Thank you, Doreen!

     

The wind was viciously cold,
animated voices shouting
give up!  “Just give up
and hate yourself.”

Hah!  What? Pile on more self-pity when
I have so much to be thankful for?
No way!  My world could be bombed
tomorrow and then what?  
Life is short!!!!!

Then I remembered your words,
one day my
sweet, sweet friend. How you
sat in your
leather chair,
and placed your
hand over your heart as if
you had filled it.
I had said I wasn’t sophisticated,
worldly,
didn’t have enough class to
compete with
someone of your stature.

“I’d like to share your world,
beautiful lady,
if you think I have enough class!”

Oh, class, yes, you told me I did.
I wonder
now, sitting here
But you, your pure soul
touched my life.

Ah, and you wrote, “If someone
stomps all
over you, pour yourself a
glass of Chardonnay,
lift it high and say “well done!”

Strong words from a government official!

Well, let’s uncork the bottle!
Chill the glasses!

I’m walking on!

But first I have to get up,
with or without help.

I’m putting on my high heels,
my lipstick
and my power suit and I’m moving on!

I pack my courage, swallow my pride,
(gulp) learn from my experiences, forgive
and forget!  I fill my Shaffer pen, the one
you gave me so long ago, my legal pad
and I compose.

Yes, I compose.  Because if I
stop writing,
your vision of me turns to dust,
your faith
in me, destroyed
and you gave me hope.

Even in the mire, filth, face down
in drenching rain, sobbing, defeated-
I never stopped composing my dreams.
All that rubble, all that lost
expression, all that stifled hope that God,
somewhere
deep inside of me there was this….
this woman..

God, yes, a poet,
this lady who knows how to get back up!

Not to write drivel!
Not to drown in "poor me"
but to reach out!

And convey to every lady out there-
“Don’t you ever stay down,
there’s one more
round, before the bell.  One more inning
and one more field goal.”

Don’t leave your gifts in the gutter.

Why?

Because the next lady you meet could
need you to reach down and help her up….

return the gift.....