A Bundle of Joy
by Kelly F. Barr
Ten little fingers;
Ten tiny toes;
Eyes full of wonder
And a button nose.
These are the makings
Of a bundle of joy.
It really doesn’t matter
If it’s a girl or a boy.
Swaddled snugly in a blanket
Wrapped in my arms.
You hold my gaze captive
With your plentiful charms.
False Comfort
by Kelly F. Barr
“God is a farce!”
“When you die, that’s the end–
There is no heaven and hell.”
These are your mantras
Until someone you love dies.
Loss is painful;
Seeking comfort
Now you utter,
“She’s in a better place”;
“He’s no longer suffering”.
A Writer’s Lament
by Kelly F. Barr
Characters and ideas crowd my mind
In numbers enough to fill many books.
My psyche races, my heart thuds.
But my fingers on the keyboard fall behind.
People in my head won’t leave me alone
Constantly nudging me to peck at the keys.
Their loves, their struggles, their adventures
They want made known.
If only there were enough hours to flesh them out.
My jotted notes on endless scraps of paper
Do nothing to quiet them.
“Write faster,” they shout.
My forehead breaks out in a sweat
Through each day filled with endless tasks
My brain creates scene after scene.
Two years and not a single novel finished yet.
Blood pulses to my brain
Pushing to find the proper words
In sequence without repetition,
While my heart hopes this work is not in vain.
The Briskness of Fall
by Kelly F. Barr
Fall comes in
With a chilly breeze;
I am enthralled by a ballet
Of dancing leaves.
Through leaves on the ground
Playful, busy squirrels scamper;
In my front yard, robins abound
Fueling their bodies as temps become damper.
Soon they’ll fly south and others will follow.
As the cold winds blow, less songs the birds sing
Will reach my ears as I stay warm; my heart a bit hollow,
Until robins and warm breezes return in the spring.
Misty and the Children
by Kelly F. Barr
Lots of voices float through the air;
The laughter of children tickles my ears.
Multiple grades and ages; as Misty sits and stares.
Her tiny head and ears twitch at the sounds of the dears.
Misty’s little body usually trembles and she barks loudly
For she was a rescued dog and people cause her fear.
Right now she sits alone, upright, proudly
Until the chattering children draw near.
Then she rises, body shaking, as she moves away.
The younger children would like to touch her
But she runs to her owner where she stays
As she watches and in her throat rumbles a “grrr”!
The Moral Code
by Kelly F. Barr
Manners, respect, and consideration–
These things seem to be lost
in the current generation.
Kindness seems to have a cost.
Self has risen to the top
Of every desire, every thought.
Authority and rules should drop
Unless infringement upon them is caught.
A negative word about negative behavior
And touting character and strong morals
Makes me judgmental; a hater,
While they spew judgment in plurals.
Just below the surface, anger burns–
A wrong look or wrong word and it explodes.
Oh, how my heart yearns
For a return to the moral code.
Growing Pains
by Kelly F. Barr
Your two big brothers are grown;
And you felt they left you alone.
However, you still have Mom and Dad–
This new normal made you sad and mad.
The first year was tough
Because you didn’t think Mom and Dad were enough.
You rebelled;
Your mother’s frustration swelled.
But we managed to survive,
And now our second year has arrived.
You have learned time with Mom and Dad can be fun
And today a new family tradition has begun.
You’re learning that trailing a bit behind
May have blessings of an unexpected kind.
Now maybe you can look forward to each coming year
With true hopefulness, contentment and cheer.
I do not know if this poem style has a name. Yes, it includes some rhymes, but not in the usual places and not in any sort of scheme. I simply wrote this, freewriting, telling of a couple of things I love. I hope you enjoy it.
Tea and Books
by Kelly F. Barr
Nothing is more relaxing than snuggling in a chair
With a cup of tea and a good book.
Oh the taste of loose-leaf teas in so many flavors
Or convenient tea bags of Oolong, Chamomile, or my favorite–Chai!
And, oh so many books to choose from!
Have you ever taken a look between the pages of a book?
So many wonderful things to find including things that will grow your mind.
Nonfiction choices are informative, inspirational, and educational.
Fiction choices offer adventure, excitement, romance and more.
Fiction can even keep you on the edge of your seat.
Fiction brings you danger, intrigue, suspense, and love.
Fictional characters are heroes, villains, children, youth, and adults
That capture your heart despite their faults.
Characters face trials, disappointments and failures;
They learn and grow and change before the last page.
A good book draws you into the story and makes you fall in love
With places, a time period, or one or more characters.
A good book becomes a close friend and breaks your heart when it ends.
The story or the characters, or both, will linger in your mind and heart;
At least until you pick up the next book to start.
I’m currently studying and learning new how to write different forms of poetry I haven’t written before. Today’s poem is my first attempt at writing a Prose Poem. I hope you will like it.
The Cause of Violence
by Kelly F. Barr
As we all know, unnecessary violence is running rampant in our world–on the streets, in schools, churches, and theaters. Voices shout, “guns must be made illegal”, while others argue “it is not guns, but people who kill other people”.
However, all of the voices are missing the point, or, more to the point, denying the real cause–the fact that the people, the culture, the government, schools, and yes, even the churches have turned their backs on the truth of God’s word.
Self-centeredness and entitlement have replaced the Ten Commandments. Instead of repenting of their sins, people are reveling and indulging in sinful behaviors.
Even pastors disregard the truth of God’s word and preach that sinful behaviors are acceptable; that God is love and therefore, would never send anyone to hell.
Wake up! Christ is still alive and well! Oh, you say, the Bible’s just a bunch of old stories. It’s time to move on to modern things: cell phones, computers, the information age on the internet.
Not only do you deny the truth of the Bible, but you denounce true history–claiming there never was a holocaust.
You’re marching down a dangerous road heedless of the landmines as you run with your eyes closed.
But what will you do if the true believers are right, and one day you come face to face with Jesus Christ?
The Mighty Ocean
by Kelly F. Barr
I watch the waves crash upon the sand
Just inches from where I stand.
In their wake, they leave debris;
And drag yet other things out to sea.
Memories tumble in my brain,
Like the waves upon the sandy grains,
Of a day when a wave fell upon my head
Dragging and pulling–filling me with dread.
I struggled to find my feet
But the water’s power couldn’t be beat.
Seeking help, my hands groped,
Finding a body–help, I hoped.
Finally I stood upright,
Still shaking from fright.
Your eyes looked at me in shock.
My composure shook and rocked.
Embarrassment sent me to the shore,
To return to the ocean nevermore.
Water filled with so much power
Brings me to awe and makes me cower.
Kelly F Barr 