Mint Chocolate Cheese Cake

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Happy Days Full of Sunshine ©

Cute little puppies and
chunky little girls
Daddies full of kindness and
Mommies who'll give you the world

Happy days full of sunshine
playing on my backyard swing
That's what childhood
 in the city brings

Memories of days gone by
Laughter, hot dogs and Kool Aid
Hot sun shinning,
 kids sitting in the shade

Red light, green light
Mother may I, freeze tag, hide and seek
Rock teacher, jacks, jump rope,
monkey in the middle

That's how memories are made
I can never go back and live that
joyful, happy life again
But I can share it today with my own children

Mommy can I go out and play?
Sure baby, but can I play too?
I have some memories I want to create with you
Happy days full of sunshine

It's My Turn ©

 

I woke up this morning to a new revelation
I am not forgotten
It's been a long time since I dared to chase my dreams
Fell many times but it seems
that falling down is part of the whole scheme of things

Falling ain't hard, but getting up is
And starting all over again
I see my future and I know that I win
Learning to wait and just be still
To hear your voice and walk in your will

I can see farther than my eyes can see
This revelation has totally consumed me
Time...time...time...friend or enemy?
There is a season and a time for all things
When my day comes I'm going to spread my wings
Fly high, soar, reach for the stars
On the other side of the rainbow, I'll even show my scares
It's the place where all things are possible
If you just believe in the promises and get ready for the day
When your dreams come true, there will be no delay

Time and season are the reason for the wait
Me and destiny have a predestined date, I won't be early or late
Woke up this morning to a new revelation...I am not forgotten
There's so much more that God has in store
Just waiting for my turn to soar

I'll Keep Waiting ©

I keep waiting
I keep waiting
Waiting on God to rescue me

I keep waiting
I keep waiting
Waiting on God to rescue me

He promised to help me
He promised to help me
Never to leave or forsake me

So I keep waiting
I keep waiting
Waiting on God to set me free

Abused as a child by the preacher
Neglected by my momma
Beaten by my husband

But I'll keep waiting
I'll keep waiting
Waiting on God to rescue me

Used and abused by men
seemed to be forgotten
But I keep waiting

Second husband worse than the first
sent by God
that really hurts

He promised to reward me for all my pain
and my life will never be the same

So I keep waiting
I keep waiting
Waiting on God to rescue me

Sickly children and poor health
He never left me by myself
Reached out and touched me with his tender hand

So I'll keep waiting
Keep right on waiting
Waiting on God to rescue me

He promised me that if I suffer with him
then I'll reign with him
So I'll keep waiting on the Lord to rescue me

I know after all the suffering and pain
God will show me his plan
he promised me my due season

So I'll keep waiting
I'll keep waiting
Waiting on God to rescue me

All the days of my appointed time
will I wait till my change comes

So I'll keep waiting
Keep right on waiting
Waiting on my change to come

Change the World ©

Manipulating women and emasculated men
Unhappy marriages and disobedient children

Seems like this kind of behavior makes the world go round
Not what we wanted it's just bringing us down

Working all day and night just like a man
But taking his place was never my plan

Got to do things different to see change
Priorities need to be rearranged

Where did we go wrong?
Forgive us Lord for what we have done

Can't keep this up too long.
We need change

Change the world with love
Only love can change the world

Got to do things different to see change
Priorities need to be rearranged

Need to rearrange our priorities
And change the world with love

Need to rearrange our priorities
And change the world with love

Can't keep this up too long
Change the world with love

Got to do things different to see change
Priorities need to be rearranged

Never Give up on Love ©

If I gave up every time it got too hard
If I ran away from pain
If I quit because nothing went right
or gave in to weariness
Then, I would just give up on love

And never experience your kiss

If I let bitterness eat away on the inside
If I remained angry and chose not to forgive
If I forget to laugh,
and take myself too seriously, refusing to live
Then you would run like hell when you met me

And never experience my kiss

If I learn from the pain of yesterday
If I decide to go on and live anyway
If I dry my tears and grow from the experience
Then I will know in my heart to
Never give up on love

Can't wait to meet you and experience true love's kiss

If you never give up on love
If you wait until it comes again
Then because of your last love, or lost love,
you will know when you find the best love
It's on the way and when it finds you it will stay

If you believe in love,
never give up it's worth the wait
This kind of love you don't want to miss
Can't wait to share our first kiss
'Cause we never gave up on love...

Never give up
Never give up
Never give up on love

Keep Dreaming

There comes a time when nobody believes in you
and you have to walk alone
Because the dream inside of you must remain hidden
until the day, the time, the appointed season

For your dreams to come true
you have to endure the testing of your faith
and remember all the dreams and intuitive thoughts
that brought you to this place

When there is no one else to lean on, or cry to
but you choose to hold on, fight on, continue
Then that small dream begins to come into fruition
And it grows and grows and blooms

It's bigger than you think, because it's your purpose
You were the one who waited in faith, persevered in trials,
longed in secret, and dared to keep dreaming
when it was only a feeling on the inside

And because you held on through all the storms
Your dream like a baby in the womb
pushed its way through until that predestined day
when you stepped into your purpose and your dream was born

You gave birth to your dream
Now is the time to do all you were created to do
Your struggle made you strong enough to see it through
Now you know dreams really do come true

There's so much more, you only scratched the surface
Your best days are ahead of you, more dreams are coming
bigger than the first, because when you had nothing
you dared to believe in one small dream and walk alone

Your lonely days are gone
You passed the tests, it's time to enter into your rest
He saved the best for last,
your latter will be greater than your past

 

Love is

It is the feeling I get when I see a rainbow
It is the song inside my soul when I think about you
It is the sound of birds singing in spring
The sun rising in the morning
It is my daddy's smile when I was a child

It is your touch when our first baby was born
It is the warmth of your caress
with my face upon your chest
Love is all these things and more

It is tenderness, a kind word, a helping hand
Words not spoken but understood
It is the look in your eyes when my heart was broken
Love is all these things and more

It is forgetting the hard times, the hurt and pain
and deciding to start over and live again
Love is more than romance
More than simple pleasure

Love is my choice to care about you
Even after all you put me through
I'm still in love with you
Love is forever

One day I will see you again my friend

Bloom ©

I sit
watching my days like clouds fading
from morning to evening

I sit wondering
where are my 
dreams, my sunbeams of promises?

I think,  
who will listen to  my story, 
who can I tell?
 
Someone stole my innocence long, long ago.
A small unfolded rosebud sending out aromatic essence of bloom
wandering in the wind.

Waiting... not expecting to be handled. 
Not wanting to be held and cast  aside.
Cool winds whispering my name.

I watched
as the sun spilled over the horizon
to caress my tender petals. 

Someone claimed my 
sweet breath too soon.  
Fresh days of springtime...

I was a spring garden
full of light, cool winds swaying, birds all in harmony
bees buzzing. 

I ran
so full of
expectancy and ecstasy.

I ran
into the face of life. 
Too young to know what it would bring me.
 
Hot summer days, 
dogs barking, 
fear running up my legs ringing loud in my head,

I listened to
love songs, 
love poems.
 
I listened
to soft words with clandestine meanings. 
Too young to know tender plants need room to bloom.

Time to rise and be strong.  
Somebody picked me 
when I was just a rosebud. 

I wonder... 
Can I grow from here?
Will winter overtake me?
 
I wonder...  
Can I be a beautiful rose
in Autumn?
 
I see crimson tides
peeking over blue horizons
pouring pure light all over me. 

I feel strong.
Sweet, gentle perfume rolls off my
soft velvet petals... 

Penetrating the amber air
I’m in bloom
again.

After All

After all the drama
after all the tears
I still love you after all these years

After all the days
of laughter and pain
My love for you still remains

When all is done
and my life carries on
I find that there is so much more to love, after all

I gave you all that I had to give
And you still left me
After all

Now I can live

I know there is someone
who will love me
with all my history
Loving you set me free
After all

Free to look a little closer
a little deeper
Inside myself

There I found when love fails
and lonely days turn to lonely nights
I'm still here, after all

True love found me
and set me free
now I know that

Love is good, after all
I found love, after all
I'm alive, after all

To love again, after all





 

Black Girl © - Part Two

You see, in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve made the choice
to no longer hearken to God's voice,
their once eternal bodies started to decay.
Only one command had God given to man to obey,
or there would be a price to pay.

Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
or death will be your consequence.
And every, man, woman, boy and girl
has been born into the death cycle ever since
that fatal day when Adam and Eve began to know, see, and feel
the knowledge of all things good and evil.

The first death experienced by the new born human race
was the murder of Abel the son of Adam and Eve
by the hands of his twin brother, Cain.
From that day forward the human race would know
sin, sorrow, hatred and shame.
So, Adam made love to his wife Eve to ease her pain.

Their son Abel was dead
and Cain to the wilderness had fled
from all who dared to avenge the death of his brother.
At this time men and women lived for hundreds of years
as they married and intermarried to populate the planet.
For God's initial purpose for man still stood in tack.
He created the earth for mankind to dominate, that's a fact.

And Eve conceived and gave birth to another son.
She named him Seth, for, now that her godly seed Abel was dead
Seth was given to her by God in his stead.

Now back in the garden when Satan tempted man to sin.
God pronounced a curse upon all men and women.
The woman would be subject to her husband and bring forth children in pain.
And, the earth would forever cause man's strength to wane.
By the sweat of your brow will you till the land, it will resist you, until it
brings you down to the ground from whence you were taken.
For dust you are and to the dust you shall return.

God cursed the earth to bring forth thorns, briers and weeds.
He cursed the serpent that Satan had hidden inside of when he spoke to Eve.
And He cursed Satan for his plan to deceive.
And you, Satan, will be crushed by the woman's seed
for your part in this dubious deed.
Her seed shall crush your head and you shall bruise his heel.
This curse caused the planet to roll, rock and reel.

Satan set up Principalities in the regions of the air.
and plotted to rule God's creation from his evil lair,
Each Principality had control over appointed regions,
as they controlled men by harassing their souls with demons.
These demons entered the bodies of mankind by legions.
And God's creation became demented, ungodly, wicked indeed,
as Satan tried to contaminate every godly seed.
I must destroy the seed of the woman, for by her seed I am doomed.

Man grew more and more wicked and violent.
Until God looked at man and his condition caused him to repent.
I repent that I ever made man.
But, God had a plan.
I will send a flood to destroy the wicked.
And, I will repopulate the planet with one godly seed.
Now, Noah the descendant of Seth was uncontaminated, upright, godly indeed.

Noah and his wife had three married sons.
He preached to his wife and children and all who would listen.
Come into the ark because its going to rain.
He preached the same message again and again.
And warned all to repent and come into the ark of safety
or bear the wrath of an angry God on that dreadful day when
the flood gates of heaven will open
and pour out a deluge upon the land.

Well, you know the story.
Not one soul outside of Noah's family paid him any attention.
They cursed God and Noah and all of his children.
So God sent angels to gather ten of every clean beast in the field
and two of every unclean, male and female, it was a glorious scene.
When all the animals came into the ark of safety as the flood gates of heaven
were torn open and God cried for fallen man.
Satan watched from his evil lair and laughed and laughed
because he thought he had won.
What Satan didn't realize is that God had a plan to once again restore fallen man
by sending his Son.

And in the process of time a virgin named Mary
was told by an angel that the savior she would carry.
The seed of the woman who would crush Satan's head.
Satan plotted and schemed as he yelled to his demons
I want him DEAD!
And Jesus the Son of God died on a cross on Golgotha's hill
His blood was shed and ran down like a mighty stream,
it was all part of God's perfect will.
When Satan and his imps saw it they began to curse and scream.
The blood of Jesus traveled through time and eternity
and its power set the captives free.
As they became son's and daughters of God.
And on the head of the enemy they would trod.

On the third day Jesus was resurrected.
This is certainly not what Satan expected
when he plotted to have him betrayed, beaten and killed.
He had no idea of the harvest the resurrection would yield.
Jesus told his followers to preach the good news until the whole earth was filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
And they preached until one day the good news made it to me.

A little black girl living in the ghetto, from a broken home and a broken life
whose daddy was a preacher who beat his wife.
But God had a plan.

To be continued

Black Girl © - Part Two

You see in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve made the choice
to no longer hearken to God's voice,
their once eternal bodies started to decay.
Only one command had God given to man to obey,
or there would be a price to pay.

Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
or death will be your consequence.
And every man, woman, boy and girl
has been born into the death cycle ever since
that fatal day when Adam and Eve began to know, see, and feel
the knowledge of all things good and evil.

The first death experienced by the new born human race
was the murder of Abel the son of Adam and Eve
by the hands of his brother, Cain.
From that day forward the human race would know
sin, sorrow, hatred and shame.
So Adam made love to his wife Eve to ease her pain.

Their son Abel was dead
and Cain to the wilderness had fled
from all who dared to avenge the death of his brother.
At this time men and women lived for hundreds of years
as they married and intermarried to populate the planet.
For God's initial purpose for man still stood in tack.
He created the earth for mankind to dominate.
That's a fact.

Eve conceived and gave birth to another son.
She named him Seth, for now that her godly seed Abel was dead
Seth was given to her by God in his stead.

Now back in the garden when Satan tempted man to sin,
God pronounced a curse upon all men and women.
The woman would be subject to her husband and bring forth children in pain.
And the earth would forever cause man's strength to wane.
By the sweat of your brow will you till the land, it will resist you, until it
brings you down to the ground from whence you came.
For dust you are and to the dust you shall return.

God cursed the earth to bring forth thorns, briers and weeds.
He cursed the serpent that Satan had hidden inside of when he spoke to Eve.
And He cursed Satan for his plan to deceive.
And you, Satan, will be crushed by the woman's seed,
for your part in this dubious deed.
Her seed shall crush your head and you shall bruise his heel.
This curse caused the planet to roll, rock and reel.

Satan set up Principalities in the regions of the air
and plotted to rule God's creation from his evil lair.
Each Principality had control over appointed regions,
as they controlled men by harassing their souls with demons.
These demons entered the bodies of mankind by legions.
And God's creation became demented, ungodly, wicked indeed,
as Satan tried to contaminate every godly seed.
"I must destroy the seed of the woman, for by her seed I am doomed."

So man grew more and more wicked and violent.
Until God looked at man and his condition caused him to repent.
"I repent that I ever made man."
But God had a plan.
"I will send a flood to destroy the wicked.
And I will repopulate the planet with one godly seed."

Now Noah the descendant of Seth was uncontaminated, upright, godly indeed.
Noah and his wife had three married sons.
So he preached to his wife and children and all who would listen.
"Come into the ark because its going to rain."
He preached the same message again and again.
And warned all to repent and come into the ark of safety
or bear the wrath of an angry God on that dreadful day when
the flood gates of heaven will open
and pour out a deluge upon the land.

Well, you know the story.
Not one soul outside of Noah's household paid him any attention.
They cursed God and Noah and all of his children.
So God sent angels to gather ten of every clean beast in the field
and two of every unclean, male and female.
It was a glorious scene.
When all the animals came into the ark of safety as the flood gates of heaven
were torn open and God wept for fallen man.
Satan watched from his evil lair and laughed and laughed, 
because he thought he had won.
What Satan didn't realize is that God had a plan to once again restore fallen man
by sending his Son.

And in the process of time, a virgin named Mary, 
was told by an angel that the savior she would carry.
The seed of the woman who would crush Satan's head.
So Satan plotted and schemed as he yelled to his demons
"I want him DEAD!"
And Jesus the Son of God died on a cross on Golgotha's hill.
His blood was shed and ran down like a mighty stream.
It was all part of God's perfect will.
When Satan and his imps saw it they began to curse and scream.

For they knew by this act man was redeemed.

The blood of Jesus traveled through time and eternity
and its power set the captives free.
As they became son's and daughters of God.
And on the head of the enemy they would trod.

On the third day Jesus was resurrected.
This is certainly not what Satan expected
when he plotted to have him betrayed, beaten and killed.
He had no idea of the harvest the resurrection would yield.
Jesus told his followers to preach the good news until the whole earth was filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
And they preached and preached until one day the good news made it to me.

A little black girl living in the ghetto,
from a broken home and a broken life
whose daddy was a preacher who beat his wife.
But God had a plan.

To be continued

Fifth Love

My first love was a joke
he was just trying to score
My second love was full of passion
but made me feel like a whore

They say third times a charm
but that third love caused emotional harm
My forth love pushed me to my breaking point
But I made it through

Fifth love is my best love
So glad I finally met you

Don't give up on love
Press through the pain
When true love comes around
You will never be the same

So glad you're my fifth love
Cause I learned some things along the way
Learned to walk away from bad love
And not settle for a life of pain

When the right man comes your way
You will never be the same

Fifth love is my best love
So glad I finally met you

Don't give up on love
Press through the pain
When true love comes around
You will never be the same

So glad I met you baby
Glad you came my way
Your love is the best love
So glad you're here to stay





 

My Desire

To know love is my desire
To be touched by love
To share joy, sorrow,
hope for tomorrow

To know love is my desire
To see your smile
hear your voice calling my name
My life will never be the same


To know love is my desire
to be held, caressed, knowing you care
in a deep, real way
our lives we'll share

My heart's dream is to know true love
the kind that doesn't hurt or cause pain
To know love in this life is my desire
My life will never be the same

To know love is my desire
To see your smile
hear your voice calling my name
My life will never be the same

 

The Greatest Gift ©

You were not the most handsome man
Nor were you the kindest
You had eyes full of pain
Sad, sad eyes
Anger was your constant companion
Why were you so angry Flyn?
Who hurt you so deeply?
Sometimes when I looked at you
I saw a hurting child
I wanted to wrap my arms around you
and hold you close for a while
But you wouldn't let me

You never let me in
Your pain was deep and dark
I wish I knew how to love you
I wish I knew how to soothe you
You made me cry
Your cruel words
Hard looks
Silence, violence
You hurt me so deeply
When I swallowed the bottle of pain pills
I really did want to die

I couldn't let death win
I had to fight
You were my best teacher
I cried out to God day and night
The years passed and
you never changed
But I grew stronger everyday
My faith in God did not sway

I wish I could have loved you past
the hatred of your stepfather
your childhood pain
Vietnam
drug addiction
alcoholism
homelessness
anger
shame

You never learned to conquer your demons
When you died
I cried day and night
I cried
because I love you still
I love you Flyn
I always will

You taught me that love covers
a multitude of faults
Love is the strongest force on
the face of the earth
Love last forever
transcends this life
heals every hurt
eases every pain
When all else is gone
Love remains
Thank you for teaching me
the greatest gift is love



















Flynard Cunningham
May 15, 1949 - August 9, 2013

Hair

Someone said its your crown and glory
but my hair is another story

It reflects y personality
Some days its big and wild  on some days its long and straight

I like it short and curly
or shaved on one side and braided on another

Some people wear it bushy and bold
and some like it silky and tame

Night Season

Night season shrouded me like a heavy garment
and choked me like thick smoke
My breath escaped this earthen vessel
and sang a song of despair
My tears flowed like streams in the desert
and carried me to a place, a secret place
I found hope there

Night season stalked me like a jealous lover
You will never find another
I will follow you all of your days
Smother you, cover you
Never release my hand
He chased me like a ravenous beast. I ran,
crawled and climbed into the secret place
There I found peace

He wooed me into his bosom again
He had me in his grip
His waters came rushing in
like a mountainous wave
Lifting me up and crashing me to the ground
I lay there broken, gasping for breath, life, relief
I fell down, down, down
Too much pain
I feel like I'm going insane

I saw the earth open and heard these words spoken
Just give in, you can not win
I have reigned since the beginning of time
You belong to me your soul is mine
In desperation I heard my spirit say
Speak to the mountain
Speak to the mountain
Speak to the mountain MOVE!

To the mountain I began to say
You are not my master
I will not fall into your pit
You don't own my soul
You cannot win, I relinquish your control

Healing rays lifted me up from where I had fallen
I remembered my time
In the secret place
And my soul sang, my soul sang, my soul sang...
There is no darkness in the secret place
Only the light of the Son
I will walk in the light of day

Night season began to melt away
I saw mountains move, shimmy, shake and sway
Dark shadows ran from the light with shrieks of fear
As my song filled the atmosphere

Day season flashed like lightning from the east
I heard him say
My child Its going to be a bright sun shinny day,
you have conquered your beast

Day season promised never to leave or forsake me
Into his secret place he lifted and carried me
There we reign together in glorious victory
There is a secret place to those who seek his face
Seek his face and find the secret place

In the Morning

 

In the morning
We will dance, shout and sing
In the morning
We will laugh, run and leap
Crying tears of joy

Our night season is over
Our new day is dawning
Its a day of victory
A day of rejoicing

In the morning
I will remember yesterday was only a test
A vapor of smoke, a shadow of turning

In the morning
I will live forever
In green pastures
Beside still waters
In eternal light
My evening has passed
Morning is here at last
 

Black Girl © Part One

I was born at Mercy Hospital.
My mother was only twenty-one years old.
She was supposed to have a hysterectomy a year before I was born.
This is what I was told.
When my sister Belinda was born
Momma started bleeding on the operating table.
The Nuns at Mercy Hospital cried
"Hold on honey, we are going to get you through this
Just believe God is able."

Daddy was a storefront preacher.
He had secrets that nobody would ever believe to be true.
To tell the truth, we all have secrets.
I may share some of mine, here with you.

When Belinda was four months old,
Momma found out another baby she carried.
First there was Larry
born nine months after momma and daddy got married.
Junior came twelve months later.
Then along came Belinda with all the drama.
It was called a placenta previa pregnancy,
designed to kill my momma.
And then there was me.

Daddy was a Jack of all trades.
He worked for the government as a mechanic fixing airplanes.
But that's not all he could do.
Daddy could do plumbing, electrical wiring, and carpentry work too.
He could even preach and teach.
The only thing daddy couldn't do
was love his family like the bible tells us to.

Husbands love you wives as
Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.
Well as far as I can tell,
a man is supposed to love his wife so much that he will die for her.
Die for your wife, now that is a concept that we need to explore further.

Eve was the first wife on the planet.
Her husband Adam was God's crowning creation
sent on a special mission
to populate the earth with sons and daughters of God.
To do this Adam needed a wife.
So almighty God put Adam to sleep on his operating table
and took from his side a rib bone.
From this rib bone, God created woman.
She was created to help man.
They were both part of the eternal plan.

Now before time began there existed a heavenly kingdom.
Almighty God created every creature that inhabited this land.
Angels, seraphim, cherubim and all sorts of living creatures.
The most beautiful of them all
was Lucifer the Angel of worship.
This magnificent creature was a living symphony.
He covered the very throne of God with living music that filled eternity.
Everything in heaven is alive, moving, glowing,
giving praise to the him who is All-seeing, Ever Present, All Knowing.
Lucifer was illuminated with light, as were all the other sons of God.
When he moved the music within him gave praise
in majestic melody to the one who sits on the throne.
For he is God, God alone.

Lucifer danced and sang, and music leaped off of him like
spiced perfume flowing throughout the kingdom of heaven.
As he worshiped, all the other angels joined in and all of the kingdom
bowed before the throne of the heavenly king.
Roses, calla lilies and violets all joined in to sing
praises to the Most High King.
And the worship leader of heaven began to soak it all in
as if he was the object of their worship.
This was the first sin.
His glorious beauty became his doom.
He wanted all the worship displayed in this heavenly throne room.
Here we see the conception and birth of pride
festering on the inside,
unable to be seen,
but not hidden from the heavenly King.

This beautiful creature got the thought in his head
to take over the kingdom, but he was banished instead.
He convinced one hundred billion angels to perpetrate the coup.
And all of his cohorts were banished too.
Exiled, shamed, kicked out of God's heavenly domain.

Michael the Arch Angel led the army of heaven
as they fought Lucifer and his demented horde.
And conquered them in the name of the Lord.
They fell like lightning!
From heaven to earth they fell
and on their way down their light turned to darkness,
their glory to shame,
they became brute beast,
deformed creatures, unworthy to bear heaven's name.
This exiled traitor set up his kingdom of darkness in the air.
He plotted to rule the earth from his evil lair.

Now God placed Adam and his wife in a garden called Eden.
They were living souls infused with eternal life.
Within that life giving essence was true love,
the heavenly kind, that says I am yours and you are mine.
Adam loved his wife and she loved him too.
Living and loving is what they were created to do.

God visited Adam in the garden and they walked together in eternity
In this special time of learning from the King
Adam named every living creature and every creeping thing.
He walked and talked with God in the cool of the day until one day Satan
fooled his wife into wanting to be like God.
This is called the pride of life.
So she ate from the tree that had been forbidden to partake of.
And Adam ate too.
He did it for love.
You see because of the long talks he had with his master
he knew that this act would cause cataclysmic disaster.

Eve was now death doomed, mortal, merely human.
She had to die for her disobedience he knew this was true.
So he partook of the forbidden fruit and chose to die too.
Adam looked down through time and his eternal eyes could see,
one day a savior would come and set the human race free.
He was the second and last Adam, the Son of Almighty God.
On the head of the enemy he would surely trod.

Why would this God man give his life.
Because before time began he died for his wife.
God took this act of love and wrapped it in time
and set the clock and watched it unwind.

You and I were part of the plan
to regain glory and honor for mortal man.
So listen to my story that I choose to share
and dig deep inside you'll find yourself there.
Where, you ask?
In the book that was written before time began
when God chose to defeat Satan by using mortal man.



To be continued

When I Was One and Twenty

When I Was One and Twenty
By E.A. Housman
Paraphrase by  Donna McKanders

When I was twenty one years young
I listened to the wisdom of an older one
“Shower them with gifts,
Give them chocolate and flowers,
But never give your heart
For you will relinquish your powers.”
But I was twenty one, I already knew everything
What kind of wisdom could this old man bring?

When I was twenty one
I heard the old man say.
“If you give your heart away
There’s a price you must pay.
Sighs, sorrows and regret,
this act will cost you.”
Now I’m twenty two, and
All he said is true, so true.


 

Today I Set Before You an Open Door

What a difference a day makes
Yesterday, it all seemed so simple
Running, with lifted arms
Praising God, for life, youth, love
Nothing to stop me
No barriers, no past to be paralyzed by,
My life was an empty canvas

A big old road block named Trouble,
got in my way
Never met him before
He followed me everywhere I went,
Mostly I saw his shadow
Creeping around every door
What you want?
Why you following me?

I thought I heard Trouble say,
I want your future,
your destiny
Every move I make,
Trouble is mocking me
You caint rise up, might as well stop tryin'
I stopped your Momma, your Daddy,
your cousins and them
You might as well give in,
You caint win

I tried to look Trouble in the eye
I couldn’t find him anywhere,
Just his shadow
You just an illusion
Causing confusion
A shadow of something
already defeated
Under my feet

Today is a brand new day
Ain’t nothing gonna stop me
Cause I'm not afraid any more
I see before me an open door
I’m walking through it this time.
Into my destiny…


 

Today I set before You an Open Door

 
What a difference a day makes
Yesterday, it all seemed so simple
Running, with lifted arms
Praising God, for life, youth, love
Nothing to stop me
No barriers, no past to be paralyzed by,
An empty canvass
A big old road block named Trouble,
got in my way
Never met him before
He followed me everywhere I went,
Mostly I saw his shadow
Creeping around every door
What you want?
Why you following me?
I thought I heard him say,
I want your future,
yo destiny
Every move I make,
Trouble is mocking me
You cain’t rise up, might as well stop tryin
I stopped yo Momma, yo Daddy,
yo cousins an nem
You might as well give in,
You cain’t win
I tried to look Trouble in the eye
I couldn’t find him nowhere,
Just his shadow
You just an illusion
Causing confusion
A shadow of something
already defeated
Under my feet
Today is a brand new day
Ain’t nothing gonna stop me
Cause I ain’t scared no more
I see before me an open door
I’m walking through it this time.
Into my destiny…

     

A New Day Dawning

Welcome to your new day
It has been on its way since creation
and awaiting your arrival
Many things have tried to stop you from seeing this day
The family you were born into
The man you married when you were too young to know better
The time you tried to end it all because of all the abuse
But God had his hand on you
You came through many tests and trials
Storms, sorrow and shame
But you made it in Jesus name!
So be glad and rejoice
This is your day because you made a choice
to believe God in spite of the odds
Mountains got in your way but you learned how to make them obey
Speak to the mountain, speak to the mountain, speak to the mountain Move!
And they did!
Weapons came against you
And you spoke to them too
I declare and decree that no weapon shall prosper that is formed against me!
They were formed but they did not prosper!
You climbed higher and higher with every test
Now you are destined to receive the best
that God has prepared for you
All because you chose to believe that
What God has promised he is able to do
Welcome to your day
You passed your test
Now its time to be blessed, blessed, blessed
The best is yet to come
Step into a brand new day
The glory shall be shown and known
Take mountains, take kingdoms, 
This is your predestined day
There will be no delay!
 

Africa's Children of Destiny

 

When the angel of sleep cradles me
In the warm nocturnal blanket of midnight
I dream
I dream of children
Africa's children
Dark and comely
Waiting in the corridors of justice
With eyes of hope, dreams of promise, hearts of courage
Africa's sons and daughters
Arising from the dust to walk as kings and queens in the earth
And so they come
From the four corners of the dark continent
As a mighty army
Africa's children
Dark and comely
Marching in step, in time, in divine synchrony
Marching to fulfill their destiny
I hear the voice of destiny summonsing her children
Awake, awake, put on your strength
Shake yourselves from the dust
It's your time now
Awake Africa's children of destiny
Like a veil lifted from my eyes
The angel of sleep escapes with the rising of the sun
Over the horizon past the expanse of the deep blue
I see farther than my eyes can see
Africa's sons and daughters marching like waves of glory
converge upon the earth
Dark and comely
Africa's children covering the earth
And justice shall run down like water
and righteousness like a mighty stream
All the earth shall see it together
and the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea
And so they come Africa's children of destiny

by Donna McKanders






 

Free Me!

When I was a little girl

my Momma would shampoo my long,

 thick, bushy, uncontrollable, hair.

shampoo, press and curl.

Ouch! Ouch!

Hush girl, I'm not hurting you!

'Bout ten loosely braided locks fall from my thick mane.

As I sit in front of the heat vent waiting for it to tame.

Why my hair so bushy? I say to myself.

My head hurts SO bad!

Why Momma always making such a fuss over my head?

Come here girl let me comb yo hair out.

Ouch, Ouch!

If you put yo hand up here one mo time I'll hit you with this brush

I heard Momma shout.

What is this madness all about?

Sizzle, Sizzle, sizzle went the pressing oil as the hot comb

cooked my hair to pristine silkiness.

It's hot in here, my neck hurts, can I take a break?

I'm half way done, Please, just sit still for goodness sake!

Shampoo, comb,

comb, part and grease

that scalp.

Got to rescue this girl from the cursed African nap.

When all her work was thru, she'd say, Now don't tell no one what I done

Don't you dare.

If they say, do you get your hair pressed?

Say, No I don't, cause I got good hair!

If this hair so good why do I feel so bad?

I know what I'm gonna do when I get old enough

I ain't gonna shampoo press and curl.

I'm tired of all this deceitful stuff!

I'm gonna set my hair free

When I grow up,

I'm gonna just be me !

Winters Coming

 

 

 

 

It's Fall, and the leaves are changing color-

so is my hair,

The sun falls asleep earlier

                                                              So do I,

                                           Thoughts of winter linger in the wind,

Cool breezes, clandestine voices,

peeking in the windows of my mind.

Every morning another branch is almost empty-

Why did the leaves have to fall,

so soon, too soon?

Must get my work done,

I here wisdom say with the rising of the sun,

Winter don't wait for no one.

Wasn't thinking about winter ,

in summer.

didn't think about nothing,

in Spring.


Clouds dancing, earth turning, sun burning up the oceans,

and sending it all back in refreshing rain.

No sorrows, no worries, no cares, no pain,

Spring, you taught me to sing.

Little Sally Walker sitting in a saucer,

Rise sally rise, wipe yo weeping eyes.

 

Summer came like a mighty conqueror,

All dressed up in armor,

Hot and sultry, long jubilant days,

pushing back the darkness, resisting the light of the moon,

didn't know it couldn't last forever.

Fall came too soon,

and winter's on her trail.

Rise Sally rise, wipe yo weeping eyes,

Put your hand on yo hip and let yo back bone slip.
 

Not ready for winter,

got things to do.

Ain't got nothing to lose,

don't have time for no sad song.

Ain't singin the blues.

The sun gets up every morning,

so do I.

singing, Glory Halleluiah,

So do I,

Time for living, got a promise to see.

Fall is just another season,

To fulfill my destiny.

Tell winter he'll have to wait,

Me and destiny got a predetermined date.

I'm not early or late.

It's my season,

in the Fall of my life.

Aw shake it to the east,

Aw shake it to the west,

Aw shake it to the very one,

That you love the best.

I see pretty gifts falling like snow flakes

all wrapped up in sparkling, glistening paper dreams.

And long cozy nights, filled with sober, warm conversations.

Awakening to birds singing.

The sun beaming,

sending rays of wisdom.

that only winter can comprehend.




 

Prince Charming

There's A Reason for the Pain

Don't let nothing stop you
You have to push your way through
You see there's a reason for the pain...
Just as there's a reason for the rain

Little drops falling softly
bringing life, beauty,
and destiny
Yes, for there is a seed buried in the earth
That no one can see

Little drops falling softly
The plant begins to grow
pushing its way through the dark cold earth into
the bright shinning sun.
Strong winds blow

Clouds grow dark and torrential rains come
That little plant bows its head in the storm
and just when you think that the little plant is done
It lifts up its hands to the warm gentle sun

As it grows big and tall and becomes a tree
Because of the storm, the wind and rain
A little seedling becomes mighty!
It was the storm that caused it to fulfill its destiny

Don't let nothing stop you
You have to push your way through
There's a reason for the pain
Just as there's a reason for the rain


 

Forgive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forgiveness

Why everybody so hard on the Black man?

I was only being curious.

Like all children.

I didn’t mean no harm

when I used to sneak into yo' room at night

and touch you in all the wrong places.

You was curious too,

cause you didn’t put up no fight.

 

Forgive

I was a chile

Don’t try to blame that mess on me.

Why was I the victim of yo' curiosity?

They didn’t know,

they couldn’t trust y'all boys

Sleeping upstairs on the same flo'

with us girls.

While they slept downstairs

Behind closed doors.

Parents better wake up.

Sometimes da Boogey man……

Is  yo' uncle, yo' brother, or yo' couzin.

Why is everybody so hard on the Black man?

Maybe cause you need to take some responsibility

for all the pain you inflicted upon me.

You had no right to awaken that part.

Maybe my life wouldn’t of been

so full of promiscuity.

If you had just let me be

 from the start.

I know we was kids and that was fifty years ago or so.

So I choose today to let it go.

It’s been buried all this time inside of me.

But now I lose it and set myself free.

No more victim mentality!

 

Forgiveness

Why is everybody always so hard on the Black man?

I was too young to get married.

I just did it

Cause that was my baby you carried.

I didn’t want all that responsibility.

Yeah, I know I had a good job.

But my money was for me.

I wa’nt 'bout to take care of no family.

 

Forgive

Well then Nigga, you should of let me be!

I didn’t propose to you.

You proposed to me.

I was better off with out yo sorry ass, anyway.

To stupid to know,

when you rejected me,

that was just God settin me free.

Why was I so stupid

loving you?

You was busy loving every body else.

You didn’t respect me.

And you didn’t respect yo' self.

Just a punk.

Took me eleven years to get over you.

That’s how long it took for the Kool Aid to wear off,

I drank that syrupy sweet message every Sunday in church.

What God has joined together let no man put asunder.

Why we think God had somethin' to do with that mess?

I wonder.

Till God himself came to me in a dream.

He picked me up and took me across some mountains

down south.

I was liftin' my hands praising God.

When he spoke to me.

“You have done all I asked you, except one thing.”

I heard God say.

Lord, what is it?

I promise to obey.

Then God left off talking.

But I saw my wedding ring

rise up off my hand

 floatin’ up to  the heavens.

My husband?

You want me to give up my husband?

Took me three years just to obey.

Guess you had my nose wide open,

as they say.

Living in the south with all that good old southern hospitality

had a nice healing effect on me.

I thank God everyday for settin me free.

I forgive you and I forgive me.