ARTICLES:
Ancient Chinese Medicine: Herbs & Acupuncture
Some Helpful News
Help for Postpartum Depression
Mental Health Insurance: A True Dilemma
You're Wonderful (Dealing with Learning Disabilities)
Problems With Self-Esteem
CHILDREN'S STORIES:
A Land in the Sky
A Monster in the Sand
"Long Face John"
Little Betty Buy Me
POEMS:
STANDARD:
THE BARK OF A TREE
BRANCHES
THE BUS RIDE
THE CLOUD
FIRST MAMAOGRAPHY
THE FLOWER
IMAGINATIONS RUN WILD
MY MAGICAL FANTASY
THE POOR MAN
SNAPPING ROSE PEDALS WITH GRANDMA
TIME
WIND CHIME VOICES
WAR & PEACE:
A LETTER TO DAD
THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
LOVE, ROMANCE & BROKEN HEARTS:
I STILL LOVE YOU, BUT NOT IN THAT WAY
WHEN I KNEW YOU
WALK WITH ME
MY LOVER
THE RED DRESS
FROM PARI TO HOME
THE GEOMETRY OF LOVE
FANTASY
BEFORE I GO
LIFE -
THE GOOD AND THE BAD:
A NEW AGE
A WIDE OPEN RANGE
IN THE FACE OF TRAGEDY
THE DUSTY ROAD
MY DAYS OF PAIN:
HAPPINESS BARRED
HEAR THE BIRDS
HOLLOWED
DROWN OUT THE SORROW
DEMONS
TICK TOCK
FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE:
TO MOM
YOU'RE WONDERFUL (MATTHEW)
AT AGE TWELVE (MATTHEW)
LIFE MOVES ON (MATTHEW)
THE PHOTOGRAPH (MOM)
I SAID A PRAYER FOR YOU TODAY (DAD)
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH
THE FACE 0F AN ANGEL (PENN)
HUMOR:
TO MY COUSIN, SUZIE
WORKING MOTHER OF SIX
GEOMETRICAL DISAPPOINTMENT
A CLICHED RELATIONSHIP ENDED
GIRL'S NIGHT
SHOES
CHRISTMAS:
CHRISTMAS MORNING (FROM A SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY)
A CHRISTMAS STORY (SPYING ON SANTA)
LONG POETRY:
THE COLLEGE PROFESSOR
Children's Stories:
A LAND IN THE SKY
A Children’s Story
By Michelle Longo-Bloom
There once was a land,
a land in the sky.
It was filled with great things,
from many years gone by.
This land in the sky was a magnificent sight,
that every child in the world would want an invite.
It was filled with kings and queens of all kinds,
and even Dr. Suess who told us his rhymes.
There were so many fairies who made wishes come true,
with genies and leprechauns and pretty angels too.
I saw Cinderella, PeterPan and Snow White
and there were even zoo animals of every sort and type.
There were tall giraffes with lions and zebras,
and no snakes or critters that gave me the creepers.
There was also a castle so big and so grand,
with a fountain of chocolate and a huge candy stand.
They welcomed children from all over the world,
and gave presents and treats until our hair would uncurl.
They gave candies and goodies from all over the place,
till my poor little brother could no longer stuff his full face.
They played games, sang songs and danced all the time,
I even saw Tinkerbelle fly high in the sky.
There were toys and trucks and dolls in silk lace
and an ice skating rink for penguins to race.
They had parties with licorice, hot chocolate and more,
and clowns who did summersaults all over the floor.
And then one day this land in the sky.
it began to go away and I have no idea why.
The kings and queens, fairies and princes'
began slowly fading as the children were eating their strawberry blintzes.
All the kind people in this castle of joy,
were one by one leaving with toy by toy.
All the genies and leprechauns began slowing down,
and soon they were vanishing with each smiling clown.
Then soon each one began saying “Goodbye,”
and soon it was gone; my land in the sky.
And these wonderful people and the castle, so grand,
in this magical, mystical, fairytale, land,
these pleasures and treats and gifts, so galore,
were only a fantasy and a dream, nothing more.
But of all of the dreams I’ve ever had while asleep,
this one will remain and forever I’ll keep.
And if ever I get frightened, feel lonesome or down,
or if ever I’m sad and my face with a frown,
I'll just think of the wonderful friends that I found
in my magical dream while sleeping so sound.
A MONSTER IN THE SAND
A Children’s Story
By Michelle Longo-Bloom
There was once a monster who lived in the sand.
He lived very deep beneath the land
To a child or grown-up he never showed his face.
while he lived in his own very special place.
But one sure day he was feeling sad and alone,
So he crawled to the top far away from his home.
He he heard some noise and stirring above,
where he had not a sole or one friend to love.
Once he reached the top of the sand,
he saw a strange and odd, unfamiliar land.
When he peaked his head out to see what was there,
he was so surprised to see a big fair.
There were people of all different colors and sizes.
There were adults and children holding the greatest of prizes.
The monster had no idea what was going on.
At first he got frightened and thought that he should crawl back down.
But as he stayed some more and watched and stared,
he became much less afraid and much less scared.
Not one person, adult or even a child,
had seen his head yet, as he was so calm and mild.
Then in one instance, in one single moment,
a little girl saw him and screamed in torment.
She became so frightened at what she saw,
that she scared the monster and he crawled right back down to where he was before.
Then minutes later, he appeared once again,
and when the people saw him, he asked, “Can I be your friend?”
All the adults and children were so amazed find,
that this great big monster was so friendly and kind.
But, the fact remained,
he was sweet and tame.
And when he said with them he just wanted to play,
the kids and adults helped him up out of his hole that day.
They played and played at the great big fair.
He was so happy and joyful to be with everyone there.
They ran around and around and had so much fun,
for he had never been to a fair like this one.
They played catch and tag and so much more,
a place like this; he had never seen before.
He loved the people and children so much.
He was gentle and tender and so soft to touch.
His loneliness went away,
for the first time in years.
His sadness was gone,
and so were his tears.
Then night fell,
and it was time to go home.
But he had so much fun
and he didn't want to be alone.
He then told the children, “I hope we can play another day.”
And the children responded, “Oh, but of course, we’d have it no other way!”
The monster was so happy and pleased that day,
He was no longer sad, sacred or alone.
and he looked forward to the next time he and the others would play
He was now a monster who had friends very close to his home.
and he no longer had any reason to fret
because he loved all the wonderful children and people he’d met.
.
So he went back down to his giant hole in the sand,
from where once this monster never showed his face.
He crawled the many inches and feet back down to his land.
where he lived alone and sad in his lonely old place.
But now that he did he’s so very glad and thankful,
which teaches us a lesson that important and useful.
It is the lesson that teaches us not to judge what we see,
because if we did, then the monster would as sad as can be.
But we must always remember there are exceptions to these rules.
And that is if your mother or father or any adult you are with,
your babysitter, or grandparents or all your friend's pools,
if they say it’s not good to go near a strange looking creature,
you must always listen like you do to your teacher!
But if you’re with an adult that you know who says that it’s okay,
then do it, be nice and act in a friendly, kind way,
and you can make a sad and lonely monster’s wish come true for a day!
The truth of all truths and what really must be known,
is that this great big monster was nothing more
than just a friendly creature, so over grown.
“LONG FACE JOHN”
A Children’s Story
By Michelle Longo-Bloom
One day in my home I was feeling so bored,
I was tired of all my toys, games and more.
My Game Boy was making my head so dizzy,
my Play Station sounds were making my hair all frizzy.
My X-Box was putting me into quite a tizzy.
As for my other toys that weren’t electronic,
they just didn’t seem all too exciting or terrific.
So, I had an idea and it seemed really neat.
Instead of feeling this way, so bored and so beat,
I would take a little journey right on my two feet.
Nothing more than a nature walk would it be,
straight down the block, behind that big old oak tree.
At that very point there was a big gate, you see,
it was the entrance into a whole new world for me.
As I walked on and stepped on all the leaves,
I heard them all crackle as they feel from the trees.
I walked further and further and further on and through,
and I watched birds in the sky so blue.
Then I walked on to see what else there would be,
and a most wonderful and incredible thing happened to me.
This lovely creature just appeared in front of my eyes,
at first I got scared and wanted to run for the skies.
But then he said so nicely, “Wait, please don’t run off.”
And his voice was so kind, gentle and soft.
I met this very large animal so beautiful and tall,
he said many a day he has seen me playing outside in the spring and the fall;
he said many times he has seen me bouncing my ball.
He said, so badly he wanted to yell out my name or call,
as he is so very lonely, but my name, he did not know it at all.
I was so surprised as I asked him his name,
and I wondered from where in the world this large creature, he came.
He told me he was a giraffe named, “Long Face John”,
and when I asked why, he said because a long face, he always had on.
When I asked, “Why is it, John, that you wear a long face?”
He answered, “Because all of my family and friends, I have not a trace.
It has been a very long time since I have been lost,
it happened once long ago during a great big frost.
Since then I’ve been alone and they’ve all been gone,
and that is why I have this long face on,
and also why all the new animals here call me “Long Face John.”
“Well, that’s okay “John”, that is your new name,
and you can keep it that way because now you have a new friend that came.
My name is Max, and no matter what; frost, sunshine or rain,
you can always count on me to be your good friend,
so that you won’t ever have to feel sad or lonely again.
The giraffe was so happy; he smiled from ear to ear,
no longer would he feel loneliness or fear.
Now Max and John would play at all times,
Max even showed John his electronic games of different kinds.
John was so excited by theses games and more,
and now even to Max, they were no longer a bore.
All that he wanted was someone in need,
to share all of his games with and his kind heart indeed.
LITTLE BETTY BUY ME
A Children’s Story
By Michelle Longo-Bloom
There once was a little girl named Betty,
and everything she saw she said, “Buy me.”
Everything possible that she laid her eyes on,
she demanded she must get before it was gone.
She wanted every doll and every toy that she saw,
every game, every doll house, all Barbie’s galore.
She was acting so selfishly and greedy, for sure,
until her parents just didn’t know what to do anymore.
So, one day they took Little Betty Buy Me to see,
a place where there were children who had much less than she.
These children had not one toy of their own,
and some of them wore clothes that were ripped and torn.
They were lucky if they even got a plate of food each day.
Little Betty Buy Me just looked and didn’t know what to say.
Now she understood and she felt very bad,
as she watched the faces of these children, so long and so sad.
So, she decided to do something very caring and warm,
for these children in clothes so ripped and so torn.
She asked her parents if they would be willing to help her,
and drive her back home and then back to the shelter.
Of course they agreed and quickly they ran,
straight to their car, hoping it had worked; their little plan.
Once they got home, Little Betty Buy Me went straight to her room,
she could not have gotten their quick enough or sooner than soon.
She went and collected a bunch of her toys,
and then went back and handed them out to all of the girls and the boys.
She gave one to each girl and one to each boy,
and to so many faces she brought such smiles and joy.
All of the children were filled with laughter and delight,
and in Little Betty Buy Me’s heart, she knew she had done something good and right.
No longer could she be called selfish and greedy,
now she was a child who was bringing joy to the needy.
Now she had learned a great lesson indeed,
“I won’t be so greedy when some children don’t even have food or a book to read.”
She did a wonderful thing, giving a bunch of her toys away,
and she would always remember this most exciting day,
for no longer was she called “Little Betty Buy Me”,
instead she was named, “Little Betty Give Thee.”