These Troubled Times
By Carol Hardee
When destiny calls and we answer the cry with our honor,
courage, and heart,
We are measured at last by what we have tried and the means
by which we impart.
Those days in slow motion when steadfast we try to climb
from the widening hole
Can strengthen our will to surpass and exceed what was set
as an optimum goal.
Remember we must that the strongest of swords is forged
in hottest of flames,
And those who may hide from the world and its fray, why,
no one remembers their names.
A life lived in quiet departure, demure, may appear to
be free from all strife,
Yet a struggle to overcome sorrow or wrongs may fully define
a true life.
Though some in this world have no choices to make, for into
the cauldron they’re thrown,
Others may face a dividing line as to which of two paths
they will own.
So do not fear the tempestuous times and the nights of most
hardened travail;
For through this eternal, storm ridden sea, you will lift
up your anchor and sail.
copyright '03 by Carol Hardee
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Little Dogs Four
By Carol Hardee
Oh, here they come, the little dogs four,
Running through the kitchen, sliding on
the floor,
Leaping over footstool, bounding down the
hall,
So happy to see me whenever I call.
Four little dogs, but nobody else cared;
Sad little guys through prison bars stared.
You were all left behind to just give away,
Yet I was the fortunate one on that day!
Max, Rascal, Shiloh, and Laddie boy, too,
You light up my life with all that you do.
With barks, kisses, and hugs when I come
through the door,
How enchanted I am by my little dogs four!
copyright '03 by Carol Hardee
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And We Try
By Carol Hardee
They come to us battered and broken,
Thrown into our arms with a sigh.
How shall we mend the unmendable?
And, yet, we shall try; we shall try.
Though their beautiful lives have been
shattered
Beyond what a brave man could bear,
They struggle and strive to live, not to
die;
And we shall continue to care.
The innocent ones give us heartache
While at times, to grieve, how we must;
And we persevere for those living
To sustain for the many who trust.
We may not falter or fumble,
And for days, we have no time to cry;
But because they depend on our courage and
strength,
We continue to try and to try.
copyright '03 by Carol Hardee
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My Wish
By Carol Hardee
I do not wish for jewels and gold, whose
glitter blinds the eye,
And high-priced cars with foreign names
could never make me sigh.
Designer clothes will never hang within
my closet doors,
Because these man-made items only leave
us wanting more.
Give me the forests ranging far upon green
mountain side
And wind swept beach at winter time with
foam upon the tide.
Sweet meadows filled with fragrant blooms
are heavenly to me.
What more could anyone wish for than the
wild earth, sky, and sea?
copyright '03 by Carol Hardee
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You Are There 
a poem dedicated to all of our supporters
and friends
By Carol Hardee
When we are pressed to find the strength
yet know we must go on,
When our very souls are weary from the efforts
placed upon,
When we feel the hours behind us have dulled
our spirit and mind,
We reach beyond the limits because we know
you stand behind.
When we struggle hard to save the lives
of those placed in our hands,
When the dawn is soon approaching with a
list of new demands,
When the tears of desperation cloud our
eyes with doubt and fear,
It only lasts a heartbeat because each of
you is here.
When we have won the hard fought battle
and our very spirits soar,
When that tiny face looks up at us not hurting
anymore,
When so many are depending on our comfort
and our care,
We pause to think of all of you, and each
time, you are there.
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Raccoon Babe
by Carol Hardee
One cold and dreary night when icy winds
cut like a knife,
A tiny raccoon babe was brought to me to
save her life.
It had now been several days since she’d
been found and left outside.
The people thought the mother coon would
come, but she had died.
And now, with three days passing, I had
to wage a fearful fight,
For to reverse the cold and hunger I would
tend to her all night.
Warmed blankets wrapped around her tiny
body brought her to,
And as I held her tight against me, it was
all there was to do.
Two endless hours passed at a crawl, and
her temperature was good.
I gave her fluids that I’d warmed as slowly
as I could.
So fearful that she would soon fail from
her terrible plight,
I slept holding her against me all through
the dreaded night
For several days, the war was waged
to save this tiny one
And the morning came, I saw within her eyes
that we had won.
The eager look for bottle, the grasping
little hand,
The loving gaze upon her face was more than
I could stand.
There may be world events which seem
of great concern to all,
But I was there to save this life, however
great or small.
Kindness is the essence of a life with
value shared,
For it matters not be they beggar or king,
as long as you have cared.
Though mighty eagle, elephant, and lion
catch the eye,
It is the kindest heart that hurts to hear
a mousie cry.
And, raccoon babe, though you be small,
your life is valued by me.
I only wish that through my eyes, the others,
too, might see.
copyright '03 by Carol Hardee
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Bulldozers
by Carol Hardee
“ What is that sound?” the antlered stag cried out as he did flee.
These woods had been his only home
Where he roamed wild and free.
“What is that sound?” The bluebird chirped
While on her nest, she lay.
Her tiny brood had finally hatched-
She dared not fly away.
“What is that sound?” The cottontail
Called out from grassy home.
Her babies four clung to her side,
Too young to be alone.
“What is that sound?” Old tortoise moaned
From deep within his lair.
Too slow to run away, he knew
He’d always been safe there.
“What is that sound?” The raccoon whispered
To her newborn kits so dear.
She gathered them around her
While they trembled so with fear.
The woods were several acres left
After houses, roads, and mall
Had taken away almost all of the land.
What remained seemed oh, so small.
And now with no place left to run,
As trees crashed all around,
The animals cried in unison,
“What is that awful sound?”
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The Lake Apopka Bird Sanctuary
by Carol Hardee
So many birds are dying on Lake Apopka’s shore,
White pelican and wood stork, heron, crane and more.
Their numbers in the thousands of lives that none could save,
We mourn the losses sadly as we toil to dig the graves.
The area was farmlands for generations past,
But for years the lethal poisons have seeped beyond the grass.
The plan sounded simple, to flood the fields to make
A sanctuary for the birds, the deadliest mistake.
And so the birds migrating did flock upon the scene,
They fed on multitudes of fish and frolicked in between.
But all too soon the poison began to make its run;
The eagles and the egrets, the ibis, everyone.
So mankind learns a lesson (a lesson learned before),
How very sad that others lose their lives while we explore.
And though we wept with sorrow for every broken soul,
We also mourn for mankind who must someday pay its toll.
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The Little Dog Nobody Wanted
by Carol Hardee
The sweet, little dog, just seven months old,
Was brought to the shelter for care.
It seems that his owners were moving away
And no longer wanted him there,
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted.
He tried to think of what he ad done wrong
For his owners had left and gone home.
He thought that he had been a really good boy,
But then why would they leave him alone?
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted.
The shelter staff did all that they could;
Each one was so kind and so dear,
but no matter how they tried to explain,
The little pup trembled with fear,
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted.
Next day, a lady came in with some food
to give to the animals there.
When she saw the wee dog so timid and sad,
She exclaimed, “Well, what have we here?”
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted.
The lady named Carol and her husband, Ron
Had a center for wildlife in need
Their love for all creatures was known far and wide,
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted, Indeed!
Ears down, tail down, the little dog went
To his new home where he would remain.
He got a new collar, sweater, and toys
And “Rascal” became his new name.
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted.
Each day many people visit the center
For wildlife and Rascal they meet,
“He’s the cutest, the sweetest,” they all do exclaim;
And each one of them Rascal does greet,
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted.
Ears up, tail up, and bathed every week,
Rascals coat now glows; it’s so clean;
And he’s learned many tricks, such a smart little dog,
To amuse all the people he’s seen,
The Little dog Nobody Wanted?
Rascal accompanies Ron every day-
He looks like a little inspector.
While a guest on t.v., Rascal was introduced
As the Center’s Assistant Director,
The Little Dog Nobody Wanted?
With a glint in his eye and a wag of his tail,
Rascal steals every heart, never misses
All the visitors say they would take him right home
And they cover his head with their kisses.
He’s the Little Dog Everyone Wanted!
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