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Jo Anne Green

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Re: Some of me Poetry,
3/28/2009 9:06:04 AM

Sunny Greetings from California, Amanda!


Thank you for sharing your poem "The Meanest Parent in the World".
 
I enjoyed reading it very much. I certainly can relate to your sentiment in that poem. I am proud to be the result of fabulously old fashion parenting from my beloved father.

In today's world, I am totally amazed to so many people wanting the government to raise their kids for them. Consequently, the government has been dishing out rules how parents can or cannot discipline their own kids. It seems that these same people just wanted to make babies and do not want to bear many responsibilities of parenthood.

I think that responsible parenting in this new century is going to a rare gem.

I am glad that we were brought up by our genuinely loving and caring parents in the old days.

You have a very nice poetry thread here, my friend. I look forward to reading your next installments. Keep up the good work.

Until next time --

Take Care & Have an Awesome Weekend!

JoAnne Green
Principal / International Risk Management Advisor


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Sunburst International Risk Managementwww.InternationalRiskManagement.comSunburst Worldwide Insurance Serviceswww.WorldwideMedicalPlans.com
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Amanda Martin-Shaver

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Re: Some of me Poetry,
3/28/2009 12:23:34 PM
Hello JoAnne,

You are welcome, I reckon the younger generation have
missed out on what loving parents are really about.
Discipline is about boundaries, with family rules so every
one can feel safe and secure, knowing they are loved. 

Yet today's parenting seems to think that discipline means
hitting and abuse, they do not know how to stay firm
in their rules they have given and when the child whines
and demands for candy or toys etc the parent gives in.
These children soon realise what 'buttons' to push to
get what they want.  Then it becomes a case where the
children are ruling the parents with their tantrums.

I have watched a program on TV that a Nanny has come
into to help a family with their unruly children.  These
children are just running wild, hitting their siblings, biting
kicking, breaking stuff and just doing as they please.  The parent has no clue how to parent their children. 

Amanda
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Amanda Martin-Shaver

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Re: Some of me Poetry, written from the heart
3/28/2009 12:26:09 PM


Koda, my puppy

My puppy has not come home, its been over an hour
I let him out so he could do his call of nature
I have whistled and called him to no avail
where can my puppy be at this late hour?

I am worried as it is the middle of the night
far to dark outside for me to be looking without light
he could be hiding in the shadows and I would not see
as the darkness penetrates where he cannot be seen

He has not gone this long before when I have let him out
he always comes running around the corner when I looking about
he does not bark so I can hear him when I call
so what could have taken his interested to ignore me at all

this afternoon he found a dead treat
and dropped it beside my horse, Harmony
she took no notice, no notice at all
she kept on eating the grass at her feet

I went out and called my puppy to come indoors
once he was, I went down to see what he had brought
a dead rabbit, winter fur but without its head
I threw this rabbit up and away where my puppy can't get

So now nearly two hours have gone by and still he has not come
it is 12.46am and time we were both in bed
what could be the attraction that has kept away all this time
should I spank him, chastise him or hug him instead?

By 1.30am I went to bed, prayed for him to be safe
slept fairly well under these circumstances
I woke up and went outside, whistled and called
and there he was with the outside animals, what's the haste!

I knew where I was, I was safe all this time
now I am tired, I will lay down right here
stretch out close to the fire and keep warm
and woof and squirm dreaming of my adventures

Amanda Martin-Shaver ©
29 March 2009





Care Giver

April 2002 I started my first job in the USA
an Alzheimer and Dementia, seven house facility
ten residents, men and women I was to oversee
cook for next days meals, cleaning and laundry

I worked Friday to Sunday, on the Noct Shift
eight hours Friday and 12 hour weekend
with their policies and procedures, I was adrift
no one bothered to show me so I could blend

I struggled with their menu, I am a good cook
there wasn't the ingredients to follow their book
I had not heard of many of the dishes
how was I ever to understand their wishes?

Three meals of hamburger in a period of three days?
because these residents are Alzheimer and dementia
should not do this because they don't remember
  after all their families were paying their way!

A day staff Leaving them in wet pajamas for hours
not giving them their showers
throwing left over food in the trash
a resident who naps has to have a sandwich?

I asked questions to my House Manager
her reply, I don't know what to tell ya
go ask Mary-Anne in Human Resources
or Belinda, the Facilities Manager

I disliked how these residents were treated
it might be legal, but extremely unethical
placing residents who fight in together
disrupting the whole household altogether

Residents get hurt and pushed to the floor
you cannot be everywhere at once and see through walls
ambulance comes and takes resident to care
restore some order with the Floater once she's there

There should be two on duty for all three shifts
money won't be spent on extra, those spendthrifts!
They only gave 32 hours for each staff member
so no one could earn more than 40 hours as carer

Resident dies after being hurt in several falls
family arrives before he is made presentable
funeral director arrives with his gurney
bags him up to leave on his last journey

what sort of nonsense is this I question
to treat our loved ones in this awful fashion
there is no dignity given once he has died
haven't time to dress his bare body, to restore some pride

I would not treat him like this, when he was alive
so why would anyone do this now that he has died?
this is not how I was trained back in New Zealand
dignity was given, bathed, dressed hair brushed for presentation

no back up while you work night hours alone
you're suppose to carry a big cordless phone
they are cumbersome things and they fall from your pocket
getting in the way so you put it up on the locker

dial seven numbers for floaters phone,
then seven numbers for your own
who can remember when you have an emergency
when you need help desperately, urgently

I got beaten up by a big burly resident
by surprise, cornered, trapped like a rodent
he was hitting me about my body and head
I covered my face with my arms, and bent

I tried to push him off but he was too large
so I ran at him and gave a big heave
flaying my arms so he would back off and leave
I accidentally struck him, he said I would be dead

Floater came and inspected him,
no one cared about the state I was in
wrote in the logs that I had hit him
time to go home I am all weak and done in

Three days later I am called to the Manager
wanted to know how this resident was striking in anger
It turned out he had a UTI and no one wrote it down
how was I to know that directing him would cause this meltdown?

They let me go, said staff cannot hit residents
at home I was completely and utterly devastated
news stories report residents harming and killing
yet staff alone cannot protect against these bashing's

I asked some other caregivers what would they do?
they said they would write nothing, about them hitting too
I was honest when I wrote, it was a bad mistake
I just felt threatened and this is my heartache

Amanda Martin-Shaver ©
28 March 2009

Note: Names used are fictional

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Amanda Martin-Shaver

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Re: Some of me Poetry, written from the heart
4/4/2009 10:19:07 PM

Picture by Erik Hollander, used with permission


This picture is simply awesome, isn't it?
I look at Jesus weeping and wonder - What is He weeping for?
Was this a picture depicted at the time when He stood
in the Olivegrove as He looked down on Jerusalem?
Before He gave His live for us on the cross of Calgary?
Or perhaps it is a more updated version for today.
Jesus is looking at the world at large, not just a small
place like America, or New Zealand where I am from,
but the whole of the world.

Do you wonder, if He might be weeping for you?
He did give His life as the greatest gift a person
can give to everyone.
Even humans who were not born back when He did this deed,
once and for all.
He did die of the most horrendous wounds from torture any
human before or after Him will ever experience.
I wonder why all the pictures of Jesus on the cross,
His face is unmarked?
Because in Isaiah 53 it is written that His face
is recognizable.

Many people have rejected this gift. Thrown it back.
I know if it was me and I gave a beautiful gift of myself
to another and I was rejected it would hurt me terribly.
Do you wonder, like I have that He is calling all people
who do not know Him to come and meet with Him?
Do you wonder, where you will go when you die?
Have you even wondered?

Jesus wept.
It is the shortest verse in the bible.
Such a profound sentence.
Two short words.
Jesus wept.

Amanda Martin-Shaver ©




The Crucifixion

Have you ever wondered why,
all the pictures we see of Jesus
He is nailed to the cross with just a crown of thorns
as His adornment and a spear wound to His side?
This is all true, but there is much more
according to fifty three Isiah

Jesus was tortured more than the sons of man
His face was so marred that He was recognizable
His face was a bloody pulp, because they beat Him up
and pulled His beard hair out,
then there is the lashing's of barbed whips
across His back that ripped at the skin

We have heard of horrible stories of torture
done during past wars, the horrendous brutality
too horrible for words
yet when this abdominal crime
has been done against an innocent
We shrug our shoulders and pass it off
as history and crimes in the past

Oh the pain He bore for you and I
to be scorned and spat on and left nearly dead
just from these terrible beatings,
but no, they stopped just short of this
they still had more for Him up their sleeve
He had to be further humiliated

He had to be shown off out in the streets
where others could see His shame and marred face
That was not enough either
so He had to carry a great heavy cross
That was much too heavy in His condition

They pulled some spectator out to do the deed.
They nailed His hands and feet upon a tree,
and hoisted Him high up in the air
because cursed be anyone who hangs on a tree
Giving vinegar to drink when He was thirsty!!
Telling Him that if He was the Son of God
then get down from there

Unbelief was around in that time too
Do we have to see and touch to believe?
There are lots of 'doubting Thomas' in this world
they have to see touch and taste to believe
but when you think about this in more detail
there is so much that just cannot be

The wind on your face, the air that we breath
that cannot be seen but we just know,
Well.....it's just there.
There are many other things too numerous to mention
I just thought I would bring this to your attention.

I just wondered, do you?

Amanda Martin-Shaver
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Amanda Martin-Shaver

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Re: Some of me Poetry, written from the heart
4/5/2009 6:21:43 PM


Stress

Stress, stress your body's a mess
you're up then you're down
trying to cope through the day
before things get's in your way

Changes in your circumstances
of career, finances, divorce,
relocation, death and much more
does not help with this uproar

angry, defeated, overwhelmed
body is battered and very raw
just can't take on any more
shut yourself away and close the door

you're hungry, or can't eat a bite
so many worries to keep you uptight
can't sleep, or stay in bed
something is messing with your head

body's aching, feeling like the flu
down and out and feeling oh so blue
crying and weeping, no one seems to care
sometimes it is more than you can bare

relax, read, go for a walk
phone a friend and just talk
pet your dog, have a cuddle
help yourself get out of this muddle

medications are not the cure
get away from the things you can't endure
relaxation, massage technique
may help to get you back in beat

Take each day hour by hour day by day
Don't forget you can pray
Jesus is your best bet
for Him your problems are no sweat

Amanda Martin-Shaver ©


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