The ladybug lights the way; she brings magic to my day. Let your heart sing! Celebrate the miracle of being, I can hear her say.
There’s never been anyone like you; with your special gifts, the lives of others you can enrich… if only you so wish. Feel the sun’s rays as it touches you; celebrate your life today– of seeing, of caring, of feeling. In the bird’s song, a renewed hope fills the air as the joy of life can be heard in nature’s own words… discover the beauty everywhere.
To A Soul Everlasting She continues in her now shrinking body but her spirit becomes bigger and bolder every day; the light of her being becomes more steady; not the flickering light of yesterday…
Her mind almost newly formed with increased sensibility to all of nature and to others faults she sees beyond forgiving them for any wrongs… healing wounds in the waters of an eternal spring which in her divine grace she has found.
She perceives beauty that those around her do not see… blind as others may be her vision becomes more acute; where those attribute insignificance, she discerns meaning and worth.
Her soul forever reaching toward the destiny that it seeks transcends the Earth’s tallest peak… for there is no limit, no boundaries that to an intrepid soul can inhibit…
Among earthbound shadows the light within her continues to burn… her soul now free to soar, to a place where only the purest souls can inhabit; a place of higher vision and truth where we meet our Creator- and return once more…
Where the sweetest music can be heard and the sacred words of a poet as fitting tribute to a radiant flower… before finding its resting place in the garden of paradise.
Inspire Us to Be More Even though the passing of our loved ones from this earth to a spiritual realm can be emotionally traumatic for us, as their life takes on a different type of an existence, our cherished memories of them can serve to inspire us to do more with our lives to make the world a more loving place and dedicate our good work to them.
Many feel that a loving spirit has intervened on their behalf to keep them safe from harm or in guiding them on a path in life that is good for them.
My Angel Gabriel by Lamb I’ve chosen this song because I feel its words reflect the legacy my beautiful friend left on this earth and how the cherished memories that I have of her give me the courage to face my fears, to deal with adversity, have faith in myself to accomplish the goals that I’ve set for myself, and extend a helping hand to those in need as she was such a giving person so full of love.
Lyrics to the Song “Gabriel” by Lamb
“Gabriel” I can fly But I want his wings I can shine even in the darkness But I crave the light that he brings 3/6Revel in the songs that he sings My angel Gabriel I can love But I need his heart I am strong even on my own But from him I never want to part He’s been there since the very start My angel Gabriel My angel Gabriel Bless the day he came to be Angel’s wings carried him to me Heavenly I can fly But I want his wings I can shine even in the darkness But I crave the light that he brings Revel in the songs that he sings My angel Gabriel My angel Gabriel My angel Gabriel My angel Gabriel My angel Gabriel My angel Gabriel My angel, my angel, my angel Gabriel, Gabriel
Insights from this poem
Lora Hollings’ poem, “A Beautiful Soul,” explores the profound spiritual evolution of a woman as she nears the end of her earthly life. While her physical body declines, her inner spirit expands, granting her a heightened perception of beauty and a newfound capacity for unconditional forgiveness. The text suggests that this transcendent journey allows the individual to see beyond mundane insignificance to find divine meaning in the world. Ultimately, the work illustrates a soul’s liberation from physical boundaries as it ascends toward a heavenly paradise to reunite with its Creator. Readers are encouraged to view aging and mortality not as a loss, but as a radiant transition toward eternal peace and truth.
As we begin each new year, it is a good time to resume goals that have been put on hold and begin again with a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm. There is no time like the present. We don’t have an unlimited amount of time to achieve the work that gives us a sense of purpose or meaning in our lives. Ignite that longing or passion in you that you’ve put off for so long whether it be for a cause, going back to school, volunteering to help animals or people that need your help, mentoring or teaching others a skill that they would like to have, or sharing your talents with others to not only enrich their lives but to enrich your life as well. It’s time to renew yourself or begin again. It’s the dawning of a new day. I now have a grandson that has brought much love and joy into my life when I needed it most. The first time, I heard him utter the words, “grandma, I love you,” it was like life was born anew in me and it was like a new beginning in my life.
The following poem is about this new beginning in my life with the birth of my grandson. Reliving many moments in my childhood through him and seeing the wonder in his eyes when he learns something new has been a journey both healing and rewarding.
Innocent One
Oh beautiful child, little lamb of promise with your sweet, sad eyes- reflecting, lush pools of angel softness. Your melancholy lights burn deep into this soul and sing silently to me; as the gentle humming bird, undauntedly, unquestioningly alights in a barren, withered field… and trustingly sows a tiny seed into the ground from which new life may spring, you absolve me of my unworthiness and still even my skeptic cries.
“Innocent One” is a meditation on renewal born through intergenerational love. The poem frames the birth of a grandchild not simply as a joyful event, but as a quiet spiritual reckoning—one that reopens the speaker’s inner landscape and invites healing where doubt once lived. The child’s “sweet, sad eyes” suggest a depth beyond age, reflecting both vulnerability and ancient wisdom. In witnessing this innocence, the speaker confronts their own feelings of unworthiness and skepticism, which are gently dissolved by the child’s mere presence.
The hummingbird becomes a central symbol of faith and resilience. Its willingness to alight in a “barren, withered field” mirrors the poet’s emotional terrain—places marked by past wounds or exhaustion. Yet, like the bird sowing a seed, the child brings the promise of regeneration without judgment or expectation. This act is not dramatic; it is quiet, instinctual, and deeply trusting.
The poem reveals how new life can restore a sense of meaning that time and hardship may erode. Through the grandchild, the speaker relives childhood wonder while also finding absolution and hope. “Innocent One” ultimately affirms that love—pure, unguarded, and unearned—has the power to transform skepticism into grace and barrenness into possibility.
Additional Poems by Lora Hollings
The sense of wonder first awakened in The Ladybug Poem echoes through the hopeful beginnings of A New Day Has Come and the quiet tenderness of The Gift of Love. These reflections grow richer in Inspiring Poems About Daughters and the heartfelt wisdom shared in Mothers Guide Us Throughout Life, where love, guidance, and presence shape our lives. Together, these pieces gently point toward The Magic of Being, a cornerstone meditation that gathers these moments into a reminder that life’s true magic is found in awareness, connection, and simply being.
Feel the magic of the moment up a hill as you race… the wind blowing against your face stand on your toes, reach so high with your fingertips touch the sky. As you lie on the grass, the shapes in the clouds as you gaze can simply amaze; now you see a dragon riding in a wagon, or a seal juggling a ball turning suddenly into a giant… so tall. On a crisp autumn day feel the sun as it gently warms your hands, face, and feet; above do you see the golds, reds, and yellows in the trees? Feel how soft is a puppy’s fur, listen to a cat’s melodious purr… look deep and you’ll see the love in your dog’s eyes, up to see a hawk gliding effortlessly across the sky… Imagine dancing on a flower, looking down from the Eiffel Tower traveling to a star… from deep in the ocean to the farthest corner of space the universe is such an extraordinary place! Walk in a forest, and marvel at the greatness of a tree; look up into its canopy at the light rays streaming through its leaves. Listen to a bird as it sings and help one if it has a broken wing… be in touch with your heart for it can lead us to do noble things. Live by the creed to help those in need… as it can indeed transform; it is like a sort of magic that no one else can perform what only you can do; Your life is important you see- as your choices effect both you and me, and all living beings that unite us in common destiny. Look up at the night sky, how bright are the stars and yet how far, then make a wish for it might come true… but only if you do! Contemplate the beauty of a sunset- a musical tune that you can play, listen to what a poem has to say… admire the symmetry of a rose, or the intricate pattern of a snowflake as it tingles on the tip of your nose. Never take a minute for granted for all the wonderful things you can do… the beauty that is all around, the splendor that is waiting to be discovered by you!
This is Mandy a little puppy that my family adopted from a shelter for Christmas.As my daughter would say, “She was my best friend for 14 yrs. until she died of old age.She taught me all about the magic of loving a pet!”
About Me
Some people say I have brown hair others say it is blond… I love to run; pretend that I can be anyone, as I daydream under the shade of an apple tree in the long lazy days of the summer sun. My passions are music, books, and animals. Quite a peculiar mixture, I’m sure you’ll agree but that’s just fine with me. I have so many goals, who knows where I’ll go… I’d prefer to be a marine biologist or may be a musical zoologist? I love good times, family, and friends. I have my ups and downs… but mostly I just try to stay cool with my feet firmly planted on the ground, and my dreams in stereophonic sound!
“A Heart So Pure” Dedicated to the Life of Ernest
The following poem is dedicated to my wonderful little terrier mix that I adopted from an animal care and control facility. This is Ernest at 16 wks. He is now 5 years old, and will always be my little guardian angel and a source of inspiration for my writing.
A Heart So Pure
My dear pet your noble face reflects a trusting soul, a devout heart- to live simply to be loved, and love in return. There is truth in your simplicity, virtue in your loyalty, and wisdom in your humility. And there is beauty in a heart so pure.
The Poem’s Insights
The Magic of Being celebrates the quiet but powerful magic of being fully alive and aware. Its central insight is that wonder is not something distant or rare—it is available in ordinary moments when we engage our senses, imagination, and compassion. By inviting the reader to feel wind, warmth, textures, sounds, and colors, the poem reminds us that presence transforms simple experiences into sources of joy and meaning.
Imagination is portrayed as a bridge between the everyday and the extraordinary, allowing clouds, forests, and stars to become gateways to possibility. Alongside wonder, the poem emphasizes responsibility: our capacity to help, to choose kindness, and to act with empathy gives life its deeper purpose. Individual choices ripple outward, connecting us to all living beings in a shared destiny. Ultimately, the poem urges gratitude for time, attention, and agency—encouraging us not to take moments for granted, but to actively discover and create beauty through how we live.
Additional Poems by Lora Hollings
In The Rose That Endures Against All Odds and The Gift of Love, strength is revealed through compassion, patience, and quiet resilience. These reflections invite a deeper awareness of how love allows beauty to endure even in difficult circumstances. That awareness is further expanded in The Magic of Being, where presence and acceptance become essential ways of understanding ourselves and others. Together, these poems gently lead to The Flower Garden, bringing themes of endurance, love, and mindful presence into a broader meditation on inclusion, empathy, and our shared human experience.
Black Raven Crow In Boots by Krahe Rudi Hurzlmeier
How Long Will Life Be Able to Continue?
Through our wasteful habits and the destruction of so much of our rain forests, we are literally killing our planet and causing global warming which is taking a terrible toll on other species. Are we entering the sixth major extinction on Earth? According to a global report issued by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and released on May 6, 2019, one million species are now at risk of extinction — the greatest number in human history! This is due to our actions of destroying ecosystems that not only these animals depend on for their existence but that we depend on for our own survival as well.
If just one of these species becomes extinct, it in turn can cause other species to become extinct in the food chain acting like the domino effect. It doesn’t take many species’ extinction to seriously impact the balance of nature putting our own species in a precarious situation as well! All life is connected on earth through ecosystems that are vital to all plants, wildlife, insects, and mankind. Our existence depends on intact ecosystems.
The following poem is about the destruction that we have wreaked on our planet and are still continuing today as a result of our leaders shortsightedness and not acting in the best interests of us all. It is up to everyone of us to recognize the seriousness of this situation and to educate ourselves on how we can help our planet- our home! For most of us, the only home that we will ever know but what a beautiful one it is with its incredible diversity, magnificent landscapes, and oceans! Let’s change these destructive habits to ones, instead, that can sustain life and change our destiny to a good one.
A Paradise Forsaken
What was once a home to life so diverse is now muted, dull… inert. In a world once filled with majesty Only skeletons remain in a vast lifeless terrain.
Where once much beauty abound death has come to reign… and a palette rich with color has now faded to gray as far as the eye can see.
Great mountains reduced to rubble great forests now ash… a world filled with concrete, and streams filled with toxic waste- a world so utterly. . . bleak.
Oceans over fished… creatures once alive, float up dead- a common sight now in the wake of a toxic brew, a world blackened by smoke and ash.
Shadows fly overhead as a plague of death begins to spread before the last vestige of life is extinguished from sight.
The forests lie plundered so much of life defiled and this garden of eden . . . now lay wasted and bare.
But they unleashed a tale of such destruction- they, the actors in their own prophecy.
In a narrative of unabashed greed foretold lies a future grim and one that has been sold.
What is that figure there… is that something on the horizon- yet still alive and breathing? But soon it will be gone.
Will the earth finally take back what is hers and say enough to such ungrateful men . . . were they not the makers of their own destiny?
Nature has been sacrificed to the worshippers of a synthetic world . . . for profit and greed.
So this was Eden at one time a paradise filled with wonder . . . replaced by a uniform world of concrete, neon lights and condos, and sameness as far as the eye can see.
Mercy, Mercy Me is from Marvin Gaye’s 1971 socially conscious soul classic What’s Going On. Just like the album’s title track, it was a mournful questioning. Sadly the song is even more poignant that ever.
Insights on poem: A Paradise Forsaken
“A Paradise Forsaken” is a powerful environmental poem and reflection that draws urgent attention to the deep ecological crisis facing our planet. Written by Lora Hollings on February 10, 2026, the piece begins with a sobering question: how long can life continue if we keep destroying our rainforests and ecosystems? It cites global biodiversity reports showing that up to one million species are at risk of extinction due to human actions — the greatest loss in history — underscoring that every life form depends on the integrity of nature’s interconnected web.
The poem itself paints a haunting picture of a once vibrant world reduced to ash, concrete, and lifeless terrain, where forests are plundered and oceans polluted. Through vivid imagery, Hollings urges readers to recognize that this bleak future is not inevitable — it is the legacy of our own greed and shortsighted leadership. The reflection calls on each of us to change destructive habits and commit to sustaining life, reminding us that the planet’s incredible diversity — its “paradise” — is still worth fighting for.
This poem is about a little boy who is much wiser than those who ridicule him. The poem also shows us that even though someone may bully us with words and completely misjudge us that we don’t have to let it effect our feelings of self-worth. We can go on to achieve our goals despite their wrong opinion about us.
Little Oliver Cory
Little Oliver Cory was shorter than most, he sure was skinny and poor- I guess you could say he carried “no weight” and his classmates all thought, this would decide his fate.
When it came to other children calling on him, it seldom did occur- yet little Oliver with his idealistic faith, this… it did not deter.
He kept right on pursuin’ his dreams. It didn’t seem to matter much if insults got real mean; studying hard and persevering, on this, he was keen- enjoying his life and interests with an energy seldom seen.
LIttle Oliver Cory never talked much, didn’t indulge in gossip and such. One day, he got hit in the eye but Oliver was determined not to cry- he just shook his head with a sigh.
That big boy stared at him real hard and told him he was a fool… “you’ll never be anything, you’ll see, but Oliver answered, “no one can take my dreams from me.”
One day, we all read about Oliver Cory who won the Pulitzer Prize for his great story; his talent and skill brought him real glory. Oliver said his success had been hard-earned but worth all the pain, and that he hadn’t done it for the fame.
Yes, that little Oliver Cory who never talked much and hid his tears inside- reached for the stars and flew right to the sky.
I hope that my poem, Oliver Cory, will inspire students with its message that we shouldn’t let other’s opinions of us which can be so flawed or their inaccurate perceptions of us define who we are.
And it is also my sincere wish that students who read my article and see the videos featured on it realize the importance of taking a stand against bullying by standing up for students who are its victims.
Anti Bullying: It Only Takes One
The following videos show how just one student can make a difference and the difference creates more than one!
Be The Change- Be The Hero
Be the hero and stand up against bullying and make a difference in changing someone’s life. Be an ‘upstander’ instead of a ‘bystander’ to bullying.
Insight on Little Oliver Cory
Little Oliver Cory is a quiet but powerful meditation on inner worth, perseverance, and the long arc of becoming. From the opening lines, Oliver is defined not by his own voice but by the judgments of others—his size, his poverty, and the cruel assumption that these traits determine destiny. The poem deliberately frames him as “carrying no weight,” not only physically but socially, emphasizing how easily the world overlooks those who do not demand attention.
Yet the heart of the poem lies in Oliver’s unshakable interior life. His “idealistic faith” becomes a shield—not loud, not confrontational, but steady. He does not escape pain; he absorbs it. The moment where he is struck and refuses to cry is especially telling: this is not about suppression, but resolve. Oliver chooses dignity over reaction, dreams over defense.
The turning point is not revenge, but fulfillment. The Pulitzer Prize is not presented as triumph over others, but as the natural outcome of devotion, discipline, and love for the work itself. Oliver’s success is explicitly detached from fame, reinforcing the poem’s message that true achievement is self-defined.
Ultimately, the poem reminds us that greatness often grows in silence. Those who “never talk much” may still be listening deeply—to purpose, to possibility, and to the quiet call of their own stars.
