some humans
really break my heart
when the openhand i give
is never enough
i offer them shelter
from woes that they face
then they take and they take
from this generous place
instead of love and kindness
they repay with strife
always feeling cheated
in their mishandled life
always blaming givers
when the giving stops
always feel the gifts they get
are simply not enough
you’d think i’d learn my lesson
from the thankless folks I’ve met
still thirsty when the well runs dry
is all that they regret
you’d think i’d be more bitter
from the heartache that they bring
instead i curl into a ball
and cry myself to sleep
and with each dawn
new hope is born
and something heals my heart
a passing smile
a helping hand
to lift me from the dark
someone to remind me
there’s no end to being kind
it’s who I am
and who I’ll be
until the end of time.
Author: Anne Celano Frohna
I have been writing for as long as I could hold a pencil in hand and would not feel complete without it.
And I actually made a meager living at it (and as an editor) for 25 years.
I worked for newspapers and magazines, in graphic arts and advertising, and wrote several local history books.
But I have also taught English in Japan, been a Nanny/family chef in Italy, worked in and for museums, was an Airbnb Superhost for four years, as well as an Etsy shop owner, where I sold vintage items I found over the years at thrift stores and yard sales.
After moving to Arizona with my family in 2010, I completed a series of different writing projects, including two books of creative non-fiction:
Just West of the Midwest: a comedy (Based on journals I kept during my two years as an English teacher in rural Japan.)
Within Close Range: short stories of an American Childhood (Short stories and poems about growing up as the middle of five children in suburban Chicago.)
But in the past few years, I have found my voice in poetry.
I am a mother of two wonderful girls, Eva (26) and Sophia (24) and wife to one wonderful husband, Kurt.
In 2023, with our girls grown and off on their own, my husband and I packed up our things and moved to the tip of Italy’s heel, to the Salento region, where I continue to work on my poetry, as well as a new fiction project, and indulge in my passion for mosaics - all of which you can view on my Instagram page @ acfrohna.
View all posts by Anne Celano Frohna
Dog-eared Stories by anne celano frohna 
Great Poem. Have you ever considered that some of the people who have disappointed you have had a mental illness they couldn’t control or didn’t know they had or tried so hard to treat without success? I don’t have answer but I now try to think as other have written that kindness starts with the consideration that each of us is fighting battles others don’t know about so “always be kind”. 🙂
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Thank you for your comments. Having family with mental health issues, as well as being challenged by some myself, I try to see all angles when faced with difficult people and when the dust settles, I always try to remain kind. 💕
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