As some of you may know, my mother Mary Elizabeth Wallace, passed away on Tuesday,
September 7, 1999. She had many talents, one of which was poetry penned under her
maiden name Mary Elizabeth Lyons. She was asked to read her poetry on
several occasions at the Arts Festival in Columbus, Ohio and had poems in a book published
by the Ocala, Florida poetry group when she and my step-father lived there. The
following are some that I found among her personal papers.
Mary Elizabeth Lyons
August 19, 1929 – September 7, 1999 Summertime
August 13, 1981 Summertime Oh Summertime
If only time could be turned back
To see again, the many bursts
Of bloom that span our Countryside
But one will have to compromise
And store it in their memory
And look up to their Creator
To thank him for that privilege.
Cats
August 14, 1981
Do not demand so much
You talk to them and
Stroke their fur.
You pick them up and
Cuddle them and hold them close
And when you put them down,
They look up to you and seem to say
Please pick me up again.
Children
August 14, 1981
Our children are on loan to us,
From our dear God above.
So we must help to shape their lives
So they may find their rainbow.
Rain
October 10, 1981
Rain falling to cleanse the earth.
To give life to all and quench thy thirst.
And reaffirm one’s faith
In the many miracles
We see each day.
So one’s prayer, Thank you God,
May never be too often said.
Spring
January 10, 1982
With all the flowers
Peeping through the ground.
The faithful birds returning
To sing their happy notes.
The showers of rain to
Nourish what our creator made
To reaffirm our faith
Fall
August 17, 1982
A softly blowing breeze
To cause a rustling of the leaves.
Acorns falling upon
The grounds to incite
The playful squirrels
To begin their winter hoard.
A chilling air abounds
To herald in the winter season.
Life
August 25, 1982
The seed of life, with
all the branches,
Spreading out to engulf
Us in our tide of thoughts.
The whirring force
Leading us on to greater height.
So we may fulfill
Our task in life.
Life’s Decisions
October 1, 1982
If decisions in this life
Are made in haste
And cause one pain
Then one must try to sift
Through all of them
And cast that haste aside
And choose the one’s that
Best support their value system.
Hummingbird
November 3, 1982
Hummingbird, why are
You so unique from other birds?
So small and quick,
You flutter up and down
From flower to flower.
Your wings do vibrate
Like strings on a harp.
So, please come back
Another day, and let me
Watch again.
Winter
February 25, 1983
Winter winds blowing
Upon a quiet still of
Snow that gently falls
And casts a glistening
Coat of white
Upon a ground expanse,
That gently fades
To pave the way
To life’s forthcoming spring.
Love Eternal
March 28, 1983
Each moment is like sunshine
With bluebirds singing happy notes.
The sun sets and
Your heart is filled with warmth
And cannot escape the joyous rapture
Which awaits the kiss to
Seal that love eternally.
Imagination
May 12, 1983
Our mind, to forever cherish.
Then bring it out to reminisce
Then put it back in it’s secret
Place. To fondly recall some
Future time.
Secrets
May 12, 1983
A thing of beauty
To hold within our mind.
To keep forever cherished
And bring them out
To reminisce.
Then put them back
In their secret place
To fondly recall some
Future time.
Thoughts
June, 1983
Thoughts are just little
Things that sometimes pave
The way to bigger things.
We ponder each of them
And gather some of them
To carry in our minds
Through out our life
To help us keep our own identity.
Ode to Happiness
March 7, 1984
The road to happiness is paved
With many thorns. But every thorn
Is like a thread of gold.
To reinforce the stitches which
Join the voids of life. That one
Has passed along the way
Friend
November 7, 1987
A sharing of ones feelings
To uplift you when you’re down.
Gives unmeasured loyalty,
Without a sacrifice of values.
Mitsey
Born March 26, 1967
Died May 1, 1986
November 7, 1987
A loving little kitty
Who brought joy to my heart
Her little face did show the love
She gave to all
She left a memory to cherish
Forever in my heart.
The Adversary
January 18, 1988
A brain filled with hate
That does not pain or feel.
With twisted thoughts that
Have no plan in life.
That sows destruction in it’s path
Blinded by it’s folly.
Wisdom
February 22, 1988
The art of seeking and searching
Learning as we go through life
Building castles of knowledge
From mistakes one has made
Thus preparing one to use
Each strength he has
To gain a grain of wisdom
From it’s entirety.
The Maze
July 14, 1988
The maze did reveal
A ghastly garbled truth
To lift the fog of doubt
Which had served it’s time.
Why
August 7, 1988
Why does one love?
Why does one dream?
Why does one cry?
Why does one laugh?
Why does one lie?
Why does one hate?
Why does one do all of these things?
One must take responsibility
For all one’s actions
To set his life in a
Positive direction!
Little People
November 5, 1988
Little people stoop to smell
The roses on their journey
Through this life.
Their caring tender hearts
Do identify to all emotions
Turning to their creator
As their guide. Never
Becoming a part of the
Worldly mass.
Trees
December, 1990
A wondrous creation exemplifying life
Standing majestically in their chosen places.