Memories~

I have composed this poem twice before in the past, each time not liking the outcome. Today, though, I ended up with something resembling presentable;)

They come, they go,

They flit, they flee.

Duck and weave,

Come back to me.

Whispers, glimpses,

Echoes and shapes.

A flicker of color

Darts and escapes.

Words from a song,

Blissful days passed,

Nostalgia wafts

The images fast

Away and about,

Swirled all around,

 Kaleidoscope visions

Dance, turn, and bound.  

Bright eyes that laugh,

A soft summer breeze:

Things which come back to you

Occasional memories. 

Copyright Hannah Scarlett 2013

Bitter Sweet Sixteen~

My thoughts just before my sixteenth birthday...

I stand on the brink

Of age sixteen,

Glance over my shoulder

At the things I've seen.

The memories made,

The friendships lost,

Recollections resurface,

Disheveled and tossed. 

There have been good times,

And times my heart burned,

And times when it bled,

But life-lessons were learned.

God's blessed me with friends,

Given me days to remember.

Things which cannot be swept 

'way by winds of December.

Everything occurs for a reason,

Both the good and bad.

I wouldn't trade one

Experience I've had. 

So many things gone now

People and things I miss.

I will cherish the things

That brought me to this.

Who I am now,

And who I will be,

And who I once was,

Make up the whole me.

They call this age "sweet",

And I know what they mean,

But I think of it more 

As "bitter-sweet" sixteen.

Copyright Hannah Scarlett 2013

Arthur's Farewell~

My sister and I have been loyal followers of BBC's series Merlin for a while. When the show ended recently with the tragic death of King Arthur, we were stunned and sad. I really like the metaphor Arthur was and is, symbolizing how Jesus was and is and will come again to save the world, as it was told Arthur would come again to deliver Albion.

So, here is a good-bye poem to the Once and Future King of Camelot....

Oh, Arthur Pendragon,

The Once and Future King,

Of your tragic end

Shall the minstrels sing.

The untimely death

Of a legend among men,

Told for generations

Til you return again

From the lake of Avalon

In Albion's time of need,

Ascend your throne in Camelot,

The people shall be freed.

At the hands of Morded

Fell you mournfully;

You tried to defy fate

And prophecy took you scornfully.

And Merlin tried to stop

The cruel toll of destiny,

At last he slew Morgana,

But fate is like a tree:

Life ever growing toward the sky,

The branches are decisions,

Spreading in many differing ways,

Yet only in one direction.

No matter what we do,

Or avoid or say in life,

In the end you meet Death,

Cutting you from us like a knife.

None can escape nature,

And, Arthur, you died a hero.

Fighting for your people,

Following a path so narrow.

You left a great legacy,

And your leave was not in vain:

Darkness was struck down,

You were Evil's bane.

Guinevere your queen

Shall weep endlessly for you,

But she is strong and good

And wisely will she rule.

Friends you left behind,

As well as faithful knights.

Yet poor Sir Gwaine followed you

To the land of mansions white.

You will be remembered,

Though not as you were in Camlin.

Rather as a young king

Who would always fight and win,

As the foolish young prince

Who grew into a wise man,

Would follow his heart,

And defend his land.

So as the river carries you

Out of reach and sight,

Know you live on in our hearts...

Farewell, Arthur, noblest of knights.

Copyright Hannah Scarlett 2012

Remember This~

A song I wrote this week, while on a song-writing spree!

Innocence won't last forever,

Youth will fade away.

The bright pictures we paint now

Will eventually turn gray.

Sparkling eyes may dim,

Stars fall from the sky.

Dreams we chase today

May be set aside.

Oh, don't forget

The hours spent

Staring at the sky.

The times you sat

At the fogged-up window glass

Looking out into the night.

The wind's swift rush,

Your first big crush,

Making a birthday wish.

The mistakes you make,

The chances you take,

Always remember this.

Loved ones won't be here forever

We all grow up and change.

Hold on to your childhood,

Remember all your old games.

Running through the trees,

Fireworks in the dark,

The smell of a Spring breeze,

The feel of an unbroken heart...

Oh, don't forget

The hours spent

Staring at the sky.

The times you sat

At the fogged-up window glass

Looking out into the night.

The wind's swift rush,

Your first big crush,

Making a birthday wish.

The mistakes you make,

The chances you take,

Always remember this.

Years will pass,

And seasons flee.

So chase that dream

And climb that tree.

Treasure the memory

Of your first lost tooth,

Daddy's hand in yours,

Santa's footsteps on the roof.

Thinking you could close your eyes

And be invisible.

The times that Mama held you,

All love was unconditional.

You're going to climb mountains,

Do great things, I bet,

Leave childhood far behind,

But don't ever forget.

Oh, don't forget

The hours spent

Staring at the sky.

The times you sat

At the fogged-up window glass

Looking out into the night.

The wind's swift rush,

Your first big crush,

Making a birthday wish.

The mistakes you make,

The chances you take,

Always remember this.

When your greatest sin

Was getting caught with your hand in

The cookie jar. You'll miss

Bubbles, jump rope and chalk,

Sure animals could talk.

Always remember this...

Always remember this.

Copyright Hannah Scarlett 2012

This House~

This is a farewell poem to the house I've always known as my Grandpa's. He's moving, and I'll really miss the old place. The scents, the view, the cozy fireplaces. I'll never forget it... {This picture is actually the view of the frozen lake from his back porch.}

I pause in the doorway

And look around...

Echoes of days passed

Waft and surround...

I see images,

Pictures in my head...

See faces, hear voices,

Remember things said.

The flicker of the burning

Flames in the fireplace

On a cold winter morning,

Warm on my face.

The smell of wood smoke,

The view of the lake,

I'll miss these iconic

Things with an ache.

I used to play here

Hide-And-Go-Seek:

In the small pantry,

The door betrayed me with a creak. 

Bonanza on television,

Ducklings on the water,

I splashed in the shallows,

A content granddaughter.

Memories made with my

Sisters and brothers

At that camp on the lake,

Different from others...

With slow regret,

I close the door

And step from the porch,

 Look back a time more.

For the place has been sold,

Passed to another...

Farewell to the house

Where once lived Grandfather.  

© Hannah Scarlett 2012