Five Women I Love

By Paul E. Pepe

I HAVE BEEN WRITING POETRY FOR ALMOST SIXTY YEARS, FROM THE TIME I FIRST STARTED IN THE PUBLIC RELATIONS BUSINESS, RIGHT TO THE PRESENT. MUCH OF WHAT FOLLOWS IS VERY PERSONAL, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE IT ALL WITH YOU.
MOST OF THE POEMS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN FOR MY FIVE LADIES, AND THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED TO THEM WHO HAVE HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON MY LIFE. I SEND THESE WITH LOVE AND GRATITUDE.

PEP

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477134559

Paul E. Pepe

Paul e. Pepe is retired after a long career in marketing. He has been a newspaper publisher and editor and college professor. He lives in laurel hollow, New York and Sarasota, Florida with his wife, Miriam. He is currently working on a new novel. His previous published works include: Strangers By Day, The Sleeping Giant,The Old Man, Footsteps and Travels with Mimi and children’s voices, Marie Elena and Five Women I Love. Cover illustration by Eva and Carina Lewandowski

Book preview

FIVE

WOMEN

I

LOVE

Paul E. Pepe

Copyright © 2012 by Paul E. Pepe.

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.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

116846

Contents

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

LIFE

SUBWAY

LUMINESCENT DREAM

FACES IN THE CROWD

SUBWAY II

NEW YORK

EPITAPH OF A PRESS AGENT:

LITTLE GIRL

THE TORCH

FIVE

THE BOY

THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE

THOUGHTS . . . IN TRANSIT!

Thoughts

WHAT?

IS THIS THE BABE?

REMEMBRANCE

TO CLAUDIA

ANGELS

WHICH OF THEM?

BIRTHDAY

HOW LONG?

NIGHT SOUNDS

SILENTLY THE SPARROW

MARKING TIME

UNIVERSE

SUMMER SIDEWALKS

MAKE IT RIGHT

I AM

HOW?

TWELVE

BETWEEN

RAGGEDY ANDY

ON BEING TEN

NIGHT

CARNIVAL

HIM

AND THERE IS PEACE

LYRIC

GOING ON TEN

BETWEEN

ON BEING TEN

THIRTEEN

SPRING

Thoughts

NIGHT VISITOR

MEMORY

LYRIC

NIGHT

POCKETS

SEVEN

ALONE

-12-

REFLECTIONS AT NINE

THIRTEEN

REFLECTIONS AT TEN

MY SON

FOURTEEN

ENVY

LETTING GO!!

TEN

YOU

THE TROPHY!

LAMENT FOR MY LOST CHILDREN

IT WAS SUNDAY

THINGS . . . .

SIXTEEN

US

FATHERS AND SONS

TIME

-20-

ARLINGTON

EIGHTEEN!!

MOTHER’S DAY . . . 1980

NINETEEN

TWENTY-TWO

SIXTEEN

LOVE IS FINE

RAY *

twenty

* 23 *

SEVENTEEN

TWENTY-ONE

EIGHTEEN

MIDDLE AGES

WHERE IS HE?

PASTORAL . . . .

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-FIVE

NINETEEN

BIRTHDAY

I WISH

Dear Christine:

Dear Claudia:

VALENTINE’S DAY . . .

BIRTHDAY

A LONG TIME AGO

TWENTY

MOTHER’S DAY

TWENTY-ONE

COMMENCEMENT

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-SIX

SO MUCH

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-SEVEN

THIRTY

TWENTY FOUR

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY FIVE

COMMENCEMENT

VALENTINE’S DAY . . .

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY TWO

TWENTY-SIX

THIRTY

TWENTY-SEVEN

THIRTY ONE

TWENTY-EIGHT

THIRTY-TWO

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY-THREE

THIRTY

MOTHER’S DAY

EVA

CHRISTMAS EVA, 1995

* EVA’S SONG *

THIRTY-FOUR

ONE

THIRTY-ONE

HERE WE ARE

YOU ARE . . .

WALK WITH ME

THIRTY FIVE

THIRTY EIGHT

THOUGHTS AT TWO

THIRTY-TWO

LITTLE GIRL

THIRTY-SIX

39

THOUGHTS AT THREE

-33-

SMALL MIRACLES (A SONG FOR CHRISTINE)

BECAUSE I LOVED YOU

SECOND CHANCES

Christmas

THIRTY-SEVEN

FORTY

FOUR

THIRTY-FOUR

CARINA

SHE MADE ME SMILE

FOR PAULIE

THIRTY-EIGHT

FORTY-ONE

ONE

FIVE

THIRTY-FIVE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAVANA, MY LOVE

THIRTY-NINE

FORTY-TWO

TWO

SIX

Thirty-six

MOTHER’S DAY

BIRTHDAY

SENIOR MOMENTS

AGAIN

FORTY

43

THREE

SEVEN

THIRTY SEVEN

THE LONG ROAD

SUNNY MORNING

US

PAULIE AT REST

SONG FOR PAULIE

FORTY-ONE

FORTY-FOUR

CARINA AT FOUR

EVA AT EIGHT

THIRTY-EIGHT

BIRTHDAY

42

ANNIVERSARY

CARINA AT FIVE

EVA AT NINE

THIRTY-NINE

BIRTHDAY

GHOST TOWN

43

ANNIVERSARY

CARINA AT SIX

EVA AT TEN

CLAUDIA AT FORTY

MOTHER’S DAY

YOUR BIRTHDAY

PAULIE

A GRANDPA’S CHRISTMAS CAROL

44

TO YOU

GROWING UP

EVA AT ELEVEN

CLAUDIA AT 42

US

BIRTHDAY

45

FORTY-EIGHT

EIGHT

MY HEART IS YOURS

TWELVE

42

MOTHER’S DAY

BIRTHDAY

WHERE HAVE THEY GONE?

END OF DAYS

ABOUT ME

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS

Becoming

CHRIS AT FORTY-SIX

FORTY-NINE

CARINA AT NINE

EVA AT THIRTEEN

CLAUDIA AT FORTY-THREE

MOTHER’S DAY

FOR M

PAULIE

FORTY-SEVEN

FIFTY

CARINA AT TEN

EVA AT FOURTEEN

FORTY-FOUR

YOUR DAY

BIRTHDAY

LADYGIRLS

FORTY-EIGHT

FIFTY-ONE YEARS

CARINA AT ELEVEN

EVA AT FIFTEEN

FORTY-FIVE

MOTHER’S DAY

THINGS

MY BOY

THE EIGHTH OF JUNE

GRAVESEND DAYS

ABOUT YOU

TWO OF A KIND

SIXTY YEARS

CHRIS AT 49

BOTH OF YOU

MY BOY

FIFTY TWO

CARINA AT TWELVE

EVA AT SIXTEEN

CLAUDIA AT 46

MOTHER’S DAY

M AT 76

THOUGHTS AT 78

FOR MY SON

PAULIE AT 45

SEVENTY-NINE

SUNDAY

A LONG TIME AGO

CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS

CHRISTINE

AT FIFTY-THREE

CARINA AT THIRTEEN

FIVE WOMEN I LOVE

SWEET SEVENTEEN

CLAUDIA AT FORTY-SEVEN

MOTHER’S DAY

BIRTHDAY

LIFE AT EIGHTY

FOR THE FIVE WOMEN I LOVE . . .

MIRIAM

CHRISTINE

CLAUDIA

EVA

CARINA

and always . . .

for PAULIE

*     *     *

after dedication page.jpg

ALSO BY PAUL E. PEPE:

STRANGERS BY DAY

(with Les Waller)

THE SLEEPING GIANT

(the story of Hunter Mountain)

THE OLD MAN

FOOTSTEPS

(one hundred years in America)

TRAVELS WITH MIMI

(and Children’s Voices)

MARIE ELENA

(a biographical novel)

FIRST

IMPRESSIONS

116846-PEPE-layout.pdf

1/54

LIFE

WHAT THEN IS LIFE?

   THE MASTER ASKS.

TO STRIVE FOREVER

   THRU HOPELESS TASKS.

ANON, MY FRIEND,

   THE POET SPOKE.

WHAT THOUGHTS SUBLIME,

   DO TEARS EVOKE?

WHERE ELSE, MY FRIEND,

   THE POET SAID,

IS LIFE SO SWEET,

   BUT TO THE DEAD?

#####

3/55

SUBWAY

THE SUBWAY IS A MIGHTY THING

I HEAR IT WHISTLE—I HEAR IT SING.

IT WHEEZES, COUGHS, RATTLES AND ROARS

IT CATCHES PEOPLE IN ITS DOORS.

I OFTEN FEEL THE CLAXON DIN,

WILL WEAR MY NERVES SO VERY THIN,

THE RAPID PULSE FROM DEEP WITHIN,

CATCHES ME, AND AWAY I SPIN.

ON DRAFTY WINGS, AS IF IT MATTERED,

THE WINDOWS DIRTY, GRIME BESPATTERED,

FOR DEEP WITHIN I FEEL THE THROB,

THAT’S PARTLY A LAUGH, PARTLY A SOB.

AND AS THE TUNNEL LIGHTS FLASH BY,

I SIT REAL STILL AND WONDER WHY,

THE THOUGHTS I THINK ARE JUST A PART,

OF ALL THE PATHOS IN A SUBWAY’S HEART.

#####

6/55

LUMINESCENT

DREAM

WHEN YOUR EYES LIGHT UP LIKE NEON

EVERY TIME SHE PASSES BY.

AND YOU SCARCELY SEE THE NIGHT-SIGNS

IN THE BRILLIANT WINTER SKY.

WHEN YOUR FINGERS FEEL LIKE MAZDA

WITH THE SLIGHTEST LITTLE TOUCH,

AND YOUR HEART KEEPS BEATING FASTER

AND THE LIGHT IS JUST TOO MUCH.

WHEN THE NIGHT-SKY IS SO BRILLIANT

THAT YOU CAN HARDLY SEE,

YOUR HEART LEAPS LIKE A MOONGLOW

AND YOUR THOUGHTS ARE NEVER FREE.

WITH A NEON WORLD AROUND,

IT’S LIGHT A HAUNTING THEME,

YOUR LOVE SHE’LL ALWAYS HAVE,

O! LUMINESCENT DREAM!!

#####

7/55

FACES IN

THE CROWD

Picture the Faces in the crowd,

Milling, Writhing, Shouting aloud.

Picture the faces and how they look;

Each face a page from an unknown book.

Watch as they jostle, push and shove,

Watch as they argue, laugh, make love,

Pity the beggar, hand out, head bowed;

Just one more face, a face in the crowd.

See the lights on theatre marquees,

A hat flying by on a stiff summer breeze,

The sidewalk preacher, his faith avowed;

Still another face, a face in the crowd.

Follow the floozy as she wiggles her way,

Through the crowd that sprawls over the Great White Way.

Picture the crowd as they follow her walk;

Now how they look, and oh! how they’ll talk.

Rich man, poor man, beggar, thief,

Humble, sly, full of grief,

Meek, strong, sure and proud;

All are just faces in the Times Square crowd.

#####

3/56

SUBWAY II

The roaring thunder of a thousand horses

      As they chatter into view.

The mighty magic of all that power,

Bringing each time, something new.

Something new in the way of time and tide,

      A flashing fist of iron.

Something in this world so huge and wide

      And a changing of environ.

The heartless, yet happy, sound of time,

      And thundering subway cars,

Of time swiftly passing on stagnant air

      And the iron only time ever mars.

Of the whistles and crowds, and chattering noises,

      The wind on a lonely quest.

Through the tunnels and shadows of life evermore

      And the burrowing in the breast!

#####

6/56

NEW YORK

What is so lonely as lonely New York

With the people milling about.

Drifting alone in the gathering crowds

Hearing them laugh and shout.

What is so lonely as a night in New York

Or a star in a cloudy sky,

Pondering wanly the drifting delight

And the who, and the where, and the why.

Why then are we so sad and forlorn,

So shut up and tangled inside.

Why is our heart afraid to be born,

Into a world cold and wide—

But lonely New York is happy and gay

the people so friendly and why?

Just give love a chance to come your way

And you’ll walk with your head held high!

#####

8/15/56

EPITAPH OF

A PRESS AGENT:

First comes baseball, the series and such,

Then the hurricanes—they’re too much !

Tragedies, crashes, the Andria Doria,

Monroe, Kelly, were also big storia.

Conventions, of course, are part of the scene,

And though he is gone, we admire James Dean.

But wot kin we tell a space-hungry client??

Go out and do something!—kin we get defiant?

Or just tell ’em in printers’ talk—Stet

"You always end up in overset!!"

#####

6/6/66

LITTLE GIRL

Little Girl, laughing,

Face full of joy,

Running the Summer Sidewalks

Skipping,

Happy,

With her Little Boy.

Girl of mine

How can it be.

Only a year ago

You were three.

The times we scold you

Then cuddle you near.

The dolls you love

And the swiftly shed tear.

Golden Girl

Of laughter and sadness too.

The years of your childhood

Are very few.

Must you grow

So soon it seems.

Fulfilling the promise

Of our mutual dreams.

Where is the babe that once I knew?

The infant,

The toddler,

Can that be you?

And when you’ve grown

And are out of our world,

We’ll cherish the memory

of that Golden Little Girl.

#####

10/6/66

THE TORCH

THE TORCH HE CARRIES, HELD ON HIGH

IS JUST A PINPOINT IN THE NEON SKY,

OF LIGHTS, AND GIRLS AND HAPPY TIMES

ST. PAT’S CATHEDRAL BELL THAT CHIMES.

NEW YORK, HIS TORCH, A RAINY DAY,

PRESENTS A PICTURE OF DISMAY.

THE GIRL, SHE’S GONE, THERE’S JUST A SMELL

OF FATAL FRAGRANCE—NOW IT’S HELL.

THE CITY, COLD AND FULL OF FEAR.

HOTDOGS, FLOOZIES, NICKEL BEER.

THERE’S ONE THING LEFT, THE EMPIRE STATE,

IF SHE’S NOT THERE—THE PLUNGE, HIS FATE.

#####

7/22/67

FIVE

THE BUSY TIME

OF RUNNING

AND JUMPING

AND CLIMBING

AND TING-A-LING OF ICE