Poetry by: Adrienne Reed

Jazz in the Park

Oh how I love warm summer days,

Hanging with my friends,

laughing and talking this way.

Bonding, just connecting with everyone.

Watching all the people;

It's so much fun.

Listening to the music flow through the air,

Sipping Chardonnay,

Enjoying life without a care.

I wish everyday could be like today,

Not worried about nothing,

Just groovin to the music this way.

Jazz, so much power without a word.

Strong and sincere,

begging to be heard.

No words to get in the way of its sweet sound.

Medicine to your mind,

When you're feeling down.

Today, I'm feeling fine;

No worries on my mind.

Just sitting here in the park,

Groovin til it's over,

Right before it gets dark.

A Rose from the Ashes

Am I crazy to think that I could be me?

The real me,

The grown up me,

The me I was born to be.

Released from out dated perceptions of who I used to be.

A Rose from the Ashes of my history.

No longer bound by insecurity,

Or the anxiety of what others think of me.

Somebody better than who was assumed to be me.

Dare I dream to become a reality?

Leaving behind everything that

hindered me;

Pursuing my victory.

Prayers of the righteous stored up for me;

Earthly Saints prophecy,

Ensured this new me I was meant to be.

Patient and kind waiting to see,

When I would unearth the rose in me.

The latter shall be greater you see.

A Rose from the Ashes of my history.

My Aunt’s Eyes

My Aunt’s eyes,

Wide open for so long.

Shed many tears, seen many storms.

As we sit and talk I look inside,

Beneath the surface of my Aunt’s eyes.

Those she's loved, so many gone,

But my Aunt remains steady and strong.

So much wisdom deep beneath her eyes;

I watch my Aunt with so much pride.

I have great hope for me this day,

That I’ll be as strong as her someday.

Strong and steady as a ship on the sea;

Sure in the Lord, and all He’s done for me.

There are so few left like my Aunt,

To set high standards for this human race.

There’s not much sense of family;

You do for you, and I’ll do for me.

My Aunt reminds me of such a time,

When the word family went beyond the blood line.

Your neighbor’s kids were like your own;

People were always welcome in your home.

When you passed people on the street,

There was no question, whether or not to speak.

A warm greeting just to say hello,

Or maybe you’d sit a spell and talk, before you had to go.

These days are different times;

I’m glad that I can see where we’ve been in my Aunt’s eyes.

Knowing where you’ve come from helps you to appreciate,

People like my Aunt, and the sacrifices that were made.

So much history in my Aunt’s eyes;

Tells many stories about many lives.