My mother had just put me down for a nap

And was folding clean diapers on her lap

When Cronkite broke in on her show

And announced for everyone to know

That JFK had been shot in Dallas

He didn't want to be callous

Soon Cronkite would announce

The death of Kennedy he pronounced

My parents for many days were  inconsolable

As this tragedy to the world was quite horrible

All this had happened and it was quite fast

News was coming and it was constant and vast

My father’s birthday that day was to be celebrated

But my parents agreed it would have to be belated

The world had just changed and in shock and everyone remained.

No one could speak and it seemed everyone was ashamed.

Of whom really shot our President JFK

On that chilly, frightening, and horrifying day.




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Went for a cruise on the maiden ship Titanic,

A wonderful ship everyone said would be epic

I was not scared because it was unsinkable

To be in fear would for me be unthinkable

Wanted to sail far away to another land

Where my life, I think could be quite grand

Unpacking my suitcase in a luxurious liner

This is the one yacht that could not be finer.  

Passengers enjoyed dinner, dancing, and other entertainments.

All the days of the trip they would enjoy the embellishments

I heard that people like Astor, Guggenheim Straus, Thayer and Gordon

Would be on this ship including Stead, Fulrelle, Gibson and Morgan

On April 14, 1912 I was that evening returning to my room

Walking down the corridor I heard a deafening boom

Went to find an RMS crew member

When I was told on deck to assemble

He handed me a life jacket just in case

And to get in the lifeboat because there was space

Passengers were lowered down by the crew

The first little boat had just a few

A man started quickly paddling our tiny boat

Once far away he stopped and we would just float

Everyone watched as we heard screaming, crying and yelling

Amongst the chaos we heard music and saw the flares flying

  In the early hours of April 15, the ship’s lights flickered out and then went straight up vertical

We all heard the moans of the iron and watched it break in half and it sank uncontrollable

From quite a distance I saw an ocean of people

Out in the middle of the sea, no one felt hopeful

Soon there was no sound

As we all looked around

Shivering crying and wondering

If we are going to live or die pondering

published in the Crawfordsville, Indiana newspaper

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Departure the welcoming light to walk slowly into the darkness

Wedged between night and day, for a split second

The splendor the Sunset Walker can see is captivating

Observing the color of the cloud's and sun's transformation

Seeing reflection transition flashed across the sky

The eyes take pictures of this wonder and describe it

So others can feel that they are walking along beside you.


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Something eerie about the fog

hovering over a town for a spell

Fog has its own personality

causing your eyes to play tricks

and reveals scary creatures

within its misty cloudy walls

of wispy white and gray streaks

haunting those who walk alone

on a cold lonely dim- lit street.

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Fall is quickly approaching

Right before our eyes

The beauty of the changing leaves

Next to some that haven't begun

Reflections of the vivid colors on the pond

Is forever etched in our minds

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Remembering the days of old, when father raked the leaves of

Golden, yellow, brown and orange

Jumping into the huge crisp pile, I tossed them all about

As my father raked them on top of me

I would creep out from under the pile laughing.

With leaves hanging on my hair and clothing

What a wonderful season. What a wonderful reason

Just to play in the leaves.

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published in the Crawfordsville, Indiana newspaper
and book three of the IVY TECH Bloomington, Indiana literary magazine

I miss the days when I’d help my grandmother

Those were the days, I'd always cherish  like no other

Hang the freshly washed clothes out  in the sun to dry on the line

I used to enjoy helping my grandma all the time

They’d gently wave back and forth in the summer breeze for hours

Sitting on the porch swing, looking at the beautiful flowers

And we would return to get them when they were dry.

After, we ate homemade vanilla ice cream and blackberry pie

The clothes always smelled like a fresh spring morning

So nothing ever about this task was ever boring

We’d notice as we folded and put them away

That it was always quite late in the day

The sun is starting to go down on the horizon
Stars will come out as bright as diamonds

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