Virginia Welch

Kansas City, MO, USA

After years of teaching others to appreciate and write poetry, Virginia Welch decided that it was time to practice what she preached. Virginia has had her poems published in three anthologies of The National Library of Poetry; she also published three collections by desk-top press. She believes that poetry is the only way to express some ideas and emotions. She hopes that her best poems are yet to be written.

Found Memories

In the tiny English village of Heyshott,
The weary traveler can find peace and rest.
Elizabethan cottages the landscape dot
Guarding against changes, preserving the best.

The meadowlarks sing; the snapdragons snap;
The violets and buttercups secretly converse;
In simple English gardens that paint pictures
Which inspire and enhance great English verse.

The wild strawberries know how superior they are.
Kissed by the sun, these berries so coy,
Have a flavor which excels all others by far.
Blessed are they who may taste and enjoy.

Such beautiful memories can be stored away
To come back to cheer on some dreary day.

Telling Tales Out Of School

There was a famous Hollywood designer
Known worldwide for her movie gowns;
Who was asked by a talk show host,
"Why so successful in Tinsel Town?"

She was thoughtful for a moment;
Then to everyone’s great surprise,
"I was a high school teacher",
She replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

"What kind of answer is that?" She was asked.
Then she replied with a knowing smile,
"Once you have taught in high school,
You can do anything that is worthwhile."

She had discovered what all good teachers know;
That with creativity, vision, and plans that are sound,
Even the most reluctant scholar can be reached;
Just as a piece of cloth can become a ball gown.

No wonder the designer replied as she did.
What awesome responsibilities teachers have.
With little recognition and meager pay,
Only those who CAN-teach.

The City

As an understudy in a play
Calmly waits in the wings
For her hour on the stage,
This metropolis on the bluffs
Above the wide Missouri
prepares for her time of greatness.
She knows her part well,
From her past, she has learned:
Generosity from her first Americans,
Compassion from her courageous pioneers,
Humility from those ancient cities
That rose to great heights only to fall.
Destiny decrees that she will play her role
As a great city of the universe.