Amy Kitchener's Angels Without Wings Foundation
Presents the 2008 Ohio Senior Poet Laureate

Helen Webb

HELEN WEBB, 81, South Point, Ohio, is a retired teacher. She has won numerous awards in previous SPL contests, as well as many awards in nationwide poetry contests. She is also a gifted craftsperson and enjoys gardening. Helen was born under the astrological sign of Virgo.

CANCELLED PLANS

Tomorrow will be my eighteenth birthday.
I just graduated from high school with honors.
My family has saved for my college,
Sacrificed much that I might study medicine.
My deep desire since early childhood
Has been to become a doctor.

My girl firend, Susie, was to be a nurse.
We would work together to save lives.
We talked a lot about our plans.
After our schooling we would be married.
When able we would start our own clinic.
We planned to have a family.
Perhaps they would follow our professions,
Could run the clinic when we grew too old.
Maybe one of ours would go into research,
Find a cure for some dreadful disease.

Now none of this can ever be...
Both our bodies lay in dark damp graves,
Our plans and dreams ended that night
As we walked home from church.
A drunken drlver lost control,
without warning climbed the curb
Ran us down, then hit that tree.
As angels carried our spirits home
I saw our mangled bodies below us,
But never felt one single pain.

Also I saw the driver of the car.
His body lay there still as ours.
I think he must have also died.
I'm sure he had a fami1y,
Perhaps a wife and children.
Whatever plans he had were also cancelled.
In an instant death has come.
I wonder what he would have to say
If he cou1d speak to you today.

Helen Webb
South Point, Ohio