IN MEMORY OF OUR ANCESTORS ALL
 TREE OF LIFE
OUR FAMILY TREE GROWS TALL AND WIDE,
SPREADING ACROSS THE COUNTRY SIDE.
IT'S BRANCHES ARE STRONG,
EACH GROWING IT'S OWN WAY,
BUT IT'S ROOTS ARE DEEP,
AND FOREVER WILL STAY.
IT SHEDS IT LEAVES, ONE AT A TIME,
BUT NEW BUDS COME,
AND THAT'S ALWAYS A SIGN,
THAT A TREE CANNOT DIE,
IT GROWS ON FOREVER,
SURVIVING THE WINDS, AND STORMY WEATHER.
EACH BRANCH A FAMILY,
EACH LEAF A HEART,
OF THE TREE OF A FAMILY,
THAT WILL NOT PART.
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
1995
THIS POEM IS PUBLISHED IN
THE INTERNATIONAL POETRY SOCIETY
SUMMER EDITION OF 2001
I also created a sampler with this poem for my sister, June Arnold, incorporating all of her family names on both side, Runyon and Arnold.
A work of Love !
This is probably the poem I am most proud of ! Just published in The Bugle, Livingston County's Hometown Newspaper April, 2009 !!
 TRIBUTE TO 9-11-01
LET YOUR FLAG FLY, FOR ALL TO SEE
AS WE WONDER WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BE.
LET THERE BE PRAYER AND LET THERE BE PRAISE,
AS AROUND THIS COUNTRY,
OUR FLAGS DO RAISE.
TO HONOR THE FALLEN AND BRAVE RESCUERS TOO,
OH,GOD, WE WISH, WE HAD ONLY KNEW.
BUT IT WAS NOT TO BE, NO KNOWLEDGE HAD WE.
SO WE MUST COME TOGETHER IN MANY WAYS,
TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A FUTURE FOR THOSE WE RAISE.
AS WE REALIZE, WE ALL CAN HATE,
DON'T LET THAT BE OUR CHILDREN'S FATE.
LET THEM LEARN OF HONOR, PATRIOTISM AND LOVE,
AS WE RAISE OUR FLAGS TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE.
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
SEP.17,2001
 CHRISTMAS MEANING
WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS MEAN TO ME?
IT MEANS A SANTA AND A TREE.
IT MEANS I GET PRESENTS FROM EVERYONE.
IT MEANS A DINNER AND LOTS OF FUN.
HOW CAN IT MEAN THESE THINGS TO ME?
DO YOU THINK I'M THINKING SELFISHLY?
WELL, IF YOU DO, AND I'M SURE YOU DID.
PLEASE, REMEMBER, I'M JUST A KID !!
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
1959
VIEW OF A CHRISTMAS TREE
I WISH I WERE A CHRISTMAS TREE,
WITH PRETTY LIGHTS ALL AGLOW.
AND YOU COULD COME AND STARE AT ME,
STANDING THERE IN THE SNOW.
STANDING IN THE NIGHT, OUT IN THE COLD,
ALL AROUND ME CHILDREN RUN,
SINGING OF JOY AND GOOD CHEER,
TELLING OF THE COMING FUN,
CHRISTMAS TIME IS NEAR.
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
1959
Both written for shorthand class. Got an A+ and Teach even read them in class. Guess I hadn't grown up yet ! .
A POET
WHAT PART OF ME CAN I LEAVE BEHIND,
SO ALL WILL KNOW I EXISTED.
PERHAPS A FEW WORDS THAT RHYME IN TIME,
OR OTHER THOUGHTS I'VE LISTED.
BUT WHO WILL READ THEM, OH, I SAY,
IF THEY'RE ONLY SEEN BY MY EYES.
NONE SHALL KNOW WHAT'S IN MY HEART,
AND FOR THIS, MY SOUL SADLY CRIES.
FOR THERE ARE MANY THOUGHTS I WISH TO SHARE,
FROM ONE HUMAN HEART TO ANOTHER.
BUT ALAS, I KEEP THEM TO MYSELF,
MY THOUGHTS OF LIFE, OH, DO SMOTHER.
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
1984
YOU FIGURE IT OUT !!
DESPAIR
WOE IS THE WORLD,
THAT CIRCLES 'ROUND THE SUN,
CLOUDS DRIFTING IN,
ONE BY ONE.
A CLOUD OF HATE,
CAUSING RIOTS-CONFUSSION,
SCATTERING OF BLOOD IN RED PROFUSSION.
A CLOUD OF DISTRUST,
ENGULFING ALL NATIONS,
CAUSING WAR-CONFLICT,
TEARING APART ALL HUMAN RELATIONS.
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
AROUND 1974
I suspect vietnam gave me these thoughts. My brother Erney was serving there.
 REMEMBERING SAMANTHA OH, LITTLE CHILD OF GOD,
HOW LITTLE DID WE KNOW,
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE US,
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO.
ALTHO WE DID NOT KNOW YOU,
YOU TOUCH OUR HEARTS TODAY,
YOUR SMILING FACE AND DANCING EYES,
FOREVER IN OUR MINDS WILL STAY.
WE THINK OF YOU AS FAMILY,
GOD PLACED YOU IN OUR EVERY TREE.
THO OUR NAMES ARE NOT SPELLED THE SAME,
WE OPENED OUR HEARTS AND IN YOU CAME.
WE WILL REMEMBER YOU,
AND ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY,
(JULY 26,2002)
OUR PRAYERS WILL FLY TO GOD
IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY.
COPYRIGHT:MARY RUNYON HANSHEW
2002
IN REMEMBERENCE OF SAMANTHA RUNNION
I WROTE THIS AFTER WATCHING HER FUNERAL ON TV.
GOD MUST HAVE HAD A PLAN FOR HER |