The Beauty of Love: Selected Poems

By Doris Washington

The Beauty of Love is a collection of poems about inner peace, healing, autism awareness, positive thinking, faith, hope, encouragement, inspiration, and love. Also in this selection of poems by the author, who is also a mother of an adult son with autism, are three poems His Window, When December Comes, The Storms, which the author has dedicated for autism awareness. These three poems are in the section following Reflections, My Personal Story Living with Autism. Also in this selection of poems, the author gives inspiring and spiritual messages about each chapter of poems presented. The author shares a selected combination of new poems and also familiar poems as a continuing saga of her poems of inspiration to touch the hearts of many readers. In the poems Take Me to Your Place and The Beauty of Love, the author expresses in finding that inner peace we all long for is to let go with love. In the poems Hold on to the Sunshine after the Rain and The Storms, the author expresses about faith. That there will always be storms and to believe that God will see you through. For today may not be your tomorrow. In the poem A Journey of a Thousand Steps, the author expresses about staying encouraged, and that all things are possible when one believes. In the poem Time Heals and So Does Love, the author expresses about forgiveness and healing through Gods mercy and love. The author also shares in this collection of poems that she has written in honor of those unique individuals she admires in making a difference, A Soldier for Peace in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., A Pioneers Journey in honor of Coretta Scott King, and This Day, A Dream, A Promise, Fulfilled, in honor of President Barack Obama. And in poems such as The Way of Love, the author shares that when we go with love, we invite others to know love. The authors greatest hope is that The Beauty of Love will help provide the inspiration that we so need in our daily lives today. Her son John continues to be her inspiration to write!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503548633

Doris Washington

Doris Washington is a spiritual writer, author, poet, and disability advocate who resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with her husband and son John. Doris takes the inspiration for her poetry from an unfortunate incident involving her 18-year-old son with autism and two police officers in December 1993. Her son was peeking in a window of his own home when two officers approached him. The two officers held her son on the ground with handcuffs, and he suffered a separated shoulder. The two officers were not aware of her son’s disability. This unfortunate incident impacted Doris’life greatly. She was empowered to advocate for a statewide training program for police officers to be aware of and recognize persons with special needs. And it was through this painful period in Doris’ life her writing began. Doris has found peace and healing through her poetry. Her husband is her anchor of support and best friend. Her son is her inspiration to write. She has written over 600 poems. In 1997 she wrote her first poem Invisible. She writes poems about her closeness with God, spirituality, autism awareness, inspirations, positive thinking, social issues in our world, and greetings. She is an entrepreneur of DORIS’POEMS. She does readings at nursing homes, residential home facilities, churches, schools, and community. She has self-published seven books of poems A Blessing, Caring & Sharing and Faith, Hope & Love, The Joy In The Morning And A New Day Begins / A Time, A Season and Always Love / The Beauty of Love / This Day Today/ Where There’s Hope- There’s Love. Her book, A Blessing, Caring & Sharing has received much writing achievement success such as: the listing in The NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS MAGAZINE in 2008, and its achievement of commercial success that was posted in the Scripps College Newsletter in Claremont, California in February 2011. Doris also received a letter of acknowledgement from President Barack Obama in April 2009 for her poem This Day, A Promise, A Dream Fulfilled, that she wrote in honor of President Obama. She has also received letters of acknowledgement for her poem The Sun Still Shines In The Morning from Mayor Michael Bloomberg in honor of September 11, 2001, and the poem is submitted in the 911 Memorial Museum of New York. Also she has received a letter of acknowledgement from former President Bill Clinton for her poem For The Children that she dedicated for the people of Haiti Earthquake Relief in March 2010. She has also been honored to receive the Inspirational Leader Award of 2013 for her contributions of her poetry as an inspiration to others in her community and around the country by leaders in the Greater Harrisburg Region. With her newly released and eight book collection of poems, I Wish To Live Life, she shares poems that are many of her readers and her favorites, as well as poems of tribute to those who inspire her, such as; The Conductor, tribute to Harriett Tubman. She is currently doing book signings at many Barnes & Noble locations across the country. Doris continues to travel to numerous book signings over 500 book signings to date. Her desire hopes her poems will continue to inspire many all over the world.

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Doris Washington.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/20/2015

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Reflections, My Personal StoryLiving with Autism

His Window

When December Comes

The Storms

Foreword

As Tomorrow Comes

Hold On To The Sunshine After The Rain

Hope

As You’re Going Through

The Sunshine

My Prayer For You

God’s Peace

The Storms

As Tomorrow Comes

The Joy In The Morning

Thank You For This Day

Thank You Forever More

This Day Today

Friends I Know

I Have A Song In My Heart

Clouds For Today

Morning

Avenues

Thank You For This Day

I Wish To Live Life

Take Me To Your Place

The Morning Sun

The Wilderness

Letting Go

Familiar

Start Over

Whirlwind

Perspective

Take Me To Your Place

Peace

A Journey Of A Thousand Steps

Courage

True Beauty

I Cannot Stay Where I Am

Road Blocks

Alone

The Comfort Zone

Make Your Dreams Come True

A Journey Of A Thousand Steps

Winners

Always There

The Love Inside Of You

A New Day

I Can Always Begin Again

Accepting

Start Anew

A New Day Begins

Time Heals, And So Does Love

You

Always There

Home

His Amazing Love

There’s A Beautiful Voice Inside Of Me

In Due Season

Staying In Faith

As I Plant The Seeds Of My Garden

I Abide In You

Jesus My Friend Forever More

The Leap of Faith

His Amazing Love

The Lord Watches Over Me

This Day, A Dream, A Promise Fulfilled

All About Honor

Living To Purpose

Walls

A Soldier For Peace

A Pioneer’s Journey

Choices

All Of A Sudden

Where The Grass Is Green

Inspiration

This Day, A Dream, A Promise Fulfilled

Sing A Song For Hope

Always Love

The Way of Love

Hold On To Love

Always Another Way

The Beauty Of Love

Love With Your Heart

May Each Day Lord I See You

The Lord’s Grace

Always Love

Each Day I Awake

Closing Poem

What Is A Christian Woman?

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my dearest and loving husband John,

Whose love and support has made this work all possible,

And to my son John, who has been my inspiration to write.

Acknowledgements

I would like to give special thanks to my mother Emma Buchanan, my brothers and sisters, For their love and support. And also, I would like to give special thanks to my dear friends, Barbara Roopnaraine, Audrey Edwards, Marilyn Donley, Afi Roberson, Priscilla Gallegos, Joni Meyers and to those special friends for through their belief in me, their encouragement and support has helped make this book possible to create.

Reflections, My Personal Story

Living with Autism

Over 22 years ago, on December 27, 1993, a traumatic incident that involved my son who has autism with two police officers, greatly impacted my life. My son who was 18