"The Gift"
By Sarah Carter
When translated, her name means queen,
But perhaps her best quality remains unseen.
She gave up a gift she wanted to keep,
She often dreamed of the gift she gave up in her sleep.
He was “The One” for quite some time,
Until she saw his real side,
When things turned sour between them because of the gift,
Both of their lives began to shift.
He was young, not ready to stay,
So the two parted and went on their ways.
He left her there alone and depressed,
But that put her to the real test.
She found out a life inside her grew,
She pondered and thought long about what to do.
She knew the choice had to be made,
So on her own, she decided to be brave.
Nine months of bonding and growing,
The young woman knew her gift was showing.
She knew what she had to do,
So when the baby was born, it could start life anew
August came, and the little girl was born,
The mother was thinking and torn.
Right and wrong seemed to be meshed together,
But she decided to give the baby a new life forever.
After seventeen long years apart,
The mother and daughter were still connected at the heart.
The daughter who was named Sarah, which translated means princess,
Finally got to meet her mother who had given Sarah up for her best interest.
Now the princess has her queen,
And the quality that was once unseen:
Selflessness; is shining bright,
And in the darkness there is light.
One may be asking, “Is a story like this true?”
But I can truly and honestly assure you,
That the love between the mother and daughter is key,
Because the gift of a baby in this poem is me.
"This was a poem seventeen years in the making. I was reunited with my wonderful birth mother on March 15th, 2010. She means the world to me!!"
* * * * * * * * * *
"I am . . ."
By Sheila Whitaker
I am beautiful at my best
And ugly at my worst
I am strong in the face of obstacles
And weak in face of uncertainty
I am curious of the future
And humbled by my past
I am happiest in love
And terrified alone
I am sadden by heartbreaks
And uplifted by friendships
I am weakened by mistakes
And strengthened by lessons
I am fearful of failure
And reassured by accomplishment
I am a cowardly child
And a confident woman
I am imperfection
And flawless
"I wrote this just before I graduated from college. It was a time when I was as sure as I had ever been and as uncertain about my future as ever. I realized at that moment that it was okay to be both."
