A Little Birdie Told Me

By Lorraine A. Burkey

Where did these poems come from?

I really couldn’t say.

A little birdie told me,

So I can remember it that way.

Lorraine Burkey has been thinking in rhymes since she first penned a poem to her high school sweetheart decades ago.

In her first collection of poems, Burkey reminds all of us of things we once knew but somehow lost along our way through life. While encouraging us to accept that we are all human, Burkey reflects on tragedies, struggles, victories, life lessons, nostalgia, and a variety of experiences and emotions. Throughout her debut volume, Burkey not only reflects on her own journey, but also gently reminds us to spread kindness wherever we go, to stand up to bullies, to look forward instead of back, and to recognize the blessings in the seeds we plant. Included are several Christmas poems that celebrate the holiday and express wishes for a peaceful year ahead.

A Little Birdie Told Me is a volume of poetry that shares one woman’s lyrical perspective on life, its roadblocks, its triumphs, and why the roads we take are our own choice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Feb 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665700917

Lorraine A. Burkey

Lorraine A. Burkey was raised on a farm near Central City, Iowa, and graduated from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was a volunteer for the American Red Cross for thirty-two years. Now disabled, Lorraine resides in Springfield, Missouri, where she enjoys spending time with her husband.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Lorraine A. Burkey.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or

by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the

author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

844-669-3957

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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0090-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0089-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0091-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020925659

Archway Publishing rev. date: 02/04/2021

Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

Preface

An Invitation to Your Heart

Life at Large

Annual Christmas Card Poems

Poems of Faith

Ending Poem

Acknowledgments

I am compelled to give God all the credit for the gift, inspiration, and creativity to develop these poems. Without him, there would be no book.

To my husband, Steven, who relentlessly pushed and prodded me to start the process of publishing these poems. His computer knowledge solved many of my concerns about presentation. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To family, friends, acquaintances, professionals, and all others, thank you for your opinions and encouragement that led to my decision to publish these poems.

Foreword

I have had the privilege of knowing Lorraine Burkey for a number of years. I have been fascinated by her positive life view, her grateful heart, and her ability to take life in stride. I am fully aware of her devastating stroke at such a young age, and how she came through this life-changing event with a warrior spirit and a zest for reaching out and living life to its fullest. Her poems reflect this adventure and simply resonate with anyone who reads her work. Lorraine is gifted with a way of writing a picture that clearly expresses thoughts and feelings most of us have been unable to do. Her work is an inspiration to anyone who loses sight of living life in the moment and has settled for a mediocre existence.

Bobbi J. Craigmyle, PsyD

My Way

It started out for me,

And mostly just for fun.

They help me sort my thoughts

As I change; I’m never done.

If something sounds familiar,

No doubt been said before.

I just had to say it my way.

It means just that much more.

So as I pause to share these

With whomever you may be,

You can be sure as life goes on

Many poems are yet to be.

No matter how you change

Or how far away you roam,

Maybe something in my words

Will bring their meaning home.

Introduction

Every one of us develops a dream of how life is going to be. As we grow and mature, that dream gets more detailed and refined. Careers, falling in love, family, children, and achievements are all parts of this dream. For the most part, these things become reality, give or take a few variations, but for others, this dream is totally erased from existence. For those, there is a challenge either to give in to a lost dream or find a way to make that dream come true from a whole new perspective. This book of poems portrays the former