When we are growing up we never know til much later or not at all, the impressions and the influence we have on the young people we come in contact with.

I was reminded of that today. A friend mentioned Mattie Stepanak, a young poet, who died at the age of 13 of muscular dystrophy. Janet, my friend, told me that she still has the book Castle Mount, a collection of my brother Matt Deeley's poems. He died at the age of 17 some 33 years ago.

On a brighter note, I decided to share the fact that poetry seems to run in the family. I do write it but my brother Jeff is starting to dabble a bit and my brother George also is quite a poet. He put together a little book for the family called Old Red House, in which he assembled and wrote poetry and bits of wisdom about each member of our family.

It is great and this is how I found out how I must have looked to him, a little boy, when I flew off to California and would come home for visits. The following is his poem about me.

FEELING BIG by George Deeley

A modern Marco Polo
Off to far away
Missing me the most of all
She told me so on leaving

West Coast adventures outlined
In a score of timely letters
Written just for me, of course
I saw my name within 'em

Gifts and food of foreign lands
High on the reunion
Speechless through the whole affair
Absorbing the attention

Even there to tuck me in
This person of the world
To spend the time on meager me
I must be so important!


Wow, I am so glad that I could make a little guy feel special.

Mary