A collection of poems written by Benita G.

A Voice…. O f poems

2

Picture sources: All works are original by author

Table of Contents

Alone……………………………………………………………………1

When Eric swims the mile .......................................................... 2

Halloween Costumes ................................................................. 3

Gone like the wind…………………………………………………….4

Looking back on death………….…………………………………….5

This book is dedicated to my best friend Eric, whom I love like a brother.

1

Alone Alone. The wind blows, The sun sets. A solitary creature, I've lost myself in the darkness. I am alone, Trapped in my own mind Pushed away, I am lost. Abandoned, I am lost. I used to be great, I used to be loved! But now, I am alone. All alone.

2

When Eric swims the mile

Water flows out of the pool, When Eric swims the mile. The water glistens, The coaches scream, When Eric swims the mile. He kicks so hard And I end up laughing, When Eric swims the mile. "Survive" we both chant in our minds, When Eric swims the mile. We all cheer as he glides across the pool, We clap when he does a perfect turn, When Eric swims the mile. He touches the wall, The crowd goes wild. When Eric survives the mile

3

Halloween costumes

Halloween is a time to dress up in costumes, All I see from left to right are zombies stumbling over their own feet, Princess's twirling like a top, And of course the famous bed sheet ghosts, With the sheets flying out behind them like there in a high speed chase. But everyone gasps at the sight of my costume, As if I'm a vampire walking in the night, They look at me and giggle as if I were a clown, But all of them smile as I walk into the room, "Look there's the remote!" one shouts, I turn around and yes….. I'm a TV remote!

4

Gone like the wind

Middle of the afternoon, I heard nothing at first When my parents told me. All I could think of was how I would not hear her say "good job" after a race anymore. In my head, my laps had less meaning, my practices were empty. I was crushed, like the grass underneath my shoes. Funny like a clown. Encouraging like a cheerleader. Kind like a sister. Supportive like a parent. Loving as a mother Gone like the wind. Every day her face shows up in my mind like the sun in the morning. And now she's gone. Gone like the wind.

5

Looking back on Death Have you ever known true pain? I have. True pain is a bullet. A bullet the pierces the skin, And destroys a life. True pain is a knife, Gliding through muscle and skin. And it again destroys a life. I have known this pain. Love can be pain, If it ends abruptly, It can be pain. True pain is a loss, The loss of a loved one, The loss of yourself, I have known this pain. I have lost myself, I have lost others, And I have known true pain. Death is the greatest pain anyone can suffer, I have known this pain.