Below are submissions to the Expositor for our yearly poetry contest.
We just recently lost our beloved family pet Mama cat of 19 years, so Adele wanted to remember her
Valentine:
Memories of Mama Cat
I love my Mama cat, all those memories were amazing!!
It was sad to see her getting older. I’m getting colder
every time I remember her.
She was a good girl, and when her tail would swirl,
I would know she was happy.
She would shine and I was fine.
But on that day I saw her,
I knew it was time and she was mine.
There for my entire life, she heard me sing, laugh and cry.
We were set up for success together.
Mama always lifted my spirit. We were there for
each other and I will always remember her.
Now she’s in heaven, and hopefully meeting my
Great Grandmas Gladys and Lois who love cats.
Goodbye Mama cat, you are the love of my life.
Until we meet again, my Valentine.
Adele Bishop, age 12
Espanola
Rainbows
Our mark. Our symbol.
Our quiet way of letting others know
this is a safe place for you
to be yourself.
You are valued here.
One in the sisterhood of many.
God’s white light,
dissected into all the colours
of the rainbow.
Each one is unique and special.
Together we shine white
in God’s eyes,
Perfect.
Brenda Dewar
Bay Estates
Life’s Treasures
My love is like a briar patch
All thorny and prickly is she
But I wouldn’t have her any other way
For she’s the love for me.
She’s my spice of life,
My oregano and thyme,
She keeps me on my toes
And brings me love divine.
Against my foes, fiercely does she defend me
And just as fiercely do I hold her tight;
She warms my bed with love so fine
And keeps my kitchen bright.
She’s close beside me when it come to decisions
hard and right.
This love we share will always be
The treasure of my life.
Lorna Cambria
Silver Water
To my lovely Fiance
To be loved by you is leaving the lights low
When you get ready for work,
while I sleep in and you go
To love you is to always know
I never have to do the dishes or take out the trash,
You can handle it all with love in tow.
To know you is to see a future so true,
A day when I’ll marry and spend life with you.
To be yours has been the sweetest of days,
Filling my heart in the most loving ways.
Never leaving without a goodbye kiss so sweet.
A love like yours, no other can beat.
Taylor
Simple Things
Warm cups of coffee,
On a cold winter’s eve.
Conversation flows easily,
A connection I gladly receive.
We both love to read,
We compare books for days.
A literary podcast,
On the radio along our way.
In the evening two guitars,
The stress of life music suspends,
A nice way to unwind,
At a hectic day’s end.
The beauty of nature eclipsed only by you,
On this Island we call home.
Warmth and joy to my soul,
The sunshine does roam.
The wonder of northern lights,
Reflected on an inland lake.
We walk along a tree-lined trail,
Serenity increases with each step we take.
All the simple things in life we share:
A hot cup of coffee,
A heartfelt tune,
A good book to read,
A walk under a starry sky,
And a frosty winter moon.
by Emily Deegan and Dan Manitowabi
Kissing the Clown
I have commandeered
the step stool
on which my beloved often stands
to negotiate the difference
in our height.
Seated on it,
I wait in her intended path
having framed myself
with the salvaged window sash
I’ve just restored to bare elements
for a cunning new piece she will soon devise.
I hold it slightly askew,
thinking a rakish angle
will somehow enhance my tableau.
She approaches:
Puzzled first,
and then delighted,
she stoops to plant a playful kiss.
But the aches of a too-long day
suspend her in mid swoop;
and I, freeze-framed
by the immutable laws of portraiture,
cannot rise to meet her.
I call for a dissolve
and we tumble into laughter,
assured that love
holds our disparate lives
together.
Jacob Hogeterp
Direction
Plotting and dead reckoning
Where do I head?
Toward the horizon
or the lighthouse instead?
The water is deep
in this vast lake:
I’m in the North Channel
which route do I take?
Head for Barrie Island
or the Jubilee Shoal?
East or North,
Where should I go?
There is a stone pile
where I’ll take my position;
I’ll head to Cook’s Dock
now I’m on a mission.
I’ll look at the map
and see where I’m going
to my true love
whose heart I am following.
I’m heading home
to my mate.
I’ll mark my log
on course this date!
Melody Hore
Evansville
To Brian
Two hearts
One couple
Two people
One life
Two hope
One family
35 years
One love
A simple concept,
A lifetime of joy.
Love, Karen
Karen McGregor
Wrestling the Ambiguity of Affection
A winter wind blows down the line
while you’re left seeing red.
And the scent of summer roses
is easily left for dead.
Yet,
stranded on this shipwreck night
my sky is always blue.
‘Cause i think of you
and feel for you.
Nothing
but true love.
Ahhhhh………
I think of you and feel for you,
Nothing but true love.
Craig Mclean
And the winner is!…
Untitled
After years of living in fight or flight,
I had trudged through endless night
With scars that whispered tales of pain
And memories that cut like rain.
Each touch before—a sharpened blade,
Each word a lie, each smile a fade.
I learned to brace, to guard, to fight,
To know the darkness, not the light.
But then you came, like morning’s hue,
The quiet calm of a sky so blue
With eyes that saw beyond the scars
And hands that healed from near and far.
You pulled me close, a steady grace,
Rebuilding trust, no need to chase;
In every gesture, soft and kind
You began to ease my mind.
The weight of hurt, the fear, the rage,
Melted away upon your stage.
Each time you spoke, your voice felt like home
Something I had never known
In your embrace the world stood still,
A place where silence always heals.
Your touch, a refuge warm and deep,
A promise made, no need to weep.
You taught me what it means to rest,
To lay my heart upon your chest,
To feel the pulse of love unfold,
A sensation far more tender than bold.
Courtney Pitawanakwat
Happy Valentine’s Day
I send this message with
Love, hugs and kisses
to you in heaven that
I Love and miss you.
I’m sharing this message in
loving memory of my son
who has passed away. I miss you,
I think about you and
you are forever in my heart.
Gone but never forgotten
I Love You,
Mom
Bonnie Fogal
Valentines
When you meet that one person,
And a spark is ignited,
As the flame grows stronger,
And you feel delighted,
Your only wish,
Is to be by their side,
The love that you feel,
Is so hard to hide,
You walk down life’s road,
Proudly holding their hand,
As the hourglass of time,
Slowly sifts through its sand,
The decades do pass,
But your love never dies,
You both remain close,
As sure as there are stars in the skies,
Ron Zinger
Falling in Love in Mexico
Food
There’s a healthy rhythm
to life and love in Mexico,
with bursts of laughter and salsa songs,
on noisy construction sites,
and corners of busy streets,
from inside sparsely furnished casitas,
and from Mexican street vendors
pushing carts laden with tangy ceviche,
chicken tacos and charred corn ,
Tempting passersby to taste
and fall in love with their
savory wares.
Family
There is a light in the eyes
of Mexican children of all ages
that would melt the hardest of hearts
of anyone who has witnessed
the unconditional love
of a grandparent
with her wrinkled hands
lovingly cuddling
a thoroughly contented,
totally trusting
tiny baby,
while the baby’s beaming mother
soaks up the light and beauty
of the remarkable portrait of
grandmother and child.
Friends
There’s a positive energy in Mexico
That swirls around, picks you up,
carries you down
Its streets and sidewalks’
into its stores and restaurants
into the care of many helpful hearts and hands,
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.
Deborah Wilson
Honora Bay
Finding Love Again
We were young, we were blessed,
We found love, had the best!
We built our lives, our families, our homes,
We travelled the world, from mountains to foams.
Life was an adventure with the loves of our lives,
We had it all and more with each of our wives.
We thought time together would never end,
Sadly, not the case for us and our best friends.
The price of love, broken hearts and grief,
How to go on in crushing disbelief.
We know our first loves watch from above,
And orchestrated us meeting with a gentle shove.
Life is a journey and meant to be lived,
The heart is resilient with much love to give.
Thankful are we for the new love we found,
A true special gift for the second time round.
We are older now, still blessed
Found love again, living life to our best.
Laurie Masters and Heather Watts
To my wife with love
Greeting me always with a smile
You’re an excellent mother and wife
So lucky to walk with you mile by mile
Never could have dreamt to have such a life.
For all you do for the children and me
As we age and our hair turns grey
The love in your eyes is easy to see
I’ll be with you day after day.
With you by my side, I stand tall and proud.
You lighting up the room is nothing new.
I have feelings I may not say out loud
So happy to be making these memories with you
Nobody else in this world can measure
You in my life is the ultimate treasure!
Chris Kennedy
