Welcome to the Light A Candle in the Dark website. Light A Candle in the Dark is a poetry website created to share my poetry and the poetry of others who have a love for reading and writing poetry. It is a place where poetry is loosely defined. It's a simple joy of the written or spoken word. It is not a forum for discussing technique or the contents of the poetry posted herein.
Welcome and enjoy!
Pat (aka P. Newman-Harris)
He came unto his own, but they knew him not.
Tho, miracle after miracle he performed
He was rebuked and scorned
No one knows the hurt.
No one knows the pain
that comes from being rejected
again and again.
They would not
believe.
Such love they could not conceive.
His ways were higher,
His understanding greater.
Though the intent of man’s heart, he could see,
He chose not to forsake his destiny.
He carried the burden of the world to save the lost
He paid the cost
On Calvary's cross
Oh what cost he paid
That we might be saved.
He didn't have to let it be
He chose to die for you and me
No one could ever love us more
No one could ever love us more
He came unto his own, but they knew him not.
Tho, miracle after miracle he performed
He was rebuked and scorned
No one knows the hurt.
No one knows the pain
That comes from being rejected again and again.
Though the intent of man’s heart, he could foresee,
He chose not to forsake his destiny.
He carried the burden of the world to save the lost
He paid the cost
On Calvary
He died for you and for me No one could love us more. Surely, no one could love us more.
When I think of my people's history
I think of the years spent in captivity
I think of the wasted creativity
The torture, the pain, the agony.
I think of how they worked from sunup to sundown
With sweat streaming down
I think of the dreams and desires that lie in unkempt graves.
I think of the souls no one was able to save.
I think of a people's unheard cries
I think of those forced to watch as others died.
I think of the stripes that ripped the backs of young and old alike.
I think of those lost under the cover of night.
I think of damaged spirits, unspoken words,
And blocked determinations
I think of the cost to a nation
I think of a people who didn't know how to be free
Once they were set free
Then, I know the price exacted by slavery.
Do you know the price others paid for you to be free?
If it had not been for those who have gone before,
There would never have been an open door.
Did you know there was a day when black people couldn’t be taught to read and write?
Imagine what that must have been like.
Taking away that privilege was a method of control.
Without knowledge a person is destined to lose his soul.
For our people, knowledge was the key to opportunity,
It was ultimately the light that guided the way to our forefathers being free.
The same holds true today.
Yet, the knowledge that can be ours some of us choose to throw away.
That’s why so many of us live with our backs against the wall
Having barely enough strength to crawl.
Black men’s desires and dreams are being sent to an early grave
As with their last breath they rant and rave
About how the white man is holding them back.
Did the white man tell them to smoke crack?
Today every opportunity we have gained is slowly being snatched back.
Some are too complacent to realize the subtle attack.
Yes, I know they put the drugs all over our community
So they could be accessed freely.
Ultimately, the decision to live right is ours to make.
We have the wisdom to realize that drugs don’t give, they take.
They take your home, your wife,
Sometimes they even take your life.
Are you willing to pay such a price?
No one in his right mind would willingly surrender his life?
Have you ever considered this?
Wasted opportunities are opportunities you willingly miss.
Do you realize that you are guilty of ingratitude?
Check your attitude.
Are your actions saying thank you to those who paved the way
Or are you throwing it all away?
There will come a day when what little we have will be stripped away.
We must prepare for that day.
We can’t do it without preparing our mind.
There will be no welfare line.
We won’t have anything to fall back on in our time of need.
So please, take heed.
This is a dog eat dog world and only the strong will survive.
If you don’t have what it takes to make it through, you will be eaten alive.
It’s true God will open doors,
But he can’t make us walk through the open doors.
We have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.
We can’t afford to throw anything away.
Each and every window of opportunity was obtained through the blood, sweat and tears of those who have gone before.
I personally, will always thank them for opening those doors
By trying to help others see the importance of making their dreams come true
How about you?
copyright by P. Newman-Harris
Martin Luther King Jr. - - If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, "Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well."
I went to a memorial service for a woman who was like family.
As I listened to her family talk about her life,
how she helped them, inspired them, taught and instructed them
throughout their life, I thought, this is how it should be.
Here was a lady that led an ordinary life, yet she had
influenced those around her tremendously. She poured
into the lives of three generations. In so doing, she not only blessed
her family, she left them with the gift of her life as a legacy.
That was echoed in the words of her children as they reflected
on her words and related the things they had experienced through her.
Surely, her work on this earth was complete, but it will live on long
after she has gone. She didn't have a great fortune to leave her family, but
what she left was far more valuable to them. It is somethat that time
will never erase.
Each of us can reflect on things our mother or father has said or done.
Some influenced us positively others negatively. As parents,
grandparents, god mothers and fathers, Aunts, Uncles, older sisters
and brothers, we have an awesome responsibility to our family.
What we say and do does matter. It matters now and it will matter
long after we are gone. So it is I ask, what will your legacy be?
What Will
Your Legacy Be?
When we look back on your life, what will we see?
What will your legacy be? Will your memory live on Long after you are gone? Will you have lived in such a way That someone has something good to say? We have a dream to fulfill, A foundation to build Will you leave behind A useful design? Will your life be a tapestry For generations to be? Will your children respect what you have left? Will they be able to follow in your steps, Run with your shadow, And learn all there is to know? Will your life be an open book For anyone who wants to take a look? Are you building a foundation that is secure, One that will endure? You don’t have to be a Queen or a King To make your life count for something. You don’t have to be a Rosa Parks. To leave your mark. When we look back on your life what will we see? What will your legacy be? Is your life so set apart That it can change someone’s heart? Whose life will you have changed for the good? Can someone be proud to stand where you stood? Can your children walk in your steps Without regrets? Will your words still speak Will they inspire someone who grows weak? Will your teachings live on Long after you are gone? Will your prayers see your family through the trying years? Can they draw on your wisdom and your strength when you are no
longer here? If someone drinks from your cup Will they be lifted up, Challenged, and inspired To go to a higher place? Can they take your baton and win the race? So again I ask, Are you creating a history that will last? From generation To generation Because as it is so shall it forever be Your family’s legacy. When we look back on your life, what will we see? What will your legacy be?
It's so easy to become discouraged and lose sight of your dream. Always remember that it is your dream and as long as you believe in you, you will see your dream through.
Young boy,
Young girl,
One day,
You will change the world
To make your dreams come true
You gotta believe in you.
It doesn't mater what people say
God can make a way out of no way.
If you have a dream to pursue
Don't let others discourage you.
Just because I can't see your dream
Doesn't mean it cannot be.
It may be more than I can see
To me it may seem like a waste of time,
But your dream is not mine
Through the winds of doubt
You must persevere
You can't run away
And disappear
The way may be cloudy,
But soon it will become clear.
That's when you know your dream is near.
Others may say it isn't so.
If you believe, you will know
You can see your dreams through.
One day you will break through.
Your dreams will come true
Just believe in you.
