Valerie's Poems
A sample from: Inside Out: A Collection of Valerie's Poems by Naomi Lynn Barnes
A Song for Unwanted Children
Little child born by chance
They did not mean to bring you here
You remind them of a love now dead
You are a burden, they have said.
Little child, born to cure
A broken marriage, a boring life
Now they know that you were useless
You are not wanted, can't you guess?
Little child born in wealth
You interfere with all life's pleasures
They must search for a place to leave you
You hinder them. What will you do?
Little child born deformed
You cannot walk, you'll never play
Little child born deficient
You will not know the hate some feel
Society has no place for you
You are a burden, it is true.
Little child born in poverty
They cannot feed you or buy you clothes
Their frustrations are your bruises
They cannot show the love they have
You have our pity for what it's worth
We are sorry for your birth.
You cannot fight them alone
They should have thought of your life first
This world is not a worthy place for you
They first should deal with this life here
Before they push it onto someone who must suffer
And be its burden.
1971
I Am Leaving (aka Jamie)
Dear Jamie, what can I say?
I am leaving you now.
It's not that I'm angry,
it's not that we're poor;
I've begun to find out
there is so much more.
I'm leaving you now.
No, Jamie, it's not for another
I am leaving you now.
I do feel new love
for the world and for me.
There's no time for hate;
only time to be free.
I'm leaving you now.
Don't cry, Jamie.
Don't send me a line.
Forget that you knew me;
I've just wasted your time.
Yes, Jamie, I've learned from you,
but I'm leaving you now.
I learned to reject love
and to sell my own mind.
I want them back now
and to leave you behind.
I'm leaving you now.
No, Jamie, don't follow me.
You cannot change now.
I'm happy for once, so
just leave me alone.
I've found a new world, and
I'm not coming home.
I'm leaving you now.
Don't cry, Jamie,
don't send me a line.
Forget that you knew me;
I've just wasted your time.
1975
I Don't Find It Strange
You walk in the door
And I feel you there
I'm nervous to learn
That I've started to care
We couldn't stay friends
It would have to change
And now that I love you
I don't find it strange
You've been a good friend
But that is gone now
Our friendship has changed
But I don't quite know how
I have come to trust you
The world's here again
I feel good for once
Since I don't know when
We couldn't stay friends
It would have to change
And now that I love you
I don't find it strange
I'm afraid I'm mistaken
To tell how I feel
It will change us both
It will be too real
I'm afraid to face you
In a different way
There are too many things
That we must do and say
We couldn't stay friends
It would have to change
And now that I love you
I don't find it strange
1975
Left Foot First
Left foot first
the street spreads out
and comes to meet my face.
I pick myself up
and put my head on the ground
and stare out into space.
Hey, man, lend me another
I'm gonna get me under
I haven't had much more than a dime
And I only need a little more time.
Sitting around
the bench is wet
my head has holes inside
I stand on my back
and watch the stars move out
while my mind drains.
Hey, man, lend me another
I'm gonna get me under
I haven't had much more than a dime
And I only need a little more time.
The door is locked
I sit in the dark
and wait for night to fall
I hope the bus comes
in time to see me before
I decide to disappear.
Hey, man, lend me another
I'm gonna get me under
I haven't had much more than a dime
And I only need a little more time.
1975
Inside Out
Valerie is a character in the novel Roadwork by John Alvah Barnes, Jr. and Naomi Lynn Barnes, which is based on a true story about a love affair that should not have been. It started with writing songs, and writing songs together started with Valerie's poems. This is where it all began...
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