Tints her words had touched, strongly felt
impassioned feelings, colors dealt
intensely echoed within her quiet soul
until beauty healed one - completely whole.

Til surmised she could almost hear
what colors whispered, distinctions heard
unseen by eye, yet felt by ear
what pure Beauty spoke - penned into word.

For me, sound is much more revealing
than tinge, tones, tints, shades, blush or hues
music measures a deeper feeling
than reds, yellows, browns - greens and blues.

Thereafter colors become but a blur
merging blends my eyes cannot discern
reddish or redder still, am never sure
black, white or grays, tis these - my concern.

I love beauty, knowing color has its place
but if to hear how color makes one feel
her poems reveal with such subtile grace
til color's beauty sung - with poetic zeal.

Melodies Nature sang, words will ever live
Abbie’s music intoned - by what colors give.
October 19, 1998

How did her mind find, then grasp from those unknown hidden caches
such disparate adjectival notions, til gave such flair and flash
ordinary parlance would leach down to but sterile ashes?
Paints her poetry with varied shades, brushed with strongly colored splash.

She will start you out on a known road, once have traveled
thence clearly remind you forgotten things, one now remembers
soon twists, ties what you know with some other - loosely raveled
thus juxtaposed as two - ignites burnt ash back to embers.

Much of what she had written, nurtured from Nature
her source from which all else engrafted thereon - from or to
truly in tune with land, sea, sky, ice and glacier
her heart and mind blent all reality - from God to you.

For me, she would have been a kindred Spirit
though I try, only chance - would bring me near it.
January 4, 1999

Tender beat gently heard, soon after begins surging strong
until that rapid cadence - inspires its lively song.

Churning faster then louder, stronger - beating
til heart and mind found pulsing, pounding - heating
as power of its music engages one’s inner mood
pouding cadence, loud volume, strength and speed - Spanish-hewed.

Music, Culture’s gift birthed from dreams and mathematics
piercing into one's soul, until gifts one ecstatic
fandango Spanish music - always so dramatic.
February 24, 1999

Many murdered, so might gain some vain-sought lustful scheme
fashioned fables, fully flushed with wants and ways most extreme
wed unlike-espoused as two, thence to war in marital's fray
characters each one can know, for we too - are such as they.

Speech enlaced with poetic words, ancient poets stole
til hearts and souls of millions, reflect within their soul
raised English language to those ultimate heights, untold since
reached everyman - from poor pauper to ill-fated prince.

An endless anthology poetical expressions writ:
Lord what fools these mortals be, Briefly tis the soul of wit
Every inch a king, My kingdom for a horse, To the manor born
finding daily usage from old English - still proudly worn.

Humanity measured by its drive to become or attain
for every age equates those with power, as but fools or vain
five-hundred years, still accurately describes life's wanton ways
as if Time held still, timeless theatrics - tasted in his plays.
July 18, 1999

Innate magic of those classics, for such are timeless
their depths, scope, anything, everything - yet not mindless
awakens universal thoughts, though of Western style
for music tis Culture-bred - will listen for a while.
March 15, 2000

That limit: second D or E above middle C
a measure of keys, as to how high one’s voice could be
when easily reached, such a joy - sung high and free.

But should age at last bring singer’s voice to crack
attendance thereafter, invitations go slack
simply because one’s voice broke - now but a hack!
March 19, 2000

A culture long steeped from Druid days, fabled folk-lores of ancient ghosts
later inculcated with Christian faith, long-fired in poverty’s oasts
its history replete with deprivations - scant harvests, foreign rule
a language much hid behind, yet expressing depths unlearned in school.

Both Nature and History combined, long taught - sufferings gift one strong
poverty found their hearts first to cry, then healed by song
til Time came of age, when others heard - sang and played those ancient airs
voiced those human feelings, poverty suffered - songs expressed as prayers.

Its lilt and laughter, their loss and lees, long-suffering often breeds
beneath their melodic stir, those dreamy drifts humanity needs
music of the Irish, a special blend of notes, sounds and word
graced what other Cultures lack, around the world - still proudly heard.
March 21, 2000

For such were honest-earned upon wry barren clays
people long suppressed by harshened rule, sparse lands dealt
deeply learned to feel sorrow from deprivation’s nays
of love early lost or never gained, sung - of how tis felt.
March 27, 2000

Their attention given with respect and expectation
quiet or soft laughter, as droned on with recitation
when ended, gave such applause as had never earned before
a happy read for us all, those nuns - asked for an encore!
May 26, 2000

Not those modern beats to quell that ennui, their youth seem to require
but harmonic blends crafted long ago, deeply delved - sought to inspire
translates human feelings, quells that beast within - tis such music makes one whole
but why tis so, an enigma never solved - one's pleasure its wanted goal.
June 14, 2000

Tints with gray shadings, hinting of some drear melancholy
darkened clouds of some impending Doom - its ending finale
deepened with a richness, brought on by music's intended strain
recasting ephemeral hopes, til felt realistically sane.

Drifting midst those Elysian dreams still undreamt
discovering new meanings with each attempt
balm to soothe one's soul, calms the heart - Otherwheres and Time
much as might find midst old versings - someone put to rhyme.
June 25, 2000

Late-learned were discovered by Chopin from severaled Irish airs
recrafted within his gifted mind, nocturns became their heirs
somber quietude brought of Celtic lands, late evening shares
grateful what life gave or took, proffered as one's nightly prayers.

Once brought of Irish moods, thence re-tooled by a Slavic mind
again to end my day, entranced by music of such kind

so real yet surreal, blending Now with Future's hope
music's mystical magic, much like what past poets wrote.
September 26, 2000

Birthed by circumstance, time and place brought to bear
happenstance wrote down what mind traced, wrought with care
so others might reap true grains sown, their thoughts ground down to grist
savor those olden dreams hinted of, someone's life had missed.

For those who know, gather rich depths of life, love, grief - the soul
for the common man, what poets may reveal - makes one whole.
October 13, 2000

Mere magic of sound, like lettered characters read upon a page
one’s hopes quickly searching, for what may soon be seen on stage
as lines unfold, actors speak - those scenery-sets have put in place
there to dream of one's fairy-land - joyed excitement of the chase!

All else held unthought, now fully attend - but within the mind
another world-scene, factual or fancied - far different kind
such power dealt by mere sounds and/or words, no elsewheres find
oft recalled long after, no matter what one’s age - or if blind.
October 19, 2000

Look to it thy snub-nosed toad
or get thee fast down the road
ever after, hearts are stirred
five centuries - still often heard.

A paragon of Old English usage
words welded with their historic fuseage
dispite some think their talents so clever
a goal oft sought, one might gain - but never!

For those English proud, Shakespeare tis their best
convoluted plots twistwd with evil's quest
not one to be copied nor paraphrased
simply read as is - still holds one amazed!
October 26, 2000

For in that course of time, much unfound to last
their miss-ment, Chopin’s music innately hast
as sharps and flats, selected chords, slow tempos throbbed
echoing former friends once knew - deft Time has robbed.
January 5, 2001

Thence is it so strange, that notes sung as song
impinge the ear as neither right nor wrong
resonating feelings one finds unique
yes tis most strange - that mystery called music.
February 23, 2001