Voices of Valley Women

Writing by and about Women living in the Shenandoah Valley

The Front Royal Women's Resource Center invites and encourages area women to be creative and publishes their original writings in the bi–monthly newsletter‚ The Weaver. Add your voice to our writer’s forum and send us your original writings. We publish original writing in this newsletter and also plan on posting them on our web site. We might even create them into a book when we get enough!

Writing can be in any genre (poetry‚ fiction‚ non–fiction‚ letter‚ essay)‚ must be original‚ never published and should not exceed 500 words. Send all writings to FRWRC‚ P.O. Box 1748‚ Front Royal‚ VA 22630 or email document to joellen@shentel.net. Deadline for newsletter is the last Monday of the month.

Voices of Valley Women 2009

January/February 2010

January/February 2010

The following poem was written by Carol after the death of Charlie Atwood‚ beloved husband of Paula and treasured friend to many in our community.

A Walk With Charlie

He flew through the trees
white garb glowing‚
happy as a child.
“Look at me‚ I am free!”

I walked with pen in hand‚
and tear – wet paper‚
Charlie‚ close ahead‚ trying‚
trying to give answers to my questions‚
with each explanation‚ only questions.

Do we know our time of birth and death?
Does it matter what we do or feel or eat?
Or are we like crying babies‚
waiting to be changed?

Who feels our pain?
Do roses bow their heads
when watered by our tears
yet touch us with their beauty
in our sorrow?
And when they wilt‚
does beauty survive
unseen‚ adored‚ eternal?

Charlie tried to answer‚ I only questioned‚
feeling his embrace like a heavy cloud‚
stepping back‚ startled.

Black birds flocked‚ hundreds‚
and on silver-flecked wings departed.
Where do they come from
and so quickly go? Where do we?
No answer.
“Go‚ be with Paula.”
And he was gone.

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