Words from the Heart

National Poetry Month Display @ Forest Hills (Photo credit: mySAPL ) A week has past since my last Poem-A-Day prompt from Robert Lee Brewer at the Poetic Asides blog .  I must admit, I am having trouble coping with the lack of a prompt each morning!  I know it sounds silly, but, for whatever reason, I became addicted to getting up early, rushing to my computer and forcing my braincells to function.   If you are not familiar with the Poem-A-Day challenge, it happens in April and November.  Each day, Robert expertly offers a prompt and his own poetic attempt. (A good leader always gets into the trenches with their troops!) Some days, the prompt is so easy - like it had been waiting there just for me.  Other days, I sit staring at the computer screen wondering what Robert was thinking when he came up with the prompt in the first place. Interestingly, I have always managed to write something.  Grant it, there are times when I wish I could ...

Angel of Grief The news from Arizona of the past 24 hours has been so disheartening.  After listening to a commentary by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann , I felt I must write. Mr. Olbermann's commentary was an act of bravery the likes of which we haven't seen in many years.  His words are a call to all citizens of this great country to stop being stupefied by the drone of media that simply inundates us with negativity.  It is a call to all to stand up to those who believe that it is OK to "joke" about violence, or "kid" about hurting others.   IT IS NOT OK! It is not OK to abuse others verbally.  It is not OK to allow others to abuse people mentally, physically, or verbally.  We ALL have the power to stop this form of domestic terrorism. We have the power to tell advertisers and TV stations that we will not buy their products, or watch their channel if they continue to show news programs that condone hate, violence and abuse.  We have the power...

Searching the shelf for a book of poems to take to my granddaughter's 5th birthday event, I had not planned on finding a poem that would spur me on to write, today.  The poem, written in my mother's hand was probably originally found in the pages of the Boston Globe or Good Housekeeping magazine, both of which she read religiously.  The Blessings of Grandchildren - My Cherubs 2010 As I read it, tears welled in my eyes.  Knowing my Mom and how much she loved her grandchildren, I know she must have copied it down with the intent of sending it off to one or several of them.    She could see the struggles they had in life, but was not always in the best shape to concentrate on helping them.  In the last years of her life, Mom was not the easiest person to be around.  Dementia and pain made it was difficult.  Visits were few, short and often emotional. That said, I know without a doubt, that Mom loved her grandchildren. My Girls with thei...