Three Word Wednesday Post:

Demolish; verb: Pull or knock down; comprehensively refute; overwhelmingly defeat (informal); eat up food, rapidly (humorous). 

Resolution; noun: A firm decision to do or not to do something; a formal expression of opinion or intention agreed on by a legislative body, committee, or other formal meeting, typically after taking a vote; the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.

Transform; verb: Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of; undergo such a change. 


As I stare at the goodies of Christmas
I make a resolution to transform
This older body and not eat as much
But still it beckons me
So I hide it in the cupboards
And tell family go ahead demolish
So there's less of me
To have to transform 
And more of them?


© Sheilagh Lee December 28 2011

Happy Hanukkah

© Sheilagh Lee December 20, 2011

Christmas is Calling

Christmas calls me ever near

I listen closely it is so dear

The smiles I see upon sweet faces

The tapping of the feet in places

As the music swells within their hearts

And compassion and generosity starts

To overcome those who listen to its call

And as family draws near to celebrate

Remembering Christmas’ past and contemplate

The memories they are making this year

That is what draws in my joy now here

To enjoy the season and the Christmas Day

With loved seldom seen now at play

Just enjoying their company

And how lucky I am to be

Celebrating Christmas.

© Sheilagh Lee December 10,2011

Poem: I ℬεℓḯ℮√ε in Santa *<[:{)

Santa dear Santa

You wonderful man

Can there be anyone better

To help out those who need

And motivate those who can

Santa you bring such cheer

Into our lives, such joy

Is it any wonder we love you

You wonderful man

But behind every great man

Is a even greater woman

Motivating supporting and doing

Her part and more to help

And making him look good

So Clara, or whatever your name thank-you dear

We can't forget you never you fear

You do so much behind the scenes

That there is not so much as endless streams

Of goodwill and happiness from his visit.

I believe in Mrs. and Mr. *<[:{)

Author: © Sheilagh Lee

All rights reserved December 18,2010

For Mom Happy 82nd Birthday

Mom it doesn't seem so long ago

I had to say goodbye

Although as the years have gone bye

I still find I cry

I miss your loving smile

And your warm embrace

The changing expressions on your face

I miss your encouragement

Your steadfast love and you always being there

Somehow it doesn’t seem fair

That you are not there

To see your grandchildren

Succeed and grow into adults

To see me finally succeed in writing my books

But I know you’re there in heaven

Though it’s been ten long years without you

That you watch over us and look in a time or two

And still whisper encouragement that we know is from you.

So today on what would have been your birthday

I want to wish you peace and joy and say

Thanks Mom for being there all the days

I had you were the best all good

Because you loved your children

And showed us each and everyday

How lucky we were to have you to stay

And show us the way to be the people we are today.

Thanks Mom I'll always love you.

And miss you Happy Birthday

©Sheilagh Lee  November 15 ,2011



Though ten long years
Since last I saw your face
I do not forget you
Nor do I weep
But rejoice in the time we spent
The things we shared 
And smile at memories
That keep you always with me.
©Sheilagh Lee  November 15 ,2011

Remembrance Day Poem

Young men eager to start an adventure

As they face their greatest fear

To leave kith and kin without censure

To fight the greatest foe

Off to the front, the war they go

The young and the older leave their families,

Going to foreign lands, they take their leaves,

Women volunteered and were put behind the scenes

To bandage the weary troops and keep the papers forwarded

With the orders down the line, and to keep the troops boarded

They stepped up those valiant women with none rewarded

The men the battle waged, battling falling in foreign land

Some in lonely countryside, some in Dieppe’s watery sand

Their youth, the strength given for their country

So we can have freedom to live and breathe and see

A world of peace and feel that we are free

To speak our minds and raise our families

They gave their lives their body and mind

To save our country, to give us time to find

Our place in the world without oppression

To save us from someone else obsession

Who wanted to control the world and control thought

So our troops volunteered and so valiantly fought

Giving to us their country the peace we sought

We thank them for their sacrifice                             

Though it barely does suffice

We thank them for the time they gave

We thank them for the lives they save

We thank them truly, for the battles fought

The battles won, for the peace we sought

We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice

Though our thanks barely suffice

And those that come home broken

We give to all of you this token

Of our love and remembrance

For every day that is hence

We will remember and celebrate your life

We remember how you had such strife

To give us freedom and peace

To let the hostilities cease.

Thank-you is all I can say

Thank you each and every day.

We shall not forget.

Though the sunset

We shall always remember

Each and every day

And not only in November

Of the role you played

And the sacrifices you made

Our memories will never fade.

©Sheilagh Lee  November 6 ,2011

Jack We Called You Friend

RIP JackLayton  (

July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011)
My deepest sympathies to his wife Olivia Chow and his children and family,Thanks for loaning us Jack

A Tribute To Canada’s Best Friend

I turn on my phone and hear the news reports

Waiting for the sports

A gasp as I hear he’s died

I was sure in the Prime Minister residence

 He would soon abide.

Surely they are mistaken?

I was sure he’d win the fight

For he had on his side might

His honesty and integrity and caring

His strong every man bearing

Unusual even in a politician rare

But he was more than fair.

For he thought for those with the very least

And tried to make sure they too joined the feast

He fought so hard to make Canada a place for all its inhabitants

Not just the rich and privileged few

For whom he saved his rants

But we also always knew

How he fought so hard to keep medical care,

He had amazing qualities so rare

In a politician or a man

He wanted food on the table and jobs for all

Unheard of positions for the opposition

We felt we knew him he was a buddy

Not an old fuddy duddy

We didn’t call him Mr. Layton

Even as it seems the Conservatives seem to almost hate him

But Jack like a beloved friend we all knew.

We wanted to hear he would be one of the chosen few

Prime Minister Jack someday

But that has been taken away.

So when I heard he died he was no more

My heart felt heavy and oh so sore

My stomach sunk my eyes overflowed

Our dreams were broken the future mowed

But even as those thoughts flowed through

The one thought remained most true

 As I cried huge tears and was so grieved

We lost our friend Jack today.

©Sheilagh Lee  August 22 ,2011
This poem (only)can be copied with an attribution  to me. All others are mine alone and may not be copied without express permission from me the author.


Below is the letter that Jack left us goodbye dear friend



NPD Leader Jack Layton wrote the following letter to Canadians just two days before his death on Monday, August 22, 2011. Here it is in full:

Dear Friends,
Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.
Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.
I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.
I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.
A few additional thoughts:
To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don't be discouraged that my own journey hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.
To the members of my party: we've done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. 
Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let's continue to move forward. Let's demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.
To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.
To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada's Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.
To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.
And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one - a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world's environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don't let them tell you it can't be done.
My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.
All my very best,
Jack Layton