Poetry

All of the poetry on this page is copyright  by She Wolf (Jane Wolfinbarger).

Lady of the Spring

A wraith
Pale green cloaked
With drifting flowing
Garments around her
Floating on the morning mist
Half unseen
So insubstantial is she
But her colors are the colors
Of the flowers
Of the spring
Lady of the Flowers
Lady of the Spring 

   

Easter Impressions 

Easter lilies, spring white
Triumphant bugles
Caroling Resurrection
Easter candle
Tall and new
Burning brightly
Bare crucifix, empty
Draped in white
Leads the way
Green grass beneath
Snow outside
Spring Resurrection 

Minstrel Song 

Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Telling stories, singing songs.
Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Won’t you come along? 

He’s tunes to play and songs to sing-
A lute, a flute, a fiddle wild-
Fingers fly and voice trills
Enchanting each and every child. 

Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Over hills and through the pass.
Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Winking at each comely lass! 

He’s news to tell and stories, too-
Tales to chill and tales to thrill.
His voice echoes through the night
People listening with a will. 

Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Tattered, torn, limping some.
Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Still he beckons, Come! 

He sits beside the fire at night,
His voice rising in a song.
His listeners sit up straight and then-
Old ones smile and sing along. 

Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Folks will come from far and near.
Comes a minstrel a-wandering,
Come and listen, for he’s here. 

   

I Send My Heart  

I stood in front of that black-limned door-
I heard the bolts thrown open
I heard the locks click
I heard the un-used hinges squeal. 

 I stood there, held captive, against my will
As that door swung open
And I looked inside
And beheld the soul-searing blackness within
And I trembled. 

I heard the howls and wails
Of Grief and Anguish
I heard the cries of Fear
And Loneliness and Rage. 

The cold winds foul with Sadness
Cutting with icy fingers of Pain
Rushed by my face
And swirled around me
And tears bled from my eyes. 

I stood there, terrified, frozen
And then
An ageless endless eternity later
Before I had to step inside
The door slammed shut in front of me. 

Blinded by tears I heard the crash
And fell to the floor, huddled in exhausted relief
Thanking the God of creation
And all who would hear
That I had not had to step inside. 

I have turned my back on that door
And tried to forget that it is there
But sometimes I feel a cold draft
On the back of my neck
And I know, that having been opened once,
It is not so securely locked as it was before
And I shudder.

I send my love through that crack
That hairline crack that the draft seeps through
I send my heart through
To those
Who had to step through that door
To the wailing darkness inside.
And I pray that they will not be lost
But will find their way through
The Grief and Pain
To the door that
Lies on the other side.
To Life.

Little Run Along

Do you know Little Run-Along?
Little Run-Along slips around the corner
And leans against the door frame-
“Oh, there you are,” says Mama,
“Run along now and play.”
Little Run-Along brushes her brown curls
Out of her eyes
And sighs
“Yes, Mama,” and runs along. 

Little Run-Along wanders up to the fence
And drapes her arms over it.
Papa looks over and says,
“Oh, there you are.
Run along now and play.”
Little Run-Along wipes her hands on her dress
And sighs,
“Yes, Papa,” and runs along. 

Little Run-Along drifts into the kitchen
And slides into a chair.
Grandma looks up and says,
“Oh there you are.
Run along now and play.”
Little Run-Along scratches her leg
And sighs,
“Yes Grandma,” and runs along. 

Little Run-Along climbs the stairs
And sits on the top one.
Grandpa looks out a door and says,
“Oh, there you are.
Run along now and play.”
Little Run-Along shakes her head
And sighs,
“Yes, Grandpa,” and runs along. 

Little Run-Along plods over to the front steps
And sit on the bottom one.
Her puppy comes over and barks.
“Oh, there you are,” says Little Run-Along,
“Run along now and play.”
Her puppy whines and tucks his tail
And walks slowly away.
Little Run-Along watches him go
And then something catches in her heart
“Wait!” she says, “I’ll come too!” 

An Offering
Like many others, I saw the news from Virginia Tech with shock and disbelief. As a parent of college aged children, I could only imagine with horror what the parents of children at that institution must be feeling. This poem is for them.

For those with voices too clogged with tears
I offer this prayer
It is but a small and weak echo of what you would offer
But still I offer it until you can find your voices

I rail against a harsh and hopeless fate
That ripped my child from me
That left me standing in a puddle of tears
And blood and ruin

I beg You to tell my child
Of my love and hold my child
Tight for me again
A hold taken from me in brutality

My love for my child
Will live on forever
Even if my child
Cannot.