Poems by Mattie Stepanek (a child poet)
FOR OUR WORLD
We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.
September 12, 2001
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Circle of Happiness
I am a little kid
For you to love.
I am a little kid
For you to hug and kiss.
I am a little kid
For you to say,
You are so special,
yes you are to.
I am a little kid
For all of those things
And more.
And when you
Feel and say and do
All of those things,
I will be a little kid
Who will love you.
I will be a little kid
Who will say to you,
You are special, too,
Yes you are.
I will be a little kid
Who will do all of those things
And more.
And that is what
Happiness
Is all about.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek
Metaphor Lesson (VIII)
A smiling baby
Is a welcome sign,
Inviting others
Into a gentle world.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek April 2000
When Warnings Are Ignored
Right now,
The whole world is Mr. Yuk.
The little children know to stay away
When they see the stickers and
the signs.
The big people dont see them though,
But thats because they close
Their own eyes you know.
They dont want to see the
Warnings and poisons of war.
How it kills our children,
Our people, and earth.
They have reasons for fighting
Anyplace, Anywhere.
They have reasons for killing in
Bosnia, Iraq, Zaire.
They fight about God
And how people pray.
They fight about fighting
They just fight and fight
And fight, Everyday.
There is anger in families
And even in schools.
People dont want to follow
The laws and the rules
Unless they made them or like them.
But that is not right.
That just isnt right.
That thinking just poisons
Respect and responsibility
and life.
Poisoned thoughts
Turn into poisoned actions,
Which causes the war and fight.
And so,
Even though we should see
The warning signs Everywhere,
We dont look with our hearts,
And the whole world is Mr. Yuk.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek March 1998
********************************************************************************************************************************
For Mr. Thompson
The people who like poetry are special.
They are the same people who hear
Lullabies and wind chimes
When the birds are noisy together.
They are the ones who see
Star-gifts in every season-
Tree-stars in the fall,
Snow-stars in the winter,
Dandelion-fairy-stars in the spring, and
Lightning-bug-stars in the summer.
They are the ones who have
Favorite colors that are wonderful gifts
Like sunset or rainbow or treasure.
They are the ones who have
Songs in their hearts and
Words in their minds that
Come together and slip out
Into the air or onto paper as a gift
To someone else, or even themselves.
The people who like poetry are probably
The ones who really like life,
And who know how to celebrate
Even when things are sad or happy.
We remember that sometimes,
Even if we don�t understand why,
That the rain falls for a reason.
We remember how important it is
To play after a storm, just because
We need to keep playing and living.
And, we are the people who remember
To say thank you to God for our gifts.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek May 1996
**********************************************************************************
Poems by Michael Jackson
PLANET EARTH
Planet earth, my home, my place
A capricious anomaly in the sea of space
Planet earth are you just
Floating by, a cloud of dust
A minor globe, about to bust
A piece of metal bound to rust
A speck of matter in a mindless void
A lonely spaceship, a large asteroid
Cold as rock without a hue
Held together with a bit of glue
Something tells me this isn't true
You are my sweetheart soft and blue
Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul.
In my veins I've felt the mystery
Of corridors if time, books of history,
Life songs of ages throbbing in my blood
Have danced the rhythm of the
Tide and flood
Your misty clouds, your electric storm
Were turbulent tempests in my own form
I've licked the salt, the bitter, the sweet
Of every encounter, of passion, of heat,
Your riotous color, your fragrance,
Your taste
Have thrilled my senses beyond all haste,
In your beauty, I've known the how
Of timeless bliss, this moment of now
Planet earth are you just
Floating by, a cloud of dust
A minor globe about to bust
A piece of metal bound to rust
A speck of matter, in a mindless void
A lonely spaceship, a large asteroid
Cold as rock without a hue
Held together with a bit of glue
Something tells me this isn't true
You are my sweetheart gentle and blue
Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul
Planet earth, gentle and blue
With all my heart, I love you.
By Michael Jackson
(C)1991 Michael Jackson.All Rights Reserved.
Planet Earth was taken from his book Dancing the dream.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Let us dream of tomarrow, where our children are
nurtured,
and protected and nourished,
let us dream of peace and harmony
and laughter,
let us dream of joy and ecstasy,
let us dream of dancing the cosmic dance,
let us renew again,
those dreams of promise we once made before,
where we can hold our heads high,
and stretch our arms toward perfection,
let us dream of a tomarrow,
where we can truly love from the soul,
and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation.
by Michael Jackson
****************************************************************************************************************************
Magical child
Once there was a child and he was free
Deep inside he felt the laughter
The mirth and play of nature's glee
He was not troubled by thoughts of hereafter
Beauty, love was all he'd see
He knew his power was the power of God
He was so sure, they considered him odd
This power of innocence, of compassion, of light
Threatened the priests and created a fright
In endless ways they sought to dismantle
This mysterious force which they could not handle
In endless ways they tried to destroy
His simple trust, his boundless joy
His invincible armor was a shield of bliss
Nothing could touch it, no venom, no hiss
The child remained in a state of grace
He wasn't confined in time or place
In Technicolor dreams, he frolicked and played
While acting his part, in Eternity he stayed
Soothsayers came and fortunes were told
Some were vehement, others were bold
In denouncing this child, this perplexing creature
With the rest of the world he shared no feature
Is he real? He is so strange
His unpredictable nature knows no range
He puzzles us so, is he straight?
What's his destiny? What's his fate?
And while they whispered and conspired
Through endless rumors to get him tired
To kill his wonder, trample him near
Burn his courage, fuel his fear
The child remained just simple, sincere
All he wanted was the mountain high
Color the clouds, paint the sky
Beyond these boundaries, he wanted to fly
In nature's scheme, never to die
Don't stop this child, he's the father of man
Don't cross his way, he's part of the plan
I am that child, but so are you
You've just forgotten, just lost the clue
Inside your heart sits a Seer
Between his thoughts, he can hear
A melody simple but wondrously clear
The music of life, so precious, so dear
If you could for one moment know
This spark of creation, this exquisite glow
You would come and dance with me
Kindle this fire so we could see
All the children of the Earth
Weave their magic and give new birth
To a world of freedom with no pain
A world of joy, much more sane
Deep inside, you know it's true
Just find that child, it's hiding in you.
-Michael Jackson
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Mother
Eons of time I've been gestating
To take a form been hesitating
From the unmanifest this cosmic conception
On this earth a fantastic reception
And then one fateful August morn
From your being I was born
With tender love you nurtured a seed
To your own distress you paid no heed
Unmindful of any risk and danger
You decided upon this lonely stranger
Rainbows, clouds, the deep blue sky
Glittering birds that fly on high
Out of fragments you've made my whole
From the elements you fashioned my soul
Mother dear, you gave me life
Because of you, no struggle or strife
You gave me joy and position
Cared for me without condition
And if I ever change this world
It's from the emotions you've unfurl'd
Your compassion is so sweet and dear
Your finest feelings I can hear
I can sense your faintest notion
The wondrous magic of your love potion
And now that I have come so far
Met with every king and czar
Encountered every color and creed
Of every passion, every greed
I go back to that starry night
With not a fear for muscle or might
You taught me how to stand and fight
For every single wrong and right
Every day without a hold
I will treasure what you've mold
I will remember every kiss
Your sweet words I'll never miss
No matter where I go from here
You're in my heart, my mother dear
-Michael Jackson
*****************************************************************************************************************************
Ryan White
Ryan White, symbol of justice
Or child of innocence, messenger of love
Where are you now, where have you gone?
Ryan White, I miss your sunny days
We carelessly frolicked in extended plays
I miss you, Ryan White
I miss your smile, innocent and bright
I miss your glory, I miss your light
Ryan White, symbol of contradiction
Child of irony, or child of fiction?
I think of your shattered life
Of your struggle, of your strife
While ladies dance in the moonlit night
Champagne parties on chartered cruises
I see your wasted form, your ghostly sight
I feel your festering wounds, your battered bruises
Ryan White, symbol of agony and pain
Of ignorant fear gone insane
In a hysterical society
With free-floating anxiety
And feigned piety
I miss you, Ryan White
You showed us how to stand and fight
In the rain you were a cloudburst of joy
The sparkle of hope in every girl and boy
In the depths of your anguished sorrow
Was the dream of another tomorrow.
-Michael Jackson
SPEECHLESS
(my favorite song)
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel
But I am speechless, speechless
That's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
When I'm with you I am lost for words, I don't know what to say
My head's spinning like a carousel, so silently I pray
Helpless and hopeless, that's how I feel inside
Nothing's real, but all is possible if God is on my side
When I'm with you I am in the light where I cannot be found
It's as though I am standing in the place called Hallowed Ground
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
I'll go anywhere and do anything just to touch your face
There's no mountain high I cannot climb
I'm humbled in your grace
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away, and nothing is for real
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But in your presence I am lost for words
Words like, "I love you."
by Michael Jackson
*****************************************************************************************
Poems by Kaleena Marquez
ANGEL ON MY WINDOWSILL
An angel peers into my soul
as the sun begins to rise.
I begin to stand up
and ascend into blue skies.
The clouds have all cleared away
as I await the new
so I can see what's in store for me
and everyone else too.
I wait outside the golden gate
as I begin to pray.
In hopes that I join my relatives
and in heaven I'll stay.
I step before Michael,
the keeper of the gate.
He tells me my time isn't up yet
and sends me back to my old state.
I walk among the living
but yet, I feel dead.
Could that dream have been real
or was it all in my head?
I may not know the answer now
but I know someday I will.
I've decided for keepsake
to put an angel on my windowsill.
There he'll be to watch over me
as my time is spent
while I wait for it to be done
and back to heaven I'll be sent.
-Kaleena Marquez
A LOVER'S DREAM
I'll love you forever, come what may
no matter what happens some time ahead
I wish to see you all times of the day
and I run through all the words you have said
watching and waiting for you to walk by
so you can take me to another place
far above the clouds, high in the sky
the place where our dreams we may chase
I feel I owe you everything I have
and that this feeling shall always last
this love I feel will be a salve
where we are now we will remain steadfast
over all obstacles during the years
as long as you and I get past our fears
-Kaleena Marquez
RAIN
The rain washes away all sin,
it lifts your spirit up.
You feel at peace
and strangely calm
as the droplets fall--
ever so softly
on your skin.
It runs silently,
through your hair
and drips off your fingertips--
You feel refreshed.
The rain begins to combine--
as one--underneath You.
It then begins to shift--
as One Whole.
Combining unity and peace--
Together.
-Kaleena Marquez
Peaceful Hope
One lonely star,
sticks out from the rest
like a permanent scar
that puts me to the test
I sit on the hard ground
as I begin to be hypnotized
suddenly I hear a loud sound
but I have quickly come to realize...
That it is all in my head
I turn back to the light
and wish that starving people were fed
and that the blind gained their sight
I put my hand to my heart
as I finally begin to cope
with all the good things bound to start
and signs of peaceful hope.
-Kaleena Marquez
WRITINGS ON THE MIRROR
I look at my reflection,
and all I see is red.
For someone has taken lipstick
and written all over the mirror.
They are all incriminating marks
that scar me deep inside.
For I have never seen these types of signs.
Just looking at it makes me
full of grief and sorrow.
They wrote it because they are racist
and really rude but there is
nothing I can do to stop this.
They are all so much older than me
but yet so very dumb.
Because they do not see
what the stupid writings on the mirror have done.
People just stare wide-eyed with fear
as they see the racist sign someone put on my mirror.
I don't know what it means but when I find out.
I will just turn the other check without a single
doubt.
-Kaleena Marquez
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Poems by Kirsten Savitri Bergh
TO A SMALL BOY SEEN IN THE PARK TODAY
Listen, small boy, to what I have to say,
I can see, by the light in your smile,
And the innocent glee in your eyes,
That you have forgotten
That your striped shorts
Are faded and torn,
Your blue shirt
Dirty and old.
You have forgotten
The dirt under your fingernails,
And that your feet
Are scratched and brown
From always being bare.
I see that you
Have laid down
All of your loads,
Light or heavy as they may be,
To chase after
(your brown feet flashing over the emerald grass)
A straying wisp of happiness,
A white fluff, floating
On the warm breezes
A wish, a dream,
Or perhaps all it gave you
Was a moment of pure pleasure,
For when you captured it,
Held it cupped in your
Brown, careful hands-
A delicate trophy:
One to be treasured,
And then set free;
You smiled at me
As you ran past,
And your smile told me
What your foreign tongue could not.
I saw the purest happiness
In that brief glance,
The joy that only children,
With their hearts open,
Can experience,
May all of your dreams
Be as simple to capture,
And give you as much pleasure,
As a fluff of dandelion seed,
Floating on a sunbeam,
Has given you today.
-Kirsten Savitri Bergh
*****************************************************************************************************************************
I wish I was an eagle with a hooked beak of gold
Ebony wings that have seen things, seen tales untold
Wings that have carried me high above care
High above worries that vanish in air
High above treetops blossoming green
High above oceans speckled with frills
High above green and sheep dotted hills
High above meadows with babbling brooks
High above sparrows being pestered by rooks.
But not all of the pictures I've seen have been sweet
I've seen lonely vultures hungering for meat.
A bloody plain with men in pain,
And brothers fighting brothers, toward what aim?
There are men of peace and men of war.
Some of whom care none for the others.
I wish as an eagle
Flying high above,
That every being on this planet
Could someday know love.
Could someday know joy and harmony and peace
I wish as an eagle that our fighting will cease.
By Kirsten Savitri Bergh
A LAKE OF MIRRORS
This is a lake of mirrors,
Look deep enough into its clear waters,
Past your own gaze
Past your own smile,
Look until the face gazing back at you
Becomes but another passing reflection
Of the outside world.
Look until the two eyes
Fixed on your own
Become but two pebbles at the bottom;
Your smile but another ripple.
And when you have lost the face you know so well,
When it has become
Just another part
Of this lake of mirrors
When you find that
You can no longer find yourself
Or what you once considered yourself
Look still further.
Look until the pebbles
Mix with the sand,
With the weeds
And everything becomes just one color.
No real shapes or forms-
Not things anymore
Just color.
Look until all the colors blend
And become just one color.
A nameless colorless color.
And when you have found this,
And in doing so-
Lost all that you thought you knew before,
Look just a little bit deeper.
All will become clear
Like a limitless mirror
And there you will find a soul.
Perhaps it is the soul of the lake
Or perhaps you will find that it is your soul
Or perhaps they are one and the same.
Perhaps we are all
Just a lake of mirrors
Hiding deep within.
By Kirsten Savitri Bergh
WOODWORK
After she left
This emptiness
Devoured him
But he soon began
To notice
Her face,
Smiling down at him
From the curls in the woodwork.
Her laugh,
Rolling soft
In the rhythms of the rain.
And he felt
Her kiss,
In every falling snowflake
That caressed his cheek
And slid down his face
Like a forgotten tear.
By Kirsten Savitri Bergh
FOR OUR WORLD
We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.
September 12, 2001
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Circle of Happiness
I am a little kid
For you to love.
I am a little kid
For you to hug and kiss.
I am a little kid
For you to say,
You are so special,
yes you are to.
I am a little kid
For all of those things
And more.
And when you
Feel and say and do
All of those things,
I will be a little kid
Who will love you.
I will be a little kid
Who will say to you,
You are special, too,
Yes you are.
I will be a little kid
Who will do all of those things
And more.
And that is what
Happiness
Is all about.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek
Metaphor Lesson (VIII)
A smiling baby
Is a welcome sign,
Inviting others
Into a gentle world.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek April 2000
When Warnings Are Ignored
Right now,
The whole world is Mr. Yuk.
The little children know to stay away
When they see the stickers and
the signs.
The big people dont see them though,
But thats because they close
Their own eyes you know.
They dont want to see the
Warnings and poisons of war.
How it kills our children,
Our people, and earth.
They have reasons for fighting
Anyplace, Anywhere.
They have reasons for killing in
Bosnia, Iraq, Zaire.
They fight about God
And how people pray.
They fight about fighting
They just fight and fight
And fight, Everyday.
There is anger in families
And even in schools.
People dont want to follow
The laws and the rules
Unless they made them or like them.
But that is not right.
That just isnt right.
That thinking just poisons
Respect and responsibility
and life.
Poisoned thoughts
Turn into poisoned actions,
Which causes the war and fight.
And so,
Even though we should see
The warning signs Everywhere,
We dont look with our hearts,
And the whole world is Mr. Yuk.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek March 1998
********************************************************************************************************************************
For Mr. Thompson
The people who like poetry are special.
They are the same people who hear
Lullabies and wind chimes
When the birds are noisy together.
They are the ones who see
Star-gifts in every season-
Tree-stars in the fall,
Snow-stars in the winter,
Dandelion-fairy-stars in the spring, and
Lightning-bug-stars in the summer.
They are the ones who have
Favorite colors that are wonderful gifts
Like sunset or rainbow or treasure.
They are the ones who have
Songs in their hearts and
Words in their minds that
Come together and slip out
Into the air or onto paper as a gift
To someone else, or even themselves.
The people who like poetry are probably
The ones who really like life,
And who know how to celebrate
Even when things are sad or happy.
We remember that sometimes,
Even if we don�t understand why,
That the rain falls for a reason.
We remember how important it is
To play after a storm, just because
We need to keep playing and living.
And, we are the people who remember
To say thank you to God for our gifts.
-Mattie J.T. Stepanek May 1996
**********************************************************************************
Poems by Michael Jackson
PLANET EARTH
Planet earth, my home, my place
A capricious anomaly in the sea of space
Planet earth are you just
Floating by, a cloud of dust
A minor globe, about to bust
A piece of metal bound to rust
A speck of matter in a mindless void
A lonely spaceship, a large asteroid
Cold as rock without a hue
Held together with a bit of glue
Something tells me this isn't true
You are my sweetheart soft and blue
Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul.
In my veins I've felt the mystery
Of corridors if time, books of history,
Life songs of ages throbbing in my blood
Have danced the rhythm of the
Tide and flood
Your misty clouds, your electric storm
Were turbulent tempests in my own form
I've licked the salt, the bitter, the sweet
Of every encounter, of passion, of heat,
Your riotous color, your fragrance,
Your taste
Have thrilled my senses beyond all haste,
In your beauty, I've known the how
Of timeless bliss, this moment of now
Planet earth are you just
Floating by, a cloud of dust
A minor globe about to bust
A piece of metal bound to rust
A speck of matter, in a mindless void
A lonely spaceship, a large asteroid
Cold as rock without a hue
Held together with a bit of glue
Something tells me this isn't true
You are my sweetheart gentle and blue
Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul
Planet earth, gentle and blue
With all my heart, I love you.
By Michael Jackson
(C)1991 Michael Jackson.All Rights Reserved.
Planet Earth was taken from his book Dancing the dream.
********************************************************************************************************************************
Let us dream of tomarrow, where our children are
nurtured,
and protected and nourished,
let us dream of peace and harmony
and laughter,
let us dream of joy and ecstasy,
let us dream of dancing the cosmic dance,
let us renew again,
those dreams of promise we once made before,
where we can hold our heads high,
and stretch our arms toward perfection,
let us dream of a tomarrow,
where we can truly love from the soul,
and know love as the ultimate truth at the heart of all creation.
by Michael Jackson
****************************************************************************************************************************
Magical child
Once there was a child and he was free
Deep inside he felt the laughter
The mirth and play of nature's glee
He was not troubled by thoughts of hereafter
Beauty, love was all he'd see
He knew his power was the power of God
He was so sure, they considered him odd
This power of innocence, of compassion, of light
Threatened the priests and created a fright
In endless ways they sought to dismantle
This mysterious force which they could not handle
In endless ways they tried to destroy
His simple trust, his boundless joy
His invincible armor was a shield of bliss
Nothing could touch it, no venom, no hiss
The child remained in a state of grace
He wasn't confined in time or place
In Technicolor dreams, he frolicked and played
While acting his part, in Eternity he stayed
Soothsayers came and fortunes were told
Some were vehement, others were bold
In denouncing this child, this perplexing creature
With the rest of the world he shared no feature
Is he real? He is so strange
His unpredictable nature knows no range
He puzzles us so, is he straight?
What's his destiny? What's his fate?
And while they whispered and conspired
Through endless rumors to get him tired
To kill his wonder, trample him near
Burn his courage, fuel his fear
The child remained just simple, sincere
All he wanted was the mountain high
Color the clouds, paint the sky
Beyond these boundaries, he wanted to fly
In nature's scheme, never to die
Don't stop this child, he's the father of man
Don't cross his way, he's part of the plan
I am that child, but so are you
You've just forgotten, just lost the clue
Inside your heart sits a Seer
Between his thoughts, he can hear
A melody simple but wondrously clear
The music of life, so precious, so dear
If you could for one moment know
This spark of creation, this exquisite glow
You would come and dance with me
Kindle this fire so we could see
All the children of the Earth
Weave their magic and give new birth
To a world of freedom with no pain
A world of joy, much more sane
Deep inside, you know it's true
Just find that child, it's hiding in you.
-Michael Jackson
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Mother
Eons of time I've been gestating
To take a form been hesitating
From the unmanifest this cosmic conception
On this earth a fantastic reception
And then one fateful August morn
From your being I was born
With tender love you nurtured a seed
To your own distress you paid no heed
Unmindful of any risk and danger
You decided upon this lonely stranger
Rainbows, clouds, the deep blue sky
Glittering birds that fly on high
Out of fragments you've made my whole
From the elements you fashioned my soul
Mother dear, you gave me life
Because of you, no struggle or strife
You gave me joy and position
Cared for me without condition
And if I ever change this world
It's from the emotions you've unfurl'd
Your compassion is so sweet and dear
Your finest feelings I can hear
I can sense your faintest notion
The wondrous magic of your love potion
And now that I have come so far
Met with every king and czar
Encountered every color and creed
Of every passion, every greed
I go back to that starry night
With not a fear for muscle or might
You taught me how to stand and fight
For every single wrong and right
Every day without a hold
I will treasure what you've mold
I will remember every kiss
Your sweet words I'll never miss
No matter where I go from here
You're in my heart, my mother dear
-Michael Jackson
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Ryan White
Ryan White, symbol of justice
Or child of innocence, messenger of love
Where are you now, where have you gone?
Ryan White, I miss your sunny days
We carelessly frolicked in extended plays
I miss you, Ryan White
I miss your smile, innocent and bright
I miss your glory, I miss your light
Ryan White, symbol of contradiction
Child of irony, or child of fiction?
I think of your shattered life
Of your struggle, of your strife
While ladies dance in the moonlit night
Champagne parties on chartered cruises
I see your wasted form, your ghostly sight
I feel your festering wounds, your battered bruises
Ryan White, symbol of agony and pain
Of ignorant fear gone insane
In a hysterical society
With free-floating anxiety
And feigned piety
I miss you, Ryan White
You showed us how to stand and fight
In the rain you were a cloudburst of joy
The sparkle of hope in every girl and boy
In the depths of your anguished sorrow
Was the dream of another tomorrow.
-Michael Jackson
SPEECHLESS
(my favorite song)
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But I have not the words here to explain
Gone is the grace for expressions of passion
But there are worlds and worlds of ways to explain
To tell you how I feel
But I am speechless, speechless
That's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
When I'm with you I am lost for words, I don't know what to say
My head's spinning like a carousel, so silently I pray
Helpless and hopeless, that's how I feel inside
Nothing's real, but all is possible if God is on my side
When I'm with you I am in the light where I cannot be found
It's as though I am standing in the place called Hallowed Ground
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away and nothing is for real
I'll go anywhere and do anything just to touch your face
There's no mountain high I cannot climb
I'm humbled in your grace
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am far away, and nothing is for real
Speechless, speechless, that's how you make me feel
Though I'm with you I am lost for words and nothing is for real
Speechless
Your love is magical, that's how I feel
But in your presence I am lost for words
Words like, "I love you."
by Michael Jackson
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Poems by Kaleena Marquez
ANGEL ON MY WINDOWSILL
An angel peers into my soul
as the sun begins to rise.
I begin to stand up
and ascend into blue skies.
The clouds have all cleared away
as I await the new
so I can see what's in store for me
and everyone else too.
I wait outside the golden gate
as I begin to pray.
In hopes that I join my relatives
and in heaven I'll stay.
I step before Michael,
the keeper of the gate.
He tells me my time isn't up yet
and sends me back to my old state.
I walk among the living
but yet, I feel dead.
Could that dream have been real
or was it all in my head?
I may not know the answer now
but I know someday I will.
I've decided for keepsake
to put an angel on my windowsill.
There he'll be to watch over me
as my time is spent
while I wait for it to be done
and back to heaven I'll be sent.
-Kaleena Marquez
A LOVER'S DREAM
I'll love you forever, come what may
no matter what happens some time ahead
I wish to see you all times of the day
and I run through all the words you have said
watching and waiting for you to walk by
so you can take me to another place
far above the clouds, high in the sky
the place where our dreams we may chase
I feel I owe you everything I have
and that this feeling shall always last
this love I feel will be a salve
where we are now we will remain steadfast
over all obstacles during the years
as long as you and I get past our fears
-Kaleena Marquez
RAIN
The rain washes away all sin,
it lifts your spirit up.
You feel at peace
and strangely calm
as the droplets fall--
ever so softly
on your skin.
It runs silently,
through your hair
and drips off your fingertips--
You feel refreshed.
The rain begins to combine--
as one--underneath You.
It then begins to shift--
as One Whole.
Combining unity and peace--
Together.
-Kaleena Marquez
Peaceful Hope
One lonely star,
sticks out from the rest
like a permanent scar
that puts me to the test
I sit on the hard ground
as I begin to be hypnotized
suddenly I hear a loud sound
but I have quickly come to realize...
That it is all in my head
I turn back to the light
and wish that starving people were fed
and that the blind gained their sight
I put my hand to my heart
as I finally begin to cope
with all the good things bound to start
and signs of peaceful hope.
-Kaleena Marquez
WRITINGS ON THE MIRROR
I look at my reflection,
and all I see is red.
For someone has taken lipstick
and written all over the mirror.
They are all incriminating marks
that scar me deep inside.
For I have never seen these types of signs.
Just looking at it makes me
full of grief and sorrow.
They wrote it because they are racist
and really rude but there is
nothing I can do to stop this.
They are all so much older than me
but yet so very dumb.
Because they do not see
what the stupid writings on the mirror have done.
People just stare wide-eyed with fear
as they see the racist sign someone put on my mirror.
I don't know what it means but when I find out.
I will just turn the other check without a single
doubt.
-Kaleena Marquez
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Poems by Kirsten Savitri Bergh
TO A SMALL BOY SEEN IN THE PARK TODAY
Listen, small boy, to what I have to say,
I can see, by the light in your smile,
And the innocent glee in your eyes,
That you have forgotten
That your striped shorts
Are faded and torn,
Your blue shirt
Dirty and old.
You have forgotten
The dirt under your fingernails,
And that your feet
Are scratched and brown
From always being bare.
I see that you
Have laid down
All of your loads,
Light or heavy as they may be,
To chase after
(your brown feet flashing over the emerald grass)
A straying wisp of happiness,
A white fluff, floating
On the warm breezes
A wish, a dream,
Or perhaps all it gave you
Was a moment of pure pleasure,
For when you captured it,
Held it cupped in your
Brown, careful hands-
A delicate trophy:
One to be treasured,
And then set free;
You smiled at me
As you ran past,
And your smile told me
What your foreign tongue could not.
I saw the purest happiness
In that brief glance,
The joy that only children,
With their hearts open,
Can experience,
May all of your dreams
Be as simple to capture,
And give you as much pleasure,
As a fluff of dandelion seed,
Floating on a sunbeam,
Has given you today.
-Kirsten Savitri Bergh
*****************************************************************************************************************************
I wish I was an eagle with a hooked beak of gold
Ebony wings that have seen things, seen tales untold
Wings that have carried me high above care
High above worries that vanish in air
High above treetops blossoming green
High above oceans speckled with frills
High above green and sheep dotted hills
High above meadows with babbling brooks
High above sparrows being pestered by rooks.
But not all of the pictures I've seen have been sweet
I've seen lonely vultures hungering for meat.
A bloody plain with men in pain,
And brothers fighting brothers, toward what aim?
There are men of peace and men of war.
Some of whom care none for the others.
I wish as an eagle
Flying high above,
That every being on this planet
Could someday know love.
Could someday know joy and harmony and peace
I wish as an eagle that our fighting will cease.
By Kirsten Savitri Bergh
A LAKE OF MIRRORS
This is a lake of mirrors,
Look deep enough into its clear waters,
Past your own gaze
Past your own smile,
Look until the face gazing back at you
Becomes but another passing reflection
Of the outside world.
Look until the two eyes
Fixed on your own
Become but two pebbles at the bottom;
Your smile but another ripple.
And when you have lost the face you know so well,
When it has become
Just another part
Of this lake of mirrors
When you find that
You can no longer find yourself
Or what you once considered yourself
Look still further.
Look until the pebbles
Mix with the sand,
With the weeds
And everything becomes just one color.
No real shapes or forms-
Not things anymore
Just color.
Look until all the colors blend
And become just one color.
A nameless colorless color.
And when you have found this,
And in doing so-
Lost all that you thought you knew before,
Look just a little bit deeper.
All will become clear
Like a limitless mirror
And there you will find a soul.
Perhaps it is the soul of the lake
Or perhaps you will find that it is your soul
Or perhaps they are one and the same.
Perhaps we are all
Just a lake of mirrors
Hiding deep within.
By Kirsten Savitri Bergh
WOODWORK
After she left
This emptiness
Devoured him
But he soon began
To notice
Her face,
Smiling down at him
From the curls in the woodwork.
Her laugh,
Rolling soft
In the rhythms of the rain.
And he felt
Her kiss,
In every falling snowflake
That caressed his cheek
And slid down his face
Like a forgotten tear.
By Kirsten Savitri Bergh