“Poetry is an echo asking a shadow to dance.”
― Carl Sandburg
Poems
A Walk In A Country Cemetery
I walked in a country cemetery today,
Walked down winding, grassy lanes,
‘mid moss-draped boughs hanging low.
Far from the booming city,
Far from smoke-stacked skies,
Under a blanket of blue this resting place lies.
I walked in a country cemetery today.
I know not all who rest
In that deep sleep of eternity.
In that small haven of serenity.
I read on stones their names and dates
That marked the years they were born, they died.
I walked in a country cemetery today,
Saw the mounds that blanket the places
Of tombs where earthly bodies sleep.
For some, years spanned nearly a century,
For a few, fleeting lives measured moments;
So briefly did life’s flame burn.
I walked in a country cemetery today,
And I wondered as I passed by
What manner of men and women lie
Under those spreading oaks,
Under that peaceful sky,
And wondered, too, of the ones left behind.
I walked in a country cemetery today,
And I was saddened by the thought:
Those who lie there can’t feel the sun’s warmth,
Or see flowers in profusion grow,
Or hear the plaintive call of wild birds.
And some day, neither will I.
Mary Doan
Truth
Often it is said,
“Truth will set us free.”
This is true, I believe.
Yet, if truth is to free us,
We must know it,
Painful though it may be.
So, for truth to set me free
I must seek
Truth about me.
I must embrace it,
Accept it.
Live with it.
I pray that I will cease
To judge, to condemn
My brothers and my sisters.
I cannot change yesterday,
Yet, I can change
How I face today.
And to help me on my way,
It’s to Thee
Dear Lord I pray.
I pray that I will
Hold out a helping hand
To all in need.
I pray I will do
More listening
And less preaching.
I pray that I will forgive
Because I so often
Need forgiveness, too.
Lord, fill my heart with love
So there’s no room
For anger, hate or revenge.
And Lord, help us all
To seek the truth
That will lead us to Thee.
(In memory of my daughter, Laura,
who believed it’s so very important
that we know truth. — Mary Doan)
Lost Love; Lost Life
It was Valentine’s Day
That Michael died.
Twenty he was,
So young; yet so old.
They found him slumped
Across a table,
Gun at his feet,
Bullet hole in his head.
He left behind
A penciled poem
That spoke of sadness,
Lost love, and pain.
“When will they listen?”
Michael asked
In his verse,
“Tell me, someone, please,”
“What was my crime?”
His hopeless heart cried.
“I’ve tried to do right,
But somewhere, I went wrong.”
Michael’s last scribbled words
Posed a haunting question
About his lost battle with life,
“Is that why you won’t talk to me?”
It was raining
That cold,
February day
They buried Michael.
He, oh, so lifeless
In his flag-draped coffin,
Covered with bright flowers
He could not see.
Those he left behind
Shed uncountable tears.
For Michael was beyond
Any help they could give.
Such a shame, people said,
That one so young
Should take his life.
Such a shame!
But, I ask you,
Whose hand
Pulled the trigger?
Was it his, yours or mine?
If just one of us
Had taken time to listen,
Would Michael be with us
Next Valentine’s Day?
Mary Doan
Tears
Tears!
I know them well …
They come from the place
Heart and soul dwell.
Salty tears.
Bitter tears.
Heartbreak tears.
Soul-burning tears.
I give them sway,
Then wipe them away.
Must go on, else drown
In my tears.
Sorrows!
I’ve had my share.
Dying pets I could not save,
Dear to me, yet taken away.
An unfaithful love
Broke my heart,
Then asked my heart
To forgive and forget.
Sorrows!
My children in pain
From disappointments
I could not fix for them.
Death! Death took
Dad, Mother, Brother, Sister,
Then my first-born, last-born Daughters;
So much of me now achingly missing.
Yet pain and sorrow
Are not mine alone.
They come to all willing
To give love, seek its joys.
Tears!
I know them well,
They live in the loving place
Where heart and soul dwell.
Mary Doan
Happiness
Look around you,
Happiness abounds.
It’s in the babe’s “hello world” cry,
The child’s smile and trusting eyes.
Happiness is in the morning sunrise,
In the rain that falls like
Diamonds from the sky
And turns our Earth clean and green.
Happiness is in the laughter of children
In the innocence of their games.
It’s found in family gatherings
In celebration of special days.
Happiness dances among
Blue skies and billowing clouds;
Its music is heard in gentle waves
That softly kiss sandy shores.
Happiness
Is in our furry friends
That purr and prance
And nudge our hands.
Happiness
Abounds all around;
We need only to seek
And with determination find.
Yet … some will not see
The happiness within their reach.
Happiness, they believe
Is something they must achieve.
Some seek happiness
In a life of pleasure.
Others look to power
Or wealth beyond compare.
Some seek happiness
In the eyes of others;
Craving the applause
Of cheering crowds.
Some think
Themselves
Unworthy
Of happiness.
Unable to love themselves,
They sentence their
Troubled souls
To a deep and dark hole.
How, you might ask
Do we learn
To love ourselves,
To find happiness?
Sometimes, we must peel
The layers of our life.
Reflect on all,
Both good and bad.
Find the good.
Hold on to it.
Treasure it,
Let it grow.
Find the shame.
Look at its roots
Learn from it.
Then let it go.
Seek God’s help,
Ask for forgiveness,
Step out of the darkness
Into God’s light.
Seek His truth
And do what is right,
For this is key
To our soul’s delight.
When our immortal soul
Is filled with true love,
We receive God’s gift:
Peace for our souls; happiness to our life!
Mary Doan