BARELY A TRACE By ... Steve Lucky

            BARELY A TRACE
          By ... Steve Lucky

Behind the shadows where few could see
Was a person who went by the alias Marie.
Daring to be all she could be,
She found a place in history.
Her work with others she had to share.
Unless someone bothered enough to care
Enough to take action against what was there,
Tragedies would continue, each beyond compare.
Perfection none of them could ever hope to reach.
Imperfect people would have to teach.
More and more tasks Marie would beseech
Giving special care to each.
Lives were at stake.  It was no joke.
Care was needs for every word spoke.
One person alone may not see what is broke.
With the help of a partner, more ideas they could evoke.

Just when they started to set their own pace,
She disappeared without a trace.

Together they could do what neither could do alone.
Heard only as voices over the phone,
Both of them still had wills of their own.
Ideas they were willing to give or loan.
Neither could deny the work they they did,
Coming from a free or very low bid,
Made a difference to some future kid.
From the general public both of them hid.
Those waiting for perfection would never get to do,
Greatly needed tasks and see them through,
Yet to their cause they had to stay true.
Such a fact was repeated with every review.
On each other they would have to rely.
Although involved in a major lie,
For each other they were willing to die.
Reaching out to others they continued to try.

Looking like she was winning the race,
She disappeared without a trace.

Nothing more than job satisfaction
Was required for them to be part of the action.
Keeping their work a quality attraction,
Connections came in a chain reaction.
Having the skill to hypnotize,
Marie's partner made her realize
The fragile mask of a thin disguise
Shattered in the presence of potential demise.
Each task completed was a greatly needed win
Against a problem so large they could only begin
To solve it by looking from within.
In a hostile world came a fragile grin.
Faint grins they had would strengthen and grow
Into grins that would actually show.
On the big screen, their work they would know,
Put into place to solve great woe.

Grinning from the tasks she could ace,
She disappeared without a trace.

Love is the quality beyond all others.
Countless potential mistakes it covers.
Selfish deeds it easily smothers
Not forgetting the doers are sisters and brothers.
Effort to learn how to sing and dance
And later how to build romance,
Took them to where they had a chance.
Others were encouraged towards a similar stance.
Passing years would not remove
Work neither of them seemed able to prove.
Repetition would cause them to improve
Until they found the proper grove.
Faster and faster their efforts came.
No two tasks were ever the same.
A deperate gamble in a high stakes game
Gave some credit to a forgotten name.

Desperately in search of her proper place,
She disappeared without a trace.

People would remember some of what they said
Long after both of them were dead,
Yet on this knowledge they could not be fed.
Both still needed their daily bread.
In order to satisfy their thirst,
Much work could be done in a single burst.
Even when they feared the worst
Their noble task had to come first.
Overdue effort had to double.
Unless it did, they would be in trouble.
Constantly they appeared to be on the bubble,
But personal gain turned quickly to rubble.
Saving the world is no easy task.
Marie tried to do it while wearing her mask.
From personal glory, they could not long bask.
They needed help, so they had to ask.

After problems of great magnitude she dared to face,
She disappeared without a trace.

At last time came for the two to depart.
Tears came from deep inside the heart.
When friendship might be torn apart,
Living a lie is not very smart.
Friendship can withstand many things
Such as thoughtless words and the damage it brings.
Joyful songs one eagerly sings
Knowing on and on true freedom rings.
Righteousness is rarely the easy path,
Yet forgiveness involves no complex math.
Great destruction that comes from wrath
Can not compare to the aftermath.
Distance between them could not destroy
Happy memories both could enjoy.
Echoes of their kindly shared joy
Spead to every locate girl and boy.

Love can be found beyone time and space.
She disappeared without a trace.

By herself, Marie would continue her work,
To prove it was not just a quirk.
Despite her occasional mischievious smirk,
This was a job with a definite perk.
Valuable connections had been made,
Especially when she did not get paid.
People remember kind deeds of the highest grade
And make sure the doers get plenty of shade.
More than just an over the phone voice,
She gave herself and others a choice.
From this fact she could later rejoice
When she was the one people tried to devoice.
Unseeen events would cause things to change.
Once common events were treated as strange.
This forced Marie to rearrange
Just to stay in the modern range.

For her skeptics, she tried to stay filled with grace.
She disappeared without a trace.

As more and more of her work was seen,
It was time for Marie to finally come clean.
Fear and a sense of duty fought for the scene,
And she ended up somewhere in between.
Mental debates occurred deep inside.
Noble deeds are destroyed by those filled with pride.
Her true name she no longer put aside.
Giving her the courage to no longer hide.
Revealed in a single tick of the clock,
To many the name came as a shock.
How can one stay as steady as a rock
When long hidden truth others try to block?
Revalation was the beginning, not the end.
Long delayed facts from her and her friend
Combined with technicalies few could ever hope to mend,
Meant many would think her work was pretend.

Each person no person can ever replace.
She disappeared without a trace.

Although mockery and riddicule Marie would recieve,
On that day she tried not to decieve.
The whole story many could not even concieve
So some of them simply refused to believe.
It is known to even the youth,
People can be punished for telling the truth.
Methods many consider uncouth
Can lead to persuit by the amateur sluth.
Friends and foes alike need advice.
Judging does little to entice.
When distinguishing them, one has to think twice.
Helping enemies is really nice.
Rumors left her in quite a bind,
Because evidence disproving them was so hard to find.
Temper built up in her and refused to unwind.
Problems caused by rumors lingered deep in her mind.

Wrongs from the past, no one can erase.
She disappeared without a trace.

Work came more often than ever before.
Keeping rumors from spreading was quite a chore.
From her heart, the effort would pour.
It would take all of it and considerably more.
Frequently Marie wanted to rest,
But she knew she had to keep giving her best.
Without warning, they might have a test
Coming from a statement made in jest.
Results were not always as intended.
Some of the work had greatly descended.
No longer as concerned about who was offended
Until her crushed ego at last was mended.
Even so, moral values remained supreme
Because they were taken to the extreme.
The people she worked with worked as a team
Causing her face to once again beam.

Ready to defend her case,
She disappeared without a trace.

Joyous time and tragic times many can recall,
But life goes on in spite of it all.
Save during prosperous times in case of a fall.
Every scrap is needed, no matter how small.
One step at a time, Marie made her way
To a place where she could at last have her say.
Perfect people will not be found here to today
So imperfect heroes are needed every day.
Love is needed by everyone.
Problems can feel like they weigh a ton,
But removing them can still be fun
If someone is willing to get the job done.
People move more swiftly towards the goal
When working for the good of the world as a whole.
Motivation comes from deep inside the sole.
This motivation extends from pole to pole.

Establishing a solid base,
She disappeared without a trace.

By herself, her work continued to progress.
Although years it would take for notable success.
Results were far less likely to regress.
No longer would she be in constant distress.
Help coming from others had to be conceded.
No progress was made while she constantly pleaded.
Being lucky without luck was all the she needed.
The grass was already properly seeded.
Flaws in everyone can be found
So all mortals have a common ground.
Out of this ground, sprouted seeds will surround
Anyone who happens to be around.
Blindly all people are treated alike.
Mistakes and rumors do not force one on a hike.
Even when trouble happens to strike,
People want him to help himself and the like.

With nothing more than a lucky embrace,
She dissapeared with barely a trace.

Copyright 2003, Steve Lucky