Poems by Rosa Velez

Crystal Dome

(Dedicated to ASC) I’ve found sadness in the fullest of places Frowns on clowns That never end. Fears like rivers That are heaven-sent. Carefully, I listen Within the Crystal Dome... Carefully Waiting like a hummingbird Batting my wings—quickly, invisibly Trying not to shatter the Crystal Dome. The Crystal Dome A home For the multitude of faces Faces of all races Fighting, crying, hoping For an end to this race. A race we have begun in the Battle of AIDS, In the battle of addiction, In the battle of abuse. How much more Can we endure Under the Crystal Dome??? The Crystal Dome This home, I’ve said... Where K-man shares his sweet temptations His fears of men Who’ve shattered his senses Walls now built Like broken fences. Where Darlene comes And shares her parfait But doesn’t dare to share Her dreams. Where are her dreams? Where did they go?? The addiction demon Has taken control. Then there is Wayne, Where a sudden smile Glistens in his eyes Speaking of a moment With his daughter…in disguise... Remembering his daughter …vividly Yet again lost in the sleepiness of His addictions. He dozes off, a tear smears his eyes— He’s up again And the moment gleams across His face again. His beautiful daughter His only daughter Under the Crystal Dome. Do I dare to share My fears My hopes The pain we all reflect As prisms Under the Crystal Dome??? No. Not yet. Not yet. If this Crystal Dome Was to shatter, Like it’s done in the past, Fragmented pieces We would become. But then again… That was the past. Softly, I imagine An invisible force Gluing all these pieces together as one. As it happens We have become As shining stars Within the universe. No longer do we cry But sympathize Enduring this pain We hold tight to our dreams, Our hopes, that our friends Will continue To make us smile, To make us dream, To make us want to live again. “Within the Crystal Dome, I’ve found a home.”

poetry Is Our Music

I heard the bird chirp by the window, spring is near, such a sound of relief…

No longer will the chill Freeze my windowpane No longer will the branches Swing their skeleton arms No longer will I close my window To keep out the winter somberness My heart is warming The sun is shining in my soul A light suddenly brightens the hidden words that were budding to come out.

A single naked rose opens her petals Embraces the summer wind That makes her sing And like the bird, I too sing….Poetry is our Music.

At Times... I remember

At times I stand around— acting like I’m me all fancied out, shimmering like a star… Yet memories of this being are very much afar—

At times I could feel The wind ripping through my hair as the horse that runs wildly, running with no fear…

At times I can remember feeling…nothing but Joy… Joy to the world and Joy with the world. Joy… Joy… Joy— At times,

I Remember.