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Helen Paquin

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Ogdensburg, NY, US

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Tight The Hold

by

Helen Paquin

Many knots the fingers
loose- Except the knot inside
That tie the stomach up so
tight- When life's
pressures are applied

Often such knots stay tied
too long- Where life's
pressures gnaw day after day
And oh, the pain tied knots
bestow- When life's
pressures overstay...

Such knots have strangle
holds- Solid hold from the
start, That'll hold and hold
until it has, Torn the inner
glow from the heart...

Closed Door

by

Helen Paquin

Spinning wheel
Don't come to my door
You've been coming
Much too long;
Turning my world
Ever upside down
Your spinning is all wrong

Travel on>>>
Spinning wheel
I don't need your spin;
I'm in enough of a mess
That other wheels
Put me in...

It takes forever to crawl out
It's like one part of town;
Oh, there's a beautiful
River flowing there-
But it's deep
Goes down, down, down!

Two Vagrants

by

Helen Paquin

The kitten a-snoopin'
Found a huge cardbox that
Someone was sleepin' in
Kitten thought it strange
That someone slept there
Weren't cardboxes for
Kitty cats and their kin?

He slipped in beside the fella
Then purred up a storm
Fella put his arm 'round kitty-
Kitty knew cardboxes
Would keep a kitty warm

Long Ago

by

Helen Paquin

The Lord said,
"The trees have been
Green long enough
And color would
Look great there"
Then He blew
Upon the earth
And a chill came
To the air-
And oh, the trees
Bloomed with color
Red, gold, and
Orange hued leaves-
That stayed awhile
To make such
Stunning glorious trees!
He did this for a
Soothing touch
Through seasons to recall,
He knew we'd want
Awesome trees
Just like that-
Each and every Fall

No Longer Yesterday

by

Helen Paquin

Lo, the ears
Have turned away
Nothing penetrates thru-
So often now
It seems to be
Slammed doors for you!

So troubles pile
Ten feet tall
Chin deep...
Weakens, till you tire
And all the ears
Beneath the sand
Only add fuel
To the fire

Some wonder why
I like 'alone'
Why I find solace there;
You don't fight ears
That care less, it appears
Ginger brandy
Is more likely to care

Silent Squeals

by

Helen Paquin

The toybox sits lonely there
The toys inside-
Loneliness, also share

Little hands no longer
Take up baby doll
She stays in box-
With toys, one and all

Toys no longer
Strung around the floor
No little hands
Collecting... anymore

Years fly by
Little ones grow
Soon, other things call
Wandering legs go

Then toybox is lifted
"Donate"... The word
And toybox, anxious again
For the next little
Squeals to be heard

Top Priority

by

Helen Paquin

The world has gotten so crooked
Many broke from 'con-man' schemes
More prisons creeping all aroun'
An' poof! Money's short for elsewhere
Cuz 'slam houses' bustin' at the seams

Too Much Today

by

Helen Paquin

The problem with today is;
You have to believe nothing

And trust no one

The Search

by

Helen Paquin

A squirrel ran in a car
One day on an afternoon
And the search soon began
With fine comb and
Whisky broom...

Folks searched all over
That squirrel had every name
But with a squirrelly squirrel
They play a squirrelly game

The folks knew that very soon
Jessee would need his car
They searched round and round
High and low, up and down
And where the ashtrays are

Then Jessee came along
All neat and fancy trim
Right then and there
They found that squirrel
When Jessee sat on him

Sunday Morning

by

Helen Paquin

The sermon was about money
A good subject, I am sure
For some fall short
As the month goes by
And wonder if there's a cure

Earlier, Pastor Bob
Asked the children
"Money, how do you get it?"
A little one said quickly
"You get down on the floor-
And have a fit"

Standing There

by

Helen Paquin

He watched for the train
Stood there on the tracks
He must have seen it
He must have heard it
Yet, he stood there waiting-
The train trampled him
Ground him into dust

Now world...
Look upon his dust
Do you realize
You pushed him too far?
That he was so desperate
He became blind to
The rushing tons of steel
Deaf, to its forlorn whistle

Dust does not feel
The raw poundings of life
The lost hopes-
Where there is no end
To brutality and hate
Till one goes blind and
deaf, to a rushing train

Yes, world...
Notch your gun
You got his dust

Sweet Alluring Lips

by

Helen Paquin

They were to be married

The date was all set

But sweet lips has a taste
For lips he hasn't ditched yet

Hearts Not Hugging

by

Helen Paquin

He sold her heart
He sold it cheap
Like pennies for a song
So often in looking back
Some see, too late,
They were wrong

He tried to find
The heart he sold
To mend it
As soft as before
He only found
To increasing sorrow
A cold hard bolted door

He sold her heart
For pennies
On a foolish whim
He sold her heart
Her heart is gone-
How can she
Give it to him?

Seems

by

Helen Paquin

"I've seen you somewhere"
Isn't it a shame
When a mind draws a blank
On faces or a name?

When some go way too often
When often gone away
Could be you'll remember them
But it might not be today

It might not be tomorrow
Some minds can't be repaired
And you are lost to the mind
That one time deeply cared

In Deep

by

Helen Paquin

Love can hit you hard
It bites so very deep
You see him when you're awake
You see him in your sleep

His face is stamped
Upon your mind
You think of him all day
Then the day comes
When he has walked away

His face is stamped
Upon your mind
How can you forget?
You think of him all day
You're thinking of him yet

Everywhere you go
Everywhere you've been
He is still upon your mind
Time and time again

Minds are hard to turn away
Where pictures burned are deep
You see him when you are awake
You see him in your sleep

Forever's Run

by

Helen Paquin

I left there
Thought I left it behind
But no-
There it was again
Seems to be
So many of them
You run from one
And bump into another
That tantalizes
And agonizes
In so many bitter ways
You move-
And move again
To be free-
And again
Run into the Devil

War Overhead

by

Helen Paquin

Fighting, ever fighting,
She catches his fist
She runs down stairs
Crying out-
Again, and again

Upstairs...
Sounds like war
Loud thump-thumps
Footsteps run on stairs
Crying out-
Thump-thump-thump!
Someone tumbling down

Loud thumps overhead
Fighting again?
Fist hitting flesh?
One wonders when
The headlines
Will screech her name

Darkness Hovers

by

Helen Paquin

It's an effort
To live these days
With those who
Rob, kill, and lie-
You try to hold
Your head above water
But your confidence
Soon drains dry

You work for
Nothing, it seems
And nothing to right
Is ever done-
It's an effort
To live these days
Too many dark clouds
Shadow our sun...

Wheel Wants

by

Helen Paquin

They argue over the car
They both want their spaces
She wants one way-
He wants the other-
They can't be in both places

So they argue over the car
Don't seem they're making
headway- She wants it-
He wants it- And it's pouring
cats and dogs today...

She just started driving
Some get that driving itch-
And like the feel of the key
As it clicks the switch...

So the car is shaking
The situation is no laugh
Poor car is a-worried
They'll do like Solomon
And split its pride in half

Battered Clay

by

Helen Paquin

As a bit of clay
I never stood a chance
Some things just
Aren't meant to be-
For through the years
I strayed too far
Cursed by this life
Handed to me

Like milk that falls
Unto the floor
Where it's said,
"Don't bother to cry"
Looking at me
A sorry waste-
Why waste water
In an eye?

Seems it's hopeless
Day by day...
So sharp the thorns
Along this path;
There are no birds
To sing to me- Only
the devil's wicked laugh

Strugglin' Along

by

Helen Paquin

Little boy and girl
On a young girl's bike
Not steering too well;
Two slightly older girls
Try to keep the
Little one's bike upright
While they're wobblin'
All over the quiet street-

I walk by...
We're all smilin'

Bowling

by

Helen Paquin

Some are cut out for bowling
They step right up and roll
And oh, they are so great-
With hands they can control

Bowling's some like driving
It's one thing or another
When you can't control
Your eyes or hands-
You landum in the gutter

She Doesn't Smile

by

Helen Paquin

She doesn't smile
Has she forgotten?
Forgotten how?

Years ago she glowed
Before the storms
That rocked mountains

Time travels on
People change
Become storms
Too many, too often
That pierce the heart

She doesn't smile
Anymore...

Bad News

by

Helen Paquin

Dang! My glasses
got broke!
Can't patch what's
hopelessly shot;
More money
sproutin' wings-
That happens
to tightwads a lot

It's On!

by

Helen Paquin

The feast was ready

blessed end to lots of work

food on the table

Kids told, "Wash your hands"

Chirps one proud little guy,

"I don't need to

I eat with a fork"

The Bottle

by

Helen Paquin

Too many folks ruin their lives
By drinking their lives away
And some who wake up too late
Can't see the doom of a day

A pity bottles have to destroy
Till one's body is no longer fit
Pity the will that cannot say,
"Today, I'm going to quit"

Scams

by

Helen Paquin

Oh, they dangle bait
Looks good-
Sounds good too-
Figure they're gonna
Sucker you...

But I've been
Down that road
Bit hard, and lost;
So waste your time
Dangle your bait-
That bridge has
Already been crossed

Often, The Time

by

Helen Paquin

Often there are
No holds that hold
As white clouds
In the sky
When drift, the
thought sees fit
Clouds drift on, and by

The thought of drift
You never know
When it will
Come to play;
Then the clouds
Drift, on and by-
No holds can
Make them stay

Waiting Love's Return

by

Helen Paquin

To see you once again
Oh, the days
Have stretched
To so, so long-
I wait for them to pass
Trying to rush every
second, on its way-
That the day will come
When once again
You stand before me
Take me in your arms
For your gentle hug-
Your face glowing
Welcome's smile

That day will
Gloriously gleam
As of four suns shining
For I'll know
Love has returned
When I feel your
warmth, holding me

Silent Phones

by

Helen Paquin

She waits for
The phone to ring
Seems the phone
Has lost its voice;
Her friend's ears tuned
To other voices now?
She phoned her friend
To let her temper fly-
But her friend's phone
Has lost its voice also
She's worried and
Oh so, frustrated

She phones her friend
again, in desperation-
Still, no answer...
She does not see the hint
In the cold, hard facts

Endless Battles

by

Helen Paquin

Hope...
Oh, it was hers
Many years
But it never
Seemed to do
Anything-
All her dreams
Only crumbled
And died

Hope seemed
So unfaithful-
So useless-
So cowardly-
Never pushing on
A firmly held door

Hope only distressed
Through life's unfair-
As hope saunters away
She has no choice
But to let it go...

Stay Home!

by

Helen Paquin

My balcony is
Filled with snow
Can't hardly see
What's going on;
There's only a
Tiny space to
Peek through
To see what's
Come and gone

Car next door
Stuck in driveway
That balcony pile
Near blocks my view;
To see four guys
Are having fun
Trying to push that
Stubborn car through

And, by golly, while I watch
I see that car a-grin-
It's taunting those guys
Trying to push it out of
That snow mess
That it's trying to stay in

Money

by

Helen Paquin

Politicians think of money

And that means taxes
And it's only the politicians

That happily relaxes

With someone's woman

Total Befuddlement

by

Helen Paquin

Sitting at the computer
she says, "It's easy-
You can't do this wrong"

And I have news for her

Winter's Stormy Aftermath

by

Helen Paquin

I like Your smile
Lord, this day
The sun wonderfully warm
The deep freeze gone
Folks out again

That was some storm
A day ago...
Gray skies a-bustin'
Wild raw winds
Pounding, pounding
Everyone and everything
Cold, and piles of snow
Staring us in the face

For the warm sun, Lord
Some chilly ole bones
Like Your smile too

This Year-That Year

by

Helen Paquin

Sidewalks in winter
For those who walk
Make many a walker
Chew an' squawk...

Some aren't shoveled
Some glare ice
While pickin' self up
You're fallin' down twice

Snow on sidewalks
Hides heaved up section
So feet didn't see it
Need I mention...

Twiddle toes stumbled
A great belly slam
Oh Lord, I hope
Still whole I am!

But ole bones held
Mercy- that's good!
That I'm made of iron
An' don't split like wood

Cloud Artiste

by

Helen Paquin

Thin white clouds

Identical row

After row

Across the sky-

Cool masterpiece

Much Too Much

by

Helen Paquin

They say

he died of

lung cancer

Perhaps he

exercised

his lungs

too much

hollerin' at

someone

Too often

That's It!

by

Helen Paquin

She said she had
NINE husbands!!!
Throughout the years
She wasn't Liz Taylor-
She wasn't Hank
Williams neither-
But she saw the light

3 Haiku

by

Helen Paquin

fluries chase thru morn

break for afternoon breather

releasing trapped sun

animals cross road

and the motor comes charging

glaring its madness

scared fawn runs from woods

away from hungry coy dogs

poor small thing, alone

Thought Poem

by

Helen Paquin

the vow

to love

until death-

don't I wish

Until Then

by

Helen Paquin

You taunt-
You jab-
You jeer-
In evil
Thrilling lust

Such does
Not consider
The swift spring
Of blood to dust

Smoldering Stuff

by

Helen Paquin

The cows heard it told
"Fertilizer plant burned down"
One cow said to the other;
"And all our hard work-
To spread it around!"

Finding Love

by

Helen Paquin

Cupid cutely roams around
To see where he should shoot
To see where romance
Should be found- To find
the best place for it to root

Two lonelies way too long
Their music, long run dry
No sparkle anywhere
That Cupid could see-
Just the dreary saddened eye

"This can't go on," he sighed
"Something must be done for them"
And somewhere on the softest breeze
He thought he heard, "Amen"

They were walking in the park
Each other, they didn't know
He stumbled over Cupid's foot
And found her eyes aglow

Man- She's Good!

by

Helen Paquin

Guess as her flower
Blooms year after year
Her mind stays
As sharp as a pin-
She can tell you the year
She bought her clothes
And the store
She bought them in

She can tell you
The price she paid
Probably what kind
Of a day it was-
A head like that
Always amazes me
When I think of what
This ole head does

Where did I buy my
Clothes a week ago?
I know they looked
really nice- But my
head forgot where
we went, and also
Forgot the price

Man- I'd like her kind of
memory, a memory that
Age doesn't fizz- If I had
a head like that, I'd know
where my dang glasses is

Raw Deals

by

Helen Paquin

Around each corner
You look for wheat
But, life throws
You, chaff-
And don't you think
Life likes to laugh?

Leader?

by

Helen Paquin

Ha! They told me
I'm a leader
Ha! again-
Me lead?

That'd be like
What happened
To Custer

Often, The Time

by

Helen Paquin

Sunshine's Touch

by

Helen Paquin

Sunshine barely touches
some lives, where
gloomy webs often spin-
Some travel road to
road, town to town
Searching, searching,
For the house with the
big picture window-
And sunshine looking in

Honest

by

Helen Paquin

Some folks promise

you anything

And honest

it will stick

Until they get

what they want

It's a

Politician trick

Good-Byeth Fun

by

Helen Paquin

When I left his place
"Break a leg,"
My friend said-
And I wondered
If he broke his head

His Pain

by

Helen Paquin

He spoke to me
told me of his hurt
his loneliness
since she left

It was there
in his voice
in his face

The sadness
the longing
the hidden tears

"I love her"
he said
and the anguish
was there
waiting
for her return

Snow Shine

by

Helen Paquin

The sun shines
On the snow
It glistens brightly-
A young squirrel
Runs playfully
Up to a huge crow
And his brother-
The squirrel
Thinks he will
Antagonize them a bit
But they face him
With roaring infernal eyes-
The squirrel notices then
How huge the crows are
And he remembers
That thing
About thinking twice-

The sun shines on the snow
Sparkling beautifully white

Mouse Story

by

Helen Paquin

Two cats on kitchen counter
Found a mouse one day
Said one cat to the other,
"Look who's come to play!"

You never know
About a cat
That looks for fun
Where're they're at

One batted little mouse
That somersaulted him
Over to the other, then
that one batted mouse
Right back to his brother

The play went on and on
Mouse somersaulting to paw
To get batted right back-
Funniest thing you ever saw

Finally, the game ended
And 'Dizzy' the mouse
With family around-
Said, "I played baseball
With two cats
And man, oh man,
Did I cover ground!"

Shorted

by

Helen Paquin

Life doesn't give
Some people
A whole lot-
But they do
The best they can
With what
They ain't got

They Ban That Too?

by

Helen Paquin

Folks don't show
Respect anymore
And that
indeed, is scary
Some don't know
What respect is-
Did they take it out
Of the dictionary?

Fishing for Fish

by

Helen Paquin

A fishing guide
Fell madly in love
With the fishing gal;
But she was only
Interested-
In a fishing pal

His heart ticked
So much faster
Each time in
boat, they sat-
But her eyes were
for searching, Where
her fish were at

She shunned his love
Her love was fish; His
heart became so blue;
His boat sank-
His car wrecked-
Oh man-
I think his
Wits flew too!

Cursed

by

Helen Paquin

Some folks press
The fight and jeer
In case this morning
There was no tear

No Dumb Doggy

by

Helen Paquin

Her doorbell rang
Big dog stood out there-
He rang the doorbell?!

He stared at her
Kinda looked like
He was pleadin'
"I wanna come in
It's wet out here, Mam
Rainin' cats N' dogs-
Ummm, excuse the pun
You don't need dogs
An I can do without cats"

"Maybe it's frogs- Yah,
it's pourin' down frogs!
Sure would like to come in
Frogs are gooey critters"

"Sure," she said
"Come in, dog-
But seein' you're so
Bell-ringin' smart, You
better use your smarts
To wipe your muddy paws
Or you'll be learnin' to
Like those gooey frogs!"

Oh, No!

by

Helen Paquin

Kids sure are funny
With what they do and say
If by chance you watch them
When they are at play

One day two little kids
Were playing
The boy combed
His sister's hair
Then he quickly spotted
Some strands of red hid there

Soon he became worried
And he told her of his fright
Said he,
"First there's brown
Then there's red-
Then your hair turns white"

Hollerin' At Me?

by

Helen Paquin

Those folks who

Holler atcha always

In 'shoot to kill'

Doth they revel

Can you picture

Them in hell-

A-hollerin'

At the devil?

Let The Miles Roll

by

Helen Paquin

When I am sad
And lonely
I like to travel far
It is so peaceful
When driving my car

Just let the miles roll
It always comforts me
Just let the miles roll-
On and on, into eternity

Love's Story

by

Helen Paquin

Love gave up today
It seems somebody lied
Somebody, molded ice
Gave love a bumpy ride

Often somebody promises
What really isn't there
So love suffers unmercifully
When somebody doesn't care

Still, love lingers patiently
Though lingers all in vain
No matter how hard you try
It only turns to pain...

Love died a pitiful death
All bruised and badly hit
Love was buried here today
Where sorrow carried it