The Mother Hubbard Date...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/22/2000 3:36:17 AM 9/30/2022 12:13:20 AM	1100

The Mother Hubbard Date

The man is dressed sharp, too slick.
The kids all suspect, it might be a trick.
Something just doesn't feel right,
And we don't want Mom going out tonight.

The guy's not all that, Mom.

Old farm house on the hill stands,
Remodeled with the labor of family hands,
Huge yard, apple tree blossoms and grape vines,
Stronger and better than slick lines.

Sis's got a plan, to ditch this man.

Shhhhhhh......she's getting dressed!
Ha Ha, boy, he'll be duly impressed!
Call them all, each and every one,
All of our friends, in on the fun!

Wonder if he'll ever date again?

Scott in the second story window,
I'll be on the roof, up the tree in front you three go!
Four on the garage roof, three in the tree on the side,
Another five or six on the porch roof ride.

Sis is climbing the TV antenna.

Each and every window of the old farm house,
The whole roof, every tree, quiet as a mouse.
Oh, my goodness! I can't wait to see,
If he's got the gumption, what kind of dad would he be?

Shhhhh......she's getting in the car......

Quick now, all together.....BYE MOM!!!!
BYE MOM!!! WE'LL MISS YOU!!!

We gave him the 50 kid salute at the setting of the sun,
And I do swear, I'd never seen a snake run!
All of you might not think that's fair,
But he's clearly not built to be there.

Welcome home, Mom, we ALL love you!!!

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

We never did see that guy again. Madison & Mom were both better off for it. And it's one memory we ALL laugh over now.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/22/2000 3:36:17 AM 9/30/2022 12:13:20 AM	1100

Total Comments: 5

Comments
ART PAUL SCHLOSSER	artpaul@mailcity.com	http://www.poets2000.com/appoems/default1.html	8/22/2000 5:32:57 PM
Dan this is not just funny but it has a truth.For if a guy dates a woman with kids than he should also get to know the kids.For once they are married he will have to be their dad.
Sue Allie	bttfly9@yahoo.com	http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Garden/9843	8/23/2000 7:16:48 PM
This poem is TOO FUNNY!
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/23/2000 11:01:23 PM
My first reaction was to think...this poem is funny, and I laughed but then after reading it two more times I felt a shiver course down my back. This poem is also scary! Maybe it's my intuitive nature taking over but it reminds me also of a Stephen King book I once read.
Daniel A. Stafford	aqmstaffo@mailbag.com		8/24/2000 3:40:57 AM
Just a quick note: This actually took place when I was a freshman in high school, 9th grade. We didn't like this guy, he seemed somehow wrong. So we invited our friends over and we all were waving and yelling as they pulled out. The guy never asked Mom out again, so obviously he shouldn't have been dating a woman with children. This is meant to document a humorous note in my family history, nothing more. We still laugh like crazy when we think of this, including Mom. *Smile*
Leigh	marin@kci.net		3/2/2001 5:36:50 PM
Very, very sweet! It speaks volumes about children's protective love for their Mother! *s* Leigh

Summer Pool, Doc Cruise, & The Football Dog...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/21/2000 3:53:39 AM 9/30/2022 10:35:19 AM	897

Summer Pool, Doc Cruise, & The Football Dog

There was a place, where I was a child of summer,
Hair down past my shoulders, middle of my back.
Eight years old and free of school.
Room to breathe, time to grow.

Air Force brat in a tiny Nebraska town.

"The Site". Mysterious place out in nowhere.
Don't wear belt buckles, metal watches,
and ride your mini bike 'round the tower.
There's nothing but corn past the hill, sand, bluffs.

Empty open country and huge skies.

Step dad's Corvette Stingray in silver & chrome,
The trail behind the house along the tracks.
Train sparks the grass and the whole field smolders,
Days of embers and firefighters with shovels.

Ride my Schwinn down to the pool.

Learning how to swim forever, radio tunes and hot wet concrete.
Sixties music and sunshine, the high dive dare.
Across the street, the Tasty Freeze calls.
Frozen bananas, cherry dipped on a stick.

Danny & Impala Carr with the Afghan Hounds.

Doc Cruise's fields and corrals, local vet.
Seven year old fearless sister climbs a split rail.
She's getting on a horse's back to ride it bare.
Mom rides a Bridgestone cycle in a poncho.

The mechanic at the Conoco teaching me to patch a tube.

Giant Ford Country Squire wagon, gray & chrome.
Gravel highways bleached in sunlight to nowhere.
Black Labrador retriever, one Cindy by name.
Plays football so well, she puts the Corn Huskers to shame.

The Rittenbury kids, all six and Arlas's five.

Add them to us three and our moms look alive.
Head count, phone calls in the evenings.
How many do you have tonight?
Jack's devilish blue mini bike, fast!

The baddest hotwheel set in town, fifty cars.

Childhood heaven.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

This is where I read "Daniel Boone", "Davy Crocket", "Wild Bill Hickock", "Buffalo Bill" in school.
This Is where I watched the moon landings in class. This is where the Bubble Mountain came to pass.
This is where I was the Tattooed Man. This is where I had the hotwheel track to forever. My best car was a '68 Charger. A mini bike for my birthday. The biggest channel cat I ever saw. I first swam, and swam a mile before the end of summer. My brother became "The Red Tornado". We had a football playing Black Lab. I was a cub scout. We had the coolest fireworks, Roman Candles. We went camping at Fort Yankton South Dakota, and dang near blew the doors off the station wagon heading for the lake. I learned to write in cursive. I got my minibike stuck in a sand pit. I ran over my best friend with my bike by accident, and still regret it to this day. (He survived with scrapes and bruises.)
The Cattle Roll set the whole town running. And I probably forgot to mention half of it.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/21/2000 3:53:39 AM 9/30/2022 10:35:19 AM	897

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/21/2000 11:11:50 PM
I love it when you tell us about your childhood. Have I said this before? I think you had a wonderful childhood. Such precious memories you have.

Cattle Roll...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/21/2000 2:29:17 AM 10/4/2022 3:23:50 PM	838

Cattle Roll

Tiny town, USA,
I'd describe Genoa, Nebraska this way.
There's a bend in front of church,
Where big trucks heave and lurch.

Main street burmed backwards.

Near every week a rig is over-turned,
Take it too fast, you'll get burned.
But I never will forget the time,
The cattle hauler tried it on a dime.

The locals were duckin' bull on Main Street.

Round the pumps at Conoco,
Past the cafe they all go,
Co-op isn't at all safe,
Tempers, they all chafe.

Bet they're still talkin' about it.

Me, I just put that dime in the mini bike tank,
And I have the trails to thank,
I'm off away from it all,
When it was cattle wall to wall.

Wonder if they're still chasin' 'em?

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

That turn was banked exactly wrong. And those cattle were everywhere. I don't think I ever, ever saw anything quite like it, but this time it was the cattle that were doing the drivin'.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/21/2000 2:29:17 AM 10/4/2022 3:23:50 PM	838

Total Comments: 2

Comments
Daniel A. Stafford	aqmstaffo@mailbag.com		8/21/2000 2:39:52 AM
Hey, is that a pair of horns movin' down the next aisle at the IGA? Gol durn, it's the grocery trail! YeeeeeeeHaaaaaaa!
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/21/2000 10:29:24 PM
Hahahaha...Dan this is so funny... the movie I can see in my head. Cattle running amok, people chasing them yet not knowing what to do when they corner them. I think I'd be like you and head for the hills.

Catigny Hawk...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/20/2000 12:15:57 PM 9/12/2022 3:18:51 PM	1108

Catigny Hawk

A fun day for a family of three,
Sweetheart, young Son and me,
Off to the gardens, incredible estate,
Belonging once to the Colonel, who now is late.

Acres of ornamental gardens.

An expansive great Manse in Victorian style,
And the tour is a fascination to last for awhile,
Great library, kitchen, all done in stylish flair,
I'm glad we took the time to visit there.

Colonel McCormick's place.

Another attraction, the War memorial Museum,
Pictures, interactive displays, a soldier's drum.
Times and reminiscence of hardship's woes,
And sacrifices made defeating the foes.

Tanks that children climb on, their cannon stilled forever.

Out behind, old cannon in line,
Beneath tall trees, it's all very fine.
A mystical place, in it's own haunting way,
Ugliness turned beautiful, memories stay.

The surprise awaits in dappled shows beneath huge trees.

A display for us three alone to see,
A creature fierce, wild and free.
A hawk on ground with dinner under claw,
Near two feet tall, we couldn't believe what we saw.

Twelve feet from our faces, spotlighted in a finger of sunlight.

My son stepping forward fearless,
I stop him and we watch, a sight so peerless.
The hawk returns a majestic gaze,
And grants a memory through all our days.

Another world beneath the trees, where the Catigny Hawk lives.

Free.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

One day last year, 1999, Lady Saren, Justin and I, we were on a tour of the Catigny mansion. Colonel
McCormick's place indeed, as in the late owner of the Chicago Tribune. At the end of our day, we were walking under these huge tall trees. A huge hawk stood spotlighted by a ray of sunlight at the base of a tree, eating his dinner. We were all in awe, the majestic gold and brown plumage and the fierce stare.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/20/2000 12:15:57 PM 9/12/2022 3:18:51 PM	1108

Total Comments: 2

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/21/2000 12:03:09 AM
I can see this as if I were there. Thanks Dan. When our son was younger we used to visit the old grand estates that were on display to the public. I was always fascinated with the peacocks roaming around. I can imagine you seeing the hawk. Wow!
willie h warren	williehw@earthlink.net	no web site	8/21/2000 3:18:33 AM
Great communicative skill, even the uninitiated in poetry can understand. Not like so many who try to be "deep", really outsmart them-selves. What good is poetry that's so quote/unquote "deep", leaves one thinking, "Hey, what was that about". A great plus for your directness, conciseness and to the point"ness" (smile), you know the word I mean.

Spooning You...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/17/2000 4:00:26 AM 10/5/2022 5:28:23 PM	838

Spooning You

See the magic of the lights,
Chandeliers and soft low ballroom glows.
Dance floor lit from beneath in soft pastel rainbow hues,
Glorious dresses and sharp tailored suits.

The scent of your perfume like a draft of wine.

Sultry, long and slender,
Your smile lights your eyes and hints of surrender.
Candles flickering on tables,
And we are here, living romantic fables.

Guitar pickin' swing and rhythm, lively, sweet.

Dinner on classic fine china with silver of luster,
Conversation that sparkles and wit that I muster,
Looking into your eyes might yet drown me,
But heaven awaits on the dance floor I see.

Holding you close and swaying to a slow number.

Out on the terrace the Moon like a perfect picture,
Framed by a faerie ring and graced with starry jewels,
Flowers lit through glass windowed doors and rapture,
I hear soft strains of guitar and see a vision that passion fuels.

Whispering softly in your ear, spooning you.

Your form fits to mine divinely, my love.

It's magic!

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

This was inspired by the Woody Allen / Sean Penn film, "Sweet & Low Down". It is part reminiscent of the thirties night club atmosphere and musical wonder of the film, and tinted through the romance colored glasses that are my own visions of romance. Usually, thinking of romantic moments, I see visions of the times shown in this film, and elegant dressed visions out on a moonlit terrace and
it makes me smile inside. I've always had an inner fantasy of romance in those days, and I think it was inspired subconsciously through older films watched as a child, although I'm not certain. I saw such visions while writing "In The Soft Glow Of Moonlit Roses", also. A moonlit elegant terrace covered with rose bushes and a young couple in love. It was also the them for my college
graduation ceremony in 1993, "Moonlight & Roses". None the less, in my mind no setting could be sweeter, softer, more romantic. I love such moments with Lady Saren very much, quiet close times in elegance.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/17/2000 4:00:26 AM 10/5/2022 5:28:23 PM	838

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 2:37:12 AM
Oh Dan, how romantic.... sigh.........

Carlton & Cards...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/16/2000 5:42:46 AM 10/7/2022 10:24:42 PM	967

Carlton & Cards

Living in the old place, limestone walls,
Lonely gents up and down the halls,
Refuge from bad economy,
Just $35.00 you must pay weekly.
Built in 1860's in the old tobacco town,
Lookin kinda shabby and a little run down.
Bar on the ground floor,
No driving for a drink, what's the pool score.
Off to Kessler's perch for some fun,
Half barrel and Euchre, cards to be won.
Sitting at the table all night long,
Cigarettes burning, radio for somg.
Partner passes, but lets see,
Calling it Hearts, we must get three.
Shuffle forever, until one card drops,
I'll deal a lone hand, every time it stops.
Never know who it'll fall to today,
But here comes a loner they all say.
Lone Hand Dan, my new nick-name,
But it sure makes it interesting playing the game.

Mickey's smilin' for the win.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

1982. Old hotel in Edgerton, WI. A room cheap, no jobs around, just a weekend clean up for  $3.00/hr. Playing Euchre all night, and that one deck of cards, just a little magic. It never failed, someone always got a loner when I dealt off that deck. Steve Kessler's place, Mickey, Kim, Russel, Wesley Anderson, Rotundo, Stickman, Jay Bird, Egore, Brenda. Fun.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/16/2000 5:42:46 AM 10/7/2022 10:24:42 PM	967

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 2:48:39 AM
This poem is wonderful Dan. The way you wrote it I can even smell that distinctive bar room smell. There's not another smell on earth quite like it. A living and life-like poem.

Simply Magic...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/16/2000 5:04:38 AM 10/5/2022 8:53:51 PM	820

Simply Magic...

Kind-hearted silent walker across the fields,
Keen eyed stare he wields.
Blue skies peeking through soft cloud,
Sunlight touching Earth through cotton shroud.

Shining rays like the fingers of God reaching down.

Cotton waves golden stalks in warm breeze,
Amber waving, soft puffs fill the air with gentle ease.
Hawk glides down to visit an old friend,
Perching on his arm in majesty to attend.

Children laughing follow the wise one in summer.

Picnic brings storied moments, power.
Showing children magic at late afternoon hour.
Work-worn brown hands cupped full with a secret,
Opened to reveal the Monarch he just met.

Orange butterfly wings broach the sky at sunset.

Camp fire flames flickering under indigo skies,
Except in west, where the flaming orange sun lies,
Heading inexorably deeper into it's magenta bed,
With tufts of pillow sky gold and red.

Snapping, crackling orange-gold sparks dance into the night air.

In his hand he holds a dancing flame,
As in ancient times, fire, now tame.
Pointing up to night's first star,
Reminds us children where we are.

Fireflies flicker in the trees, owl hoots low.

The Magic Man lights the heart flame.
Smiles follow, laughter's gentle frame,
Stars twinkle deep in the night, embers fading red glow,
Children awake at sunrise in bed, only the little ones know.

It's simply magic, imagination's cousin, the children sing.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

Inspired by a movie character, crafted of the poet's brand of magic, Imagination intermingled with dancing words from a heart full of love of life.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/16/2000 5:04:38 AM 10/5/2022 8:53:51 PM	820

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 3:11:29 AM
Dan, you just get better and better. A wonderful poem. I love it!

Floppy Johnny...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 3:49:02 AM 10/7/2022 11:48:43 PM	902

Floppy Johnny

Floppy Johnny:

I remember a boyhood friend,
A little boy's companion to the end.
His arms and legs were floppy,
And at night he kept me company.

Just a rag doll.

Long floppy hat,
Triangle jack-o-lantern nose,
Black dye eyes,
Flower covered vest, orange.

Warm my heart.

Make me feel not alone at night,
Ease a little boy's loss of the light.
Tucked in together at Noni's house,
When I was not much bigger than a mouse.

Do you know your ABC's, Johnny?

Give me a snuggle, close our eyes.
Let's dream of flying in the skies.
Airplanes and fancy cars,
Trains and tractor dream stars.

Good night Noni. I gave Nono a hug.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

Just remembering an old friend, one that deserves to be remembered.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 3:49:02 AM 10/7/2022 11:48:43 PM	902

Author	Email	Web
Total Comments: 2

Comments
ART PAUL SCHLOSSER	artpaul@mailcity.com	http://www.poets2000.com/appoems/default1.htm	8/14/2000 6:01:23 PM
This poem is very cute and has alot of sentimental value. I was wondering Dan did you have an astronaut doll when you were a kid too?
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 5:58:48 AM
I agree... this's a cute poem. It reminds me of the stuffed dog my son had when he was a child. It ended up all floppy and loved to bits. I stored it away in a box and one day I'll bring it out and show it to him again. Maybe when he's got a young child of his own....:o)

Bulldog Ears...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 3:30:09 AM 10/7/2022 8:06:56 AM	860

Bulldog Ears

Thump-ump. Thump-ump.
Thump-ump. Thump-ump.
Shhhhhh...........

He's on his way!
He's coming out today!
Hear his footsteps in my ear?
I can hear him coming near!

Thump-ump. Thump-ump.
Thump-ump. Thump-ump.
Shhhhhh......

Please don't give me way,
The bulldog is coming today.
He's walking out of my ear,
It's his magic footsteps I hear!

Thump-ump! Thump-ump!
Thump-ump! Thump-ump!
Shhhhhh......

Hide, under the covers quick!
I think that might do the trick!
He's got huge teeth, you see!
He's coming to get me!

Thump-ump! Thump-ump!
Thump-ump! Thump-ump!
Shhhhhh......

I'll turn my head on the pillow quick,
So he can't do that trick!
No, he won't get out!
If he does I'll scream and shout!

Thump-ump! Thump-ump!
Grrrrrrr........

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

A nightmare from when I was small. Have you ever heard your heartbeat in your ears, your own pulse beating when you have your head lain just so upon the pillow? I had this dream that it was the footsteps of a bulldog, in that stage not quite sleep, when your body is captured between sleep and awake, and you cannot move.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 3:30:09 AM 10/7/2022 8:06:56 AM	860

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 6:12:09 AM
I remember this experience Dan but my parents used to say if I didn't go to sleep the boogey man would get me, which scared me to death. I thought that sound was him sneaking in!

The Bluest Angel...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 2:53:36 AM 10/7/2022 1:48:24 PM	905

The Bluest Angel

Tiny Angel, wings so white,
Watch over me as I pray goodnight,
Let Mommy be safe and happy please,
You in your robes so blue, me on my knees.

I watch you fly in God's grace.

Tiny angel, flit down upon my cupped palms,
Smile up at me, singing, with no qualms.
A voice so ethereal and uplifting,
Carry my heart through a life that's shifting.

Thank you for carrying my prayers to heaven so well.

Bluer than the skies,
Angel with the bluest eyes,
Singing and free,
Thank you for loving me.

Fly always in beautiful childhood dreams.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000



By: Daniel A. Stafford

Author's Comments

A dream, from very early childhood in Madison, WI. This took place when I was three, in the time of the Dinosaur Safari. I think it may have been inspired by watching a show on TV about the Navy flying team, the Blue Angels. You see, to me as a child, airplanes were the grandest vision in the whole world. We lived off an Air Force base. I lived in a world of fast jets, heard sonic booms before they stopped supersonic flight over the continental USA. I woke up crying because the dream was gone.
###############################################
Published in the International Library of Poetry's anthology,
"The Hush Of Moonlight", page 65, Library of Congress Number:
ISBN 1-58235-558-4

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 2:53:36 AM 10/7/2022 1:48:24 PM	905

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 6:58:29 AM
Did I ever tell you that I lived on a RAAF base when I was young? I grew up with planes being a natural part of my everyday life. Your poem brings back good memories to me.

Black Room Dreams...

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 2:35:26 AM 10/8/2022 2:00:46 PM	841

Black Room Dreams

As a child in Head Start,
Dreaming could be considered an art.
I dreamed of The Bluest Angel, watching over me,
I dreamed I'd float up and down the hall, free.

There is no gravity in some dreams, swimming in air.

There was a dream that came now and then,
A strange yet haunting old friend.
My room, all painted black,
Windows closed unto the dark.

In the closet, where the toys lived.

A plastic Batmobile,
With a plastic steering wheel,
Orange bat upon the hood,
The only color where I stood.

A bit of color in the dark.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

I had the most vivid dreams as a child, and this one
was repeated several times. The one where I was floating
up and down the halls came often, as I floated, I watched
the neighbors coming and going through the halls.
The Bluest Angel was one of my very favorite dreams.
Inspiration for another poem.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/14/2000 2:35:26 AM 10/8/2022 2:00:46 PM	841

Total Comments: 1

Comments
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/19/2000 7:21:47 AM
Another great poem. Once again, it brings back memories to me. Thanks Dan...:o)

True Wealth, And Reasons To Write:

 

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/13/2000 7:27:01 PM 10/1/2022 7:17:39 PM	934

True Wealth, And Reasons To Write:

Memories, times our heart glows in,
Memories, which our love grows in,
Moments, soft, holy, tender,
Magic, true magic to never surrender,
Seeing you standing in flowing velvet gown,
My heart so full I near break down,
Your eyes sparkle with reflections of a Christmas tree,
Or your look so distant as you reminisce of we,
Couple walking hand in hand,
Softly kissing when we stop and stand.
Two who had something sacred only we could share,
A tiny piece of forever carved out upon a dare,
Never knowing just how long,
Or what could make our hearts stay strong.
All things in time we lose,
Change inevitable, worn out shoes.
Favorite clothes that wear and tear,
Seasons past, fleeting and fair.

Memories.

It is memories, like these, which are the jewels of our lives,
decorating our hearts as the precious stones that bring sparkles
in a way that no cold gem ever can. These, we are allowed to take
with us when we fade into the pale gray mists of time, even as we
who write are blessed to be able to leave an echo of them behind
to stir the imaginations and warm the hearts of those who follow.
There can be nothing more priceless to own, nor so dear to ever lose.

What memories shall you leave behind you?

I look upon this world, so beautiful, and bemoan the shortness,
The brevity of our lives, fleeting instants upon the stage of life.
Many who are dear to me are passing or have gone. Others shall
be here long to share what remains. I never know which. None of us can.
It is because of the memories that you all have gifted me with so well,
That I will never be poor, except in count of time.
I will make the best of what I have, because that is how I
honor the memories of you all.

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford
(C)2000

Author's Comments

I just watched "Autumn In New York", the new movie in the theaters. It is a wonderful tale of romance and love, of love triumphant over fear and emptiness. Also, I received Mi Wha's reply to my poem about childhood memories I hold close. It seems to me that the reflections of these events have meaning, so I have written them down here, to share freely with you all.

Author	Date Entered/Modified	Views
Daniel A. Stafford	8/13/2000 7:27:01 PM 10/1/2022 7:17:39 PM	934

Author	Email	Web
Total Comments: 2

Comments
Sue Allie	bttfly9@yahoo.com	http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Garden/9843	8/13/2000 10:53:35 PM
Yes, memories are very special and we keep them alive by telling the tale to our kids who pass it down to their kids etc. By telling them to others we sometimes realize how all the more they are so extra special to us. You have a way with the words.
Janine Daniel	spinnys@hotmail.com	www.spinnys.com	8/21/2000 12:36:34 AM
You've made my life richer by sharing your memories and now that they are instilled in my mind they become my memories too. Do you understand what I mean? Thanks Dan for all the memories... *S*

Wriggling Mind...

Wriggling Mind...

Dreams roam everywhere, Absent the Sun,

In the mysterious prenatal hours of a coming day. 

Even without eyes closed,

Reality jumps about like a thoughtfish leaped upon waterfall rocks, 

Slipping back under with a foamy splash, 

All just to vanish unbaited. 

AquarianM

By: Daniel A. Stafford

© 10/03/2022