I woke from a peaceful sleep to find him 

President of the free world, TV star whim

Reality star, so far from reality

This nightmare must be a new comedy

Rebel?  Cry?  Relocate? Or, try to make

My little world operate for GOODNESS sake?

That's where me energies need to be

Making the best "lead by example" me

The world we live in is so sad. Everyday something new and I personally do not like it. It makes me cry to see all those  people die and scream to get their rights that were taken from them. Over time you will realize it will never end and you just give up fighting. Fighting for the life of others and there is no escaping it. Turn on your news, your phone, and your computer you will see hate and discrimination. Even look out your widow, you will find something. Small or large it is corrupting the world. You may come to terms, but never stop fighting. Do not show your weak side.

I wanted to be president.

I stood behind a podium for the first time and felt it: purpose.

It rushed through me like adrenaline, a new sense of confidence for the girl who could never quite fit into any role.

I didn't need drugs to feel high.

I wanted to believe in our government

I believed that lawyers were better than doctors

That the justice system worked

That crime was always punished and good was always rewarded

I wanted to believe that our government was good, that it was the best!

I wanted to believe that our government worked for the people-not the other way around.

I wanted to save the world

I spoke about Gandhi and I spoke about hunger, I spoke about feminism and I spoke about racial equality. I spoke about LGBTQ+ rights. I spoke about the environment(RIP), and I spoke about change. Change. What an unremarkable word.

I want to serve in public office

But I know I won't

I'm brown, an atheist, and a woman

And one day I turned on the news and realized:

People don't vote for that

I want to be a lawyer

But I am no longer proud

Of a broken justice system

Of criminals that walk free

And good people who sit behind bars

I no longer believe

Our government does shit

Nothing ever gets done

And when it is it's never good

I no longer believe

In a system that does nothing but divide

The people of a nation once strong

Into two colors: blue and red

But we were once blue, red, and white

I want to save the world

But I hear the people scream

They are selfish and they are greedy

They only care about what happens to them

And they can't believe in a broken arm

If they've never had one themselves

They can't believe in hunger

When they always have full shelves

They can't believe in inequality

When they wake up everyday

And never are afraid

They throw trash onto the streets

Leave picking it up to me

And one day I realized.

Maybe the world doesn't want to be saved.

I feel like a child who the world thinks doesnt get it.

A youth who won't catch on because I've still got hope for good and right.

It's not that I can't figure things out,

it is that things aren't right currently, as i see it.

So i ask 'Why be decided on wrong?'

Why be okay with incorrect,

so long as it is up to snuff socially,

or so long as I am informed of how it has to be, and what's wrong with questioning why the least likely possibility is change?

I want to refrain

from setting my brain to this mindset.

I want to keep blank my presets

on my mental radio;

scan through the full loop with it

so I know all of what might be on.

It isn't wrong to refuse decision, or final judgement; better worded I mean to suspend decision, and its permanance.

Let's see what could be allowed.

Why do so many fake decided? 

True consistency is divided by diversity,

and shows mainly in the way we choose to believe the majority, or in common sense.

The true constant is change.

Imagine if undecided remained,

would truth and natural order be retained

once all of the hardened edges 

or all the hard headed filtered out? 

The true enemy is now is that we feel we know, and in such an opinion there is no room;

no room left to grow.

*Edited an old piece for this challenge*

The first thing that comes to mind is The Serenity Prayer. 

Tossing out being naive is a must.

When a voice inside you says, "That ain't right" it probably isn't, even if a distinguished man with a gavel endorses it. 

One day you wake up and realize many churches are corrupt and young boys are fucked in the ass. Secrets are kept after brainwashing kids in the name of God. The people behind that will regret dying. I wouldn't be surprised they can't smell the smoke of hell already.

Many police officers are "dirty" and paid to be so.

Blackmail exists. 

Your corporation sees you as nothing more than a commodity or a risk. You are not a person to them. You are a goat in the herd.

It's easy to identify corruption. If there are a few people at the top, not sharing the profits with the folks that do the work, It's probably corrupted. It is "bullshit" they 'have benefits to pay.'

If abuse from the higher ranks is shoved under the carpet, It's probably corrupt.

Many attorneys wear "corrupt" cologne. Many are whores who must be paid to do more.

Existing in this shit hole of corruption? And I say that because it's everywhere. Advertising is psychological manipulation people!

OK, back to existing, coming to terms..

Another quote comes to mind...

"Know you are in this world, not of it."

This is how to survive. You also find the souls like yourself and count on your angels and love that is in this world.

Existing in a corrupt world...I'd say "corrupt" is an understatement. I won't waste your time listing all the words & concepts that represent this world. This piece would surely turn into something else. But the world we live in, much like the flesh we live in, is basked in sin. And sin is death. Sin is even more lethal in comparison to death. Because death only happens in this world, but your sins will be with you when you die. And if we were all judged fairly, we'd all be forced to live with our sins for eternity [Hell]. But God is not fair. God is Loving. His Love for us unconditionally forgives the constant sinning we throw into His face every single day. His Love surpasses the hate & fear we spread across the world. His Love is the ONLY reason we are able to exist in a place like this.

So in my eyes, there is no coming to terms with a corrupt world in order to exist in it. When we accept a world like this as our only truth, we do not exist. If we only acknowledge this realm, we are as dead as the world that consumes us. My advice to you, would be to come in to terms with a Loving God & live accordingly. Only the creator of life can show you what living really feels like.

When I woke that fated day,

It was with disbelief, with terror, with sorrow.

In my heart, that sprite of Hope ceased its dance,

Fell still and stared disbelieving through my eyes;

Our great nation,

Our immovable world,

Was suddenly in peril.

Hope is however, not the "thing with feathers" that Dickinson claimed;

It is a flame that warms, that soothes,

That sears.

As time passed, hope rekindled,

Glowed brightly,

Fiercely,

Dangerously.

It warmed me, and I clutched tight its heat in trembling hands.

But it was not to last.

Again, again, again the world crushed that weak hope,

And now I feel it dying again.

Yet one thing rekindles it,

One thought keeps it strong:

No matter how cruel or unjust the world becomes,

It is still my home,

And I cannot abandon it.

The world we live in can be a cruel place, anyone who can't see that is beautifully naive. Coming to terms with that for me was a struggle. Throughout my childhood I was happy and life was great. But I soon found out that wasn't the way of the world. My fathers alcoholism soon tore apart my family as I entered my teen years and I soon started to focus on the evils in the world and they made me furious. At some points with the cards stacked against me I could envision myself giving into my anger and becoming like him because that was the way the world seemed to work and I hated it. All I wished for was to exist and take no part in this corrupt world. But then I changed the way I thought of things. Life truly is what you make of it. Now matter how bad a hand you're dealt you can always make the best of it. Now I wake up every morning and I choose to be happy. I choose to enjoy the little things. I choose to smile at complete strangers for no reason but to smile. You asked how I came to terms with this world in order to exist in it and here's how: I choose not to give into the evils I see. I choose not to stand by and let corruption and wickedness run rampant. I choose to be the friend to the person in. Instead of existing in this cruel world, I choose to be the change I wish to see in it. And I refuse to settle.

It was Friday, May 5th. I attended the For King and Country concert, in hope for anything, some salvation, from humanity, from God.

And that was when Luke stood up, and told us this: “Death has lost its sting.”

That hit me. Something already awe inspiring had become much more. I went into that concert tired, groggy and down. Looking for help. And it was there, crying out to God, where I realized the lesson to be learned was to have my faith in humanity restored at last.

Amazing grace… how sweet the sound… the crowd sang in absolute darkness. Even the woman a few chairs away, disabled and nearly a mute, reached out, with her trembling voice, and shaky hands. A hymn of hums, a song of heavenly compassion, kindness, a mutual understanding of God’s presence and hope and faith, all in a lullaby.

We are stronger. Love is stronger. No matter how many bombs descend from the skies, how many cities are destroyed, how many bullets lay upon the ground; it cannot kill love.  Do you realize we have already won? Every act of love, defeats 2 acts of animosity. We are not silenced, not even if our vocal chords are ripped from our bodies. This world is cruel, it was not meant to be this way. We lose hope, we kill ourselves hoping to find peace. We have let our natural instinct become a monster; to destroy.

But you know what?

It doesn’t start with 1 million people.

It doesn’t start with a crowd of 10 people.

It. Starts. With. You.

One person, one person at a time. Never leaving anyone, man, woman, child, out of the equation. We can change the world, if we will to. There is a reason you are born unto this world, and it is not to mope under your office desk or cry to the Heavens above. Think of it this way: if you don’t do it, who will? One single number can change the game entirely. One single vote can determine who wins the presidency, even. Your voice matters. So I dare you to use it, and use it for good. You are the domino effect, your actions influenced and created so many things already. Do not be afraid to look back upon them.

All it takes, is for you to accept the challenge. 

Analise, 

I gave birth to you on June 18th, just when the sun arose and shone light on your beautiful, delicate skin. This summer morning, while I quietly watch you sleep, I dedicate this letter to you.

The world we live in currently is..well, unfair. 9 months ago, when I discovered I was pregnant with you, I cried. I was devastated to find out that at 18, my beginning of adulthood, I had to move onto the biggest milestone already. I'll admit, you were the result of a night I chose to walk home from a party, the result of a mistake I never want you to encounter. I grew to love you though, and when government gave me the chance to abort you, I couldn't bring myself to. I had a gut feeling you were the start of something beautiful. While you have the father of somebody deep in crime, realize there are others similar. You'll be exposed to the reality that violence exists. That, because of opinions and horrible people in the world who won't accept other notions. Their motive is pain, what keeps them going is fear, what they live off of is terror. Despite the chaos in this world, I promise to raise you as a strong and wise girl. To not make the mistakes I have. You will read this when you are older, and when you look up at the news, please remember that wherever I am, I will be there to protect, cherish, and love you, as many others would. Stay strong Analise, this is just the start of our journey.