PREVIOUS AUTHOR OF THE MONTH:
Petals
                                                                         

      Change Your Perspective
and
Change Your Life

Author

  Annette Flad  McMahon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

     Annette Flad Mc Mahon is the mother of five  children, grandmother of four.  The author subscribes to the ideals of ethics and morality in all areas of human endeavor and in a society of ever-perfecting cultural standards for the benefit of all humankind.

The following is a sample of one of the Author's poems. 

Before the poem - - a brief story about ROBERT

 

ROBERT (A Special Child)

     Today it is known as Down Syndrome. In my hospital bed many years ago I was told I had given birth to a Mongoloid.

     At that time, Mongoloid was just a word I had heard somewhere. I never saw or knew one. Yet the word, itself, conjured up terrible thoughts of some horrible monster - deformed in mind and body. How could this be happening to me? There must be some mistake. In a moment I would waken from this awful nightmare. But my swollen red-lined eyes could not blink away the truth. This was my child and it was not a dream . . .

     I would not see him, I determined, nor take him home, nor give him the beautiful name I had chosen. My husband, shocked as I, agreed. With four tiny children already at home, he told me, this would have to be my decision.

     For a month I cried daily – surely I would never smile again – while we searched for a suitable home in which to place him. One day, toward the end of the month, my husband sensed that my strength and perspective were returning and urged that we go to the hospital "just to look – perhaps it wasn’t as bad as the doctors had told us". What we saw was a tiny, helpless baby in an incubator – not much different from all the other babies. At that moment I made the decision to take Robert home – "to give him a chance". My husband said simply, "I was hoping you would say that . . ."

     I don’t know how others have fared in this situation. I have learned not to be judgmental of anyone’s decision in this regard. Children are different, parents are different, circumstances are different for us all.

     Robert will never live on his own or marry. He will always be dependent. But he does walk and talk (the doctors said he wouldn’t). His speech is limited but he communicates well and understands. He is mature in his behavior and actions. He attends a wonderful day care facility. He goes bowling and swimming and is a good dancer. He is cheerful and well-liked by others.

     Most of all, we have gained as a family. He has given us his unquestioning love and we have, in turn, gratefully returned it . . .

     

POEM FOLLOWS

(scroll down to poem)

 

 

Born in tears - Lives in sunshine


ROBERT (A Special Child)
You are all that’s left, Robbie

The others have flown the nest, Robbie

Your brothers and sister are on their own

Only you are still at home . . .

 

Our other fledglings have learned to fly

You, my dear, will never try

To blaze a path upon this earth

To show the world just what you’re worth

 

For who can measure love and cheer

The warmth you bring us year by year

The sweetness of your innocent mind

The little joys that we can find . . .

 

Your kindly heart - Your sunny face

Will someday be gone without a trace

Save for this time - Save for this place

 

The world, alas, will never know

That you, my son, have set a glow

A tiny spark - we call it love

It reaches beyond, about, above . . .

 

It touches our heart, this simple thing

And starts us in to wondering If all the

prizes are in the art

Or do some others play a part

 

There’s much to be said for accomplishing

But what of those who make us sing?

 

You are all that’s left, Robbie

The others have passed the test, Robbie

They’ve spread their wings and learned to soar

We scarcely see them anymore . . .

 

Only you remain behind - Our wounded bird

of gentle mind

With just a smile to brighten our day and

unquestioning love to lighten the way

 

Surely you are not in vain - What is the

sun without the rain

 

And you, alone, are left, Robbie . . .

 

ANNETTE FLAD MCMAHON

 

LIST OF POEMS IN HER BOOK  FOLLOWS

 

CONTENTS (list of names of poems in her book)

NAME OF POEM

PAGE #

NAME OF POEM

PAGE #
PETALS 17 THE GOLDEN DOOR 119

OPPORTUNITY LOST

23 EVERYTHING’S GREAT 127
ODE TO GLEN MILLER 27 PEACE ON EARTH 131

A CHANGE OF PORT

 31 A MAN NAMED LOWE 135
THE BEAUTY SHOP 37 TOY SOLDIER 141
LOST LOVE 43 IN THE NAME OF DEMOCRACY 145
AN ISLE APART 47 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DREAM 149
FAT FREE 53

STAR SHINE

157

DADDY, OH DEAR DADDY

 57 MORE THAN A DOG 163
DAUGHTER, OH DEAR DAUGHTER  63 ENVIRONMENTALIST’S LAMENT 169
ON GETTING YOUNGER 69 THE RICH MAN 173
FOR JUST A MINUTE 75

YOU WIN

177
OLD HOUSE 81 PRETTY BABY 181
TO MAKE A HOUSE A HOME 87 ROBERT (A Special Child) 187
LESSON FROM THE PAST 91

A DAY OF REGRET

191
PORTRAIT OF A LADY 97

ENDINGS/CHANGE - "A GOODBYE"

199
INNOCENCE LOST 103

THE WEDDING

203
CARELESSNESS 109 ENTER MAN 209
THE RIGHTEOUS ONE 115 PRECIOUS MOMENTS

215

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