Letter to the Past

My dear scared child, do not fear

Your future’s not what you perceive

The pain you feel won’t be your norm

Have faith in yourself and believe

Having a loving, caring heart 

May imply to some you’re weak

But one thing you must remember

To other’s it makes you unique

Be brave my frightened younger self

But never let down your guard

Circumstances don’t define you 

Your life won’t always be so hard

Confront those who create your fear 

Don’t let them define your worth

Let karma rectify the wrong

In forgiveness you’ll find rebirth. 

The life you dream, is waiting for you

Hold your head high; you’ve nothing to shame

Go confidently to your future

For it’s yours to boldly reclaim 

(C) Shirley Keefer Topeka 2015

Tormented Soul

Tormented soul. Tormented soul. There is so much you long to know. What road to take? What path to chose? If you chose wrong, what will you lose? What prevents you from letting go? Tormented soul. Tormented soul. Fear of living? Or fear of not? Fear of falling; not being caught? Take those leaps and face your fears. Look back and smile in future years. Tormented soul, tormented soul. Don’t take the path that others go. Attempt and fail. There is no shame. Evading them, then you’re to blame. Never forget, you’re in control. Tormented soul. Tormented soul. ~Shirley Keefer Topeka My First Attempt at Quatern A Quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains. It is similar to the Kyrielle and the Retourne. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, third line of stanza three, and fourth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme.