Joye Atkinson Poet Bio

The Wrong Funeral

Several years ago I had an opportunity 
To reach out to a grieving family with my gift of poetry
I'd seen in the paper a lady had passed away
I thought it was my friend's mother so I began to pray
I asked the Lord what I could do and he answered me and said
Go minister to the family of the lady who is dead
I went to the funeral home but when I walked inside
I'd never seen those people or the lady who had died
I went and signed the guest book then an usher came to me
I said I didn't see the person I came there to see
He told me she would be there when the morning came
So he pointed out her brother but I didn't know his name
We talked for a few minutes about the peace on his mother's face
After suffering so long she finally won the race
He asked me if I could come back for the funeral the next day
I told him I would be there and for him I would pray
When they brought the casket in with the family behind
I still didn't see my friend but it didn't cross my mind
I sat through the service then followed to her resting place
I walked up to my friend's brother and soon the color left my face
He thanked me for coming then I said his sister I'd not seen
When he pointed to this woman she was tall, blonde and lean
Then suddenly it hit me the family I didn't know
So I got in my car and drove as fast as I could go
On the way back to my house I said Lord, what have I done
That's when I heard him laughing and knew he was having fun
He did stop laughing long enough at the end of the day
And said you did what I asked you to and I led you all the way
The moral of this story is make sure you know who died
Then you won't have the urge to go and find a place to hide

This is a true story of my most embarrassing moment!

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Joye Atkinson July 10, 2016 at 12:11 PM I'm so glad I can make people laugh! I can laugh now but when it happened it wasn't funny. The next day I had to write my friend the REAL Sheri and apologize for telling a lot of people her mom had passed. Thank God she had an understanding spirit. Now we both laugh about it.

CayCay Godwin July 10, 2016 at 10:58 AM Absolutely love it and your rhyme scheme. I think I'll remember your write during the day and giggle out loud often ... CayCay

Joye Atkinson April 15, 2016 at 8:48 AM Thank you for your kind words. I look forward to sharing more of my true life experiences told in poetry form with you all. By the way, I've been called several names in my time but the one I love most is the one I acquired after this incident. That is "The Funeral Crasher"!

Joye Atkinson April 14, 2016 at 8:22 AM James - Thank you for your kindness & yes I am an "old" hand at this. I've been writing for over 30 years & just had my first poetry book published. Last year I had breast cancer but I'm now healed. I write from personal experience & some of my poems are intense but I know they are helping people from the emails I get. I'm also a domestic violence survivor. I have a lot to tell & that is revealed in my work. Thank you for your kindness.

Joye Atkinson April 14, 2016 at 8:09 AM Linda - Thank you for your kind words. I've been writing for over 30 years however over the last 10 years my poems have been very intense. I write from personal experience & real life issues that deal with so many things. I just had my first poetry book published & I'm working on the 2nd. I'm a breast cancer survivor & have written several about my journey. My next book will be called LIFE AFTER CANCER. Thank you for accepting me and my poetry. I'll never live this one down.

Poet Destroyer A April 14, 2016 at 5:41 AM Joye, Welcome to Poetry soup, I hope you enjoy the community. Here, you will find friendly poets who enjoy supporting one another. I myself, enjoy reading and commenting those who want to be read. The only time I give constructive criticism is when a poet desires it. However, if for some reason the poem is not my field I will guide you to someone who is more qualified than I. Stop by and read one of my poems if you like. My poems are not perfect, but I have a feeling you might like one. I encourage you to check out the contest page and read to receive comments. Tell me a little about your poetic skills if you like. It will be my pleasure to follow and read every poem you post from here on :) We are Lucky To Have you. Your New Poet Friend @-> LINDA <-@