Poetry by Pam

I recently watched a movie called Five Feet Apart. A movie about cystic fibrosis patients who weren't allowed to be within 6 feet of each other and had to wear a mask whenever around each other because they were high risk for contracting each other's bacteria which could be fatal. There was one scene where the nurse admitted to allowing two patients to break the rules because she wanted to make them happy as they were in love. Their determination wore down her resolve and she didn't enforce the rules as per her role. The story conveyed, the risks outweighed the reward and they both passed away. The nurse gleened from this event a renewed resolved to not allow this to ever happen again on her watch. I wondered how many times we risk our health and well being by breaking rules in the name of happiness/love. We have to ask ourselves, is it more loving to force denied/delayed gratification or at minimum a brief period of uncomfortableness so that our health, well-being a

Since the conversations about racism, hateful actions and disrespect are now open. Can I ask the rap culture when will you stop the disrespect and hateful language in your music, especially, towards black women? If you can't be respectful to your own people; how do you expect it of others? Maybe try holding others to the same standards for which you hold yourselves? Maybe God will give you more leadership responsibility when you start showing up as leaders. Stop calling, treating, and responding to us as if we are there for your sexual gratification. I refuse, and now I no longer am attracted to you. I have a desire and a need for someone who will help me get into heaven.

In my dream I was singing a song and I thought it was so beautiful that I decided to write the words and leave them here. Some of the words I couldn't remember so the second half of the song was rewritten after I awoke. Hope it helps. I've seen your testimonies And how he’s brought you through You said you could have been dead But yet you live How he’s been good to you Tried to apply it to my life The wrongs that he made right died on the cross for me and you and still yet lives now I can trust in him too

There may come a time in your life when your life will flash in front of your eyes. Almost like a movie reel. You will relive, in what appears to be an instant, all the memories stored. Picture after picture will flash in rapid succession in front of you. It's an odd phenomenon that happens when your body alerts you to danger. I've only experienced it once, but it was as impactful and memorable. I now work to understand my impact so if those flashes ever happen again, I will be proud of what I see.

Our job subsidizes the soda machines so that every purchase is only a quarter. It's very generous of them, plus it allows me to feed a very aggressive sweet tooth. However, yesterday was different. Not realizing the machine was broken, I placed a quarter in it, pressed my selection, and it did not reward me nor did it return my quarter. Because the drinks were so cheap, I made myself feel better by reciting it's only a quarter in my head. I surmised that i'd saved so much money over the years that one quarter wouldn't make much of a difference. I was then able to happily go about my day without any bitter or negative feelings. Today, my coworker said that she'd bought a drink (my favorite drink) from the machine that she didn't want and gave it to me. I was excited about this because it is not just a quarter, or a drink, but rather it's a reminder that God is faithful and good.