Her life began, a story untold,
Pages unwritten, a tale to unfold.
A girl who ran, breaking records each day,
With dreams to light her own pathway.

She married her love in 1990’s embrace,
Giving her heart, her life, her grace.
He, a hustler with secrets to hide,
Set his sights on a girl, barely the tide.

At sixteen, her youth was caught in his snare,
Blinded by love, she was unprepared.
A trap was laid, a cage unseen,
Her life became a shadowed dream.

Thirty-seven years, her soul still sold,
Her heart in chains, her story cold.
For love, she complied, her voice held tight,
Living her days in muted fight.

But deep within, her spirit remains,
A flicker of hope through the years of pain.
Perhaps one day, her story retold,
Will free the girl from the shackles of old.

Life is a journey with many twists and turns,
Chasing dreams and adventures as the fire burns.
Then again, is each and every day,
A canvas of moments, both bright and gray.

People will come and leave in different ways,
Fading like shadows or lighting our days.
Rumination, the price we pay,
For wisdom gleaned along the way.

Gaining clarity through trials we face,
Learning from each stumble, each embrace.
What we deserve is painted in our minds,
But what we keep, the heart defines.

In the echoes of joy and the lessons of sorrow,
We find the strength to greet tomorrow.
Life is a journey, winding and vast,
A precious path that shapes our past.

Today arrived with winter’s grace,
A blanket of white, a soft embrace.
The world transformed, so calm, so still,
Yet alive with laughter, the morning's thrill.

My grandchildren, bundled, faces aglow,
Trek their path through the fresh-fallen snow.
Side by side, their footprints trace,
A journey to the yellow bus they face.

I watch them go, their giggles fade,
Through snowy trails their steps are made.
A fleeting moment, yet it lingers near,
A memory etched, so bright, so clear.

Those tiny prints in the snow remind,
Of life’s great treasures, so sweet, so kind.
And as I stand, watching them say goodbye,
I know deep down, I’m one lucky guy.

Perhaps all that frightens, deep down inside,
Is something helpless, longing to be alive,
A silent call for warmth, a plea for care,
In shadows, there is more than despair.
Beneath anger’s surge when I feel hurt,
There’s a softness buried in the dirt,
A child’s voice, tender, raw, and small,
A gentle part that’s learned to stall.
The happy mask, the painted smile,
Hides a world so vast, a hidden isle,
If I approach it with gentle grace,
It shows the truth behind the face.
Those thoughts I find repulsive, disdainful, too,
Are fragments of me, yet not all I pursue,
They’re whispers, hints, but not my whole,
Not the essence of my core, my soul.
For I am more than fear, than hurt, than rage,
More than masks on this life’s stage,
In meeting these pieces with love, not shame,
I step towards wholeness, calling my name.

There's something about when you're near or far,
A silent ache, like a distant star,
Your absence marks each line and page,
Where words fall short, unable to engage.
Actions falter, where courage should bloom,
Bravery dimmed in the quiet room,
For only you, with presence pure,
Turn scattered thoughts to something sure.
Near or far, a constant theme,
The unseen thread of a waking dream,
No spoken word, nor scripted rhyme,
Can bridge the space or fill the time.
So here I wait, where courage lies,
In the shadowed echoes of goodbyes,
For you, the light, both near and far,
To guide the path, my steadfast star.

Gary Martucci “The Legend of Meisel Ave Track& Field ” has gone running into eternal rest with our Heavenly Father. Gary believed the lord ran by his side; live in his heartbeat ; give him strength in his steps. As the cold surrounded him , as the wind pushed him , He knew God surrounded him .As the sun warms him , as the rain cleanses him , He understood God was touching him , challenging him , loving him, And so he gave each walk /run to our Heavenly Father who was matching Gary’s stride from above. Rest Peacefully and Easy my friend and may the perpetual light shine brightly upon you in eternity.
Amen.

Be humble and never think that you are better than anyone else...
For dust you are; and unto dust you shall return...

A lot of boys did march away From good old lafayette,one day.
- And Lafayette now opens her heart to all her boys who were far apart.
There'll be. lots of hugs, and lots of kissang But not for those who are dead or missing...
Bernie Fetcho died on Guadalcanal.
James Mc'Greety was killed on Iwo Jima Isle.
Harold Rhode was reported lost,
-for freedom he had paid the cost...
James Dowd too, had given his a11, so that our country would not fall....
The MacDonald brothers, from Lafayette came Missing in action, they listed Glenns name..
Pecora and Bravermann died fighting the foe, Larengina and McHugh were next to go.
Paul Booko and John Hermanns too died while serving in navy blue..
Steve Rimer was one of the first to die, cause-victory-was- something we couldn't buy..
- Howard Rhode earned his-reward eternal sleep up with the Lord..
Our boys were wounded by the score, Burke and Gribb, the Smutko's and more..
In memory we cherish every deed and thought, For which our boys from Lafayette fought.
P.C.M.
ост.16,1946