faithful to her calling
she shows up
even when fullness fades
and shape begins to shift
she owns the beauty
of her light
Jean E .Taddonio
I was only three
when I awakened him to announce
Daddy, I’m afraid of the dark”
Mom stayed asleep. It was 2:00 a.m.
Oh honey, let’s go see
don’t be afraid
lifted high atop his shoulders
I had no place to hide my face
He held my legs
wrapped tight against him
comfort enough for bravery
I kept my eyes wide open
while we wandered
through the silence
watched the full moon
make shadows through the blinds
the furniture held its emptiness
with no monsters in sight
I knew I was safe in my father’s love
and that was all I needed
That was all I ever needed
Jean E. Taddonio
Poets give voice
to thoughts mined from hearts
respond to a call to delve deeper
grapple with questions
answered by mystery
Poets grant dreams
a place to sift light from darkness
distill imaginings
gleam without pretense
reflect sunlight on cobwebs
Poets seek wisdom
beyond whimsy or
bouts of emotion
pray for words to endure
and laughter to cure
Poet’s embrace
the shifting of winds
both soothing and restless
the wild wonder of life
and the sad of good byes
She dives deep
into a well of self-pity
drinks her fill
of murky waters
until at last she completes
her holiday time off
from pretending
all is well
and discovers she is
not pretending
anymore
She knew they were for me
God prompted her, she said
when she arrived at the door
The orange-sweet roses were past budding
The florist lady had handed them to her
Said they were too open to sell
Just gave them to her, for free
And then she, my friend
drove straight to my house
Here, I know its Danny’s birthday
This is your day of remembering
God gifted me with these, for you
Long ago my son was born
Short a time he lived
He is an imprint on my heart
Sunsets later
The roses are still blooming
and my heart is full
I drive past my childhood home
It’s been many years
and I feel like I’ve checked
under my pillow
and found the tooth fairy’s surprise
Dare I knock at the door
Discover
what I thought was a mansion
is more like a doll house
Will the walls recognize me
Will I remember
for a little while
The love that brought me
through my storms
has never gone away
How blessed am I
I’ll say
While countless childrens’ worlds
these days are in shambles
disarray
without even a doll house
to remember
and only memories to forget
She sees an unexpected reminder
of my past sorrow
and falls into dread
of her own anniversary date’s arrival
Children are not supposed to die
before their parents, it is said
Hers died without warning, too soon
There’s never a good time
to break your heart
When was her last Good-bye
Did she say I love you, hold him close
Will she ever stop asking Why
And so I search for words
bring her flowers
hold her close and share her tears
And when the crying’s done this day
we’ll have a cup of tea and cry some more
not wait again till May
Perhaps tomorrow
