Ripples in still water

In my mind, your memory glows with the gold of a New Mexico sunshine

Inside my heart, it beats a rhythm to the tunes playing loudly inside my head

Hearing your voice, holding you close, making me feel alive and not yet still or dead

I was once a hand me down lover, someone who was cast aside and broken

But now I am better, unharmed and uncaring that no words were spoken

And perhaps it was best you really don’t care, as I still breathe the air without choking

Ripples of dreams jump up out of the water

Ripples of dreams came into view, although the water laid still

No wind, no stones no pebble tossed or spoken, nothing here can break my will

I once reached out to your hand, you said it was over

My cup runneth over, but you let it run empty again and again

Somehow the trust we had was broken, it was like time began the pain all over again

In my life there are fountains and mountains, one is youth and one is strength

Not made of hands of men, but by a blessed soul whose name is often spoken

My Savior, my Jesus Christ, has reached out and grabbed my trembling hands

My mind sees the dawn and dark of night as well as the light of every morning

No road, no highway to follow as my path is mine alone to travel and go home

So let it be known that with every step I take, my heart sings a tune that is bad to the bone

I chose to lead instead of walking behind you and follow your footsteps

I know who will stand and guide me down the path to take me home again

If I fall I know I will not be alone as I can reach out my hand to someone who is always there and cares

The Monopoly Board - the genesis of our journey

Traveling the Monopoly Board –

          We both drew different purposes in life, that was a certainty. We couldn’t have come from different backgrounds and our relationship was as strong as it could ever be because we trusted each other enough to tell each other the truth and share the good with the bad. We were never lovers; we were always friends and as the relationship fostered, we eventually became best friends.

          As friends go, she drove her energy in a different style than me. She was the more eloquent speaker, the nicer dresser and the more progressive in ideologies and practices. Her head was filled with great ideas and mine was focused on visions that would merge our ideas as one and work on them together. This wasn’t a love affair of the heart, but rather, it was a love affair of the mind. We both loved challenges and we saw the same journey down the road, together.

           As time and space brought us together, we ended up being with each other a lot more time, than anyone could ever imagine. It wasn’t the work that pulled us together, but rather, it was the energy created that opportunity and occurrences. Like the magnetic forces of the north or south poles in life, we were instantly created into a dual role that carried with it some vision and insights on things that faced us daily and gave us a chance to develop the kind of strategies to make things better than making them worse.

          We went from “Go” to the Baltic and Mediterranean streets where the road was paved with cobble stones and houses that were near dilapidation and destruction. It was the worst of neighborhoods to journey and choosing to ride it out together, we endured the storms and adversities, that presented themselves in such potentially volatile and perilous situations.

Traveling these dark and narrow pathways called hallways of prison, we weathered every storm collectively and learned from each other the different ways of coping with matters so hard and complex to read or see. Barely meeting each other, and already finding common ground through either intelligence needs or operational desires, we bonded so quickly to present the common front of unity so that everyone around us knew we were a team and nothing could break that apart.

The ‘community chest’ was filled with hopes and dreams of others who broke the law the paid their retribution with time spent in hell as every person there had to pay his debt back to society and reparations were heavy and loaded for most. For many, the chest was a symbol of emptiness, as their families abandoned them after their trail that left nothing behind but a trail of tears.

As we moved down the streets of this establishment imposed ‘barrio or ghetto’ called prison, we learned a lot about each other’s ways and values of life. We spoke in unity and acted wisely. We listened and we learned together making us stronger day by day and smarter week after week. The journey down the purple colored highways were hard times for many and at the same time, it was a time of learning about each other.

We both had no taxes to pay as we earned what we reaped and lived our lives a very modest way. One could say that we had nothing in common but time would tell that we had more to share than just time and space shared in a very hellish hole in life. Even the journey through the light blue streets of Vermont, Connecticut and Oriental streets were not without incidents or worries. We fed from each other the energy needed to make things work better and without letting up on our goal to succeed in every endeavor and assignment given.

What was odd were the chances we took in our duties and work challenges that caused us to rely so much on each other. Chances, that could have brought us pain and sorrow, if either one of us missed the target of the day. Although we were both skilled in the verbalization of interpersonal communications, it was our personal belief that it was our credibility that carried us through those times where actions spoke louder than words.

We both decided not to board the Reading Railroad to other places or assignments, as it was neither the time nor the place to take a ride away from all the challenges brought forth to us by an establishment that was abusive and corruptive in nature.

Using us as pawns to bring a change to the environment, it was up to us to make it work or bring about a change that would give so many a new way of doing things and without so much trouble. What we did was better the quality of life for many and kept out the hindrance that have ruined many other lives.

You might say that working together inside in prison, we were just visiting, and never actually put in jail or taken prisoner. Although we learned the culture well, we knew that life had much more to offer than what we had at the time of the first turn on the board.

Totally at the mercy of the heavy metal gates that locked us in the hallways of hell, we were both confident that survival was an utmost priority and how we acted or performed as a team was crucial to our survival. This is where I learned the most about her; she had a heart of steel that never wavered under pressure.

Working together for about eighteen months, we came to the end of our new-found partnership, at the very first turn of the board, as I went away to find another challenge and took the road that gave me a western direction.

The train I took was the one that belonged to the ‘Pennsylvania Railroad’ as Isabella remained behind in the blocks of Virginia, states and St. Charles streets. Becoming a hometown girl to this neighborhood, she had much more planned than the works and project, we had done together.

From here on out for the next few years, we worked on different sides of the board. We stayed in touch and bounced new and old ideas back and forth off each other. The dynamics were very lively and every chance we had we met for lunch when the travels around the board took us to a common space like the ‘free parking place.’ It was a comfort zone, a sanctuary that was usually spent with a hasty meal of Chinese food or other kind of fast food that was built into our schedule. Sometimes, we made some small talk while other times, we bounced ideas for new project or ideas that were heavy on the brain.

Ripples of Dreams

Ripples of Dreams

Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash, and it is gone.

But there's half-a-hundred ripples, Circling on and on and on.

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water, in a minute you forget.

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet.

And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown,

You've disturbed a mighty river. just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless, in a minute it is gone.

But there's half-a-hundred ripples, circling on and on and on.

They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,

And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless in a minute you forget.

But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet.

And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,

And disturbed a life was happy here you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness, just a flash and it is gone.

But there's half-a-hundred ripples, circling on and on and on.

Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave.

Till you wouldn't believe the volume, of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness, in a minute you forget.

But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy circling yet.

And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard.

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

~By James W. Foley~

Introduction –

          Sometimes we often neglect the ripples in our life for one reason or another. Whether it is the hustle or stress of daily life, we must never forget those moments in our life that brought us joy or happiness. Thinking back, we must remember every act of kindness and love.

A valuable part of life that is often taken for granted. Most of us dream when we are asleep and like the ripples of dreams, we reflect, of different moments in time and space. Time and space, the two fixings in a recipe for life, control our lives without any ability or manner to harness either one with any success.

Since time and space is inevitable and something we cannot control, the best we can do is hang onto those moments that gave us joys and pleasures. And once those moments have passed, we can only bring them back in our dreams or conscious awareness to think about those good times, when life was good to you and those around you.

Dreams are brought through a heavenly gate, giving us the hope, the love and the awareness that some deserve this kindness that is spread so thin these days because of living a rat race that sometimes produce pain, anxiety and heartaches. Finding a kind person has become a rarity that one can only treasure and cling onto when found and never let them go.

Separated by distance or work and lifestyle, we often reluctantly let someone go and hang onto their memories to keep the vision alive and how they are now connected to your reality. A reality that faces the daily strife’s of work and play but never gives you the opportunity to go back to yesterday and capture those moment again in real-time and now only brought back alive in the ripples of your dreams.

In working with relationships and distress, I have discovered that life at one time or another, will harm you emotionally, and that at least at some level of this relationship, there comes a misunderstanding.

I suspect that the reason for such misunderstanding is simple placed on the fact that men and women are different species in many diverse and unlike ways. Perhaps, this is the attraction that brings us together and sometimes, this is the reason why we reject or repulse others as there are ways said or heard, that tells you it is best to part your ways and leave fate alone.

As a man, I like to think that we are predominately a thinking species or beings, who received or send mental processes, to others who may accept or reject the thoughts spoken or the acts performed. I would also like to believe that as a man, I act in a rational and logical way most of the time and not emotional during times of need or crisis that requires a person to prevail a cooler head than others.

Whether or not that is true in most cases, it based on whether another man or woman accepts or dismisses my actions or words and how it impacts their own life and whether or not it is the truth spoken.

This woman I met in my life that has caused me so many reoccurring dreams was someone so different, I could never forget her. She always appeared to be in control of her own emotions and in tune with her own spiritual being.

Although I want to say that she also possessed a dominant trait of being a thinker, she too had a natural reaction to think and process words and respond logically and less emotionally than most women I have met.

She was not the kind that was hurt so easily. She might have been the strongest woman I have ever known as someone who was so close to me, as she could read my mind telepathically and my intent kinetically and work through the hard times without missing a step in our relationship to get over any pain and work harder through the feelings associated with any emotional injury that might have occurred.

Isabella was different like that. She was in tune with her emotions at all times and never showed a negative reaction to any emotional pain or distress. She knew instantly whether the words spoken were true or false and saw the lies and deceit through the body language shown that contradicted the words spoken.

She had no difficulties working through the hard times emotionally and often became the steady hand to rely on when things got tough all over. Although these might be general statement in fact, they ring true for Isabella whose heart was rarely broken, to a certain extent, given by our human emotional or sensory limits.

Isabella was different in terms of emotion and my ability to understand her and who she was and where she came from and where she wanted to be. Never callous and always thoughtful, she was the kind of person who could and would provide instant comfort to anyone in pain or discomfort and instantly start to help or heal as well as protect a complete stranger from further harm or injury.

Her compassion was unspoken and unlimited to the realities of life and relationships. Her unique ability to protect her own heart from emotional injuries was most fascinating and impressive to anyone who saw the manner she handled such hurt or pain.

It was like her heart knew to automatically go into a self-protective mode to keep others from causing further injury or pain. Inside this woman, was a heart of a warrior and kept that secret inside her as she hardly ever spoke a word of it to anyone.

Having this unique and most effective way to protect herself from the harm of others, her strength only showed she was a person who was true of heart and someone who never closed her heart from other who needed her help or support to bear the fruits of life and positive relationships in life. It seemed that she had so much room in her heart for love, she had plenty of kindness and consideration to give to anyone who needed it.

This is not to imply that this heart was never broken. I suspect that at times during her life, she coped with things that brought her pain as well as emotional injuries that only made her stronger. Never prying in the past and always accepting her loving ways in the present, we remained friends forever and shared some awesome moments in time and space, forever.