There For Her

This song came to me in a dream in 1996. I lost a verse when I woke up but vividly remember the image of  a country band that looked like Blackhawk rockin' the final chorus in unison at the front of the stage.

          There For Her

     When she was rich
     When she was strong and sure
     When she had lots of things
     He was there for her

     Chorus:   He was there for her (repeat 3 more times)
              
     They moved in together
     He promised to care for her
     They talked of a family
     And he sounded so sure

     Repeat Chorus: He was there for her (4x)

     When she lost everything
     Is when he walked out the door
     But shen she didn't need him
     He was there for her

     Repeat Chorus: He was there for her (4x)

Anywhen

11/2010

Any when

I came to feel

The powerful

Oneness of

We

I return

convinced

I am

A part of

Any me 

Age 53

Constant Change.
Continuous Transition.
My life is an oxymoron.

11.22.2010

November 8, 2010

   My life is very unpredictable right now. I have been babysitting or substitute teaching or volunteering or meeting new people and trying new things. I'm scraping by financially but blossoming in other areas. Not sure what the future will bring. The self-help book I'm reading says it all: I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What it Was by Barbara Sher.

To Discovery!

Diana

Mrs. Heal's Class

After subbing yesterday. 10/20/10


Mrs. Heal, she has appeal.
She is a fifth grade teacher.
She's married to a man named Doug.
Her father was a preacher.


Her classroom theme's dramatic flair
Includes a tall director's chair.
Curtains frame a cork board stage
Where student art is now displayed.


An overhead projector shines
On learning worksheets and outlines.
She also has a little bell
When new directions she must tell.


Tickets, time, and other prizes
Ensure good work in all arises.
We love Mrs. Heal for her behavior,
She follows the teaching of our savior.

Intrepid

My first song. 1966


Intrepid's the sweetest dog
Anybody's ever owned
He's the greatest dog
Anybody's ever knowned

He don't like cats
And we know that that's

The TRUTH!

Widow's Lullaby

1990

* Tune of Rockabye Baby

When you first loved me,

Life was so sweet.

When we got married, 

My life was complete.

When we had children,

I loved you so.

My life was so perfect

Why did you go?

Never Be Alone Again

1996


I was alone
I came all the way to here
Far from all those honest fears
To have a home

But then
I lost the happiness I'd found
It disappeared without a sound
And here I am

Wishing for those happy days

When I found his love
When he held my hand
When the preacher said
We were wife and man

How I miss the way
He looked at me
How I miss the way
We used to be

Now I'm alone
Even though we share a bed
Even though he hasn't said
He wants to go

'Cause now
He never wants to talk to me
He never wants to hear or see
Of how

I wish for those happy days

When I found his love
When his eyes met mine
When I never thought
Our love would die

When I thought
He was the only one
And I was sure
I'd never be alone

Again

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

1997


Shoulda, coulda, woulda been in love with you:
Shoulda taken what you offered
Coulda dropped my stubborn pride
Woulda been the one you wanted
To be there by your side.

If only I had listened to my heart and not my head
And paid no mind to what it was my friends and family said.
I shoulda loved you like you wanted
'Cause what you offered me
Was quiet strength, a solid faith, assured loyalty.

Why did I think your tenderness was a sign of being weak?
A gentle voice doesn't have a thing to do with being meek.
I coulda noticed on my own
That my pride was not at stake
It was me you really cared about and loved for my own sake.

But I found steadfastness boring
Thought your passion was not strong
Thought what I wanted was excitement
Could not have been more wrong.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda been in love with you
Shoulda taken what you offered
A love that would be true.
Coulda dropped my pride off somewhere else
And listened when you said, "Please look inside your heart and stop thinking with your head."
Woulda made a great big difference
In my life 'cause now I see
Your caring and devotion are what I really need.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda been in love with you
Shoulda taken what you offered
Coulda dropped my stubborn pride
Woulda been the one you wanted
To be there by your side.

Ocean Acronym

1996


On the shore:
Crabs dance on the jetty,
Ebb tides reveal sea treasures,
Avid fishermen cast from the pier, and
Neap tides melt sand castles.

Empty Shell

1983

Like an old abandoned house

A shell sits

Worn and empty

Waiting

For someone

To discover it

Ocean's Treasure

1983


I sit and watch
A shell tumble
On the beach

It stops to rest
On the wet
And bubbling sand

A child runs to see
The glistening object
And stoops to grasp
The ocean's treasure

Shells

1983

Graceful spirals

Seaworn edges

Beautiful, colorful

Twisting ridges

Living, moving

Homes for mollusks

Wet and sandy

Shells



My Children

1988


My children bring me joy
When they giggle, when they're silly
Or they tell a funny story

My children make me proud
When they work together, solve a problem
Mind their manners, act like friends

My children give me love
And I love them in return

A Woman Without a Past

November 1991


I just want to be
A woman without a past.
I don't want my new loves
To know why old loves didn't last.
I don't want them to know
How others hurt me so.
I don't want them to see
My vulnerabilities.
I just want to be
A woman without a past.

Always Word Wishes

October 1990


Words children's ears should never lack
Are, "I am always coming back."

And everybody needs to hear,
"I will always be here, dear."

The most important words are, though,
"I will always love you so."

The Peacefulness of Faith

10/27/98


How wonderful is the peacefulness of faith!
How great to know the neverending joy
Of centeredness,
Of purpose,
Of abounding love
That the Spirit gives us each to enjoy.

Embrace His love
Set worries free
Let not a grudge you keep.
Be open to God's blessings
Be grateful when you seek.

Be cheery in your thoughts and deeds,
Upbeat in what you say.
Stive for joy and you will find
The peacefulness of faith.

What Jesus Taught

Virginia and Arthur: Bernalillo, NM

With Death there is a New Beginning

With Hope there is Salvation

With Love humanity can live Together

With Faith we are never Alone

1995

Wind

Last of the 5th grade haikus, c. 1968


The wind is playing
A game with the leaves
Who will win?

Hungry

Haiku #3 c. 1968


The little ant was struggling
To bring a piece of bread
To his home

Waves

Haiku #2 c. 1968

The waves went bubbling

To cover up

The sleepy sand.

Young Love

November 1976

Barefoot on the beach

With you by my side

Your pants are rolled up to mid-calf;

We talk of the future.

Sitting on a log

To watch the sun set

You hold me close

As a seagull flies by.

Nothin' Special

This is a song.
November 1990

He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special
But he sure is good to me

He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special to anyone but me

He doesn't drive a fancy car
He probably won't get too far
He doesn't wear diamond rings
But he is fun, and gives me little things

He'll never have a star
On Hollywood Boulevard
He'll never win the Nobel Prize
But there is kindness in his eyes

He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special
But he sure is good to me

He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special to anyone but me

He doesn't have American Express
But I don't love him any less
He doesn't have a Bachelor's degree
But that's all right with me

He's nothin' special
He's nothin' special
But he sure is good to me

He's nothing special
He's nothing special
He's nothin' special to anyone but me

Limerick

For Ed and Donna


There once was a Wiener Mobile
That looked so incredible real
Then a giant caught sight
And ate it all in one bite
Except that he spit out the wheels

Sonnet # 2

1976 Poetry Class extra credit


I stand alone surrounded by the sand
I see there are three paths awaiting me.
In front of me are endless miles of land
On one side of the desert is the sea.
The third path is a city fortified
My future's destiny lies in my choice.
My mind is telling me I must decide
I yell for help, but no one hears my voice.
Upon the ocean sits a waiting ship
With tall strong masts and white & flowing sails.
The waiting vessel finds me in its grip
The other paths to me are no avail.
Like many things that must be done alone
My course decided, now I must be gone.

Disappearing Magic

circa 1984

Being a mother
Is a magical time
When you learn about love
And wipe away grime

A kiss is the most
Special magic of all
It can take all the pain
Away from a fall

My child wants to know about everything
But I teach him at some cost
For when he sees what I don't know
My powers will be lost

Diamante

September 1990

Hectic

Kids, Me

Work, School, Church

Home, Fun

Life

What If

June 1990


What if I let the walls down
And let my feelings show
Will you hold me through the crying,
Or would you be afraid and go?

What if the curtain fell down
And you saw my naked soul
Would you stay until tomorrow,
Or say you'll call me as you go?

What if I let you touch me
In your honest, open way
Would you hurt me like the others,
Turn around and walk away?

What if our lives were different
And we never suffered pain,
Would I have ever built a wall
To save myself from shame?

My curtain is a sacred mask
To hide myself from me
I stand behind it safely
And pretend no one can see

Deep inside I want to break out
And be more like a kid -
Curious, trusting, loving
What if I really did?

On Being a Single Mother

February 1991


Wonder what all those other struggling mothers do
When they're alone with a child or two.

Do they feel the same despair when the bills aren't met
And worry about the future 'cause there's no savings yet?

Do they hope and pray Prince Charming will come and save their neck?
More likely he will come and put them deeper into debt.

One day I'll be past the point of struggling to survive,
But now I'm just a single mother trying to get by.

The Sea

5th grade Haiku #1, 1968


The storming sea
was talking angrily
to the sky

College Is

Freshman Year UCSB, 1975

College is:

A spiral notebook
A highlighter pen
A short romance
A newfound friend

The rain on the window
The thunder, a rainbow
Letters from home - from anyone
Dances, movies, having fun

Midterms and finals
Waiting in line
Emotions and feelings
Too hard to define

Boys

From high school, circa 1973.

You see them at movies
You see them at games
They look at you closely
And ask for your names.

They check you again -
To make sure that you'll do.
Then, maybe, they'll ask
For your phone number too.

Mirrors and Clocks

July 2009

Mirrors and clocks,
Reflections of time.

Moments remembered
In manner sublime.

A pure glimpse of proof,
An instant of truth

Are found in their faces
If we dare to look.

History of a Relationship

February 1986

Love at first sight?

Not quite.

A roller coaster ride,

A tug of war,

A taffy pull,

A molding into shape,

Is what has taken place.

Love yet?

You bet.

He Lives

March 1999

A river of love
Flows down from above
And fills me
With the spirit.

It meanders down
With quiet grace
Bringing joy
To all who near it.

I open my body,
My heart, and my soul
To accept the love
It gives.

To be this full of
The Master's love
Is to know in truth
He lives.

Change of Seasons

August 2000

Leaves float
Like butterflies
In the gentle August breeze.

Fall is coming.

Pre-Reflection

This came about from an assignment I felt was an oxymoron. How can you reflect on something that hasn't happened yet?

September 2008

Before the drops become a pool
Or mirror does reveal a fool

Before the clock begins to tick
Or fire is set upon the wick

What comes before enlightenment,
Before reflection's evident?

No one can say with surety
The future's in obscurity.

Waiting for Cake Poem

October 1999

Mirror Mirror
Let me be!
Why are you always
Haunting me?

Every person,
Every place,
Reflects a part of
My own face.

I can't go anywhere,
Without seeing
The reason for
The other's being

The image that I'm
Meant to see
Reflecting where
My growth should be.

And in my turn,
I mirror to those who need to see,
An image of themselves,
Reflecting off of me.

Beginning to End

A poem about finding the answers within.



A labyrinth, a maze

A rose, a snake

Spirals of life that we each must make

We wind ourselves to the center, and then

Unwind ourselves

Beginning to end

Shower Dance

I wrote this poem in 1997.


There's a dance I do in the shower
That no one else has seen
I follow my own special rhythm
Making movements as I clean.

I throw my head back and roll it
Before I add shampoo
And as I rinse, I swivel my hips
Around a time or two.

I reach out my arms to wash them
Stretch up to get the pits
Then I bend my knees and gracefully sway
Towards the water a bit.

When both of my arms are finished
I rub down my front and back
And lift my knees one at a time
To lather thigh and calf.

And then I twirl to face the rain
And roll my shoulders too
By now I'm clean and so relaxed!
My shower dance is through.

The Grandparent Book of Names

Grandmother Names

Abuela
Abuelita
Gigi/GG
Gram
Grammy
Gran
Grandma
Grandmom
Grandmother
Granny
Granny (+ Goose, Poo, etc)
Mawmaw
Meemaw
MiMi/Mimi
Nana
Nanny
Oma
Tutu

Grandfather Names

Abuelo
Abuelito
Bompie
Gramps
Granddad
Granddaddy
Grandfather
Grandpa
Grandpap
Grandpop
Mufasa
Opa
Papa
Pawpaw
Papi
Poppa
Poppi/Poppie/Poppy
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