Dreams

by Talia Daniel

Hold fast to your dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.

Hold fast to your dreams
For if dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

poem member Dreams

Stars

by Linda (Florence, Italy)

just before the close of day
the sun lights its thousand faces
one by one to guide the night
they each appear
like diamonds on a blanket of velvet
each flickers like a candle in an outdoor arena
yet there among those faces
i see
your face
as we gaze into each others eyes
these windows to the soul
your love floods my veins bringing life
dreams come
our souls fly past the highest mountain
to dance with each other
among these stars forever

(Poem is copyrighted)

poem member Stars

Somewhere

by Janet Anderson

Somewhere,
between the promises and truth,
lie the tearless cries,
of those who stole our youth.

Somewhere,
between the love and lust,
lie the haunting memories,
of those who broke our trust.

Somewhere,
between the hope and fate,
lie the shallow souls,
of those who made us hate.

Somewhere,
between the joy and sorrow,
lie the long-forgotten dreams,
of those who vanished with tomorrow.

Somewhere,
between all the uncertainty
was a good heart
that you could not see.

Somewhere,
between the lies and pretence
lay the battered heart
of a trusting friend

Somewhere,
out there, new opportunities
and challenges await.

poem members Somewhere

To my father (The Brave Seaman)

by Jowyne Campbell

Father, only heroes could sail the seas and then walk proudly on land
Eking out a pithy pound on behalf of a hard working, tired hand
You sailed the high seas, bravely facing her dance of torment
Whilst you rightly took from her to feed your starving family
Ultimately, my hero, our father, the sea took you away from me.

The early morning air filled your lungs with the clear beauty of the sea
The sky with her glorious shades of turquoise danced in your eyes
From all corners of the Earth, they beckoned you
Our brave sailor who seldom walked the land with me
Did you know she ruled you, took you away to leave your family?.

How did it feel; giving your heart and soul to her so unselfishly?
Did she comfort you on those dark nights when you were perhaps lonely?
Thinking of your beautiful wife, your beloved children,
Father was it worth all the passion you so clearly embraced .....
... my seaman and my hero?

poem members To my father

Diaspora

by Jennifer Orgill (Canada)

The streets were not paved in gold,
but in ice, winds howling
And we shivered in our thin coats and inadequate footwear
Oh why did we leave our Motherland?

Yet, She was a Mother who had essentially cast us out,
denied of a basic birthright,
Rejected in favour of those with lighter hue;
Splitting families .

Our adoptive Mother opened welcoming arms
Embracing us as we reached out with timid, uncertain hands,
Allowed us to prosper according to our own merits.

Now things have changed in the land of our birth,
but we have changed too
Just as one cannot go back into the womb,
so we must continue to forge a different path,
Sometimes regretfully, ambivalent
But the die has been cast.

poem members Diaspora

You cannot leave her behind

by Jowyne Campbell

You cannot leave her behind
She encompasses your life unknowingly
She is committed, keeps you warm
Yet she demands so much

You cannot leave her behind
She is there to stay, swaying and pulling you close
You may escape for a while but
She claims you always

You cannot leave her behind
She feeds from you, lives in you
Defiant, stubborn, breathing through you
She will not leave you

poem members You cannot

Family

~author unknown ~ (submitted by Melissa Anderson)

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching out for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?. So what is behind the story?.

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?.
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

poem Family

New beginnings

by Janet Anderson

So many doubts about my heart
And too many wounds, to start
Then your kisses, my fears allayed
By your love so truly displayed.

As I have never known before
Sincerity and honesty knock at my door
I remember the tears of the past
Now know a wholesome love that will last.

When the night draws in around me
And the demons of the past surround me
I look to your face and arms so strong
And know that this love I feel can't be wrong.

So stay and share with me, my love
And by respect and strength gained from above
We'll make a life and endure as one
Every storm that life brings home.

poem members New Beginnings