worship around the globe. The official name of their religion is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."  I am among this group of people. We all believe in Christ. We read the bible, and those with true faith turn to our Savior as our Reedemer and Salvation.  In every sense of the term, we believe in Christ. 

     When I was around 8 I was informed, by a friend of mine, that I didn't believe in Christ. My young friend informed that my soul was in peril. I refuted her words saying, "I'm mormon. I believe in Christ. We all do." She looked at me and simply stated, "Well your not Christian... So my mom says your going to hell." 

     At age 8 I was confused. Believeing in Christ and his purpose is the definition of Christianity. Thus, I was a Christian.

     As I have grown I have become more able to say with certainty that I am a Christian. Yet, increasingly I have found that my non-mormon friends do not agree with me. Many times I have asked why, and increasingly I have found that... People don't know. They don't know why they consider Mormons "non-Christian." They just know they do. Many parroting, as my friend did, "My parents say!" Or, "My pastor told us." 

     I have learned to accept that Mormons aren't considered to be Christian, among many main stream christian sects. Leaving one fundamental thing to bug me. And that is, I am. I feel and know for myself that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. Because of this faith, I wish to glorify him. I wish my actions to reflect his love, mercy, and example. I wish to lead others to Christ, and I wish my life to be a reflection of his. How though can others be led to Christ if they do not see me as a Christian? 

     Well... They can, if I have faith. I can live to glorify him, and pray that my works can reflect my Savior's glory. For it is through him, and him alone, that mankind may be saved. I can live hoping that my actions will speak louder then others learned notions. For if Christ is with me, his Spirit will testify.

     No matter what teachings may cloud the human mind, the Holy Spirit can always point to truth, and to Christ. 

Being a Teen - Dating

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     Lately the term 'dating' has been on my mind... rather a lot.  See, for us Latter Day Saints (Mormons) dating is something you wait until 16 to do.  Rather, that's what's supposed to happen.  However, the whole thing seems a little confusing.  I mean the whole "Don't date until your 16" thing is kind of straight forward.  However, lots of teens in my religion seem confused about what kind of dating your allowed to do at that age.  *Sigh*  I could go on and on about that... saying how wrong I think some people are... but what I really want to discuss is simply my thoughts and view on the matter.  Not: my view on how others should go about it.

     I think that different people definitely have various things that work for them, whether they be LDS (a Latter Day Saint) or if they are from another denomination.  Some teens are very mature, and some just... aren't.  So, I think that people really should just focus on what their dating ideas are.  What I believe in, as far as dating goes, is based a lot on what my religion and parents advise.

     So basically my view of 'dating' is that its okay to go on group dates starting at 16, and that going on single dates are appropriate when you get older and are more interested in finding a person to marry.  I also think that you shouldn't be exclusive (exclusive = having a boyfriend or girlfriend) until you've gone on several single dates and until you are actually interested in marrying the person you want to be exclusive with.

     There you go.  In one complete paragraph I have stated how I think utopia 'dating' should work.  Sadly 'dating' seems to be a lot more complicated then that.

     For some reason society seems to want people to be exclusive.  They think it makes sense for teens to pair off.  They encourage it!  For me this just seems ridiculous because... well... a teenage relationship will lead either to things that I consider to be sinful when not limited to marriage, or to breaking up.  The fact is that I believe feelings leading to romantic love should be between a man and a woman who can actually take things somewhere without it leading to sin.

     Society's encouragement of teens pairing off troubles me for the above reasons, and because it seems like you can't escape the fact that everyone (including myself sometimes) puts others into 'couples' and pairs.  This makes it hard for me because I know that when I turn 16, and were to go on a group date, then many of my friends (if not all) would think that I liked my date.  Through no real fault of their own, but through conditioning, they would think that we were together.  Then if I were to go out with another young man (lets say the next week) many would see me as a sort of player.  They'd see me as cheating on the young man that I went out with first.  Even though I never had any sort of relationship with either of them and they are both simply my friends.

     I turn 16 in only a little bit.  I have my idea of how dating should work, and the world has their view.  Unfortunately the carrying out of my idea's will probably be viewed unfavorably by those who look at me from a more normal and non-Mormon, non-Naomi point of view.

     So, maybe I'll end up going through with my ideas and pretend not to care about any labels people may give me.  Or, I could just not do any kind of dating for awhile.  I could just wait until I get out of this weird teenage limbo.  I could just hangout with people.  Who knows what I'll do though?  I most certainly don't.

     16... I am coming.  I just don't know what to do with you.

This Thing We Call "Love"

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     I've been hearing this word, love, being used a lot lately.  I mean A LOT.

  

     People use this word so much that its almost alarming.  "I love cake." "I love my girlfriend." "I love his hair." "I love, I love, I love." No one seems to just like something, or enjoy things anymore.  People seem to have to use the word "love" in order to show that they have feelings or a strong opinion about something.

     I makes me wonder... What is everybody's definition of what love is?  What is my definition?  

     So after much thought I have decided what I think the word "love" means.  In my opinion the word love doesn't mean you think something's cool. It doesn't mean that you want to be around or have whatever you "love" for ever. 
  
     In my mind, the word love is something deeper and different.  Love means that you will work to have the object.  I like pizza.  I enjoy it, and I would be willing to eat it for any meal.  However, I don't love it.  I know I don't love it because I'm not willing to work really hard so I can have pizza.

     Love is something that you both feel, and which shows a level of commitment. When you love something it should mean that not only enjoy the thing you love, but that you are willing to do whatever you need to, in order to have what you love for as long as possible. Love should mean that you won't turn around and start "loving" something else in a moment.  Love means that you will work, when things get hard, so that you can have the thing you love when times are easier.

     So, next time you go to say you "love" pizza... maybe you should think a moment... because maybe you just really like it.  And when you go to say you like your best friend, maybe you should think about it and make sure you don't actually mean you love your best friend.

     Love, it means that you will do what you think is best for the thing you love.  So, be careful what you say.
    

The Annoyance Theory

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     So, I was thinking.  (I know, I know. Its surprising, please don't fall off your chair yet.)

     So now that we established that I was thinking, I'll tell you what about.  Its pretty earth shattering... just to put that out there...

     I was thinking about how people seem to annoy people rather a lot.  Like your best friend forgets your birthday, and you think, "What the heck? Are we even friends?" Or maybe it was something completely different that annoyed you.  (Maybe it was the fact that your iron man suit proved a little bit faulty.)  Who knows.

     But, what I actually was thinking about, (besides daydreaming about being iron man...) was why certain people annoy us more then others.  More specifically, why does family always seem to get on each others nerves?  I mean, we are supposed to be a happy family, each others best friends, the people who are always there for each other and all that.  So, why does it seem like peoples biggest fights are with their siblings, and their largest grudges are held against parents?  Why do teenagers get along with their friends, yet when their at home they want to (or do) zone out?

     Well, while I was thinking I realized something.  It makes perfect sense that our family, or best friends, would be the people who annoy us the most, yet that we still like the best too.  The thing is that everybody annoys us at least once, at some point in time.  The people that we spend more time with annoy us more, not because they are simply more annoying, but because we are around them more.

     Pretend somebody's annoyance level is a proper percent.  So everybody's annoying 5% of the time.  Well if you barely hung out or saw the person, that 5% would mean barely anything.  However, if you were around the person a ton (like every day of your life up till now) then that 5% would be rather signifagant. It would mean that every year you'd spend at least 438 hours being annoyed with them.  That doesn't mean they would be over big things, but that you'd spend a rather good chunk of time every year being anoyed with them.

     Why? Not because they are particularly more annoying then the friends you see at church once a week, but because you simply spend more time with them.

     So dear parents, siblings, and best friends of anyone. When somebody gets annoyed or upset with you, understand its just a passing thing.  Make up, say your sorry. Cause if you don't then you may ruin the great 8322 hours of friendship or family love that is just around the little bumps of normal problems.

     Make sure that when your happy with your parents, or siblings, or best friend, that you tell them how awesome they are and how much they mean to you.  Don't let the little things get in the way of something that can last.

Age Equals Wise?

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     We age as the clock ticks steadily onward and around the clock.  But what does our age mean? Why does it matter. Does it make as much sense as measuring time?

     Schools divide kids up by age, determining which aged children are ready for learning this kind of stuff and that the younger kids are ready for other stuff.  Our society divides people up by age.  21 year old's can drink.  In New York 16 year olds can get driving permits.  Children suddenly becoming teens when they turn 13, and thus are thought to do certain things, because they are "that age."

     Our culture thrives on categorizing by age.  But why?

     I think most people like to think that the passing of time, and becoming older, gives you wisdom.  That with the higher numbers come a higher level of wisdom.  We determine that school aged children aren't yet wise.  Where as Grandparents are wise.  I think people now are starting to begrudge this system.  Teens dont like how parents always think they are right, and parents don't like their kids grandparents to barge in and try to help them parent.  We like to think that we already are wise, that we know enough to get by all right.

     But isn't it childish to think yourself wise?

     Maybe wisdom shouldn't be measured by age then.  For you can be an adult and still act like a child.  But perhaps our wisdom, our capacity should be measured by our ability to make decisions.  Perhaps the question shouldn't be is my child old enough to make that decision but do I think my child has the wisdom to properly make this choice.  Or perhaps we should let our children make choices and then judge future things by how well they made the last choice.

     Age of course is something important but maybe we should adjust our views of what a child, teen, and adult are.

     Perhaps we shouldn't look at a 15 year-old and say "They are a teen."  Perhaps we should get to know the said 15 year-old and then judge by how wise and capable of making decisions.  Although we will probably always have to rely on age to help us divide kids up in school, and such things.
And now, I have officially over thought this. 

Time

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     What is time?

     Since the beginning we have tried to answer this questions by capturing time.  We have defined what it is.  Time tics by in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and inevitably in years and increments of years.  We built clocks to help us see time pass, our phones, iPods, computers, and stoves have the time kept on them, so we can watch it pass and keep up with our schedule.

     We are obsessed with capturing and taming the things that we cannot see.  Time runs most of ours lives.  But time is something that passes its not a clear concise thing that you can hold, see, smell, or taste.  None of ours senses sense it.  It simply... is.

     There is another thing like time, in fact it is closely intertwined.  This thing is age.  You ask a toddler how old they are and they will proudly state that they are 3 or 4, but sometimes they also throw in a "And I'm a big boy!"  Sometimes they simply say whatever age they want to.  For a couple years I told people I was 18.

     Naturally we all smile and pat the little tykes head and indulge them, letting them say it, and knowing that eventually they'll figure things out.

     We have defined things so that are heads can deal with the in-sensible.  Some of our definitions make perfect sense.  Seriously, how would the world work if we didn't have time?  We wouldn't be able to say "I'll see you in a week," "Wait just a sec," or "A couple days ago..."

     Time helps us function as a society.  So, what does age do?  Does it help society function, is it simple math, does it make things easier, and what does it mean to us?

    I certainly don't have all the answers I want, but I can share with you what I feel, have experienced, and concluded.

    So this is what I shall be posting about in the near future.  For a little while ate least.