Scarred heart
Burnt heart
Hollow heart
Rid of all promises, 

Healed my heart
Helped my heart
Filled my heart
With all of his sweet promises, 

Hopeful heart
Happy heart
Loved heart
Survived on those promises, 

But beating heart
Tainted heart
Hurt his heart
Broken promises, 

Regretful heart
Reformed heart
The same heart
Kept remaining promises, 

His tainted heart
His harmed heart
His mistrusted heart
Left empty promises, 

Hollow mind
Hollow soul
Hollow heart
For which his hollow promises, 

Left me shattered in pieces. 

~ Chermaine Cheng

Without fear there cannot be courage
Fear drives the unthinkable out of us

What gives you courage when there is none? 
What gives you courage to get out of bed? 
What gives you courage to drive when you know it’s dangerous? 
What gives you courage to succeed? 
What gives you courage to survive? 
What gives you courage to strive? 

People have courage to live for their children
People have courage to live for themselves
People have courage to live for hope
People have courage because they believe
People have courage to not give up

Fear is not the essence of life
But a free soul not tamed

Courage is the journey of your heart
Guided by strength
On a path of untamed obstacles

Let courage guide you
As you begin your quest 

~ Alisha Ricks

Believe in yourself -
in the power you have 
to control your own life, day by day,
Believe in the strength
that you have deep inside,
and your faith will help
show you the way.
Believe in tomorrow 
and what it will bring -
let a hopeful heart carry you through,
For the things will work out
if you trust and believe
there’s no limit
to what you can do.

~ Emily Matthews

I wish for you
Comfort on difficult days, 
Smiles when sadness intrudes, 
Rainbows to follow the clouds,

Laughter to kiss your lips, 
Sunsets to warm you heart, 
Gentle hugs when spirits sag,

Friendship to brighten your being, 
Beauty for your eyes to see, 
Confidence for when you doubt,

Faith so you can believe, 
Courage to know yourself, 
Patience to accept the truth, 
And “LOVE” To complete your life.

f my days were untroubled and my heart always light,
Would I seek that fair land where there is no night?
If I never grew weary with the weight of my load,
Would I seek for God’s peace at the end of the road?

If I never knew sickness and never felt pain,
Would I search for a hand to help and sustain?
If I walked without sorrow and lived without loss
Would my soul seek solace at the foot of the cross?

If all I desired was mine day by day,
Would I kneel before God and earnestly pray?
If God sent no winter to freeze me with fear,
Would I yearn for the warmth of spring every year?

I ask myself these and the answer is plain,
If my life were pleasure and I never knew pain -
I’d seek God less often and need Him much less,
For God is sought more often in times of distress.

And no one knows God or sees Him as plain -
As those who have met Him on the “Pathway of Pain”

~ Helen Steiner Rice

I’ve neglected & regretted
All this pain.
& today was filled with
So much shame.
I’m exhausted now,
From all my thoughts.
& I don’t know how 
To make things stop!
But I have a trick,
Up my sleeve.
To make things pause,
For 8 hours at least.
It comes late, after the sun
Has vanished.
To the point were stars,
Sparkle like magic.
It’s called a dream.
My own little world,
A place where people don’t even exist.
But the things I love are at my fingertips.
It lets me run, for only a little while.
Giving my life time to breathe.
& handing me something
I know I can keep.
Just let me dream.

~ Elizabeth Mccrorie

Why can’t we sleep forever
And live inside our dreams
Sheltered from the heartbreak
That life can sometimes bring
You could live in a world
Bordered only by your mind
And never have to worry
About running out of time
You could live out all your dreams
A life of love and laughter
Your every desire is fulfilled
You’d live happily ever after
You could take the stars 
From the heavens up above
Then gift them to the one
That shares your feelings of love
You could gather every rose
For only there eyes to see
You would never have to question
Will this love forever be.

~ Mary Wismer

While you weren’t here
I cried every night
A million tears fell
Still my heart wasn’t right

While you weren’t here
I did what I could
Hoping against hope
My decisions were good

While you weren’t here
I gained some in age
Things just went on
And life turned a page

While you weren’t here
I just tried to go on
Knowing what didn’t kill me
Would only make me strong

While you weren’t here
A whole lot got changed
My life became different
My world rearranged

While you weren’t here
I had to learn to be alone
To stand on my two feet
To make my own home

So that’s where I am now
At this stage of my life
Still scared and alone
Still coping with strife

And oh how I wish that
Things could be different
That I could go back
To a time in the past

To a time before
You weren’t here

~ Janet Michael