Personal Poetry
Composed by Melissa(my cousin) or Amanda(me)

Did you know I have a picture of you?
It hangs on the walls of my mind.
I go there often to gaze upon
all that I've left behind.
When on the outside, my world's in despair,
I go to that peaceful room
inside of my mind, it's you that I find,
that shelters me from certain doom.
In my room, I feel comfort and warmth
and nothing can cause me pain.
It's safe there, I feel, and protected from all
the thunder outside, and the rain.
The rain that falls from my eyes out there,
it drowns me when I am alone.
But I can return to my room in my mind
and always know that I'm home.
And though we're apart out in the real world,
I feel comfort in being aware
that while the outside is cold and mean,
I have you, in my mind, always there.
I'll keep this picture of you that I cherish
on the walls in the halls of my mind,
where I'll visit often and share time with you
and never again leave you behind....

- Melissa 4/05/01

The Unicorn...

Look, up in the sky, a unicorn passing by.
Spread your wings and fly with me
over the rainbow, across the sea.
Follow the dreams you feel inside.
Under the unicorn's wings we'll hide...
Shielded from all evil things,
feeling the royalty of a king.
Wait!! What's that???
MUST I awake???
ALL my dreams, must you take????

Mel---11/11/88

Tri Colour Poem

I know in me, colors of three -
a blue so deep and dark
as that of silent midnight,
unseen, overlooked, and forgotten.

And then I see, shining in me,
a shimmering silvery grey.
Glowing and sparkling, dazzling
and glamorous, it seems never to fade away.

But finally I feel, and this is quite real,
the hues of most vivid purple.
Royal and vibrant, lustful and true,
this shade is full of life, I swear to you.

Amanda ---1/22/03

Shortened Childhood

Why don't people listen?
Such fun it was to spend the days,
laughing and playing in childish ways.
Long summer nights,
so warm and so clear;
with never a care
between there and here.

All in an instant it was taken away -
my warning ignored for a secret to keep,
that gun took his life, leaving us to weep.
Innocence was lost.
Adulthood began
and at only age ten.

Amanda --- 1/24/03

Credo

I believe in the friendship of others,
the innocence of a kiss,
the sincerity of "I love you",
the reason for family,
the undying loyalty of true friends,
honesty, magic, dreams.

But the belief that some lies are necessary is for the birds.

I believe in the kindness of strangers,
I believe in love at first sight,
I believe in hopeless romantics,
true love, fairness, respect.

And I believe that you should be careful what you wish for, it all too often comes true.

Amanda --- 1/24/03

Life

So precious it is, then fades all away,
This life we live all of our days.
It is a many splendored thing,
Taken for granted in too many ways.

Beginning so fast in the blink of an eye,
We cry out in fury and hurt and surprise.
It is a mircacle, born in this way,
To go out silently, the truth and no lies.

Amanda --- 2/3/03

I Wish...
I wish for the summer breezes
The warm sultry nights, never ending
Languid lounging, peaceful dozing, perfect
I wish.

Amanda --- 2/3/03

Its time to make a limerick rhyme
To put within this book of mine
Such poetry here
That I have my dear
Where they rhyme in line, right on time.

Amanda --- 2/3/03

Summer
Warm and pleasant
Swimming, sunning, sleeping
Joy to squander the days away
Freedom

Amanda --- 2/3/03

Happiness
Wrapped in warmth
Surrounded by love
Heart all alight
Happiness is a gift.

Amanda --- 2/3/03

The Sound

Here I ponder, weak and weary
Another day gone by, so dreary

Raindrops fall outside my house
Oh my god, was that a mouse?

Such a sound of scratching heard
Or maybe it was just a bird?

I grab the flashlight from the shelf
And flick it on, was that an elf?

In wide eyed wonder, I stand and stare
I can barely believe this, it has blue hair

Now in shock, I turn and run
While it laughs and cries out "Oh, what fun!"


Amanda --- 2/3/03

Urges

How many times have I sat and thought,
of all the things there are to ponder,
of all the urges that I have fought.

Strange and sudden, these feelings come
urging me to give in, to fulfill their need
to listen, to respond, to yield at least some.

They arrive with different flavor,
these nocturnal summonings
and always, they invite me to slowly savor.

Such exotic waking dreams
appear with no warning
and as always, it is more than it seems.

--- Amanda 2/4/03

Embrace

Touch of leather turned to silk
Rough and strong on hue of milk

Hot and steamy, breath so sweet
Eyes of liquid, bed once neat.

Gasps and moans filled the air
An act so common and yet so rare.

Entwined together, lines erased
Toward the other, each they faced.

One from two, this pair became
Passion, emotion, all aflame.

A flurry of movement to herald the end
Two forms merged one, a perfect blend.

--- Amanda 2/12/03

Possibilities

Have you ever sat and wondered
as the clouds rolled by,
thought, stared, or pondered
at the shapes way up high?

A bunny, a kite, or a speeding train
were what you saw on that day,
perhaps the sky was grey with rain
and you could not say?

Have you ever dreamed of somewhere
so impossible to find,
yet found it lying there
a dark cloud – silver lined.

Yesterday, tomorrow, all in a line.
Possibly a dream,
things work out fine
and it is never what they seem.

--- Amanda 2/12/03

Florida

Sunshine eternal gazes down
Upon the sand, pure and white
Water so clear of emerald or azure
Beauty extends farther than sight

On blankets of every hue
Lay people of all ages.
Slippery dolphins dance and play
Out of reach of man and cages.

Laughter and gaiety fly on the breeze
Salt in the air, wind on the skin.
A splash of the waves coming to the beach
Far off shore, a view of a fin.

One summer bleeds into another
Days go by in a blur and daze.
Dreams and longing to always return
Regardless if they claim it's a phase.

--- Amanda 2/20/03

The Ride

Here I sit, hungry and bored.
The guy next to me just rudely snored.

I watched the clock and dreamt to go
Away up north to play in the snow.

The hours drug by, and now I'm free,
The weekend's here, you won't see me.

But now I'm on the bus, anticipation gaining,
Riding down the road, impatience all but waning.

Numbers fly by in a blur as I ride,
Lucky am I - no one sitting at my side.

Fog blankets the land, blocking the sky,
Soon, it will be snow! My, oh my.

Music echoes in my ears as we travel the road,
Electronic bells tinkle like glass, as if it were a code.

Rhythms soothe my mind, luring me to sleep.
I close my eyes, slumber, my dreams to keep.

--- Amanda 3/7/03

Layover

Eternal waiting as the clock inches by
Snow on the ground, clouds in the sky.

People sit and wait just the same,
Each their own without a name.

Eyes dart and gazes wander,
Boredom rules, impatience to squander.

Luggage scattered everywhere
Seats all taken, no spot spare.

Buses arrive, unload and fill.
Heads raise, boredom full to spill.

But wait! That voice! Travelers come!
"Your bus has arrived." It's time to go home.

--- Amanda 3/8/03

Shawn

A beautiful week extended,
Our wills combined, to each we bended.

Fond embrace, we merged in glory,
Secret our union, neither sorry.

Departure accomplished, tears did fall.
My heart still breaking, "no strings" at all.

Fun it was, the idyll done,
Now at home, the two again now one.

In Ottawa, away, do my thoughts rest
Till once more I relocate my "nest".

Future plans hang in balance,
From this, I'll not change my stance.

A silent promise given, to accept or to dismiss,
My wings will spread, and your lips I'll kiss.

--- Amanda 3/17/03

Love

Loving tends to fade away with the passing years,
Memories ebb and flow, sometimes leaving tears.

Hearts grow cold, and statuesque,
Leaving one to take the risk.

Fond embraces, loving faces,
Competition, in all races.

Flowers given, candy taken,
Betrayal, lies, love forsaken.

Dance the dance, sing the tune.
There’ll be no wedding in June.

Icy tendrils frame the heart,
They knew this would happen from the start.

Loving caresses given free of charge,
A heart swells with pride too large.

Words of love, and words of hate,
Two sides of the Coin of Fate.


-- Amanda 3/24/03

Dreams

Fantasy and wonderland
Sugar dreams and Faerie Land

Flying high above the clouds
Wings of rainbows, whitened shrouds

Unicorns dance in fields of green
Images that you’ve never seen

Dream away the night and day
Come, now, come and play

Dance and sway on nimble feet
Come to this land, for here we’ll meet

Imagination, Inspiration
Is the fuel that feeds this nation

Come away to this wondrous place
Lay your head, turn your face

Now be quiet, not a sound
Or this place shall not be found.

-- Amanda 3/26/03

Dance of the Soul

A thousand miles apart, a two day ride,
We traverse the distance, to be by the other’s side.

Smile and touch, a lasting kiss,
Heart alight, this is what I miss.

Soul on fire, thoughts do race,
Glance around, the perfect place.

Decades I’ve waited, to hear those words,
Free at last, we fly like birds.

Feet granted movement, rhythms do take,
Laughter rings, genuine smiles - none fake.

Together once more, twirl and sway,
Life is a dream, we have it our way.

Souls entwined, forever as one,
Hand in hand, watching the setting sun.

-- Amanda 3/31/03

Friends

There with a joke, they wait to pounce,
Laughter and joy, with every ounce.

There with a gentle embrace
When all you’ve got is a teary face.

Words of kindness and loving thought,
When your mind is in despair and distraught.

Through thick and thin, they stand by your side,
Never knowing really why, just along for the ride.

Seek high, and search low,
Your friends are always in tow.

So, remember now, as I tell you here,
Friends are to be cherished, they are quite dear.

Should you find that special friend you’ve been looking for,
Treat them with kindness, respect, and more.

-- Amanda 4/2/03

Rover

Never listening, always talking,
Disrespectful, never balking.

Raises feelings of ilk and ire,
How I’d love to show he’s a liar.

Sitting in class, trying to learn,
Just to shut him up, I yearn.

Every spoken word from he,
Instills a hatred within me.

Anger, spite, all he raise,
With each word that he says.

Movement, expression, urge me on,
Must ignore him, soon we’ll be gone.

Now, ah yes, class is over,
His name is not, but I call him “Rover”.

-- Amanda 4/7/03

Animals

Spots and stripes, colors odd,
Through the world they roam.
Claws and paws, talons and hooves,
Fins diving through foam.

Two legs, four, sometimes none,
Six, eight, or even ten fold.
Fangs, canines, incissors,
Wings, flippers, never old.

Bark, meow, growl, sing,
Scream, caw, hoot and hiss.
They speak, communicate,
Now this you can’t miss.

Tiny, small, big and huge,
They range in size and shape.
Walking here, flying there, swimming down under,
Fish or bird, cat or snake, even Man or ape.

-- Amanda 4/9/03

No One Knows

Love in poems is sticky sweet,
Ogle the next pretty body you meet.

Hatred is fire from inside to burn,
The heat keeps one warm, a thing to yearn.

Sadness, now, is something seen,
A frown, a tear, a pain most keen.

A sob, a sigh, loneliness spreads,
Melancholy resides in most heads.

Depression, they name it, the sickness of sad,
But what they don’t see is it often makes you mad.

To feel this pain, all day and night,
You wish for the strength, for the might,

To push it away, to make it end,
Before to the grave, the sadness does send.

So, is she crazy, or is she ill?
Shall we put her on that new pill?

We’ll isolate her, that’s how it goes,
All alone, no one knows.

-- Amanda 4/10/03

The Act

“I love you,” said he,
And smile did she.

“Oh, do you now,” she replied,
He nodded, smirked, and sighed.

“I do, my love,” he quipped.
She beamed, her heart a beat skipped.

“And thee,” he queried.
She paused a bit, her smile varied.

“I might…” she said,
As his face turned red.

He promptly voiced, “Might?”
She turned, struggled, her mirth to fight.

A giggle, a glance, and then a shrug.
She quickly whispered, “yes,” and both did hug.

A quick kiss, the act just fun,
Hand in hand, they walked in the sun.

-- Amanda 4/16/03

Waiting

Is it time yet?
Has the day arrived?
Is he coming down?
Oh when will he get here?

Day by day, I sit and wait.
I watch the clock as it ticks on.
I sigh, I long, I continue to scratch the days.

Is it time yet?
Has the day arrived?
Is he coming down?
Oh when will he get here?

The day crawls ever nearer.
I imagine his arms, his touch, his voice.
I can almost see him standing in the doorway there.

Is it time yet?
Has the day arrived?
Is he coming down?
Oh when will he get here?

Repeated wistful sighs,
Hearts longing for the other.
Only a few weeks away, we say.

Is it time yet?
Has the day arrived?
Is he coming down?
Oh when will he get here?

-- Amanda 4/21/03