Poems, Essays, and Musings: Straight from My Heart

By Elsie M. Barnes

Poems, Essays, and Musings Straight From My Heart is a collection of poems and essays that the author has written over the years. She uses her love of words to express her thoughts, feelings, thanks, appreciation, and admiration to her family and friends. The author hopes that going that extra mile to cloak her ordinary expressions in poetic finery lets her family and friends know how much they really mean to her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496951410

Elsie M. Barnes

Elsie M. Barnes was born on May 26, 1946 in Halifax County near Scotland Neck, NC. She spent her early years working alongside her family in the fi elds of their small farm. She attended Elizabeth City State Teachers College from 1964-1966. She left school and relocated to Washington, DC where she worked for AT&T. After a 23 year hiatus, she resumed her college studies at the University of Maryland University College where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Studies in 1991. Elsie’s love of words started when she was in grade school. She quickly learned that books transported her from her rural, rather limited setting tofaraway, exotic places. She loved to read her geography textbooks and feels that fostered her love of travel. She also read the family’s dictionary and often quizzed her father on word meanings. During the summer months, the author’s mother ran a lending library in their home. She housed books, supplied by the county, for the neighborhood children to read while school was closed for the summer. Elsie voraciously read every book that was housed. In 1998, she retired from AT&T after 32 years of service. In 2010, she moved back to her hometown of Scotland Neck, NC where she is active in the community. She enjoys traveling, tending her vegetable garden, and hunting for treasures in thrift stores and junk shops. She has one daughter, Hope, and one son-in-law, David, who live in Clinton, MD.

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© 2014 Elsie M. Barnes. 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 11/21/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-5142-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-5141-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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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

About the Book

Remembrances

Fond Memories of My Father

A Mother and Her Son

Tributes and Accolades

To John, Upon His Retirement

A Tribute to Lawrence upon His Retirement

To Angela with great admiration

Thanks and Appreciation

Oh, What a Day! to Kathi, with gratitude

To a Great Team Leader

To Delightful Water Aerobics Instructors

Many Thanks

To an Attentive Cabin Attendant

To a Wonderful Waiter

To Cousin Eric with Many Thanks For the gift from Afghanistan

Daughters Are Special

Hope’s Hospital Stay

To Hope What Is a Daughter?

Birthdays and Other Special Occasions

To Launice on Her Sixty-Fifth Birthday

To Tine

What Is a Sister?

To Ethel

What Is a Sister?

To Streata

What Is a Sister?

Happy Birthday, David

To Dorothy

Brawley High School Class of 1964

Brawley High School Class of 1964

Nothing Could Be Finer Than to Be in Carolina

Holiday Greetings

A Holiday Message for You

2012 Christmas Poem

Essays and a Prayer

A Letter to the Editor

100-Year-Old Pecan Tree Succumbed to Irene’s Wrath

Duality of Thought

Introduction

My Article

My Soul Looks Back

To Benna, after Her Stroke

Pic%201%20Memorial%20Brick.JPG

Memorial Brick at the Scotland Neck Memorial Library

To my parents, Clarence and Annie Barnes, who labored long and hard and who made many sacrifices to raise and educate their six children. They bore racial indignities, social injustices, and economic deprivation with dignity and grace. Through it all, they never lost sight of their goal. They were determined to instill a sense of pride, strength of character, a stellar work ethic, high self-esteem, and confidence in their children. Mission accomplished!

About the Book

Poems, Essays, and Musings Straight from My Heart is a collection of poems and essays that the author has written over the years. She uses her love of words to express her thoughts, feelings, thanks, appreciation, and admiration to her family and friends. The author hopes that going that extra mile to cloak her ordinary expressions in poetic finery lets her family and friends know how much they really mean to her.

Remembrances

Pic%202%20Daddy%27s%20Tombstone.jpg

Clarence and Annie Barnes’ gravesite

Fond Memories of My Father

On the Occasion of His Death in 1984

I can’t believe my father is gone.

My mind knows it,

But my heart is slow to acknowledge it.

I can’t believe I will never again hear

His laugh,

His snore,

Or see his crooked smile.

I will never again see him enjoy

The juicy sweetness of an orange,

Or fried fish, which was his favorite.

But in my mind’s eye,

I will continue to see all of these things,

And I will remember them with fondness.

And