A Beautiful Rose: A Collection of Poems

by Yvonne Boose

Overview

A Beautiful Rose includes poems that were written based on Yvonnes personal experiences. Within these pages, she gives insight on key relationships in her life. Yvonne used empathy in some of her poems. The poem Homeless is a great example of this. When young women read Yvonnes poetry, she hopes that they realize how beautiful and special they are regardless of unfavorable circumstances. Yvonne celebrates life and love through her poetry and most importantly, she celebrates herself; a beautiful rose.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781456769659
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	08/11/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	92
File size:	186 KB

About the Author

Yvonne lives in the south suburbs of Chicago. She began writing poetry when she was 11 years old. It started out as a 5th grade assignment but after the first one, she just couldn't stop writing. She loves helping others in any way that she can and hopes, through her poetry, that she can help young women by sharing some of her life experiences and the experiences of those around her.

Read an Excerpt

A BEAUTIFUL ROSE

A Collection of Poems

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By Yvonne Boose

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2011 Yvonne Boose
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4567-6967-3

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Chapter One

    God

    Please hold on in times of pain
    Please be still and know that he maintains
    Your very existence he's a constant ring
    That has no beginning or end
    He is everything that is anything
    His touch will always mend
    What's broken even if it is self-inflicted
    He forgives us and keeps us lifted

    He understands our every thought
    He forgives all of our faults
    Sometimes we go through things that we don't understand
    But we have to remember he has his own plans
    So trust in him forever and beyond
    And just remember with him you'll become
    Your very best and so much more
    Just open up and let him pour
    His everlasting love that no one can duplicate
    He is always on time, never is he late

    So hold on and know that his time is perfect


    Gerri Girl

    God called and you answered
    I, being selfish, wanted you to stay awhile
    Thinking somehow
    This thing would go away

    You made it through in the past
    I just knew this hospital stay wouldn't last
    Just another one of your bouts
    God's promised miracle, I had no doubts

    At first I was relieved; you were away from the pain
    No more getting soaked by that same old rain
    Then I questioned why you ever had to endure
    I just didn't understand, I am still unsure
    How did Lupus take over your blood?

    An unwanted guest came your way
    Made you his home and dimmed your ray
    I remember when you were diagnosed
    And all of that medication but you took every dose

    At that time, I didn't know how severe it could be
    But right now I smile, because I know you are free
    Away from this world safe and dry
    No more worrying or asking why

    I'm thankful that we shared this world
    You were one of a kind my Gerri girl


    River flow

    I breathe the life of those before me
    And those after me will do the same
    Awakening life's energy
    Carrying on more than just a name

    I'll clear my thoughts with their tears
    Tears that made the river flow
    Standing strong throughout the years
    Carrying on my ancestor's glow

    I'll walk the path of those before me
    And the ones after me will do the same
    Continuously growing like a willow tree
    Standing strong when visited by pain
    Staying calm like the breeze that accompanies the river

    Not disturbed by the commotion around
    Standing my ground not even a shiver
    Breaking a smile when I hear those sounds
    Sounds of the ones who said we wouldn't make it
    Who threw dirt at us hoping we'd take it
    But we brushed it off and kept on going
    Like the river, we kept on flowing

    Instill inside your children what you must
    Make your memory more than just dust
    Show them the mistakes of the past so they won't make the same
    And they will carry on your legacy and not just your name


    Know Me

    Some people may wonder
    From where did I come
    They don't understand me
    'Cause I'm different from some

    You see

    My skin is golden brown
    With a little touch of silk
    I'm as pure as the sky
    My soul has no filth

    Yes they wonder who I am
    'Cause I am like none
    They want to know me
    The woman of the sun

    I'm precious but to a diamond
    I cannot be compared
    Although I shine and shimmer
    I'm more than just a stare

    My voice is like a still wind
    With its soft and subtle tone
    I'm a pure black woman
    From my skin through my bones

    With my eyes
    I'll grab your soul
    Take you higher with my smile
    If you doubt my power
    Come, sit for a while

    Then you'll see who I am
    Through the darkness of my skin
    I'm a pure black woman
    With goddesses within


    His Manliness

    He said he didn't mean to
    Lies don't turn into truth
    He swears he really loves you
    But now you're missing a tooth
    He said it was the alcohol
    The bruises, the cheating, the accidental fall

    You better not question what he does
    Or who he was with
    Or where he was
    He'll have another drink and before you blink
    POP—Dead in the eye—My oh my
    It's funny how love can be so grave
    Once upon a time, you were so brave

    He took your thrill up on that hill
    When he slowly drug you down
    Pretending to be a your prince
    Had you convinced
    He wore the magical crown

    Effortlessly he stole your strength
    His stare, his touch, takes life from you
    Physically he beats, mentally he dents
    All day from your eyes the waters flee

    Eyes swollen and stinging from the beating and the tears
    But you keep saying "I've been with him for seven years."
    Now is the time to take a stand
    Take back your life and leave that man

    I've listened and continued to be your friend
    But until you make a change, don't bring it up again
    I can't hold this grief that you keep giving me
    I'll keep praying hoping one day, you will flee


    Good Girl

    He used to have a good girl
    One who would smile and kiss him just right
    One who would rub his back and rest her head on his lap
    Dared not to look in another man's eye
    But these days those men make her high

    Her thoughts could never dip so low
    And her secrets he shouldn't dare know
    How she dreams and desires the touch of another
    And thinks of someone else when he's inside her
    Still she smiles so sweet like he makes her complete

    Deep within she cries wanting to trust him so
    But the hurt in her heart won't let love grow
    He had her once but now she's gone
    He thinks he has a good girl
    But this time he's wrong


    Homeless

    Why do you look at me the way that you do?
    As if I were lost, without a clue
    Why do you look at me, in such a strange way?
    As if I were a barn, without the hay

    How could this world be such a cold place?
    That is the expression colored on your face
    You're trying to understand how I got here
    I see it in your eye, as you hold in your tear

    Let me tell you why this ground is my bed
    And this cardboard box, where I lay my head

    My life was the desert
    Scorched deeply by the sun
    I needed a way out, somewhere to run
    There was nowhere for me to hide
    No place for me to stay
    So I hid my troubles inside the bottle
    And here's the price I pay

    Day by day I faded, slipping very fast
    Not knowing my future, present or past
    Soon I was lost, mind straight down the drain
    Now I'm here drowning, stuck in this pool of pain

    Now the garbage to me is like the finest restaurant
    Rats are my friends, my soul they don't haunt
    Are you starting to understand my situation?
    Are you here to take me through expurgation?

    All I can feel is your sorrow for me
    There's nothing you can do to help me find the key
    This is my life, the book that I wrote
    No time to tear out pages or change any notes

    If I could go now, and take back the pain
    And rearrange this life I sang

    I wouldn't be asking

    Why do you look at me the way that you do?
    As if I were morning without the dew
    Why do you look at me in such a strange way?
    As if I were a dog who has gone stray

    I don't have a home or a place to rest
    But I still have love and a heart in my chest
    Still the world treats me cold when I ask for a dime
    They don't know where they will be, in each moment in time
    I was once one of them, but they don't understand
    To them, I'm a zombie
    No longer a man

    That's why you look at me the way that you do
    That's why you look at me in such a strange way


    Your Wisdom

    I laughed at your stories
    And your wisdom, I heard
    When you started to talk
    I grabbed every word

    You were my inspiration
    But I don't think you knew
    But now, you're gone
    Like a bird, you flew

    So far away
    Didn't say goodbye
    So all I can do now is sit back and sigh

    I'll always remember your smile
    Your sense of humor
    So much like a child
    You told me some things that I kept inside
    I'll take your wisdom and use it as my guide

    You said, "Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see."
    And I thought to myself
    Now how can that be?
    Now granddaddy
    That hearing part ... I kind of understood
    But half of what I see, I didn't think I could

    The older I got, the more I saw
    But it wasn't quite what I thought I saw
    Then I sat down and said, Oh, that's what he meant
    I didn't get the chance tell you, I finally caught the hint

    Now that you are gone, I cry a lot
    But thinking of your laughter, unties the knot
    That my heart is in and the pain disappears
    With your love inside of me
    No hurt can interfere

    So every night before I go to bed
    I'll say a prayer with you in my head
    In my dreams you'll come help me grow
    I know you'll be with me, wherever I go


    Sweet Little Tune

    I can still hear you whistle
    That sweet little tune
    When you opened up each door
    And walked into each room

    I can still feel you near me
    Although you're so far
    Granddad, I miss you
    Where ever you are

    Can't go back and tell you
    What happened every day
    Can't tell on my mother
    Why couldn't you just stay?

    Here for a while
    But I guess you had no control
    God said we all must die
    So I guess you played the role

    But I miss you so much
    And I can't feel your touch
    But I can still hear you whistle
    That sweet little tune


    Woman of My Strength

    She was a Violet
    Standing strong in the wind
    Her actions were silent
    Her thoughts, you couldn't get in

    She was a wave, pushing vividly at the sea
    Knocking down all obstacles that wouldn't let her be
    She was just a woman—materialized
    A weeping willow, would be her ... best described
    Slightly dismayed with a sadness in her eye
    Didn't reveal her core, not once did you see her cry

    She was a Rose
    Standing strong through the storm
    Infinite was her poise
    Spirited and warm

    Her voice could soften me up
    When things weren't right
    She was my inspiration
    My guiding light

    She was a dandelion
    Petals as soft as snow
    Stem deeply rooted
    Nothing could stop her growth

    She was my mother—a friend you could say
    The woman of my strength
    The pillow where I lay


    But Now

    Right now, I feel sorry about the life that I took
    It wasn't your fault I tore pages out the book
    I think of your face, I think of your smile
    I think of how special it would have been to see you my child

    I imagine in my head that you are growing up
    It wasn't your fault there was no water in the cup
    But I took it out you and now you won't see
    How sweet and special our love would be

    Sometimes in my heart I feel it was best
    But now all I see is how I failed the test
    I think about what could have been and what should have been with you
    But now forever more my heart is painted blue

    With every heart beat a tear falls from your eyes
    How could you never live but so easily die?
    If God could understand me and the decision that I made
    Maybe he'll give you back my child and this pain I have will fade

    I want you my child but now it's too late
    I took the power and chose your fate


    Pain

    I'm having conversations with pain
    Receiving his words like a burning flame
    The more he talks the more my heart leaks
    But yet and still I continue to let him speak
    His words are much stronger and I still hunger
    When each syllable makes me weak

    I'm having conversations with pain
    He's warning me not to love again
    His bringing up the times that he visited me
    And the deepest wound I'd ever bleed
    His words seemed soft so I put off
    The love that would plant our seed

    Now pain is calling my name
    Telling me he'll win this game
    I remember his screams and laughs so loud
    And still I listen to his blaring sound
    My strength is gone so I held on
    Not letting you come around

    You came around anyway and pain suddenly went away
    Your love is the sound that silenced my pain


    Advice

    Tell me that story
    Of a sweet innocent girl
    The one who buried all your worries
    Put you on top of the world

    Come on, tell me that story
    Of the one who made you laugh
    The one who wiped your tears away
    Then tore your heart in half

    If you tell me that story
    I could tell you one too
    About never giving your all
    To something brand new

    You'll never know which part will work
    And which is just worn out
    Outside it may shine but inside it might shout

    So don't make the mistake of loving too fast
    If you take it slow, the longer it will last


    The Two of Them

    He tells me he loves me, each time we hang up the phone
    He never says it at all but does that mean he's wrong?
    He tells me to lose some weight, no man wants to see all of that
    He tells me to be happy with myself even if I do look fat
    He's been to jail once before and tried to be a thug
    Though he's as gentle as the wind wouldn't even hurt a bug
    He graduated from college and did what was right
    Someone I looked up to kept him in my sight

    He likes to drink a lot that dark liquor too
    He'd rather bake a pie or buy something new
    He's loud and has been called kind of arrogant
    He's sometimes out of control but knows how to repent
    He has made commitments a couple of times
    He likes being single, says it's just fine
    He saw a lot of things that the other couldn't imagine
    He tells me I don't understand and I don't know where he's been

    He calls me something like the police
    Says I'm always trying to keep the peace
    He calls me his number one, the girl he loves the most
    I know he loves me too, but I'm not trying to boast
    I love them both just the same
    To live without them would be insane

    They've been around for my highs and lows
    My two brothers Zeke and Spenyo!!!

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from A BEAUTIFUL ROSE by Yvonne Boose Copyright © 2011 by Yvonne Boose. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

God....................1
Gerri Girl....................2
River flow....................3
Know Me....................4
His Manliness....................6
Good Girl....................8
Homeless....................9
Your Wisdom....................11
Sweet Little Tune....................13
Woman of My Strength....................14
But Now....................15
Pain....................16
Advice....................17
The Two of Them....................18
A Drug Addict's Cry....................19
White Speck....................20
Dark Race....................22
Don't Define Me....................23
Nijah....................24
Little Girl....................25
Railroad Track....................26
Choice....................28
Paradise Lost....................29
Dance....................30
At the Club....................31
Father....................32
To My Husband....................33
Puppy Eyes....................34
I Once....................35
Dry....................36
Secret....................37
He Doesn't Know....................39
Letting Go....................40
Cheating Heart....................43
I Forgot....................44
Missing You....................45
Warrior....................46
Renege....................47
Waiting....................48
Attraction....................49
What to Do?....................51
A Man....................52
Today You Come....................54
Obsolete....................56
Are You....................57
Laughter....................59
Soon....................60
Keep It....................61
Your Lie....................62
Today....................63
Gone....................65
King Without a Throne....................66
If Time Doesn't Let Us Get By....................67
What the—....................68
Let Love Be....................69
Your Smile....................70
Lonely....................71
Who I'm I?....................72
Back Then....................73
I Do....................74
Truly (You are not him)....................75
I Just Realized....................77
I Still....................79
Virginity....................80
A Beautiful Rose....................82