Reflections of One Woman's Heart
by
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She had a gift for words ... a talent within her that had been there since her birth. Only God could have given such a gift. She had always enjoyed using this ability for her own use, but had never thought much about using it otherwise. She found comfort and consolation in putting her feelings down on paper. She took the world of make-believe and fantasy and portrayed it with her pen. She lived in reality, but dreamed in fairytales. And with those fairytales, she created a world of hope, peace, security and love. Not many knew of her talent. Not many of those understood it. Fewer still believed it was anything more than just a hobby; a fancy; a pastime. Her biggest challenge came when the door of opportunity began to knock, and she was faced with the dilemma of answering it, or not. She had many excuses. Rational reasons flooded her as to why she was wasting her time and the time of those that meant the most to her. Pursuing this idea was as much of a fairytale dream as the world of which she wrote. But the knocking persisted, and she opened the door. Along with the hopes and dreams that entered the portal came just as many doubts and fears. Most of which were in her own mind. Her own insecurities clouded the shining of the sun’s rays. Many times, she wanted to quit. Many times, she wanted to stop. Many times, she wanted to say that she had made a big mistake and that she was sorry for ever opening the door. The daily battles between what her heart wanted and what her mind said were almost overwhelming. Hadn’t things been much easier before the knocking began? But there is strength in numbers, and hers began to grow. One step led to another, and before long, what had once been a dream was quickly becoming a reality. When there was a doubt or fear, it was blown away by the confidence given to her by her friends. When she wanted to give in, she was urged on. When she wanted to stop, she was beckoned to continue. If for no other reason than to satisfy those that were behind her, she would finish the task that she had started. If not for herself, she would do it for those who believed in her, and for the One that had given her this ability in the first place. There is a world waiting to hear her words. There are hearts to be blessed and eyes that need to be washed by tears. There are those that need the blessing that is there to be received when they hear what she has to say. God placed those words inside her heart, and it is her duty to Him to share them. What disservice would she have done to a world that needs hopes and dreams had she kept her gift to herself? What duty would she have been denying had she kept her words within? What good was the talent that she possessed if she did not use it? How many were out there waiting to hear, and to receive? God does not waste that which He gives. How then, can we?
Letting His Light Shine What may seem to us to come naturally While I claim not on my own accord And when His light through me doth shine
The Day The Words Run Out I’ve lived my life on paper Between the lines is where I hope It’s where my heart goes to play
Pen In Hand With pen in hand I ponder Shall I speak of summer’s breeze Shall I cross a valley Do I gaze upon the moon Pen in hand I ponder
The Warrior Deep Inside Where does the courage come from Where do you get the strength Who picks you up when life deals Who never lets you falter? When you’re faced with a problem, When giving up is easy,
Daddy Never Made It Home On a quiet December morning Battle stations became active In the jungles and the rice fields The hours ticked by like decades On a clear September morning Sifting through the rubble For all the men and women We owe our sleep filled nights to many
The Friend I’ve Found In the trials of our life we find Everything we’ve ever known has changed
The Bible says we all have gifts
A talent that we possess
God Himself gives this to us
So others, through us, He can bless
While others stand amazed
Should be used to glorify Him
And to Him belongs the praise
But He, through me, doth bring
The flowing words within my heart
That makes the angels sing
More radiant than the sun
God smiles down upon my soul
And says, "My child, well done."
Given birth to a dream
Others may not understand
But I know what it means
Within the margins is where I cry
Colored ink and wood pulp
Let’s me live, or let’s me die
Where my soul screams and shouts
But where am I to go
The day the words run out?
Over what I want to say
What words are waiting to be released
From within my heart today
Refreshing to my skin
Or shall I touch upon
What’s hidden deep within
And sing of battles won
Shall I drown in sorrow
Or dance beneath the sun
Perched in the midnight sky
Do I want to laugh today
Or bow my head and cry
My thoughts darting to and fro
Alas the page is empty
The words have nowhere to go
When a battle you must fight?
Who alone can tell you
If you’re wrong, or if you’re right?
To look your evils in the eye?
It comes from the heart
Of the Warrior deep inside.
A wounding, crippling blow?
Who points you on your way,
And directs you where to go?
Who’s always close by?
It’s the you inside yourself,
It’s the Warrior deep inside.
And the outcome you don’t know,
When adversities stab your pride,
When you’re tossed to and fro,
But continuing can’t be denied,
Look inside your soul,
And live the Warrior deep inside.
In an island paradise
Hell was unleashed upon us
As aircraft filled the skies
As the fighting continued on
America was protected
But Daddy never made it home
A half a world away
Lending aide to fellow countries
The price of freedom being paid
The nights became so long
Witness to war’s horrors
But Daddy never made it home
Daily schedules being met
The world came to a standstill
By the sound of crashing jets
Searching for those now gone
Towers fell like dominos
But Daddy never made it home
That have given to the cause
Let us lay aside our anger
And in gratitude, stop and pause
Your courage, brave and strong
God Bless the ones remaining
And keep the daddies that never made it home
That which makes us strong
When turned away and rejected
Our hope is only to belong
And we question our own worth
Within the darkness of despair
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Book Details
About the Book
Every accomplishment begins as an idea. Every idea begins as a thought. Every thought begins as a dream. Bonnie Lee Tatum began writing at the tender age of seven. Using her talent as a means of expression and release, she often kept her works to herself. At the insistence of friends, she compiled her writings into her first book, One Woman’s Heart, which was published and released by 1st Books Library August, 2002. Every dream comes with its own set of adversities, and the dream of publishing her poems was no different. Many obstacles had to be overcome. Many barriers had to be broken. But mostly, the demons hidden deep inside ourselves are often the hardest battles to fight. Reflections of One Woman’s Heart depicts the quintessence of those battles. It is the journal of a journey often never made -- that of pursuing one’s deepest dream. The hardships, as well as the triumphs of this pursuit are told through her unique picturesque style of writing. Reflections will touch you within the deepest places of your heart -- where your dreams await.
About the Author
Bonnie Lee Tatum was born and raised in the small town of Canton, Georgia. Her passion and ardor for expressing herself through writing began at a very young age. Throughout her thirty years of writing, her work has been published in newspapers and magazines, as well as being featured on several websites. Her first book, One Woman’s Heart, was a greater success than she had dreamed. Believing that her talent is a gift from God, and therefore should be used for His service, she has continued to assemble her writings into her second book, Reflections of One Woman’s Heart. Reflections is greatly in part an account of her adversities, as well as her accomplishments, during the process of publishing One Woman’s Heart.