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{Straight From the Heart}   *Saved By A Gibson*  12/27/00

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Saved By A Gibson

by Patricia A. Kellemeyer

Atop the trash lay the old guitar
its finish battered and scarred.
Its once-taut strings sagged lifelessly down,
clearly a useless discard.

A lump of humanity fetally-curled,
lay in a heap nearby,
leached of any promise from life,
save eventually all men die.

A scavenging rat, searching for food,
caused a can to tumble down.
The man looked up out of red-rimmed eyes,
startled awake by the sound.

His eyes focused in on the old guitar,
and his faltering steps led him near.
With trembling hands he reached for it,
and held it as treasured and dear.

Like him, the guitar had been cast aside
as worthless, no longer of use.
But surely someone had once treasured it,
before it had seen such abuse.

With gnarled hands he tightened the strings,
attempting to bring them to tone.
His scar-thickened fingers settled in place
in a style uniquely his own.

A forgotten song began to emerge
as he sat with tears streaming down.
A guitar virtuoso, ill-treated by life,
now filled with fervour, new found.             

The guitar itself seemed to come to life,
when played by the master hand.
Two things had been saved from the trash heap of life,
the guitar and the broken old man!

Patricia A. Kellemeyer
pkellemeye@aol.com

Send Patricia an email and let her know what you thought of her poem!
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I am a physically challenged senior citizen, being a Polio ( at age 3) and Cancer survivor (the key word here being 'survivor').  I am a widow, having lost my dearest love of 52 1/2 years. two years ago.  I have had poems published in several magazines and newspapers and have edited four books of my poetry. I believe that any challenge can be met and accepted with the right attitude. I welcome any comments.

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Thought For The Day:

"Our grand business in life is no to see what lies dimly at a distance,
but to do what lies clearly at hand." --Thomas Carlyle

Verse for the Day:

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might."  Ecclesiastes 9:10

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Sometimes tomorrow takes a really long time to come, especially if it is
Christmas Eve."

Parent's Thought For The Day:

"I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it." - Harry S. Truman

Coach's Thought For The Day:

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." -John Wooden

Deep Thought For The Day:

Ads in Bills:
"Have you ever noticed that they put advertisements in with your bills now?
Like bills aren't distasteful enough, they have to stuff junk mail in with them.
I get back at them. I put garbage in with my check when I mail it in. Coffee
grinds, banana peels...I write, "Could you throw this away for me? Thank you."

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  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com  
/_/  \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \   Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body I live for the Son
   \_\/   of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 

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by the individual writer.  Thanks!
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"I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave
them. They loved it, to say the least!  Within thirty seconds my mom was
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have given them!!  You did such a beautiful job!  They were so surprised and so
touched---they really, really, really loved it.  Thanks for helping to make it so
special to us all.  My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for the
video too!  Thanks again!"
Kelli  (RKaGe@aol.com)    College Station, TX

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