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)
There are so many things we have to be thankful for.
In these hard times, I know we can be hard-pressed
to find those things. Today, when I woke up, I
was just thankful that I did wake up. So many
people did not. Just looking at the basic needs,
I am blessed. I have a place to stay, food to eat
and family and friends who care. Some people
don't have these things. They woke up this morning
in a makeshift home beside the freeway. They
were cold, hungry and without any place to go.
This is their daily reality. I might be hungry for
a while, but my next meal is as far away as my kitchen.
Theirs may only come if they can find a place that is
handing out food, or, if and when, a well-doer passes by
and gives them a helping hand.
November is the month of Thanksgiving.
In spite of all the things that are meant to discourage us on
a daily basis, as a country, we are very blessed.
Let us be mindful of our many blessings. Count them
one by one, and you will find you have a lot to be thankful for.
It seems this will never end.
In times like these, I remember a poem written by
a friend that he entitled,
When will I Stop Writing Poems Like These?
Though it was some years ago that the poem was written,
I feel that it is still a very appropriate question.
There seems to be no end to the senseless killings.
When we are at war, we know lives will be lost.
The sad part about these killings is they cannot be
reasoned away.
When you have a Veteran who has served his country
in Iran or Iraq who can possibly return home only to
lose his life to gun violence, unexpectedly, something is wrong.
This is supposed to be our safe place, haven, our home.
It is the place that is supposed to embrace us all
at our lowest point.
If not here,
Where is our safe place?
Where is our haven?
When it comes to racism and prejudice,
Instead of there being a "never again,"
There is an again, and again and again.
To those who are grieving the unexpected loss of their
loved ones, I wish you peace. I am so, so, sorry
that we have failed you once again.
As the time to vote approaches, the need to share the importance of casting your vote is becoming more urgent. Don't mute your voice. If you don't vote, you have no right to complain about the outcome. This is not the time to wait on the world to change, you have to be a part of the change.
I would like to share something I wrote before the last Presidential Election.
We have all been entertained by the prospects in the coming election.
It is okay to be entertained, but when it comes to filling the office of the President,
we need to be more than just entertained. If nothing else, we need someone who reflects what we represent as Americans. It would be unrealistic to expect anyone to be perfect, but there should be an expected standard. If we want our children to be empathetic, we have to show them an example of empathy. If we want them to be respectful, we have to show them how to be respectful. If we want them to learn how to be just and fair, we have to show them how to be just and fair. No, we don't need someone perfect, but now more than ever, we need someone who knows how to show love and unity. In this age of cyber-bullying and school shootings, we need someone who can show our children that hate will not be tolerated, not just in America, but in the world. Now, more than ever, we need a President who will listen to what others have to say. We are a country that has been striving to attain a vision as a united nation. We want to continue forward with that vision. Going back down the mountains we have climbed is not an option. So, if you are not sure whether or not you are going to vote, ask yourself this question. How important is it to you to have the right to have a say in this country's future. If you care about your future, the future of your children, and the future of this nation, you must vote. A decision not to vote is a decision not to make a choice. There is no perfect candidate, so don't use that as an excuse not to vote. If you think one vote won't make a difference, think back to the last Presidential election. Too many people decided that their one vote didn't matter. It definitely does matter. Too many people died for us to have that choice. They must have thought it important enough to make so great a sacrifice. Make a choice. Please, please, use your voice. Don't put your voice on mute.
These are trying times, but we don’t have to accept the looming gloom.
We can bring light to this world.One by one. One by one, we can end hate. Darkness does not have to be our fate.All it takes is one man who will face Darkness and not turn away. One man who will illuminate the dark passageways. All it takes is one small beam.One man who will stand against the darkness and scream. All it takes is just one.One light, shining bright in the darkest night.One light. Just one light to lead the way.That is what we need today.Will you be the one?Will you be the one?When it’s all said and done, will you be the one?In this age of great darkness, we need people who will bravely speak light into the darkness.If we are going to win, it will Take an army of like-minded men.It is said, “The darkest hour is just before the day.”We cannot wait for the morning to come.We need people who will stand in the darkest hours and illuminate the passageways.Will you be the one, the one who will stand?In spite of your fears, with tears streaming down, will you be the one? In darkness so deep you cannot see your way, Will you light the passageway? From the darkest pit of injustice, Martin stood and screamed, "I have a dream." All it takes is just one.One is all it takes.Will you be the one? Will you be the one? Copyright Patricia Newman-Harris, 2018
Though there may be differences in what I believe and what others believe in this country,
I have always been able to look beyond politics to the heart of the person. I would like to offer this poem to the family of John McCain, who, at heart, was a true American. He looked beyond party to consider the good of our nation. For that, we should be most grateful. Would that more of our politicians could do the same. His honesty and his integrity will be missed.
Long Live America
To the men and women who towed the line,
Walked on mines,
Kept watch day and night
So we could see the dawn’s early light.
To those who left family and friends behind,
Gave freely of their time.
To the young men and women who postponed their dreams
To give us a chance to know what freedom means.
How do we say thank you?
How do we repay such a debt as yours?
You chose to sail foreign shores
Never knowing if you would ever be back.
You came under constant attack,
But you never said no to the call.
You gave your all.
Every opportunity we enjoy
Came at great expense.
You provided our defense.
You bore the hurt and pain
Without shame,
Without fear.
Because of you, we are still here,
Standing strong on your behalf.
In your honor, we fly our flags at half-staff.
We raise our hands in salute to you,
Because this is what we do.
You are gone, but know, you will never be forgotten
No, you will never be forgotten.
Every Memorial Day, you are there.
Every Independence Day you are there,
Every Veteran’s Day, you are there.
Every victory we celebrate, you are there.
Every flag that we raise,
Every moment of praise
Is not our's alone.
From every hillside and plain,
We proudly speak your name.
Because of you, America is America,
And will always be,
America.
Because of you,
we can still sing of her spaciousskies
And purple mountains majesty
You made America the beautiful country we see.
America,
Our country, our home
It is because of people like you,
We can proudly sing,
Let freedom ring!
Long live freedom,
Long live liberty,
Long live America,
Our country,
Our home.
I consider it a joy and a privilege to have lived through decades of listening to Aretha's music,
experiencing her greatness, both as a musician and as a person, and for having the honor of being a recipient of such a rich legacy. She has not only lived a life of greatness she has also honored her commitment to her family by leaving them a legacy they can be proud of.
I think she has left us all with the understanding that we all deserve to be treated with decency and respect, regardless of race, color, gender or sex.
Aretha, you have found your Angel to fly away with. May you float across the heavens above. We wish you love.
I grew up in a day when you kinda had an idea of a guy's intent. You usually didn't have to guess what he meant. If he liked you, he'd let you know. I admit there may have been sometimes when I had to resort to, "He loves me. He loves me not." Generally, however, things were rather routine. If a guy liked you, he asked you to "Go steady." From then on, you were considered boyfriend and girlfriend.
Over the years there has been a gradual change. I find it all strange. Now, a girl has no clue of where a guy is coming from until one day, he announces he is "Done." Magically, he determines that you were not the one or, he was "Just not that into you." The problem is, you may not hear the words directly from his mouth. The news can come from so many different platforms. It may come via text, Instagram or Facebook. Who knows? You can be going out on the regular, even being intimate more regular than not, and still be introduced as his "Friend." I grew up when friends were not anyone you slept with. Hey, I did say I was old school. I sure don't understand the rules. The dating game is far from the same. People are getting matched by Patti, making Love Connections with Andy instead of Chuck, getting Married at First Sight and making Proposals on the first night. They are so confused they are going on TV asking the question, "Are you the one?" I find it all intriguing. I just wonder when finding love became so complicated? Seems like, in spite of the numerous ways you can hook up, people seem to be incapable of hooking up without help. They are joining Match, E Harmony or some other dating site hoping for a bite. There is a risk in all of this. Instead of finding the one, many have found a Catfish on their line. It is worse than dating blind. At least when you go on an actual blind date, you stand a better chance of not being deceived. All I can say is I wish all of you searchers out there the best. I really do hope you find "The One."
Note:
I was making light of the situation, but searching for love is something most of us spend a lifetime doing. Who knows if true love will ever come our way? Stay encouraged. Take the heartaches with the pain but make every effort to stay in the game. One day you will realize it was worth it all. Even when love is gone, you have got to let the love play on.
