Precious Commodities

Drawn and Edited by:  Randy Sturridge

Magnificent lights erupt lighting night sky

The crowd responds with hackles and jeers

A fifteen minute segment every year on this day

Townspeople and young folk cheer and carry on

Innocence envelopes their frail souls keeping out dangers

Parents with fortified presence steer others from a perimeter

Little tyke and his buddies are being watched closely

Daddy catches a glimpse of the works here and there

But he knows that the precious commodities are the reason he is there

Year after year the cheers and the festivals taunt an on-looker

He chooses not to watch the light show but instead watch the tykes Father

This Daddy will never experience the torment of being too fire sky drawn

To learn the cold hard truth that the world can steal more than thought possible

The onlooker watches the finale as tears flow from his yellow somber eyes

This onlooker never got a second chance to make it right a second time

The little tyke's Daddy picks him up, a quick spin, and turns to leave

The onlooker brings the bottle from his mouth and catches the eyes of the Father

A nod from one and tears from another, remembering losing a daughter and her brother

The Father passes without a word, as the onlooker swiftly opens his mouth inserts the gun and pulls the trigger

No more dreams or second chances, all it takes is ten seconds to destroy three lives

Randy Sturridge

Men of Magnitude

Marvel ideas with novel contributions

Well thought to be less like retribution

Factoring constructs all range considered

Fashioned, unequivocal, and then so settled

Consider new heights still undiscovered

Remember lost memories of forgotten brothers

Honest investment in men of magnitude

Allowing disruption of conveyance that convolutes

Hearing long cries of a different tune

Not of sad souls but of happiness renewed

Hands join arms and we all stand as one

Representing forgotten voices of past loved songs

Let us be the men we once were

On top of high mountains we are reborn. 

Randy Sturridge

Those Who Mumble

Edited by:  Randy Sturridge

On days of respite we should so praise

The wrong decisions that are continually made

Why the conflict in positive grants

When so many kindred characters lose their stance

Times of strife bring about life

Preparing the gauntlet to restructure time

Shades of Yesterday

Created By:  Randy Sturridge

Lost are the times that brought about prosperity

Replaced by the overwhelming foreshadowed hostilities

The Minds of the citizen grow more and more dependent 

Fostering entitlement and civil manner resentment

Conflicts rising among elected officials

Often stalemating over legislative dribble 

The right of the citizen to make their own choices

Is robbed from their hands as the government sponge moistens

Tipping the balance from a capitalistic nation

Through unconstitutional over-reached legislation

Mandates and policy bringing forth a bleak future

Where Independence and pride are not granted but looted

Randy Sturridge

Papa's War

"Wake, my boy, for I have little time

It's papa, calling, now awake your mind"

A boy of ten grumbles and stirs

hearing his father force rushed words

"What, papa? Why do you wake me?

It's still dark outside, can't you see?"

A father smiles and then he cries

A son so pure, full of youth and life

"Rise my boy, I must bid you farewell.

I must take leave for now, and must not dwell."

"It's fine papa, go, go if you must

I will see you when you return, I will not rust"

"My boy, I leave and may not come home

I've been called to war, to leave you all alone"

The boys opens his eyes and sits up in bed

The look in his father's eyes conveyed that of dread

"Leave to war, what do you mean?

Don't go, just stay here with me."

A father swells with all of strength

To hold back the tears that only war makes

"My boy, I can't, they would take both our lives

I must go, so that you can survive.

I love you son, I just wanted to say

Take care of your mother, and your sisters, okay.

You are the man of this household now

If I don't return, make your father proud."

"Papa, Papa, I love you Papa

I will make you proud Papa"

"That's my boy, now get back to sleep.

When you wake you will remember me"

The boy nods his head, and grows stern inside

The boy lays his head down, to dreams he returns

A father backs out of his lovely sons room

No longer a boy but a man now blooms.

Randy Sturridge

I Miss You

Today I thought of you

And how We use to use

Today I thought of you

And all you use to do

Today I cried out loud

I violated my vows

Protect you I had said

My soul is filled with dread.

This Eve I thought of you

And your fear of spiders to

This Eve I thought of you

With the silly way you chewed

Tonight you consume my mind

They say it will ease in time

My Love I miss you so

Why did you have go?

I always sing our song

Hoping that I'm wrong

Maybe you'll Appear

Ease this aching fear

I lay in our sweet bed

My love my love your'e dead

My heart it misses your touch

I love you so very much

I drift on off to sleep

Where you and I always meet

Holding hands we retreat

To the fabric of my dreams.

Mostly Me.

This is a poem that I found written by my Mother some years ago.  Love you Momma.

I am a Mother, a Wife, a Mediator, a Fixer, a Matchmaker, a Student, and a Teacher

 Most of all I’m Me

 I am my own person.

I stand on my own two feet and am proud to be me.

I wonder what the world would be like without turmoil

 Without the pressures of society

I wonder if things would be different…

I hear the questions in the voices of my children

 As they search the world for answers

I see myself as the Teacher.

I help them find their way.

As a Mother

I want my children to be independent 

To never lose sight of who they are

To be able to stand on their own two feet 

To proud of what they have become

I look into my husband’s eyes

Tony

 Instantly I know

  He is my touchstone. 

He helps me keep one foot on the ground.

I am a Wife

I feel lost at times…a bit confused.

I ask questions

I am still the Student

I worry sometimes that...

 I’m not growing fast enough

  That I’ve reached for the stars and...

 just hit the ceiling.

I’ve cried a lot during my life

 because of circumstances I’ve been through

 I know that I am Healing

I understand that my life has been full of choices

 I’ve made so many

 Some good

 Some bad

  They were MINE!!! 

I share with my children

 most of the crossroads I have passed

Hoping they won’t have to live some of the bad ones.

I am the Fixer.

I try to help my children

 To be honest with their emotions

So they can choose

 To find their own friends, companions, and lovers.

I am the Matchmaker

I want them to be Happy, Joyous and Free.

I worry when they have problems

 When they get stuck in that rut of life

 When they have arguments

 Problems or conflicts in beliefs that get in their way

I am the Mediator

I show them softness, kindness, a closeness

 That not too many others see.

I am a Butterfly

 Starting to Feel Free

I am a Mother, a Wife, a Mediator, a Fixer, a Matchmaker, a Student and a Teacher

 Most of all I’m ME!!!