Poems that Capture the Human Experience

These poems weave diverse themes of reflection, self-discovery, and loss. Marjorie J. Levine’s A Chance Encounter offers a nostalgic glimpse into life’s fleeting moments, contrasting past and present through layered memories. Madlyn Epstein Steinhart’s Born with a Plastic Spoon in My Mouth encourages gratitude, self-trust, and a heartfelt connection to nature and the arts as pathways to fulfillment. Carol Ostrow’s A Story of Self delves into the importance of self-love and resilience, exploring life’s twists and turns with raw honesty and wisdom. Nicole Freezer Rubens’ Orange paints a poignant portrait of mourning and hope, channeling grief into the growth of ambrosial orange trees as symbols of renewal. Together, these poems capture the complexities of human experience in powerful and poetic ways.

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

On a quiet Sunday evening
In a chilly September
On a rainy grey night
I waited on Hempstead Avenue
For a ticket to see Darling…
At the Malverne Theater.

That was many decades ago.
Decades passed since that night.
Time really does fly.

But here’s the strange thing:
In 2017, on a rainy day in September,
I went to see the film Sleepwalk With Me
At the old Malverne Theater.

And after the film, I went for a burger
Right next door at the Malverne Diner.
A movie and then a meal, that was
The old familiar deal.

I sat alone in a booth and
Watched the rain fall down
On a blurry Hempstead Avenue.
A radio was on and I heard
Dinah Washington singing
September in the Rain.

I was not alone for long:
Two guys asked to sit with me:
Harry and Al.

And now in 2025:
The Malverne Theater is closed
The Malverne Diner is closed…
Al Dubin passed away decades ago
And Harry Warren did too.

Nostalgia becomes a layered hallucination.

~ Marjorie J. Levine, author “Road Trips” and “Becoming Until”

Born with a plastic spoon in my mouth

Grateful there was a spoon at all
Don’t expect much
I have learned to accept
There are worlds of difference between the two
If Nature and The Arts make you happy as tbey do me
Enjoy
Tune into it
Tune out the Rude and Uninformef
Look inside your heart
You will find your way
Enjoy your journeys more
Trust yourself
Do your homework
You will arrive

~Madlyn Epstein Steinhart, author “Put Your Boots on and Dance in the Rain,” and “Beautiful Heart”

A Story of Self

I have a story deep inside of my heart,
Actually,
More than one, not knowing where to start,
We all have those secrets we wish to hide,
Knowing few to trust, to openly confide,

Nothing there to promote any guilt,
Fortunately,
Many love squares to create a quilt,
Many of my mistakes to put into the mix,
But no shame that involves any lies or tricks,

I was never purposely vengeful or cruel,
While protecting my feelings from an angry fool,
Mostly loving, trustful and wanting to be kind,
Finding approval not always first on my mind,

This story I am burning to begin to confess,
Is that self love heals and must be addressed,
Nothing is more important in an inner life,
With confidence you cannot cut with a knife,

I’m grateful for a full life with many twists and a turn,
Finding self respect, not so easy to earn,
If there really is a story here after all,
I’ve learned to forgive when from Grace I fall,

I am my own person, like you as well,
This is my story for only me to tell,
Fortunately, it is on going with not an end in sight,
With me in the driver’s seat, staying on the right,

Life goes on and I wish to share it with you,
Remember, please: To thine own self be true!!

~Carol Ostrow, author “Poems from My Pandemic Pen,” and “Poetry in Motion with Much Emotion”

Orange                                                                                        

Orange,
is all I see.

Kfir and Ariel are gone,
but they are everywhere.

Sarah, Rachel, Leah
and so many modern mothers
adopted them on October 7^th.

With each crying baby
in the supermarket aisle
we heard their voices crack
in our brittle bones.

Each red headed little boy
on the street
made us catch our collective breath.

For 503 days
we carried them.

I wore them like a halo
choosing an orange hair tie
every single day,
until today.

Today I tie my hair back
with a tight black elastic
and mourn.

Soon the boys will return
to the safety of the earth,
and from the ashes and dust,
ambrosial orange trees will grow.

~Nicole Freezer Rubens, author “The Long Pause and the Short Breathe”