Black & Blue...

"You don't have to be a current victim, you don't have to be a survivor, you don't have to be a witness, or even a silent bystander. You don't have to know the right words to say, have money or the resources to help. All you need is the heart, the courage, and the compassion to speak out about the violence by the hands of another. Spread the word that it is not okay to hurt another human soul and try to not judge those who are in a situation for it's never our place to judge one another. There are too many silent victims scared to speak a word, because the stigma that has been created by something so severe. Work together to break the chains that bound them to this shame and help them to realize they are not alone. There are people who care and ready to listen to help in ways they can. There are people standing strong, hand-in-hand, ready to unsilence the violence caused by a woman or a man." 

~Krista Burris

Below is an amazing poem that was 

performed live at Le Poisson Rouge on 6.19.11 at The Strivers Row showcase.

Everything Happens For A Reason...

She only felt afraid when she spent too much time thinking about the past or projecting into the future. When she focused on whatever life has placed right in front of her in this moment, she knew she would be okay.

Don’t confuse your path with the destination just because it’s stormy now doesn’t mean you aren’t headed for sunshine.

Do the things you used to talk about doing but never did. Know when to let go and when to hold on tight. Stop rushing. Don’t be intimidated to say it like it is. Stop apologizing all the time. Learn to say no, so your yes has some oomph. Spend time with the friends who lift you up, and cut loose the ones who bring you down. Stop giving your power away. Be more concerned with being interested than being interesting. Be old enough to appreciate your freedom, and young enough to enjoy it. Finally, know who you are.

Tonight, we are young. So let’s set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun.

Bad days end, but a smile can go around the world. 

That life contradicts itself, constantly. 

That that’s why it’s worth living.

That the difference between pain and love is time. 

That love is only as real as you want it to be. 

That if you feel good, you look good. 

But it doesn't always work the other way around.

That the sun will rise each day and it’s up to you each day if you match it. 

That nothing matters up until this point. 

That what you decide now, in this moment, will change the future.

Forever. 

That rain is beautiful.

And so are you.

Life becomes wonderful even if there are struggles and difficulties, because we have a God so loving and inspiring, who heals the pain and keeps us going.

We wish, hope, and dream for so many things. We put faith in others. We put our vulnerability on the table before us. We let someone else take our destiny and then expect everything to fall into place. But you know what, that’s a shame because no one knows what you truly want. You are just setting up your own avalanche of destruction. You want something done, you do it yourself. Make yourself happy and don’t rely on someone else to do that for you.

Love Yourself!

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Just when we think we’ve figured things out, God throws us a curveball. So, we have to improvise. We find happiness in unexpected places. We find ourselves back to the things that matter most. God is funny that way. Sometimes, He just has a way of making sure we wind up exactly where we belong.

Take a step back. Look at yourself. You are human. You are beautiful. You are so beautiful. And you can be anything. You can be everything. Do not hate because someone broke your heart, or because your parents split up or your best friend betrayed you. Do not concern yourself with things you cannot control. Cry when you need to, then let go when it’s time. Don’t hang on to painful memories just because you’re afraid to forget. Let go of things that are in the past. Forget things that aren’t worth remembering. Stop taking things for granted. Stop taking life for granted. Live for something. Live for yourself. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Fall in love. Fall out of love. Do this over and over until you know what it really is to love someone. Question things. Tell people how you really feel. Sleep under the stars. Create. Imagine. Inspire. Share something wonderful. Make something beautiful and then destroy it. Meet new people. Make someone’s day. Follow your dreams. Live your life to its full potential. Just live. Let go of all the horrible things in your life and just live. And one day, when you’re old, look back with no regrets. 

I love listening to songs that make me smile, not because of the words or music, but because of the memories behind them.

If you look close enough to the world around you, you might find someone like you. Someone trying to find their way. Someone trying to find their self. Sometimes, it seems like you are the only one in the world who’s struggling, who’s frustrated, unsatisfied, barely getting by. But that feeling’s a lie. And if you just hold on, just find the courage to face it all for another day, someone or something will find you and make it all okay. Because we all need a little help sometimes. We need someone to remind us that it won’t always be this way. That someone is out there. And that someone will find you. 

If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough

I don’t understand how you can smile all day long but cry yourself to sleep at night. How pictures never change but the people in them do. How your best friend can become your worst enemy, or how strange it is when your worst enemy turns into your best friend. How forever turns into a few short months that you’d do almost anything to get back. How you can let go of something you once said you couldn’t live without. How even though you know something is best for you, it just hurts the same. How the people who once wanted to spend every second with you, think a few minutes of their time is too much to spare. How people make promises despite knowing how common it is for promises to be broken. How people can erase you from their lives just because it’s easier than working things out. 

If you fail, never give up because FAIL means “FIRST ATTEMPT IN LEARNING”. END is not the END. In fact E.N.D means “EFFORT NEVER DIES”. If you get NO as an answer. Remember N.O means “NEXT OPPORTUNITY”.

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.