TO A SPECIAL BOY
by Shirley Klein - who suffers from cerebral palsy

Robbie, we all drag wagons behind us.
Big, red empty wagons
Waiting for someone to fill them
With some hope, dreams, love.
We pass by different-colored houses,
The door opens, we offer a smile
As the door closes again
And we pass to the next house
Up the endless hill.
They tell me at the top
In an ever-open doorway
Patient, understanding eyes
Watch for us.

First, though, we must pass up the endless hill
Because along the way
There might be other wagons we can fill
With a bright leaf, a white flower, or a song.

THE LOVER I SHALL NEVER KNOW
by Shirley Klein

The lover I shall never know
Keeps pace with my loneliness,
A taunting figure
That mocks my dreams.
And when I see others held,
My shoulders ache in their cold nakedness
As I turn to face the empty shadow
Of the lover I shall never know.