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I have a heartsong too,
And I am in tune to its beat, its rhythm,
Its power.
Sometimes, life's biggest sorrows are our greatest gifts.
I can no longer smell a rose, a summer day,
An intoxicating lover,
But I can remember.
I can remember the aroma of fresh pine cones, a baking cake,
A bouquet of roses.
I can remember the taste of chocolate ice cream, rich pizza,
French fries and ketchup.
And my other senses are heightened.
My eyes are wide open now, and I can see what is important.
I see who I am,
I see who I want to be.
I can hear the true messages of this world,
And I can touch and revel in the joy of feeling
A warm blanket, the sun on my face,
The soft hand of a romantic stranger at a wedding.
I will not suffer in vain.
I know that my mission includes this,
That this is important for me, and for those around me.
I know how much I am loved,
And that I love myself.
And I will feel overwhelming happiness and fulfillment
Spending th rest of my life as my new self,
And sending out my own positive, supportive energy
Out into the world.
Yes, I am changed,
But now I am free.
By Lisa Suzanne Coristine ©
My high school friend, Lisa, passed away yesterday, following a 3 year battle with cancer. We lost touch after high school, but I thought of her often, especially since I learned of her illness. I only recently found out that she was a teacher at my school's other campus, and although she was there only briefly before her illness came back, she touched the lives of her students profoundly. She touched my life in the same way.
Posted by raptorgirl at June 15, 2004 12:30 PM*hugs* I'm so sorry to hear about your friend, Rappy. It's always so sad when someone so young dies. :(
Posted by: Roo at June 15, 2004 03:11 PMI'm so sorry, Rappy. A beautiful poem and tribute to life. *hugs*
Posted by: Mandy at June 16, 2004 11:03 AMMs. Coristine was my English teacher for two months this year b4 she had to leave. Even though she was only at my school for 2 months she touched the lives of so many students just by being the loving person she was. I still can;t believe she is gone even after having gone to the shiva to meet her family. Whenever I see the braveheart "heart" necklaces I get emotional.
I looked up her name on google and this site came up..I go to chat rh. Whats ur name? just curious.. also do u know if there was something recently written about her in the cjn? just wondering.
Vicky,
There wasn't anything recent about Lisa in the CJN. The most recent article goes back to sometime in 2003. If you go into www.cjnews.com you should be able to do a search under her name.
Hi, this is Lisa's sister Jen. I just want to say that I think this is a lovely tribute to Lisa, so thank you. Also, we are working on getting her poetry published, so if you can, you should indicate that the work is copywright. I just want to avoid any issues now that her private work is "out there".
Thanks again!
Posted by: Jen at June 29, 2004 03:39 PMJen, my sincerest condolences for your loss. I remember Lisa so fondly, and was very saddened by her loss.
The other day someone was humming Chris Isaac's Wicked Game, and I remembered so vividly a Spanish class around the time the song came out, where in an apparent fit of boredom, she wrote out the lyrics for the entire song in her binder.
I've added a temporary copyright symbol until I can figure out the coding for the proper symbol.
Posted by: rappy at June 29, 2004 08:42 PMThanks Rappy. And yes, that song had special meaning to her. It's in a beer commercial now, and I feel like crying everytime it comes on...
Hey There-
Just had a moment to see this on your site. So sad that Lisa's gone now. What a beautiful poem- I hope Jen's successful in getting her work published.
Was great to see you a few weeks ago!
Keep in touch- speak to you soon!
Hello,
I also came upon this site by accident, while searching for the walk-a-thon site for Lisa. I used to work with both Lisa and Jen (hi Jen if you're reading this) years ago and I am truly devastated to hear about her passing. I remember Lisa as a genuine, strong and truly beautiful person. Clearly, there are many people who feel the same way. I will be attending the Walk-a-thon, so Jen I guess we will get to see each other there and catch up in person.
This is a great tribute to Lisa's memory.
Susanna
Posted by: Susanna at September 15, 2004 02:23 PMSusanna,
Thanks for your message. I'll be at the walk as well, and I hope that my contributions will help others beat this terrible disease.
Posted by: rappy at September 15, 2004 10:38 PMI was Lisa's nursery school teacher and remember her as adorable, sensitive and a warm child who put a smile on your face. I couldn't help giving Lisa a warm hug. She was quiet but interacted well with her friends. I taught Jennifer as well and knew Marlene (mother) quite well at the time. Years have past but I will always remember Lisa. She is one student of my past that I will always
cherish.
I was Lisa's nursery school teacher and remember her as adorable, sensitive and a warm child who put a smile on your face. I couldn't help giving Lisa a warm hug. She was quiet but interacted well with her friends. I taught Jennifer as well and knew Marlene (mother) quite well at the time. Years have past but I will always remember Lisa. She is one student of my past that I will always
cherish.