Courage and Dr. Martin Luther King

Dear Sillies,

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and that's all. Right? Nothing else's happening today. Nothing worthy of note. (But why, friends, why are people shocked that Snoop Dogg is performing? When did Snoop convey an Eagle Scout vibe?) 

Anyway, let's remember the heroism of this remarkable man whose actions and courage transcend space and time. It's imperative that we continue the fight for equal treatment for all humankind. 

Sometime in the 1990s, I sat in a big auditorium listening to a moving speech by Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King's then widow. I couldn't have felt more directly connected to the Reverend's teachings.

Coretta would pass in 2006, outliving King by 38 years.

As overwhelmingly distressful as things may seem now, there's always reason for hope. 

A hopeful, brave week to you!

Courage

Extending the dance 

When you’ve long lost your groove
Swimming to shore too frail to move.

Stepping towards light, when darkness abounds
Permitting a laugh amid no other sounds.

Confronting a beast no one should endure
It strikes with no warning, no reprieve and no cure.
 

Snuggling with hope, when the pain you can’t bare
Unveiling your heart in the face of despair.

Conveying a smile, when you’d much rather cry
Speaking the truth though it’s safer to lie.

Taking a stance, when integrity’s lost
Forcing what’s right in spite of the cost.  

Holding to faith in your value and worth
Maintaining a grace that softens the earth.  

Passing with ease
As you air your last breath
A hero whose soul
Transcends life

and death.

                           

                                     by me, Robyn Alana Engel

Something: Hold Hope

Dear Sillies, 

I hope you're doing well and taking good care of yourselves.

It's been a while since I wrote a non-erotic poem. Instead of starting from scratch, though, I revised an oldie. Times are tough, so it's an attempt to inspire.

Keep a smile and a stash of chocolate.

Enjoy.

Sometimes we reach for something

but it's something we can't see

When a moment feels like hours

and we struggle to just be.

Despair is all consuming and 

the future beckons fear.

We listen with intention

unsure what we yearn to hear. 

Sometimes we pray for something

though we lack religious creed,

still staking faith in one thing

to provide all that we need.

Yet  in this desperate stretch
At times
We sense a subtle shift.

Gentle breath

and tender hues

console an injured rift.

Hold hope 
when there's no hand to hold

nor signs to guide you through

That something of a priceless kind

will find its way 
to you.

                                                              colored pencil drawing by me, 2003

No Words for 9/11

Nothing

All I can offer is nothing

Nothing is all I can say.

Breath viciously robbed from so many

In an incomprehensible way.

Safely detached from the horrors

I have no words to this day.

With thousands still living the nightmare

I sip warm tea in dismay.

All I can offer is silence

Silence is all I can say.

written by me in 2011 for those who lost loved ones to the 9/11 terrorist attacks

Take care of yourselves, dear friends.

You are loved, and we have each other.

Mere Chance: Ubuntu Poem

 

 "In Africa, there is a concept known as UBUNTU – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others."          Nelson Mandela.

Dear Sillies, 
Unlike with prose, I can't just sit at a keyboard and create poetry. It either strikes or doesn't, and it usually doesn't. In these broken times, though, I want to bring back an important message. I wrote Mere Chance in 2014 for Michelle Wallace's Ubuntu Bloghop. And Michelle just had a birthday. Happy Birthday week and year, Michelle! Keep shining, inspiring lady. 
PS I won the bloghop for this one. That meant a lot, especially because there were so many beautiful entries - as you can imagine. 

Mere Chance

I stride into your eyes and see

I could be you. 

You could be me.

Divided lives that crave the same:

Love, respect, a valued name.

Bereft of excess, 

our needs so few:

Awaking safe 

with breath anew.

Both good souls, 

two lots to bear.

Would life make sense, 

a fate we'd share.

Yet I bathe myself 

in waste replete

As you stave demons 

on the street.

Your time, 
a fight

 and mine, 
a dance.

Mere chance contrasts 

each circumstance.

Your hurdles, vast

Your earnest, true

How easily

I could be you.

Courage, Honoring Martin Luther King

"If a man hasn't found something he will die for, he isn't fit to live." -Martin Luther King
      I disagree with this quote, because it sets the bar beyond the stars. This gal's simply looking for a guy who isn't a dufus or dweeb, dead or married. But the quote reveals why Martin Luther King was among the greatest of the greats of all time. He refused to stop forcing what's right, whatever the cost. 
    That said, I'm reposting Courage. 
    I hope you have an appreciative day and week, my dear sillies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Courage 

                                           Extending the dance, 

When you’ve long lost your groove

Swimming to shore too frail to move.

Stepping towards light, when darkness abounds
Permitting a laugh amid no other sounds.

Confronting a beast no one should endure
It strikes with no warning, no reprieve and no cure.
 

Snuggling with hope, when the pain you can’t bare
Unveiling your heart in the face of despair.

Conveying a smile, when you’d much rather cry
Speaking the truth though it’s safer to lie.

Taking a stance, when integrity’s lost
Forcing what’s right in spite of the cost.  

Holding to faith in your value and worth
Maintaining a grace that softens the earth.  

Passing with ease
As you air your last breath

A hero whose soul
Transcends life
and death.
-Robyn Alana Engel

Together, A Poem for the World

Dear Friends,

The California Regional Center system has my heart, now more than ever. My first and most profound social work job found me at the Regional Center of the East Bay. So the mass shootings earlier this week at the Inland Regional Center leave me shaken. I have too much to say about blaming Muslims, "religious extremists," or Obama, and the like...None of it good. We need to come together - drop our differing political and religious labels and rhetoric, stop blaming any one group or any one thing for problems that are incredibly monstrous. We have to unify to make this world kinder and more fair. It is, afterall, what we all want.

Judaism emphasizes "Tikkun Olam" (pronounced ti-koon oh-lawm). This means a healed world. We not only pray for this, but we work daily - in small and larger ways - to bring about peace on earth. 
Love to you.
-------------------------------------------(I wrote and posted this poem several years ago.)

Together: A Poem for the World
 
Blessings for healing
Of body and mind
Freedom from hurdles 
That stall and confine

The urge to laugh
A surge of will
To savor breath 
in moments still

May bursts of hope
Feed hardened souls
And broken bits
Grow into wholes

Violence quelled by rising care
A shift towards what's just and fair

May dreams be held and given birth
That none shall doubt their precious worth.

May love pervade
All life, renew
Wounds be healed
and scars be few.

The world so huge
My role so small


Together, may we do it all.

Out of the Darkness, Preventing Suicide and Fighting Stigma

Many people prefer to deny life's harsh truths. This doesn't change reality. (Wouldn't that be nice?) Fact is, depression and mental illness are rampant. They strike millions of people who have only one thing in common: they're human. These days and very sadly, most of us have lost loved ones to suicide, whether or not we acknowledge this publicly (or privately). 

Twenty-seven years ago, I lost my brother, Glenn-David Engel, to suicide. He'd been diagnosed with paranoid Schizophrenia. Only in the past several years have I come out with my story. And I've been honored to serve as Event Chair in 2014 and 2015 for our local Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention.

This year's Walk took place on 10/10. Over 400 folks gathered from as far as 80 miles away to honor loved ones lost to suicide, to support each other, and to fight the stigma attached to mental illness. It was truly awesome. Though the greater community is impoverished in terms of dollars, it's rich in generosity and heart. We raised almost twice as much as ever - a grand total of over $17,400 and counting! I'm so proud! The money goes to the AFSP/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, so it all translates into saving lives and squelching stigma.

 Me at our Remembrance Tree.  -photo by Dawn Horwitz-Person, 10.10.15

Here's the poem I shared during the closing ceremony. Several people approached me afterwards to ask for copies, so I'm posting here - in hopes it offers comfort to as many as possible, as often as needed. 

Thank you. Take gentle care. None of us is alone. Everyone of us is worthy. 

Please Believe

Please believe we know your pain
Your broken soul. That smile you feign.
You say "I'm fine," but that's a lie.
You dare not share your urge to die.
We know your rage, your hate, and shame.
The burn that set your heart aflame.
Consumed by grief - your life, a curse.
Cold lonely days; still
Nights are worse.
Please believe us when we say
Keep holding tight. You'll be okay.
Monstrous ills you cannot halt.
Go gentle now. 

IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.
Mental illness has no cure.
You're human with a heart that's pure.
We know not how. We know not when
You will reclaim your life again
Embrace a faith you never knew
You'll be so glad you wrestled through.
Please believe, and hold on tight
As strands of pain fade into light
And tender hues transform your sight.
You're not alone.
Please know it's true.
We're right here
Holding tight

With you.

                                               Photo by Jodi Rives, Out of the Darkness 9.27.14

Down with Hallmark, Up with Hallbark!

I'm sorry I didn't get it together to do an anti-Valentine's contest this year. I just...didn't. Instead, I'm posting an oldie. The photo prompt is thanks to Jenny Matlock, Saturday Centus guru. Within 50 words, we were to create a Hallmark-ish Valentine's greeting. Mine follows. Ultimately, I aimed --and still aim-- to bring Hallmark down, one lowly mutt at a time, and replace it with a line of Hallbark cards. So far, years later, I still have only one "poetic" greeting:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Hallbark Creation

I’m a sad lowly mutt from Pom Beaitch

With a fetish for dressing in kitsch

They say “Dawg, your singing is pitch!”

Yo, I ain’t no looker, and I ain’t rich

But I really want you for my...

Valentine.

Christmas Erotica

Dear friends,

I brought the house down on Thursday with this bit at Chico's (Has Beans Cafe's) last open mic of the year. When I finished, the crowd roared and cheered for a while. Never before had I felt so popular. I guess people like poems about Xmas gift giving. Who knew?

Now, they expect poetic erotica for all of the holidays, though I'm not sure what I'll do for a few of them.

"Don't even think about writing a poem for Martin Luther King Day, Robyn," my friend, Sue, warned.

"Of course, I won't," I told her. "And there's Groundhog and Mother's Day too. I can't go there."

Sue nodded in agreement.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. You may want to embiggen, and I'm only talking about the poem. Wink.

   I'll be celebrating Christmassukkah with family in the coming week and won't be around much. I'll blog again, though, before year's end.

   Much love for a safe, warm, festive, non-silent (Wink) Christmas week. I appreciate you all. xo

Halloween Erotica III, The Climax

Warning: This is the naughtiest thing I've ever written. The audience was very, very attentive during my performance at a local open mic last night. Here's The Climax:

Note: Hot Tamale line is for Mini-Alex (since Alex is married, and Mini-Alex is adorable and -as one of my clients tells me, especially after I do a wildly silly victory dance when I win an UNO game against her- I need help). 

Back to open mic night, Igor was no where in sight. Perhaps he was busy moving corpses for Halloween. 

When I finished the reading, I received solid applause, the announcer thanked me for the "Halloween porn," and one man gave me a fist bump. 

A friend we'll call George - he reminds me of George Costanza (short, balding, wears glasses, and works in Latex. Or maybe healthcare, but there's a lot of latex in healthcare) showed up later. He asked if I was reading, and I told him that I already read. To ease his disappointment, I showed him the poem. George chuckled quietly and said that he was sorry he missed it. Afterwards, George asked for my number and suggested we meet for coffee sometime soon. We exchanged contact info. I'll keep you posted.

HAVE A THRILLING, DELICIOUSLY SWEET AND SAFE HALLOWEEN!

Memorial Day, A Child's Perspective

I've recycled a Memorial Day post from years prior. Apologies, but sometimes I said it better then than I could now. Oftentimes, I don't know what to say about something so overwhelmingly tragic as war.

And how can we possibly begin to adequately thank and pay tribute to our military? I don't know; I don't think we can...I did give it thought as a child. Back then, I was a diehard environmentalist and humanitarian (who failed to use a dictionary to check my spelling, completely naive to the fact that I'd publicize this "poem to think of" decades later). I wrote:

                                        ~Embiggen, if you'd like to read about THE SAD war~
My favorite line in the above poem is: "I think more forests should be built."

Nephew Jeremy, age 16 mos.

May it be a meaningful, peaceful and safe Memorial Day.

With gratitude and blessings to all who have served and will serve our country, and to their loved ones, for all time.

Ode to the Oreo (sort of): The Latest in Chocolate (sort of)

First, and Ode to the Oreo (sort of, though it's more like a hazing)

Oh Nabisco
Why’d you go
And desecrate the Oreo?
I liked it fine before the change
To an array of flavors gross and strange.
With double stuff, you should have quit.
But birthday cake?
Who’d eat that sh*t?
You’re triple stacked
And berry burst. Neapolitan.
And it got worse.
You hit new lows with the words “low fat.”
What PR guru thought of that?
Nabisco, tell me, why’d you go
And make a "springtime" Oreo
That’s dyed in freaky loud yellow?
Could that be cream or real bright snow?
You’ve gone peanut butter and mint too.
A Girl Scout rip-off -- Shame on you!
So Oreo, now I must go.
It’s you, not me, if you must know.
You gave good licks and chews to start.
But Big Fig Newton’s my new tart.

Next, A Review: the Golden Oreo - chocolate cream, vanilla cookie. It's the only one I dared taste. And tasted. And tasted. As regular cookies, they are okay. Meh. Neither exciting nor lousy. As Oreos? No, no, they must go! So I give this brand a 3 on a scale of 1to 10. Nabisco didn't solicit this review. [They are not the brightest, but they're clearly not stupid either.]

What do you think about the 20 varieties of Oreos? What's your favorite? Have you tried them all, BabySister? {I ask, because my dear longstanding bloggy friend, BabySis, has posted photos of many an Oreo.}

Derek Clark & You're not Alone: Fighting Mental Illness through Compassion

The #1 Motivational Speaker in the world, according to Google (and rightfully so), is a man named Derek Clark. Last week, I attended a talk Derek gave in Paradise, CA. Derek rose far above abuses and traumas that I won't attempt to summarize. Plus, he was kind enough to hug me (as he did everyone who approached him after the talk), before autographing his book. Mr. Clark is 6'5" and I'm 4'8," so I am most impressed by his warmth and willingness to put his back out. Unfortunately, I was too awestruck to have gotten a photo of us. Drats!

Derek became instantly known as the cool Rapping Dad, when a rap he threw down while driving with his kids went viral. It's fantastically entertaining; check it out here. His main website, with all sorts of fun information and links to his appearance on Rikki Lake, etc., is here.

Coincidentally, I'd penned this poem the day before Derek's presentation. It addresses the strength of the human spirit, with which he shines. This month marks Mental Health Awareness month. Mental health challenges touch us all. I've lost two people I was very close to, to suicide, and I've battled depression throughout my life. I'm doing great right now, though we never know what the next moment will bring. [If you're interested, I published an article in a local newspaper last year on my fight against depression here.]  Know that, whatever your life's struggles, you're never alone.

You're Not Alone

Please believe

I know your pain

Your broken soul

That smile you feign

You say "I'm fine"

But it's a lie

You dare not share

Your urge to die

I know your rage

And hate

And shame

The burn that set your heart aflame

Consumed by grief

Your life a curse

Cold lonely days

Still nights are worse

Please believe me when I say

Keep holding tight

You'll be okay

Monstrous ills, you cannot halt

Go gentle now

It's not your fault

Mental illness has no cure

You're mortal with a heart that's pure

I know not how

I know not when

But you'll reclaim your life again

Embrace a faith you never knew

You'll be so glad you wrestled through

Please believe

And hold on tight

As strands of pain fade into light

And tender hues transform your sight

You're not alone

Please know it's true

I'm right here

Holding tight 

with you.

Ubuntu Bloghop, Mere Chance

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness,
to pull another hand into the light." -Amrit Desai
"In Africa, there is a concept known as UBUNTU – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others." – Nelson Mandela.

In celebration of her 3rd blogoversary, blogland's beloved Michelle Wallace is hosting this Ubuntu Bloghop from February 18-21. During this time, we're invited to post something that captures the spirit of ubuntu--a beautiful concept. I've written a poem.

Mere Chance

I stride into your eyes and see

I could be you. 

You could be me.

Divided lives that crave the same:

Love, respect, a valued name.

Bereft of excess, 

our needs so few:

Awaking safe 

with breath anew.

Both good souls, 

two lots to bear.

Would life make sense, 

a fate we'd share.

Yet I bathe myself 

in waste replete

As you stave demons 

on the street.

Your time, 
a fight

 and mine, 
a dance.

Mere chance contrasts 

each circumstance.

Your hurdles, vast

Your earnest, true

How easily

I could be you.