No Name

Age 21

Ghosts and goblins
crept, and paused
at my doorstep,
attempting to taint
my sanity with their
invisible hands.
I almost let them.
Almost.

Andrea

May 3, 1977

Age: 19

His Point of View

Little blonde girl
with eyes of brown,
Why do you wear that thorny crown?
Why do your eyes brim with tears?
Why? Do you echo the pain of your years?

Just hear my words -
wait 'till I'm through.
Sit there and hear
my point of view...

The summer breeze is calling me
to a far-off field and land.
I must follow its calling -
I cannot take your hand.

You would not be a burden,
but could hinder my quest
for a brighter tomorrow.
I just cannot rest.

Promises may be broken
like a glass window pane,
shattering and cracking -
letting in the rain.

The words we spoke weren't words in the wind.
You were my love.
You were my friend.

I gave you no promises
to attach to your heart:
commitments are like scissors,
slicing hearts apart.

We were pieces of the universe,
interrupting space and time -
spending moments of our lifetimes
in toasts of fruited-wine.

But, like the sweetness of the wine
that slowly warms our throats,
the taste may be too sweet
to make another toast.

So, I'll leave the taste behind -
for when we meet anew -
the memory of the sweet,
will bring me back to you.

Andrea

It's Only Business

Afternoon heat
hits heavy.
So do the boys in the backroom.
Ties and Topcoats
can't disguise the beasts.
Claws leave deep scars on office walls.
Eyes gleam for the taste of flesh
and the hunt.
I've been marked.
The next victim?
Never.
I found my wings.

July 1984

The safety of cover

I look around me -
All seems clear,
Yet, I wonder what I'm doing here.
My heart pulls left,
My soul pulls right,
I search for cover under dead of night.
Can he see the love in my eyes for another?
Or, does he too look for the safety of cover?
I long to be free free from these feelings complex,
The questions and fears that this love has undressed.
My dreams brought me peace,
Wrapped in gardens of love.
But life always seems simple when viewed from above.
My heart won't be still,
My mind won't unwind -
I'm caught in the middle between
Illusions and time.
Can he see the love in my eyes for another?
Or, does he too look for the safety of cover?

2003

AME

The 'paper' Anniversary

My husband and I will be married 5 years on the 16th of September! Yahoo!! I love him so much and often think that our years together have stretched beyond these 5 years of married life. We've experienced joy, pain, hope, illness, resignation, faith and so many other feelings that a couple doesn't need to experience during such a short time as a married couple. But, I can honestly say, that these trials have been a melding force between us: a melding of love, support and belief in tomorrow. At one point during this past winter, I wrote him a poem to reflect the struggles and fears in the future. I've added it here.

Storms

Life is full of snowstorms,

hail and pouring rain,

all the roads we thought we knew

no longer look the same.

Ruts and bumps appear to grow

On pathways we held dear.

And we can’t clearly see through fog

into the coming year.

But, I remember clear skies -

sun and breezes cooled the air.

When paths were made for climbing

And love held not a care.

When stones were thrown from mountains,

and laughter filled our minds

as rain poured down upon us -

the cold New England kind.

But, life is now a bundle

of clouds and cold and gray,

That seem to sprinkle stress and pain into every other day.

But, then as I remember

the stone flying from my hands,

I recall how much you've loved me

Through my own storms and winds.

I remember midnight prayers

for your presence in my life

And I look down at my hand -

the ring that made me your wife.

So, when storms ride o'er the horizon

and temps drop to frigid degrees,

please always know that I love you

through winter and warm summer breeze.

Ame

2/14/11

Haves and Have Nots

poor.
poor.
beggar.
sitting in a laundromat.
at 4PM.
on a summer day.
staring.
laughing at life around you.
the quarters and dimes must be gold
to your starving eyes.
you drink the remains of a pepsi can
and lick crumbs from the table.
once another's food.
at night you return
to your salvation army box.
to sleep between torn and tattered clothes.
donations of the rich?
and i sleep on clean, fresh linens.
feeling unhappy
because the blisters
on my toes
are sore.
poor.
pitiful.
me.

June 1977

Andrea

Fretful Friday

Fretful Friday here again,
start to worry
remember when...
bus stations and soot, grime, grease
overflowing with people
that can't find peace.
walking and talking,
making no sense
old woman, old man - Can you lend a six-pence?
kind sir with coffee
for me and for you.
help with your bag?
thank you. I'm blue.
new bus, new people, faces and names.
stuck in hot traffic.
celluloid frames.
gotta get to the ocean.
gotta see surf and sand.
can't wait to swim freely,
with my friend's helping hand.
i'm late, i'm late for a very important date.
gotta get these wheels rollin'
gotta move this old crate.

May 27, 1977

When days were...

When days were young and the world was backwards and upside-down, we'd stand on our heads to make it upright
- then laugh -
only to fall over into the soft green clover of May.

When days were rotten, and the TV in Sears was showing Banners on castle walls while slapstick jokes came from the mouths of Robin hood and his merry-men, we'd watch the faces in the crowd
- then laugh -
only to fall over into the Easy Chairs that were on sale.

When days were hot and the summer air was heavy with the sweat of square-headed people, we'd run to pools of cold water
- then laugh -
only to dive into the wet buoyancy of nature.

When days were cold and the icy snow lay white upon darkened earth, we'd make doughnuts
- then laugh -
only to watch the world spin 'round and 'round and 'round.

And now days have changed and the world is still backwards and upside-down, and I stand on my head to make it upright
- then laugh -
at the Banners on the castle walls, eating doughnuts, while the square-headed people watch from darkened earth. And I can remember when days were...

Andrea

May 1977

Cape Cod 2011 - A Cooler Day

We've been lucky. The last two days of Memorial Day weekend were as sunny and warm as a summer day. It brought the sun-bathers and surfers to the shore close to our cottage rental. Today came with a cool wind and a smattering of thin clouds across the panorama of sky across our horizon. The waves are more choppy and the beach-goers are clad in sweatshirts and have their arms wrapped around themselves to guard against the nip of the crisp ocean wind.

It's another beautiful day of a different flavor.

The Calm After the Storm

Yesterday was another beautiful day here on Cape Cod, but the rest of the State was in a state of turmoil as tornadoes hit Springfield, Monson, Southwick, and 16 other towns in the greater Massachusetts area. This was a surprise to everyone - massive tornadoes do not hit New England at the level of devastation we just experienced - at least not in my recent memory. Thank God friends and family are safe, but I'm praying for all of the families that did experience a loss as a result of the storms and the 'twister'. Mother Nature has been severe with so many places on earth this year. It will be wonderful to see a continued calm as people work to set their lives back to a balanced state.
God Bless!

Cape Cod 2011 - Animal Stories

Jaynie - or Jaynie Lu as I call her - is a new addition to our 'local' vacation. She's a wonderful dog to travel with - she never barks, doesn't bite, is well house-trained, and loves to walk. She's a treat to have along with us.
This is the first time Jaynie has been to a beach. As a dog rescued from a West Virginia dog hoarding house, she's never experienced anything beyond what Tony and I have been able to expose her to, which has been limited to blazing hot temperatures last August, 3 foot snow drifts through the winter (where she learned quickly how to swizzle her nose in the snow and jump for joy), and pelting muddy rain this Spring. So, the wonder of dry, warm ocean breezes and shaded wooden decks is opening her to the beaty of olde Cape Cod.
Jaynie makes friends wherever she goes, and this trip is no exception. Although the new 'friend' is another species of life. Burt the Bee has joined us for breakfast each morning, and Jaynie is questioning this new friend - with good reason! Burt is a very large bumble bee that finds us all very interesting. He hovers over the table like a buzzing hummingbird and checks each of us out each morning. Once he's secure that we're not going to swat at him, he does regular sun loops on the deck and goes back to his hive in late afternoon. But, Jaynie continues to back away from his buzz and sits in whatever shaded area she can find to avaoid any confrontation. Our virtual family on the shore;-)

Cape Cod 2011 - Setting Sail

We started our ocean trek on Saturday - at a later time than our original intention - with little dog in tow and high expectations for a restful week of warm breezes and clear skies. So far, the hopes have proved true. The cottage that we rented last year has been spruced up a bit - fresh paint inside, new kitchen appliances, new deck table (that I'm sitting at to type this) and an absolutely beautiful ocean landscape! Although the ravages of the winter storms have consumed at least one house in the neighborhood, this cottage still remains - much to our delight.
Kind spirits are with us. The first night greeted us with clear skies and a expansive, midnight blue snapshot of the Milky Way, big dipper, and flickering constellations that took our breath away. Being so far from Boston has its benefits - evening does allow darkness to blanket the sky, letting the stars reveal their magic.
Sounds of the shore touch every moment: waves breaking, birds chirping, singing, whistling, bees buzzing. All of this woven with a sun-drenched sky, warm breezes and soaring seagulls that dart up and down the shoreline. This is the vacation we needed. A week of healing and peace. There are agels in the wind.
Breath and enjoy!

May 2, 1977

Age: 19

Moving On

Hop on a plane to forever,
jump on a train to remember
the times of joy and laughter that
come and go
in lifetimes
connected by threads of reality
and separated by dreams and illusion.
They leave at sunset - return at sunrise.
"All on board!" shouts the bearded man.
No one arrives.
They can't stand the pain
of living memories taht exist
in Never-Never Land.
So,
when you hear the whistle shout,
stop,
pick up your ticket,
hop on a bus to Disneyland
where dreams are reality
in technicolor.

Background: Better to have loved and lost...

April 31, 1977

Age: 19

Tequila

Waking with a Tequila Sunrise
hangover
racing through my head,
shaking me,
leaving me weak and uneasy.
Outside
there is no sunrise.
The rain had to come sometime -
Why not today?
The sky is gray
and I'm in a deep blue.
Even my clothes -
Blue jeans.

Background: When I was in college, the drinking age was 18. There were dances with drinks and nearby pubs that all of us took advantage of frequenting on weekends, only to discover the pain of a hangover.

April 30, 1977

Age: 19

Recalling Days

"School days, school days, those good old golden rule days..."
Lines harmonized in h-o-p-s-c-o-t-c-h days
when one plus one equaled two,
and pie was for eating with ice cream.
Adding was counting apples
on John Smith's trees.
Subtracting was
eatingthemallup.
Square was a figure we drew during recess,
whose definition was not bro ken down in to syl la bles
of stress' and non'-stress.
The major novel was Dick and Jane
with Puff and Spot as protagonist and antagonist.
Our time was spent
reading rhymes.
'Iambic' was a foreign word,
'Pentameter', too.
Imagination and colors of red, white and blue
painted the futures of the little people
sitting behind the desks of Kindergarden U.


Background: Recalling simpler days...

April 29, 1977

Age: 19

Syncopation

Love.
Why play the song anymore?
The words have grown old.
The record is warped,
the tune not as sweet as it was once before.
The needle keeps skipping
to and fro,
the words become unfamilier,
not connecting in time.
I'd rather be tripping
on white-capsuled candies,
listening to the music of
the leaves and the breeze,
than hear an old-fashioned love song
that can't follow the beat
of syncopated time.

Background: No clue.

April 27, 1977

Age: 19

Wheels

The Wheel of Fortune
spinning round-and-round,
always speeding up,
never slowing down.
The immortal Hand may stop it anywhere,
bringing good luck, bad luck, or awful despair.
The numbers may change -
sometimes better, sometimes worse -
giving you the feeling of a blessing,
or a curse.
It keeps on spinning -
even now.
I wish I could stop it.
I don't know how.

Background: That was college;-)

April 26, 1977

Age: 19

"To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance..."
Oscar Wilde

The Book

Peace to you my friend.
Though this is not the end,
close the book to the past,
and write a new story.
But, before you begin to write your thoughts
in black
on empty, white paper,
let me flip through the pages of your past,
and feel the guilt-edged beauty
of your mind.
Like a blind man,
I'll touch the bumps and spaces
of your letters, words, and punctuation.
Then, and only then, will I give you my pen,
to take and start writing.
Again.

Background: Ricky

April 25, 1977

Age: 19

"I remember what you told me before you went out on your own,
sometimes to keep it together, you've got to leave it alone.
So you can get on with your search, baby,
And I can get on with mine.
Then, maybe, someday we will find...
that it wasn't really wasted time."
The Eagles

Background: Drama, Drama, Drama - fits the age and the times. Loved the Eagles.

April 23, 1977

Age: 19

Keats

I'm not in the mood
for Keats and St. Agnes...
it's too hot
and my feet are sweating -
so are my hands.
My mind is wandering through other worlds.
I'm in the sky - high - staring at the world below.
This room is unbearable.
I want to go to my room of blue.
Do my thing...
nails by Andrea, hair by Karen, makeup by Julie.
Want to look good for pictures and snapshots tonight.
Wish my teacher would stop yammering
about sex.
Starts me thinking about what I can't have...

Background: Anticipation for annual Spring Apple Blossom dinner/dance.