Sunshine and Shadows: Poetry for All Moods

By Tilitha Waicekauskas

These are the poems of my life, written over a sixty-year span, from a shy teenager to a happy old woman. This time I have included the shadows as well as the sunshine, but I hope that even through the shadows, you will see that my faith is very real, that I am very blessed to have lived this life, and that I am proud to be an American. Most of my poetry has rhythm and rhyme. A very few are free verse but only a few. I think a poet must write in their own voice, whether it is popular or not. And I am always true to myself, my husband, God, and my country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496955234

Tilitha Waicekauskas

I have known since I was three that I would write books. I intended for them to be novels, but somewhere along the way I turned into a poet-rather against my will, I must admit. I wrote the first one when I was sixteen and had my first publication at eighteen. That was sixty years ago, and somehow the poems kept coming. Marriage and motherhood kept me busy for a few years, and I stopped publishing for awhile but didn't stop writing. When the kids were in high school, I started the publishing again, and soon I had a fan base who was demanding a book. They liked the first one enough that they wanted a second one and here it is. I live in the Missouri Ozarks on a cattle ranch with my husband and son, who take good care of me. We also have a daughter who lives in Maryland with her husband and our two grandchildren. I am the most blessed person I know. My life has been good, and I wouldn’t change a thing if I could. My poetry mostly rhymes and has rhythm, and I realize that kind of poetry is not to everybody’s taste. Half a dozen times in my life, I have done free verse, but mostly it just isn’t me. I grew up on Longfellow, Poe, Holmes, Riley, Field, and others of that type, and rhyme and rhythm come naturally to me. The poems in this book range from the first poem written at age sixteen to the latest one at seventy-seven, and they are the poetry of my life. The sunshine and the shadows.

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© 2014 Tilitha Waicekauskas. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/20/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-5524-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-5525-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-5523-4 (e)

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Acknowledgements

Weeds And Seeds

Optimism

A Sonnet For Raggedy Ann

Whispering Wind

Wrinkles And Twinkles

D Is For Dandelions

Golden Gift

Relativity

State Of Mind

Victory

Four-Leaf Clover

Holding Fast

Mildred

Easter Basket

Locks Of Love

Headache

Crocheted Critter

And I Know

Friday’s Child

Burning Banner

The Way

My Son

Blessed

Castle In The Air

Blessings

The Third R

Yes! He’s Alive!

As Long As You Are There

Tested

Emu

Sandpaper

My Lord Is Wonderful

Thorns

Trifling Triolet

Grief

Joseph’s Coat

Amy Brown Ball

Old Glory

Robin Redbreast

Poet’s Lament

Angelarae

March Of American Heroes

Humpty Dumpty

Stormy Weather

If I Should Die In Lilac Time

His Answer

April Skies

Penguin

I Almost Remember

Because

The Wall

Sisters

The Bubble Pipe

Differences

Kismet

At Rainbow’s End

Dark And Light

To Joe

The Bungalow

Waltz

Cruel Words

White Christmas

Memory Lane

Castle Home

Rebellion

To Mom, With Love

Ostrich

Survivor

Sugar And Spice

Corinthian Sonnet

Lazybones

The Man In My Life

Gift

He Has Made The Roses Bloom

Mother Of Moses

The Flaming Sword

Because I Love You

Cassowary

The Turn In The Road

Auk

I Love Your Name

Happiness Is—

My Answer To Wise Guys

Miracle

Night Draws Down The Curtain

Windy

A Valentine From Grandma

Pilate’s Wife

Yellow Roses

Dreams

Go Away, Cupid

Noah’s Wife

Carnival Time

Esther

Unspoken Words

Truth

White Roses

Yeast And Patches

James Edward Page

The Light Of The World

The Flying Machine

Love

Under The Hackberry Tree

Diamonds Are Forever

Metamorphosis

Candlelight

Blue Skies

The Storm

The Magi

The Carters On January 20, 1980

Daddy Gave Me Stars

Blackbird

The Star Legend

Black And White

Anne Of Green Gables

Ruth

Still Holding Hands

Naomi

Adventuring

Rachel

Benediction

Leah

Scrooge Sonnet

Carpenter

Hannah

Pipestone

Round Robin

Choices

Crocheted Prayer

Sunset Show

Martha

This Is My Song

Mary

Endless Love

Crosses

First Gift

Dinah

Christmas Memory Tree

Togetherness

Joy

Boys

My Friend Is Dead

Today’s The Day

Things My Mama Never Told Me

The Best Part

Christmas Treasure

Class Reunion

Midnight Sonnet

Daisies

Crossing The Bridge

Joshua Smiled

Food For My Soul

Deep In Missouri

Dear Old House

Together Still

Praying With St. Francis Of Assissi

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I have always tried to keep my published work upbeat and in the sunshine. But those of you who know me also know that there have been shadows in my life as well. By request, this time I have given you the shadows as well as the sunshine—and I have mixed it all up, just as life is made up of sunshine and shadows—sometimes all in the same day. I thought about arranging the book by moods, but it seemed more like the story of my life to just shuffle it up and let the cards fall where they may. And if just one of you finds something in this little book that gives you a blessing—or a chuckle—then it was worth doing. Thank you for your loyalty and support through the years.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to thank all the editors who have published my poetry in the past. Their encouragement kept me going during the times I wanted to quit. Some of the poems in this book are seeing the light of day for the first time, but most of them have been published several times.

For my children, Joe and Angela,

and my grandchildren, Catherine and Joshua.

They have given me lots of sunshine,

and none of them has ever brought a single shadow

into my life.

WEEDS AND SEEDS

Some people hate the dandelion

—They think it is a weed.

They always want to dig it up

Before it goes to seed.

But I feel sorry for those folks

Who just don’t understand.

The dandelion is not a weed.

It’s gold within one’s hand.

And