Flower of Grass: Poetry of Life from the First Hello to the Last Goodbye

By Daphne Harold-Warner

These poems reflect the many travails of men and women everywhere. They highlight the fortunes and misfortunes of the human existence. There is the experience of loved gained and love lost, of being careless with the things that matter and how sometimes it takes just one person to change our lives. Its about people who know us from childhood to adulthood and even though separated by years, we still remember, as in the poem Witnesses. We learn not to neglect the ones we love as in the case of Ed Owen, and to keep hope alive in the midst of disenchantment as in Betzy and her search for Mr. Holder. We see how at times pride does come before a fall and the realization that certain questions will forever remain unanswered. Whether we believe in a power higher than ourselves or we just prefer to trust our basic human spirit, we learn that there are principles we need to live by and that every good action is just a thought away. So whether we go from island life to the lights of a big city there is no difference in the things that we desire and we all do strive for high ideals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Mar 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466912984

Daphne Harold-Warner

The author writes about two worlds. She grew up in the Caribbean experiencing a simple life, then learning the complexities of life in the United States. As much as she loved the first, she matured in a way that only her new life would let her. She learned how both sides lived.

Book preview

Flower

of Grass

Poetry of Life from the First

Hello to the Last Goodbye

DAPHNE HAROLD-WARNER

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© Copyright 2012 Daphne Harold-Warner.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

isbn: 978-1-4669-1297-7 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4669-1296-0 (hc)

isbn: 978-1-4669-1298-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012901413

Trafford rev. 03/07/2012

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Contents

BEHIND MY PHOTOGRAPHS

LEO RISING

BET-ZY AND HER SEARCH FOR UNCLE HOLDER

GENTLE PRECIPITATION

LOVE . . .

LIKE A FOLDING CHAIR

WHAT I WANTED

PAPER CHRISTMAS

ED OWEN

TEN PEANUTS

IF I’D THOUGHT

MY LITTLE

CHANGE PURSE

IT’S NEVER

A BAD DAY

LEESSA . . .

LEESSA WITH TWO S’S

WITNESSES

MY POEMS

SOMETHING HAPPENED

JUST ANOTHER

WAY TO LIVE

I SAW YOU YESTERDAY

FORGIVE

PURPLE SUNSET

MY FAMILIAR ROAD

MY FRIEND

DON’T LET ME KNOW

AMERICA

ST. VINCENT

AND THE GRENADINES

SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA

EVERYTHING HALF-OFF

LIFE

LIMBO LIKE ME

CHILD OF SUMMER

MY HELICOPTER DAYS

ON GETTING OLDER

YOU

HEARTS EASE

This book is lovingly dedicated to my wonderful son and daughter, Christian and Laurel, who were my first inspiration for this book. 

Also to Carolyn and Gregory, who held me tightly to my dreams.

FOREWORD

MY POEMS ARE ABOUT US. YOU, ME, AND THE REST OF THE WORLD. AFTER MUCH OBSERVATION, I CAN ONLY LIKEN OUR LIVES TO FOLKS EVERYWHERE WHO PLAY AS IT WERE, THE BOARD GAMES OF LIFE. AS IN CHILDHOOD, WE STILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF ‘SNAKES AND LADDERS’. IN ‘CHECKERS’, WE JUMP OVER EACH OTHER AND OVER OURSELVES. AS IN THE GAME OF ‘MONOPOLY’ WE SOMETIMES LAND INTO TOUGH SITUATIONS FROM WHICH WE HAVE TO FIND OUR WAY OUT. ‘CHESS’ IS OUR MIND GAME. THEN THERE’S THE GAME OF ‘SOLITAIRE’, WHICH, FOR MANY IS A WAY OF LIFE, BUT SADLY, SOME ARE LEFT PLAYING IT AT THE CLOSE OF DAY. SO IF YOU DO RECOGNISE ME, IT’S BECAUSE YOU HAVE KNOWN ME. AND IF YOU RECOGNISE YOURSELF, IT’S BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOURSELF. I OFFER A GLIMPSE INTO THE HUMAN CONDITION, WHERE THERE ARE SOMETIMES NO ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS. SO ENJOY THE CAMARADERIE.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.

First Peter chapter 1 verse 24

BEHIND MY PHOTOGRAPHS

I HELD A PHOTOGRAPH OF ME,

I WAS YOUNG THEN,

AND THE WORLD LAY AT MY FEET.

BRIGHT CLOUDS SWIRLING AROUND ME,

UNDER ME,

DANCING WITH ME,

WHILE I GRASPED

THE GOSSAMER WINGS OF LOVE.

AND IF A PHOTOGRAPH CAN SHOW

WHAT LIES WITHIN IT`S CAPTURE,

IT WOULD SHOW TO THE WORLD

A YOUNG HEART,

BEATING WITH LIFE AND LAUGHTER.

THERE`S ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPH OF ME.

ONE THAT I RECALL,

WHEN THE WORLD BECAME MY OYSTER,

AND CLOSE TO ME

WERE ALL THE THINGS I EVER WANTED.

BUT WITH TIME, DAYS` SUNSHINE FADED,

AND HIDDEN IN THAT PHOTOGRAPH

WAS AN UNDEVELOPED NIGHT,

WHERE THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

WAS INSUFFICIENT

TO EVEN CAST IT`S GLOW.

THERE ARE MANY PHOTOGRAPHS OF ME,