Butterflies and BumbleBees

I had no idea before taking my leave of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and heading for Port St. Lucie, Florida, that I was walking away from a modest recognition as an artist. I missed my friends in the art world, but fortunately, I’ve always had a yearning to write and found another outlet for creativity here in Port St. Lucie, Florida. I’ve no more desire, or the need, to be famous with words than I had when painting and sculpturing. While still in hopes of self-publishing my book Butterflies and Bumblebees, I’ve decided to take another approach . . . put my poetry on my blog site. For better or for worse:

 

PREFACE

My thanks to all who have, over the years, encouraged me to put my poems into book form. A special word for my late husband who, from the first, urged me onward in my poetic endeavors but sometimes proved himself a bit too biased in my favor. To Florence Prusmack, creative writing teacher, my sincere gratitude and thanks for her never-ending faith in my ability to write poetry worth reading. To Dan Grant, former moderator of the Thursday Morningside Writer’s, who many times suggested a change or two in one of my poems, and every time proved to be right in his judgment, my thanks and gratitude for his help and for his alertness to details. My thanks to any and all who encouraged me to write to the best of my ability. This book of poetry is dedicated…

 

to my children, their spouses, their children, each friend:

to everything there comes an end.

I was not born a poet,

glib of tongue and ever able

to express myself with Shakespearean speech,

nor was I born with desires to reach

heights quite unattainable.

Throughout my life I’ve wished but this:

a home where love and laughter flowed

smooth as honey on fresh-baked bread.

I wished my table spread

with kindness and with gaiety:

with happiness, tranquillity

but sometimes, found instead,

bumblebees mixed in with butterflies:

all which I’ve put in poetry.

 

When I bid this life adieu

I trust my thoughts, put down in rhyme,

for the better or the worse,

will be the catalyst that I’m

hoping that this book of verse

will keep me ever close to you.

 

With Love To All, Mom, Grandmom,

Sister, Aunt Mary, Mary, Friend.