Promise of Family and Friends

Grandma's Kitchen

Grandma's kitchen was full of life
At Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas time.
In Grandma's kitchen there was lots to do,
And there was always room for me and you.

We opened pods to remove the peas;
We used our fingers for snapping beans.
We skinned the carrots and shucked the corn;
my Grandma's ways I did adore.

Mixing batter and licking spoons,
Little girl things that end too soon.
We whipped up brownies while having fun;
The gingerbread cookies were already done.

Kneading bread and baking pies,
And we iced the cakes
That I helped to make.

The fragrance of spices filled the room,
blackberries, raspberries, and cranberries, too.
Baking turkey and it's dressing,
Grandma's kitchen is such a blessing.

To Grandma's whose hearts are as warm as their kitchens

Like You

When I looked into your eyes,
I saw our Lord.

When I looked into your heart,
I saw the love.

When I gazed into your life,
I saw all that I want to be,
like you and what you see.

I want to walk with
Patience, perseverance, and
A ponderance of tomorrow,
A love unconditional,
that it comforts another's sorrow.

I want to be like you.

Ms. Angela Willis

No Family of My Own

My childhood years
Have long since passed away.
No one to say hello to
When I pick up the phone.

No Grandma to pinch my cheek,
No Grandpa to set me on his knee,
No aunts, no uncles,
No brothers, no sisters,
There was just me.

A prayer, a dream,
A wish come true,
It is what led me right to you.

To hear the words, I never heard,
To see the smiles, I never saw,
To feel the hugs, I never felt,
Bestowed a miracle,
From my Father above.

A family once lost, now is found,
Spinning my world,
Round and round.

Passing through time from a child,
To the adult I am,
Somehow seems much easier,
Now that I found you.

Ms. Angela Willis

My First Love

I saw you with your new love today,
I had to push back the tears from my eyes.
The memories of yesterday
Flood my mind and
the hope has vanished from my soul.

My heart yearns to be with you,
Once again,
Laughing and loving as if the world
Would never end.

We had good times, you and I,
Somewhere, somehow time has passed us by.
I can't bare to think of you with her,
While I sit here and cry.

I no longer have your beating heart,
Only the rhythm of years apart,
Your daughter looks just like you,
A daily reminder of love so new.

My soul POPS at the very thought
Of living life with only memories of you.

No more tender kisses
In the middle of the night,
No more loving arms to hold me tight.

Those blissful moments that we shared,
Will always remind me,
That you cared.

I will never forget all that we had,
As we look forward
to a brighter future that lies ahead.

No matter where our feet may tread,
You will always have been,
My first love.

Ms. Angela Willis

It's so Easy to Remember

It's so hard to forget,
Because it's so easy to remember.

The way you wore your hair,
Your tender voice in times of despair.
I remember your trembling hands
Baking pies and homemade breads.

I sometimes wish that I could forget,
But it's so easy to remember.

It's so easy to remember,
The love you gave
And your priceless smiles.
You never chose sides, you were always fair,
It's hard to forget that you were there.

Your faith gave way to a loving heart,
One that rejoiced for our Lord.
I loved the way you held me tight,
And the way you fixed my hair at night.

Oh, how hard it is to forget,
When it is so easy to remember.

Ms. Angela Willis

Just You and Me

Soft music playing
In the midst of night,
You and me by candlelight.

Peaceful moments
What a place to be
When it's just you and me.

So few words and incense divine
I can't believe you're all mine.

Cherished feelings that no one can see
Waltzing through the cool breeze.

While holding me tight,
I realize that it will always be
Now and forever,
You and me.

Ms. Angela Willis

My Mother

As the cascading light
Fell over her face,
I felt my Mother's warm embrace.
Nightly stories she did tell,
One I remember of a wishing well.

She handed me a penny,
Then she would say,
Close your eyes and make a wish today.
Don't tell a soul,
Then our Lord's blessings
will come your way.

Then her laughing eyes
And loving arms
Would hold me tight
Until I fell asleep that night.

Ms. Angela Willis

The Sound of Angels

They entered my heart the moment I heard,
The sound of angels seeking my attention,
In the midst of that afternoon.

A sound so sweet the ear could not turn away
Leaving my heart racing with every beat.
With each note, I wondered, who could that be?

The local dj rang into my soul,
the sound of The Oak Ridge Boys,
No bars hold.

Oh Lord!, I cried such a surprise,
I could see, the blessings of the Oaks,
You are giving to me.

Not a day will go by that I will forget,
The sound of the angels,
On that radio set.

Keeping the faith and uplifting me,
In moments of truth,
No one else can see.

Then, now, and forever,
That music will dance,
In the hearts of those and those to be.

Giving pleasure to all,
Especially to me.

Ms. Angela Willis

Tears of Love

There are tears of pain,
Tears of hurt,
There are tears of joy,
And tears of love.

God has stood beside me
Even when undeserving.
He has given me strength
More than I have ever known.

He has Graced me with courage
To make it through each day
And even through the hard times,
Before I even pray.

He has given me complete knowledge
As my Savior forever.

He has given me tears of love
So as each moment passes by,
I will never forget why
He was crucified for me.

I will cherish these tears
As I look back on the years,
I'll see all that He taught me
Through the tears of love
That He has shed for me.

Ms. Angela Willis

When We Walk Together

I walk a world of truths unknown,
leaving behind footprints of my own.
I can't see what lies ahead,
uncertainty of life is in my head.
The stars above they shine so bright,
The moon is full, giving of light.
Into the darkness of my soul,
Passing ships crash against the waves,
Roughing the storm till day breaks.
Hearing voices in the night,
They ring out and give me sight.
My Father's words I do hear,
Whispers into His child's ear.
Never will I leave thee, nor will I forsake thee,
In the midst of this great storm.
Trials of life will all too soon pass,
giving way to peace at last.
The sun will rise with heat unknown,
Cooling winds of God's breath,
Simple reminders that never end.
Oh how blue the skies will be,
When I discover I can be me.
A rainbow of promise remains,
If only in my heart and mind.
Crossing that bridge one more time,
Observing the memories left behind.
I stand to chance what lies ahead,
When reality takes me by the hand.
Never again to walk alone,
In the pain I once knew,
And all because I have you.

The Father

Once upon a time
In a home far away
A little girl knelt down to pray.
Hoping for a future
As bright as she could see,
Ended up facing only her reality.
Trembling with fear,
Of being all alone
She prayed for a blessing,
Of a man she did not know.
She was searching for a father
To fill her mind and soul.

As the little girl grew older,
A father she did find,
He became her inspiration,
Of heart, soul, and mind.
While he dried her falling tears
In a time of despair
He reached out to draw her just a little nearer.
Passing on the comfort of his fatherly love,
A gift that was given him from Heaven above.

Many hours did they share
As the father offered words of wisdom
To the woman sitting there.
Caring for her deeply,
He shared his faith with her.
For many good things she did feel,
As the joy and laughter filled the air.

He always had the time
To share dreams of tomorrow
Blessing every moment
By letting Heavens light shine.

Then she turned to tell him thank you
for always being there,

And he smiled.

Raped Faith

When a man rapes a woman,
He uses her body for his own personal gain.

When a man talks of his faith,
When he goes to church,
When he goes to church,
She sees God's love within their relationship.
He tells her that he loves her
He shows her that he does,
Then he asks her to marry him.

She believes God is present,
He is there with the two of them.
She accepts his proposal of marriage...
Believing.

Too soon the day comes
She awakens from her blindness of love,
To the reality of his falsified faith.
Their marriage begins plummet,
with the first swing of his fist.

She prays to her Father in Heaven,
For wisdom and guidance.
She believes marriage is till death do us part,
She tries and tries to please him,
But fails at the task at hand.

Awakened by the alarm clock,
She lies in bed alone,
Praying to God for strength to leave...
And does when the night comes.

He begs and pleads,
Tries to make her feel guilty,
But God's strength and truth
Once again prevails in her life.
Still eager to make the marriage whole again,
She tries in counseling with him.
He refused to go.
Then he begs and pleads, once again,
His effort now gives renewed hope
To her bounding belief.

His control and anger,
Rears it's ugly head,
And she knows...
She knows what she needs to do.

She leaves the marriage in tears,
that she believed once belonged to God,
His rage, his control, once again present...
Her faith, God's truth, has prevailed.

She awakens to the heartbreaking reality,
The man she truly loved,
Raped her faith,
used her faith for his own personal gain.

The marriage is no more,
She begins to live,
Her life with God, once restored,
And at the head of her household, healing her.

Through the hurting, healing, and becoming strong,
God has brought her to love others the way she once had.
With His Grace, with His Truth, with His Mercy,
Once again, she has been set free
Of the pain, that man once had her living in.

Ms. Angela Willis
June 22, 2002

This Empty Place

I feel an empty place inside
Where you once laid your head.

I feel an empty place in my heart
Where you once laid your love.

I feel an empty place in my soul
Where your blood ran into mine.

Someday another child
Will be where you once were,
But will never give
The happiness and joy
That you once gave to us.

Although their love is pure and rich,
It will never replace your love
Or the light you gave to brighten our lives.

Someday another child will come to bless,
That child shall shine another light,
And shall give it's love and take a spot
Within our hearts and souls
Just as you once did.

Ms. Angela Willis

Mama Feels Blessed

Mamas little angel
All snug against her chest
Sleeping all the while
Mama feels blessed.

Counting the fingers and toes
Mama believes you are the best.

Too soon you will grow
Out of mamas arms,
You will find that a world awaits you,
Heaven only knows.

Then off to school you will go
Learning all the time,
The days soon to follow
Bring marriage into life
And children of your own.

Then you are holding mamas little angel
All snug against your chest,
Sleeping all the while
Mama feels blessed.

The Bear

Bear was a simple man, he drove a cab,
And loved to make children laugh.
He would tell one stories
Of adventures he had been on,
Never leaving out the one he loved.

Blessing conversations with a joke,
he would bare a grin,
As if he knew something you didn't know then.

Then he would light his pipe,
And tell one something about his wife.
Bear was proud man,
Always had something special planned.

Although the trips were very short,
Memories of him run on forever.
He never forgot how to do for another,
He always helped fill a need,
Bear was a big, big man indeed.

When he took ill,
Our hearts cried out with pain,
Wondering if we would ever see him again.

He stood by his wife to his dying day,
When he opened his eyes to say,
I love you,
Then he passed away.

The memories of a special man,
Will be embedded within our lives,
Forever.

Ms. Angela Willis

Thanksgiving Day

On this Thanksgiving Day
I approached a cemetery,
Where for the last 2 years my grandmother lay.
As I knelt before the headstone,
I brushed away the leaves from the flowers standing there.
As I gazed on where she laid,
I asked why she had to die.

And at that moment a vision appeared before my eyes.
If was as if I could see through the cool damp ground.
It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen.
I saw my grandmother and grandfather
walking hand in hand.

They were in a most wonderful world beyond us.
Then a warm feeling came over me,
And for a moment I could hardly breath,
Then I heard my grandmother speaking
to me through my soul.

Telling me to be thankful for the time
we had spent together,
And telling me to cherish my daughters
For they are an image of love and life.
Then I thought about the problems grandma told me they had,
And how their love grew on them.
I remember the day before grandma died,
I was told that grandma had switched her ring
for grandpas when he died,
So that she knew their love would last forever,
And that someday they would walk
hand in hand once again.

And I knew as I left the cemetery,
My life would never be the same again.
My grandmother showed and gave me love.
So now I have a lot more to be thankful for,
On this Thanksgiving Day.

Mother, Friend, and Wife

When dusk settles upon the land
And the midnight hour is approaching,
I lay awake in my lonesome bed.

Our house is dark and silent,
I wonder when my baby will be home.

I have been the wife
Tending to her husbands needs,
I have been the mother
Helping with homework and mending
Scraped knees,
I have been the friend
With a compassionate ear.
Now I am the woman with her own desires.

This woman needs to feel her husbands touch,
To hear her children say, I love you,
In their own special way,
To have a friend tell her
That tomorrow will be another day.

A solemn night,
A peaceful rest,
Awaken me with the morning light,
To begin another day
Of duties as mother, friend, and wife.

My Little Runaway

A little girl you are no more,
As I see you walk out the door,
My little runaway.
Looking for laughs, a joyous time,
With eyes still young and still so blind;
I wonder where you are this time.
Memories rush through my mind
While you're on the streets
Searching for fun.
Will you come home my little runaway?
Having friends is nice,
But I would think twice about their kind.
Drinking and dancing to all hours of the night,
Only trouble could arise.
Come home, come home my precious one,
Mom's still up with the morning sun.
Fear has flooded my soul with pain
As I wonder if I will see you once again.
So much to teach, so much to learn,
I know how your heart yearns.
Please be patient, it will pass,
Come home, come home,
Come home at last,
My little runaway.

The Mirror Image

As I looked in her eyes,
I saw the pain,
But I cannot touch.
I look in her eyes,
She is the mirror image of me.

Moving forth with the shame, the guilt,
And the anger,
As her heart cries out
This is not right,
I see her anger come to life.
I ask how come so young
Does she have to go through this.
I fear looking at myself
In this mirror image.

I turn to God for my answers,
But she still will not speak.
I have to let go for I am only learning
Myself,
And therefore to her I cannot teach
How to overcome this pain.

However, we can grow together
With the understanding that we will
Overcome this traumatic part of life
Which we both have endured.

The mirror image and I
Will both survive, with a special thanks to
An understanding God
And the unconditional love of friends.

A Shared Love

We were pulled together by love,
When we conceived, we conceived love.
We had our ups and we had our downs,
We watched our love spinning round and around.
We were all the same only nobody knew
There was something special about me and you.

We were with child, only nobody could see,
How we helped each other or how we prayed.
No one could see our eyes as they filled with tears,
As we saw a child die or as we saw her mother cry.

No one saw those who had problems
And would pray for their child's life
Night and day.
No one saw any of us who were with child.

We lived together, we became friends,
We shared everything,
But above all we shared our feelings.

Now we have parted and gone our own ways,
And as we wave goodbye to our special love
And the friends we have made, we will remember.

Our strength pulled us together in times of need,
Just as our love pulled us together each day.
Knowing that our caring will always be
And our friendship will always remain,
Even though we have parted ways.

So now with our child in hand we
Will return home reminiscing about those good ole days,
We once shared. Remembering how our
Lives once were and knowing that we are more than friends.
This will get us by
Until we see each other again,
And remember who we once were.

Now we are mothers,
Our lives have changed,
Someday soon, you will all see,
The mothers we are, And the wives we will be.

To Be a Teenager

It is hard to be a teenager in this world today.
Always watching for that friend who will betray.

You are constantly looking for that special someone
Who is faithful and true,
not only to oneself, but also to you.

Money should be of importance, yet, your
Schooling should be too. Going to college to
Fulfill your chosen dream will give you a sense
Of direction, as you reach for your
Independence.

Now having a baby has become the most
promising thing for you. I know how much in
Love that you feel you are, but honey, your
Future will be extremely hard.

In these times of economics, its difficult to get
By. It is hard to be a teenager, I know
Sometimes I even hear you cry.

The young man has walked away, leaving you
And the baby behind. You wonder how you will
Get through this very lonely time.

I know where you are coming from,
for I have been there, too.
Yet, you don't seem to understand
all that I have been through.

There are many decisions for you to make, at
Such a young age. I will help you through the
process to decide what would be
best for the baby and you.

I feel my eyes swell with tears, as
You tell me you want to continue with
School and have the baby, too.

The year to come will bring many
New changes into our lives. You, too soon,
Will be a mother and I, a grandmother,
By your side.

I will watch over the baby while you
Are away at school, so you may go
On to fulfill your dreams and plan a
Bright future for the two of you.

I know it is hard to be a teenager, in
This world today. Peer pressure is
strong and it's hard to stay on top.

The need to fit in, is wearing mighty thin.
Many friends you will make and stand beside,
Through the years of your young life.

As you grow into a young woman, a
Graduate of the local college, dad
And I shed a tear. You have become
The teacher that you have always
Dreamed of.

Leaving behind your teenage years
Looking forward to the future with
Your husband and son,
A new life has begun.

With your dreams within your reach,
You will look back and see,
Just how hard it is to be a teenager in this
World today.

Author's Thoughts

Through the many years of abuse, faith was not to be spoken of, in our home much. There were times I was able to attend church services. I kept my Bible hidden under a dresser, so no one would destroy it. Each night after everyone was asleep, I would spend some time looking for the promises of God.

God's promises always held true, even when I faced broken promises everyday. My Bible became my Patchwork of Promises that God made. My Father in Heaven covered the holes left behind in those broken promises of my life.

I grew in a passion of Lighthouses, as they represent standing firm, guiding, protecting, and Lighthouses rough the storms of life and remain grounded, the image of a loving God.

I began writing at the age of 9 years old. I was in the fifth grade and my teacher Mrs. Barrowin encouraged my writing as a way of expressing my feelings.

Later, in high school, I had two teachers, Mrs. Cassell and Mrs. Nelson, who encouraged my writing. It became my way of talking things out that I could not normally say to people. It was a way of describing what I saw and felt, both bad and good.

In 1993, I began having some of my poetry published through The International Library of Poetry. Poems such as, "An Angel's Wings" and "Grandma's Kitchen".

I still write what is on my heart so that others will know what I see around me and know how I feel when I have gone home to be with Jesus. I want others to be able to see the beauty of the world through my eyes and enjoy it as much as I do.

I love each one for who you are. My hopes are that you use this book to become wiser, stronger, more well-defined individuals. That my faith, may inspire you to search your own beliefs.

Keep your goals in sight and reach for their reality. Dreams do come true, if you want them to. May your Journey be Blessed.

Ms. Angela Willis