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The
winner for January
Category: "Rain"
"SOFT
RAIN"
Delicate
drops of water
Floating to the earth
Wet kisses caressing
Everything that thirsts.
Soft
gray cloud
Snuggling to the ground
Embracing everything in sight
Spreading tenderness all
around.
Tiny
ray of sunshine
Sneaking through the mist
Leaving rainbows and diamonds
Thrown from its shining fists.
Earth
is whispering gladness
For the fog, the rain, and sun
It means that Mother Nature
Can keep life's cycle run.
--
Submitted by Burmah M. Teague
from Chickamauga, GA
EMAIL: burmahteague@msn.com
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The
winner for February
Category: "Mother Nature"
The
sky gets dark, the clouds roll in,
Lightning strikes, and the fun
begins...
The winds start blowing, and the rain then
falls,
Mother Nature's having a
ball...
The
rain subsides, the grass has had a
drink,
Just a few minutes for Mother Nature to
think...
The sky turns clear, and the sun then
shines,
Mother Nature has changed her
mind.....
--
Submitted by Derek W. Robinson
from Houston, TX
EMAIL: waregledr@webtv.net
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The
winner for March
Category: "Snoring"
Somehow
I think life would've been boring
without my love's intrusive snoring
Loudly he barrels right into my dreams
from gentle sighs, to boisterous
streams
But
I don't mind his melodious songs
They serve to remind me when something's
gone wrong
Did I forget to hug him and kiss him
goodnight
Did I forget to cuddle him as he reached
for the light
Did
I listen intently to what he said that
day
Communicating his importance in every
way
Did I stroke his brow, as he counted
sheep
Did I whisper I love you as he fell
asleep
Did
he feel he was needed as he let the day
go
How much did I show him, how much did he
know
My questions are silenced when the day is
done
when he pulls me near and we snore as one
...
Good
night!
--
Submitted by Altheria D. Wheeler
from Torrance, CA
EMAIL: oneinspired@hotmail.com
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The
winner for April
Category: "The Past"
NOSTALGIA
Remember
being young?
Remember being free?
Remember childhood dreams
of all the things you'd someday
be?
A
mother? A teacher?
A rock n' roll star?
A poet? An actress?
It all seems so far...away.
Remember
trips to Grandma's house,
And the silly songs you'd sing?
Remember pom-pom hats and snow angels?
(And mittens on a string!)
Every
sunrise held such promise
And at the closing of each day,
A simple prayer to Heaven
Could wash all your cares away.
Summer
lasted forever.
A year seemed so long.
Mom and Dad were superheroes
And could never do you wrong.
The
world was once your playground,
And all you had was time.
Remember wishing you were older?
Remember the day you changed your
mind?
--
Submitted by Jennifer Demers
from Derry, NH
EMAIL: vixen_x_78@yahoo.com
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The
winner for May
Category: "Airplanes and
Flying"
MY
HUSBAND'S YELLOW PLANE
My
husband built an airplane.
It's such a pretty thing.
He painted it all yellow
With a brown stripe down the
wing.
He
puts on his pilot goggles
And sits in the pilot's seat
He revs up the engine
That doesn't miss a beat.
It
roars and quivers and races
And then soars into the sky.
I sometimes sit and wonder
About this amazing guy,
Who
takes bits and pieces
To build a flying machine
That's as beautiful as any
That I have ever seen.
He
flies it in the morning.
He even flies at noon.
But never ever does he fly it
With the evening moon.
I
would like to fly with him.
But I know that I must not
Because with extra weight
The engine gets too hot.
It's
just a tiny plane
With a twenty foot wingspan.
And only meant to hold
One solitary man.
So
I will sit and watch
As through the sky he soars
Over the hills and lakes
And also the marshy moors.
And
hope that from the vantage point
Where I am always standing
I will see him return and
Make his safe taildragger
landing.
--
Submitted by Elouise Hollenbaugh
from Plymouth, IN
EMAIL: teacher@dnsonline.net
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The
winner for June
Category: "Graduation"
Can
you believe it, here I am
Moving on my way
It seems like elementary school
Just started the other day.
My
first ride on the school bus
Both Mom and Dad waved goodbye
I still can't figure out
Why Mom stood there and cried.
But
soon I settled in
And the learning all began
I never thought I could be so smart
Of course the teachers had a
hand.
Six
years have gone by
Friendships have been made
Some will last a lifetime
What I've learned will never
fade.
Where
has the time gone
Boy, have I grown
My teachers have taught me well
Their love plus knowledge stands
alone
So
now a new journey begins
It's all waiting just for me
I have so many dreams
Life holds the many keys.
I'll
continue to learn as well as grow
I'll be the best I can be
But remember forever, Mom and Dad
Please always be here for me.
You
can teach me and guide me
Even walk beside me, continuing to lead
the way
But Values, Respect and Love
Are the things I will need
everyday.
No
one knows what I'll become
So give me space to grow
Let me be all I can
For these years will quickly go
Just
cherish every memory
Remember the good with the bad
I'm a mirror of my environment
I'm you, Mom and Dad.
Don't
ever give up hope
Please always believe in me
And one day like today
I'll have become all I wanted to
be.
--
Submitted by Tammy Graham Motola
from Midlothian, Virginia
EMAIL: TGMotola@aol.com
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The
winner for July
Category: "W A R !"
JOHNNY
SHILOH
As
he heard the cannons boom
And roaring in the night,
He knew that in the morning,
He'd be goin' to the fight
And
as he laid there in the darkness,
With his comrades all around,
He wondered who would be left
As the evening sun went down.
And
he said a silent prayer,
To his lord of which he knew,
To watch over him and keep him,
When the deadly bullets flew.
"And
Dear Mother, if I should die,
Just know that this is true,
I followed my country's flag,
For the love of all of you."
The
night did pass so fast,
And he heard the bugels call
For the men to assemble quickly,
For battle, one and all.
They
formed a line of battle,
And moved out into the fight,
As the bullets flew around him,
In the early morning light.
But
suddenly he fell,
And on the ground he lay,
With blood upon his chest,
And his face was turning grey.
And
as the aid men found him,
They tried to do their best.
But Johnny Shiloh cried to all,
"It's now my time to rest."
With
his last breath upon his lips,
As his life was closing fast,
He whispered, "Thank you, Lord,
"And Mother, I'm home at last."
--
Submitted by Lawrence L. Ginglen
from Havana, IL
EMAIL: lpging@fgi.net
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The
winner for August
Category: "Hot Weather"
AUGUST
DRY
Too
long the summer sun beat down
burning grasses into brown,
igniting dreams of shallow pools,
blues and greens of mossy
cools.
Leafy
shaded places, few.
Noontime's arrival drunk on dew,
lingering long overhead
till thirsty flowers wilt in
bed.
Tired
gardens rearrange,
harking the call of season's change.
Growing in longer hours
are pumpkin vines and burnt
sunflowers.
Blindly
then the June bug falls.
September in the distance calls.
August dry and almost faint
the trees bring out their autumn
paint.
--
Submitted by Mary Ellen Smith
from Whittier, Calif.
EMAIL: kipsmith@agapeis.net
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The
winner for September
Category: "The Stock
Market"
When
I hear the words "Stock Market" my mind
begins to race.
I am not thinking about stocks anymore. I
am thinking about a place.
A place that no longer stands so firm and
tall.
A place that America never expected to
fall.
I
think not only of a place, but of innocent
lives.
A place that held mothers, fathers,
husbands and wives.
I think of children who are alone and
scared,
and all of those people who were not
prepared.
Not
prepared to be alone, and not prepared to
go,
All the loved ones still hanging on to
that little bit of hope.
The words "Stock Market" will never mean
the same to me.
When I hear those words, I will instantly
think about a tragedy.
I
will remember a day that was so shocking
and sad,
a day that made all of America mad.
My heart goes out to all affected on that
unforgetable day.
Always hold on to your memories and we
should all continue to pray.
God
Bless America, Land of the free, Home of
the Brave.
--
Submitted by Jenny L. Harshbarger from
State College, PA
EMAIL:
jharshbarger@atchealthcare.com
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The
winner for October
Category: "The Moon"
ON
SHEETS OF SILK
Entrancing
is her lucent face
A beauty many eyes will trace
So pale, yet glowing as a beam
Of fantasy in slumber's dream
Her
pearly skin lies on a bed
In smoothness of the woven thread
She spreads across the downy sheet
To feel the plush of every
pleat
So
radiantly lying there
On lovers' pillow, pale and bare
She comes to me on nights like this
And lures me with her
loveliness
In
virgin white she glows in ways
That spin my head in lover's gaze
So much enchantment to consume
This radiance of silver moon
Each
silken fold where she reclines
Is edged in sheen of satin lines
Please stay, sweet moon, to light the
hair
Of one who will be lying there
--
Submitted by Elizabeth Santos
from Pottstown, PA
e-mail: escheffey@aol.com
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The
winner for November
Category: "Sneezes"
THE
ONE THAT NEVER COMES
Where
do Sneezes come from?
I really do not know
You can have a sneeze anytiime
In sunshine, rain or snow
Sneezes
start as a tiny tickle
Somewhere high up in the nose
Then that itchy feeling
Well, it grows and grows and
grows
Your
eyes may start to water
And they most certainly will close
Then with great force and volume
That sneeze - it will explode
Though
some may be little
Others so big they hurt
It may not cause a fuss at all
Or it may get stuff on your
shirt
Once
the sneeze is gone
Relief is what you get
But then here comes another one
On that you can surely bet
A
sneeze is not really that bad
Once it's said and done
But the worst sneeze of all
Is the one that never comes!
Submitted
by Leslie Prichard
from Albuquerque, NM
EMAIL: twplaw@sprynet.com
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The
winner for December
Category: "Snow"
THE
FIRST SNOW
The
first snowflakes falling on the
ground,
Soft and pure without a sound,
Mystical, magical fairyland found
Like a crystal ball swirling round and
round.
Each
delicate flake so different from the
rest
Blanketing the earth with nature's
zest,
Unblemished white scenery really the
best
Putting spring, summer, fall to visual
test.
Spider-like
lovelies caught in outstretched hands,
Evaporate quickly as we walk or stand;
Glorious seasonal garments ever so
grand
Carpet the earth of our prosperous
land.
Oh,
how gracious the gentle flow,
The rapture of the first beautiful
snow,
Breathtaking like a precious gem's
glow,
God's gift for all of us to know.
--
Submitted by Floriana Hall from Akron,
Ohio
EMAIL: Floriana102@aol.com
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