Some of the poems and photos from my book "Thoughts of My Mind, Heart, and Soul"

Copyright 2006. Odessa Maxwell. All rights reserved.

Beautiful, Woman, Thou Art

Beautiful, Woman, thou art

Bring forth life and love. You are one but also a part
of all that has come to pass.
Man, you have your might
Yet rely on silent strength.

Woman, beautiful thou art
on wars' battle fields,

Upon roaring seas;

Within raging skies. Fearlessly you serve

Near and far-- next to brothers, fathers, sons.
Though not their equal
Where softer qualities fall.

Woman, thou art beautiful!
Your adaptation

To an ever changing role:

Mother, daughter, sister-- Worker, fighter, survivor;
Continue to grow mankind.

To My Baby...

How do I describe the joy I felt

On the day that I met you?

I held you close to my heart—

All the love I could ever known

Came flooding through.

All the dreams I could ever want

I will live through you.

How do I tell you about the love

That grows within—

Watered each time,

Your smile--my heart to win?

How do I show you how I feel

As I watch you sleep…

Giving warmth to my heart

Each time yours beats?

I pray that I will be

All that you are to me.

For in my heart you will always be,

For in my eyes you will always see—

To be loved always by me.

To Midori on her 5^th Birthday

Photo Caption

Photographs like memories

Capture the spirit of the moment

Opening doors of emotions

Revolving around feelings for you.

Words like thoughts

Pass through seconds of time

Full of meaning

Taken from depths of emotions within.

Sentiments like beliefs

Become reality with faith

Growing deeper and rooted

Within the being of me and you.

On the Edge

The cold breeze filters my hair

Lifting tendrils--touch so fair.

The clouds billow by and bye

I close my eyes to let the world melt away.

I waver on the edge of silence

I waver on the edge of stillness.

As the sounds of the country sneak on through:

I can hear the whippoorwill call for its mate

I can feel the nearness of man's fate

I can see the trees barricade.

I know I am alone

True to be with my feelings

True to be with myself

I know that I am truly alone.

As the cold breeze wraps around me

Caressing and holding me tight,

I close my seeing eyes

So that I can waver on the edge of silence

So that I can waver on the edge of stillness.

Lost Dreams

Darkness slinks in like a night thief

Stealing away all the shafts of light

Lonely desires surrounded by grief

Strength slowly waning without might.
Twinkling stars extinguished by dawn
With a cycle only to follow the night
Hope falls like a shooting star gone
Stillness envelopes the ensuing fight.

Storms arise filling the night air
Clouds gather shadowing moon beams
Thunder and lightning glares
Blinding all created dreams.