To Martha:

Michael By the Numbers

Your poem is fantastic
What else can I say?
Except when I read it
It brightened my day!

This poetry thing
Has worked out quite well
It's happened to me
And I think it is swell!

It makes sleeping difficult,
Even in bed
With rhymes going round
And round in my head.

Michael fits everything,
from A up to Z
His voice and his smile
Inspire you and me.

Now here is the latest
from my overworked brain
Some numbers are running
Through my head like a train

Number one is our Michael
Two dimples has he
Three vids on the charts
We're all glad to see!

Four cheers we are shouting
Why stop with just three
I guess we could say
Michael's our cup of tea!

Five are the reasons
That he curls my toes
Talent, looks, attitude
Cuteness and I s'pose

You could all add the fifth one
I'll give you a hint
He's sexy and gorgeous
My word that makes six!

So far I've managed
To reach number seven
Michael's voice is the closest
I've yet gotten to heaven

Seven plus one
sure equals eight
The number of months
I still have to wait

To meet all the Ballfesters
Who come to New York
And Michael if your listening
It's a good place to work!

We'd all help you find
The place that we're staying
We'd make you feel welcome
That goes without saying.

Nine is the number
that's just before ten
And if you're all lucky
I won't say it again...

We each of us have
our own point of view
But I think we'll agree
Michael Ball, we love you.

Jackie :-)
November 8, 1999

 

Ode to Love, Friendship, Michael and Ballfesting

 

That poetry bug has bitten again

Why won't it let me be?

When I should be getting in my bed

It just keeps nagging me.

 

I know I should be fast asleep

And dreaming lovely dreams

Instead of writing another poem

But nothing works it seems.

 

So here I am again dear friends

Again I'm forced to write

A poem for Michael Ball

Before I say goodnight.

 

"Love Changes Everything"

From "Aspects of Love" it came

And changed his life forever

Now nothing's quite the same.

 

Not for Michael, not for me,

Nor others I feel certain.

A lot of lives were changed

Before the final curtain

 

No matter how many other stars

Come along the Great White Way,

No one else can touch our hearts

Or sing our tears away

 

So Michael you have taught us

Love changes everything, that's true!

It changes how we think and act

And everything we do.

 

It makes us better people

It makes us want to share

Our joy and love and happiness

With others everywhere.

 

And thanks to this great mailing list

We've all found lots of friends,

Who share the love we feel for you

And on whom we can depend.

 

One day we had an idea

We thought it would be fun

If some of us could meet

So "Ballfests" were begun.

 

I met another Michael fan

At a laundromat near here

We only stayed a short while

But an idea soon was clear.

 

We had to meet again

And invite others to come too,

And we'd spend the afternoon

Just talking about you.

 

We met for lunch, we signed a bear

And took some photos too,

We found we really had

An awful lot to share.

 

We had scrapbooks to show

and stories to tell

some hugs and some smiles

and it went very well.

 

While others in towns

all over the world

starting meeting each other

and spreading the word.

 

The idea just grew

And flourished and spread,

Til one day an idea

Popped into my head.

 

Why not get together

With Michael Ball fans

In a central location

So we started the plans.

 

Our First Annual Ballfest

was scheduled at last,

Indiana was chosen

And we all had a blast!

 

We talked and we shouted

Our cheerleaders cheered,

We hung up Ballfest's first banner

Then dinner time neared.

 

We held a raffle and an auction

And a talent show too,

We watched Michael's videos

and realized something new.

 

We found that the bonds

that were formed when we met,

Made us all feel like family

Feelings we'll never forget!