The Tyrant- and Other Poems

So, last semester I took a Shakespeare class, as many may know from previous posts. Studying the work, and life of such a brilliant mind did a number on me as a person, and a writer. The class inspired me to try out a lot of different kinds of writing, but mainly, poetry. over the course of the semester I wrote about 15-20 poems. Looking back on my work, they reflected the various emotions and ideas I had been toiling over and wrestling with.  I have decided to post some of my favorites, the poems that I felt were the most genuine, and from the heart. I hope you enjoy. If you have any questions about any of the poems and their origins, I am open to being open with you!








The Tyrant


True love is a democracy,
So when'd this tyrant come to pow'r?
taketh his time to envelope me,
and haunt 'til our last fateful hour.

To sit and dream about our love,
it once betook mine open eye,
n' thy beauty like the whitest dove,
all this was tainted with our lie.

Bespeek a lie, yes, that there too.
I closed thy lips with sullied hush,
and softly speak false love to you
Truth... lost myself, within the rush.

Twas then the swine but did begin
to show himself with ghastly squeal
to snarl and surface from within
and so my heart began to reel

the truths revealed with vile gesture
but hath two options left for they
leave tainted wounds to rot and fester
or grab the flesh and cut away

and so the truth yet wins again
there, do two souls speak... pain, be gone.
praise skies above, for grace within
and with their scars they carry on.

The Peak


Paradise, Oh Paradise, where doth though lie?
burrow in my mind and consumeth mine eye.
how exquisite your beauty, tis held in the peak
a mount built by hearts, the skies they doth seek.
foundation, o'er foundation etched in hard stone
I calleth on you as the sculptor to hone.
Bringeth the flame or shocks from above
reinforcing the frame that holdeth our love.

Oh artist of wonder you pleaseth mine eye
Her beauty transcends the depths of the sky
Oh maker and foreman of thy human heart,
thou hast implanted in her, your greatest of art.
So true to thy word, you buried this rose.
in the dirt of your garden it forever grows.
So there i shall walk, in the shade of your trees
proclaiming your love that outweighs the sees.

 in the sight of this son, what can i do,
but walketh beside her in service of you.



Fire of Desire (I am not dramatic, life was frustrating when i wrote this...lol)

The bondage of my heart is sorely felt
a choking scream - upon a murderous eye
inside, it withers slowly, a rose - to wilt
The holder then does strangle me - to die.

Desire, she plagues my soul with every moon
a hollowness left gaping in the wind
the dust and ash infect, tis then i swoon,
oh save me lest I suffer to mine end.

set fire to that rotten fruit, and flames-
yes, lick and stab and burn this offered head
draw life from wounds, deliver me from shame
from death and ash do rise, my beloved.

Awaketh from this monstrous nightmare
dead skin left peeled, mew flesh my soul doth bare.


Her.


Oh sweetest heart, that time doth part
I pray this prayer for you
May Lord above, o'er power his love
and make your heart anew
With each new dawn, may you be undone
o' soiled parchments of this world
So that you're free, to clearly see
the father's will unfurled
As trees abound, without a sound
So my love will surely grow
in silence here, with every prayer,
though your name I still don't know.


Sense - feeling of animate being


How to describe this quiet air
that rings my ears when no one's there
I look around as if to search
will bring solution to loves besmirch.

how I miss the taste of loves sweet lips
no, not just the love within a kiss
but endearments soft and sweetly spoke
an ascending bulge within my throat

The sweetest smell of true loves breath
and caressing the soft of true loves neck
do draw within most powerful lore
of a love that lasts forevermore

Tis the plague of love that brings desire,
'T does coax the senses that light the fire.

An Everyday Journey through Hell.


Alone...alone, it shan't be done
the narrow path, it twists and turns
My soul, my shoes they're worn, they're gone,
my naked feet among the thorns.

The light, the light I strive to find
for in this darkness I travel blind
the hunter lay not far behind
He aims to kill, my soul to bind

Demon, Demon what a horrible wretch
who in the dark doth glow, aflame.
perplexed my mind attempts to fetch
false light that bears oh sullied name.

Oh pain! oh pain! inflicted to kill
My heart's aflame, my screams are shrill
oh detriment of my own will,
has left me in the darkness still.

escape, escape my soul cannot
alone, i fight against the cage
My face grows pale, my blood runs hot
my soul left broken, torn, enraged

Above, Above doth search my eyes
My pride left Shattered, my all, it cries!
"Oh save me from this foul demise"
and instantly, clouds clear the skies

The path! The path! The light reveals!
i run, i sprint, forget my pride
I dance, I sing, when upon soft hills
I see the father, his arms spread wide.

Alone...Alone, oh nevermore
all pain is gone, that I once bore
For when pride was left upon the floor
twas in the light, my soul did soar.


Ahhh... I think that will do for now! thanks to all of you who read all of them! I hope my the extremities of my emotional capacity did not bother you!

Thoughts on Life and Glory.

glory
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	fame, importance

What am I living for? Such a cliche, but I find that I don't ask myself that question quite enough. What am I LIVING for, it's actually quite a heavy question. Cause really, the most important thing in our brief little lives is the life itself, (duh), but think about it. Life: Theologians and scientists study, ponder, and debate over its origins. People "devote" themselves to politics, religions, and materials in an attempt to put a label on theirs. All these things that societies and cultures are built on are established in an attempt to answer that cliche, "What am I living for?"

Many people will attempt to tell you what they live for, when in actuality they have no idea, they are just parroting some ideal or philosophy that sounded good to them, but are they really living it? I know that I fall into this category. I call myself religious, I call myself a Christian, but to what extent do I grasp the weight of my words? To what extent am I honestly answering that question? I believe, the way we can find the true answers for ourselves is to examine our actions. Do you live for fun? Do you live for pleasure? Money? Status and fame? Self-aggrandizement? or something deeper? This is not a new idea or philosophy, and it is found in many religions and beliefs. But, how often do we access this idea and analyze our lives, AND THEN, make changes accordingly?

I feel like I need to define for myself, where I stand in my life, WHAT I stand for. Up until now I can definitely say that I lived for pride, in all shapes and sizes. Now, pride is not all bad, but the pride I lived for was false and weak. I live for pride in myself, and the only way I found to boost this pride was to access the pride and attention of those around me. When others are proud of me, I am proud of myself. You can imagine how self destructive this can become, being that I am just shy of perfection. (Just kidding don't freak out!) I am actually tremendously imperfect, and I am ironically aware of this.

Anyways, my world thus far has been extremely self centered., I have been living for ME and since I am but a speck on the landscape of of the universe and time, what kind of Glory am I living for? If I am living for a temporary speck, how grand, how epic is my life? So, when I am living for myself, I am being self destructive (in the sense of glory and pride). Ironically, if I want to find self worth and pride, I have to live for something greater than myself, but to truly live for something greater than yourself you have to not care about your own glory.... wow, I know, it gets a bit convoluted. Such is the by product of seeking your own glory.

SO! How does one become someone who lives for something greater than himself? For something Eternal and Grand? To do this, I have to make my main concern the glory of Jesus, the Christ. Thus far, I have lived for the Glory of Austin Sill, The Speck!

(YES, I just brought God into the equation, and now many may become squeamish and detain themselves from reading on, but I ask of you to be open minded just for a second, because much of what I have to say transcends spirituality, and it can help edify you in overcoming frustration and insecurity in life.)

I can honestly say I am tired of being proud and selfish at my core, why? because I am tired of being insecure. Really... insecurity seems to stem from a failure in finding security in my own pride and glory. Since I am human, and therefore I am imperfect, my glory is therefore imperfect, and it is not just imperfect, it is non-existent, for true Glory comes from perfection and it is not self serving, for how important is a man who does nothing for anyone but himself?

It's time to be a crusader for something more glorious than myself. Time to LIVE for the most glorious being, the most powerful King, Christ. But how does one do this? With the primary tool granted to us, the Holy Spirit. We are all too unaware of it, whilst being aware of it. Thomas Merton writes in his book, No Man is an Island, "A man is only perfectly man when he consents to live as a son of God...The Holy spirit is the one who makes us sons of God [it's role in the trinity], justifying our souls by his presence and his charity, granting us the power to LIVE and ACT as sons of God [Jesus]."

Thus we have taken the first step in leaving the life lived for ourselves. We have simply recognized the power and the necessity of the spirit in guiding us to loving and willing the will of God.

BUT WHY? Many will ask this question, why God, why Christ. What proof do you have that living a life with myself at the center is detrimental? Well, here is a thought, and the hey theme to keep in mind through out this upcoming vicious circle of thought is "worth."

If we (Man) are Gods greatest creations, and we are all equal in the eyes of God, Then what does living for yourself, or any other man mean? It means you are living for limited glory, for stagnancy. For something that is impossible to reach new heights of emotional and spiritual welfare with. We are restricted to the flesh, to our own bodies, so what is there to gain by living for any man? For we can see and reach our full potential in the flesh, it has a conspicuous end. So, what does this world and this flesh have to offer that will help us reach new heights of pride, glory and well being? Money, power, fame, sex, fun, pleasure! All awesome things right? But the problem with living for these things is that they are all either created by man and society, or are a small part of us. therefore, if we LIVE for them, we are now living for something that is even less than ourselves. You are therefore, belittling yourself by becoming subservient to a material, or an emotion that will not fulfill you in the most basest of ways, and therefore you waste your life seeking more and more of it because what you have never fulfills.

So you say, fine I will not live for these things, but I can still live for myself. NOPE! because what do you have to offer? All that you have to offer is what you can create, and all that you create is of LESS WORTH than you are yourself. The byproduct of living for oneself is to live for something less than oneself. And, ironically, when a man is living for his own glory, he is actually living in a life that puts him below everyone around him, because for him to find earthly glory he must meet the standards and perception of those around him, he is living for the piteous opinions of others, whose weight of glory is no greater than what he already knows, which therefore has brought him full circle to a place of nothingness, and he becomes trapped on an endless ladder to nowhere.

Me thinks this paradox of misguided self fulfillment is why the world has become such a hostile, suicidal, self destructive and depressed place. We are all jam packed in a closed room of stone, clamoring around, fighting to get higher when there is no where to go. That is why Christs way is so great. When we take him on, and make his glory our focus, we die to ourselves, to that part of us that is fighting in that closed room, and we find ourselves in a new life that is outside of the room, that is enthralled with the beauty that surrounds us, so that our eyes are off of ourselves. Of course, realizing this is just the beginning, and we are not completely free of that room until we have reached a place where our only desire is to love, and live for God.

How freeing it feels to know that he has a plan, and that all I have to do is try my very best to align myself with his desires. To live for oneself is to trap oneself in a box of confusion, how frustrating it is to search for Gold in a pile of crap.

Final Thoughts (Part. 1- Truth?)

So, the year is coming to a close. The ever present commercialization of Christmas runs conspicuously rampant, and many of us are finishing up with semesters for work and school, preparing for a new year and new opportunities. I feel that for years I have often gotten all too swept up in the excitement of Christmas and the new year that I forget to reflect on what  life has taught me over the year I just traversed.

This year, things have been a bit different. I am not as excited about the holiday rush as I normally am, and it as given me a right mind to reflect on the past 12 months. I am amazed at all that has happened this past year. There have been numerous transformations in my life and mind as well as in relationships with loved ones and with God. I mean, it was just about a year ago that I really stepped into my life here in the San Gabriel Valley. Just about a year ago that I opened my eyes and ears up to God, trying to find his new plans for me at this new church, CCV. I have never really stopped to realize all that God has taught me in this time, to realize how I have changed and grown.


So, now that I finally have some time, being done with school, I have resolved to write about just a handful of things that I found relevant and inspiring over the past year. I don't know how many of these blogs I will write before I, "get over it" but I think it is necessary to share the truths that we learn, which leads me to my first entry, Truth.

As many of you know from past blogs, I took an introduction to Shakespeare class this last semester. Being an English major, I really, really enjoyed it and took the opportunity to learn as much as I could by studying one of the greatest minds to ever think. I was surprised at how much I was able to learn from a dead poet!

As the semester has just recently come to a close, our professor, Dr. Salwak, challenged us to look back on all of Shakespeare's work that we studied and analyze themes that were consistent. One that I found in several, was an urge, a desire from Shakespeare, to his audience. The line is delivered in the end of his play, "The Tempest." It goes, "Gentle breath of yours my sails must fill, or else my project fails." It is spoken in the epilogue of the play by the character, Prospero. Prospero is a character of grace, valiance, and honesty, an enlightened king of a distant Isle. In many ways, the voice of Shakespeare is reflected through Prospero, but focusing on this line specifically, there is much weight.

Let me start by stating this, I do not idolize Shakespeare in any sense. I don't think him to be superhuman or god-like in any way, but I do think that a man who contemplated human nature as much as the late William Shakespeare did, would, by his end, have amazing insight into the subject matter. Shakespeare did, by his end, have a well thought out understanding of human nature, and I am under the impression, that was his life goal. Why? Not for his own glory or pride, but for reasons much grander. Shakespeare lived in a time of artistic revolution, a newfound open-mindedness swept the nation of England. Shakespeare, was not apart from it all, but I believe he had a revelation, to learn and to teach the complex inner workings of the human soul. So, I  believe he sat down with the greatest forms of inspiration he could find, The Bible, a book with more insight into truth than any other ever written, and a mirror, figuratively speaking. Shakespeare looked within himself, analyzed his thoughts and natural instinct, his selfishness, happiness, pride... where did these come from, what did they cause? Shakespeare sought to find these truths, and reveal them to a new generation of free and wild thinking.

So, he was not always the great mind we think of him as, with vast amounts of knowledge ingrained in him from birth, not at all. Shakespeare learned everything along the way, it shows in his work. So, by the time he wrote his last play, "The Tempest," he saw his work coming to and end, and begged of his readers, to share what they learned, as he did, by writing his works. Our breath, must fill the sails of his work, our words, must speak wisdom, wisdom that he HELPS us discover with his plays.

(Just to make sure that I am not offending of being off putting to the avid readers of the bible, let me reassure you, Shakespeare is not greater than the word of God. Shakespeare, rather, took truths that he found to be relevant to his culture, and ingrained them in his plays. The bible was written from a perspective of people that many in western culture, have trouble understanding, in parables that they could not relate to. So, Shakespeare's work, hand in hand with the Bible, is a bridge of understanding for those in Western Culture. the fact that Shakespeare was so insightful to the Bible and the truths of human nature that it helped him discover, is why he has become so timeless).

Let me close (if I haven't already lost you in boredom!) with a practical approach to what Shakespeare had in mind, and, since I am on the subject of Truth, and the importance of speaking our minds, let me take a passage from his play, "King Lear."

"The weight of this sad time we must obey, Speak what we feel, not what we ought say." This line is delivered at the end of the play. By this time the tragedy has taken it's course, and many have suffered. A major catalyst for all the death and destruction in the play, was hiding the truth. Several characters literally disguised throughout, and others hiding behind lies and false emotion. In the end, truth prevails, it is revealed in all occurring, but what it took to spawn, caused pain and death.

It is really easy to lie in a culture like the one we live in. Everyone is seeking to be politically correct and "tolerant" to all. This my friends, is an act in futility. The truth cannot, WILL NOT, be hidden. It always finds a way to reveal itself. As adults, we cannot waste anymore time sugar coating things that major issues, we must confront our problems and differences in life, and FACE THEM. We cannot overcome adversity as a humanity, if we speak friendliness but brood in hate, if speak lies and hide the truth. GRANTED, there are instances when being polite can serve to help someone feel good, like, "hey what do you think about this shirt?"

Although it is obviously hideous, there is no need to be disparaging to the spirit of this exuberant young man! Rather, tell him, "Oh, well I have never seen anything like it, (on a human), that shirt is one of a kind!" You see. I know there are many who will try to turn this on me by saying, well where is the line, you have to be 100% or not at all. Ugh, lets not get tiresome. We all have common sense, if you are facing an issue of trivial value, weigh the costs of a little white lie as opposed to hiding your true self to fit in, or hiding your beliefs as not to conflict with anyone around you. It is important to execute common sense, and that is a point that we seem to lack in with our culture. We all have, all or nothing attitudes, and life does not work like that. You have to contemplate EVERYTHING in life. Every decision or belief should always be given a second, third, fourth thought! (but not five...c'mon no need to be excessive).

It comes down to this. Why hide the truth. Shakespeare puts it best in Hamlet, "To thine own self, be true." Do not compromise your beliefs. We get one life, ONE! do not waste yours trying to please EVERYONE. Yes, live to love, seek to serve, but by no means put on a facade. My belief is that once you come to terms and are honest with what is true to you, only then can you understand true tolerance.  To deliver the truth to someone, shows true integrity and intimacy. much better than lying, and then brooding and gossiping behind their back. It's called "Conscience Loving." And according to my professor there is an essay on the topic, I don't know, google it. But it talks about a possibility of a breakthrough, serendipitous moments that we pass up out of fear of the truth, or what honesty MIGHT bring. Growing up, my mom always said, "What if is from the devil." I found it funny then, but the older I get, the more true I find it to be.

So I PRITHEE, as Shakespeare would say. Speak what you feel. And more so, I beg you all to look within as often as you can. It is amazing what God can reveal to you. This is why I write and read. Knowledge lies within words and communication, so utilize what has been given, second guess everything as not to be tricked by false preachers of truth. I will tell you right now, a great place to start is with The Bible, too tough? Shakespeare, to Elizabethan? C.S. Lewis.. start with him, journal, and work your way up. Read side by side with the Word of God, pray, and think, THINK! It is free and there is more to discover in your own introspection and contemplations than any book or film could ever reveal to you!

A Love in Shades of Grey - A Poem

I have been writing a lot of poetry lately, so i just figured I would throw one of my most recent poems up for kicks, seeing as I have not posted in a while. enjoy.








A Love in Shades of Grey


My mind is wrapped, my thoughts entrapped
at dusk and dawn of day;
with a spectacle , so powerful
of love that fades to grey


Tis ironic how, a love so empowered 
doth live while we decay.
Our bodies break, and hearts will ache
but not to loves dismay.


This attitude o' such loves fortitude
does not come sure as day,
but upon I do, is a promise to
romance in shades of grey


True love is past, it cannot last
the world seems to convey.
Dear souls shall desecrate, then separate
entrapped in disarray.


Oh abhorrent thoughts, that I will not
let o'er my mind have way.
For the love I've found, will surely resound
in spectacles of grey.


So now my dear, with open ear
lay down and hear me say,
Oh rest your head, my beloved
and love in shades of grey.

Someone Order Sonnets?

Hey guys, these are just a few sonnets that I have written of late that i decided to post. The former is in the style of a traditional Italian Sonnet, and the latter two are inspired by traditional Shakespearean Sonnets. Hope you enjoy!




Tragedy of the Misguided Endeavors


Remove from us these thoughts, so cruelly placed
where pain and hate run rampant on the prowl
idly aside they trap them all the while
envelope me within your warm embrace

present darkness, it lurks like cats untamed
a beast with gnashing teeth that aims to kill
feasting upon the hearts of weak and ill
with souls left torn, broken, scourged and maimed

A Savior lies among the tattered flesh
The only hope for victims of the beast
decision lies betweenst the lost and death
unfortunate, he lacketh hands and feet
replaced by narrow lines drawn in the air
averted eyes, self righteousness...they bare.








The Canary Pipe Dream


How ignorant and loosely in his speech
persuading to avert mine hurting eyes
Benvolio doth dare, at me, to preach
to look upon new beauties would be wise

There, perched so sweetly in the flock of birds
doth sit the soft canary gold as sun
she sings to me in voice but lacking words
wound heart and logic, in me, come undone

For learned things my hearts no longer fond
revelations, wild dreams pervade my mind
to feed the beast enraged by lack of bond
new rays of Summer, dead trees left behind

In time thy heart my mind shall learn to tame
For now, in dreams you do ever remain.








Becoming Young Goodman Brown


Dark was the night when we first met
within the wood so frightening
upon a bough you roughly sat
with ready words, like lightening

I followed you away from her
my faith was lost within the dark
not knowing just how far we were
to hell, do we seem to embark

So where do I now face this man
whose tricks hath not been blunted yet
he hath, for me, a sinful plan
concede to him my heart might let.

Oh faith return me to thy bed
forever hold this tarnished head

So, what has Hamlet done for me lately?

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare is widely revered as the greatest drama of all time, in other words, it's pretty good. I was fortunate enough to study it for the third time in the, "Intro to Shakespeare" class that I am taking at the prestigious Citrus University in Glendora, CA. (Look it up if you don't know, it's legit.)

Anyways, every time I read Hamlet, I am reminded of just how brilliant Shakespeare really was. Sure, in today's racy and invigorating world of Literature, Shakespeare's works might, (at first glance) seem cheesy and cliche, and for many he has been labeled as, "unreadable," because the Elizabethan English he writes in is too hard to understand. Yes. I agree with both those statements, through a certain lens.

Don't forget, If Shakespeare never lived or wrote, cliche would not exist outside of biblical/spiritual language. The reason his plots and themes may seem cheesy is because you are looking at them through "21st century lenses." There are four centuries of writers who have mimicked or been inspired by the intensely introspective themes of Shakespeare's work between your eyes/mind, and the words written on the pages of any given document of Shakespeare. Those writers have taken the thoughts of Shakespeare and made them everyday ideas. From the concept that "beauty is not only skin deep," and "All that glitters is not gold," to the reality that "Death is the great Leveler," Shakespeare themes have been implanted in us, ingrained in society. This is not a bad thing, it just goes to show you how insightful this one man was.

Now, I have diverged from what I really intended to say, with, what I planned on being a brief blog. Shakespeare knew good writing, and so he used the best writing of his day as a source for his own inspiration, The Bible. After reading Hamlet again, I noticed a theme I had never noticed before, and it is revealed through one line, "There is a divinity that shapes our ends." Hamlet speaks this line towards the end of the play, after a whirlwind of madness, internal conflict, depression, and death, when he realizes that he has not control over his own fate or the fates of those he loves, "rough hew them how we will," ultimately he is powerless.

This was not a new concept to me, being an avid church-goer most my life, I have recited verses like Jeremiah 29:11,  Romans 8:28, and Matthew 6:34. (GO READ EM', haha). The difference was that for two weeks I was getting to know, and relating to the character Hamlet, correlating my issues with his issues, my feelings and frustrations with his, so, when Hamlet came to this resolve, and his mood and tone dramatically changed, you can imagine how loudly and vibrantly the message was revealed to me.

There is not much pf a point to this blog other than to share with you a gem that I, and many other before and after have and will find. Shakespeare's work is amazing. Each time I study the play, Hamlet, I walk away with a different perspective on the tragedy, that alone displays how truly awesome this man was as a writer and a philosopher. Just to clarify, the Word of God, (The Bible) makes Shakespeare look like Dr. Seuss in comparison, and should not be held in comparison, but rather viewed as a source or reference when reading Shakespeare.

In the end all I have to say is, please don't hate me for this blog! I know how cheesy it all sounds, but I guess I just really like Hamlet, if nothing else! So, go grab a copy and enjoy the tale of "murder most foul!"

Love like Chocolate

Sweet, is something small, that we experience inside of us. A feeling that we savor and truly delight in. Adults (ladies) turn to chocolate in many cases, as a source of comfort when their emotions are aflame. A child desires sweets constantly, for it's pleasure is pure and comforting, and their heart has not yet been defiled by pursuits of a perverted and/or self indulgent nature. 


I am reminded of the kids that I was privileged enough to get to know in Zimbabwe, Africa this summer. They, like almost every child, love sweets. They let you know it too, every day we would smile as they would run up to us and demand, "gimme my sweeties!" That might sound rude or controlling, but their lack of skills in the english language had limited them to that saying. I'm sure that if they had a better understanding of our complex form of communication, they would have politely asked, "excuse me my good white friend, I was just wondering if, by chance, you had happened upon some treats of a sweet and delightful nature, and if so, if you at all felt compelled to share them with me? I would greatly appreciate it, thank you." Either way, I understood them. So, why is this relevant? Well, whenever I was feeling generous enough to give them one of my Clif bars or Cadbury chocolates, they would rejoice, thank me, and immediately go to their friends and break off even pieces for all. They shared freely, none of them had to ask, their friends were willing to go to them, and give them a piece of their sugary joy. Why? Because they knew they had found something special, something delightful, and they wanted to bring that delight to their brothers and sisters. So together, they sat, smiling, glowing really, enjoying that simple pleasure for all that it was, not needing any excess, just enough to get a taste.


As I was reminiscing on this, my stomach began to twist a bit. I realized just how sick this world has become. Just how selfish it has become. My mother recently went to a convention on slavery in the world today. She came back baffled at all that she had not known. She went specifically to learn about human sex trafficking, to research organizations that help to rescue sex slaves. She soon learned that sex trafficking is only a small portion of all the human trafficking and slavery that is rampant in the world today, and America is not detached from this, not at all, a majority of our consumer  goods have been, at least partially, manufactured through slave labor. The one product that really stood out to my mother, was chocolate. Almost every major chocolate brand is connected to slave labor. Slave children who are losing their fingers harvesting cocoa beans in the fields with machetes. Kids who spend all there time working to collect beans to make a candy, they have never even tasted. It makes me sick. 


How twisted are we in this world, in this society? We are misers, we are hoarders, we are pirates. We live to consume. We will take all of something, even something sweet like chocolate, and we pervert it, dilute it, and sell it to fullfill our own passions of personal-gain, literally, we have no quarrels with taking lives in order to get things cheaper and make greater profits. 
(Now I know there are many readers who at this point are thinking, "okay, here we go again, another philanthropic blog to go along with all those damn puppy commercials to try and make me feel guilty for living and spending." I know, it can get tiring hearing about all the worlds problems, but that doesn't mean we should ignore them, don't feel guilty, at least recognize the issue, and give it the respect it deserves.)


The whole purpose of this blog is not only to bring awareness to this issue, but to also draw a parallel.


Listen: What a portrait this is to the love of Jesus. We often hear in songs, and in poetry, Jesus being called, Sweet Jesus. Like sweets, his love is easy to attain, it is simple, and delightful. Sure, Christianity can get complex, and living a Christ-like life can be hard, but his message of love remains the most simple and sweet part of the entire religion. It is the backbone to our faith. (although that idea seems to have been lost for many, who have made judgement and rules the message they preach to the lost.) Just think, if we treated this sweet love, like the children in Zimbabwe treat their sweets. If only we savored it like the children, for what it is, and shared it with those around us because we want to make them happy. This world we be a different place, (cliche, but so true). People would be generally happier, and joyous, because instead of hoarding and perverting everything, including the love of Jesus, they would savor it, share it with one another.


It would be a world where people valued life. Where people gave a damn about strangers, where people would not be weirded out if you smiled at them on the street, or winked at their young children just to see them smile. Unfortunately, our evil nature causes us to value paper, metal, and sexual gratification more than we value a soul and a beating human heart. What is a man to do? 


Make the change in your own life, LOVE those around you. That is all it takes. If you abstain from wrath, pessimism, and selfishness, your entire life will change. I am not perfect, I am just as evil as anyone else, but I am realizing that the only way I can ever be happy, is if I love those around me, and treat friends, family, strangers with respect. Care about their problems, listen. It is not an easy process, and not everyone will be on board, but try to make the little changes in your day to day life, by not getting angry over small things like traffic and long lines. Smile when you feel the urge to grimace. I know this sounds pretty cheesy, but I am finding more and more that the cheesy things hold truth, and more weight than we realize. Jesus Loves people, what is there to dislike about that message, try it on for size.






If you want to learn more about consuming products that are not at all involved in slavery, go to http://www.transfairusa.org/ or http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/