KINDNESS BEGINS WITH SELF-LOVE

 “Acceptance, understanding, I can Give, to others, If I First will love myself. But if my bucket's leaking like a Sieve – no juice fer Me or anybody else! Unhelpful habits must be overcome, and loving me could really help me win; since self-abuse and cruelty are dumb, Lord, Help me now ta practice Peace within! The self-neglect has really gotta go, so, Heaven, Help me, please, ta care fer Me! In love fer me, each day, please, help me grow, and kind ta others, I will surely be!”

Copyright 2016 Stephen Cromwell Gifford

HEAVEN'S GRACE IS STRONG

“Nice people sometimes do quite cruel things, and those who claim religion sometimes kill… but those who know the peace that loving brings, now, they're the ones who'll prob'ly do God's will. Let's you and I decide we'll love, today, abiding in our breathing in-and-out – released by faith from needless fears and doubt. Let's be both merciful and patient, friend, and thankful, not resentful, all day long. Let's gratitude and loving-kindness blend, and then we'll find that Heaven's grace is
STRONG!”

Copyright 2016 by Stephen C. Gifford

KINDNESS IS MORE FUN

“For cruelties ya do unto yourself, you’ll win No points in Heaven, Not a one. Be Kind ta You, and Everybody Else, ma’am, please? I’m sure you’ll find that’s lots more Fun!” Okay!

Copyright 2016 by Stephen C. Gifford

WE NEED TO LOVE

We Need to Love

Provoking folks ta anger's mean and sick, but that's what many crazy people Do… with hearts o' stone and heads much like that, too. We need to love much More, we Need to, Quick!

Copyright 2013 by Marie L. Nickerson

FOR COMPULSIVE PEOPLE-PLEASERS

For Compulsive People-Pleasers

Your being Mean ta You ain't Never Kind, though You may Think you're Helpin' Someone Else. That's Only Mischief Put inSide your Mind; to Love the World, be Kind ta You your Self!

Copyright 2013 by Marie L. Nickerson

THE LORD WANT US AMERICANS TO COP

The Lord Wants Us Americans to Cop!

So Many Times we've Squandered Wealth unTold, with Hearts inDiffeRent, and Cruel, and Cold. We've Murdered Many Millions, Faithlesslee, and still it hasn't made our nation free. So What did We exPect, a world of Peace? Ya Cannot Kill, and Find That Grace inCrease! So All the Killin', We have Gotta Stop! The Lord's still Waitin' Now, for us ta Cop!

Copoyright 2013 by Marie L.Nickerson

LORD, PLEASE...

Lord, Please…

aWaken All of us Who Walk aSleep, all Those who Trust in FantaSies and Lies! All Those who Walk those Cruel Paths will Weep; it's Time we Asked the Lord ta Make us WISE! And, Please, don't Let Me Be a FOOLish One, please Grant ta Me your Guidance, Bless my Mind! So When I've Tried my Best and Day is Done, I Shall have been Your Servant, Brave and Kind. Please, and Thank You!

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

YOU AND I ARE LOVED

You and I Are Loved

(for any one who indulges in cruelty)

Your Sick deLight in Mischief's Killing You, and Other Folks as Well, but You don't Care. You Think that Killing's Cool, oh Yes, ya Do, ya Seem ta Think it PROVES you Got a “PAIR”. Ya Seem ta Think yer Clever, Cute, an' Smart, ya Won't beLieve you're Loved, it's Plain ta See. But, Friend, there Lives an' LOVES a Sacred Heart; that Love's fer ALL, inCludin' You and Me! What do you Have to Say to That?

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

THE LORD TURNED ME AROUND

The Lord Turned Me Around

I Usedta Git my Kicks by Bein' Crool. I Didn't Care 'bout Love 'n Bein' Kind. I Thought that I was CUTE and Pretty COOL; I Thought I Saw the Truth, but I was Blind! My FaithlessNess, one Day it Made me Sick, and It was Plain that I must Cop, or Die! My Heart an' Mind had Been as Thick as Brick, 'cause All my “RighteousNess” was but a Lie! Ya See, I'd Tried ta Follow All the Rules, ta Be a “Good Boy” – Didn't Know the Lord! But Then I Saw that Praise is Sought by Fools, who Miss the Mark 'cause Jesus they've igNored! The Prince of Peace and Joy is BuddhaChrist; that Love's the Sweetest Love will Ever Be! That Love has Always Longing Hearts sufFiced, and Ev'ry Day that Love sufFices ME!

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

TO EVERY GOD AND GODDESS

To Every God and Goddess

When Fears and DesperAtion Seize conTrol, we Rashly Do most Awful, Cruel Things. Our Angry Hatred Causes Heads to Roll; we've Missed the LovingKindness Jesus Brings. When Peace and Justice Both get Overruled, forGiveness Needs ta Be by All exPressed; in Living Truth the People Must be Schooled, 'cause Only Grace can Make the People Blest. It's Really Up ta Us ta Change our Ways, and That's what Faithful Prayer Helps us Do! If We'd esCape our All-too-Common Daze, we're Gonna Need some Aid from You-Know-Who!

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

A FEW WORDS

A Few Words

(to a brother)

Well, Are ya Gonna LOVE yer Self, er Not? Will You be Kind, er Cruel, Mister Man? Will You acCept the Truths you've Fiercely Fought? 'Cause You kin Practice Mercy, Yes, You Can!



Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

GIVE IT UP!

Give It Up!

We Got too Much o' Meanness In our Lives; we're Mean ta Gaia, Women, Men, and Kids. As Long as Number One gits Fed, and Thrives, we'll Act real Nice, and Never Flip our Lids. But If we Think we See a Crucial Threat, we're Apt ta Want ta Kill ta Feel seCure. But THAT will Never GIT that Cravin' Met, it's Only Love that Makes salVation Sure! So Love the Lord, your Self, and Ev'ryOne, and Let's not Be too Shy to Let it Show, 'cause Lovin' S'posed ta Be reLief And Fun; if Yer Hung Up, ya GOTS ta Let it GO!

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

SOME OF US HAVE BEEN CRUEL

Some of Us Have Been Cruel

Man, When would Christ the Savior Maim or Kill? Now, Most of Us will Cite some Lame exCuse. We WEREN'T comPELLED, we've Used our Own Free WILL; our Common Sense ain't Gotten Too much Use! Now, As fer Me, I Cop I ain't no Saint; I'm Sure that You could Really Chasten Me; but Let's not Evil “Patriotic” Paint, 'cause Murder's Evil, Far as I kin See.... So Let's disCover How ta Be more Kind; let's Talk it Over, Try ta Work things Out! 'Cause Fears can Make most AnyBody Blind... till He or She forGets what Life's aBout! You've Got some BraverY inSide o' YOU; and Killing's Never Brave, o Noble Foe! The Only Time that Dreams start Coming True, is When a Little LOVE's alLowed to Grow!

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson

CRUELTY OR KINDNESS?

Cruelty or Kindness?

Oh, Cruelty or Kindness, Which ta Choose?

Should We be Kind ta Friends, but Mean ta Foes?

With Kindness Win! With CruelTy you’ll Lose,

the Doer Reaps the Very Thing she Sows!

So Fill my Heart with Love, cast Out the Fears;

and Help me Keep a Kindly AttiTude!

‘Cause When TempTation’s MasquerAde apPears,

then I won’t Be ta Evil-Doin’ Wooed.

Please Help me Clearly see the Path ta Take,

and Guide my Steps aLong that Golden Way!

It’s True that Always Ev’ryThing’s at Stake,

so Let’s us Love taDay and ev’ry Day!

Copyright 2013 by Marie Louise Nickerson