A mber leaves and golden fields glisten in the morning sun
    as farmers work each day to finish the harvest.
    After all  is done, the warmth of family welcomes them home.

U nfazed by the moonlight, a football field fills to the brim
    as school colors filter into the stands full of hopeful fans.
    All the while, friends huddle under blankets avoiding the chill.

T rucks fill pumpkin patches as families pick out decorations for
    their porches,
    and friends enjoy corn mazes, hayrack rides, and haunted trails.
    The excitement for Halloween grows like a wildfire as the day
    draws near.

U nder each roof, families come together for Thanksgiving:
    savory turkey, green beans, and pumpkin pie.
    The rest of the day is spent visiting with satisfied appetites.

M any girls search their closets to find sweaters
     for warmth and comfort as they try to ward off the crisp autumn
     air.
     Wrapped in soft, cozy cotton, the evening soon becomes as
     exciting as ever.

N othing can compete with all I love about fall:
    candy apples, pumpkin spice, sweaters, and fallen leaves.
    Needless to say, I am partial to the
                                       chilly nights,
                                            Halloween frights,
                                                 and football lights.

Five years old
and oh, so bold!
To the girls, she tried to be nice
but to them, it would not suffice.

Eight years and she agonized
over what she soon realized.
She was different from the rest.
They only thought of her as a pest.

At ten she looked for answers
to soothe her growing fears.
Fears of whispers at the cafeteria table
making her become unstable.

It was thirteen years
and there were the tears.
“Why don’t you just die?”
She could only ask why...

Sixteen was the end.
Never again would she mend.
Their words were the relentless dark
that shrouded her gentle heart.

How was it that at eighteen
this had not been foreseen?
Because of their constant tormenting,
she sought a permanent way to end the hurting.

I stand under the dark of night and look up at the sky
Every inch of the deep blue is filled with small, sparkling stars
The beauty amazes me and fills me with awe and wonder
How is it that this is the same sky you see each night?

Hundreds of miles separate us from each other
still we look upon the very same Milky Way
We have become connected through the night sky
just as the stars connect through constellations

Someday I’ll look upon your face again
We’ll stand together and admire the stars in the night sky
Until that day, remember me through the constellations
Big Dipper and Little Dipper, I’ll always be a mini you

Visiting my grandfather in the hospital

     started out as an innocent trip.
     He only needs to stay a few days, they said
     but then it all went downhill.

     I soon learned that I was the light.
     I was to bring joy into the dreary room,
     despite breaking apart on the inside.

Visiting my grandfather in the hospital

     meant crying before entering his room.
     It meant wiping my tears and throwing on a smile:
     a smile that would calm everyone’s nerves.

     It bonded us beyond any other relationship.
     Your hugs are the best medicine, my grandfather said,
     and I never again came or left without an embrace.

Visiting my grandfather in the hospital

     became almost a daily routine.
     I did everything I could to make him smile
     only to drive home in tears.

     Never once telling a soul
     what I was going through,
     bearing it all on my own.

               Visiting my grandfather in the hospital
               may have seemed hard at the time,
               but laying him down to rest
               was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Most people get a thrill
Me, I just get a chill
Yes, it’s true, I used to love it
But bit by bit, I came to dread it
I didn’t really have a place
I often thought I was only taking up space


Still, there were many good days
And those were thanks to others’ praise
I’d do anything for those around me
Those people who brought some glee
I also had my good friend the “lemur”
She helped me to become a believer

Believe in the system they said
However, I think we were being misled
Instead, I embraced the presence of others
Especially that of the mothers
They would say let’s just chat
And forget all about that

I never knew what Saturday’s would bring about
However, I’d always have plenty of time to see it all play out
Sometimes I’d get a smile or a squeeze on the shoulder
One told the other, “Oh, it surely consoled her”
All in all, I’m glad I was there
Times were hard but without it, I’d be nowhere