What becomes of he who deprives the world of a smile?;

I found the answer to such a question when I realized just how much of my energy I had given my insecurities;

My smile, my hair, my body;
I solely identified with my “imperfections” and paid the price;

The price being peace;
To govern l(i)fe only by tangibility disrupts so(u)l;
Hiding through my own personal shame, I dwindled the ultimate flame;

And I also sabotaged;
Sabotaged opportunities so that the audience I “knew” wouldn’t dare see me as I saw myself;

Thoughts of possible laughter agonizing my psyche;

Though a shell I was;
Though a shell I chose to be;
This shell has always contained the l(i)fe desired to be experienced;

As a token of my appreciation I now listen to yo(u)r voice, yo(u)r requests, yo(u)r vision;

I don’t wanna hide, though hiding means survival of my ego and pride;

I wanna reside in so(u)l and l(i)ght;
And so I smile;
I smile for the 10 year old boy who denied himself l(i)fe because of an insecurity;

I smile for the teenager who saw himself as unlovable due to a unique smile;

I smile for the man ready to live in his l(i)ght;
I smile for the world because the world is who/ what I choose to be

The year is almost over,
And another will soon start.
This year, however,
I’ll begin with a broken heart.

I’m missing my loved ones,
My friends who’ve recently passed.
I miss their sweet voices,
Their smiles and their laughs.

It was supposed to be a Merry Christmas!
Another photo in the album!
Then suddenly that changed,
to the first Christmas without ’em…

I screamed up at God,
“CAN YOU JUST TELL ME WHY?”
“ARE YOU EVEN UP THERE?!”
“AM I JUST YELLING AT THE SKY?!?!”

I fell to my knees,
and started punching at the ground.
When suddenly I realized…
My loved one’s are all around…

They’re right here with me,
Feeling all this pain.
Does that mean they feel the sunshine?
Does it mean they feel the rain?

Maybe they’re not as gone,
As the world seems to say.
Maybe they’re right beside me…
Every night and every day!

If they’re here with me,
Guiding my every move…
Then I know that I can make it!
Because there’s nothing they can’t do!

This poem is dedicated in loving memory to my friends Alex Wisniewski, Joe Ewer, and Tammy Pouliot, but it goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one.

You are not alone. ❤️❤️❤️

I love my dogs,
I really really do…
But there are some aspects,
like when you take a back-step,
and wind up stepping in pooh!

They chew, they bite,
they scratch, they knaw.
When you’re watching a movie,
they’re licking their paw!

You’re sitting at the table,
waiting for dinner to start,
when along comes your dog,
and lets out a fart!

You all start gagging,
and gasping for air.
His tail starts wagging,
He doesn’t even care!

When you meet new friends,
and go to their door.
Your dog walks in,
and pees on the floor!

They dig, they shed,
they claw, they shred.
They get in your laundry,
and make their bed!

With all that they break,
and all they destroy,
they’re still the best little girls,
and good little boys.

When you come home,
from a long hard day,
they’re always right there,
and ready to play.

They love us so good.
They love us so well.
Even when our world,
is going to hell.

When my heart is broken,
and the tears start to flow,
I run to your shoulder,
and let it all go.

You won’t be here forever,
so I try to make it the best.
I focus on the good things,
and forget about the rest.

Whenever our bond is broken,
I know it always will mend.
That’s why they call you,
“Man’s Best Friend”.

When the trees lose their leaves,
their vail falls away.
They stand before us, naked,
and the skies all turn gray.

Trees don’t go out looking,
for something to fill the space.
They wait through the winter,
wrapped in its cold embrace.

They don’t waste time worrying,
wishing that they were warm.
They know it’s just a season,
and soon new growth will form.

I’m sure they miss the foliage,
they had the year before.
But when God takes something away,
He always gives back more!

So when you face a loss,
that brings you to your knees,
know that it’s just a season.
Like when the trees lose their leaves.

The hot, oily aquatic liquid begin to build up in my eyes as I glanced at the night’s sky;

A moment’s glance and I saw only a single star;

Pondering for a while, more appeared before me;

How lovely this world of mines, that even in the heart’s darkest moments the light is still present

Trotting along,
without a care.
My dearest friend,
My horse named Bear.

His hair so black,
It matches the night.
Standing so tall,
In all of his might.

If you listen real close,
You can hear him run.
His hooves strike the ground
Like the beat of a drum.

I could watch him all day,
I’d stand here and stare.
My dearest friend,
My horse named Bear.

I’ve been there for you,
that’s for certain.
But let’s take a look,
behind the curtain.

You were there for me,
After I lost my Dad.
You kept me happy,
When my world seemed sad.

All of my children
have rode on your saddle.
You helped me raise them,
and that was a battle.

Through all of the hard times,
You’ve always been there.
My dearest friend,
My horse named Bear.

It’s been so hard,
to see you in pain.
I’ve cried so much,
My tears are like rain.

I know in my heart,
What I have to do.
But how on Earth,
Do I say goodbye to you?

You’re more than an animal,
You’re more than a pet.
You’re a part of our family,
that we’ll never forget.

These years with you,
Have been so great!
But its time for you to go,
to an even better place.

And I know one day,
I’ll see you there.
My dearest friend,
My horse named Bear.

-Poem written for my mother-in-law, Susan, and her horse, Bear, for his day of passing.

Dear Janice Burgess,
I hope this letter finds its way to you in heaven. I meant to release these words months ago, but events during the summer made me lose sight of them until today. So, please forgive my lateness.

Since you passed away in March, several talented people have also left this earth, such as Rico Wade, James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, Dikembe Mutombo, and, recently, John Amos.

It saddened me that it wasn’t until the news of your passing that I learned that you were the one who created the cute cartoon show The Backyardigans.

I was entering my 20s and living with my oldest sister and niece in Maryland when I discovered your show. My niece and I enjoyed another kid’s show called The Wonder Pets. It took a little while for me to get into that show, but once I did, I wanted it to the point where I believed I enjoyed it as much as my niece did.

It was a blast watching the three main characters in The Wonder Pets have adventures and talk to other animals in their world.

Once I was eager to watch The Wonder Pets, I noticed your show, The Backyardigans, would come on before The Pets. It looked interesting, but I wondered if I would like it as much as The Wonder Pets. I’m so glad I was wrong about that.
Slowly but surely, my niece and I would start watching The Backyardigans as much as The Wonder Pets.
Listening to the theme song of The Backyardigans was always a great way to start the day when I was babysitting my niece. It was also fun to see what the main characters were up to in the episodes we watched together.

Watching my niece light up when your show and The Wonder Pets came on TV made me light up. I saw how happy you made her. She’s 16 now , which is mind-blowing to me. But I’ll never forget those times I had with her watching your show and The Wonder Pets early in the morning.

So thank you, Ms. Burgess, for creating a show that gave me memories with my niece and all the other work you’ve done. Just from looking at some of your photos online, you looked like a sweet person who gave other people joy.
 Rest in power.

Sincerely,
Gerald

I started as a Seed just as those did in the Field before me;
During my time in the Womb of THE GREAT MOTHER-our MOTHER,MOTHER EARTH-I’ve witnessed The Beauty of Spring;

The Field in Bloom with many shades of gold;
Soon I would be a part of The Ballet the Sunflowers did as they danced in The Breeze of The Spring;

And then I came along;
My Roots were well Grounded and yet I struggled to grow;
I thought it would be easy being a Sunflower, but Oh, did it require so much;
But I wanted to Dance, and so I Bloomed;
And I Bloomed;
And I Bloomed some more;
And I Bloomed some more until I finally reached The Sun, it’s Rays shimmering across my Petals;

Wrapped in its embrace, I smiled;
The Sun smiled back at me and said,”We’ve Danced many Dances, and we shall continue to Dance many more. Now, my love, its time that you return to The Fields for the remaining Seasons”;

I returned and continued to Dance during the Summer, my Petals still full of The Essence of Spring;

I began to lose some of my Petals and their golden hue during The Fall, but still I continued to Dance with The Essence of Spring in my heart;

Winter came and I saw less of The Sun;
It felt too cold to Dance, and yet I mustered the strength within me to bring Winter the Essence Of Spring;

With my brownish, withered body, I Danced until my Petals were no more;
I collapsed to the ground;
Mother caught me and said,”You’ve Danced beautifully My Child. Now, you must rest until The Next Spring”;

As I began to close my eyes, a Ray from The sun shone upon my Petals;
I looked to The Sky to see The Sun smiling at Me;
My last breath drawing near, I smiled back at The Sun and said,”I look forward to us Dancing again”

How loving, accepting, and forgiving Nature is;
How patient IT is;
How welcoming;
For us to trample over you without any sense of direction;
To spit onto you, fostering no sense of respect;
We litter your beauty rather than our abodes;
Yet you love, yet you accept, yet you understand;
You recognize that we are blind to that which we do not see at times and you are patient with us;
Not only do you recognize us as your children, you also recognize that we are you, both individually and collectively;
When will the moment come where I understand myself the way you understand yourself;
When will I open both my eyes and heart as you do;
I wonder

I approached the entrance of the Great Unknown;
Lost I was, I wandered aimlessly in the dark;
I left my mark on a wall bathed in graffiti;
Ears ringing of various noises once familiar to me, but now sounds of a time long ago;
I desire to synchronize with this foreign body once again, so I tread on in paranoia;
I wander evermore;
Deeper and deeper;
Deeper and deeper into the labyrinth until I find what it is that I AM searching for most;
Still I not find this item of magical wonders;
Do I look outward so much that I forget once more that I already possess this treasure

Do you think that it’s possible
for someone to be so good,
that God calls them home
before you think He should?

We say it all the time,
“God must have needed him.”
but a lot of those times,
they didn’t even believe in Him.

There’s no other reason
that you would call Brad home,
and his beautiful fiancé
would be left all alone.

Now our whole family
is questioning your plan.
Why, God, why
would you take this young man?

You’ve broken the heart
of a father and a mother.
And let’s not even mention
what you did to his little brother.

The ripples flow further,
they hit my wife too.
Her mother is his aunt
now SHE is mad at you.

Granny holds it together,
sewing like a thread.
Even though she’s strong,
she wishes it were her instead.

This is so unfair,
and all a bit unusual.
But what do you expect,
when a wedding becomes a funeral?

We see you moving.
Guiding us through.
In all of this darkness,
we’re all seeking you.

So God, move in,
wrap your arms around this family.
You say you’ll work this for good,
even though it’s a tragedy.

Although we’re all grieving,
one thing is for sure.
It is only by your grace,
that we shall endure.

I know Bradley is with you
up there in Heaven.
And I know that he sees
all the love that’s been given.

Please give him a hug
from all of us here.
Tell him we miss him,
and we’ll hold him so dear.

Thank you for what we still have,
and remind us each day
that this life is a gift,
so live it the Bradley way!

~Amen~

RIP Bradley Davis. Forever 23.

I don’t know where
my sunglasses are…
Perhaps I left them
in the car?

Or maybe they are
beside my bed?
I usually keep them
on top of my head.

Did I put them
in a drawer?
I hope I don’t find them
on the floor!

When did they
even go missin?
Maybe I left them
in the kitchen?

I know I had them
when we crossed the bridge.
Did I put them
in the fridge?!?

I’ve looked here,
I’ve looked there.
I cannot find them
anywhere!

Well, I guess they’re gone
for the rest of my life…
Nevermind! I found them!
… I asked my wife.

If “Love is patient”
and “Love is kind”,
then why do I feel
like I’m losing my mind?

It’s not easy to be patient,
when your family is all around.
It’s also hard to be kind,
Or, at least, that’s what I have found.

My mother’s mind wanders,
she never stays on task.
When it comes to what she’s doing,
I always have to ask!

“Where are you going now?”
“How long will it take?”
“Do you have to do that right away?”
“You’re going to make us late!”

Granny’s got a mouth,
and she runs it every day.
When it comes to me and Mom,
she’s always got something to say!

“Go brush your hair,
it looks like a wig!”
“Oh, you’re getting seconds?
Your belly’s getting big!”

Snapping back is in my nature,
sometimes I want to fight!
But I love them both so much,
so, on my tongue, I bite.

I give myself some time,
to process what I heard.
I remember who I’m talking to,
before I speak a word.

Mom might drive me crazy,
but she brought me in this world.
I know I gave her a hard time,
when I was just a girl.

Granny doesn’t mean to hurt us,
when her words come out so sharp.
She just doesn’t have a filter,
but she does have a heart.

We’re all a little crazy,
we’re each a little nuts.
But at the end of the day,
that’s what makes us “US”!

So it may not be easy
to be patient and kind,
but I’ll put in the extra work
for this family of mine.

-Caitlin Jablonsky

“I wrote this poem from my wife’s perspective about her relationship with her mother and grandmother.”
-Matty Jablonsky

I know you didn’t mean to,

I know you didn’t try.

It was just a stupid mistake,

You didn’t want to die…

You were doing so good,

We were so proud of you!

But good emotions, sometimes,

They’re overwhelming too.

Maybe I should’ve called,

Or answered that last text.

But I didn’t see this coming!

I didn’t know you were next!

I know it’s kinda late now,

And maybe weird to say…

But I love you so much,

And I’ll miss you every day.

This is so unfair,

No one knows how to feel.

I keep waiting to wake up,

Or hear that this isn’t real!

What do I tell the people,

When they ask me how you’ve been?

I suppose, I’ll tell the truth…

That addiction never ends.

I’ll tell them if they’re hurting,

They call always call on me.

I couldn’t be there for you…

But for them, maybe I could be.

Maybe I can help someone,

Maybe they will learn,

That drugs aren’t “the fun you can’t have”…

They’re the hell you don’t deserve.

Facebook Facebook,
Here we go again…
“Like if you agree!”
“Share and tag your friends!”

It’s all the same stuff,
just on a different day.
“I never make posts like this…”
“So I just wanna say…”

No one really cares,
this isn’t even real.
“Click the link below!”
“What a great deal!”

Scrolling and scrolling,
the hours fly by.
“Someone liked your post!”
“Someone went live!”

But we’re all missing out,
on a little thing called “life”.
A husband stares at his phone,
and ignores his lonely wife.

No one raises their kids,
it’s easier it seems…
Children don’t make noise,
when they stare at the screen.

I worry what it’s doing,
to our world and our minds.
It’s become a way of life,
or a sign of the times.

I feel like a prisoner,
and I know I’m not alone.
We’re all prisoners now,
that’s why it’s called a “cell” phone.