The hands circle the clock
as I watch the minutes pass
into soundless history.
After a time or so
his eyes speak and vocal cords
try once again to master
that foreign language spoken
by both the aged and the young
when thoughts cannot find the words.
My hands cradle his face
as I kiss the salty brow
of his altered memory.
While teardrops freely flow
our eyes meet and two soul mates
sing an old refrain together
in a language understood
by both musicians and poets
when rhythm strikes the right chords.
June 26, 2019
contest: Poetry Anthology, Music Theme Poetry Contest by Geraldine Taylor
to honor the work being done in using music to spark the
memory of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
written originally for an online newsletter, Music Therapy Matters, Spring 2008, Angie Elkins, editor.
Categories:
elkins, 11th grade, music,
Form: Free verse
Evil has no easy explanation
Will they hate you for what you did
To them as a helpless child
The memory will not go away
The wounds will never heal
The evil that you did to them
Will not soon depart
Time will merely make them whole
It is a crime that cannot be forgiven
One which no punishment can be enough
Yet people like you will continue
And the children will still be raped, abused
Made an actor of evil abuse
They will be fondled, forced, defiled,
By those who cannot help but evil be
Those to whom no cure is certain
You can pay your debt to society
But you cannot change what happened to them
Yes, they are children much loved
Viewing their agonies to painful
The lashes of life we cannot see
Just by looking at them
The emotional scars deep within
Hoping to find a way to escape
I pray for your victims
Whose who had their childhood joys taken away
At such an early age
I pray that God has enough grace for you
I pray you will never hurt a child again
I pray that one day these child will be set free
From the bondage you created in their souls.
Georgia Gill-Elkins
January 14, 2007
Categories:
elkins, social, child, children, evil,
Form: Blank verse