Rocks

Take some time to stop and look at nature. Pick up a rock or two and think about where it might have started out and what it might have gone through to end up where you found it.

Rocks

The smoothest rock is the one
that was in the roughest part
of the stream,
where it was tossed to and fro,
bouncing from rock to rock
or tree branch,
losing a little of its roughness
with each bang,
until gradually it comes to rest
in the calm, quiet sand
at the edge of the stream.
When you pick it up
and feel its smoothness
you can feel the vibrations
of its tumultuous journey
and know that
despite the troubles you now face,
you too will come to a calm
and quiet place,
your rough edges smoothed,
and you will grant peace
to those who hold you close.
The energy you contain
will speak to their hearts and minds
and calm them,
and they will realize
that they too can have this peace,
if only they will trust
that God has their best interests at heart.

We seek out the smooth stones
because we know that they
can easily skip across the surface
of the water for a great distance.
Those with rough edges
quickly sink to the bottom -
they have no longevity.
A good "skipping stone" is a great find indeed.
For it is in the heart of the stone
that the strength is found.
The outside edges are weak
and break off easily,
but the centre becomes purer
and more durable
as the roughness is ground away.
So too our inner core
becomes more durable
as our rough edges
are smoothed.

Copyright Fran Watson February 2005

Fran Watson
http://www.franwatson.ca
http://www.franwatson.ca
http://www.franwatson.ca

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..
In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.
DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Africa

AFRICA (to africans in diaspora)africa here i come, africa africa... Read More

Poetry and Popular Culture

Is poetry too complicated for the average reader? Is it... Read More

Article on Poetry and Two Poems

Writing Poetry for TomorrowWhat does a man need to be... Read More

THe Monster Mash, A Graveyard SMASH (short story I wrote when I was 11)

The Monster Mash The Graveyard SmashHave you heard of the... Read More

Ambiguity and Abstraction in Bob Dylan?s Lyrics

To many people contemporary poetry is a turn-off. The reason... Read More

Arizona Blue--Gunfighter: The Wolves Nest [Chapter One of Seven: The North]

[Episode Five]Arizona Blue-GunfighterThe Wolves Nest-in the North[Episode Five]Northern Minnesota Area?Winter... Read More

Contract of Death [Now: in SPANISH and English]

Contract of DeathI heard today, the preacher say: "Daniel has... Read More

Walt Whitman, Romance With a Stranger

The concept of brief encounters, even romantic encounters, with a... Read More

Three Poems: Liberty, Death, and a Frog [with Commentary on Liberty]

Frog SummerSummer grows hot, for the New-blooded frogs; The bugs... Read More

Two Poems: Black Poncho, and Spirits of de Copan [in English and Spanish]

English Version12) Black Poncho(of Saint Cosme Hill, by Lima, Peru)Lost... Read More

Our Home

Our home was warm in the shade of the trees... Read More

The Time Has Come and Buzzing

Most of my poems are written late at night, often,... Read More

Catherine Daly reviews Antidotes for an Alibi

Amy King Antidotes for an Alibi BlazeVox Books ISBN 0-9759227-5-0... Read More

Ode To Quetzalcoatal [Now in Spanish and English]

Ode to Quetzalc?atlQuetzalc?atl the GreatNo one knew his true name,... Read More

Ive Learned

You cannot make someone love you. All you can do... Read More

The Poets Corner [Three Poems with a review]

The Poet's Corner [Three poem/ see review of poetry under... Read More

I Hate The Wait (Weight)

I get up in the morningAnd want to stay in... Read More

New Poetic Work By Ethiopian Immigrant Promotes Respect, Courage And Cultural Sensitivity

McLean, VA - "The Healing Conscious" tells the story of... Read More

Two Poems Written During Recovery

Since my wife and I are moving, or preparing to... Read More

Uamaks Aquatic [suspense: now in Spanish and English]

Delicately, my mind was selecting a muffled tune, out of... Read More

The Treasure of Catalina Huanca (In English and Spanish)

Note: written after seeing the little adobe 16th century church... Read More

Famous Poets Quotations - Top 30 Poetry Quotations by Famous Poets

"For this reason poetry is something more philosophical and more... Read More

Listen as I Share: WE

You speak simple, completley understandable justifications I respect them, respect... Read More

Satirical Poetry About Tony Blair

All Hail.Is your hospital full of aliens, despite new cleaning... Read More

Footprints to Mantaro Valley (a poem in Spanish and English)

Footprints to Mantaro Valley (English version)In what retreat art hid?-Where... Read More

tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..