The Toughest One
Since life began, challenges prevailed,
Which everyone has had the chance to surpass.
Some, too weak, did not succeed.
Others who are strong, have and will learn the true meaning of life.
With every good thing comes a bad thing.
With every life comes a death.
If this should happen, make sure the last words you utter are not of hatred, but
of love.
You never know when a loved one may pass away.
It is much easier to cope with death if you know one has gone knowing you loved
them.
Don't blame yourself or others.
It's not anyone's fault.
Deal with the future but always remember the moments you've shared with this
person.
Don't mourn too long.
You'll waste vulnerable time.
Maybe time you would've spent with this person but try to change that.
You know what they would want for you.
Do it for them, but most importantly, for yourself.
Live life to the fullest even if pieces are missing.
Nicole Houle
December 1999
© 1999 by Nicole Houle
The Journey Through Life
You come into the world, screaming and crying,
Wanting to know what your role on this planet will be.
The bumps and scrapes you get while taking your first step,
Never amount to the success you find once you finally get there.
Years go by and you learn to walk and talk.
School begins and so do your dreams.
Every day for twelve whole years,
You count the days until school's done.
Who will you be?
What will you do?
Will you be a doctor, a teacher, or a priest?
Years age as does yourself,
Into a mature young adult ready to take on the world.
Choices, choices, so many choices.
What college will you go to?
How will you ever get the money to do what you want to do?
So many questions, so little answers but it's all really up to you.
Research, the work, the time.
It all goes by waving back to you with every path you choose.
You've chosen to be what you've dreamed of being since you were a little kid.
Now your own children dream and aspire,
To be something they'll become if they work hard enough to get there.
Day after day, you thank God for the opportunities life has given you.
Why, why would God let this happen?
Something shocking has occurred but you don't know why.
Life contains many miracles, which are often left in wonder,
And often life's miracles are not enough to prevent life from stopping suddenly.
A loved one has passed away and grieving day after day,
You realize life must go on and that it's all a part of the journey through life.
Nicole Houle
April 2002
© 2002 by Nicole Houle
>If I Should Die ...
If I should die ...
Don't cry for me,
Be happy that I have lived,
For as long as I did.
If I should die ...
Don't feel guilty that you left things unsaid,
I will always be with you,
Waiting to listen.
If I should die ...
Never worry that you won't see me again,
For we all meet,
When our lives come to an end.
If I should die ...
Know that I will be sending you love,
I will be sending you hope,
I will be sending you courage so that you may cope.
If I should die ...
Know that when the time comes God's hand will I take,
To a land full of joy,
And a land without hate.
If I should die ...
Please understand, if I left without saying,
"I love you," or, "Goodbye,"
It's only because I plan on staying by your side.
If I should die ...
Know that we all have a purpose,
As little or big as it may be,
And once it is fulfilled so are we.
If I should die ...
Know that we are here to gain knowledge,
To learn, and to see,
We love, we help, we laugh, and we cry.
If I should die ...
Know that every time you think and talk to me,
I shall be there,
To listen and to help you.
If I should die ...
Please move on,
You can't hold on to me forever,
Just never forget who I was to you.
If I should die ...
Know that life is precious,
That the clock is ticking,
Enjoy every minute because you never know when God will decide to call out your
name.
If I should die ...
Know that life on earth as we know it,
Is but one little step,
Into something much better.
Enjoy every minute you spend with me,
Because one day you will read this,
And be looking up at the sky trying to find me.
Nico
November 24, 2003
© 2003 by Nicole Houle
Please, I Need You My Friend
I know your life has been tough,
It can't be easy being you.
That is why I'm calling,
To tell you I will be here for you.
I write you words to let you know,
How much it is I care.
I give you things that come from the heart,
When you've decided life's not fair.
When you're feeling down,
I know it; I feel it in my heart and soul.
My goal right then is to make you laugh,
So that you can get out of that dark hole.
I only hope I have done things right,
And helped you out a little.
You have to know I am your friend,
And I tried as hard as I could.
I have a question now for you,
I hope it isn't too much to ask.
I am in that same dark hole right now,
Can you try to make me laugh?
My life has gotten difficult,
I don't know if I should tell you.
I need someone to talk to,
But I'm afraid that I might hurt you.
In a world so full of people,
You wouldn't think I'd feel alone.
Everyone's just so busy,
That I don't know who to phone.
I want to laugh, I want to cry,
I just want to be free in the end.
Life's not meant to be spent this way,
Please, I need you my friend.
Nico
January 31, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
The Purpose of Jigsaw Puzzles
Many people think, puzzles are a waste of time,
I figure, so is life, where are we left in the end?
Just as your life, puzzles have a purpose,
They spark your imagination and greatly test your patience.
If not to practice patience,
They allow you to keep on dreaming.
What if this was your life,
Would you just quit the piecing?
A puzzle can relate to a many things in life,
Such as the challenges that life bring,
The obstacles you must someday overcome,
And the path you must one day choose.
If one day faced with a challenge,
Will you look at it and say it's useless?
That there's no point in going on,
That there's no point in trying it?
Puzzles teach you this,
They keep you going on.
When I see one in a box,
I just have to take it out and finish it.
Once finished on a board,
I look at it in awe.
I can't believe how beautiful,
This puzzle turned out to be.
Life is one big puzzle,
We should all try to solve.
But if this seems a little scary to you,
Just work on the ones that come in boxes.
Nico
February 4, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
Our Relationship With Food
Food is like us in many different ways,
There are many different kinds.
Some make us feel good about ourselves,
Some make us feel bad about ourselves.
Some foods look really good,
Some foods look really bad.
But if you never give them a chance,
You'll never discover what's inside.
Instead of saying at first,
"Ewww, I don't like this or that,"
Having not even tried these or those to know this,
Judge not and take a nibble, see if they deserve this title you have chosen.
Food can be clothed,
As we, the people, clothes ourselves.
We cover our vegetables with dip,
And dress our salds up with dressing.
We try to spice up what we eat,
When we cannot spice up our lives.
Food is full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients,
We read more about it than we do of other people.
Just like society tries to change us, that we may be accepted,
We change food in order to accept it.
We mold it to our likes,
We remove what it is we hate.
Food has personality,
Cheez whiz is an example.
It is a toast's best friend,
Yet an enemy to a pineapple.
Nico
February 4, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
The Revenge of A Popcorn Kernel
What once begins as a seed,
Grows to be healthy and strong.
It is surrounded by family and friends,
And knows that its journey will be long.
One day when it's fully mature,
Someone will come by and say,
"I like what it is you've become,
But I'd like you even more a different way."
It gets taken away from its home,
The source of its loving heart.
It loses its health, it loses its strength,
Its insides are falling apart.
Why would they want to change me? It thinks.
They claim they like me just the way I am.
To be liked even more, I must change myself,
I must change who it is I am.
I am happy to be me,
Don't you even care?
All I want is to be free,
Life just isn't fair!
You throw me in hot oil, why would you want to do that?
I'm getting pretty angry, I'm starting to heat up.
My face is turning red,
I'm about to blow right up.
But wait, that's how you like me the most,
You like it when I get angry and blow up.
Instead of doing so, I will do what you hate the most,
I will let myself go and leave my body to burn.
Nico
February 4, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
She Walks On, Away
Alone in the bathroom,
She stares in the mirror.
She sees a fat, ugly girl,
Staring back in utter horror.
Why have I eaten,
As much as I did?
She falls to her knees,
And opens the toilet lid.
With a finger down her throat,
And tears in her eyes,
She can't help but think,
Of all the world's lies.
When she's feeling as empty,
As she could possibly be,
She turns to the mirror,
And fears what she'll see.
A girl of nineteen,
With cold sunken eyes,
Looks down at herself,
And sees bicep-sized thighs.
The girl quite confused,
Wonders, "Which one am I?"
She falls down in a heap,
And again starts to cry.
This battle has been,
One of the longest she's known.
It's been with her all along,
As she's matured and she's grown.
"When will this end?"
She asks, looking up.
Desperate for an answer,
She begins to wake-up.
Months have gone by,
The help she needed, she got.
For once it's all over,
Or so this she thought.
Alone in the bathroom,
Her reflection she sees.
The fat, ugly girl stares at her,
She falls to her knees.
She opens the lid,
Sticks a finger down her throat,
But in the corner of her eye,
She discovers the note.
"Never forget my child,
I have sat down and thunk.
In the end you must see, I love you,
And I never make junk."
A tiny light fills her,
She gets up and she thinks.
She closes the lid,
And walks over to the sink.
One last look,
She decides she must take.
This is one decision,
She just has to make.
That same ugly girl,
Stares as she cries.
But instead of the thighs,
She looks deep in her eyes.
She searches her soul,
Reaches deep down inside.
Finds a light saying,
"What's important is not the outside."
With this light in her heart,
She looks over to see.
A third face stares back,
"This is it, this is me!"
A beautiful girl,
Is now here to stay.
She opens the door,
And she walks on, away.
Nico
February 6, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
You Are Beautiful
Alone in her bedroom,
She stares in the mirror.
An ugly girl glares,
As she covers her picture.
"Are you ready?"
They ask, from outside her room.
"No, I'm not coming out tonight."
She replies in a gloom.
"Are you okay?" They ask.
"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm fine.
I just can't go out,
I need a little more time."
They promise to wait,
She really doesn't want to go.
Convincing and begging,
They just won't take a, "no".
A little while later,
She's as ready as could be.
"Wow, you look pretty."
"Nah. That just can't be me."
She knows a lot better,
Than to believe her friend's compliments.
For years throughout school,
Kids all made some comments.
There was always something wrong,
With the way that she looked.
They just couldn't leave her alone,
And keep their noses in their books.
Why can't they see?
It's the inside that's true.
If that's where they looked,
They'd find something new.
I'm caring, I'm honest,
I'm funny you see?
I love to read, to write,
That's who I am, that's me.
"Maybe," she thinks,
"That's what my friends see.
They see the inside of me,
And that's why they call me pretty."
She takes one last look,
Remembers all the comments.
A tear runs down her cheek,
She'll now try the compliments.
But before she goes out,
She mustn't be doubtful.
Looking at herself she says,
"You are beautiful!"
Nico
February 10, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
Darkness
Sometimes the world,
Gets so dark I can't see.
The valleys are so low,
The mountains so steep.
At times I wonder,
"Will it always be the same?
Will the beautiful sun,
Keep on shining after it rains?"
I can't help but think,
About all the pain.
I'm running out of hope,
And I must take the blame.
Alone in my bed,
At two in the morning,
I am hopelessly wondering,
Why my life is so boring.
I just can't seem to get,
Back on that track.
I'm falling apart,
I'm stuck at the back.
I'm lost in a maze,
Can't anyone see?
I want to be loved.
It's just not easy being me.
My beautiful dreams,
Have all become nightmares.
I'm crying out for help,
Thinking life's just not fair.
I have so many choices,
But only one of them stands out.
I don't really want to do it,
I'd rather have someone help me out.
Sometimes I get so scared,
I don't want to be left alone.
I'm crying out in pain.
I just wish someone would phone.
The light, I faintly find,
And hope begins to fill me.
But it is only a mirage,
Like seeing land when you're lost at sea.
Oh how I yearn to find,
To find and to keep this light.
I hope it's strong and beautiful,
And I hope it's very bright.
I'm tired of being alone.
I want to find true happiness.
I'm trying so hard to be strong.
I've been stuck for a while in this darkness.
Nico
February 12, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
I Thank You
I thank you mother,
You've always been there for me,
No matter what the circumstances.
Even when I lost the will to be.
I thank you father,
You always made me want to try.
You're the strongest man I know,
You were never afraid to cry.
I thank you sisters,
You've taught me who to be.
No matter what will happen,
You'll always be a part of me.
I thank you friends,
You've taught me the fun things in life.
We've always been able to laugh,
Even when lost in a strife.
I thank you my "special" friend,
You taught me things about myself that I never understood.
Even though sometimes it was hard,
You helped me focus on the good.
I thank you pets,
You always come with me when I'm out for a walk.
Even though you can't answer back,
I know you care when we're having a talk.
I thank you teachers,
I've learned a many things.
I can now read and write,
About the miracles that life seems to bring.
I thank you angels,
Even though I may not have seen you,
I know you've always been out there,
Looking down upon me as I grew.
I thank you God,
You've never left my side.
Even though sometimes I doubted you,
You knew I'd break out of that stride.
It is thanks to you all,
That I am who I am today.
I could not have done it without you,
Here to help me along the way.
I thank you!
Nico
February 14, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
The Simple Things in Life
Instead of watching television,
And playing computer games,
Try to smell the flowers,
And the early morning rains.
Rather than going shopping,
And buying everything you see,
Listen to the water flowing,
And to the buzzing of a bee.
Forget about your money,
And the fact that you're in debt.
Look at the beautiful stars,
And the sun begin to set.
Do not let work make you miserable,
And fall into another brawl.
Enjoy the peace within nature;
Go stand out, underneath a waterfall.
Leave the phone alone,
And the candle as it flutters and dies.
Go out on the highest peak,
And watch the sun begin to rise.
Put your mirror away,
Forget about all the make-up.
Go out in the woods for a stroll,
And watch the little bird as it flies up.
Instead of bringing a discman,
Or a tiny video game,
Bring along sheets of paper,
And use that wonderful brain.
Rather than eating chocolate,
And all those yummy jujubes,
Go out and grow a garden,
Fill it up with nice, green foods.
Instead of buying presents,
They'll eventually forget about,
Bring them to the lake,
And take them fishing for some trout.
Before you go to bed,
Turn off your alarm clock.
Wake-up to those little birds chirping,
As they fly on, away with their flock.
Instead of watching the news,
And reading the daily express,
Go out and close your eyes,
Let the breeze carry away your mess.
Instead of buying a four by four,
And getting a hot tub with jets;
When you're out on a beautiful day,
Go out and take a walk with your pets.
Stopy trying to change everybody,
And wish that things were better.
Tell someone you love them,
Write them a heartfelt letter.
Instead of asking for wealth,
And fame when you're out to pray,
Take the time to laugh,
At least fifty times a day.
Don't worry about the future,
Or keep on living in the past.
Learn to live in the present.
Enjoy the moments while they last.
Lose the negative outlook.
Forget about that strife.
Look out upon the horizon,
And enjoy the simple things in life.
Nico
February 15, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
I Have A Dream
Even though I'm just one person,
In a world that's so immense,
I want to be remembered,
I want to make a difference.
I don't need a million friends,
And I don't want lots of money.
I just want all the people to see,
I was the best person I could possibly be.
I don't care if I'm not famous,
And that you may never want my autograph.
What matters is that I made you happy,
And that you'll always remember my photograph.
I don't care if I never win the lottery,
Or if the world seems to want to change me.
I'll always try to be myself,
Until my soul has been set free.
I only ever wanted,
The simple things in life.
The ones that make me happiest,
That make me forget about that strife.
I know that life isn't easy,
It's not always topped with cream.
I only sit here saying,
I'm not worried because I have a dream.
Nico
February 15, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle
The Story of A Butterfly
Me, I'm lost and I'm slow.
The world, it's moving so fast.
I don't know who I am anymore.
I'm in need of a change that'll last.
Peace and quiet, that's just what I need.
This cocoon, it was built for shelter.
The big things will no longer matter to me.
Amazed I am by the little things that linger.
The past, it flashes before my eyes.
The future, it scares me to death.
It's become so hard to breathe in here,
But I'm just not ready to come out yet.
A mirror, I am left without.
Comparing, I can no longer do.
Instead I'm looking deep inside.
I'm trying something new.
Relief, it washes over me.
Blind, I can no longer be.
The light shines brighter in my heart.
This shell, it breaks to set me free.
Colors, I am and I see them all.
To unhappiness, I now say goodbye.
My wings have cast my worries aside.
I now am a beautiful butterfly.
Nico
February 26, 2004
© 2004 by Nicole Houle