Remembering D-Day 76 years later

Neither physical distance

Nor illness, wind, and rain

Shall keep those brave souls

From our thoughts and memories

Today and always

Those who fought on D-Day

So hard and long

So we could have the freedoms

We enjoy today

Are in our thoughts and prayers

Men some young, some old

Some in between

Scared, shaking in their skins

Found the inner courage

The stamina and the bravery

To go to war

On distance shore

14000 souls, brave and true

Landed on Juno Beach

The 6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)  Crewed by William Reed, Frank White, Frank Fowler ,Terry Doherty and Everett Smith,

And others , in tanks and on foot

Battled waves, wicked weather

To face tanks, big guns and men

Trying to take land

To end the war                                  

To save their families

From tyranny and strife

They gave their all

So we could end the war

To have peace again

And enjoy the fruits of life

So on this day 76 years later

And every day

We enjoy our freedom

We remember their sacrifice.

                                                         ©Sheilagh Lee  June 6, 2020

In this together

Reach out

Call someone

Keep them close

While keeping them safe

Physical distancing is hard

Let’s connect

By phone by video

We are all one

In this together

In lockdown

©Sheilagh Lee  April 21, 2020

Sending love and prayers to #NovaScotia #onenationinmourning

Twenty people their lives
Taken

Maybe more

Lives cut short

By senseless violence
Biggest mass murder
In Canada no credit to

The evil man
Who shall evermore be nameless
His death uncounted 
Unmourned

Who pretended to be a cop.

Innocent people

Dead

A police officer/ mother dead

Another one injured
Evil came to Nova Scotia
Or hearts hurt and

We mourn

We cry

Even if we remember and pray

They rest in peace

We need to make sure this

Never ever happens again

twenty of the victims of the Nova Scotia Shooting : April19.2020

R. I. P. ~Constable Heidi Stevenson, Aaron Tuck, Jolene Oliver and Emily Tuck, Sean McLeod, Alanna Jenkins, Tom Bagley, Lisa McCully, Heather O'Brien, Kristen Beaton, Greg and Jamie Blair, Lillian Hyslop, Gina Goulet, Elizabeth Joanne Thomas and John Joesph Zahl, Corrie Ellison, Dawn Madsen and Frank Gulenchyn, Joey Webber.

We are human

Adversity

Human nature

To overcome

We fight, fight, fight

We win

Human nature

To crave human contact

Too

But we know that’s

Not possible right now

But we will win

If we stick it out

Because we are strong

We are invisible

We are human

©Sheilagh Lee  April 19, 2020

Safe at home

Lockdown

Nothing altered

All the same

Accept the deaths 
Of course
And the grief

As people 
Young and old

Sick or dying
Fall

3 different strains

Knocking on the door

Open up

Not a chance

I’m staying inside

Safe at home

Wide spread testing

Needs to happen

Then the cure

For all to change

©Sheilagh Lee  April 18, 2020

A little longer please

Open the border?

Not quite yet

We’re not ready

You see

The virus hasn’t quite

Reached its peak

Testing hasn’t been done

We’ll wait a little longer, 
I prefer my parachute please

©Sheilagh Lee  April 17, 2020

Sun is going to shine

The sun is going to shine

The days are going to get long

The vaccine is going to come

We all have to wait it out
But good days will come

©Sheilagh Lee  April 15, 2020

Isolation

Isolation

Not just a word

We’re all locked in our homes

Some alone

Some with someone

Some with family

Frustration

Missing connection

With others

We yearn

For that link

Friendship

Family

We are all missing

But we stay

For the same reason

Because we love

Friends and family

We will endure

Until the vaccination comes

That frees us from

These invisible bonds

©Sheilagh Lee  April 15, 2020

Go away

I hear my grandchild cry

When can I see you Grandma?

Come here, come here.

My heart breaks a little

I miss her so

But I know I am doing this for her

I am keeping both of us safe

Soon we’ll be together

Soon we’ll hug and cry

And smile

We we’ll win

We will this make this virus go away.

©Sheilagh Lee  April 14, 2020

Missing Dad

Dad I miss you

I miss our talks

The way you said my name

The lopsided smile

That made me beam

You singing to your records

The song you said was about mom

The smile you gave only to her

The love you showed her everyday

With gestures big and small

The poetry you shared with me

The way you showed us

You loved us your children

And grandchildren each and everyone

I miss you

But I know someday

Very far way

Will be together

Again

Happy Birthday Dad

©Sheilagh Lee  April 12, 2020

Missing you

Missing loved ones

Hearing my grandchild cry

Over the phone

Why can’t I see Grandma?

Why can’t I see Grandpa?

Two year olds don’t know

Why

We sit in our homes

Avoiding each other

Physical distancing the rule

But we as adults know

We’re saving them

We’re saving us

Even as our hearts

Break a little

We’re trying save

The world

Let’s hope it works
We're in this together
We'll do our part.

©Sheilagh Lee  April 11, 2020

Good Friday

Good Friday

Black Friday

A day of prayer

A day of remembrance

Remember how Jesus died

To save our souls

Remembering the resurrection

Prayers sent

Thanks given

We remember the gift given

And again give thanks

To the lord above

For giving us his only son

A sacrifice most profound

Could we do the same?

©Sheilagh Lee  April 10, 2020

Vimy Ridge 103 years

Vimy Ridge 103 years 

103 years have passed

Vimy Ridge a distant memory

To some people’s minds

But Canadians fought for king and country

All four divisions coming together as one

As they walked across

No man’s land

To secure a victory

Filled with sacrifice

They gave us

The gift of nationhood

Canada at last

To grow our uniqueness

And make us all one

We shall never forget

Those brave men

Loyal Canadians 

Who gave their all.

©Sheilagh Lee  April 9, 2020

Praying

Masks to protect you

Masks to protect me

Masks made of cloth

Whatever people can find

Simple things

Like grocery shopping

A terrible chore

A cough is heard

People run

Panic ensues

People go home

Hideout

Pray it passes

Hope the virus

Leaves

©Sheilagh Lee  April 8, 2020

The Human Way

Retooling

Making jobs

Saving Lives

Helping others

With ingenuity

The human way

Patience spread with kindness

To those who are acting out

Scared

We will find our way

For we are 

Canadians

Earthlings

All one

©Sheilagh Lee  April 7, 2020

We are all one

©Sheilagh Lee  April 6, 2020

Vacuum

Life, in a vacuum of facts

Big brain sucking in half-truths

Disposes of what doesn’t fit

Heard of a cure

Untested, but it will work

Ideology

Push this fact forward

So what if a few die?

Strong economy

Money, money, money

Echoes in the mind

Open up businesses

Dismiss proven experts

It will all be over soon

©Sheilagh Lee  April 5, 2020

Baa Baa Black Sheep

https://www.rt.com/news/484935-us-takes-masks-germany/


https://nationalpost.com/news/world/3m-says-trump-officials-have-told-it-to-stop-sending-face-masks-to-canada



Baa, Baa Black sheep

Have you any masks?

One for the hospitals

And one for the nurses

One for the doctors

To save them from the worst pass

But the US has issued decrees

You can’t import them

We’re keeping them for ourselves

And other medical needs

Just save yourself

You can make them from cloth

We’re keeping them for Americans

Not Canadians

Now look at us and do your worst

You namby, pamby, too polite Canadians

Is it profiteering?

Is it selfishness?

Or both?

What makes someone claim

All the medical supplies are theirs

We share a border

We share businesses
We send medical staff
Dcotors and nurse
Across the line

We give and we give

You take and you take

Now you want to us

To give everything

And leave us nothing?

We are not the dirt

Under your feet

We are not expendable

For your mistakes

We care about you

Though sometimes

You seem 

The black sheep

Of the family

We share, because we care

We are in this together

Let’s work together

And save us all

Ventilators and masks for all

©Sheilagh Lee  April 4, 2020

Kindness Prevails

Life in the time of uncertainty

Precious moments missed

Precious moments doled out

Over internet we share

A smile a wave to relatives

Friends too

Connected by voice and hope

Near and far

Stories told by voice and video

Intimacy communicated

That human need to be

With people still survives

Even with physical distancing

We are one

In this together

Kindness prevails

We’ll survive

Humanity will win.

©Sheilagh Lee  April 3, 2020

Persevere

©Sheilagh Lee  April 2, 2020

Together

©Sheilagh Lee  April 1, 2020

Unthinking behaviour

Alone

In a sea of voices

Crying out in

Boredom

Anguish

Despair

Physical Distance

We share on Facebook

We reachout on Twitter

A necessity

A plague

A pandemic

The voices cry

Some voices shout

You won’t get me

They break out

Spread disease and havoc

In their wake

Some die, some don’t

Their selfish unthinking behavior

Condemns us all.

©Sheilagh Lee  March 27, 2020