It is April 12, 1994. Jonathan is 14, and still heartbroken over a girl named Jackie who he met at World Youth Day in Summer 1993.

Where’s the Rose Now?
by Jonathan Kraft

where’s the rose now?
is it still there?
if it is
where can i find it, where?

deep inside,
i know it’s been frozen
it just sits there
left unchosen
with one delicate touch,
it could crack
it might shatter
with a simple step back

I’m too scared to move
so I sit at a standstill
staring at the Rose, I wonder
why is it I don’t feel a chill?
The sun is shining,
but the rose is shaded
by a cloud
its colors faded.

Rose, please,
feel the shining sun
you will see
a wonderful relationship has begun

—————–

What is this
this presence I feel
coming from her
is it something real
it’s unlike anything
I’m able to explain
and perhaps it’s that presence
that’s causing me this pain

That presence is there,
but I can’t know her
this is a problem for which
I can find no cure

It’s in her eyes
and in her voice
when I know these,
I want to rejoice

I don’t know what it is
that she fears,
but it makes me want
to break down in tears
for not seeing her
makes me hurt
and I feel without her
I’m lying in the dirt
if only she were here
I would tell her about
these things I feel,
and the things I want to shout

And I would listen
to her voice deep inside
I’d be a friend
and also a guide

———————-

Just a reminder of why I’m sharing these old poems in addition to the new ones I’m sharing this year…

These poems are serving no one by me keeping them on my computer or in my notebook.

There are of course things I’ve written that I will keep for now.

However, these words I’ve written over the past several years can help someone else to find a different place or a different solution.

So all this year I am sharing my words, one poem a day.

I was looking through some old files and writings, and came across this, which I thought was a pretty cool set of words to have put together at age 14.

To any who may someday read this. My name is Jonathan Kraft. These poems are a small reflection of something much greater inside of me. I have many thoughts, feelings, and expressions to share with the world. I have been given a voice that many have. A voice louder than words. I will do my best to show others that they have this voice also, and when they find out what that voice is, the world will be a much better place. A place that will be filled with all who care about others and know that they have the potential to make the world a better place through their own impact on others. Enjoy these poems. I hope that they help you to find out who your voice truly is.

-Jonathan Kraft
May 2, 1994