To my daughter, I wish for you
The happiest birthday that can come true
I love you dearly and always will
Like the first time I held you in my arms
It was such a thrill
I held and rocked you
You would smile so sweet
Sometimes you would frown
I loved holding you
It was hard to put you down
Today I love you so much more
Maybe because there's so much more
For me to adore.
                                        By Connie Hopkins

A bug is a bug
But this one is a ****
With all his mushroom soldiers
They smother the grass
They run off all the ants
Butterflies fly away to keep their wings
They sewed on them during their cacoon time
To make them strong and beautiful
This big bully bug will take those wings
Then feed them to his soldiers
He smiles and looks so sweetly
When all the time in his mind
He just wanted to eat your feet
His best friend is the Dandelion
A pretty flower that sends out it's
Dancer's that fly in the breeze
Now they will destroy your garden.

By Connie Hopkins

Muhammad Ali is such a pretty boy
Is it hard for him to read?
but it is easy for him to lead
is it hard for him to write?
but easy for him to fight

Is Muhammad Ali not too bright?
keep thinking that
while he dances around so light
who else could please the crowd?
not bright? He made his mama proud.

In our hearts, he is still
as Ali said,
floatin like a butterfly
and stingin like a bee.
we miss you, Muhammad Ali
Rest In Peace.

C.H.

Don't you love me anymore
Your eyes don't look the same as before
I stand in front of you close as before
But your eyes look right through me
Just like I am a vapor that will soon dissipate

Will you be happier will you even cheer
As you see the back of my heart
Moving away in tears

Connie Hopkins

You tell me you love me
You act like you love me
Then how can you leave
Me in a hot car with no air?
                                  By Connie Hopkins

The child she's lost
She can't put a cost
It tears inside
That can't be denied
She'll come through
Because she has to
For the other little tot's
Be without her they will not.
                          By Connie Hopkins

When you love someone
And they don't do right
You have to stand by them
And help them fight
Be there to listen and talk
Then be ready to put your two cents in
It might take a lot of time
But, sooner or later things will shine
It seems so hopeless this talking you do
You know in your hearts
It will be just between you two
The tide will turn and roll your way
And, there will be a brighter day.
                                    By Connie Hopkins

Did they check out your mind?
I hope they returned it on time,
I can't find my mind,
I have checked everywhere,
Maybe it was checked back in,
I hope the stamp date is correct,
So I can remember where I am,
If anyone lost some pages,
I will be lost for the ages.

By Connie Hopkins

Lights set so deep beneath
Colors that match the Christmas wreath
Candy canes hang so sweet
Waiting for little folks to eat
Angels glide around the tree
And spread their love over you and me
External displays of good tidings and cheer
I hope will come to you all year.
                                    By Connie Hopkins

The fire is built, it's jumping and leaping
Christmas is near, do you feel that feeling?
Stockings are hanging in different sizes
Waiting to be filled with all sorts of surprises.

Tall and green the tree stands bare
The decorations placed with love and care
They shine, and sparkle, they twinkle like new
How proud it stands and dreams with you.

Look at the gifts all wrapped so bright
Secretly placed during the night
Colors of red, green, silver, and gold
All securely fastened with ribbons and bows.

Lights that twinkle, ***** that shine
All these things for yours and mine
You laugh and cry from stories of old
As you listen carefully while they are told.

You look and you listen and hope to see
That little old man in his flying machine
Up above in the sky so high
When he makes his pass morning is nigh.

So off to bed the children go
And under the blankets, they sink so low
When morning comes they'll rise with smiles
And all the gifts they will open in a little while.

Christmas has meaning this we all know
The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ here below
Our Lord and Savior who forgives our sins
Now and forever he shall always be our King.
                                                By Connie Hopkins

Critters are sweet.
Wonderful and kind
Watch them with wonder!
Let them into your mind,
You will laugh and cry,
All at the same time.
God sends them from up above you know.

So, if you see a critter,
Show them kindness and love.
They may become your best friend,
For life here and above.
                                         By: Connie Hopkins

Our family and friends have gathered
To be with each other, some with heads bowed
My tears are falling, and my pain is great
As we talk of your life, and talk of your fate

It is so hard to believe that you are gone
You were always there so caring and strong
My father, my friend I pray you can hear
How the memories of my life with you
I hold so dear.
                                     By Connie Hopkins
Dedicated to               Your Constance
"Daddy Joe"
"Paw Paw Strickland"  

You always said "You're gonna miss me when I am gone"
And, you were right I do,
More than you could have ever known.

For a daughter like you
There are not enough words
To express how we feel
There are not enough compliments to give you
All the sweet memories we have of you
And now here you are all grown up
With a family of your own
Later you will have all the sweet memories too
Like we do of you
                                      By Connie Hopkins

Here on this earth, we are now
After our birth for a little while
For we do not know how long we can stay
Already numbered are our days
Compared to before and after one's birth
The time we have is very short on the earth
Death comes eventually to every man
We can't see the future
For it is not in our hands.
                              By Connie Hopkins

I feel I have done more
than just existed
in my life

Your outlook on life changes
when certain unexpected things happen
things that are out of one's control

When you know
nothing will be different
until the day you die

You tend to live
in the middle
wondering which
way to go

                                        By Connie Hopkins

A leaf against the darkened sky
Falling and twirling as it goes by
It turns, twists, clatters, and spins
Look at them all, which one will win?
                                           By Connie Hopkins

Dad's hand I held, his shoulders so strong
A mind of wisdom, his memories unknown
Daddy's face so familiar, his voice I can hear
He's gone from this life my father so dear
We loved him so much this figure so strong
He touched our hearts and soul with his song
The end came fast almost without pain
I know his life was not lived in vain
He left behind the children he loved
And his wife so dear he's waiting for above.
                                 By Connie Hopkins
Dedicated to
Audie Lee Hopkins

Growing up having to hide
your tears and fears
from the one person who should
help you, not hurt you more
doing things the way she wants
and then you do things
that you hope will make her
proud of you
or at least happy with you
but nothing works

Being asked if it would be alright
if the man that molested you
spent Christmas Eve night

Would it be ok if you
did not get anything
for Christmas but a
used camera, that belonged
to her

Then Christmas morning arrives
and there are presents everywhere
but not for me.            
                        By Connie Hopkins

Growing up having to hide
your tears and fears
from the one person who should
help you, not hurt you more
you do things, that you hope
will make her proud of you
or at least happy with you
but nothing works

Mom asked if it would be alright
if the man that molested me
spent Christmas Eve Night

I was asked would it be ok
if I did not get anything
for Christmas but a used
a camera that belonged to her
because there was no money

Then Christmas morning arrives
there are presents everywhere
but none for me

I had 1 dad and 3 stepdads
only one was a keeper
I thank the Lord for him
this man I knew as Joe.

                          By Connie Hopkins

Flower of Spring
What do you bring?
A gift of love
A ring of gold
Someone special for me to hold.
                                 By Connie Hopkins

Beautiful trees that blow with the breeze
Birds up high flying in the sky
Shells on the beach always out of reach
Bees that zoom when flowers are in bloom
Stars so high they light the sky
Clouds so white and fluffy
Bushes of green with limbs so lean
Ants that go running
Cats so cunning
Soft little puppies with
Noses black as guppies
All these things we see
We know from where they come
God sends them to you and me
But for our children will they always be?                                                  
                                                       By Connie Hopkins

I hear you, I see you, but can't feel you
I reach out to you and your not there
So where are you, where are you?

If I can see you why can't I touch you
I hear you, but can't understand you
The love I feel in my heart has turned to pain
The hurt stays in my heart and my father I will miss you

You won't be there when I need you
We can't talk because you're gone
I cannot call you or run to you where you are
Because where you are I am not for now allowed.
                                  By Connie Hopkins

Grain of salt
I've been aught
You have to take
That grain of salt
It tastes more bitter
Than the rest
But in the end
It's for the best.
              By Connie Hopkins

Sad today
Happy tomorrow
Soon you will
Forget all your sorrow.

By Connie Hopkins

By her side, he was always there
What will become of his wife left here
She misses his presence that was always near
Sometimes his voice she will here
The memories of their life she will hold dear
Her family and friends will be close
But, they don't take the place of  the husband she lost
The house will seem empty, but time will soon pass
And she can be with him happy at last.
                                        By Connie Hopkins

By her side, he was always there
What will become of his wife left here
She misses his presence that was always near
Sometimes his voice she will here
The memories of their life she will hold dear
Her family and friends will be close
But, they don't take the place of  the husband she lost
The house will seem empty, but time will soon pass
And she can be with him happy at last.
                                        By Connie Hopkins

So, it is your birthday once again
Just like an annual flower
It comes once a year
So Happy Birthday
Some flowers don't reaper every year
But the wild pink rose does each year
Trustworthy, bright, and sweet
Happy Birthday

                         By Connie Hopkins

Happy, Happy Birthday Dusty
I hope you have not gotten rusty
So, what if you are turning 43
and all the candles melt the icing on your cake
and you don't have enough air to blow them all out
They will still be there next year plus 1 more
so, practice, practice, practice
and next year you will get it perfect
and have icing on your cake and eat it too!

By C.H.

Far away night is falling
In the twilight, home is calling
From open door and window
They will greet me when I come
All the years have turned into hours
All my tears turned to way-side flowers.

Rooms to fill, secrets to find
I hope you enjoy your home so fine
Love and joy it will bring
For a home in this world is a very rare thing
Once you find it don't let it go
There might not be another for all you know
Memories to make and then to recall
Of family and friends and things
You love best of all.
                                             By Connie Hopkins

Beautiful blades of ice
hanging in the sun
sparkling with dripping colors

The trees bent over and white
as if the snow was scratching
their backs

It is so dark tonight
he lit the candles
and filled the huge cooler
with hot water from the  fireplace

Candles burning
with the fragrance of pine
hanging in the cold air
of our kitchen

The 200-year-old pine walls
and the large beams
showing where the axes
had struck so long- ago
complementing the
whole setting

Just enough light
from the candles
to make it romantic
with sweet music
playing so low.

This is the way
I remember that nite
of the Ice Storm
so long ago.
                              By Connie Hopkins

Across the creek
in days gone by
when 8 tracks played

Across the Creek
through the woods
the air smelled sweeter
the rides were longer
the days were shorter

Talks were quietly spoken
words spoke slower
space was less
in between us

old wooden bridges
covered with a sky of trees
red dirt roads winding
with hollows on each side
deep, dark, and cool from the shade

Your future was in front
now it is behind
you feel lost
somewhere in between

When you venture out
you are not walking on dirt
just leaves that have fallen
in days gone by.

                                      By Connie Hopkins

In this realm of the sphere where I am
Life strums the different strings of my heart
I go so far back sometimes
I am afraid I will lose my way home
I have to carefully pick
Which strings to play or fret to hold
To get just the right note
So, I don't fall to far back
Is it yours's or mine I fell into
They are to close it's hard to tell.

By: Connie Hopkins

Is today the day
that Mylee
is gonna say
Moma?

So, it is your Birthday today,
On your cake I would check the flames,
Even if they couldn't get all those **** things on there,
It will be a hot time on your cake tonight,
Enjoy it, you know how it certainly isn't your first.
God Bless and take care.

By: Connie Hopkins

I was just a baby
Born unto you
Why did you hate me?
What did I do?
                  Connie Hopkins

Writing poems I love to do
Telling all my feelings just to you
To feel the feelings and think the thoughts
To give you things that can't be bought
From my heart come these lines
These are things on my mind
I hope you like them I really do
I enjoy them and I hope you do too.
                               By Connie Hopkins

That lazy old hound he lays right there
Just look at him, you need not stare
He'll bite your nose and lick your toes
That lazy old hound with the little black nose
He growls and barks with a furious fight
That lazy old hound that sleeps here at nite                      
He gets into the garbage and scatters it round
Ain't that just like that lazy little hound
His ears stick up so high and mighty
With him around, it's hard to be tidy.
                               By Connie Hopkins

Pines to the sky so straight and tall
Sleeps a little lamb, alone by his home
Flowers planted by his mother's own hands
Still bloom and shine                                                                  
                                                                                                        
Through those tall straight pines


The house is gone, and the rocks from the
Fireplace lay crumbled beneath layers of leaves
From all the years and seasons that have
Blown through the passing of time.

Quiet and peaceful all around
Winds gently blowing and whistling
As if it were singing

Through those tall straight pines

As I walk with my husband
We talk about family and home
I wonder about Lesley and about
The loved ones he left alone as he was layed

Beneath those tall straight pines

I walked with my husband
And children down this road
Where Lesley and his family
Once also strolled.

His headstone is leaning and
Darkened with age
The inscription upon it has lost
it's depth
Still, you can read it
As did his mother when she
Wept over it

Over a century has passed
From that day and now they
Are with him in our heavenly
Fathers way.
                                             By Connie Hopkins

What has streets like in your neighborhood?
What has houses like in your neighborhood?
What has house numbers like in your neighborhood?
What has doors and windows similar to your neighborhood?

There are no mailboxes like in your neighborhoods,
Because these residents don't read,
That's because these neighborhoods consist of,
residents who are never home,
Cemeteries are full of empty houses.
                                                  By Connie Hopkins

Sometimes long
Sometimes short
Does it have an end
Or do we just pretend
It has meaning
When all the time
It has just been ending.
                                 By Connie Hopkins