The Silent Guardian

I see those lonely people

Walking down deserted halls;

And the huge massive cliquey groups

Where the cool girl leans on walls.

The hurried teachers walking,

The principal just strolls,

The late students are running,

But my unseen tears just roll.

And I wonder if there's someone

Out there she's watching me:

The grey girl with the jacket

Who knows not what to be.

So I stand here in this strange spot

Looking out again,

Hoping with all my might

I'm not invisible to men.

I see those lonely people

And oh how much I empathise

As we stand and watch each other

Acknowledge silent demise.

The Dash Poem

A wonderful poem to motivate you for a new year...

I read of a man who stood to speak 
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone 
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all 
Was the Dash between those years.

For that Dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on Earth,
And now only those who loved her know
What that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matter is how we live and love
And how we spend our Dash.

So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left 
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your Dash?

— Linda Ellis