Poetry Collection by Michelle Goodale Twenty-one poems Contents 1. A Hero with a Thousand Faces 2. A Killers Vow 3. Analyze 4. Before Me 5. Changing the World 6. Glass Box 7. In the Corner 8. Inner Peace 9. Last Minute Left 10. Lasted Through The Years 11. Lost Love 12. Makings of a Play 13. Manipulation 14. Mirror Image 15. Que Alegre 16. The Dream 17. This Feeling Inside 18. To Trust Another 19. What You Gave Me 20. Words I say 21. You Can Make A Difference ——— A Hero with a Thousand Faces A hero with a thousand faces Is he a hero at all He comes to you one way And leaves another Is he a hero at all Should you follow he who changes faces Will he help me out. I can’t trust a man with a thousand faces Is he a hero at all He’ll do one thing and say another Is he a hero at all Who is this man this hero with a thousand faces I can’t really tell you He acts one way and says another He doesn’t seem happy He seems so confused His mind is a clutter He’s not really a hero He’s just like me Confused 6-1-1994 ——— A Killers Vow Lying on the edge of inhumanity I seek revenge of whats been done to me No one shall rest No one shall wake Until revenge is mine to take. Bitter sweet sorrow Revenge is fulfilled Now upon my death The nightmare is stilled. *Written in 1992 ——— Analyze Analyze the situation Thing out thoroughly Find the pros and the cons Of whats right there Give good thought to each road To travel take the one that feels right Fear not to take the step To stand and not move To a greater plain Is worse than fear It’s dying So think out clearly Examine the paths Find the narrow and the straight Find the few yet the many Who flock in his grace And live forever in peace. Written 5-29-94 ——— Before Me My mamma used to tell me things would work out But nothing ever did Nothing ever turned out right not since I was born. Now mamma’s been in her grave a very long time And it just doesn’t seem right. If only I could turn back the clock To those happy days long before Where nothing seemed to matter And love was everywhere. If only it could be like it was back then. My grandpa used to sit me on his lap. We’d sit there and read a book. Everything seemed oh just fine. But nows the end o f that With his last gasp of air If only I could turn back the clock To those happy days long before Where nothing seemed to matter And love was everywhere If only it could be like it was back then. I remember Jimmy sitting on the back porch Just staring at the storm He used to tell us about life and things Until the questions wore out But now Jimmy’s long gone Since his ship went down at sea If only I could turn back the clock To those happy days long before Where nothing seemed to matter And love was everywhere If only it could be like it was back then. I only wish it could have been like it should have been. If only I could turn back the clock To those happy days long before Where nothing seemed to matter And love was everywhere If only it could be like it was back Before me. Written 1994 ——— Changing the World The pain so deep So hard to forget It’s hard to trust another. Not one man has stayed for long In my trusting soul. So standing here now In pain so deep Afraid to take a step Afraid to trust another. I’d give my life at any moment For anybody But that doesn’t mean that trust has come. What is means There is a need To change the world for better One problem is It takes more than one It takes many to back the cause. So spread th word And stand around Heading forward Fighting for right Don’t give up If I die along the way I’m not the only leader Just keep on going and win the fight ‘Cause you know what’s right. (Originally written 5-24-1994) ——— Glass Box To be trapped in a glass box No room to escape No one can hear the cries Inside the sound stays Inside it never leaves To be heard would be great But the glass keeps it in It’s hard to get out It’s hard to let it be heard The hurts so deep Scared of everything The glass box holds tight The space grows smaller To get out would be great But how is the catch Freedoms whats wanted From pain and hurt But what will it get Is yet undetermined Trapped in it’s world Of quiet unkempt peace The glass of withheld emotions Stays tightly sealed Written 5-28-94 ——— In the Corner Running through the darkness, Trying to find some light. Afraid to look behind, Scared of what I’ve left, There’s something back there, That I have left, I need it now unable to find it. I run into a wall, I try to climb but I can’t. There are no grips to grip. Nothing but smooth concrete. Frustrated I try to see in the dark behind me, With much concentration I can see, There’s nothing there to see. Inside I know there’s something there, I concentrate to the right of me, And what I see scares me. I know that way is wrong not right, But an echoing voice calls, Erie and faintly in the dark, Enticing me to come. It says it’s right, I know it’s wrong. The past trail I fear to travel So here I am Stuck in the middle of wrong and fear Pain and death Without another thing to do So here I am In the Corner. Written 5-24-94 ——— Inner Peace Faith is something hard to find Especially in despair When it seems the world’s against you Love is hard to believe When in times of anger When it conquers all decency And leaves you to rot away Dreams are hard to follow Truth it seems far away. It’s where there’s something wrong you feel this way. It’s when there’s fear inside. To have true faith To know true love To follow true dreams Is the greatest thing, you could ever know. It takes faith to find the love Both to find the dream And all to find Inner peace. Written 5-24-94 ——— Last Minute Left Time ticks by ever so slowly Only a minute left Bodies tense ready to run With forty seconds left Eyes twitch nervously With thirty seconds left It’s hard to believe it’s almost over with twenty seconds left The euphoria sets in as they count down from 10 9,8,7, 6,5,4, 3,2,1 The bell rings loud they all run out At zero seconds left They are out the door Headed for fun At Zero seconds left. You only hope you taught them well Because summer has come And just begun At Zero Seconds left 5-25-1994 last part had a bit of a re-write since then. ——— Lasted Through The Years You tell me now that you feel that you just can’t go on That every time you try to reason out the why Nothing seems to fit Not even the child’s voice sounding in the yard. Everything you say it feels at an end You tell me that the only way to make it all worth while Is to die. Then I say Listen boy you just don’t know the facts all So listen up here to these words I’ve got to say Nothing I have ever built has lasted through the years The only thing it seems is the life I built with you That was when I realized that all that had happened to me Was just a sacrifice that showed me where I had to be And do you know that all that has fallen has made me what I am And with you it has all made amends. I cry the tears I cry in silent prayer today While hearing you say I just don’t have the strength to see it all through I just can’t watch my little boy get lost. There’s just no way I could live with that Can’t you see It hurts too much I just can’t go on with the pain I feel like a failure to my son and to my wife So please try and understand my reasons why It’s really no one’s fault Except my own. Then I say Listen boy you just don’t know the facts all So listen up here to these words I’ve got to say Nothing I have ever built has lasted through the years The only thing it seems is the life I built with you That was when I realized that all that had happened to me Was just a sacrifice that showed me where I had to be And do you know that all that has fallen has made me what I am And with you it has all made amends. And then everything went dead No more words came pouring from the phone. Not even the pleading of crying all alone Slowly I stood and fell upon the floor Suddenly I felt That nothing I had built had lasted through the years Not even the part that made it all worth while. It all just feels at an end. Then I felt the warm embrace of my wife Who said honey what’s wrong. Nothing I have ever built has lasted through the years. Not even the part that made it all worth while. Then she said Listen you just don’t know the facts all So listen up here to these words I’ve got to say Nothing I have ever built has lasted through the years The only thing it seems is the life I built with you That was when I realized that all that had happened to me Was just a sacrifice that showed me where I had to be And do you know that all that has fallen has made me what I am And with you it has all made amends. So please don’t give in now. Please last with me through the years. Please don’t give in now. Please last with me through the years. Written 1994 ——— Lost Love Love is something not always seen Sometimes not till you lose it. By then it hurts You feel it inside It’s something you can’t get back You do all you can to replace it You want it back so bad. Anything would be done at your expense To regain lost love It tugs at your heart Till it feels like breaking It pumps at you Till it feels it must burst Lost love Is like a ghost It’s there but it’s not It’s like God You feel it but do not see it It’s hard to imagine How one who’s experienced it feels But look into their eyes And you shall see and feel What they feel Written 5-27-94 ——— Makings of a Play The music starts the motion The tune sets the mood The plot makes the scene Characters add the action And now the play begins. One mans love Another mans gain. One woman’s heart falls away. The plot is set, And will soon end. In another souls regret The music stops the motion The plot now closes The play now ends In misery Yet again 5-25-1994 ——— Manipulation Foster the idea of manipulation Turning men into pawns Bowing to a will not their own Blinded by the nymph of manipulation Following it into the abyss. May 27, 2012 ——— Mirror Image To look at a friend Who is hurting Makes me hurt too To look at a friend Who feels no hope Makes me feel that way to In my friend I see a mirror image To look at a friend Who is way out ahead Makes me feel I’ve accomplished something I’ll always stand back and watch them go I’m not one to steal the show To push them farther than they thought they could go I feel I’m way out ahead Helping my friends who need my help Guiding those who need some guidance In my friend I see a mirror image of me. Written 5-29-94 ——— Que Alegre *Note: this poem was done from the Arabian Horse world magazine about this horse and a real boy named PJ. P.J. an autistic child With big browns eyes and incredible smile. Unknowing of contact. Unknowing of love It was matter of fact with contact made To Que Alegre The Arabian mare. He was her child, she taught him well Of love, Of Speech And contact as well. Then one day in February Old and sick was Que Alegre, No hope was left to save the gift The news was bad the questions many My heart was breaking The silence strange Then he touched and held my hand He felt the pain, I new he knew of Que Alegre We went to his mare and knelt beside He stroked, kissed and talked to her too He knew she was gone ‘But where mommy where?’ ‘A steed of an angel in heaven was where’ Que Alegre P.J.’s first love Not only taught of love and of life But death as well He prays each night for Que Alegre Knowing that all is not lost Through the love that was gone 5-29-1994 (My year I know is off on this one but it’s what I have written down. I was a Sophomore in High School when I wrote this for Scott Smith’s Poetry Class. An awesome teacher. ) ——— The Dream To want so bad you can taste it To work so hard you feel exhausted To talk about it so you feel you’re there That is a dream To walk so far Run so hard Just to reach that goal To try to be the best you can That is a dream To enjoy and have fun To have the desire To make it all the way Do all you can And put out your hand Now that is to attain With dreams attained Better yourself In ways you only dreamed of The process starts over again That’s the dream. Written 5-25-94 ——— This Feeling Inside I try to understand I try to know why I have this feeling inside I don’t understand I don’t know why So I don’t react to this feeling inside It’s a little strange A little weird Sometimes a little happy But it’s always unexplainable and undefined So what do I do about this feeling inside I’ve tried so hard to know I’ve tried so hard to understand This feeling inside But my brain won’t function And my mind won’t work A feeling I can’t understand And I don’t know why Will stay a mystery for sometime This feeling inside This mystery inside. Written 5-29-94 ——— To Trust Another I walk in the park, Alone on the path. Afraid to love another, For fear of being hurt again. As I walk the moonlight guides me. Then I see you across the way, Just standing there Watching the ducks on the pond. Lost in thought about who knows what. I can’t take my eyes off you. Your face is bright and full of wonder. I take a step forward, Forgetting regrets Soon to step back Afraid once again. Confused am I now, I turn to leave. I feel your hand on my shoulder, I turn to see what you wanted. But I couldn’t see you there, All I could see was the sun Breaking through the darkness In front of me. (Originally written on 5-24-1994) ——— What You Gave Me You gave me life, While I took yours away. You gave me freedom, While I enslaved you. You gave me love, While I showed you contempt. You showed me understanding, While I gave no ground. You gave me dreams, While I shot yours down. You gave me facts, While I told you lies. You taught me well, While I tried to ignore you. You gave me myself, While I hid from me. November 1997 ——— Words I say I don’t need anybody I don’t need anything Are words I say for protection It helps sometimes when It feels like the world is caving in I don’t care Why should I care Are words I say to defend It helps to keep the pain trapped inside When someone turns against you. It’s something I do to protect myself From pain so deep It builds a wall up around my heart And it keeps me safe from others But always things pierce that wall And pain starts to swell It gets so bad I want to run But something stops me there I fear to fight I fear to fly I just want the pain to stop Written 5-29-94 ——— You Can Make A Difference You can make a difference in all that you do. No matter how little No matter how profound Just for being my friend and helping me out. You have made a difference in me You can make a difference In everything Just by doing something Saying something Anything You can make a difference In someone’s life. Just close your eyes And say a silent prayer And you’ll make a difference In yourself. So when your down Remember this you can make a difference Today. Written 5-29-94 — writingsonline.com