Dear Family of Mine - a poem by Norma Albrecht

Dear Family of Mine

 

Lovely are the thoughts and deeds of friends so grand and true,
Dearest are their worth and most loved in all they do,
Welcome smiles,when traveled miles return you once again,
My heart is right there with them,though far away I am, 

 

Such a treat to sit and greet,and share the latest news with My dear friends,
Have a tea,a laugh and be ourselves without any need to pretend,
My family so dear and sweet,I love to spend some time,
The heart does fonder grow you know when apart too long we find,

I am so fortunate to have the friends and family I've got,
Just to name a few of them ,,There is Fred And there Is Scott,
My dear Mother and Her sisters,Such a wonderful crew,
My cousins ,nieces ,and My own children, My husband Raymond too,

They make My life ,would not be nice to not have all of them,
My nephews and My Grandchildren ,so many women and dear Men,
My Uncles were of many,they now are of few,
My Grandparents may God bless them,and all that they did do,

Like a great and flourished tree,
Branches from the strongest foundation we,
Our Brothers and Sisters,one and all,
May our way be blessed and our blessed Savior call,

One by one we leave and wait,
One by one our final day,
One by one ,may we again then each other find,
One by one ,dear family of mine,,,

 

Norma Albrecht.

FINALLY FREE - a poem by Norma Albrecht

Finally Free

 

Free, free ,to be set free,
Nothing to fear, nothing to plead,
Free, free, from all that is wrong,
Free to not wonder where we belong,

Have you ever been free,from worry and care,
Have you ever been free ,have you been there,
Have you ever been free,and light as the wind,
Have you ever been free,have you My friend,

I visited freedom,there was nothing to hide,
I visited freedom,It took Me inside,
I visited freedom,but I could not stay,
The cares of this world called Me back again,

I will go back,when it is time,
I will go back ,to freedom divine,
Such a wonderful place,it is to be,
Where only love lives,and it loves Me,

This world and its problems,are for us to see,
What it will be like,to finally be free,
Without cares and problems,of every kind,
What would we know of appreciation,for the divine,

Though we would rather be happy,no care in this world,
Each of us need,to learn of good and evil,each boy and each girl,
So much to learn,so much to see,
Until we are finally ,,oh finally free,,,,

 

Norma Albrecht.

SPRING - a poem by Eva Ruby Austin

SPRING

Although the sky is Azure Blue,
Today the sun shines brightly too,
Its very presence seems to say
Remember Spring is on its way.

'Twill not be long before the trees,
Will bloom again and have new leaves,
The Robins,  then will come to say,
Remember! Spring is on its way.

How wonderful it is to know,
That lying lifeless in the snow,
The grass is waiting to be seen
In all it's beauty fresh and green

The flowers too, will wake to say
Remember! Spring is on the way,
To Mother Nature's' beckoning call
They hasten promptly one and all.

Eva Ruby  Austin.

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

WEEP - a poem by Cindy J. Smith

WEEP

As you stand by my grave
Please do not weep for me
For from the shackles of life's woes
I am finally free

Weep for the homeless
Trying hard to cope
As they face each day
Without any hope

Weep for the greedy
Whether rich or poor
Who ignore what they have
Their hands held out for more

Weep for those who hunger
Makes them roam the streets
Searching through dumpsters
For something to eat

Weep for the young soldiers
Sent abroad to war
Who wonder what all
The destruction and death is for

Weep for the Veterans
Who every day face
The horrors they have seen
That their minds can't erase

Weep for the abused
Who fear for their life
Too scared to leave
Lover, husband or wife

Weep for those young women
Who just sought an escape
That got caught in the sex trades
And feel it's their fate

Weep for the addict
Be it alcohol or drugs
Unable to face a world
Where they feel so unloved

Weep for the children
Who are no longer shown
Only by being responsible
Are you ever truly grown

Weep for the single mothers
Who work night and day
Trying to make a home
So their child will be safe

Weep for the world
Filled with violence and hate
That instead of solving problems
Just holds lots of debates

I will weep for you
And stand by you each day
Hoping my tears will
Wash your grief away

© Cindy J. Smith

ALAS - a poem by Cindy J. Smith

ALAS

It seems that life
Is so unfair
When failing health...
Causes one despair

Tempted to cry
Oh, Woe is me
Invite all to
Pity Party

But take a look
See others who
Are so much worse
Off than poor you

Child with cancer
Fighting for life
Husband grieving
Loss of his wife

Woman who had
Baby stillborn
Her hopes and dreams
Completely torn

Families in
War zone country
Daily seeking
A bit of safety

Your condition
Is in new light
When others needs
Are in your sight

© Cindy J. Smith

Here Is My Feast Of Crystal Splendor - a poem by Tasha Halpert

Here Is My Feast Of Crystal splendor

 

Now the landscape is still.

Grasses are stiff, rimed with frost.

Bare trees sleep,

dreaming of warmth as yet  distant.

But a new beauty imbues their branches

their essential selves emerge

in a pattern of graceful tracery

against the winter sky.

 

 

I am become ice

caressing the garden with my cold kisses,

taming wavelets to stillness.

Here is my feast of crystal splendor

displayed in masses of diamonds

that sparkle everywhere to see.

How beautiful I am, and how pristine.

Relish my beauty,  but do not touch me

lest you suffer from the frost.

 

I magnify the light,

extending its power to dazzle the eye.

Soft snow shrouds me in a white fur cloak,

muffling sound, softening hard edges.

But I crack branches,

scour stones, and buffet cliffs.

Locked out of life I pry at openings to get in.

I am envious of warmth, 

and will not melt before my time,

nor give way when the light begins to lengthen.

 

Some call me cruel, others kind,

knowing that  all life needs to sleep,

that old forms crumble to make way for new.

But  light  persists. At last  I soften in the warmth,

beguiled,  I loosen my clasp until

irresistibly compelled I yield myself at last

to Spring's embrace and fall asleep

to drowse the warm away,

knowing that I will wake again one day.

 

Tasha Halpert

The Apples and The Cantaloupes - a poem by Jurgen Braunohler

THE APPLES AND THE CANTALOUPES

The World is such a fruity place,
You can toss it for a loop.
My Mother was the juggling Ace ...
With Apples and the Cantaloupes.

Sweets and fruits a-plenty
Were the visions in her childhood mind.
War and poverty left her hungry
In ways that were just most unkind.

She left behind that ravaged land
And came by ship to Canada.
What she saw then was so grand:
With fruits that made her shout "Aha!"

Our kitchen had enough to spare
With food from every group,
But always in the corner
Were the Apples and the Cantaloupes.

My Mother was a wonder
With all the things that she could do.
Whenever I had a question,
She reached for a handy Cantaloupe.

"Mummy, how are babies made?"
This posed no major problem:
An Apple and a Cantaloupe
Sure gave the explanation.

Questions about the Sun and Moon?
Why we have our night and day?
A flashlight on some dancing fruits
Lit things right away.

Evenings on the sofa
In our stormbound summer cottage,
A plate of peaches came at me:
Good health was Mother's message.

But when girls became the issue
 and this boy got quite silly,
"I'll fix your wagon, you!"
Was my seasoned Mother's play.

She sent me to an artists' school
To sketch and draw bare naked women.
I came home each time in a state of drool,
But my Mother saw the omen.

I feasted on this subject daily,
In every shape and form,
Until I got so fully sated
That I became quite bored.

Women, Apples, Cantaloupes,
The Baubles dancing in my brain,
Became so really tedious
That I wanted off the train.

With all my drawings done and stuffed into my tote,
Mother asked me once again just what it was I drew...
As my Baubles now were sailboats,
She winked and passed the Cantaloupe!

Jurgen Braunohler,
Mother's Day, 2010.

PETER THE SWELL - a poem by Jurgen Braunohler

PETER THE SWELL. 

 There's a noble fleet of whalers, somewhere in Newfielands. 
 They're sailed by Peter Myers and his crew of Merry Hams. 
 They sing right in the shower. They sing far out at sea. 
 They sing way up at Eddie Blacks, and 'round the Christmas tree (Yo!)

Peter is a swell guy, who sailed the Newfie seas. 
 He steamed across to Port au Basques in a great and merry breeze. 
 He didn't have his dinner, and he didn't have his tea. 
 But he had his darling Newfie wife, and to Twillingate went he

Now Jurgen is a bugger, who will sail to Port au Basques. 
 He'll swim across the Cabot Strait, when his sailboat breaks its mast. 
 He'll never have his dinner, and he'll never have his tea. 
 He doesn't even have a wife! So he's gone to find one, see?

When the years have gone and passed us, and we've retired from the sea,
we'll sit around at Port au Basques, and drink our Newfie tea. 
 We'll have our darling wifiedoos, and eat our dinners too.
  Hopefully we'll live that long, sooooooo, Happy New Year, to You!

             a note from  the poet, Jurgen Braunohler:   One more thing:  Black's was a photo lab, and I was belting out sea songs in the darkroom to Peter's amusement.  I mention this so you will know what all the Blacks and singing business is about.

 

 

There's a Bitter-Sweetness here -- a poem by Yotanka Coicou

THERE'S A BITTER-SWEETNESS HERE
 

Every expiration teaches something
Death-destined....tender rasping

The drip drip of intravenous existence

Where words run on for much too long

We have never been closer....they say
Yet....you're not the flesh....we knew

There's a bitter-sweetness here
We can't endure

The wailing
We have not yet composed

The shooting star is dead
We lie....wrapped in abstraction

So lonely....so lonely together
So many ancient questions

Fester beneath the skin
In the progression of discrete collapse

The sliced Earth waits for burial
A cemetery....for trusting seeds

We shake the nettles from our clothes
The burrs....clinging for....dear life

Oracle....for no written word
Bellows....that spark

By permission of the author,
Yotanka Coicou
©  Telling Tales   2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

TO

POETS EVERYWHERE.

 

WISHING YOU PEACE, HEALTH, PROSPERITY

AND JOY IN ALL THAT COMES YOUR WAY.

Empty Seats - a poem by Bud Skinner

Empty Seats

No more candy or toys neath the tree.
 No more magic from Santa to me.
 As a child his arrival was pure thrill.
 Now an adult all I receive, the bills.

It's still a treat when loved ones gather.
Each CHRISTmas day a room of chatter.
 To watch the surprise as all gifts are shown.
 Some wondering how their desires were known.

Eating more food than you should handle.
 The tensile and the advent candles.
 The hugs and kisses neath the mistletoe.
 The relief, the sorrow as people go.

Not good, empty chairs, more than a few.
Of all the loved ones your life once knew.
 Memories brought back of Christmases past.
 Thoughts of the passing of time, oh so fast.

But this holiday is so much more,
 Than presents, trees and wreaths on your door.
 More than fam'ly, presents and food galore.
 It's about Mary and the babe she bore.

It's all about that night, over twenty centuries ago.
 When a baby in a feeding trough was lit by a stars glow.
 A God come to earth to give the ultimate gift.
 To later die on a cross so we could yet live.

So now, think once again of empty chairs.
 Not those in front of you, but those up there.
 All the vacant seats behind Heaven's door.
 Your Christmas in Heaven for evermore.

Bud Skinner

A Christmas Wish, a poem by Audrey Austin

A CHRISTMAS WISH

a poem by Audrey Austin

A time of love, a time for sharing

Let’s find new ways to light the path

While old traditions tried and true

Express how much we’re caring

For our family,

For our friends,

For people ‘round our hungry world.

 

A time of peace, a time for laughter

Let’s find new ways to share the love

While old relationships hold fast

We’ll open hearts, extend our reach

To neighbours near,

To friends afar, 

To those with whom we’ve yet to meet.

 

A time of joy, a time to remember

The holy birth of the blessed child

Who gave us the reason

To celebrate this season

A season of love, of caring, of sharing,

Love brightens the path of all who journey

Transforms the lives of all who are weary. 

Hold the light, share the light, be the light.

Merry Christmas!

(This poem is included in my poetry anthology

 titled "Poetry from A to Z"

 available on all Amazon sites.) 

Merry Christmas!  I wish you peace, health, prosperity,

and the joy of poetry shared.

 

Frozen In Time - a poem by Sarah Emily Cregan

 

Frozen in Time

From the heavens above
I fall to the earth
Perfect in every way 
I feel the crisp air
As I float along
Without any cares
From the heavens above
I fall to the earth
Searching for you
To share my beauty
I am yours truely
What seems like forever
Is not long enough
For when I land
On your warm skin
I melt away
This moment in time
Is just for you and I
From the heavens above.

Visit the poetry site of Sarah Emily Cregan,     http://allpoetry.com/Dragonshadow

 

November 11, 2014

Infinite Mercy by Eva Ruby Austin

                              

              As I rise from my bed each morning

                To begin the chores of the day

              I thank the Lord for His goodness

                 With my lips I silently pray,

             

              I pray that He'll guide my footsteps,

                 That I may not falter or fall;

              That I may be true and faithful

                  And loving to one and all.

             

               My God is One who will answer

                   With what is best for me.

               He knows the path that I follow,

                  And the pitfalls I cannot see.
 

               I'll trust Him for the future,

               I'll trust Him to endless day;

               For He in his infinite Mercy

                 Will pilot me all the way.

 

Eva Ruby Austin

In Memory of Mom by Eleanor Lambert - Bermuda

In Memory of Mom

It's hard to believe 24 years have gone by,
Since our precious Mom went to her home on high.

To be with her Saviour, she served and loved,
To the home prepared for her in Heaven above.

Since  Dad left before her, children grown and left home,
She found herself most of the time very much alone.

Her family phoned or visited as often as we could,
Even her eldest daughter had to fly and fly she would.

A joy to be with her, playing games or browsing stores,
And when all alone she wrote great poetry by the score.

Many things had happened since she was called away,
Lots of things to share with her had she been left to stay.

Every day at different times memories come our way,
Though absent she is missed, loved, dear, every day.

                 Written by Eleanor (Austin) Lambert


                          

A World Without Love - a poem by Rima N. Jaber

A World Without LOVE

I heard a story of a boy born without love,
His father gave all to his mother,

And she ran away taking it all,...
Leaving her children behind,

This young man was telling his story to his girlfriend
In a restaurant sitting behind me,

I wanted so much to see his face,
Thu I felt I can't face his sorrow and his pain,

They left and I couldn't stop thinking about how can this happen,
How can people get married only for money,

How can a mother leave her children alone,
And on their own,

Why money is all we want??
All we strive for, all we are living for??

Why are we so blind??
Selling our hearts and soul and leave everything behind??

For things which will vanish,
And things which have no value,

The real value is Love,
The real treasure is true feelings,

The real purpose of life is only love,
What we thrive for is only love,

What we live for is love,
If we can't give love to our surrounding,

Tell me why are we living??
Is it to accumulate more money??

Is it to steal others and hurt them??
Just for this stupid matter and say we gonna live better,

How can we be so shallow thinking
that matter can give us all??

How can we exchange love with soil??
How can we live with such a lie??

I tried to understand all my life this kind of people,
But could never understand they just made me disgusted,

The blindness and this killing sickness,
Made me pity them but their greed is making them cross all limits,

See our world is build on this kind of tragedies,
And it's spreading so quickly, don't know where it's going??

We have to wake up teach our children the value of love,
By giving it to them and showing them the truth,

The problem is all media and T.Vs lost all kind of morals,
And it's a hard task to rectify the image,

I believe in Love and nothing can change my heart,
Spreading it is the duty of every true heart,

And after all love will prevail,
No matter how it's hard now,

We're little candles born on this Earth
To kill the darkness and spread LOVE again..

Love you all
{{#OneLove}}
Rima N. Jaber

© August 29, 2014
~ ☼ ~

 

Just a thought POV - a poem by Cindy J. Smith

Just a thought!
POV

You can look at dark clouds
And count the rain drops
Or scan for the puddles
And do "Puddle hops"

You can look at morning
As the end of sweet dreams
Or see a beginning
Of all your hope schemes

You can look at heartbreak
As the end of all true love
Or gather the message
It's sending from above

You can look at your life
As a challenge, a test
Or an amusement park
And pick rides that are best

© Cindy J. Smith

CURSE - a poem by Cindy J. Smith

CURSE
A greater curse
I cannot find
Than to be lost
Within your mind

Reality is
Out of your reach
Cannot explain
With jumbled speech

Don't remember
What you have done
Or why it was
Ever begun

Family tries
But bridges burned
Frustration leads
To no concern

Locked in your mind
Through day and night
Life is not fun
But daily fight

You can't show love
Nor share your fears
Nor feel their hugs
Nor see their tears

Pray for the ones
Who cannot cope
For families
Who've lost all hope

© Cindy J. Smith

Happy Birthday In Heaven, Mom -- a poem by Eleanor Lambert

IN MEMORY OF OUR MOM’S 108^TH BIRTHDAY

Twenty four years ago
our dear Mother was laid to rest,

It seems like only yesterday
she was by our side, full of zest.

 

We have many memories
of the times we had together

She was always so full of life
no matter what the weather.

 
Mom would love to walk or ride a bus
to the stores even just to browse,
And walk around from store to store,
it seems for hours and hours.

I will never forget the many many times
we went to the C N E;

Always so much fun to go with her,
as she was always so full of glee.

 

Not one to spend a lot of money
but she loved her chewing gum,
And there was never a dull moment
when we were with “OUR MOM”

      

She would make us laugh
until we cried,

Oh,  the fun we had
just to be by her side.

     

Now we are all looking forward
to that great day,

When we will be with her again
in our Home far away.

     

I know that she is there
and is looking down on us,
And know that she is praying
that we will not miss THAT BUS.

 

She is hoping we will be ready
when our time comes to die,

So that we will be with all be together
with JESUS in our Home

                                          “ON HIGH”


 HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN

                                                 “MOM”

 

 

                 

                          

"Painting Life" - a poem by Cindy J. Smith

PAINTING LIFE

As you move on
From day to day
You paint your world
Along the way

Take a good look
At pallet please
Lots of choices
You will now see

Life is not just
Dull grey and black
Use your paintbrush
Put color back!

Violet, red
Yellow and blue too
Why don't you try
Using a few?


Cindy J. Smith

Silence - a poem by Vicki M. Taylor

A poem by Vicki Taylor

vmtwriter@vickimtaylor.com

 

 

We Have Come So Far - a poem by Marlon de Souza

We have come so far         

We are pagans
We are Christians
We are Muslims
We are Jews

We are believers
We are Buddhists
We are heretics
We are Hindus

We have good science
And good families too
Led by wise men
Killing more than a few

We are atheists
Philosophy fans
Destroying the Other
Because we can

We are modern
Parochial worms
Infecting our children
With our germs

We have taken
What’s not ours
Killing children
Gentle flowers

We talk progress
Great technology too
While we butcher
You and you.

There’s nothing left
To say or do
As long as you think
That they’re not you.

© 2014 Marlon de Souza. All rights reserved.

Marlon de Souza writes. Among his teachers are water bodies, Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, e.e. cummings, Pete Seeger, His Royal Highness Wolfgang the First, Leonard Cohen, and his friend and dog-child, Jules. More of his work can be found on http://www.JustAnotherAveragePerson.com

The Hearth - a poem by Dayeton Larson

The Hearth (***)(Word~pictures)

I kneel before the old hearth
It’ black and cold
Yet the charred wood laying there
Is warm and dry – waiting for a spark...

It once was young new and rough~ unfinished...
But now its old, smooth and with many flames to tell of
Sparks flew merrily through up the dark and inviting chimney
So ready to receive them only to cast them farther upward
To a sparkling dark eternal sky that displayed them for all to see

As you gaze into the hearth – the charred wood still there
You notice some unburned wood poised deep beneath the char
It’s still fresh! – ready! – waiting for just one more spark
To ignite a flame of passion, of warmth, of light ~ of love anew
To send sparks of joy up through that dark chimney -
to a waiting sky above ~ once again....

Like bursting fireworks flowering lights of freedom
Bursting forth casting sparkles over all that are gifted to see it manifesting...
Embracing subtle falling snatches – remnants of love that spawned from
Unplanned passion ~ as the spark so craved from the one that stands before
The hearth........

Dayeton Larson July 15th.2014

The Waitress - a poem by Audrey Austin

THE WAITRESS 

Wet rag wipes the table

Serviettes  wrap the stainless

Smile glued at the corners

She pretends it is painless. 

It’s too hot; it’s too cold

It’s still raw; it is burned

The cook pays no mind

While the server is spurned. 

Shifts short; she is part-time

Reliant on tips

She swallows her tears

With a smile on the lips.

 

(This poem has been selected for publication as a runner-up in the Ontario Poetry Society's  Arborealis Competition).

 

The Machinist - a poem by Audrey Austin

THE MACHINIST

Plugs are useless

Ipod forbidden

The noise incessant

From morning to night. 

Sparks are flying

Burns best kept hidden

Nothing forgiven

Machine must not cease.

 

Dreams filled with

Holidays, beaches and palms

Ha! Rent paid and bus fares

With each payday’s alms.

The Secretary - a poem by Audrey Austin

THE SECRETARY 

At his urging

fingers fly creating

greedy demands. 

In need of purging

ramrod back in chair

she perseveres. 

Nine to five

day in, day out

she keeps the dream

alive.

 

The Support Worker - a poem by Audrey Austin

THE SUPPORT WORKER 

Heart filled with hope

She lifts the large body

And lathers the soap. 

Hands that are caring

Erase not the vomit 

From scrubs she is wearing. 

Eyes search for life

Still dancing

Slow rhythms of strife.

Happy Canada Day!

 

Happy Canada Day to family, friends and poets everywhere!

DUDLEY - a poem by Eleanor Lambert, Bermuda.

Our precious pet dog lived to a ripe old age
Because of the love and care his mistress gave.
He was a happy dog and just loved to bark
To welcome guests who came by daytime or dark.
He loved to have his picture taken and was always full of fun
He also loved to go for walks and to the lake for a good run.
He was very obedient, very well trained as any dog could be
These are reasons why we all loved him so our precious dog
                             
                                    DUDLEY

A poem of remembrance by Eleanor Lambert, Bermuda.

Her Sweet Kisses Stained with Tears - a poem by Dayeton Larson

Her Sweet Kisses Stained

with Tears

D.Larson Aug.12^th.2011

 

I wake up again, the night is far spent

She clutches to my body, in desperation – seemingly

Her kisses so emphatic, seeking reassurance

With intensity like none other

Her sweet kisses stained with tears

 

I tell her that I love her, once again from my heart

Then we hold each other so dearly and so very close

An eternal embrace that cannot be ever broke

With an intensity like none other

Her sweet kisses stained with tears

 

She sobs with such great passion, “I miss our kids and home”

With their voices calling out “Mom I’m home”

Yes - our children are all gone now, and we hold each other tenderly

With intensity like none other

Her sweet kisses stained with tears

 

I comfort her and reassure, our love just will not fail

We came this far, not looking back, We’ll go on forever more

Our children will fulfill their lives, and succeed where we have failed

But they’ll love us just as we loved them

With sweet kisses stained with tears.

 

A kiss - oh a kiss so pure, with a hug not ending,

True love that never ends, such a wondrous blessing

Such passion that never faded, such joy that still we share

 

With intensity like none other

Her sweet kisses stained with tears

With intensity like none other

Yes, I’ll kiss away her tears