Creation and Criticism

Marie Shine (1950) is a poet of Listowel, the literary capital of Ireland. She has three collection of poems— ‘My Potpourri of Poetry’ (2011), ‘A Sense of Life’ (2018) and ‘Selected Poems: Marie Shine’ (2020) to her credit. She has also been the editor of ‘A String of Words’ (Prakash Book Depot, 2010), a collection of poems of five poets. She resides at 32, Ballygologue Park, Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland- V31 EC84 and can also be contacted at mariejshine@gmail.com.

1. Behind A Smile

Many a heart lies broken

Behind a great big smile

Many a teardrop falls

From enduring life’s love trial

Many a heart is crushed

Without a second thought

Many a teardrop gathers

From the heartache love has brought

We do not always see

What goes on inside another

Family, Friends, Husband,

Brother, Sister, Father, Mother

Just be aware, though people

Smile and laugh and joke

That behind all the laughter

May lie a heart that’s broke

So, when you see a great big smile

Stop and think for a little while

That behind that beautiful winsome smile

A heart may lay badly broken

Shattered into tiny pieces

Love’s bitter-sweet love token!

2. Changed

I pushed you to the back of my mind

Your hurtful words, so unkind

Caused hot tears to well and flow

You’ve changed from the man I once adored

To someone I do not even know

So, I pushed you away to the back of my mind

Keeping you there, yet, hoping I’d find

One day you’d appear, my lover of old

The past forgotten, the future to brightly unfold.

3. Emotional Storms

The storms of life never last
they quickly pass us by.
After wreaking emotional damage
the rain falls from our eye.
They pick up speed
and gather momentum
before losing power and strength.
We marvel at how quick they came
and just how fast they went!
They leave us so much wiser
than we were before they came.
They make us stronger people
who do not judge or blame.
We come to realise our strength
which we never knew we had
and once the storms have moved on
we truly feel quite glad!

4. Gone

Lying on my bed

Staring at the ceiling

Tears drifting down my cheeks

Set all my senses reeling

A yearning empty feeling

Roars from deep inside

But I let her walk through the door

And hold on to my pride

Now she is gone

She is gone, gone, gone,gone forever

And she will not come back

Oh, why did I deceive her?

Gone from my life

To find happiness elsewhere

Leaving me alone

In darkness and despair

I know I will miss her

All through my life

But I vow to love no other.

5. Final Farewell

Burgundy rose

clasped to breast remembering

Pressed thorns mingle with crimson blood

Tears drop like crystals

Washing love away.