"HIGH COST OF LOVING" (12th in my series of poems)

High Cost of Loving

The cost of food is mighty high,

The price of gas a mess.

But they don’t bother me as much

As living by myself.

I had a man who loved me,

We had a very happy home.

But I couldn’t bear to be true, I guess...

I had the urge to roam.

It really wasn’t worth it,

To lose my home and ring

But I really thought he knew it--

It never meant a thing.

I took his love for granted.

And look how bad I feel

Now I have my freedom, true...

But not a love that’s real.

I made the deal and took the choice

Not thinking of the price.

And now that I’ve received the bill

I wish I had thought twice.

If I only had a chance,

I’d exchange the merchandise.

I’d be glad to give it back,

If they could refund the price.

The high cost of loving

Is more than I had planned.

The high cost of loving

Is more than I can stand.

"BENT OUTTA SHAPE--AGAIN" (11th in my series)

Bent Outta Shape--Again

So well, here we go again

It’s come back on around.

It never fails to blow my mind

When you bring your self to town.

I always think I’m over you

I think I’m doing fine.

I go about my daily business

Smiling all the time.

I made the old familiar promise

After we split up

I’d never give my heart again

Or share the Loving Cup.

I told myself that when you left

That that would be the end

In a way, I guess it’s true...

I’ve never loved again.

As long as I don’t see you

(But when my eyes are closed),

I can fake it through each day,

And no one ever knows.

But soon as you appear,

Your magic takes its hold.

And, suddenly, to my surprise,

I’ve lost my self-control.

There’s a lesson to be learned

From life’s each episode,

And what I’ve learned from this one

Is such a heavy load.

It’s hard to admit it when you’re wrong,

But sometimes you have to.

If you only listen to your heart,

It really knows what’s best for you.

Well, I guess I can't deny...

I’m still in love. But then,

What’s the use to even try.

You got me bent out of shape again.

"LOVERS & FRIENDS" (10th in my series)

Lovers and Friends

We’ve all had good relationships...

Some we've loved and lost.

Finding out the hard way

What happiness would cost.

Sooner or later, they always end

No matter how we try

To keep our love together

Somehow it slips on by.

The trouble with love is at the end

Someone’s always hurtin'...

Someone’s tears are gonna fall

At the last and final curtain.

Love’s easily found, more easily lost

But one thing we do discover...

Though love affairs will always end

It's friendship that stays forever.

GOTTA LOVE IT! Rick James & the Temptations - Standing on the Top

2 Corinthians 9:8

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, be self-sufficient--possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation.

"It’s a Weird, Weird World": (9th in my series)

It’s a Weird, Weird World

by Genna Sapia-Ruffin

It’s a weird, weird world we’re living in...

No one’s satisfied

It’s an odd, strange place we call our home...

Enough to blow your mind.

I don’t know about you for sure

But I think I’m pretty close...

Exactly what we don’t have

That’s what we want the most.

When my hair was very short

I didn’t like it then,

So I let it grow out long.

But short hair’s in again.

People moving all the time

From one state to another.

No one’s settled in one spot...

They’re looking for each other

Changing partners all the time

Searching for The One...

If it don’t work out

Never mind, try another one.

When I was there, it wasn’t cool

I wanted to be here

But here I am, and naturally

I liked it better there.

I just didn’t know what I wanted...

That proved to be my loss.

I had love, but wanted freedom

No matter what it cost.

All that glitters is not gold

That turned out to be true

For, now this glitter in my hand

Is nothing next to you.

" Free Ain’t Nothin’ But Lonely" (8th in my series)

Free Ain’t Nothin’ But Lonely
by Genna Sapia-Ruffin

I’m feelin’ so lonely,
not a friend in this world...
Never realized I’d get this bored
I’m feelin’ so empty, alone and blue...
So much frustration. There’s nothin’ to do

I went and stared in the ‘fridge fifteen times today...
Each time I just shook my head and
Turned and walked away.
I turned on the TV and turned it off again

And I walked through my apartment
Until the carpet’s wearin’ thin,
So I tried on all my clothes and then
I put them all away;
Never found much comfort in
The mirror anyway.

I guess you never know just what you’ve got until it’s gone.
I heard it said before...
But now I really see how sad I’ve been
Since you walked out that door.

We fussed and fought and never got along;
We stayed in each other’s way;
So now I’m free and I find out
I’d rather have you stay.

It is so sad, and oh-so-true
I guess I’ll have to face it...
You don’t know just what you’ve got,
Until you’re trying to replace it.

So you go on, with your head so high...
We’ve chosen our own solutions.
Now it’s up to the each of us
To make the most of our own conclusions

"Learn to Love Again" (7th in my series)

Learn to Love Again

I know you’ve had a bad time

And had your share of pain

But there’s no use dwelling on the past

When you’ve got so much to gain.

Sometimes a bad relationship

Can leave you filled with fear

I can truly understand it, friend...

I went through it just last year.

I learned a lot of what love ain't

And some of what it was,

But since I met that man I love,

I’ve found new faith and trust.

Now, if you’ll take just one step,

We’ll take a step and make a start

To learn to love again.

To learn to love again

Would be the best thing we could do.

It’s so unkind to make your heart

Cry all alone and blue.

Learn to love again;

You’ll fly on silky wings;

You’ll wonder if you really cried

Over all those silly things.

Let me be the one to show you;

I want to be the one.

My heart is full of love for you...

It’s burning like the sun.

Learn to love again

One day you’ll look and find

That the tears in your eyes

Won’t be of pain,

but joy in your peace of mind.

"WORLD OF MADNESS" (6th in my series)

"World of Madness"
 I got rained on in the welfare line

Kids all have the flu.

Walking the streets to find a job...

Eviction notice, too

It’s a world of madness

I had an old car ‘til a month ago...

I even had a man.

We had good times ‘til the car broke down

Now I can’t get a helping hand

In this world of madness

Tryin’ real hard to keep a clear head

But sometimes I can’t think

If all this stuff don’t clear up soon

I just might have a drink

What a world of madness

Keep on trying, I tell myself...

It’s just around the bend

One fine day I’ll get it together

And bring it to an end

This world of madness

Peace of mind

Hard to find

World of madness

"PUT YOUR HEAD IN YOUR HAND & LET YOUR MIND ROLL BYll By" (5th in my series)

Put Your Head in Your Hand & Let Your Mind Roll By

The grind of coping with everyday life

Can take you for a ride

Everybody has their way

of taking things in stride

Some go in, some go out

Some just wear a frown

If you haven’t found a way

Just listen to the sound

Now, it’s really not a secret...

It’s such an easy thing

Just take some time to be alone

And let the music ring

Some live too high, some too low...

And some will never know

But you can get the answer...

Just let that nectar flow

Put your head in your hand and let your mind roll by

And feel the love around you

Put your head in your hand and let your mind roll by

And let the peace surround you

The grind of coping with everyday life

Can take you for a ride

Everybody has their way

of taking things in stride

Some go in, some go out

Some just wear a frown

If you haven’t found a way

Just listen to the sound

Now, it’s really not a secret...

It’s such an easy thing

Just take some time to be alone

And let the music ring

Some live too high, some too low...

And some will never know

But you can get the answer...

Just let that nectar flow

Put your head in your hand and let your mind roll by

And feel the love around you

Put your head in your hand and let your mind roll by

And let the peace surround you

"STOP HOLDING ON" (4th in my series)

Stop Holding On

All good things must end

That fact is known by all.

Now that your romance has died

It’s the time to let it fall

There’s no use pining for a worn-out cause

And using it to dig your own grave

You gotta let it be just what it was...

You gotta face transition bravely

Tomorrow has to be a brighter day...

Every cloud has its silver lining

Stop holding on; just let it go.

And let yourself start shining.

"SPARE PARTS " (3rd of my series)

Spare Parts

Spare parts, spare parts,

my life ain’t been nothin' but spare parts.

A little piece of this and a little part of that

But nothin’ seems to fit and

I’m wondering where I’m at.

I spent my youth as one of six

Each more needy than the other

I watched three husbands come and go...

None of us could please my mother

I didn’t know the reasons,

Perhaps I never could.

But life at home was hard for me...

Robbed me of my childhood

At sixteen, I hit the street

Trying to find my way.

Had no choice but to keep on trying...

For every single day.

My break came when I was twenty...

At least I thought so then.

I fell in love with Love itself

I thought it would never end.

But love fell in, and love fell out

And I’m back where I started

Still going round in circles...

But, now I’m broken-hearted.

I guess I’m doomed, you might say...

Alone from beginning to end.

Now my man has left me, and

I’m back to Square One again.

Spare parts, spare parts,

my life ain’t been nothin’

But spare parts.

A little piece of this and a little part of that

But nothin’ fits together...

I’m still wondering where I’m at.

"STRANGE CHANGES" (2nd in my series)

Strange Changes

Been by your side through thick and thin...

Loved you when you had no friend,

Y' know you love me...been like that for ages.

So tell me why you take me through and

Kill me with strange changes.

You know, I know, our friends all know it too;

No one in the world will love you like I do.

And you don't mind admittin' it.

But what about these strange changes?

You need to be just quittin' it.

I see I can never be what it is you want from me

But it seems like you’ve got your hooks in deep...

Sometimes you even keep me from my sleep.

All night long you take me through

Strange changes.

I can’t, for the life of me, figure why I stay.

All night long I plan my getaway,

And I wonder if I should;

But then, you know what to say and do...

And you say and do it good.

In the morning I hate myself

As I face dark reality,

They’re back to haunt me...out to get me.

They’re slowly killing me.

Strange changes.

"GROWING PAINS" (1st in my poetry series)

Growing Pains

You and I, we grew up alone

With no friends or family...

Children in an empty world

Lost in grown-up misery.


So when, at last, our lonesome paths

Finally met and crossed,

We sorta used each other to

Make up for that loss.


I’m tryin' now to make you see

Just why our love’s so deep.

I’m not afraid to tell the world

'Cause I know our love will keep.


I been your daddy, mama, sister, brother

And yes, your best friend too.

That’s a heavy load to carry...

It’s an awful lot to do.


I did it all unselfishly,

And now at last I see,

That all the time I was loving you,

You were really loving me.


Growing pains is what they’re called

Whenever you’re in pain.

But no matter if you’re young or old

The facts of life remain.