Traveling Through My Mind: Volume 2

By Elmo J Kelley

My new book continues the journey through my mind that we visited two years ago in my
first book. There are a lot of new poems that take a look at the struggles with relationships,
love, life as a teacher, and learning about who I am. A lot of these poems will make you second
guess or confirm your feeling on an array of topics, My poems always try to set a mood just like
watching a movie where you feel you are part of the action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9781663263070

Elmo J Kelley

I was born and raised in Riverside California to two teachers. It wasn’t until I was in college that I discovered my passion and love for writing poetry that I have been doing for over 30 years. I am also a second grade teacher who loves his job of getting the next generation ready for the real world. Many of my poems are about my job and how it can be both the best and worst profession on any given day. I have been teaching at a local elementary school in Fontana for the past 27 years and have many more years in front of me. I have two children, Carson and Kendall who I adore greatly, as well as one wife who I love with all of my heart. I have a masters degree from Grand Canyon University in the field of Curriculum and Instruction but my true passion is writing poems that will touch others lives and also make them laugh as well.

Book preview

Traveling Through My Mind: Volume 2

Copyright © 2024 Elmo J Kelley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-6308-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-6307-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022900517

iUniverse rev. date: 05/29/2024

CONTENTS

Creditsi

Foreword

The poems:

First Stop:

Lets Talk About Me

Traveling through my mind

Life before my eyes

Warning Label

Pieces

The Comeback Poem

Second Stop:

More Poems About School

Through Land mines and Sunshine - 25 years at Cypress

P.B.B.S. (Based on a few true stories)

Avalanche Elementary

The School day Olympics

Then the paper came off the walls

A2 Why ?

Omicron isn’t Fun: Welcome to School year 2022

Third Stop:

The Many Faces of Love

Leftovers of love

Ode To Happiness

Whirlpool of Love

Throwing Up on Love

Obsession

A Stupid Kind of Love

Fourth Stop:

Visiting Old Friends

The Final Finish Line

Lori is Moving on

The Book of Pam

Ode to Adam - Best Boss Ever

Art for Art’s Sake

Fifth Stop:

Adventures in Heartbreak

The Person I Want You to be

The Darker Side of Town

Let me Disappoint you

The Last Thing on your Mind

Ignore

The Less You Say The More I Hear You

Sixth Stop:

Some Special Events

The Halloween Poem

A Father’s Day Poem

The Girl Scout Cookie Poem

Jury Duty

Kendall’s 12th birthday: On the Edge of Being a Teen

Seventh Stop:

The Humor In Life

Blame it on the baby

The King of Multitasking

The Worst Poem Ever Written

The Shy Sun

Cereal Killer

Faster Food

The California rain

Eighth Stop:

Life’s Lessons

Petunia

Always the same

Mary- Go- Around

Reentry

Enter The Overthinkers Mind Part 1: Introduction

Positively Negative

Ninth Stop:

Sadness

The Drought

Canyon

Forgotten

Masquerade (you’ve saved me)

Broken Toe

The Harmonica

Final Stop

Through Others Eyes

Baby’s Eyes

Scapegoat

Sin

Wet Blanket

A Cheap Pocket Watch

A Little About the Author

CREDITS

I would like to thank the following people for helping and inspire the poems that are included in this book.

My wife Barbara for always being a source of support and love.

My kids, Carson and Kendall, for making my life an amazing fun journey with plenty of road bumps in between.

My teacher friends both at my school and in my district for often giving me valuable feedback and inspiration for some of the poems you will read.

My amazing friends over at the Poet Tree Press Facebook group; Kathleen, for giving me a fresh perspective on new ideas for poems and someone who I can count on for feedback and praise. Lora, for pushing me to write even better poems and giving me the chance to show off my poems to more of the world.

I again thank my good friend Norma, for continuing to read my poems, years later.

And to all of my friends and supporters who bought my first book and are ready to go on another adventure through my mind.

FOREWORD

Elmo Kelley has been writing unique and imaginative poems for decades and this is his second publication. His poetry is well thought out, with humor and light-hearted sarcasm. He brings an element of reality to his writing by relating it to his life experiences. His poetry closely matches his fun, charismatic personality, yet also displays a passionate side that anyone can relate to or be amused by. His perspectives are clearly written and easily understood. He puts a lot of himself and his feelings into his poetry. Elmo is an elementary school teacher