The Written Word

I learned the power of
the written word
when just a small child.
I learned to fulfill my
hunger
to satisfy my needs
to feel content.
Later-- I learned that teachers possessed
the power
to carve red A’s or F’s.
The words that I loved---
hungered for
burned for
become traitors and exposed me.
I learned that those first failures
would pierce my soul.
Finally, I learned that I possessed the power
to ask permission
forgiveness
to explain or report.
I possess the power to make others
laugh and cry.
Instinctively, I learned that my writing
possessed the power
To let me out of prison for good behavior.
S. L. Fellinger

Alone

Quietly,
I sit on the window seat
leaning my cheek
against the cold-wet-pane.
Breath battles the coldness
trying to stop
the ice that surrounds my solitary soul.
Alone,
I hear the quietness of life.
I wonder if anyone else hears me?
I close my eyes--
feeling the coldness,
tasting loneliness
like metal in my mouth.
And,
I hear his words
echo in my mind.
Aloness
is a mere state that you choose
to reside within--
only you
can choose
to find the warmth
of a friend.

The Final Act

The Final Act
Rustling in the seats
alert us
to the finale.

To bad
life isn't like that
warning us
alerting us
shaking us

To make us aware that
we have only
one more act

To chastize us enough
so we will learn
to savor the final words.

But life isn't like that.

Often we have
no final Acts.

Some of us don't even have
first Acts.

If our lives were
more like
Shakespeare's plays

We'd be guaranteed
five full acts
with many scenes.

We'd be guaranteed
humor
with a little tragedy.

We'd be guaranteed
tragedy
with a little humor.

We'd each have a more rounded life.

Instead...
many of our lives are merely
one act shows

Or...
mere
monologues

Neither developed well-enough
to craft
more than a thinly developed theme.

So I hope each of you
strive for
five full acts

Strive for a rustling in the seats
to remind you that

The final act
is about to begin.

The Challenge

The Riverside Young Writers challenge this month is to write a poem a day and post it on their blog. Thanks to Cathy Haley for the idea. Thanks to all of the great kids in the program who supported this idea.
So write--