For Noelle.....

Come to Grandma, sweet child of mine.
Sit with me and we’ll talk for awhile.
Tell me your hopes and tell me your dreams,
Give Grandma a hug, and make me smile.

Sweet child, you were born in the winter time,
I was overjoyed by you completely.
You came into my life and brought me love,
And captured my old heart so sweetly.

Now, as Christmastide approaches fast
I am beckoning you to come to me.
Bring your smile, and your big brown eyes,
And I will show you what Christmas should be.

No getting up and off to school at just past seven
No staying in afterschool care until six;
We have plans to make, and cookies to bake,
And, of course, there’s supper to fix.

Come with me and we will turn on the music
Take off our shoes and do a dance
We’ll rock out to Bon Jovi and Phil Collins
And laugh and sing while we have the chance.

Your life has become so very harsh
Pain and disappointment haunt your every day.
Come with me, my sweet baby child,
It’s time for you and Grandma to play.

Grace......

As I sat, crying softly in the dark
I wondered where my life has gone;
Amazed, I watched in wonder
As the room filled with the light of dawn.

No more tears, or sadness for me
I am filled with a sense of joy and hope.
No more sadness to fill my waking hours
No more sliding down the slippery slope.

“Peace be with you, my Peace I bring you”
I heard him say to me alone.
And in the light of the new day dawning,
His grace, to me, He has shown.

Emotion Spent.....

A sparsity of words,
Leading to economy of thought
Parsing words to fit,
The poem that I have wrought.
No thought too big, or words too small,
To fill my mind with memories
Of the love that I have left behind.
Emotion spent,
Ensconced in flowery phrases,
In my mind, so deserted now,
The memory erases.

Come To Me, My Gentle Friend

Come to me, my gentle friend
I see the tears forming in your eyes
Come to me, my gentle friend
I see your soul; I hear your cries.

I see the sorrow that you feel
I see the pain that you endure
I hear trembling in your voice
And I know your heart, so pure.

Come to me, my gentle friend
Let me hold you in my arms
Come to me, my gentle friend
I’ll protect you from life’s harms.

I’ll wipe the tears that are gathering
In your soulful, sweet blue eyes,
I’ll kiss your furrowed brow softly
And tell you things that are wise.

Come to me, my gentle friend,
Let me see, once more your smile,
Come to me, my gentle friend,
Try to make this pain worthwhile.

I see the light is coming back
To your newly-healing soul,
The smile is creeping onto your lips
And your cup is nearly half full.

Speak of it, my gentle friend,
This thing that causes you pain,
Tell me everything, my gentle friend
So you may be happy once again.

The darkness, now, has gone away
The sun is a golden crown in the sky.
Your faith restored, your heart healed
Once again, to love, you are ready to try.

Go find love, my gentle friend
To lavish your life with wealth
Go find love, my gentle friend,
And the richness of good health.

Hope....

Turbid waters, running deep
Lives interrupted; mothers weep.
Death, destruction and despair,
Hope has died, everywhere.
Lives undone, families are torn
Nothing is left for the new ones born.
Desolation, heat, and hollowed plain
Fiery storms come, again and again.
Trees and verdant pastures do implore,
Please, dear God, my hope, restore.

Across The Room.....

They saw each other across the room
Trying to make their way through the crowd
Two steps forward, then one step back
Through the sea of people, they plowed.

Steadily moving toward each other
Pushed and shoved by others, still undeterred
Finally the last few steps were conquered
The room became empty, as they preferred.

She smiled at him as he held her close
In a sweet and loving embrace
Then he kissed her lips so gently
And brushed her hair off her face.

The touch of his hand sent riveting chills
Up and down her arrow-straight spine,
He smiled at her and took her hand
And said: “My love, tonight you’ll be mine”

Alone at last, hardly able to wait
Ensconced together in a hotel suite,
He took her in his powerful arms
And made, at last, her life complete.

Emotions coming to a crescendo
Soon cresting in unbridled bliss
Entwined together, enveloped in love
It doesn’t get any better than this.

When Did It Happen?

When did it happen?
This thing that changed my life?

When did the sunlight get so much brighter?
Flowers bloom more profusely.

The sea beckons my heart fervently
And the waves crash louder
On the warm sand beneath my feet.

When did the music start sounding so beautiful?
And the words to the songs take on such meaning?

When did the taste and smell of food become
So much more robust and appetizing?

Since when does wine taste so sweet?

When did I become so light
That I feel like I am floating on air?

When did the wind pick up?
Blowing gently through my hair.

When did my eyes start seeing
So many things I never saw before?

Who came along and opened
This beautiful, golden door?

I think I know when it happened,
This thing that changed my life.

In fact, I know the very moment

When I changed my view:
It was the very first time
He said “I love you”….