Two poems by Shelly Miller

How Could I Know
 
I could have done more
Her pain touched my heart
I heard the agony in her barely audible voice
Tears flowed down her cheeks
I squeezed her arm trying to encourage her
Could I have done more?
 
She sat for a moment longer silently crying
choosing to leave class and her things on the table
We innocently continued
How could we know?
 
Despair had completely engulfed her
distorted thinking
overwhelming feelings
the pain inside too much
she had to stop it
 
Jumping didn't kill her
 
Now her physical pain crowds out
the grinding emotional agony
Soon she'll have to suffer both together
 
Feels like I should have done more
What? I ask myself
How could I know?


                             
Savor Sunset
 
Musical notes shine down
in the rays of rhythm
a tune for this moment
only this one moment
never to be repeated
exactly the same song again
 
Stop! Give me more than glimpses
I want to paint you
exactly how you are
Help me savor you in my heart forever
 
I want to take pictures
Help me savor you in my mind forever
 
I want to record you
Help me savor you in my soul forever


​

Bio: Shelly Miller lives in Creswell, Oregon a town of about 5,000 people. She enjoys hiking, photography, reading and even coloring. She started writing poetry to help her express her feelings and emotions in a way she'd never been able to before. She suffers from mental illness and is working very hard to not let it define who she is.

---