The lonely dark hours seem to stretch
into unending corridors,
Winding and twisting like a maze, never
truly knowing where it ends,
Yet reality takes hold and your
senses feel there is an opening,
Just beyond the next turn or is it
this way? No, the darkness is stifling,
As if my heart is beating ever so rapidly
that soon it will cease to function,
Suddenly the air seems refreshingly cool, as
a glimmer of light dances across my face,
And I can feel the warmth of his smile
and the softness of his eyes.
"Welcome home My Darling," as the
void is filled with his everlasting
presence.

What have you done to My beautiful land?
All of the goodness created by My own hand,
You took something pure, stained it with sin
How much longer can it continue, when will it end?

Once crystal clear streams now reek with your pollution
Do you have an answer? Do you have a solution?
The bright blue skies now gray without care
My heart is so heavy and full of despair.

Wars are raging around this once great earth
Senseless killings are happening before blessed births,
Hate is a word heard more than not
People are left dying, left alone, left to rot.

When will you listen? When will you learn?
When will you show some kind of concern?
I hope you will take time to stop and feel
The destruction of earth is not too far from real.

THIS POEM IS DEDICATED TO MY SWEET DAUGHTER, AMY, WHO IS EXPECTING HER FIRST LITTLE TOT IN FEBRUARY!

There once was a teeny-tiny tot
Who would daily invade one particular spot,
Who lived in a land that was not too far
That nestled someplace under a twinkling star.

She looked to her left and peeked to her right
Then suddenly her eyes would shine ever so bright,
Slowly, but surely, she'd begin her climb
As she knew that it was the beginning time.

After a short while, she reached the top
And finally was able to make a pleasure stop,
There she had found her treasured goal
The sweet, tasty morsels within the sugar bowl.

(written in 1981)

LOVE can hurt or LOVE can heal
LOVE can make a young Texas heart feel,
LOVE can make an old Texas heart sing
LOVE can do most anything.
LOVE to some is just a game
LOVE can make a wild streak tame,
LOVE can be seen in a small child's smile
LOVE someone, it is truly worthwhile!
LOVE is trusting his every word
LOVE is the sound of a singing bird,
LOVE is the sparkle she gets in her eye
LOVE is a tear when saying good-bye.
LOVE is a gift that you should cherish
LOVE can be lost or forever perish,
LOVE can be soft or it can be hard
LOVE is as simple as giving a "Get Well" card.
LOVE is a Texas feeling that is deep within
LOVE is a wonderful time to begin,
LOVE makes you happy or it can make you cry
LOVE cannot find its way if you do not try.

Children learn in different ways and at different speeds. Just like adults, our brains are sometimes wired a little differently. Today was a great day here at school. I saw so much pride and so many smiles from our Kinders. They respond to kindness and compliments and especially patience from the adults around them. Each little step they take towards success just adds sparkles to their eyes and brilliance to their toothless smiles.

Today's journey left me with tears in my eyes and such a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. One little boy for some reason went from gloom before lunch to a shining glow after lunch.

After he sounded out some words and then read them to me as I was working with him one on one, his little face was beaming and his eyes were so wide with the wonderment of his accomplishment. His excited voice said, "I'm beginning to learn!"

WOW! What a great statement and all afternoon after his great feat, he was just grinning from ear to ear and I kept having to wipe my tears of joy from my eyes.

People often ask me how I can stand working with children day in and day out for all of these years (21 to be exact). Wish they could have been walking in my shoes today, then they would know the answer to their question and never have to ask me again.