Poems

Annamaria Mandoliti

Annamaria Mandoliti works by contract as English Tutor and as Esercitatore at the University of Calabria, Italy. She has co written an article with a colleague entitled: "Developing authentic learning materials from authentic video-clips of student presentations: not as daunting as it might first appear" (published in HLT last year) Writing poems is among her numerous hobbies. E-mail: ammandoliti@hotmail.com

My beloved country

I wonder if I'll ever see my beloved country again,
I wonder if my eyes will ever set upon its luscious plains one day.
In my heart I hold warm memories of past and happy times,
of days spent outdoors enjoying the Indian summer's smells and colours.
My mind travels back in time,
remembering those magic moments
when walking down the path
through the foliage and the ancient trees,
I'd arrive in my secluded spot,
I'd sit on the banks of the gleaming pond,
imagining I were an ethereal being.
Oh how I remember the peaceful feelings
that settled deep down my soul
and made me feel one with the entire world.

Pupils

Pupils come to school,

all neat and tidy,

wearing their starched

and clean washed uniforms.


They march in line,

one after another,

in the school's yard,

like some diligent little soldiers.


As they wait,

with their earnest little faces,

their sweet smile,

warms up the crisp winter day.


Then the school bell rings

and they rush in their classrooms,

fresh and ready

to embrace the new day.

The gift

How many can truly say,
to have known the one gift,
that could heal
the wounds of the heart?

How many have searched,
for the one gift,
that could warm and feed
a starved soul?

That mysterious gift,
that keeps one going,
makes one smile,
gives one hope;

that one gift,
that brightens one's life,
makes one soar,
gives one peace.

It is a precious gift,
given freely,

an angel's gift,
which sparkles
like the most precious gem,
with all its liveliness,
brilliance and vivacity.

That most cherished gift,
that can only be found
in a child's smile.

The Way through the mist

The woman was slowly making her way through the shrouded mist,
while the warm summer rain blurred her vision…..
she loved to stroll in the rain,
letting the drops wet her beautiful features,
her eyebrows shimmering in the fading light of the day
as she smelled the sweet honeysuckles' scent surrounding her.
She could hear yonder,
the gentle lapping of the ocean's waves
washing against the shore.
She felt in peace with herself,
no thoughts for the morrow crowded her mind
as a new hope overflowed her heart…..
Then suddenly the rain stopped,
the fog cleared,
and a warm summer breeze settled in.
The woman then, saw the path she'd lost for a while
and at long last she knew
she was home once again.

A true friend

A true friend is someone
you can always count on,
someone who's always there for you,
someone who supports you
and doesn't say that you're always right.

A true friend is someone
you can share your good times and bad times with,
someone who's always on your side
and doesn't judge you
no matter what you do.

A true friend is someone
who listens to your plights,
who gives and never asks
for anything in return.

A true friend is someone
you can trust with all your heart,
someone who never betrays you,
someone who loves and cares for you at all times.

A true friend will never let you down.

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