Listen to me,
   Said the old woman
     With her toothless grin.

Make yourself a shawl,
   Make it of colors
     That speak to your heart.

Give it long fringes,
   To swing
     As you dance.

Make it big to cover
   Your shoulders and hips,
     And envelope a child.

And sit with it on,
   In a quiet spot
     Each day.

Thinking about
   Your life's
     Treasures.

A storyteller for over 40 years, Ms. McKinney learned to entertain elderly relatives and children very early. She has written poetry since age 16 and published 4 pieces previously. Barb lives in upstate NY, near the shore of Lake Ontario, where she spends a great deal of time outdoors, at the beach, in the wood and gardening. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor, and a Family and Marriage Therapist.

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