Poems written for J.C.
Passion
by Michael Bettura
Guardian Angel
by Rachel Smucker
For J.C.
by Naomi Woods
Ode To A Lost Love
Written by Larry White
Passion
(FROM THE EYES OF AN O-LINEMAN)
PASSION is when you're in the locker room before the game starts, and you’re sitting there, and there's a still silence . . . . You don't know what it is but you can see the answer in the eyes of your teammates. In their eyes you can see fear, excitement, and most of all nervousness. It's that before-the-game moment . . . . It's like another realm, another world.
PASSION is standing in the end zone, ready to be introduced. That kind of quiet before the storm. You stand there and soak in all the energy coming off your teammates and the fans. Your throat forms a lump in it and your eyes fill with tears, its game time.
PASSION is when you come off the field and the players and coaches have that look and without saying anything you can tell you did something special. You must love the fact that you can go out and do something great and prove to people you are for real. Then, finally you walk to your dad and tell him you did your best and this team IS THE BEST THERE IS, THE BEST THERE WAS, and THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE, because you're 10-0.
Now that's passion!!!!
Written by Michael Bettura 5/13/1999
Dedicated to J.C. Caffro #61 (OUR CAPTAIN)
A great football player, leader, and friend.
In the future one word will come to mind,
When you think of the summer of 1999 . . WHY?
You try but you can’t explain,
That endless night of fearful pain
You found yourself mindlessly packing your things
The questions began to enter your mind
Why is this happening? Will he survive?
You pushed them out, you needed a clear head
He is alive is all that the caller said
Someone hit him and ran
You wonder who was there to hold his hand
I assure, my friend that God was there.
Holding his hand; making sure he wasn’t scared
All of a sudden you’re there and he’s gone
All at once you don’t know how you’ll go on
You look for some peace some sort of closure
Tears rush to your eyes at the first words of a song
You wonder how this heartache could last so long
The poem Footprints comes to my mind
You feel as if you’ve been left behind
But I see two sets of footprints in the sand
One is God's holding you hand
But then it seems there is a third set too
The third set is your bother's who'll always walk with you
Soon my friend those days will come
Where you can feel his hugs within the warmth from the sun
Where you can hear his laughter in the breeze
That glows through the trees
Where you can see his face in a start filled night
And feel his freedom as the autumn leaves take flight
Just remember, when you're lonely and feel as if he left you behind
He's your forever guardian angel and will never leave your side.
Written by Rachel D. Smucker - Agrabrite 6/1999
Silhouetted against a window pane,
A butterfly blossoms in early June,
It flies against a morning sky,
Youth has come so soon.
Yet the wind tugs at his wings,
He tries to pull to flight,
But the wind is stronger than he is,
Though trying with all his might.
He struggles relentlessly,
He flutters through the sky,
The butterfly sees the way he sails
To beautiful to comply.
He flies next to his savior's side,
And speaks of those he loves,
I wish they would not cry, he said
For I am up above.
Do not cry little butterfly.
Written by Naomi Woods (J.C.'s Cousin) 5/99
I never got to now you an somehow yet.
I feel an emptiness inside since you left.
You must have been an inspiration to those you knew
You must have been loved dearly to those close to you.
Life is hard to live righteously; sometimes it's even harder.
But I know when hard times came you'd lean on your father.
He would always care for you in the good and bad.
He would always comfort you when were sad.
But now another has taken you from life on earth forever.
We do not know who it was and we may not ever.
God took you from us: the work was by his hand.
But it is still so hard to accept to your death, my friend.
We weep for you here on earth: we'll never see you again.
In flesh of body mind or soul until we join you in heaven
Written by Larry White