Resident Poetry

Poetry

Bios

I AM

I am the baby who was
born somewhat early,
but who is on time
for everything now.
I am the student who
loved school and became
a teacher, who would relax
at the beach when
trouble arose.
I left the heat and came
to the coolness and fog.
The coolness of the air
made me cool,
cool like a cat, a cool chick.

Denise Perlman

grew up in Manhattan and in Massapequa, Long Island. At the age of 21, Denise and her mother drove across the country to Tucson, Arizona where Denise began her first teaching job with a classroom of fourth graders. Denise has always maintained a positive outlook on life even when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She says that she has never let her health problems get in her way. Denise says that her writing helps her express her inner self, and she enjoys using her broad vocabulary. “After I write a poem, I feel alive,” she says. “I feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

A CHAMPION

I jog a half mile.
I fly from tree to tree.
This is while I sleep.
I awake happily,
ready for a day
in my wheelchair.
The sun has risen.
I am ready
to roll into life,
to love earthly beauty,
to have another
dream-filled night,
and be a champion
in my chair
and fly high!

A. Faye Hicks

was born in New York to a family of farm workers. She came to California when she was six years old. She enjoyed school and always loved the written word. She has three children and four grandchildren and says that since she’s been at Laguna Honda, her family has reunited. A. Faye was POOR magazine’s 2003 Po’ Poet Laureate. Her first book of poems was Poor Nation. She says that poetry helps her express her emotions, her spirit and her soul. For A. Faye, poetry reveals “the truth about God and people.”

THE BEAUTY OF GROWING UP

I know I can do anything
that I want. I am alive,
alive and happy as can be.
I can hula in the sun
in the morning and at night,
maybe they should
call me Hula Girl.
I can see the sunlight
and feel the breeze from above,
oh, so good across my body.
I love the beauty of the sun,
I love the beauty of life,
yes, life itself.

Barbara Jamison

is a native San Franciscan who grew up in the Sunset district. She worked as a Wells Fargo bank teller for 18 years. She was an avid ice skater, and her talents won her awards. She had to let go of her dream of going to the Olympics when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Barbara has lived at Laguna Honda since 1997 and says she loves the people here. About her poetry, she has this to say, “I write poems to pass the time, and writing makes me feel great.” Barbara hopes to help others feel less alone through her writing. She is a regular contributor to Kaleidoscope, Laguna Honda’s annual poetry anthology.

TO OUR CAREGIVERS

We walked, we ran,
We picked up paper clips.
We danced like crazy
And shook our hips
We biked, we climbed,
We drove our cars.
Laughing, we lay outside
And counted stars.
Today we remember
And say to you
Do what you love
Embrace the new
And love us freely
Much as we love you

Elizabeth Cutler

feels her personality has blossomed since coming to Laguna Honda. She describes her time here as a profound learning experience. Elizabeth has found that the people who live at Laguna Honda provide vital support for one another, and she remains interested in empowering her Laguna Honda neighbors and friends. One of her favorite quotes is from Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” She strives to apply the saying to her daily life, and values the opportunity to write poetry.

ASK ME

Ask me for a moon
and a star
and I will give you
the whole sky.
You have been
the crystal moment
of my life that contains
everything: my love,
my being, my one
and only.
Ask me to walk
with you
and I will walk
with you all my life.

Jim Wimer

was born in the mountains of Virginia where his imagination was fed by the people, the country church, the animals and a postmistress who provided Jim with his first reading materials. Jim was a dedicated music teacher at the Julliard School and is still remembered by his many students. He is also an accomplished pianist. He says he is now focused on his poems and stories, and that his artistic instinct is as alive as ever. He says, “Poetry consumes me as much as music does. I’m a simple person with a gift. I want my poetry and music to do what medicine does: heal.”