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The Poetry of
Terri Lyn Stanfield
The Married Life

So this is it
The married life
Dearly beloved
Husband and wife
I have to say
It falls far short
Of all the tales
I've heard before
I work all day
Then I come home
To find you there
The TV on
What's for dinner
Is my greeting
No, "Hi, honey"
You don't meet me
There at the door
No hello kiss
You say you're tired
But what is this
You're glove and bat
Oh, you forgot
That you're playing
At the sandlot
So fix something
Easy and quick
No need to slave
I start to tick
I'm a time bomb
About to pop
I have had it
This will now stop
When we get home
It's time for us
Nobody else
And don't you fuss
And I am not
The only one
Who can see that
The housework's done
You promised to
Share all with me
And this is how
That it should be
Fifty, fifty
All of the way
A partnership
Starting today

Terri Lyn Stanfield
11/19/2001
Haunted House Mates

It is a dark and stormy night
My heart races in my chest
The thunder sounds so very loud
But I try my very best
To keep my fear under control
And not to let it best me
But I am here, and all alone
Forgive me is I'm testy
The house is dark, the power's out
And the phone, also, is dead
The location, isolated
And I slowly fill with dread
I've heard the stories of this house
The haunts, and the history
How several tenants disappeared
Still remains a mystery
Even in the calmest weather
This old house still creaks and groans
With the violence of the storm
It's filled with tortured moans
I tell myself that it's the wind
And I almost believe me
Then laughter fills the empty space
Otherworldly and eery
I won't be scared away from here
No matter how hard they try
Though they may give me sleepless nights
Maybe even make me cry
The spirits here will have to share
Whether they like it or not
I love this house, I've payed my rent
I'm not budging from this spot
The moaning turns to shrieking
The very foundation shakes
Though it is what they're expecting
I refuse to sit and quake
I won't pretend I'm not afraid
I'm scared nearly half to death
But I have made my decision
Then on my neck, a hot breath
A spectral voice sounds in my ear
Leave this place now, and you'll live
But I'm not going anywhere
Though something has got to give
How about we share this homestead
It's plenty big for us all
No need for us to fight for it
But if I have to, I'll brawl
The house goes silent as a tomb
And I wait for their decision
Then once again, that ghostly voice
Speaks in my ear their vision
It sounds like lots of fun to me
Though for any future guests
Theirs' will be a frightening stay
As my house mates try their best
To scare them into fleeing here
Witless and quite terrified
As we all laugh at their retreat
My wicked spirits, and I

Terri Lyn Stanfield
11/20/2001
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