If You Forget Me

I want you to know
one thing.


You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.


Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.


If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.


If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.


But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine



by Pablo Neruda

Life Is Fine

I went down to the river,

I set down on the bank.

I tried to think but couldn't,

So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!

I came up twice and cried!

If that water hadn't a-been so cold

I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator

Sixteen floors above the ground.

I thought about my baby

And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!

I stood there and I cried!

If it hadn't a-been so high

I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',

I guess I will live on.

I could've died for love--

But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,

And you may see me cry--

I'll be dogged, sweet baby,

If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

by Langston Hughes

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


by Robert Frost

I Carry Your Heart With Me

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in
my heart) I am never without it(anywhere
I go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
I fear
no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet) I want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you


here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart


I carry your heart(I carry it in my heart)

by E. E. Cummings

A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!

And, in parting from you now,

Thus much let me avow--

You are not wrong, who deem

That my days have been a dream;

Yet if hope has flown away

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone?

All that we see or seem

Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar

Of a surf-tormented shore,

And I hold within my hand

Grains of the golden sand--

How few! yet how they creep

Through my fingers to the deep,

While I weep--while I weep!

O God! can I not grasp

Them with a tighter clasp?

O God! can I not save

One from the pitiless wave?

Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?

by Edgar Allan Poe

Activities That Will Save Your Relationships

Relationships require a lot of hard work. They are fun, wonderful, important things but they can also be very difficult to maintain. Trying to make two people’s lives work together at even the most basic level always results in some type of conflict or confusion. When you get into more intimate relationships and intense relationships (like living together and being married) things get even more complicated. Luckily there are some things that you can practice doing every single day that will improve your relationships. When doing these things becomes a habit you will find that all of your relationships go a little bit more smoothly. Sure you’ll still need to work at them but a lot of that work will get easier when you get used to doing these ten things every day.


The ten daily things that should be done to make your relationships better are:



1.     Take plenty of time for yourself. The number one mistake that most people make which ruins their relationships is that they don’t truly put time with themselves at the top of their priority list. You need to be one hundred percent okay with yourself and in touch with yourself if you want to have happy relationships. You need to take time to yourself to be a good wife, husband, parent, child, etc. Learn to take just a little bit of time to get in touch with yourself each day and a lot of the hassles that happen between you and others will naturally just melt away.


2.     Think before you speak. A lot of the problems that we have in relationships are small problems. We get annoyed with the people in our lives. We snap at them. We say things that we don’t mean. We speak from out emotions instead of saying the logical things that we really mean when we think it through. If you stop each day to practice thinking before you say something then your communication will improve and all of your relationships will get better as a result.


3.     Blame yourself for problems. No, you don’t want to beat yourself up about things. However you should definitely make a conscious effort to stop focusing on what other people are doing wrong to you. Stop trying to change anyone. Instead, focus on what you can do differently to make yourself happier. For example, if your husband always comes in and turns on the TV too loudly while you’re reading you could blame him and ask him to stop … or you could move to another room. Don’t move angrily, just move, solve the problem and move on. There will certainly be big things that do need discussion and compromise but a lot of little things will become so much less problematic if you stop playing the blame game and just resolve the issue the best way that you can solve it on your own.


4.     Say nice things. We all want people to say nice things to us. You don’t have to go overboard and compliment people all of the time. However you should be pleasant and nice, point out the great things that you notice about people, send a smile their way in the morning. This makes the connection between you and others a much nicer one for both of you to enjoy.


5.     Listen to what is actually being said. Don’t jump to conclusions about things that you are told. Don’t read between then lines. Don’t try to figure out the real meaning behind someone’s tone. Just listen to what they say. Assess it. Ask questions if you’re not sure about it. Take things at face value and let yourself relax inside of your relationships.


6.     Go for a walk. People are happier and healthier when they get exercise on a daily basis. It may sound like it’s not a lot of fun or it’s something that you don’t have time for. Do it anyway. The better you feel, the better you’ll be in your relationships and the better your relationships will be for you. Walk with people and you may end up connecting to them even more!


7.     Forgive. Don’t hold people up to unrealistic expectations. They’re human. Forgive them when they do something wrong. Don’t keep harping on it. Let it go. Of course you don’t want to let people walk all over you so be aware of your own boundaries but learn to forgive the things that don’t matter or didn’t really harm you or deserve to be forgiven. You’ll be happier with your relationships when you do.


8.     Be easy on yourself. Many people beat themselves up about their own failures in their relationships. They think they should’ve called their friend and are mad at themselves that they didn’t. They know they often flake out on people or snap at them and feel guilty about it. Stop beating yourself up. Let it go. It’s a new day. Be a better friend now and forgive yourself when you’re not. It’s just life!


9.     Do something fun every day with someone else. Take the time to enjoy the little things in life with others. Life is too hard if you’re constantly assessing problems, talking about money, worrying about how to raise the kids, figuring out what your next steps are … make sure to take at least twenty minutes per day to just do something purely fun with someone in your life that you want to be more connected with. A card game, a shared bubble bath, a nice long phone call … these are little things that make a big difference in the happiness level of your relationships.


10. Say thanks. Keep a gratitude journal. At the start or end of each day take five minutes to sit down and list the things that you are thankful for about the people in your life. Your perspective on how great these people are will begin to shift to an increasingly positive view on them and your relationships will blossom before your eyes. Most of what goes on your relationships is actually about how you perceive them!

7 Disadvantages of Long Distance Relationships

Every relationship has it’s ups and downs, but none of those problems could anyhow compare to the ones you’ll have to face if you, by any chance, decide to engage in a long distance relationship. I’m not saying long distance relationships suck, on no! I just have a firsthand experience on how it all works and, although you can expect a lot of wonderful, happy moments, you have to be prepared that it’s not all flowers and butterflies. So here’s the list of some problems I had to deal with and some practical tips and solutions I kind of figured out in the process of trying to keep my relationship healthy, strong and filled with love and passion.


1. You can’t see each other every day
Nothing beats live conversation, hugs, kisses and romantic moments spent together! Skype can make things a little bit easier because you don’t have to type – you can just turn your camera on, sit back, relax and chat. However, not even Skype can replace that wonderful feeling of knowing that your special somebody is just a phone call away. But, let’s look on the bright side – all this time you spend away from each other makes you appreciate those rare, special moments you actually get to share. So snap as many photos as you can and look at them whenever you feel sad or lonely.


2. Costs
Long distance relationships cost a lot. I know, I know, it sounds bad, but it’s totally true. I often say that meeting my fiancé is the best and the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Best, because I’ve never been happier and worst, because I’ve never been more broke. From transportation to phone and internet bills – everything costs more when you’re not living in the same place. If you’re both working, these things won’t have a huge impact on your relationship, but if you’re not, financial problems may destroy your relationship. Find a part time job and figure out a good savings strategy. A long distance relationship works best if you join forces so never say “My money” or “Your money” – split the costs and do everything you can to help each other financially.


3. Loneliness
You can’t call him and say, “Hey, can you drop by? I had a crappy day and I need to see you.” You can’t be there to comfort him when he’s going through a rough time. All this can be rather depressing and you’ll often feel sad and guilty for not being there for your significant other. You’ll feel lonely too. Especially if everybody around you have somebody to hang with. Yup, there will be days when your friends are out with their boyfriends and you have to sit at home knowing that he’s somewhere out there, having a crappy time too. Don’t let these feelings get you down, hun! Think about happy times, think about the future and your next meeting. Positive thinking is the key element in every long distance relationship.


4. Fears
“What if he finds somebody else?”, “What if he gets bored of waiting?”, “What if he’s cheating?”… Even the most confident ones will face some of the long distance relationship demons sooner or later. That’s why you have to make things clear right at the beginning and find different ways to express your love and show that your loved one is the only thing that keeps you going. Send him/her a text message when he/she is not expecting it. If you’re out partying call your partner to tell him how much you miss him and how much you wish he could be there to share this moment with you. These things count!


5. Scheduling
You have a job, he has a job, you can afford to see each other often and there’s just one tiny problem that needs to be solved in order for your relationship to turn into a real life fairytale – timing! You can’t just pack your bags and leave town for a week. Right? And I’m pretty sure you’re running out of excuses and “sick days”. Now, this is a problem most couples face because you just can’t have both, free time to travel and money to finance your trips. What you need is a good strategy and some good old fashioned planning. Ask your boss if you could set up a remote office and do the job from your home. Explain that this is a great savings strategy and that both of you can benefit from it. Think, plan, schedule and re-schedule… find ways to be efficient, have more free time and don’t forget to organize your personal time and your time as a couple.


6. Different rules
Long distance relationships work differently than the regular ones. There’s no room for playing hard to get or sending mixed signals. You don’t start a long distance relationship because you’re bored but because you have a feeling that person is something special. You have to be honest and show that you’re ready to commit. You have to let that person know you’re serious and that you think he/she is worth fighting for. You can’t play games. And that’s one of the hardest things to get used to because we all like to play games, we think it’s the way it’s supposed to be.


7. Misunderstandings
Different time zones, text messages, cultural or even language differences – being misunderstood or misinterpreting your partner’s words or actions is bound to happen sooner or later. Now, some of you may laugh or think these things are easy to sort out but, believe me, in a long distance relationship, a tiny misunderstanding can cause a great deal of trouble! Being “lost in the translation” is what almost destroyed my relationship and the only thing I can say today is – thank God we were patient and in love!


My sister used to tell me I’m crazy, my fiancé’s friends didn’t believe our “wireless” relationship could last. All these people are jealous now and they often look at us and say, “Oh, why all great things always happen to others and never to us?” So, tell me, would you ever risk facing all these problems and engage in a risky thing called “long distance relationship”? Would you be willing to put your courage, patience and love to the test or would you rather opt for a less problematic, less expensive and less platonic, normal relationship?