I was totally blown-away by Rhonda's powerful writing.
I Hope you find it the same.

I DON''T REMEMBER ME

I DON'T REMEMBER ME
BEFORE THE TIME OF HATE AND LOSS OF TRUST

THE PICTURES SHOW A SMILING PRETTY GIRL
BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHO SHE IS
OR WHAT SHES LIKE

DOES SHE PLAY JACKS AND JUMP ROPE?
OR TWIRL JUST FOR THE FUN OF GETTING DIZZY?

CAN SHE RUN FAST AND
BLOW A BUBBLE WITH ONLY ONE PEICE OF GUM?

CAN SHE CROSS HER EYES OR
MAKE HER TONGUE CURL UP WHEN SHE WHISTLES?

DOES SHE TALK TO HER DOLLS
AND KISS PRETEND BOO-BOOS?

DOES SHE GIGGLE TILL IT HURTS?
OR DOES SHE JUST HURT?

I DON'T REMEMBER.......................


Swinging on my swingset.
Going as high as the chains will take me, then leaning even further until my arms have reached thier limit.
Singing songs all by myself.
The sounds of creaking chains setting the beat.
Back and forth. Back and forth...
drowning out the sounds in my head.
Singing louder..Drowning out the sounds in my head
..singing louder, swinging harder. pumping legs and arms, wanting to let go and fly.....
People passing turn to see the loud swinging, singing child..
They smile and think what a happy child....not a pretty voice but good lungs.....
Too bad they hear the songs but not the words.......

Inside the girl, a young child cried
For there was hidden deep inside
A longing for the chance to see
The woman she was meant to be

She hoped that someone had the means
To free the captive young child's dreams
To laugh and dance, to play and run
Feel joy and hope, as once was done.

Her innocence was touched and scarred
Her tender heart was pounded hard
Her tiny eyes saw things not sweet
Her tiny life was incomplete

For all the damage took its toll
and tried to steal her young child soul.
To save its self it hid in shame
And carried all the others blame

And hidden stayed until the day
That life rolled all the walls away
And made the child confront the pain
So it could start to live again.

And as she pushed through mounting fear
She found there was another near.
A grownup reaching from above
To bridge the gap of pain with love

A gentle hand to lead the way
Across the broken dream decay.
Into a place where things were new
Not perfect yet some hope broke through

And as the child looked up to see
The grown-up who was there for she
She looked into her own small face
The same but yet the youth erased

And saw herself look down with pride
For they had journeyed side by side
And found a place where both could be
The one in strength...the other free...........

Hide and Seek....."Count to a hundred and come find us"
...Shut my eyes and whisper my numbers.......100, 99, 98, 97......
.....Seems forever until I say "one"...Open my eyes and look around me.....
Where did they go?? The hugs, the kisses...the love...they hide too good...I can't find them.
I keep looking...Yelling Ollie Ollie in free, but they still hide.
They are not playing fair....
Telling them I quit and don't want to play anymore
..but they still hide..Don't they hear me quitting????
don't they know the game is over????
I QUIT!!!!
I do not want to play this game anymore so stop
......new game

WHO SAID THAT LIFE IS FAIR?
THAT THERE'S A HAPPY ENDING.
THAT PEOPLE REALLY CARE
AND BROKEN HEARTS GET MENDING.......

THE TRUTH IS WHERE ITS AT.
THAT JUSTICE DOES PREVAIL.
THAT GOOD GUYS WEAR WHITE HATS
AND BAD GUYS GO TO JAIL..........

THAT IT IS BEST TO TURN A CHEEK
WHEN SOMEONE CAUSES PAIN.
THERE'S KINGDOMS WAITING FOR THE MEEK
IF ONLY WE SUSTAIN................

THAT IF YOUR GOOD AND FOLLOW RULES
YOU'LL SELDOM HAVE TO CRY
IT'S NOT HOW MUCH YOU WIN OR LOSE
IT'S ONLY THAT YOU TRY................

WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE RULES OF LIFE
I ONCE HEARD AS A KID.
WHO SAID THAT LIFE IS FAIR???????
I THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE DID................

I LOOKED ACROSS THE BARON LAND
IN SEARCH OF SIGNS OF LIFE.
SOME SMALL GREEN GLIMPSE OF PRECIOUS HOPE
TO EASE MY DAYS OF STRIFE...........

BUT ALL I SAW FOR MILES AROUND
WAS PARCHED AND HARDENED SOIL
NO DECENT PLACE FOR SEED NOR PLOW
NO HARVEST FOR MY TOIL........

I FELT THAT GOD HAD LEFT ME THERE
I LOST ALL WILL TO TRY
I GAVE UP ALL MY FAITH IN HIM
AND LAY ME DOWN TO DIE...................

BUT AS I LAY THERE IN THE DUST
AND CRIED FOR LIFE TO END
MY TEARDROPS FELL UPON THE GROUND
AND MOISTENED IT AGAIN............

AND THERE APPEARED A TINY PLANT
SO GREEN AND FINELY MADE.
I CUPPED MY HANDS AROUND ITS BASE
TO GIVE IT LOVING SHADE........

AS EACH DAY PAST I PRAISED THE LORD
FOR EACH SMALL LEAF THAT GREW.
AND THANKED HIM THAT HE LOVED ME SO
TO GIVE ME FAITH ANEW.

EACH DAY I SAT AMIDST THE WASTE
AND WATCHED THE SEEDLING SPROUT.
AND AS EACH NEW BUD TOOK ITS PLACE
MY THANKFUL HEART CRIED OUT...........

THE LAND AROUND ME STILL IS BARE
BUT MATTERS NOT TO ME
FOR GOD HAS SENT THE TREE OF HOPE
ITS SHADE TO COMFORT ME...........................

MOVING ONTO NEWER PLACES
ALWAYS LOOKING BACK AGAIN
SEARCHING THROUGH THE MANY MAZES
WISHING FOR WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN.............


HOLDING ONTO SOMEONES SHADOW
CLUTCHING TO UNSPOKEN WORDS
CRYING OUT IN DESPERATION
FOR THE PROMISE NEVER HEARD.........


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