Linda is a Speech Pathologist in Cincinnati, Ohio. She loves writing of all kinds and has been writing poetry since childhood. She feels that the things that are created with one’s hands, whether they are made of words or more substantial materials, seem to be the only work that remains done rather than having to be continually redone. Linda has always dealt with her emotions by writing them down, finding it the best way to dispel anger and sadness as well as to share happiness and love. Her life experiences are chronicled in poetry and will probably continue to be so.
AN OPINION
There was a man who had a thought,
T’was his and not by others wrought.
This thought in time brought him much grief:
The thought had grown to a belief.
This thought was not by others shared,
And when they heard it they were scared.
And once the seed of fear was sewn
It grew aggression on its own.
One man’s thought, anothers fear:
The conflict flourished year by year.
A fight ensued, a battle won,
And then a full blown war begun.
So it continues here today,
Fighting about what others say.
And even what they think, we dread,
“What’s going on inside his head?”
But wars have solved it not at all.
Empires rise and kingdoms fall
Yet not a single mind has changed,
Only politics rearranged.
SUMMER’S END
To some an ending
of a warm and playful time,
so now the fun is over.
For teachers, the start
of many new adventures:
a chance to make a difference.
A SPECIAL GIFT
The ability to communicate:
It is so basic
It seems so simple.
But for some, its an impossibility.
To get one’s meanings and emotions across
To other people;
To get one’s needs met,
To simply make a connection to others.
How does one function without this simple skill?
So much frustration
And isolation.
Being so separate from others with no hope.
In my job I am able to teach some skills
To those who can’t speak
But have things to say:
To find ways to communicate with the world.
It might seem that this is my gift to others,
It’s a gift to me
From those who can’t speak.
For now I understand what they have to say.
SIGH….
My daughter’s gone to college.
My heart went with her there.
She left me a messy room here,
Her stuff strewn everywhere.
She knows I have a job now,
And great! Tthere is this to do.
You know there’s more to my life
Than cleaning after you.
The trash, the junk, the dirt, the mess
The clothes left on the floor,
It seems there’s more left when your gone
Than was in here before!
So I must clean this dump site.
I wash the sheets and clothes.
What is it she wants to keep?
Only a psychic knows.
I go through all the papers
To sort the good from trash:
Throw out the high school homework,
The art and cards I stash.
What’s this under the jewel box?
Oh, how the years do flow….
It’s the valentine I gave her
So many years ago.
She saved it like a treasure
And though we are apart,
I’m lucky beyond measure:
I’ll always have her heart.
GOTTA LOVE MY JOB!
Education, big frustration
No support from administration.
Dedication, innovation,
I deserve a big ovation!
No! Not an evaluation!
RETIREMENT
As I prepare to leave my work,
my spirits rise.
That’s no surprise.
As I reflect on all the kids
I taught for years,
here come the tears.
HURRYING
I can’t wait to grow up!
Halloween is my favorite.
When will it get here?
I want to be a teenager.
I want to graduate
School takes so much time.
I want to be 21
So I can party!
I hate my job.
I can’t wait for the weekend.
Is it almost Christmas?
I need a vacation.
I am so uncomfortable.
When will this baby come?
The kids are growing so fast.
What will they be when they’re grown?
I can’t wait to retire.
I will do what I always wanted.
Life will be sweet,
Except now I am getting old.
Where did the time go?
I forgot to enjoy all those moments.
I kept thinking past them.
And now my time is up.
BRILLIANT
I do my job well every day
For no appreciation and little pay.
I feel like the bosses are up my butt
With a flashlight looking for I don’t know what.
I understand concerns for financial stuff,
But there’s nothing in my colon: I’ve had enough.
When I bend over there’s a blinding light.
I don’t care about the reason. Its just not right.
You know what might be a little more fun?
A pat on the back when my work is done!
GRATEFUL
For every soul, man or beast
Who stood with me in ranks
With touch or smile
Or spending a while
I offer gracous thanks.
I only am who I’ve become
Because you’ve joined me here.
Without your bit
I wouldn’t fit.
I’d be a broken mirror.
I’m made of those I’ve met and known;
A puzzle with tiny parts.
Each piece is wrought
Of time and thought
From all those precious hearts.
OUCH
Life gives us troubles, woe, and pain.
With each, a lesson can be learned.
Some learn lessons and apply them well.
Others seemed doomed to repeat their errors.
Some choose unfortunate love mates,
Others can’t keep their jobs,
Many can’t control their finances.
Addicts repeatedly destroy lives.
They don’t listen; they don’t learn.
The key to the best life one can live
is to try to derive a lesson from every trial.
It won’t make us perfect, but it makes us better…
GOOD-BYE
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
I want to hug and hold you, not to cry.
But mixed with happy memories I had before
I feel the fear that I can’t bear them anymore.
Though friends and neighbors offer their support,
my total grief does my faulty smile distort.
For with you, something in us all will die—
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
And so together we should face our grief at home,
For in the end our fear is being left alone.
We will never heal our hearts, and yet we try—
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
I know that there were times we fought with rage.
My memory scrapbook doesn’t seem to have that page.
No consoling words erase the need to cry.
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
There is a part of you that lives on too—
A treasure chest of memories that I shared with you.
These loving thoughts will help me to get by.
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
So through my sorrow I must face another day.
So soft shoulder serves to take the pain away.
And though my heart is breaking, my eyes are dry—
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
If to us a thousand lifetimes more were left,
The final end would leave me still bereft.
So with prayer or song or quiet or tear-filled eye,
There is no easy way to say good-bye.
HEROIC
I’d like to fly .I’d like to soar.
But some things matter even more.
I want to be the one admired
And recognized when well attired.
I’d love the glory and acclaim:
For everyone to know my name!
A lottery winner! A superstar!
A rapper in a fancy car.
Someone known by a single name—
Unlimited money and massive fame.
Is that what makes a person great?
I thought so, but my heart said, “Wait!”
Is this what measures a person’s worth—
A talent or accident of birth?
No, heroism is so much more.
It’s what is at a person’s core.
No need for cape, money, or glory.
A hero has a different story.
The man who saved a person’s life,
Or helped a friend through pain or strife,
The mom who raised her kids alone;
This is how true strength is shown.
We are all heroes every day,
Doing something great in some small way.
My feet are now back on the ground.
To be a hero, look around.
Just find someone who needs a hand,
Or wants a friend to understand.
There is so much that we can do,
So let’s be heroes, me and you.
COMMON SENSES
Bright sunshine warms my face.
Breezes tickle my arm hair.
Floral scents spread through my brain.
I am showering in a fountain of Springtime.
POTTED PLANTS
You try so hard to make them grow.
Why you do I don’t quite know.
Sufficient water, lots of light:
They grow themselves outside all right.
Pat the soil, watch the leaves
For signs of insects or disease.
And though it gets its share of light,
It doesn’t seem to grow quite right.
Though you did what you could do,
It grew unlike it wanted to.
A plant is meant, not to be grown,
But to develop on its own.
So now remember you and I
And don’t let faded memories die.
Keep them watered with your tears
And cultivate them through the years.
For if you leave them all alone
They might develop on their own.
Yet one day memories must be faced.
They can be changed, but not erased.
GLORIOUS
Oh beauty bright in dawn’s soft light,
The early sparrows sing.
The flowers’ glories tell garden stories
To every living thing.
IF I WERE YOU
If I were you
I would write down how I am feeling today:
The anger and fear of knowing that the end is so certain and near.
If I were you
I might keep writing every day
So that others who must travel the same path will know that they do not walk alone.
If I were you
I would hold a magnifying glass to my faith
Finding and taking every comfort that it was designed to give.
If I were you
I would find joy in each task I undertake,
Because if I am taking the time to do it, it must be worthwhile.
If I were you
I would spend hours every day doing the things I have always wanted to do.
I would lunch with friends, sit in the park, read fabulous books, and take long fragrant baths.
If I were you
I would find something small to do that I know would make a difference,
So I would be sure that the world is a better place because I was here than it would have been without me.
If I were you
I would burn the concept of a Bucket List.
Joy is found, not in the huge events, but in the very small ones.
If I were you
I would go to sleep each night recalling my accomplishments,
Since I have never had time to consider them as they occurred.
If I were you
I would remind my loved ones that I will always be with them.
My actions, words, and thoughts will come back to them unbidden whenever they are needed.
If I were you
I would not spend one second thinking about what I will miss or regret,
But instead spend every minute embracing the wonderful things I experienced and enjoyed.
But I am you.
My journey is growing shorter every day with certainty,
Though I have not yet been notified of my final flight or destination.
Because of you
I am going to change the journey I take
And do these things that I should have done my whole life.
AVON LAKE
Little town
With big dreams:
It seems the only way.
Small minds
With big ideas
Lure me far away.
But family
And great friends
Make me want to stay.
60
You’re lucky to be sixty,
I will not give you grief.
Instead, I’ll share my philosophy,
For this is my belief.
Now that you are sixty
Your children are probably grown,
And if by chance they have a job
Your life is now your own.
By the time that you reach sixty
You know just who you are.
Considering your crazy twenties,
You have come quite far.
If you are still married at sixty
Your marriage is probably good;
You have someone who certainly loves you,
And you are understood.
If you look forward to retirement
The time is drawing near;
No more putting off vacations
For another year.
You know your friends are plenty.
Your memories are numerous too.
If your health and wealth are adequate,
Your problems are probably few.
In conclusion, in your sixties
You have happiness beyond compare,
So whatever you wish for the rest of your life,
I truly hope you get there.
63
Where is the party for age sixty-three?.
For such an odd number, why would there be?
But there are still things that need to be said,
And so many questions inside your head.
Am I now old? Should I retire?
Are there still things to which I should aspire?
What are my goals? Who are my friends”
What were the means that brought me these ends?
And so I’m here to give you a clue.
You are no different than when sixty-two.
A small wrinkle here, another gray hair,
Nobody will even notice them there.
Time marches on and you go along
Singing the words to some old fifties song.
This dance is exactly what you should do::
This is the journey that morphed into you
COMMON SENSES
Bright sunshine warms my face.
Breezes tickle my arm hair.
Floral scents spread through my brain.
I am showering in a fountain of Springtime.
Bird calls echo in my ears.
The sight of gently rocking branches
quickens the rhythm of my heart.
Hope rises like a phoenix.
I WAS ONCE LIKE YOU ARE NOW
I once knew everything
But I gained knowledge
And experience
And now I know nothing.
PERCEIVE THYSELF
I have spent a ;lifetime
trying to find that talent or skill
that would make me a leader–
That would make me respected.
I am not strong or coordinated
I can’t sing, play sports, or model.
I am not beautiful or rich or powerful.
I am smart, but not a genius.
I have none of the attributes
that makes one great, makes one a leader.
So I followed those with the talents.
I tried to be like them, and failed.
Thereafter, I just raised my children,
did my job, and was a good friend.
I entertained myself by writing,
joking, and creating beautiful things.
Then one day a group referred to me
as the person who could do everything.
All the small skills that seemed insignificant to me
were perceived by others as a big talent!
Life is not always measured
by the big successes
but is often seen as a collection
of the very small ones.
,
WORDS ARE FREE
I have noticed that things we don’t say
Often scream louder than the words we voice.
Words are free,
But we don’t always feel free to use them,
So many remain unsaid.
Words can cause both joy and pain,
Both with their use, and in their omission.
When we care about others,
It is wise to consider our words.
My Mother said she was never sorry
For something she didn’t say,
But there are many things
I am sorry I didn’t say.
Mostly I’m sorry for not letting others
Know how much they meant to me,
How much I cared about them,
How much they enriched my life.
Words are free
But we don’t always feel free to use them.
We get scared, embarrassed, shy, or lazy.
When we don’t speak up
We sometimes send the wrong message:
“I don’t care”, “You aren’t important”,
“You are invisible”, “I am a fool.”
We need to realize that there is a loud message
In our silence.
And words are free.
KIND WORDS
A stranger can make my day
with kind words
Some days I’d trade my pay
for kind words.
Anger can often fade
with kind words.
New friends are sometimes made
with kind words.
They don’t cost a dime,
those kind word.
It doesn’t take much time
to find words.
There is no better way
than kind words
to help a friend today.
Try kind words
WORDS ARE FREE
I have noticed that things we don’t say
Often scream louder than the words we voice.
Words are free,
But we don’t always feel free to use them,
So may remain unsaid.
Words can cause both joy and pain,
With their use, and in their omission.
When we care about others,
It is wise to consider our words.
My Mother said she was never sorry
For something she didn’t say,
But there are many things
I am sorry I didn’t say.
Mostly I’m sorry for not letting others
Know how much they meant to me,
How much I cared about them,
How much they enriched my life.
Words are free
But we don’t always feel free to use them.
We get scared, embarrassed, shy, or lazy.
When we don’t speak up
We sometimes send the wrong message:
“I don’t care”, “You aren’t important”,
“You are invisible”, “I am a fool.”
We need to realize that there is a loud message
In our silence.
And words are free.
CHANGE
It is in the air.
Fear follows
not knowing
what is next.
It is in the air,
but hope rises..
It could always
be better.
Change has claws,
and teeth,
and a smile,
and muscles.
It can be creative
or destructive.
It is our choice
how we use it.
WATER
Trickling
Crashing
Rolling
Splashing
Glittering
Clear
Sparkling
Mirror
Giving
Taking
Mischief
Making
Ocean
Stream
Lake
Dream
Life
Rain
Flood
Pain
I LIVE AND DIE
Once ago I slipped into this universe:
from where I know not,
nor shall I ever unless I return–
Which from what I understand, I cannot.
Once hence I shall slip away.
I will slide further in,
or perhaps will skid out.
My direction is not yet clear.
I am whizzing on faster and faster.
I reach out to grab that which will slow me down,
but it does not exist,
so further on I fly.
My exit is rushing nearer,
although I cannot detect it.
I know it is so from those that go before me,
but I cannot perceive my destination.
I pay a price for coming through.
I am slapped in the darkness.
It hurts, but I am powerless to stop it.
There are simply objects in my way.
I will leave with only what I brought.
I have lost and gained, but all for naught.
I know that I must leave it all,
but I have enjoyed holding it for the duration.
RELEASE
I watch the flickering candle
Through eyes that burn with tears.
I wish that I could get a handle
On all my stress and fears.
The day has burned into my soul;
A tight, barbed wire noose.
But the dancing flame makes me whole,
And turns my spirit loose.
Our lives are busy, strained and stressed.
Techniques we must employ
By finding how we can be blessed
With simple moments of joy.
A Poet’s Wish
I close my eyes
to send you lazy thoughts
and peaceful dreams.
May your troubles be gone,
love be present,
and sleep be granted.
THEFT
I carefully weigh life’s priorities,
(the life I am living is mine)
then find they are being adjusted
to suit someone else’s design.
Resentment will build when another
takes over control of one’s time,
because time is more precious than money.
Usurpation of life is a crime.
I am being required to donate
what I am unwilling to give.
For another’s convenience I forfeit
the way I’ve decided to live.
So please don’t tell me I’m selfish
in asking for time of my own,
and don’t tell me I’m foolish or lazy:
time offered to you is a loan.
For mine is the real decision
of what I am willing to do.
Remember, my time’s only borrowed.
It doesn’t belong to you.
This one is just for fun for those of you old enough to remember…
NIXON AND FORD
I hear our little man resigned
and no one even seemed to mind.
I heard that there were quite a few
who said, “Its what he ought to do!”
So now a new man takes the floor.
Few have heard of him before.
It seems like someone missed the boat:
We didn’t even got to vote!
I wonder if Ford is worried now.
Well, he’s stuck with it anyhow.
I hope that he can do the trick
and not mess up like “Tricky Dick”.
He’s really going to need support
if he is going to hold the fort.
A basic political trust was lost
at tremendous national cost.
How can Ford turn around and say,
“Don’t worry Richard, its okay.”?
Well, Nixon might be off the hook,
but I believe he IS a crook!
KARMA
Do not underestimate your influence
You touch others every day.
Your anger multiplies,
as does your kindness.
.
If you smile, others smile.
If you bark, others bark.
If you sing, others sing.
If you frown, others frown.
If you are kind, it will come back to you,
from a place you do not expect,
from a person you cannot repay,
for a reason you cannot explain.
If you are selfish you may lose yourself.
Others will not see you.
They will not care about you.
They will not want to listen to you.
You reap what you sow.
The lesson is in the Bible.
It is in the Koran.
It is in your life.
How do you wish to be remembered?
You have the power to decide.
Are you a force for good,
Or do you just exist?
Some think it is important only to be remembered.
I think it is important how you are remembered.
Do you represent what you intend,
Or what you despise?
(Trimeric form)
WARMTH AND FORGIVENESS
Happiness requires peace.
Angry souls cannot dance.
Bitter faces turn to stone.
Cold hearts keep others out.
Angry souls cannot dance.
Too stressed to see beauty,
their joy is stunted.
Bitter faces turn to stone.
Lines remain when frowns fade.
A scowl becomes permanent.
Cold hearts keep others out.
Happiness needs warmth,
Love needs forgiveness.
\
I DIDN’T CRY
I was at a party
when I got the news that day
that my son was in the ICU
miles and miles away.
The party was important.
My family all was there
I didn’t want to spoil things,
but to leave I had to share.
I was factual for certain
when I gave the news to all.
I informed them, but I didn’t cry
I told them that I’d call.
I had to drive 5 hours.
Stay calm. I had to try.
It isn’t safe to panic.
And so I didn’t cry.
When I ultimately got there
and found he didn’t die
The relief was so tremendous
I finally had to cry.
SEVENLING–SLEEP ELUDES ME
Sleep eludes me.
I toss and turn.
I need some rest.
The bathroom beckons,
A brief escape
From night’s futility.
The brain cannot shut out that which haunts the conscious mind
LESSONS LEARNED
Seven people in a tiny house.
One bathroom and five women.
Compromises needed to be made;
We learned consideration.
I slept in a triple bunk bed.
I was at the top,
so near the ceiling
That rolling over was risky.
Seven people in a tiny house
brought us closer,
made us aware that
what we do affects others.
We are older today,
but we still live the lessons
we learned from each other
being seven in a tiny house.
PROPPED UP
I met her shortly after I got married.
She knows all my secrets,
and still loves me.
She was there when I was pregnant,
and all my single friends fell away.
She understood my loneliness.
She threw a baby shower for my second child,
something I never had for my first,
and gave me such joy.
My children cherish her,
my husband likes her,
I can’t be happy without her.
She has been my analyst,
my companion, my sounding board,
my entertainment, and my friend.
Together we have solved the world’s problems,
and our own.
She gives me hope.
Our lives have all been richer
because she is with us.
I hope she always will be.
ODE TO A BISCUIT
Your cheesy goodness makes me swoon;
don’t even need a fork or spoon.
From Cheddar Bay they say you come,
I just know I want me some.
Your warmth and softness are the best.
Though I love bread, you beat the rest.
Red Lobster was the only place
that I could see your luscious face.
But I can make you now, I bet,
thanks to the good old internet!
MOM’S HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI
I could smell it from blocks away
when I stepped off the bus from school.
My mouth would instantly water.
I had to be careful not to drool.
She started in the morning,
for it took all day to make.
It was worth every minute cooking,
please make no mistake.
There is nothing I remember
that could so quickly make my day
than knowing Mom’s spaghetti
was just a dinnertime away.
So I made it for my children
when they came home from school
thinking it would have the same effect
and for it they would drool.
What they said instead was,
“Don’t we have Ragu”?
which is way more in my skill set,
just between me and you.
LOVE IS NOT LIKE DISNEY
It was not like Disney,
with the handsome prince
and the white horse
and the happily ever after.
It was embarrassment
and confusion
and a lack of understanding
and perhaps mild obsession.
When he was around
I couldn’t speak,
I couldn’t think,
I could barely remain upright.
I thought of little else
for nearly two years.
I watched him from afar
and ached inside.
He thought about me too—never.
didn’t know I existed.
didn’t know I cared.
still doesn’t.
ITS OWN REWARD?
When cleaning or crafting, I simply can’t stop.
My head hurts, my back aches from bottom to top.
I just have to finish, I can’t take a break.
If not done by tonight, it will keep me awake.
My mind and my hands work, I toil and I fret.
I’m dirty and cramped and I’m covered with sweat.
I may listen to music or maybe t.v.,
But don’t try to have a discussion with me.
I know I can finish today or tomorrow,
if not I’ll continue, much to my sorrow.
When it’s all done, I know it will look great.
I just want to see it complete. I can’t wait!
Okay, the work’s over, I’m finally done.
Now I’d like to see all of the trophy’s I’ve won!
What? No report card? No ribbons? No cash?
But I’ve finished the job and piled up the trash!
At least I feel better. Accomplishment’s mine!
It’s finally completed and it looks just fine!
Will I do it again? Here is my explanation.
It’s going to be hard to find good motivation.
WHAT IS IN A NAME?
I was born Bahen, a name unique.
I was told it was Irish, but even Ireland
said it could not be so.
I still claimed to be Irish.
I was 55 before I discovered
that it had been changed at Ellis Island
from Behan, definitely Irish.
Someone could not spell.
A research project in grade school
showed my real heritage:
Irish-German-French-
Scotch-English-Canadian.
More concisely, I am American.
We Americans are a mix
of all the wonderful cultures
this planet has produced over its lifetime.
The strength and richness of America
comes from this diverse mixture.
Though it has not always been smooth
we are who we are because of it.
Now my last name is Polish,
and my children can add
Polish, Slovak and Russian
to their American heritage.
I hope that the wealth of our ancestry
continues to add diversity,
for the more we include
the richer our family becomes.
PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE!
We worry and scurry and hurry
until all that we do becomes blurry..
We must take time to see
what a real life can be
when we quit living in such a flurry.
PUT DOWN THE CELL PHONE!
It seems that when your cell phone
is in your ear or even in your hand,
you cannot see your daughter jumping rope,
that your sister is sitting beside you,
that your car is veering off course.
You cannot participate in real life
because your are in a virtual one.
Put the cell phone down.
Turn the damn thing off.
It will still be there later when I am not,
when others are not, when life is not.
Use your ears, eyes, nose, and hands
to experience what life is giving you,
not to mess with the cell phone.
When your cell phone is on
you don’t even notice that you have a life.
If one died, which would you miss?
The Dishes
With seven people, it seemed the job was never done.
There is just no way to make dish washing fun.
Because I was the oldest I did it every day.
It seemed that I would never get them put away.
I finally went to college, then lived on my own.
The hatred pf the dishes never was outgrown.
When I got married we took an unusual vow.
Wherever we lived, there would be a dishwasher now.
For 35 years it has been just the thing.
For my marriage, its more important than the ring!
ALWAYS THERE
You were always there
when I came home from school,
when I had a problem,
when I just needed to talk.
You were always there
to make me do my homework,
to comfort me in illness,
to teach me difficult tasks.
You were always there
for kissing me goodnight,
for correction when needed,
for moral guidance.
You were always there
writing me letters in college,
giving advice in child rearing,
holding hope when things were tough.
You are always there
even though you have left this world behind,
you are in my thoughts, in my heart,
in my actions, and in my soul.
AN OPINION (revised)
There was a man who had a thought,
t’was his and not by others wrought.
This thought in time brought him much grief:
the thought had grown to a belief.
This thought was not by others shared,
and when they heard it they were scared.
Then once the seed of fear was sewn
it grew aggression on its own.
One man’s thought, another’s fear;
the conflict flourished year by year.
A fight ensued, a battle won,
and then a full blown war begun.
So it continues here today,
fighting about what others say.
One misinterprets what is said,
and all react with fear and dread.
But wars have solved it not at all.
Empires rise and kingdoms fall.
Yet maybe we can all be free
if we agree to disagree.
When YOU were ALIVE?
It was Martin Luther King Day,
back when schools still had class
on such a holiday, in 1989.
My 9 year old son had returned from school.
I asked him if they had talked
about Dr. King in school that day.
He said they had an announcement
But that was all. Why is it important?
So I tried to explain a large concept
to a small child in words he could grasp.
“Things have changed because of Dr. King.
When I was a child, things were different.”
When I was growing up:
Black people could not marry white people,
Blacks and whites had to use different bathrooms,
different drinking fountains, different hotels,
different restaurants, even different schools.
Black people had trouble getting jobs,
getting an education, getting justice.
Black people were angry,
and white people were afraid.
Dr King wanted change,
but he also wanted peace.
He helped to change America
by advocating peaceful change,
passive resistance, reasonable discourse.
And things are much better now.
My boy then said, “Those things
happened when YOU were ALIVE?”
It was not a .question,
It was an accusation.
I felt guilt and shame as never before,
Even though I was a child at the time,
and I had worked for the change,
I have never gotten over the shame.
UNAPPRECIATED WISDOM
My Father’s voice, so deep and resonant,
stays with me in my heart, my ears, my mind.
That is probably because it carried with it
the wisdom that I will always carry with me.
I used to think him such a fool
when he threw words at me.
The old man just didn’t understand.
He couldn’t know what my life was like.
He said things like:
“Friends come and go, but your family is forever.”
“If you never work for anything, you will appreciate nothing.”
“If you can’t be happy with what you have, you will never be happy.”
Cliches from a dinosaur, I thought.
But as I have lived my life, I have discovered
that these are beacon truths in this world.
This is the knowledge gained by experience and a loving heart.
I found myself throwing the same words at my children.
I am sure they though that I, too, was a fool.
But I also know that their lives will be guided
by my father’s unappreciated wisdom.
REVELATION
Busy day,
long shopping line,
what’s the hold up?
Old people,
short of cash,
too many groceries.
How much?
$26.84.
Just put it on my credit card.
Thank you so much.
We will pay you back.
No need.
Pay it forward,
it will come back to me.
At dinner later at Big Boy,
The waitress is embarrassed.
It was an accident.
Our bill combined with others.
Someone else paid it.
Please don’t report it,
she would get in trouble.
How much?
A little over $26.
There are no words.
Lesson learned.
LIFE COMPANIONS
Five siblings,
all different but all the same.
Different faces, same smile.
Different personalities, same values.
Different dispositions, same temper.
Different lives, same dedication.
Different jobs, same work ethic.
Nature or nurture?
Some of both, but all raised in love,
and all devoted in love
to each other and their families.
How empty my life would be
without any one of my
five siblings!
PERFECTION
I resent that I couldn’t be perfect,
I regret that I thought I should be.
What made me think that perfection
was a state that was suited for me?
I tried it when I was a child;
believed I’d find it when I was grown.
I failed miserably,
as it surely must be,
but could not face my flaws as my own.
My life would have been more accomplished
if I had much earlier known
that lessons are learned from each failure.
That’s how true progress is shown.
So now I’ve accepted my weakness
as part of my humanity.
But I wasted my time
thinking faults were a crime
and denying them only hurt me.
I hope you are putting these on greeting cards!
Interestingly, I have used them that way…
UNRELENTING
I insist on giving information,
not needing your permission.
I hurry you along each day
so you don’t blow your mission.
I am a sergeant, small and mean
that measures you at work.
I mold your day and end it,
making sure that you don’t shirk.
My movements are a stressor
that doctors cannot cure.
I eat your life in small bits,
unrelenting and obscure.
You may try to beat me
since it seems my wheels are spinning.
I know my speech may have a tick,
but I am always winning.
You may take out my battery
or turn me to the wall,
remove my plug or fail to wind,
but somehow I will call.
So don’t think you can change your life
by throwing me away,
for time will march on all the same.
I mark it day by day.
REALITY (TYBURN form)
Caring
Sharing
Bearing
Wearing
I want to be caring, sharing life.
But now I am wearing, bearing strife.
AUTISM
A small sound
the wrong order
lights that are too bright
a slight irritation
food that isn’t bland enough
something that is unexpected
and I blow apart.
Losing Things
My glove was in my pocket.
That’s where I saw it last,
but now it isn’t in there.
I’d better find it fast.
Perhaps it’s in my backpack,
or maybe in my room.
If I don’t want my Mom to know
I’d better find it soon.
It seems I’ve looked all over.
It’s nowhere to be found.
I’ve covered every inch of floor
but it’s just not around.
I’m really getting worried–
I haven’t found it yet.
My Mom is gonna kill me.
How much worse can it get?
She says I’m ALWAYS losing things.
I guess she’s kind of right.
I just can’t keep my clothing straight,
I must not be too bright.
Whoopee! I can’t believe it!
I found it in the john.
Before I next misplace it,
I’d better put it on.
I worried all for nothing–
I wish I’d known before.
But now, where is my homework?
I left it on the floor…
What Is Love?
It is big and small, it is warm and cool.
It is moving and still. It is humbling and exalting.
It is smooth and furry. It is black and white.
It is real and imagined. It is light and dark.
It is restraining and freeing. It is hard and soft.
It is hopeful and despairing. It is heartfelt and insincere.
It comes from reality and from dreams.
It comes from people and from animals.
It comes from books and from movies.
It comes from the mundane and from the sublime.
It comes from nature and from nurture.
It comes from life and from from death.
Love is everything. It is why we are alive.
It is the result of all our interactions;
of everything we are and ever hope to be.
It is more life sustaining than food and water.
Its absence is incompatible with life.
It is what truly brings happiness, even in very small doses. .
A VIRTUAL LIFE
When I’m feeling sad and blue there is something I can do:
I walk away from trial and strife and straight into my virtual life.
In this new life I can be free of all those things that torment me.
I’m the lovely princess bride who lives the life that I decide.
My friends are perfect by design. They worship me and treat me fine.
My work is only what I choose and I decide which worlds to use.
If my dreams were so defined that they were just what I designed,
then I would choose to never wake. i’d stay in dreamland, no mistake.
But since my dreams are uncontrolled, I’ll use the mouse that I now hold
and with one click avoid this strife, escaping to my virtual life.
BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN (chastushka form)
It cannot be overstated:
Congress is quite overrated.
They should make our nation strong,
but not by fighting all year long!
LIBRA
The scales of justice weigh on my mind.
I can’t see the fairness I so hoped to find.
I’m bursting with anger
I cry with despair
when faced with injustice I see everywhere.
The courts and the politics drive me insane.
I feel the rage building inside of my brain.
I know no one’s perfect,
I see it’s not fair,
But certain improvements could help us get there.
Because of the fighting, the balance is lost.
Good people suffer to cover the cost.
Don’t others see it?
Don’t people care?
The weight of injustice is too much to bear.
I wish someone told me a long time ago
that the rules I grew up with were only for show.
Commandments aren’t honored,
laws and rules made of air.
It’s just unacceptable. Life isn’t fair.
I wish I was Gemini, Leo, or Aries,
Cancer, or Virgo with all that it carries.
But I am a Libra
so the scales I wear
insure that I’ll campaign to make things more fair.
Sealed from Public View
There’s a smile on the outside,
the part that you can see.
There’s crying on the inside,
the hidden part of me.
I’m youthful in appearance,
you’d never know the pain.
But when examined closely,
one clearly sees the strain.
A book judged by its cover?
So come walk in my shoes.
Appearance is deceiving.
These are cliches we use.
But things are deep within me.
They’re sealed from public view.
Try not to harshly judge me,
and I will not judge you.
Title: “Thousands of Butler crimes sealed from public view” article by Sheila McLaughlin in the Cincinnati Enquirer 2/17/2013
LIMITS
No one can tell me how fast I can go,
how far I can fly
how high I can climb
How much I can love.
No one can tell me what choices I have,
how hard I can try
how long I can continue
how soon I can begin.
No one can limit my existance
my resistance
my exuberance
my patience.
Try, just try to stop me.
The only thing that can limit me is my imagination
my reluctance,
and my fear.
And I will never allow that to happen.
TEACHER AND LEARNER
From my earliest memory
I wanted to be a teacher.
Not because it seemed
glamorous or respected,
but because it felt important.
My Father was a teacher,
and so were the most
influential people in my life.
I did become a teacher
and have enjoyed it greatly.
But as I grew I soon realized
that I have a more important role.
I am a lifelong learner.
If not for this secondary role
I could never be a teacher,
for what would their be to teach?
WAVE
Like the rhythm of my heart,
I feel the motion of the water
like a biological function.
The sound of the waves
crashing upon the shore
nourishes my very being.
ALONE
Alone with the sand.
Alone with the water.
Alone with the sky.
Alone with my thoughts.
Alone with my troubles.
Alone with my joys.
Alone for a moment
or alone for a lifetime?
Eyes Closed at the Beach
Crash, pound, crash
running, giiggles, splash
Hot sand ouch ouch, ouch
Warm lazy sun
Ahhhhhh
In The Womb
Like flying, it is,
my weighless body
floating
without the support
of solid ground,
water lapping in my ears.
I don’t move a muscle,
have a thought
or give a damn.
I return to the water
from which I came
and am once again
carefree.
DREAM ON
My life’s ambition has always been
to leave the world better than I found it.
I have always wanted to be an asset
to the earth and the people who live here.
For most of my life I have been engaged
in caring for myself and those I hold dear.
It has made our small world a better place
but has not improved the world at large.
Am I too old to make a difference?
Am I too weak to make a change?
Was I too ambitious in my goal?
Or am I just to lazy to strive for it?
Now I know that I have changed the world,
In small ways certainly, but in good ones.
I have made life better for some by kindness
And raised my children to do the same.
It is a fine dream to change the world.
It is a grand achievement to do so.
It is a revelation to recognize truly
that what you do really matters.
Bondage
It lazily reaches up from the depths
wrapping itself around my ankles
trying to drag me down into desolation.
The tendrils of memory and regret,
anger and shame, loss and hopelessness,
tie me to the past and steal my happiness.
I must swim harder, kick away these bonds.
For to surrender to them would be
The end of any possible future.
Paddle On
The beer is in the back,
snacks are on the seat,
our friends are in the middle
putting up their feet.
The canoe drifts lazily
our paddling is crappy,
but we are having quite a blast
and all of us are happy.
A carefree, giggling canoe trip
with people I adore,
an afternoon of comradeship
along the river’s shore.
No river is quite long enough
with all its twists and bends.
I wish my life was like this boat,
that carries all my friends.
GUIDANCE
From far away
your beacon bright
steers me through
the darkest night.
From birth to death
you’ll always be
the guiding light
surrounding me.
Though you are there
and I am here
by your wise truths
I always steer.
So grateful I
Will always be
That you’re the Mom
God gave to me.
COASTER
Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack,
the excitement builds as
the cars go slowly up the hill
and we all anticipate
what is on the other side.
Then the grandest of all feelings
as we go over the very top
and see the fantastic drop.
Our bottoms leave the seats
and our stomachs reach our hearts
and we are weighless.
But only for a moment
for soon the ride is over
and we are once again earthbound.
WAVES
Rolling
booming
pounding
looming
foaming
roiling
crashing
boiling
rising
reaching
folding
beaching
advance
retreat
swoosh
repeat
MY HORIZON
I look out across the distance,
across time,
across life.
I see our joys and stuggles,
our triumphs,
and our strife.
We’ve been through it all together,
through laughter,
and through tears.
We’ve shared our lifelong journey,
our life goals,
and our fears.
I am so lucky to see this horizon
and my life
joining you.
We have have been quite fortunate
in sharing
such a view.
SUNSET
Swirling ribbons of color
dance crazily before the sun
as it settles beneath the sea
looking for tomorrow’s children.
UNCLE
Brother of my Father and Mother
a love given freely
without obligation
making me the special Other.
A kind ear who is always there
without judgement
without guilt
but guidance given with care.
When I can’t go to Mom or Dad
I know there is Uncle
who will listen
and help me not to feel so bad.
Without you I feel quite lost:
no more talks
no more walks
loneliness will be the cost.
ADJUSTMENTS
When a loved one is lost
by death
by distance
by choice
he stays in our hearts
and in our minds
instead of in our days.
When you lose yourself
through illness
through confusion
through neglect
you are still in our hearts
and in our minds
instead of in our days.
We will keep a piece of you
until you want it back.
ODE TO RETIREMENT
In childhood my life was run
by parents, teachers and adults.
In adulthood, my life was run
by spouse, children, and job..
In retirement, for the first time
my life is run by me.
A PLACE IN MY LIFE
In this house, I keep all my memories.
My children grew up here.
I loved my pets here.
Important decisions were made here.
I found refuge from strife here.
My marriage matured here.
I entertained friends here.
I cooked countless meals here.
I accumulated possessions here.
Life’s lessons were learned here.
I grew old here.
In many ways it contains my life.
That is the meaning of home.
YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND
You just click on my name
and you know wherever I am
I will answer as soon as I can.
When nobody else is around
You know somehow I can be found,
I’ll be here, your Facebook Friend.
DECEIT
Who am I fooling when I lie?
Who am I hurting?
Who will ever know?
Who cares?
Why not fabricate?
Why care what others think?
Why give away my truths.
Why be honest?
Where will lies lead me?
Where do I turn?
Where are the answers?
Where does the truth reside?
When will I be believed?
When do I give up?
When is the reckoning?
When will I get it?
What is the truth?
What is reality?
What can a lie accomplish?
What is my problem?
FAIRY TALE (Rhupunt form)
I imagine
there’s a dragon
with a wagon
in his big cave.
The hero shows
with swords and bows
to end all woes
and show he’s brave.
But when he sees
the dragon, he’s
swayed by its pleas.
And with a wave
He says good bye
with tear filled eye
and with a sigh
resigns to knave.
Moment of Rapture
After many yearsign
of feeling alone
and mostly ignored
he put his arms
around me and said
what can I do
to make you feel better?
And for that moment
I finally felt loved.
WHAT MATTERS MOST
The peace only found
in my own back yard,
achieving a goal
that was really hard,
believing in dreams
that seem out of reach,
a beautiful walk
on a quiet beach,
holding on to hope
when it seems so lost,
putting it out there
not measuring cost,
hoping that life is
not troubles and pain,
but only a list of
the treasures we gain.