My Personal Prayer #3: ELITE WARRIOR

This poem is by far my favorite. I read it almost everyday. Every man should read it and internalize it, I read it out loud always:

Elite Warrior - Author Unknown

Truth is my way; love is my law.

I am a warrior - an elite warrior, acting without fear, anger or hatred. I seek to forget momentary emotional pleasures in times of learning and stress. I will love my enemy as a part of life and nature, fearing neither life nor the shadows of death.

I do not hope, for I know that the power to act is in everyone. I care not about victory or defeat, caring about winning or losing in itself is a loss. As an elite warrior, I shall never be content with ones level of achievement - But strive always to better myself in all that I do. Unifying my mind, body and spirit.

I am an elite warrior

Personal Prayer #2: The intellectuals have spoken

This poem I read when I was 18 years old. I was a freshman at Hofstra University. I was waiting to speak to a professor during his office hours. While I waited, he had this poem on his door. I stood there and read it over 20 times. I memorized and internalized it and never forgot it. It's been 13 years since that day. I forgot the name of the professor, but I never forgot the poem. It reminds me to always move decisively - sure and steadfast. because while you're pondering and crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's, valuable time is wasting. Meanwhile, someone else is taking action to advance themselves- Not because they're the smartest but because they're decisive - sure and steadfast and believe in action.

"The Intellectuals have spoken"

The intellectuals have spoken; Nothing should be done, nothing legislated until a rationale has been established.

The intellectuals have spoken.

Meanwhile, those who believe in action; and that they should be up while all others down, stormed the room, killed the leaders, and arrested the remainder, whom they later hung.

Then, there was no more talking.

author unknown

My Personal Prayer Vol 1: Lone Dog

I read this to myself from time to time. This is one of three poems thats I read all the time. I can identify with that Lone Dog because it reminds me of myself. It reminds me that nothing comes easy, but I wouldn't have it any other way:

Lone Dog:

I'm a lean dog, a keen dog, a wild dog, and lone;

I'm a rough dog, a tough dog, hunting on my own;

I'm a bad dog, a mad dog, teasing silly sheep;

I love to sit and bay the moon, to keep fat souls from sleep.

I'll never be a lap dog, licking dirty feet,

a sleek dog, a meek dog, cringing for my meat,

Not for me the fireside, the well-filled plate,

But shut door and sharp stone, and cuff and kick, and hate.

Not for me the other dogs, running by my side, some have run a short while, but none of them would bide. 10 o mine is still the lone trail, the hard trail, the best,

Wide wind and wild stars and hunger for the quest!

By Irene Rutherford

A Pedestal is much a prison as any small confined space

You aim high, reach for the stars- Go father and further like Jay Z says. One can aspire to be the best. Its the greatest feeling. rocky Marciano, the only heavyweight Boxing Champion to retire undefeated said, "theres no feeling like walking through any street and knowing that you're a champion." Being the best can be intoxicating for some, its addictive. Once you taste victory, you seek more of it. It can become your high. A pedestal is much a prison as any small confined space because once you're the best, you're at the pinnacle. There is no other option. You cant go back to being second best, third best, or back to being irrelevant. Therefore, staying at your peak can be somewhat of a prison.

Two Kinds of Prison

There is one kind of prison where the man is behind bars and all he desires is outside them and another kind where man is free and all he desires is behind bars. A man behind bars may just be free, he has attained what he may have desired in life - notoriety, respect among criminals, and fear from those around him. Some strive for a life behind bars, believing it is a rites of passage for men like himself. Another form of prison is one where what a man desires is hindered by circumstance, chance, and their own doing. However, that person still desires to accomplish particular goals. The man is free and may have the means to carry out his goals, but rest assured that obstacles will arise. Some will persevere through it, some lay down and quit- Some make it and some dont. Those who fight through the obstacles and not allow themselves to be defeated by weak thinking and the circumstances of life with confidence and resilience will some day be free. All that he aspires to attain will be granted.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FROM THE BRONX

NYC - Houses 5 boros. the region that Im from is known as "Uptown," "Da BX" or "Da Bronx". What it means to be from the Bronx is to never leave "the" out before saying Bronx. Doing so is a red flag that you're not from there. What it means to be from the Bronx is to be the Ultimate Yankees fan, and a sin to be a Mets fan. We dont identify our neighborhoods with sections such as "Im from Flatbush" or "Im from Bed-Stuy". In the Bronx, we identify with the street name and intersection number - "Im from Clay Ave and 170th." To be from the Bronx is to buy your clothes on Fordham Road, Third Avenue or Southern Blvd. If you're from the Bronx and bought a coat, you know who "jew man" is. To be from the Bronx is to spend your childhood summers at Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club trying to learn how to swim. You been there 5 straight summers and aint learn to swim not one single lap - two busy watching the girls in their swim suits. You spent your time splashing around in the street fire hydrant in the summer time. You celebrated your after after-prom parties at City Island. You know what a "cokito" is. thats a coconut icee from the small street cart thats on every corner. In the bronx, we barely have private houses so we barbecued on our fire escapes. In the Bronx we barely had houses so we decorated our fire escapes with christmas lights. We barely had houses so everyone in the Bronx would go to the northern bronx on Pelham Parkwayto see the christmas lights on the houses in the "uppity" section. To be from the Bronx is to get your car stereo stolen only to go to hunts point to buy your same stereo back. To be from the Bronx is to have a kenny fried chicken on every block, right next to the dominican restaurant which was next to the dominican barber shop which was next door to the dominican hair salon, which was accross the street from the dominican mechanic that called you "poppi" which was next door to your building with the dominican super that you called "poppi." The party never stops, because in the Bronx, parties go from Monday through sunday. Every building has that family that looks for every and any reason to throw a party till 4am on a Tuesday. If the weather peaked over 65 degrees, then the old men would hit the streets for intense games of dominos as they shouted to each other about politics. If you wanted to see a basketball game, we would go to our cousin boro - Manhattan into the Harlem section. If you lived on the west side of the Bronx, you always walked to Harlem. It is a short walk over the bridges that connected the Bronx and Harlem. Right after the game, we left because we knew the fights were coming and Harlem and the Bronx is territorial, so if you're not from there and people dont recognize you - houston we have a problem...

Your heart is my Pinata

The metaphor, "Your heart is my pinata" reminds me of the poem "Im a Fool To Love You" which is about a male who observes and internalizes the relationship his mother has with his father and a man after his father and how it negatively impacted his family. A pinata is a cardboard and often times animal shaped object filled with candy and treats for kids. It is used too mainly bring joy and fun. It is a hilarious activity to watch as kids are blindfolded and given a stick so that they can use it to swing wildly through the air to the amusement of adults and anxious children who await as the child cracks open the pinata. The kids lay in wait to swarm the candy that rains down from the pinata once it has been cracked open. However, in comparing the pinata to a heart , it seems as if it has a negative connotation. If you treat the "heart" (sentiments, emotions and feelings) as you would a pinata, you are beating up on the persons sentiments, emotions and feelings. You are hurting the persons "heart". Treating the heart like a pinata is to be abusive, careless, thoughtless and cruel -Similar to a young kind swinging wildly through the air with a stick to damage the pinata, the "heart' is being pummeled with reckless abandon. In short, treating someones heart like a pinata is to break someones heart.