Hildred Marjorie Schloss

Punta Gorda, Florida

Hildred has experienced and loved Poetry since age 5. She attributes the love to exposure to poems by English Poet Laureates and other authors, during her early education in Jamaica, West Indies. Jamaica's natural beauty was added incentive. College Education at T.C. Columbia University during the awesome John Dewey Period confirmed poetry's invaluable place in children's education. Hildred is a retired teacher, supervisor, New York City. She shares her poetry with colleagues, friends, Reading Groups, Mission Study Groups. Her poetry has been published in Anthologies of The National Library of Poetry. She is organizing her Nature Poems for publication.

JFK...The Legacy

'Twas the year 1963 in Dallas Town
The young president was gunned down.
In the full public view of the adoring throng,
And the question is still asked: "Oh! What went wrong?"

His children often played with him
In many charming, caring, loving ways,
On boats, in fields, on lawns, in office-ways
There was no doubt: it was not staged.
OH BLESSED DAY HE PASSED THIS WAY!

Some parents of our day say they are too tired to play.
So let's review the busy president's way
To please, to help, to greet, to hug, to say
"Let's join the kids at play."
OH BLESSED DAY HE PASSED THIS WAY!

His memory lives today and will survive
In spite of current selfish human pride
His love abides among the young, the old,
His wit, his charm, his diligence, his regal courtesy,
Commands us all to see, to feel, to say:
OH BLESSED DAY HE PASSED THIS WAY!

Fall Leaves Dance

Look up and they're green,
Look up and they're yellow and green.
Then they're yellow, orange, red and green.
And then most are yellow, green, orange, brown,
Masses of moving colors, dancing up and down.

Slow, colorful dances bemuse the morning breeze,
The pace quickens with the evening wind.
It's right, it's left, it's up and down,
It's east, to west, to north, to south,
Warmed and energized by the setting sun.

Squirrels race among the leaves
Doing their dance routines,
Skimming and swaying the branches,
Weighting the limbs and twigs
With buoyant starts, stops and turns.

The new season is appearing: Fall is here!
Quietly and slowly birds hop from branch to branch
Camouflaged among the leaves
That silently fall, to carpet the ground and invite
New crushing, musical rolls from children at play.

Remembering The Children

Let the children sing,
Let the children dance,
Let the children play,
In a safe and joyful way.
And teach them how to pray.

Let the children walk,
Let the children talk,
To friends, relatives, parents.
Show them all nature's wealth
Let them relate to its health.

Let the children work
At chores selected to fulfill
Full use of energies and will
To compete, to give and enact
The meaning of commitment.

Let the children read
Everything within their reach,
All the things that teach,
And when there's peace within
There'll be peace without.

Advice To A Bird

Little bird resting alone, on the trestle
Why are you here now?
It's ten o'clock in the morning
And all your friends have flown
To scenes distant and unknown.
Why are you here alone!

Are you hungry and in search of food
Or just a late starter enroute?
There's been only one plaintive call
Echoing shrill out there, somewhere,
Can you find that perch
And interpret, solve and cheer?

You must have heard me,
You have vacated the trestle!
Now where did you go?
I'm sure you'll make your day.
Keep on moving, join others as you go.
There's safety in numbers! You know!

Beauty

For love of beauty's way
The search is always new.
Those who find it, say
There is no better view.

Be thoughtful, be helpful
Each day along life's way
And share the joys where
Untiring nature holds sway.
Thoughts of kinship follow
You'll find fields of yellow.