Poetry & Illustrations

Cyber Home of Dana Smith-Mansell

Poetry & Illustrations

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Pen

Chapter 1, Are We There Yet?

Pen

Chapter 18, Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet-A Mother's Roller Coaster Ride Raising Children

Pen

Chapter 23, Are We There Yet?

Link to Treble Heart Books-coming soon! Cartoons are examples of my illustrations included in the book.

Pen

Chapter 7, Are We There Yet?

"Heart's Desire" graphic

Cover art & graphic for title by Eveline Maedel

Nature’s Descent

Gently the leaves drop and swirl seemingly from the sky,

The air passes by with a force, less calm of the days before.

The brilliant greenery of yesterday fades to picturesque pastel shades,

And will soon bring forth an array of color, magnificent to the eye.

A slight chill dances across faces and portrays the season’s change,

The earth seems to be approaching a slumber state, as nature turns to rest.

Trees become barren of their foliage and the ground hardens beneath,

Once dazzling flowers now wilt and wither, from the impact of the change.

Nature begins its descent to slumber,

To rest, and renew.

(published in Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansell, Sun Rising Poetry Press, 4/05)

Pencil Sketch Cockatoo

published in Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansell

Pencil Sketch Baby Raccoon

Published in Unconditional Love: Pet Tales by Avie Townsend & Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansel

The Passion of One

The presence of your being fulfills me,

As your eyes sparkle with adoration

I succumb to passion.

The tenderness of your touch,

Tracing the contours of my face,

Reminds me of your tender heart.

Clasping my hands in yours,

I am assured we are together,

In passion.

Embracing our hearts, our minds,

Our bodies our souls,

We join in the bliss, of tenderness.

Our world exists of you and I,

We are each other,

And we are one.

(published in Cosmic Brownies, Sun Rising Poetry Press, 4/05 & Sacred Intentions, D. Smith-Mansell, 4/05)

Pen Sketch "Beauty in Solitude"

published Lit Vision.org 9/04 & Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansell, 4/05

Her Majesty

Flesh so soft,

Rich in color,

Her fragrance fills the air.

The delicate contours of her silhouette,

Birth charm and elegance.

The intricacies of her essence,

Engender visions of sensuality.

Brilliantly she stands amid the leaves,

Flaunting her magnificence for all to see.

My rose is not just a flower,

A beauty of nature to behold,

She is the depth and breadth of a world unfurled,

Her radiance exudes, philosophical majesty. (published in Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansell, 4/05)

Parakeet sketch

Pencil Sketch

Kitty portrait

(This humor poem was written for my husband as he turned 50)
Aging

Your hair may have a little more gray,

And you tire more easily, throughout your day.

Moving with speed seldom occurs,

And now you suffer, from darn heel spurs.

You knees seem to buckle, creak and crack,

And you have more pains, in your lower back.

The donut you ate, seems to repeat on you,

And you barely can bend, to tie your own shoe.

But all is not lost, no need for depression,

You now look at life with a new impression.

Although your body has gone through the “change,”

And you no longer live, “in the fast lane,”

You can look ahead with a sense of security,

Knowing that you, now live with maturity.

So perhaps hair dye and medication keep you going,

Remember those things, keep age from showing.

For today remember, all things come to pass,

Especially with age, comes the passing of gas!

Darkness Perceived

I tire as the day turns into night,

And with the darkness comes an illusion of a different world.

I cannot visualize my path,

But I know it is a road I must follow, travel.

I seek the knowledge of power,

Wisdom that oft times escapes my presence, my being.

As I journey through darkness,

I gain a sense of what blindness truly is.

Not that my eyes can’t see,

But that they refuse to witness what is before me.

I stand without courage,

Fear has riddled my body, and I am tired.

I contemplate my future,

Tomorrow awaits, and I must have a plan. (Thought provoking?) Published by Scorched Earth, 3/05

Change

Dominant Oppressor (California Wild Fires)

The inferno ravages exuding its horrific tyranny,

Life incinerates beneath its fury.

Trees conform to this beast, this plague,

As they illuminate in flame,

Succumbing to this persecution.

A blizzard of ash falls from the sky,

Covering all within its orbit.

Obtuse smoke fills the air with its depredation,

Pillaging all forms of life of their dignity and breath.

Just as the flames feign extinction,

They flare once again, continuing their journey of destruction.

Heat so intense, nothing survives its proximity.

As the fervor engulfs its prey,

It passes quickly,

Forsaking the skeletons of life left behind,

Provoking a vision so devastating to the human eye, heart.

Where once greenery and life abounded,

Charred fragments of spirit linger as the lasting image.

Vitality here,

Is a memory of the mind.

The course of this quadrumane seeks its own destiny.

It cannot be contained at this time,

And assaults all in its course.

Shreds of life, remain.

Offscouring disposes the vision,

Of desolation and death.

Previous life once known, has ceased,

Only remnants remain.

The shreds of nature and life smolder their pain.

The power of the flame is blatant,

Nothing left to destroy,

All is gone.

When will it end?

(published in Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansell, 4/05)

Analogy of Nature

Like the ocean crashing to meet the earth,

My world resonates with thunder.

Thoughts are blinded by despair and concern,

Worriment envelopes my being.

Yet in the quiet and still of my mind,

I can hear beyond the din,

Surpass the torments of my thoughts,

Witness a vitality within and without.

The gentle hues of pink rise with the sun,

And my world is breaking free of its darkness.

For with this light comes a vision,

Of newness, freedom, and hope.

The roar of the sea loses its power,

As I bask in the radiance of light.

Life returns to my body, my soul,

And I am free to live, and dream again. (published by Farsight Magazine, 5/05 & in Visions of Existence, D. Smith-Mansell, 4/05)

Higher Purpose

"What you think in your mind...is true" -What Dreams May Come

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