~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mrs. Harryman, my 6th grade teacher and one of my all-time favorite schoolteachers, read examples of all sorts of poetry to us. They were sometimes funny, like Edward Lear's limericks and assigned a 4 line verse composition for English class. I don't know what she saw in me, but she encouraged me to continue writing, so I grabbed a blank book and began to fill it with quotes, poetry I liked, and my scribbles. Another favorite teacher, Mrs. Bundy, invited me to join a creative writing club where we compiled and published a school literary magazine. I enjoyed it so much in high school, that I also joined the campus literary club in college.
I've decided to collect some of the poetry I've shared in different posts on this blog, plus a few new ones and place them together. And, if you wish to add any of these poems to your own collection, please credit me with writing them. It's a great compliment when you do. Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Poems By Dolores J. (O'Neal) Rush.
the earth
in
suspenseful
waiting -
patiently -
BURSTING
from
its
nesting place
the sun
pushes aside
the
shadows
BLAZING
in ALL
its
majestic glory
driving
the born
before
itself -
beginnings -
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Glorious mornHow beautiful thou art
Praising the Lord with all thy beauty
Singing to the heavens
Thy perfume is the sweetest upon this earth. . .
O Glorious morn
Thou art the one that awakens the sleeping world
Stirs the light
That brushes away the stale night. . .
Glorious morn
Thou have made me drunk with all thy glorious beauty
My God gave thee power,
Power to captivate thy audience!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
flowersdelicate, lovely
sight to behold
delights the senses with
heaven
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Description Riddle
toe-level S
grass waves
whip smooth
yellow, black
Y tongue taster
springssssings
mouse, watch out!
What am I?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note: Just so you know, the poem below does not come from experience. As a married woman, I lost a much wanted child through miscarriage before our son was born and I experienced an entirely different emotion from the one I had imagined as a teenager in this poem. My favorite hobby has always been reading and as a young person, I often imagined and experimented with scenarios I gathered along the way to compose in poetry form whether as free verse, such as the one below, or in rhyme.
A Babe is Born
By Dolores J.
O'Neal-Rush.
A babe is born
In a cabin of the
wilderness.
A midwife is
bustling about
The fire under
the mantle is crackling
The babe is in
the mother's arms.
Babe's pang of
hunger cries,
Mother whispers
hush!
Babe's against
thy mother's breast,
Pain is lessened
next.
Babe's ill,
Coughing and
choking,
They do all they
can.
He took his last
breath,
His suffering is
over.
Thy mother is
weeping softly
The tears of joy,
She is glad for
him
Babe is in a
better place
Far above.
Babe was dressed
in the finest calico they had,
They laid him
under the willow tree by
a softly, spoken
stream.
They erected a
simple, wooden cross,
For they could
not afford a stone.
There he sleeps.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
rubber
stamped characters
impressions on paper
colored lines and shapes
artist inked, pressed,
lifted, cleaned
red
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note: I wrote the prayer poem below sometime ago and decided to add it to my son's photo scrapbook. I also designed the baby shoe template "card" to add to the page with 2 layers so that I can journal a personal note inside to my son.
Bless My Little Baby Son
By Dolores J. Rush.
Dear Lord, I love my baby son
And thank you for his life,
I ask thee to bless my little one,
Bless his little life.
Bless his wee little head
And his curly locks
As you shine upon his bed
Over his room, toys and blocks.
Remind him as he grows
Of your great loving care,
Precious is he to you, I know,
From his sweet baby toes to his fuzzy hair.
This baby dear, so sweet and fine
I pray will grow strong and true
Into a gentleman, like Christ divine
Honorable through and through.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Post-It-Note Poem
How dry I am, How wet I'll be
If I don't find a note from thee.
I'll cry a lot and wail from here
Oh, Oh! I shed a tear!
I shed a tear, my heart is broke,
Make that two, my face is soaked.
My eyes are red and I am sad
Write a note and make me glad!
your friend, ___________________
(insert your name here)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Indigestion
commercials
TV
stuff your face
funnelinginnonstop
Try it, you'll like it
scrumpdilious
it's the real thing
You deserve a break today
so get up and get away
to McDonald's
World's Famous Restaurant
the Uncola
the most original soft drink ever in the whole wide world
two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce
cheese, pickles, onion on a sesame seed bun,
I don't believe I ate the whole thing!
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!
What a Relief!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By Mrs. Dolores J. Rush
Yea, I am the mother of an ADD child
Daily, I practice tough love
I shall not want to
Strangle that stubborn little neck,
But guide him towards paths of
Righteousness. To you, Lord.
Even though I walk through
The shadow of the Valley of
Weary Resignation
(Am I getting through to him??)
I will fear no hopeless situations
For you are with us;
Your presence and your arms comfort me.
And even though I walk through
The valley of the shadow of
Governmental “social reformers”
I will fear no evil
For you art with us.
You prepare a table of Joy
In the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with wisdom.
My cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love follow me
As I try to follow you all the days of my life.
(Oh, for your stamina to live through today. . .)
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Thank you, Lord, for your provision of grace. Amen!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Family Picnic
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The BreezeThe breeze blew softly through the open window
It's deliciously cool fingers
Soothed my fevered face
And stroked my arms and legs.
As the breeze blew over me,
In its breath, I could smell
The freshly mown odor of summer's grass,
The faintly sweet perfume of flowers,
The clean smell of new rain.
The breeze whispered in my ear
Of things it had seen that day,
Of a gorgeous jeweled dawn,
Of a happy mother seeing her baby's first steps,
And of a wooden cross bathed in a stream of light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A Suburban Summer’s Evening
By Dolores J. Rush
Air conditioner’s humming
Bugs biting. . . slap!
Birds chirping
Breeze blowing
Crickets creaking
Dogs barking
Eyes waving goodbye.
Fireflies blinking
Gas lamps glowing
Heat dancing
Highway singing
Ice melting
June bugs buzzing
Kids crying
Lawnmowers grazing
Leaves blowing kisses goodnight.
Mosquitoes whining
Night graying
Opossums creeping
People laughing
Raccoons raiding
Streetlamps shining
Shadows playing
Sun blushing
Trains whistling sweet dreams . . .
Underarms stretching
Uvula’s peeping
Venetian blinds whooshing
Wet dirt scenting
Windchimes tinkling
X’s smooching
You fading
And Z’s sleeping!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
😴
