A Collection of 4 Poems I Wrote (Collection #2)

 

This collection is a collection of 4 poems that I wrote for members of my family, for some particular occasion or other.

These poems differ greatly from the 14 poems I wrote for this collection. And from the ones in Collection #3. They are also very different from these 24 Haiku poems!

1. My Graduation from University Poem, “On This Day”

*This poem was written on Saturday, May 29, 1999, for my mother, on the day I graduated from Lakehead University. I attended LU for five years, after taking four years to complete my high school education. I went back to school when my son was 7 months old, enrolling in a special program for single mothers. The reason the poem mentions “nine” years is because I have combined the years I attended school consecutively after my son was born. The picture above shows my mom’s fridge, which still has the poem on it.

~ON THIS DAY ~

On this day, I stand proud,

For soon my name will be heard aloud,

And my degrees will be presented to me.

On this day, I remember the past nine years,

Including much laughter and many shod tears,

And, as I stand here, I look at thee.

On this day, I feel your love and pride

Enveloping me from every side,

And I want you to know how much you mean to me.

On this day, I recall the struggles we’ve endured,

But my unhappiness, you have finally cured,

And now it is time for you to set me free.

On this day, I stand here as a graduate at last,

Making your dreams for me a thing of the past,

And, soon, my dreams will become a reality.

On this day, a new chapter of my life will commence –

One which will be based on goals and common sense,

And I’ll survive just fine, wherever I’ll be.

2. On 44 Years of Marriage

*On July 12, 2013, my whole family got together and took my parents out for dinner for their 44th wedding anniversary. We then all went to their house and had cake and ice-cream. I wrote a poem for them, too.

Here it is:

Not too many people’s parents stay together for 44 years of marriage
– most guys split when they see a baby carriage!
But Dad loved you, Mom, and wanted a family,
And he chose you, of all women, to marry.

And together you stayed for, now, 44 years
Throughout good times and bad times, throughout happiness and tears.
Together, a total of 3 children you had and raised,
And for what we put you through, you should both be praised!

Some people may wonder what your secret is
– and I’ve included this in here just for fun,
Since your go-to response to this question is always
“Because I don’t have a gun!”

When you say this we know you’re just kidding and joking around,
Because, after all, Mother, we know it was our father, for a husband, you found.
You both must have loved each other
– and obviously, still do-

Because you’ve remained together all this time,
ever since, 44 years ago, you both said “I do”.
So on this day that you celebrate 44 years of being together,
Let me say that all of us wish you the best, and hope you stay together forever!

Happy Anniversary, Mom + Dad!

3. Our Final Farewell To Our Furry Friend

On July 12, 2011, my parents celebrated their 42nd anniversary. Unfortunately, it was a sad day. This day marked the death of their oldest cat, Neebs. They rescued Neebs when she was about five years old. Neebs had been neglected and kept in a cage. She ended up putting on weight since she could not walk anywhere. She was fed and was given water, but had no human contact. Apparently this happened after she had a litter of kittens. They were taken away from her, and she was kept caged. Finally, she was brought to the Humane Society, and my sister picked her out for my parents to adopt. Neebs followed my parents around like a lost puppy. She was anti-social, and didn’t like me, but I felt the loss of her presence. I liked her! Toward the end of her days, we noticed that she had a sore on her face. It was bleeding. A few days later, it developed into a hole big enough to fit a pencil through. When I discovered her face had an actual hole in it, I urged my dad to consider euthanizing her. He took a look at her face, and agreed. These events occurred on my parents’ anniversary. As my way of dealing with the loss, and helping my dad through his pain, I wrote this poem. We cried. To this day, I still cry when I read it.

Poor little Neebs is with us no more;

She has walked out, through life’s final door.

Crossing the threshold to a better world –

We’re going to miss her, that poor little girl.

She gave us many years of her life that was long;

For 15 of her 20 she did do no wrong.

She was happy and faithful, a good little cat,

At the top of the household was where she sat.

She was THE alpha female, she was the boss;

And now that she’s gone, we will mourn our loss.

She will be missed in so many ways,

She will be missed for so many days.

She never complained, even when the end was near.

She was a very brave girl who did not show any fear.

She adapted so well, and never cried out in pain,

She continued to prove her strength again and again.

She did not suffer that long, though she was sick,

And when her time came, she went willingly quick.

She said her goodbyes on her final day,

Reaching out for help in her special way.

She sought everyone out and said her farewell,

Asking for relief, which was not a hard sell,

Considering she was getting worse with each passing day,

Knowing that, with us, she could no longer stay.

She had to leave us to go to a better place.

She couldn’t live anymore with the sores on her face.

She would’ve wasted away to a horrible end,

So toward heaven our little Neebs we did send.

We did the right thing, as we shed tears of love;

Now she’s with God, in heaven above.

But she’ll always be with us, in our hearts and mind;

There will never be another one of her kind.

She was, and is, very special – Dad’s sweet baby girl –

And now she’s moved on, gone to a better world.

She will no longer suffer, nor sneeze or lose weight.

For she’s now in a place where total peace is great.

She’ll be well taken care of, at peace and at rest.

We did what we did because it was for the best.

Her spirit will live on, in each of us so deep,

And our memories of her, we’ll always keep.

But for now we must bid her a final goodbye,

Saying how sorry we are that she did have to die.

We love you, Neebs!

4. A Poem for Dan And Tara

Relationships are often hard to find

And you two have one of a kind

Sharing smiles, laughter, and good times, too,

Despite what both of you have been through.

You deserve happiness and love

And are now blessed from God above

You’ve found each other, somehow, some way,

Now, together, you’ll be, come what may.

No one knows what the future will hold,

But you’ve been dealt a hand you won’t fold

Since you’ve both found a lasting romance

Sometimes you just have to take a chance

And trust what have is true,

Whether or not you say “I do.”

Now that you’ve moved in together,

May you enjoy bliss forever.

*I wrote this for my brother, Dan, and his girlfriend, Tara, who moved in with each other, into a new house, last year. Their pool is shown in the picture above. They are no longer together, however…

Share your thoughts on these poems!

I’d love to hear from you in the comments!