An Open Book

By Danielle Sainte-Marie

An Open Book teaches young adults how to fall in love with poetry, and also introduces them to positive short stories which cover a variety of subjects, such as: how to cope with divorce, why the need to engage in fair play, how to extract metaphors from any situation, how to avoid gangs, and much more. Give this to your young adult and let them soar!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312662865

Book preview

An Open Book

An Open Book is a Mind about to Soar:

Danielle’s Poems and Stories for Young Adults

by

Danielle Sainte-Marie

For Pao: May your love of words and writing continue to be as inspiring to others as it has been to me.

A Lilac Shadows Publishing book.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Lilac Shadows Publishing in conjunction with Lulu House.

ISBN# 978-1-312-66286-5

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition: July 8, 2014

Cover art by Danielle Sainte-Marie

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Tristan and Chloe Jennings-White for their invaluable input on their remembrances of once being young adults. Also, special thanks to Tristan for listening to me talk for hours. And hours. And hours.

Also, thanks to all the parents who will share this book with their families, and to all the teachers who may find it useful in the classroom. The love of poetry is something that really needs to be taught. I absolutely hope this book sends a positive message about the art of writing to anyone who stumbles upon its humble pages.

Once again, I must say this, because it is so important: Everyone in this entire world is my hero and/or heroine; I mean everyone, no exceptions at all.

~DSM, Cedar City, UT, July 07, 2014

Part One

Thine Lady’s Dream (Reinvigorated #1)

The air is charged with rich emotion

and I inwardly taste the anxiety

—and yes, some fear—

all this happens for the limelight

while fresh summer bouquets dominate the air.

Imagine…

A silence falls

as a lilac curtain draws,

and amidst flashing bulbs and hushed oohs and ahhs

—like a barely restrained type of inner applause—

I begin my short walk…

down the longest and oldest path in history,

now appearing as a flowered and candled aisle.

Everyone animates now and praises me in revered tones!

Their faces show envy of my sweetly veiled face

—there's stares at all the expensive lace—

but my dress is worn with such great care,

and in obviously such good taste,

that it doesn't matter what I do now;

I'm the Star of the Show!

I'm the Princess of the Night!

yes, the Glorious Angel Aglow!

the Lucky Receiver of Amore’s Inner Light!

Above my head even the heavens applaud

for my special, long-awaited day;

everything is perfect, nothing is marred—

and the universe’s most distant stars send their greetings,

twinkling with love from afar!

I picture minds moving slowly like gentle trumpets singing,

with expectation of appétit-ion,

like curious glances behind thinking.

The crowd gathers now,

encouraged by my good for-tune

they all ask the same questions of me

as I once did of others:

those of loss, heartbreak

finding the Right One,

I Do,

tall, short, poor, rich, real or fake—

and what they can do,

to have the same good-luck as me.

I begin to respond,

to say there can only really be,

one true answer for me

—and although it may sound outdated—

and it often brings singles blues so true,

"I have to say the answer is, 'Forever;

forever in thy heart remember,

forever to thine dreams be true.'"

Lavender Heaven and Chamomile Dreams

Bathing in lavender heaven with chamomile dreams,

soft foamy suds over my nose and knees;

three red candles flicker aglow,

rejuvenation comforts my tired soul.

Oh it's wonderful, in this bath all alone,

my silky soft and tepidly-kind water home!

Apple body wash and other soothing scents,

show love to me as my spirits ascend!

On the rustic rack a soft, fuzzy, lilac towel awaits,

to wrap me so sweetly within charm's plush cotton traits.

Autumn World

Leaves fall to the Autumn Dance,

trees and earth spin romance—

as you and I walk along,

into dusk with some forlorn.

Wind pushes your soft auburn hair,

sometimes I have to stare;

jealous at nature for touching you,

while I wish to do so too.

A chill creeps in,

and you offer your arm in pretend;

yet I latch on, happy to be at your side—

wondering about a life as your wife.

I fall then, but no one catches me,

I am in heartbroken misery!

What can I do, oh what can I do?

You may not love me, but I...

And the night goes on,

I find myself alone and gone—

lost in that brief Autumn World,

when, if only for a second, I was your girl.

Two Windows

Somberly gazing out these stained windows

that come in twos, mostly.

Oval, directionless, facing

the sun and sometimes blinding me,

they show me all

inanimate and animate objects;

innately, but, maybe incorrectly, I document their worth.

They show me life,

summer and spring,

even new births happen in front of me.

But, they can't find—

their unpolished panes

can't turn and see the chase…

of the winter that is trying to catch me.

I fear what will happen soon.

So, I try to look inside, visualize,

find all that my windows know;

For I hope that when I shut their blinds forever,

I'll remember forever I'll grow.

Spring into Sense

The wind has composed lilting music,

which it plays for nature, a rapt audience;

it is the first opera,

playing ancient themes as graceful as

the tender, swaying, yellow flowers it conducts.

Another Beautiful Morning (Reinvigorated #1)

It's another beautiful morning;

and I awake in nature’s arms,

My lips kiss the air with tender charms.

The sunshine comes pouring in,

and it feels good to begin

my day, in a loving, happy way.

The curtains billow and barely breathe,

an open window shares the breeze,

and I stare at the sunlight lovingly.

Not getting up, I gather a book together,

reading and feeling the warm, balmy weather—

touching me today in a brand new way.

It's another beautiful morning;

and I greet the air with a kiss—

I always insist.

The summer smiles and says hello,

caressing me as if to show

it cares for me, a young person of eternity.

I feel my soul mate, the sunlight, holding me,

gentler than the flowing, breezy

day, a simple warm