Poetry Rules!

Lately I've been feeling I need to focus on my POETRY.

DOORS are opening and OPPORTUNITIES developing.

Will be reprinting our "Voices from the Desert" poetry book.

Doing a poetry reading this Friday night with my friend Marilyn.

Not sure where it's all going, but I'm trying to follow the muse.

Networking with Dixie State College English Department faculty.

Encouraging other poets to publish and helping with critiques.

It's fun and creative. I can now say I am an AUTHOR and a POET!

GRANDPARENT GIFTS

Grandparent gifts flow easily.
No worry of day to day care of the infant,
only bonding and endless love to give.
Blending smiles and giggles as
playful faces laugh, tickles intermingle.
Ah, the reward for earlier parental sacrifices.

New life blesses the family, unknown challenges
lay ahead-awaiting the passage of years.
Family bonding is now and forever.

The baby grows, becomes a child,
returns to grandparents for love and nurture,
a listening ear, an understanding heart.

Through the years a special bond evolves,
disturbed only by death’s cruel separation.
Love lingers in cherished memories.

Now for a tribute and poem my grand daughter Emilee wrote for her Nana or great grandma and my mother-(photo above: l-r Heather, Nana and Emilee taken many years ago...)

Nana...Gone...But Not Forgotten...

By Emilee Hatch

Evelyn Hazel Johnson (Nana)

Born: December 2, 1917 Silver City, Utah

Died: January 15, 2007 Orem, Utah

I will be writing a little bit about my great-grandmother Evelyn Johnson (Nana). Nana had one daughter named Lin, (My grandmother). She had two brothers: Clarence and Norman, and two sisters: Esther and Ethel. Her parents were Marion Johnson Jr, and LoAlda Lemmon. She was a wonderful person. My great-grandmother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She went into a coma. I was nine years old when she died. Nana was one of my dearest friends, I loved her so much and still do. Just seeing her made my day. Every Sunday after church every since I can remember my dad (Daniel) would take me to see Nana. We would talk for a while, she’d ask us how we were. I’d tell her all about school and my day. I loved visiting her, it was what I looked forward to the most every weekend. I remember when she came to my baptism, that was one of my most favorite memories. I will never forget her beautiful smile, I remember her face would light up when she would see my dad and I walk in.

It was hard for me when she died. I remember visiting her when she was in a coma. She died Jan 15, 2007. I remember driving with my dad to go see her (body) on a Monday night. My grandmother was there with us. I remember just crying, I couldn’t bear to lose her. But I hadn’t lost her. She is always there, even though I don’t see her.

GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
By Emilee Hatch

You maybe missed, but you aren’t gone,
If you were here, I would sing a song,
One day you where there with me,
The next day you were gone.

The tears I had shed were for you,
Life continues without you,
I look up at the sky to find,
your beautiful smile staring down at me.

Gone, but not forgotten,
You will always be in my memory,
The times we shared,
The times we laughed,
The times we cried,
Only you will know my deepest fear.

You were the only friend who understood,
You will always be remembered,
Remembered, Remembered, Remembered,
Every tear that falls will remind me of you,
You will always be my dearest friend.

You were the only person who smiled,
You will always know me for me,
You made me smile when I was sad,
I will always remember you for who you were.
When I was lost you found me.

You may be gone,
But you aren’t gone forever,
I will always love you my dearest friend.

In Loving Memory of Evelyn Johnson...Loved by many....