By Rebecca Brown

Verses, full of the obvious.
Natural observations,
made from the inner core, of an outer mind set.

Standing strong, on a blended stem.
White petals, folded gently together.
Closed, in a semblance of peace.

By Rebecca Brown

I left my voice, down by the water.
It will be safe.
At least there, any tarnishment of tone,
will slip invisibly into the simple rythmn of the earth.

I can't hear it.

Susan’s note: Kennon Cooke and my Mom are great friends – golfing buddies in summer, luncheon companions during the winter. Besides being a wonderful friend, Kennon is a skilled photographer and travel writer. When she told me recently that she has a binder full of unpublished short stories, I couldn’t resist asking her to share one or two on AWR. When she agreed, I was thrilled.

The beautifully written story below is simple, yet insightful and moving – a gentle reminder of the way the elderly in particular suffer from financial constraints. Although Kennon wrote it some time ago, this story is especially relevant during the troubled times in which we now find ourselves. 

Little Old Lady

Ida Wallace stood at the bank counter watching the teller count out the money.  It was the same young woman who had waited on her the previous week, and Ida liked her ready smile and pleasant manner. 

'Just a slip of a girl', mused Ida, 'They're getting younger every year.  My goodness, I do hope they know what they're doing.'

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful women in the world today, delivered the commencement address at Stanford University on June 16, 2008.

Here is the full text of her speech (to watch the video, click here):

Thank you, President Hennessy, and to the trustees and the faculty, to all of the parents and grandparents, to you, the Stanford graduates. Thank you for letting me share this amazing day with you.