Lorie Ann kept dreaming of a little pink church.
The dreams started when she was six.
They continued until she was twelve.
Was the pink church real or imagination?
She mentioned this church to her parents several times.
They had attended lots of different churches.
She had been Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Disciples of Christ.
Years later Lorie Ann moved to Minnesota for a job.
She was sad and lonely, she knew no one in this state.
While speaking to her mother, her mother said “join a church.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Shop around. Go visit some.”
On Monday and Tuesday Lorie Ann prayed for guidance.
On Wednesday she drove past the pink church of her dreams.
She got out and walked around it.
A feeling of hope and peace surrounded her.
“Welcome!” the young minister said.
“You are home” an internal voice said, and she was.
Anns Lea Merrit youngest of six
studied anatomy 'ere making 'pics'
Painting al fresco with silicone
giving her murals an outdoor tone
From afternoon siesta nap
with clear focus of mind
in holey torn vest a barefoot child leapt -
out bed and door and gate
a pool in St Anns to find,
and followed the circle road
from whence he slept
O’ fateful happy trail led
to one Oswald Berkley,
whose infant charge took under his wing.
An angel of The Lord
sent to guide me
on my rendezvous with fate
in the park wandering
“Come child, I’ll take you
where you wanna go”
said the Mirror Man at the radio station,
and to air lest not my
whereabouts to know
did broadcast my daring tale
all across the nation
He drove and I pointed
and dried my crying tears
‘round the Savannah in a stranger’s keep,
who took my ragged picture
and took away my fears -
unto me a shepherd and I
unto he a lost sheep!
Written: November 2008
The year was 1964 and I was 3 years old.
Dana'lynn Smith
Contest Name The Secondhand Emotion
historical hysteria
Anns Window
Yes I used to climb through her window
Her Grandpa had a wall full of guns
Sweet Ann had me living in limbo
No sleep, but it was crazy fun
Her momma would come to the window
To talk while I cuddled the wall……………………..hid
Told momma she had 200 lb guy in her bed
Mum laughed and said is that all
Exhausted I lay on the mat
Ann had just left the room
An old arm I saw in the doorway
Pandemonium, yelling there soon.
So I sprung right in the small wardrobe
So sit bare butt on her heels
Painful , they looked under her bed……………wardrobe too small?
quite like a coffin it feels
Grandma saw the giant shadows
When I went to the one little room
Grandpa they said was mad too
But he knew every word of my tune.
Don Johnson