Of Heart and Mind

You take my emotions on a crazy roller coaster ride,
And not only do they go up and down; feelings collide
In opposite states of my heart and my mind.
In the months we have been together, I have tried.
There have been days I’ve shed tears that dried,
And my peaceful smile has expressions that lie.
Behind it, I’m not sure of what side to abide,
and a part of me will have to make a sacrifice.
My love is so fierce, that if we were to divide
I’m sure a part of my soul would surely die.

Never had time to say good bye

“Never had time to say goodbye” was first published in The Hawkeye, the Faulk Intermediate School yearbook, 1993, Brownsville, Texas. It was written in honor of one of the students who attend the school, a student of mine, who died tragically in a car accident one afternoon. The last page of the yearbook was dedicated to John Paul Merino. The poem also appeared in the school newspaper.

Never had time to say good bye

An accident took you away unexpectedly.
I never had time to say good bye
Because I was used to saying, “Hi.”

The future is something we can not see.
Things like this do not seem right,
but I have faith you’re in God’s sight.

To read this poem in Spanish, click here.

October 2009 newsletter  

Newsletter for the World of Words by Elias Tobias

Increase in readership is phenomenal

The slogan, “A poetry blog worth reading,” is a true statement for the World of Words by Elias Tobias. The August  2009 average daily unique visitors rate was 1.95 million. The date with the highest readership was Aug. 27, 2009 with 2,150,319 unique daily visitors.  The highest number of pageviews that month was on Aug. 12 with 5,178,666. In September, the site celebrated its 11th anniversary of continuous Internet publishing. On Sept. 8, 2008, this site became registered with Blogtopsites.com and on that day there were 23,563 unique visitors and 38,870 pageviews with the World of Words by Elias Tobias.  What a difference a year makes!

On Sept. 8, 2009, the total unique visitors to the World of Words by Elias Tobias were 386,694,148 and the readers had a total of 845,974,146 pageviews.  The percentage of increase is phenomenal…a 609 percent in unique daily visitors and 480 percent in daily pageviews.  Over the year there were an average of 1,059,436 daily unique vistors and average of 2,317,737 daily page views. At 2.1 million unique visitors daily, there are 24.3 different viewers coming to the World of Words every second.  The goal of having an average daily unique visitor rate  of 2.5 million by December of 2009 in well within reach. Click on the new World of Words by Elias Tobias logo to see the current statistics. 

Love Note Podcasts available for free

The World of Words by Elias Tobias has a series of 24 podcasts from the Love Notes book. You can listen to the recordings and download them for free to your favorite IPod device. You will need a program to hear them, so if you do not have a program, you can click here for a free QuickTime program. Click here to get  to the podcasts.

Free Captain of my Ship poster

In case you missed the September post, you can geta free poetry poster with one of my favorite poems, “Captain of my Ship.” Use the poster for wallpaper or the screensaver. You can print it and frame it, too. Best of all, it’s free. Just double-click on the image on this page and choose the “Save photo as” option when you right click again. You name it. You can use it. Then find the “main page” link on the right side of the page to go back to the main page.

To go to the original poem post, click here.

For this and other poerty posters, click here.

Advertising to be accepted on poetry blog

Beginning soon The World of Words by Elias Tobias will be accepting paid advertising for each daily blog entry. The opportunity is a basic classified ad with a hyperlinked logo at the end of each daily post. Advertising agencies are invited to inquire for more information.
Basic rates per blog entry will be based on the percent of global Internet users who visit eliastobias.net each day, which is an average of.000005 for the last three months, according to Alexa.com.  For two or more non-consecutive blog entries up to four(4) posts, such as sponsoring the Spanish–language poem post every Monday, the cost per log entry will be lowered. For seven (7) consecutive days the daily rate will be still lower, a substantial savings over the regular daily rate.
All blog content will remain in the control of the Webmaster of the World of Words by Elias Tobias.  Each advertisement will appear at the bottom the each daily blog entry, and consist of a logo, website and/or e-mail information, and a 100 word-limit message.  Payments can be made through PayPal.
The ads would be targeted to possible audiences depending on the day: Sunday- the French language poem; Monday- Spanish language poem; Tuesday - Unpublished poem; Wednesday - Boys of Lambda Sigma Chi; Thursday - a previously published poem; Friday -selection from Freeze Frame photo gallery; and Saturday- unpublished poem.  Each month usually has a common theme for all daily posts.
Like most family-oriented public Web sites, advertising content will not be accepted if the ad: 1. Is racist or discriminatory to any race, ethnicity or country of origin. 2. Sexually explicit or pornographic. 3. Is extremely violent in nature or it displays excessive use of profanity. 4. Is terroristic in nature or supportive of terrorist activity, or 5. Promotes illegal activity.  The World of Words by Elias Tobias reserves the right to edit or deny publication of material based on these criteria.
The ad would look like this:

Want FREE things? The World of Words by Elias Tobias has several free items to easily download, including logos, posters, autographed photos, ArtBrushed photography and a complete brochure about the Web blog that reaches more than 2 million people daily. These free images and products can be used for screen savers, material for a new Elias Tobias fan club, T-shirt iron-on designs, window clings, mouse pads, coffee  mugs and other items. Just go to / and get started.

More poems needed for Open Poetry Forum

One reader submitted two poems last month to the Open Poetry Forum.  That’s great. Other readers are encouraged to send their poem to be published free in the World of Words Open Poetry Forum. Get feedback from other poets and readers.  Poems submitted in Spanish with English translations are needed, too. Just send the poem to contact@eliastobias.net.  Remember, all publishing rights remain with the author even though this web blog is officially copyrighted by the webmaster.

Votes appreciated for photo contest

Readers of the World of Words by Elias Tobias have been invited to view my My Midwest September (Aug 17 to Sept 13) photo gallery on MidwestLiving.com. Please use the link below to view, rate, and recommend my photos! I have a entries in photo contest going so vote for me by Oct 11. There is no registration or anything like that. Just go to the following link, and be sure to check out both albums of photos. Go to http://www.midwestliving.com/photos/photo-contests/my-midwest-october/1148200011/  or http://www.midwestliving.com/photos/photo-contests/my-midwest-october/1146200008/
 

New book started, a French translation of poems by Elias Tobias

Les Aventures du Cow-boy Cosmic is French for “The Adventures of the Cosmic Cowboy,”  and it is a new poetry book that has appeared on Sundays in September. It will continue to be placed in that slot.  Like the Spanish-translation poems, links will be set for the reader to switch to the English Version, just in case you forgot the two years in French classes you had in high school “a few years ago.”  Enjoy the new book.

Theme for October is “Stepping Out”

People have routines that help them with everyday tasks, but these can become more routines. For some they become rituals that are hard to change. For those who are stuck in rut, the theme for this month, “Stepping Out”. is a away to get out of that routine by reading this month’s selections in all the daily posts.  Change can be good. It can bring a person to a new level of understanding and see things from a different point of view.

  Poem of the Month

 Steppin’ Out

How would you like to have some fun?
It would be good, whether you want it or not.
At this party, though, honey, I’m the only one.
Put away the books and give it a shot.
First we’ll talk, eat, and make some love.
Then I’ll show you what I got.
Why don’t you go steppin’ out tonight?

You look like you could use a break.
I mean what I say and it’s not just a line.
There is no curfew; we’ll stay out late
And we won’t pay attention to the time.
We’ll leave our future to fate
And hope our future will be fine.
Why don’t you go steppin’ out tonight?

Oh,  step out now. (guitar solo here)

(bridge-return to first verse)
How would you like to have some fun?
It would be good, whether you want it or not.
At this party, though, honey, I’m the only one.
Put away the books and give it a shot.
First we’ll talk, eat, and make some love.
Then I’ll show you what I got. Now
Why don’t you go steppin’ out tonight?

Cornerstone

This is the house that my words built;
and from this foundation; the syllables
became the nails which made the walls
into a physical reality for all to believe.
My words were sealed in the cornerstone;
to be read in the future for posterity.
The power of words to inspire dedication
to a cause can never be underestimated.

 To read this poem in French, click here.

The Christmas Tree, a history

I am a your little Christmas Tree,
a little present to you from me,
but you should know my history.
It’s very interesting, you see,

In first half of the 8th century,
a British monk and a missionary
preached a sermon on the Nativity
to a tribe of Druids in Germany.
 
St. Boniface, the “Apostle of Germany”
cut down their sacred oak tree, and
when it fell, shrubs became debris,
except for a small fir sapling - me.
 
St. Boniface then, with great relief
called me the Christ Child tree.
People planted firs to celebrate,
but then the trees became ornate.

Martin Luther put candles on his tree,
and then I glowed and was pretty.
Songs were composed about me,
and now I’m a hit, commercially.

I am a your little Christmas Tree,
a little present to you from me,
but you now know my history.
It’s very interesting, you see.

To read the poem in French, click here.

One of a Kind

Old habits are hard to break,
and you are always on my mind.
I”ve searched all over and know
that you are one of a kind.

You’re one of a kind,
in a class by yourself.
If I were your teacher,
books stay on the shelf.
I’d teach you what
you need to know
all by myself.

Old habits are hard to break,
and you are always on my mind.
I”ve searched all over and know
that you are one of a kind.

You’re one of a kind,
in a class by yourself.
On the first of April,
I’d  be your fool, and
I’d be your favorite
subject in  school.
In September, I’d
remember that  you’re
the only one for me.
By December, you would
have a diamond ring.

Old habits are hard to break,
and you are always on my mind.
I’ve searched all over and know
that you are one of a kind.

You’re one of a kind,
in a class by yourself.
If I were your teacher,
books stay on the shelf.
I’d teach you what
you need to know
all by myself.

Things are not as simple as they seem to be

Things are not as simple as they seem to be.
It’s convenient to invent another reality,
But the past resurfaces eventually,
Since keys to memories remain daily.
Fingerprints on the scene are obviously
Evidence she did the crime convincingly.
Like a cake, layers of lies raise possibilities,
And suspects’ motives twist ironically,
So much, it makes for a movie mystery.
At the end, she walks away, innocently,
But that is never the end of the story.

Things are not as simple as they seem to be.
Sign with a stamp, and enter automatically
A million dollar sweepstakes or lottery,
But the odds of losing are mathematically
Decided, and, of course, done legally.
The real winners are a strange minority.
Costs of winning transfer to the majority,
And the promotion is done effectively.
Business incomes increase exponentially.
There will be those who want things free,
But that is never the end of the story.

Things are not as simple as they seem to be.
Time and again, humans ignore history,
And try to extend their possibilities.
World resources are used inefficiently,
And many people suffer, consequently.
Aided with more machines and technology
Countries connect by a complex economy.
Governments try to work together politically,
But strengthen their power with the military.
Life would be better if we lived in harmony,
But that is never the end of the story.

Things are not as simple as they seem to be,
When it comes to relationships romantically.
Who we love or hate is found astrologically.
Teenagers deal daily with changes in puberty.
Feelings and emotions are expressed musically.
Years of childhood disappear dramatically
Birth rates are proof of love’s popularity,
And more marriages are mixed racially.
The definition of a what makes a family
Is challenged in county court rooms daily,
But that is never the end of the story.

Things are not as simple as they seem to be.

To read this poem in Spanish, click here.

Forbidden Love

I’m frustrated and confused,
and yet I don’t want to be used.
I’m stuck with a forbidden love.
You say that you want me,
but you still want to be free.
I’m stuck with a forbidden love.

I don’t know how to love you,
or if I should know you at all.
It would be so easy to fall
in love again this time.
Maybe we could just be friends,
and my desire for you would end.
Or it could only begin, and to
love you would be a sin.
One touch of your hands
make my heart understand
I am to be with you.

I’m frustrated and confused,
and yet I don’t want to be used.
I’m stuck with a forbidden love.
You say that you want me,
but you still want to be free.
I’m stuck with a forbidden love.

I don’t know how to love you,
or if I should let you go away.
It would be so nice to stay
in love again this time.
Maybe we could just be friends,
and my desire for you would end.
Or it could just begin, and then
my emotions would win.
One touch of your hands
make my heart understand
I am to be with you.

I’m frustrated and confused,
and yet I don’t want to be used.
I’m stuck with a forbidden love.
You say that you want me,
but you still want to be free.
I’m stuck with a forbidden love.

To read this poem in Spanish, click here.

Hot Stuff

A slave unto myself, I carry the
flame of knowledge and education so
that those born after me can know
the way from the darkness of ignorance.
Some will be lost before they see the light.
However, most others will survive
and then they can take care of me when
my duty is done and my flame is out.

Feelings always come from the heart

In business or life, if you want to play,
be ready to pay the anticipated costs,
If not you will already be lost in the
group that doesn’t know what to do
and can never finish what they start.
Feelings always come from the heart.

To read the poem in French, click here.