Celebrate Life

By Etta Dachman, Rose Smeenk, Jorge Rivera and 4 more

A group of seniors, members of a poetry class in Mosholu-Montefiore Senior Center, has created a collection of poems; exciting, humorous, and tender as nature. These poems will make the readers look at life in a different way. The new perspective will be to celebrate life, and invite others to join the feast of fulfillment. Seniors wrote this unique selection of poems, to share their inspiration with others. Their memories are intact, with accuracy in their approach. Their ages range between sixty-two and ninety. Celebrating life is their philosophy of living, transmitting a message in every word of their poems. It is like a rainbow of emotions, each one unique in beauty, and deep in their metaphors and allegories. This book was written to fit the readers of this new millennium, regardless of their age, race, beliefs, gender and social status.

Taking a little time to read these poems releases ones spirit to appreciate things, people and ideas otherwise taken for granted. These poems make us linger on beautiful thoughts, memories and hopes for the bright hours ahead.

Rabbi Eugene S. Katz
Chaplain,
Montefiore Medical Center

This collection of poems is heartfelt, sweet and funny. The poetry depicts a voice of a certain era and portrays an awareness of the outside world as well as a personal experience.

Robin Lettieri,
Library Director
Port Chester/Rye Brook

A truly heartwarming and thought-provoking collection of poems from those who have a lifetime of thoughts and ideas to share.

Francine Nowes,
Regional Coordinator
Mosholu-Montefi ore Senior Center

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 14, 2007
• ISBN: 9781465322173

Book preview

Copyright © 2008 by Joe Cohen, Etta Dachman, Steven Gold, Florence Mendel, Flordelisa Mota, Jorge Rivera, Rose Smeenk, Dorothy Salvage.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4363-0052-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

43522

Contents

Joe Cohen

A MAN’S BEST FRIEND

MONOLOGUE BY GEORGE

AT ONE WITH NATURE

THE REPUBLICANS

COME BACK JESUS

KATRINA

LET OUR PEOPLE GROW

LONELY

LOVE

MOONLIGHT

REMEMBER

THE BEGGAR

THE DEVIL

THE LETTER

TO BE FREE

TRUTH IS COMING TO TOWN

TWILIGHT YEARS

WAR

WHY

Etta Dachman

CROWDS

DANIELLE

FALL

FLOW

HATS

IRAQ

LOVE

RED

RETIREMENT

SNOWSTORM

THANKSGIVING

TRAVEL

Stephen Gold

A JEWISH MOM

A WORLD IS BORN

UNDER YOUR FOOTSTEPS

CHARLES

DAILY NEWS

FRANK

HELEN, MY QUEEN

HOW MANY WAYS DO I THANK THEE?

ON VALENTINE’S DAY

PREJUDICE OR GOD’S LOVE

RED

THE WINTER OLYMPICS

THE CONTRAST OF WINTER

THE STORY OF PRECIOUS GOLD

THE TRIPLE CROWN

TRACY ROBINSON

Florence Mendel

30,000 CHILDREN

A ROMANTIC INTERLUDE

AH, SPRING!

CROWDS

EVERY DAY IS A GIFT

FOR FLORENCE

GREAT GRANDMA SPEAKING

INVITATION

OPEN HEART SURGERY

RECUPERATION

RED

SEASONS

THE DILEMMA

THE OCTOGENARIAN WAY

THESE HANDS

TRAVEL URGE

WINTER IN THE BRONX

YEARLY CHECKUP

THINK PINK

Flordelisa Mota

ARIZONA SOIL

GREEN MAGNETS

THE TENTH MUSE

H2O

MARRIAGE

MOUNTAIN GOLD

PATTERN OF TIME

PRISM

PROMISEE

RISEN

SALTY LIPS

SALUTE

SILENCE

THE LIGHTHOUSE OF PHAROS

THE PALACE

WHITE SAVANNA

RED LITTLE HOOD

ABUSE

Jorge Rivera

CHARLES FRIEDMAN

HELEN STARKMAN

MOM AND POP

RETIREMENT

ROAD RAGE

ROSA

THE SWEEP

THE FIASCO

Rose Smeenk

A TIME OF BUOYANCY

AWAKE NATION’S CONSCIENCE

BOLERO

CHANGE OF MOOD

FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL

JULY 4TH

LIFE

LOVELY VIEWS

POETRY

PRAISE

RED

ROMANCE

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

SILENCE

SONNET

STRIVING FOR ETERNITY

SWAN LAKE

TEMPESTUOUS

TIME’S EXPOSURE

UNITED

Dorothy Salvage

A LETTER

TO THE POLAR BEARS UP NORTH

MAN IN CAR

GLOBAL WARMING

HAIKU

LOVE

OUR PARKS

OUR UNSUNG HEROES

STOP LOOK LISTEN

TRAVELING

VAN CORTLANDT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Joe-image 1_fmt.jpeg

Joe Cohen

He was born in Russia. His parents immigrated to the United States when he was six years old. Mr. Cohen served in World War II for four and a half years. That war, and President Franklin Roosevelt, have influenced his thoughts and actions to this day.

A MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Joe Cohen

You have hunting dogs

Tracking dogs

Dogs sniffing for cancer

Seeing eye dogs

Guard dogs.

A man’s best friend is a dog.

Unlike a human he will

Forgive and forget.

He will walk with you

At night or any time.

Every one of your moods

He senses.

Take a dog to a hospital ward

And the patient’s level of

Anxiety will be reduced.

Yes, a dog is a man’s

Best friend.

Treat him with affection!

MONOLOGUE BY GEORGE

(With apologies to Shakespeare)

Joe Cohen

To lie or not to lie? That is the question

Whether it is nobler in the mind

To suffer the slings and arrows of the less fortunate, for

Who would bear the whips and the scorn of time?

The oppressors wrong, the laws delay

I will never be elected unless

I take up arms against Iraq

And end a sea of trouble

For in time of war, a President

Is never voted out of office

To tell the truth or not to tell the truth?

That is the question

If I do tell this truth

About Iraq funding cuts for education

Who will vote for me?

How will I be remembered?

Oh, to be elected once!

Out, out damn lie

All the words in the dictionary

Can not wipe out this

Stain of lying

Ah, there is the rub – the dictionary

I’ll have my good friend Ashcan

Go into every library

Check who reads the dictionary

For terrorists use the book

And make