January Gem

This poem was written exactly 12 years ago today in honor of my niece Krystal's 1/23 birth!
So, in honor of her 12th birthday, I'd thought I'd post it:

KRYSTAL IN JANUARY

She was born early on a

mild January eve.

This newborn life is my new niece.

This I cannot conceive.

Her father my brother,

and I find it hard to believe,

that my younger sibling is now a dad.

I am trying hard to perceive.

Remembering us as children,

telling jokes and playing games.

Now he is a full grown man

and nothing is the same.

A new daughter he now has.

A new bride he will have, too.

This precious baby is a gift from God;

she is loved by more than a few.

Her name is Krystal Lynn you see,

as fragile and beautiful as

a fine gem can be.

M. Kelley

1/24/97

I Cried The Other Day

I cried the other day
for a little girl lost.
She was batted around

and then out she was tossed.

They found her remains

out by the roadside.

Her mother in jail

behind her lies she can't hide.

This poor little soul

so precious, meek and mild.

How could someone do this

to a poor innocent child?


I cried the other day
for a boy with eyes of blue.
His parents' loss rips
at my heart through and through.
His death, from an illness
that he has had for years.
His parents, I bet,
still see his face through their tears.
Their hearts, they must ache
with the loss of their son.
How could they have known
that this day was his last one?


I cried the other day
for all the children gone.
Their lives are a legacy,
their memory lives on.