The Tookany Review Vol.
III Summer 2007
In this issue
Edited by Deborah Fries
For
more information about
writing workshops offered by
the Cheltenham Township Adult School, contact:
Cheltenham Township Adult
School
1414 Panther Road
Wyncote, PA 19095
Phone: 215-887-1720
Linda Barrett
two poems
To Mrs. Burns
Being around
you becomes Mardi Gras
You throw parties
in green, purple, and gold beads
You bring happiness
in sushi and wasabi peas
Lingerie parties
come into your house
Halloween parties
at the Roslyn VFW shine
You change your
mild workplace suitable persona
into a midriff
baring Arabian harem girl
or a Mandarin
Chinese noblewoman
leading your steam
breathing dragon husband
by a leash into the
VFW
You fill bland
colored cubicles
with musical's show
tunes.
Whenever I opened
mail,
I collected stamps
for your Alex
I came to your VFW
wedding
in a massive summer
storm
You are a Star
Spangled Banner woman
Gathering up from
within your big heart
Supplies, cards,
and co-worker's pictures
to brighten up the
a lonely, sandy Christmas
for a Marine
platoon
Co-workers and
supervisors come and go
Yet you brighten
our workplace
with your July
Fourth friendly firework spirit
©2007, 2005 Linda Barrett
Remembering You
You were a big
person
With an even bigger
heart
You reached out
with big arms
And invited me into
your world
Which was an
interesting start
To what became a
friendship
I was too scared to
even
Say hello to you
Thinking that you
would
Twist and hurt my
timid heart
As so many loved to
do
You took me on
adventures
Whisking me off to
D.C.
Where we traveled
twice
To visit the Folger
Library.
We traveled back in
time
To the Middle Ages
And saw knights
jousting
Then we trekked
twice
Back to the
Renaissance Faire
Where your African
name
Was set to
Elizabethan rhyme
We clad ourselves
in Ancient Dresses
From the Sixteenth
Century
And we danced at a
VFW
At a crazy
Halloween party
We spent our
youthful days
Driving down to
Philadelphia
Or up to Arcadia
University
In all sorts of
ways
Coming and going,
far and near
Spending all our
hard earned money
In search of
William Shakespeare
We shared time
together
Working and playing
in everything
Two minds united
hour through hour
It was such a
pleasure
Driving off to your
wedding
And sharing your
expectant joy
At your baby shower
You made me see the
world
In a wholly
beautiful light
And you made me
feel
As if I was
actually all right
©2007 Linda
Barrett
Linda Barrett has
always had a passion for writing. She has been published in other online
journals, in church newsletters and on t-shirts for friends and loved ones.
Ms. Barrett lives in Abington, Pa. with her mother, as she has done for
forty -three years.