Tag Archives: life

Poetry Contest

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angel contestThe cover photo on this page is a picture of a sculpture of the angel of grief by William Wetmore Story in the Protestant cemetery in Rome. (Photo prompt by Marcella Leff, administrator)

You may write a poem in any style or form ONLY on anticipatory grief* (see below). Post the poem only. Explanation about your poem is permissible. No other photos. Poems with photos will be deleted. You may post as many poems as you want but comments are counted per poem only.

Winner will be judged by the most original comments. One person can make many comments but only counts as one comment for winning at the end of the time limit. Your own comments do not count because you cannot judge your own poem.

Contest will be from April 7 until April 14, 9:30 pm. All members are invited to enter this contest. You can add your friends to join. Challenge them.

Administrators may post examples of poems but are not eligible to win. Administrators can like your poems but their comments do not count.

A new prompt will be posted every week. This is the third in the death and dying series for National Poetry Month for April.

The five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. These feelings are not sequential and can be alternating.

*Anticipatory grief can be about the dying person or the significant others’ experience. Sometimes anticipatory grief is harder because it is before the lost/death.

 

POETRY CONTEST

He lay there quiet

Not being able to move

His lungs moving up and down

Tears flowing from his eyes

He knew, I knew, his time was near

Had I said everything I wanted to say?

Were my efforts at comfort enough?

No longer able to speak his mind

I soon discovered we didn’t need words

We only needed to look into each others eyes

To know there was  a deep sibling love

Silence speaking loud and clear

Emotional hugs filling the air

Hearts reaching out one to  another

A love that will never be forgotten.

Written by,

Terry Shepherd

4.8.2015

I WEPT, I WEPT FOR WHAT I HAD

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I WEPT, I WEPT FOR WHAT I HAD

 

In this moment of my life

I looked back   behind me

I saw where once upon a time

I wept, I wept for all I had

Life bloomed, life loved

And silence fell over me

At memories I carry close to me

And I wept, I wept for all I had

Those who came before me

The ones I loved for ever more

Time moved on but I’m still here

And I wept, I wept for all I had

Age is but a number

Our bodies continue on

Our souls shall last for all time

For just this moment

I wept, I wept for all I  had.

Written by,

Terry Shepherd

02/22/2015

 

JD10

 

 

I Don’t Know How Much More We Can Take

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arabI heard on the news tonight about an Afghan 10 year-old girl being forced to carry a bomb on her. Here is a short story of what I heard.

A 10-year-old girl who apparently attempted to carry out a suicide attack wearing a vest packed with explosives has been detained by Afghan authorities.

The girl, named only as Spozhmai, appeared at a news conference in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province.

She told how her brother, reportedly a Taliban commander, had forced her to wear the vest and ordered her to detonate herself at a police checkpoint.

“I was tired of my stepmother. My brother told me to wear the black vest, go to the police checkpoint and press the button,” she told reporters.

“I went past a river and decided to drop the vest. My brother fled and police arrested me.”

There are conflicting accounts of the incident, with some officials saying she was wearing the vest when she was arrested and others saying no vest had been recovered.

The Afghanistan-based Tolo TV news channel said the girl was unable to operate the button to detonate the explosives.

I DON’T KNOW LORD

I don’t know how much more

We can take before our government

And people unite as one

And love once reigns again.

 

How can we use our children

Dear Lord, are  you waiting

Standing back, waiting for one and all

You surely disagree with this.

 

I pray that whatever it is you wish

Dear Lord, that it comes to pass

And we are freed from this pain

Our earth is forced to endure.

 

For I don’t know how much more

I can personally take, when I

Think back and remember when

Our life was once peaceful and full of love.

 

Written by,

Terry Shepherd

1/12/2015

Who Says I Have To?

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When will it begin

How will it happen

Why did this come upon me

What am I going to do?

 

Ever feel this way? I know it has to me. The four words, When, How, Why and What. Powerful words when used in sentences, don’t you think?

 

Why are some of us placed in suck jobs

How did I think I would ever love it

When is something better going to come along

What am I going to do?

 

Every day we are faced with decisions. The path we decide isn’t determined just by a what about me thought, like our youth tend to think it is.

 

What benefits will I see

How will we deal with these terrible hours

When am I going to have the real job I want

What am I going to do?

 

We think about how family and friends will be affected by our decisions. We wonder if we can really handle that big of a change and will it truly benefit my life and those around me. Will I have to have a babysitter. Will I be happy in a new location.

Change can be scary can’t it? The future, although many of us worry about something that hasn’t happened yet can be frightening. I believe that having money in our pocket is important when we first start out working for that paycheck.

Then we move on to have to work all the hours we can to feed the family and pay the bills. Next new thought could happen after a number of years when you realize you may not be an asset but a door mat; or you realize you are working out of habit, never considering a change.

At my age, I am in this category. Medical issues, age, lack of hiring power, I tend to lean more on the thought; what can I do the rest of my working days that I actually love? Where I can come home smiling and actually want to go back. What can I do where both parties feel challenged and yet rewarded.

I want so much more out of life yet and I am getting older. Writing is my love but it doesn’t pay the bills. Speaking of writing, I want to thank Susan and Jean for purchasing Dahlia from me today. It makes me feel good that someone thinks I am writing words worthy of reading.

Writing allows me to speak my thoughts, to dream, and think of  happy endings. I would still love to teach about MSA.  Some days I dream about my phone ringing off the hook with calls asking me to do a photo shoot.

I don’t know my future, but at my age I will keep my eyes open to new doors of opportunities. There is no law that says I have to do the same job that I have done for so many years. God makes all kind of miracles happen. I can be one of those too if I just ask him to show me an open door with my name on it.

night flower 3

 

Let’s Play all Day

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Let’s Play all Day

Flowers speaking

Wind breezing

Rivers flowing

Green grass showing

Snow is leaving

Brown leaves grieving

Winter clouds

Speaking loud

Buds are peeking

Sap is seeping

Earth brand new

Morning dew

Raindrops fall

Children call

Swing sets wait

Open gates

Spring is near

Our future’s here

Breathe the air

Love everywhere

Lay the past to rest

Now take the test

Put all a way

Let’s play all day.

Written by,

T…

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Let’s Play all Day

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Flowers speaking

Wind breezing

Rivers flowing

Green grass showing

Snow is leaving

Brown leaves grieving

Winter clouds

Speaking loud

Buds are peeking

Sap is seeping

Earth brand new

Morning dew

Raindrops fall

Children call

Swing sets wait

Open gates

Spring is near

Our future’s here

Breathe the air

Love everywhere

Lay the past to rest

Now take the test

Put all a way

Let’s play all day.

Written by,

Terry Shepherd

02.25.2014

Spring