"Why Me?" (A Memorial Day poem by my Mom)

"Why Me?"

Row on row of crosses
Standing side by side.
Men who are remembering, marching
Some with sorrow, some with pride,
Torn by much emotion
Recalling those who died!

Flags unfurled and flying
Some held, some hung.
People using and abusing them...
They, who search for reason
That they should kill or die
For a cause they feel
Unjustified.
Each day you you hear them cry:

"Why me, Lord, why me?"

Another Cross stands lonely
In a building called a church
And the Man Who died upon that Cross
In agony and shame
Waits patiently and hopefully
For those who carry theirs alone
To come to Him, and taste of Him
And share with Him their pain.

But they turn instead
To man-made things
Of which they closed their minds,
And try to drown away their thoughts
Until there's nothing left.

"Give us peace, oh give us peace,"

They cry to empty air.
Forgetting that this Man came once
Upon this weary world.
And out of Love
He give His Life
And once cried in despair:

"Why Me, God, why Me?"

Now when all else is tried and lost
And His children weep alone
Will they still not see
That building called a church
And the Man who hangs alone
Upon that heavy wooden Cross?
Does He wait for them in vain?

He is the Answer
To the world
To all the cries of pain:

"Why me, Lord, why me?"

Marie Kelly, Memorial Day, 1970

Daughter's note: Like most, if not all, sensible people, my mother hated war. And, like all loving people, she sought to assuage the pains of those victimized by war...which includes everybody. This poem, written during the horrors of the war in Southeast Asia, is her effort. I believe it still stands up today. To all those who have died in battle, requiescant in pace. Mom? I love you. Keep praying for us.

To my nephew Jeff Ball, from his Grandmother (and my Mom)

Today, May 29, is my nephew's birthday. Is it possible that he's 35? My Mom wrote this poem to him when he was three months old. Happy Birthday, Jeff!

"To Jeff (Our First Grandchild)"

Oh what a joy it is

To see a baby smile.

To see two tiny eyes light up

Makes all of life worthwhile!

To hold a tiny body close

And feel the warmth within,

A tiny head, two little arms,

Repose against your skin!

I feel so very close to God

In tender moments such.

To bless us with such happiness?

He loves us very much!

Marie Kelly, August 1981

My Baptismal Anniversary! May 10!

Celebrate with me! Today is the anniversary of my Baptism according to the rite of the Roman Catholic Church, by Reverend Joseph Zalibert at Saints Cyril and Methodius Church, Detroit, Michigan (the church moved to Sterling Heights, Michigan, in 1971.) I thank my parents, Leo James Kelly and Marie Victoria Ulanowicz Kelly for giving me birth, my godparents, Vincent DuRocher and Angeline Ulanowicz DuRocher, and most of all, my God Who claimed me for His own.

And I joyfully renew the vows made by my parents and godparents on my behalf!

I reject Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen!

"Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28-19

My Mom's Poem: "Dedicated to My Daughter on her Sixteenth Birthday"

"Sixteen"

Sad is the time
when the age of innocence is past
and the eyes of the child
who looked upon the bird and the flower
with wonder and pleasure
and who put a tiny finger
into the water
to watch a ripple
form and fade,
and the tiny hands
feeling the velvet of the dewy grass,
and finding comfort
in arms that cradle her,
as soft as petals of a rose
close over them,
and she sleeps the sleep of Angels
and awakens to new wonders
to explore
and feel
and pleasure,
listening for sounds
of love and softness....

She does not know
What pleasure she gives
To those who love her.

Sad is the time
when the age of innocence is past,
and the eyes of the child
become the eyes
of a girl-woman.

Still trying to see the world
bathed in the cloak
of happiness.

Trying to blink away
the sounds of reality
as if they were not there.

Trying to understand
the new emotions within her
and yearning still
for the love and comfort
and softness
of her innocence.

And trying to conceal
her heart from
disappointments and fears.
With too much talk
too much laughter
too few tears.

And she looks tenderly
upon those who sleep
the sleep of Angels
and are cradled
in the arms of love.

Sad is the time
when the age of innocence is past!

But, from the experience of sadness
comes the experience of joy
in finding that God
has blessed her
with the capacity to love
and to be loved.

In finding that life
holds many challenges
and the rewards
are gratifying.

In finding that all the fears
and frustrations of youth,
are but a stepping stone
to a more mature
understanding of human nature,

And in finding
that the beauty
of God's creations
can be felt
with her heart
as well as
with her hands.

~~ Marie Kelly