... from a Broken man: pieces.

The Awaken One.spoken Poetry

Young and foolish I never knew how the universe revealed,
But being older as a King I gotta keep it real.
I find myself wandering in the past of no return,
Wondering how much respect did I earn.
A moment of peace come thinking about your womb,
And how within me and the universe is intuned.
Writing chasing desires and dreams about things I did in the past,
Will you please accept my apology at last.

Sins that killed the innocence should have been me,
Thinking I was a man because sex was given to me free.
In existence, you share with me the best part of life,
But doing that time I didn't know GOD was giving me advice.
An overjoyed power as a foolish man inside your womb,
Destiny would change a melanin seed into me soon.
Those I made love to and those I never touch,
Please forgive me Goddess for not understanding you so much.

My grievance and despair comes from not recognizing your worth,
Not understanding GOD the father or Mother earth.
Life's bitter fruits have always been the Melain of your skin,
And my life has always been the air that you breathe in.
You commit yourself to a paradise and share a piece with me,
And not knowing that to get to Heaven you were the key.
My inner desire was a selfish mistake to the fetus and myself,
Here is my apology and all my poetry that is left.

You are like a fragile crystal but never broken glass,
A mystery of myth about you never last.
You are unparalleled to every star in the sky,
And the universe always whispers to me why.
You are Divine like a religion we worship all the time,
And if I may say, also fine as wine.(wink)
Spiritual love transformed into sound and speak to me every day,
And even though my ignorance you never went away.

If something ever happens to you celibate, I would be,
A lonely King is walking the earth never feeling free.
To defined beauty, the world must read this poem every day,
And memorize every word while thinking of your beautiful face.
You soothe a man's nerves by touching the deepest of his heart,
And you taught me how from your womb I came out of the dark.
You molded me into a King and sculptured me into man,
Because, your divine womb from the beginning had a plan.

I know better now about the infinite of your womb,
And I promise another poem for you real soon.
I will nourish every moment to respect and teach those around,
That when you are in the room, GOD is on the ground.
Beautiful, secure, gentle (Womb)man, will you accept my apology,
For the first time in my life, I see what GOD see.
God sees our real beauty, not in a sexual type of way,
And I became a KING so I could say I am sorry to your beautiful face.

Patrick Hornsby 

Together in the morning. 

the MISSING LINK...

MYSTERY of REPENTANCE

“Repentance is a mystery within European thought, and practice. It is the individual’s responsibility at this stage of the game, upon the theatre in the worlds of other races, tribes, and people to learn to find and practice a new healing modality to help each other. We all act out what we want in our relationships, and in the relationships between races millions of our whi...te sisters and brothers are incapable of asking for forgiveness. We, of color, and painful stories, must learn to listen to the stories of their hearts for the ear reveals the path to help, to assist our white relatives who cannot make their journey to forgive themselves.

People are weary of the struggle unforgiveness leaves upon the soul, and the endless dialogue of ‘you did what to whom’. The mind weakens under the relentless resolve to not learn to create hospitable environments for guests, and family. But the responsibility to usher peace into the world begins within the heart of men, and the women they love, and the children they bring into this world with less and less sacred space for their maturation process…

Repentance and forgiveness are mysterious creatures. Listening with an open heart is a gift from one spirit to another, and a loving embrace is stronger than hardness, and résistance." – Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories August 22, 2011

"Daring has its way within women of certain ilks, wouldn't you say?"

photo by Wil Cohen of Billie Jo Powers.

What She Said, simply.

Inked woman Lauren Brooke Ducote, a registered nurse from Corpus Christi, Texas.

My favorite tattoo and the story behind it: My left rib quote...it say forgive me Father for I have sinned. Growing up I was a rebel child; never followed directions and did things I shouldn't have. I have the quote to remind me the Man above forgives everyone for sinning, never do your sins follow you unless you let them. - Lauren Brooke Ducote

Definition of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is one of the mysterious things we can encounter in life. More than an action it is a state of being attuned to what is beyond the immediate scope of the infraction or the misstep. You just can't say, "I forgive you." You have to absorb the energies of forgiveness to understand how to forgive. That understanding leads to learning how to forgive self and another. To forgive something bigger than personal affronts, societal conditions, like slavery, requires a visit to the divine elements of death and an active and imaginative processes with the mysterious wheels of Life. Forgiveness is that deep. It comes from the deep places of pain and rejection. To forgive is to understand the source of life, the etching and the structure of Creation and where one fits in the vast scheme of things that need each other.  ~ Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 7.5.14

Taylor naked outdoors

w i t h i n

brown vixen 6

"One cannot point out the wrong with bitterness because the bitterness becomes a wall between you and the person you want to correct." ~ Louis Farrakhan, 1995 Million Man March

Buddha in a Black Man 

ATONEMENT STAGES:

notes from Million Man March 1995 

1. Point out our wrongs.
2. Acknowledge the truth of...and express gratitude.
3. Confess the wrong. Confession protects us from our faults. Confess to God and to whom you hurt.
4. Repentance
5. Atonement: satisfactory reparation for injury/wrong.
6. Forgiveness: to exonerate, liberate, ask God for forgiveness
7. Reconciliation, restoration: become peaceful, harmonious, returning something to repair conditions.
8. Perfect union. 

THIRD PRACTICE

"Just because we forgive, does not mean we close our eyes and let them hurt our children all over again. Just because we do our part and forgive, does not mean they did their part and did the healing and took accountability for their actions. A rattle snake always does what a rattle snake does, no matter how nice you are to them. If you feel the need to let you or your children to go pet one, just because you forgave him, and he promised to never bite you again, be my guest." - Christopher Beach 12.6.13


 I like to say "Forgiveness doesn't mean invite them to dinner" - Patricia Lite Hickman

VALENTINE

Feeling sexy in redkora silk sleepwear

a moment to feel the silk, absorb the moment and say what is in the heart...

Forgiveness

"It takes years to achieve forgiveness. It is a process. It is not the easiest thing to teach. It has to be emulated. By example learning to walk, talk and forgive fall into the same category. It is through relationship with people who understand and know the process of forgiveness, who 'teach' it best that you learn how to forgive."

- Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 2012 

Four Dimensions of Reconciliation:

Reconcile with God. 

Reconcile with Self.

Reconcile with environment. 

Reconcile with those you offended.

Three Perspectives on Change:

"One person with courage, like (Hugh) Hefner, is the majority!" 

- Dick Gregory, activist

Gandhi said, "Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important you do it." 

"You laugh at me because I'm different. I laugh at you because you're all the same." 

- Lady Gaga 



Audrey Hepburn by And So She Paints who painted the allure of the late Audrey Hepburn smoking from a long cigarette holder.
Dec. 20, 2013 



From the Red Road

A gift that will last forever

When I was much younger, my grandfather would keep telling me stories about his life. Tears will fall on his face, then he would ask me, "Do you know what is above love?" I would try to guess what this thing was, but I never did. Last time I saw him, he asked me the same question, but this time he gave me the answer. He said, "Its forgiveness. Some day this would make sense to you my grandson." - Gianni Crow (9.15.15)
 

 

Indian Dust

"Looking into the mirror of space I can see the light between the cracks of my spirit... The wheels are turning...in a blink of an eye I travel to a moment in time, you're smiling...I hold your hand and my cares are gone..."
 

Be still, value those who are beside you, be present in that sacred space. For there is nothing greater then love... "The hourglass of flesh and bones is running out..." - Gianni Crow (Sept.11, 2015)

 

 

FORGIVENESS is en vogue

Forgiveness

Is often easy to say but to really
Feel forgiveness in our heart is
Often a hard thing to do
There is too much pain
And too many hurt feelings to overcome
Sometimes it takes
More time than we ever thought
It takes a strong heart to overlook
Ones own ego and focus on the light
To realize what is more important
In our life to forgive
Or to keep the hurt feelings alive
And live in pain for a while
Forgiveness starts in our self
We should accept our own weakness
And respect the weakness of others as well
It is a part of us and only with a strong heart
Can we truly forgive with our entire being

by Isabella Hunt

symbol of Tranquility

Healing AFRICA Healing SELF

"Africa is the birth place of our connections to other worlds, the entrance to the deep mysteries as yet unfathomable by wrong thinking, and the birth place of the major religions that have shaped the world. Here in this land lie the resources that have killed the soul of millions from the weight of murder, greed and industry. The redemption of the world's spirit lies underneath the pounding of machines, bloodied bodies splayed out in tortured designs upon the very Earth Mother capable of being nurtured by the laws of regeneration prophets listen to and speak of to the masses unable to see the soul of the Land of the Blacks.

Africa is a light in a darkness cast by many beings that vacillate between understanding her, using her, worshiping her, and embracing her!" - Gregory E. Woods, 2011

African art by Okpara Nosakhere

"In the Dagara tradition, Spirit brings the lessons of Life through falls from grace. Crisis comes as the instigator of change; it takes you to somewhere new, where you find a higher meaning and purpose. If you are going to learn and grow, you can't just be stuck in a particular place. Crisis breaks you out and creates the space for Creation to teach you." - Sofonfu E. Somé, healer 

Let's Talk About Racism

Lee Gaylord, author, Crazy Old Man Wisdom (30 yrs. ago)

For such a short story you injected several subjects boldly. First, it is a high testament to your sense of manhood, and your essence that you travel with your ex-wife to her family reunion. You have established deep roots so you've broadened and deepened in this family of yours. You gave a glimpse into the whole spectrum of what you pass to your son. It is deep.

I don't know how to answer the questions without a lot of writing, but I will say that I think you are aware of every component of your short story. I respect that. It is fundamentally retarded to do this dance, but not many are willing to go to the roots of the story. The dance is preferable on the surface, or in a fighting circle where on can go back and forth, back and forth. You are in the thick of it and I'd like to hear your perspectives. - Gregory E. Woods 8.20.14


Lee Gaylord, author 'Crazy Old Man's Wisdom'

In the end it is about LOVE

"There are three steps of forgiveness I learned rather quickly in my living. They are simple to write, but hard to apply. The first one is the easiest for my personality: knowing I have been wronged. Giving up resentment is hard when it comes as a personal and direct and deliberate attack, and as I have aged and matured reaching out to the offender with love has become easier and easier and easier." - Gregory E. Woods 

©2010 Peter Salama Photography. All Rights Reserved
Jan. 13, 2010

Stephanie
©2010 Peter Salama Photography. All Rights Reserved

"I believe in something in the light. I've seen it and known it the length of my life. It was my childhood that graced it with play things making it volatile to teachers who were afraid of light, yet trembled in the darkness of non-creative forces. 

I remember so much."  - Gregory E. Woods 5.31.13

Stephanie by Peter Salama ©2010
Jan 13, 2010

COUNSEL

Forgiveness 

"How much effort would you put forward to help a so called friend if in times of power grabbing he is found working with the enemy and trying to destroy you?" ~ anon

 During the hurt I would hurt. But, as it subsides I would speak my thoughts, and react according to my personality. My decision to distance myself is contingent upon the words of his heart. Distance is the best thing in the immediate future as the incident and wise counsel wed and consummate their union. - Gregory E. Woods, Keeper of Stories 6.27.14

Nena 

Nena

Can WE? We'll SEE!

Human Zoo

small picture of a detective

What if the sun held a grudge?

I was thinking:  What if the sun held a grudge and said to the earth "You owe me for all the millions of years I rose to sustain you, your life forms, everything in your entire planet and you gave me nothing in return" ...  if it held a grudge and exploded in anger, it could easily burn up the entire earth or just stop shining all together. This means DEATH for all life. The sun itself and everything returns to darkness. No moon shining either! No plants, no warmth.. no life.. no nothing!!!

Learn from the Sun.. Forgive, breathe, stretch and let it go!!!  Let there be light...and LET YOUR LITTLE LIGHT SHINE!  You deserve to be free to "be" AND free yourself. Think on that one. Love, Nov
And God said, "Let there be light, and there was light." ◄ Genesis 1:3 ► by Novlette Bernard

Black people in Mexico 

A Father's Distance A Son's Angst

As an adult no matter how good or how bad you were parented you have to unravel some kind of mess your parents left tangled within you. On the other hand parents are responsible for leveling the angst of it all and owning up to their good and their hand in the damage done parenting their child, or children. Mistakes are always made by parents. But, to exclude parents, if they are alive, from the inner work is not wise. Their perspective is indispensable to understanding the elements living within you, and the circumstances you find yourself living in. 

I know Muhammad Ali is out of the picture, but I cannot, and none of us can fathom the deep feelings of his son. If Ali Jr. can't reconcile with his father in this realm he should, if he knows how, go into the realm of spirits to talk, bitch, and commune with his father's spirit. Or he can do this simple, but effective practice of word song. 

From the Hawaiian tradition is a prayer, Ho'oponopono, and it has four things Ali Jr, or anyone needs to say daily and directed towards the person(s) whose relationship is damaged between the two of you. 

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Forgive me (you).

I love you.

Said daily it proves effective in ways you don't explain. You can't. You need live this, and observe how it works in relationships and personally.  I know there are three stages of forgiveness, but one needs tools and if someone like Ali Jr. ain't got 'em, if it hurts enough, he'll find a way to get them. The question to his manhood is when is enough enough? 

- Gregory E. Woods, 2.1.14



One man wrote: "This is an old story. Several years ago, Junior was working as a handyman at a Virginia Theme Park. (He grew up in Chicago in the home of his maternal grandparents who could barely make ends meet while his mother, Khalila lived with her new husband in the Florida area) He has always sought financial support from his father but Lonnie kept Ali Sr. at a distance, no doubt to protect him from leeching friends and relatives, like Ali Sr's brother Rahman, whom Ali was paying alimony and child support for. As he is now past the age of forty, Junior has long had the opportunity to stand on his own two feet, much like the son of Drew "Bundini" Brown (Ali's cornerman) who didn't have a relationship with his father as well and yet became a commercial airline pilot. - Teddy Parker 

Conversi ad Dominum, turn to the Lord

Living Repentance

The Irish Catholic Bishops have recently published a letter on repentance which, I think, says many good things. Here are a few choice excerpts.

The word ‘repentance’ means seeking forgiveness for our sins, but more than that, it involves transforming our attitudes and our lives. The New Testament word, metanoia, means a profound change of outlook. Repentance or penance is not a question of inflicting pain or hardship on ourselves for its own sake. Penance – fasting, prayer, works of mercy, giving to those who are in need and so on – is done ‘because the kingdom of God has come near’; we repent in order to ‘believe in the good news’. It is a change of outlook that allows us to see more clearly what God is doing in us and for us.
...
The reason for carrying out acts of penance is that we know we have often failed to appreciate that everything we have and are is a gift from God. We have all pursued our own interests, standing and influence as if these were our goal in life. And so it is good to pray, fast and give alms –activities which express a realisation that the pursuit of such goals cannot be what makes ultimate sense of our lives. That points to the second and more important way of looking at why we do penance – in order to receive the Good News. The words that come from the mouth of God are not just rules or demands. It is in the words of promise and love that come from the mouth of God that we find the meaning of human life.
...
If we allow lesser realities to occupy the place in our lives which belongs to God who is love (1 Jn 4:8, 16), we inevitably obscure our understanding of the full reality of God’s gift. The lesser things that we pursue can be important and good. Everyone needs goals and hopes in life, but no created reality can fully and eternally satisfy us: Let us say once again, we need the greater and lesser hopes that keep us going day by day. But these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else. This great hope can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain.3 Penance or repentance is not simply an exercise that we do from time to time. It is, one might say, what our life is about. 

by Fr John W Fenton at Tuesday, April 03, 2012

naked in the mirror

FORGIVENESS

“The vestiges of racism reside in us all either as the perpetrator or the recipient of its ravaging energies. Either role in life affects the best parts of a soul leaving scars, and prejudices not easily removed, and grudges not easily set aside. The spiritual work to lessen the grip of this creature is difficult, uncharted, and wrought with emotions, and unforeseen dangers. At its core are ancestral lines.

A starting place is in the present beginning with reaction to what shut down communication between you, and the 'other'. Many people today are engrossed in their ancestral lines, not as a genealogist, but as a doctor doctoring himself or herself. It is a beneficial endeavor for the self, and the generations dead, and gone, and those yet to come to life. It ain't easy, but neither is giving birth.” – Gregory E. Woods 11.5.12

tattooed body of Carmen Chaplin (granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin).

Song of Broken Men

One Woman's Father 

My heart goes out to Kelly Rowland's estranged father. ~ Gregory  

Kelly’s father is making the news as he asks for his daughter’s forgiveness in a very public manner. He told Radar Online,

“So many previous years have passed and I’m getting old. [He's 67] I just pray she comes back into my life before it’s too late.[...]I couldn’t control [the drinking and verbal abuse that Kelly witnessed]. I hoped I could make it up to her. But I’m still waiting for that day. It wasn’t physical between me and Kelly’s mom, but there were many days and nights when Kelly would be bawling her eyes out, clutching my leg begging me, ‘Please daddy, stop shouting at mommy.’ That image of her howling, begging me to stop will haunt me forever.”

One Ascends to That.

Amen.

"The greatest virtue is not in forgiving those who apologize, or in being kind to those who are kind to you. The biggest virtue is in forgiving even those who never apologize, and in being kind to even those who are not kind to you." - Daryl Jean Searle

SPRING INTO LIFE!

Gail Dickert, published author who manages Frog Pond Early Learning Center on
March 30, 2013

"Kid therapy. It's hard to cry around them." - Gail Dickert

"Gail, this is a marvelous capture of the spring of your life!" - Gregory

Yup!