It's a Personality Contest - Round Two poems

Here are the poems entered for round two. I was pleasantly surprised at how you people took this round to heart, giving wonderful praise in verse. Please send me your votes again for 1st and 2nd place by Friday and I'll post the final standings this weekend.

1 "A Great Aunt's Comfort"

Her eyes were blue-

I knew this from the pain,
pouring and overflowing
from her tea cup.

My Russian, Great Aunt Elsie;

Blessed be the woman who
released the chains that weighted
my soul.

Kneeling at my side in a whisper,
she spoke to me of what it truly
means to be a wiccan servant of
nature.

I was not a freak-

Before her visit I hid
silently within trees
while children threw
rocks in my direction.

Ignorance marked me
for a devil,
disguised in pig-tails
and ruby red sneakers.

She envisioned me to do great
things with the gifts my
ancestors granted me
and I was ashamed
before her rescue and
resurrection of my sanity.

I bore a mark
upon my right side,
of where violence
tried to smother my
soul.

Laying her sweet hand
upon my chest,
she released the darkness
and for the first time in my life,
I felt beautiful.

"Always be who you were meant to be,
my sweet little Wanetki"

Her name for me brings forth
such comfort in times of darkness
within the trees, but within darkness
there is always light-
and of course Aunt Elsie....

*****************************

2 "A Letter To Dad"

I doubt my smiles and laughter
have been enough to say thank you.
I also doubt my eyes and arms
have expressed all my gratitude to you.
Though I know for certain,
that my sadness has caused you pain,
and that my angers,
have disconcerted you beyond measure. . .

That's why I just want to say thank you,
for being in my life, for remaining by my side,
for being who you are, for giving me an advice
even when I don't ask you for one, dad.

I want to say thank you,
for everything you do, specially,
for choosing the perfect woman to be my mom.
I want to say thank you,
for not giving up on earning her love
even when she had plenty of suitors to choose from.
I want to say thank you,
for always working hard,
even when trying to convince her to be your wife.

I want to say thank you,
for showing me that it is possible to do everything in life,
even if that "everything" just means to discover our own limits.

I want to say thank you,
for always having been there for me,
even if you weren't present the moment when I was born
or when I may had thought that I needed you the most.

I want to say thank you,
for showing me that distance doesn't pull anyone apart,
but brings one closer when there's true love.

I want to say thank you
for being the greatest of the dads
even when you didn't have time to read me bed time stories.
I know thanks to mom,
that even when it hurt you,
you preferred to miss important moments in our lives,
so long was you could bring food to the table.

I want to say thank you,
for enduring years of loneliness,
for saving every penny and not spending them on you.
Thank you for never losing hope,
for being patient until we all could be together.

I want to say thank you, thank you for many reasons,
but my list goes on...
And I doubt I'll ever show you my appreciation,
my admiration, my gratitude...

I doubt I'll ever show you how much your sacrifices
have had a positive impact on the way I see life.
I doubt I'll ever be as great as you and mom are,
But this lady who is still living under your roof -
and who someday, if God wants, will meet
her other half, just like you did with mom,
wants to at least say Thank you:

For showing her that hardships can be overcome,
that there's no such a thing as being perfect,
that we all are imperfect for a reason.
And that in life, we all are both teachers and students
ready to learn and be taught
that with hard-work, sacrifices, love, respect,
communication, loyalty, trust, unity, humility . . .
we can all live in harmony.

Thank you for telling me
that life isn't just rainbows with bright colors,
Thank you to you and mom
for showing me what love is all about

Thank you Dad.

*****************************

3 "My Golden Angel"

You came into my life when I was lost in the darkness,
controlled by fear in the depths of deep despair.
But I took a chance on rescuing you,
hoping that you would save me too.

You were completely dependent on me,
causing me to face my fears in order to look after you.

You taught me that fears can be overcome
and happiness can be achieved,
but most of all you taught me that love in this world is real!

You opened my eyes to the world around me,
the world that I had missed out on because I shut myself away.
But you were everything I ever dreamed of,
everything I ever needed for me to want to live.

Ever since you came into my life,
you have taught me how to trust again,
I no longer have to hide inside the darkness.

And since the day I rescued you,
you became my golden angel,
and in the time we have spent together,
there is one great gift you have given me:

for the first time in my life,
you have taught me how to smile, how to laugh,
and how to finally feel free.

*****************************

4 "No Longer Drowning"

I'll remember every sunset you helped me
live to see, the moments of clarity when we
prayed over the phone together, the times
your brown eyes spoke compassion in quiet
abandoned church pews.
You shot life into my veins when I
was afraid to live yet afraid to die -
hollow and unable to move mountains the way
we constantly sang about.

The shame poisoned my mind and it seemed to
take centuries to let you feel my heart.
You were nothing but patient, even when
I slept with silence, thinking it would be
less of a burden.

I, shipwrecked for over two years, finally
understood that I was worthy of light, of hope.
You were my legs when the waves of depression
engulfed my will and I lost who I was fighting for.

You reminded me that I was beloved.
That I am strong for choosing life again and again.
That I am always in sight of the shore.

I love you, and I still do, wherever you end
up in my future. You are the anchor I first
learned from.

*****************************

5 "Of every Season"

Like a soft wave
from the womb of bravery,
refusing to crush
on life's exhausting shore,
he used:
to sing summer's ballad
in the face of woes.

I saw colors run away
from fallen, crying leaves,
like a mother abandoned her child,
pallor of Sun
once was brighter,
in streets smothered with smoke,
and he's still singing.

In my diaries,
my dreams,
my books of poetry,
he's the metaphor
sneaking in through every line,
the muse bringing warmth
to defeat frost of December.

Spring would envy him.
The butterflies danced
upon the fire in these eyes,
the morning breeze
stolen peace and tranquility
from this visage...
-
A ballad of love , he kept singing.
-

"Of every season,
He's the man of every season"

*****************************

6 "Special Ladies"

Whether she was loving or giving,
She always made my life worth living.
Teaching me to get up when knocked down,
and get my feet back on solid ground.
Mom and her sister like no other
walked the foot steps of the Blessed Mother.
Can't say enough in reason nor rhyme.
Their souls will live past the end of time.

*****************************

7 "Sprouting Wings"

I was lost like a city in ruin.
-
Virginia is a wilted tulip that has
buried it's luster in the graveyard
of my heart, but you are a Rose,
mysterious and beautiful. Details
bloom and wither inside my cracked
walls, echoing sentiments of joy. I
smile because our love has blossomed
into something metamorphic,
and the butterflies in my stomach are relaxed
by the scent of your flower's perfume.

*****************************

8 "The 5"

Under a modest blanket
a family of five
once spread their hearts across
and let their warmth engulf
a lonely soul
as I once was...

When all that was
had overcome
and drew the weakest hair
to pull my whole body
towards the ground

Seeking solace
I crept under that basic cloth
and felt content
with all misery
as it dissolved
under brightly lit eyes

To them I owe
the purest spot in my heart
and forever will I strive
to replicate the love
they have bestowed upon me

Beautiful work!

Wow!

These poems really are so amazing, very moving to read!

Good job all

Still awaiting votes

Wow! Just wow!