Gradaddy's Little Princess

The chandelier above the dinging table
cast its magnificent glow through the shutters
of the plantation which aged to perfection.
The six courses of delicious dishes were
traded before us, as you and I made
acquaintance with each stranger's face.
This night I was a beautiful Southern Belle.

You have taken me to witness wonders
only most young girls could dream of seeing
From the wandering eyes of Mona Lisa,
To the transparent blue shores of Wakiki.
I have found much inspiration and bliss
from such unforgettable ventures.

I recall the wooden ballroom floor as the
band played loud at the Confederate Ball.
All around us were the twirling and whirling
of couples with their own fairy tale
but in the midst was you and I.
For a night I was Cinderella,
and you were my Prince Charming.

With the tragic loss of my father
I clung to you in times of light and dark.
At family gatherings I sit beside You, my patriarch.
A man that showed me that dreams come
true, and witht hat I found the strength
to become the woman I ahve blossomed to be.

For: My Granddaddy Col. Wallace J. McKenzie
December 2005

The emotion, the empathy;
Dead, do they know?
Ther's no hiding,
Shut your eyes and they are still
lingering, lurking, haunting.

Terrors of the dark
she clutches her pillow
each night, alone.
Elders laugh it off as
a figment of the imagination.

Visions, terriying visions.
Facts of tragic pasts
forced into her tiny soul.
Her breath now holds
the secrets she must keep.

Nov. 2005

That Feeling Inside

I gaze into your eyes
as tears fill mine
to know that you
don't return that feeling
that fills me inside.

Every time you just walk by
my heart speeds up
as my legs slow down.
I don't know what to say,
I don't even know my own name
when you simply say "Hi".
All I know is that
feeling inside
is the best I've felt in
a long, long time.

2000
For: Austin Williamson