Poem: Why Was I Always the Last in Line?

I remember when I was younger
I was always the last in line
To be picked for a team

I didn’t know why that was
And it baffles me to this day

Did my facial expression scream
Stay away!
Don’t touch me!
Leave me alone!

Did I give off a vibe of a loser
That with me on the team
They will never win

Always being the last one chosen
Made me feel unwanted
And that I was on a team
Because they had no choice
They had to pick me
They couldn’t say no

When I finally made it
When I was no longer sitting on the floor
Waiting to be picked
I should have been happy
Yet I felt like a loser
And wished I was still on that cold floor
Waiting and waiting…

Because I was unwanted
No matter what hidden talents I possessed
Or how great of a player
I might have been

I was a girl
And they didn’t wish to see
Past their preconceived image
That a girl couldn’t play ball

And so that’s how it happened
That’s how they saw me
Each and every time
I was on their team

They played their game
As if they had never picked me
As if I didn’t exist

So I never really got to play
Never got to enjoy the game that I love
Which shattered my heart

But what really scarred me
Was being invisible
In a group of people
That should have embraced me

Or at least given me a chance

Written March 25, 2018

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo. Use with permission only

Poem: Facing Rejection

Facing rejection is never easy
Especially when the negative words
Can sting and scar
But think of rejection as a positive thing
A motivator for you to try harder
To improve your greatness
In your talent and passion

Facing rejection is never easy
But that is what leads you
To become a better person
And the best you can be
In whatever you set out to do

Written September 30, 2018 

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo. Use with permission only.

Poem: Relationship Trouble

She comes home after a stressful day at work

Ready to strike with words that hammer

At the heart and soul of her fragile partner

Pointing out the faults, the misgivings

The tasks left undone

Sitting there dormant for weeks

No hello, how are you?
Or how was your day?

Only negative energy

Belittling lectures

And everything that screams out

You're a loser! Get out of my sight!

And then she questions
Why he's cold toward her

No affection, no love, no tenderness

Why he's more like a stranger than a spouse

Why he wants to do nothing

But sit there on the couch

And stare at the TV screen

In between food and bathroom breaks

And frequent meetings with a pack of cigarettes 

That damage his already deteriorating health

These little killers
Bring him some sort of comfort and satisfaction

Something he never gets 

Whenever the two of them are together

And the words fly out of her mouth 

Like speeding bullets

That never seem to stop their flight

She thinks he is the problem

That he is the enemy

But it is she who is at fault

And it is she who is to blame

For all the trouble the relationship experiences 

Day after day

Written December 3, 2018

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo Use with permission only.

Poem: Silhouettes in the Night

We stand side by side
Silhouettes in the night
In the distance we see
Our shadows roam free

Destination unknown
Our love fully grown
As we soar through the night
Our dreams take their flight

Through each journey we take
Our love keeps us safe
And erases the fears
That surround us in spheres

And the stories we write
With our love burning bright
Will forever take flight
Silhouettes in the night

Written June 18, 2018 

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo. Use with permission only.

Poem: Winning Isn't Everything

Winning isn’t everything
But trying your best is
Because if you don’t take that chance
If you don’t give it all you have
You don’t even have a shot at winning
And all you are setting yourself up for
Is failure and loss
So go out there with everything you have
And know that even if you don’t win
You are already a winner
Because you took that chance
Instead of sitting there doing nothing
To accomplish what you wanted to achieve

Written September 30, 2018

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo. Use with permission only.

Three Limericks That Mention Animals

“Sam Wanted to Rescue a Cat from a Tree”

October 23, 2018

A black cat was stuck in a tree
Sam wanted to help set him free
He climbed for the cat
But then saw it’s a bat
So he jumped and flew like a bee

~~~~~~~~~~

“Colony of Ants”
August 30, 2018

She woke to a colony of ants
That was crawling right into her pants
She screamed and she ran
Bumped into the fan
That blew them away toward the plants

~~~~~~~~~~

“A Bee Sat on a Flower”
August 29, 2018

A bee sat down on a flower
She sat still for many an hour
They thought she was dead
But she went on ahead
Tanning beneath the sun shower

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo. Use with permission only.

Poem: Visiting Your Gravesite

I went to the cemetery to pay you a visit
But when I got to your gravesite
Tears flooded my face once more
It’s been almost two years since your passing
And yet there is no monument erected in your honor
No loving words etched in memory of you
All that exists is the ugly name tag
Stuck into a pile of dirt

When will that change
When will I finally see the headstone
That reminds us of your presence
That brings to life
The everlasting memories you left us
When you went on your way

The scars never truly fade
And find themselves reawakening
From time to time
Like at the moment I visit you
Only to find that your gravesite is naked
And the picture of you
Along with the loving words
Is only in my mind
And not for the world to see

Written January 5, 2018

© 2018 by Lena Kovadlo. Use with permission only.