So long you’ve been gone
It seems like just yesterday
When will my heart heal?
Oh how I wish you were here
To be together again
relationships
Ten Ways to Tell that You’ve Had a Successful Summer Recess
You know you’ve had a successful summer recess when:
1. You spent less time in the emergency room this year than last year
2. Your house looks like Genghis Khan rode through
3. You have bright, shiny new graffiti on your walls
4. Your laundry is threatening to break out of the laundry room
5. You still can’t find where that smell is coming from
6. Your cupboards are bare
7. Your neighbours are still talking to you
8. You managed to put together an acceptable school uniform
9. You opened your last jar of coffee on the day they went back to school
10. And despite all that, all you can think about is going back to bed to catch up on some sleep!
Congratulations. You’re a survivor.
The Box
Memories and feelings
All wrapped up in cotton wool
And bubble wrap;
Gently placed inside the box
With polystyrene pieces
And packs of desiccant;
Sealed and marked,
“Do not destroy,”
And archived.
For now, I have no need
Of memories or feelings;
Now that you’ve gone
And left me all alone
To face the bleakness of a future
Filled with sadness,
Filled with tears,
Filled with grief,
And uncertainty
Maybe, some day,
Our great grandchildren
Will look inside
To marvel at the love we shared.
“How quaint that they should be
Together, Oh so long!”
And give us pride of place
Upon their shelves
And mantels.
Or maybe you and I
Will reunite
To open up the box
And let the memories rekindle
The love that bound us
Together, forever;
To set the feelings free
To flood our hearts
And souls.
‘These three remain:
Faith, hope, and love;’
Anchors for this lonely soul
To which I cling with calloused hands
That long to feel
The softness of your cheeks.
Faith, hope, and love
That soon we’ll reunite
In Paradise.
I know many of my readers will have read this when I first wrote it.
It was originally written (with a different photograph) as a tribute to friends whose long and happy marriage tragically ended when she lost her battle with cancer.
Recently, however, it has taken on new meaning for me and I wanted to share it again. I hope you understand.
You can read more of my poetry here
Love Would Linger On
Her tortured breathing
Slowed to a gentle whisper
Till she breathed her last
As life finally left her
He knew: Love would linger on
The Registrar
Proud parents enter
Carrying their new baby
To register his birth
Congratulations, I say
Thank you, they respond
Little do they know of why I’m there
They walk in
I walk out
Hands trembling, heart breaking
I know I’m not the only one who’s suffering
But I was there to register, too
And I was leaving with her death certificate
Long Lonely Road
So far have we come, but so far yet to go
A road, Oh so lonely, that very few know
The challenges faced when you’re searching inside
Where so many others their painful lives hide
Afraid to be thinking, their lives filled with sound
To smother the mem’ries, that inside abound
They try to forget all the troubles they’ve faced
E’en though all the turmoil is etched on their face
They cannot abide seeing others distressed
It only reminds them how their lives are messed
And so, they give up, leaving suff’rers alone
With no one to comfort or give them a home
A child that’s in need is a poor lonely soul
With nothing to live for, a life with no goal
Till in steps a carer who’ll give of their best
To give them a place where they’ll find peace and rest
The challenge is facing your own distant past
To give the poor children a love that will last
A love that will conquer the pain and the hurt
The lack of attention, the hunger, the dirt
Deep into their conscience the carer must dig
To battle their fears that the task is too big
To deal with their own long held issues and pain
To stop them from rising again and again
A long, lonely road that so few can travel
To help these young ones as their lives unravel
So few can make it, despite all the beauty
A long, lonely road that is not just duty
Fighting the system, even fighting their friends
The work of a child advocate never ends
The dangers and threats may seem never-ending
Often it seems that the rules just need bending
For Mother and Father are just facts of life
If babies are loved or their lives filed with strife
But Mum and Dad titles, they have to be earned
By love and by courage that will not be turned
So search deep inside. Find the courage to act
Make love for your children a matter of fact
And if you do care for a child not your own
Remember, this road you don’t travel alone
The Assassin
Taking careful aim
The assassin marked her target
Aligned the crosshairs
Over her victim’s heart
She thought she knew his weakness
Thought she could not fail
She checked her aim once more
And pulled the trigger
She smiled, self-satisfied
Watched the deadly projectile
Headed straight for his heart
But it was her heart that missed a beat
As his integrity got in the way
And the only thing to die that day
Was the bond between them
After the Rainfall
After the rainfall
Sweetly scented meadow grass
Reminds me of you
Distraction Techniques
Distraction techniques
Finding fault with someone else
Hiding what you are
Smoke screen of lies and half truths
Destroys our relationship
