Life

Life has often been called a race when making an analogy, or when used in metaphorical terms. Some of us are trying to beat out the competition for material things and status, and others with their personal goals at the end of the line. In any case, we are all moving somewhere. An infant is learning to walk, a toddler is learning to talk, a kindergartener is learning to count and add numbers as life continually progresses with time.

The race begins on our day of birth and from there it does not stop until we transition to death. We all leave the womb and into this world breathing with our own healthy lungs. We may not choose our own races in the beginning, but eventually success and achievement will be based on personal decisions. Some of us will walk while others will run. Then you have those who will fall down, and either get back up and continue, or leave the race altogether.

Like any challenge, life will give you what you prepare for. If you want to be the best and perform the best, then you train and work hard to accomplish just that. Being physically fit and mentally prepared are key in any event. You must be knowledgeable about your course and have a plan on how to run it. The goal is there and it is the individual or team that strategizes on how to get there most efficiently. Time and speed may be a driving force in people's actions. Quality and patience may be a factor in someone else's journey around the track. It does not matter what we decide on and how we spend our time, but it is imperative that we are cognizant in knowing that this is indeed a race and the goal is forward.

9/20/12 11:28 AM

Freedom of speech in the negative

What happens when the Freedom of Speech loses compassion?

We offend our fellow brethren and disrespect our fellow sisters.
The tongue tears down the walls of humanity with lashes of the vocabulary.

What happens when the Freedom of Speech loses compassion?

It is like an untamed fire running through the forest wild.
Destruction is the aftermath.
Hurt feelings and broken hearts ensue.

In God we trust and follow the command to love our neighbor as our self.
Shall we look in the mirror and condemn ourselves?
Shall we look in the mirror and spit?
Shall we look in the mirror and curse?
Shall we look in the mirror and not love what we see?

No matter the region or sections of the sea,
We share the common value of human decency.
But such is lost when the Freedom of Speech loses compassion.


Remembering the lives of the four Americans who died in Benghazi, Libya on September 12, 2012 after an attack on the US Embassy. This post is a reflection on the current turmoil sprouting across Northern Africa and the Middle East after this event. There is never any excuse for violence or a violation on human life. I continue to stand for peace. 

C. Cunningham 

Voter registration

Back to the polls in November to vote again. I have the right to show the America I believe in.
If you trust that it's a conspiracy, deception or the real thing, remember that opinions are just that, but truth is solid. Liberal, conservative, right wing, or whatever you proclaim, "Liberty and justice for all" is the foundation on which we stand. Liberty being freedom without restraints and justice is fair and impartial, dealing only with facts. So, as I take to the polls in November, I will only deal with the facts.

Our Roots Run Deep

Our roots run deep like the mighty Mississippi flowing from the Midwest

And out of the mouth of its southern delta.

Our hearts sit on grandma's porch filled with laughter on a rainy day
And lives with the smell of sweet peaches baked under fresh, hand pressed dough.

Our roots run deep like coals in the bottom of a barbeque pit

Lighting up backyard aromas on the second Saturday of the month.

Family recipes passed down from aunt to niece, from grandfather to son

And from mother to daughter in a never ending cycle of soulful meals.

Our roots run deep like great monarchies of kings and queens.

Just as the great Pharaoh built his pyramid to withstand the test of time,

We build our home to be a symbol of strength, intelligence, and love.

This family is a proud legacy of our ancestors.

Our roots run deep like the soul of a juke joint bluesman.

They groove to classic hits cruising down the boulevard.

These roots of ours connect us to a continent of hope and faith.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents and friends alike.

Our roots run deep like a fresh January snow;

It runs deep like a baritone voice moaning from the Sunday choir.

Our hearts meditate between pews and old hymnals that tell us who we are.

Amen, amen, amen.

All hail sleep! (The continuation)

I slept well today. A burden was lifted from my shoulders and I laid in a comfort that had been lost. My body was snuggled under a green throw with my head nestled between the large brown pillow and mattress for hours. I turned several times, but knew it was not time to get up just yet. After I surpassed the normal siesta schedule, I emerged delighted at my day. What a perfect slumber. A refreshing and rejuvenating, deep sleep.

Brown skin

Where does my brown skin begin?
Does it start with the natives of this sacred land,
Or perhaps on the distant shores across the Atlantic.
Does my sun-kissed skin originate from the land of Pharaohs?
Did it drift from down the River Nile?
Maybe it arose from further north in Jordan's stream.
My cocoa shade could have been a blessing from the Orient
Seasoned with the finest curries and spice blends.
This skin has been touched by the four corners of the earth.
It connects me to something intangible;
Something far greater than just me.

My heart is where my home is

I left my heart in deep cobalt lakes and cool summer winds
It grooves to classic hits while cruising down the boulevard
My heart sits between pews and hymnals on early Sunday mornings

I left my heart on grandma's porch filled with laughter on a rainy day
It lives with the smell of sweet peaches baked under fresh, hand pressed dough
My heart belongs in the negative temperatures of the purest winter snow

I left my heart down on the river banks with catfish and blue gills
It burns with coals lighting up the smells of the best back yard barbecue
My heart is at home in Michigan the finest place I know