Love Thy Enemy

By Carole Nichols

I loved him. I hated him. Ricardo Montalban became known to me in 1968. I'd seen him in a few shows and thought he looked fine, but never became "aware" of him as a man until he guest starred on the classic "Star Trek" series. I will never forget what he made me feel as a very young teenager...scary stuff when you believe you can only be hot if your under 30 or a Vulcan.

As I remember it, the Good Ship Enterprise comes upon a sleeper ship (a craft designed for lenghtly space travel in the days before warping was achieved) The sleeper ship was a derilect, so the brave Captain takes his lovely A & A Officer, Helen McGivers, aboard to look around. Khan was the first of the sleepers to awaken, blah, blah blah, and Dr. McCoy has to save his life. The lovely anthropologist was mesmerized by the very sensual Khan and fails to tell Captain Kirk that Khan is one a few demigods who had disappeared at the end of earth's third world war to escape execution for war crimes. After chewing her out, Kirk says, "and of course you think men of that era were more manly than today's man." She responds yes, and Kirk thanks her for being honest.



Helen sits with Khan as he sleeps in sickbay, and when he awakens he proceeds to seduce her with words and with domination. My heart is beating 90 miles an hour and I feel a distinct pulse that I'd never felt before. God, I wanted to trade places with her! Khan revives the rest of his crew and plans to take over the Enterprise; Kirk orders Helen to trick Khan so that he can be overwhelmed and locked up. Helen in his bedroom, tries to seduce him but chickens out because he overwhelms her by just his presence. He grabs her, kisses her, and when she pushes away from him, he says very rudely, "Go! or Stay! But do it because that is what you want to do." Poor Helen gets all weak and sobby and says, "I'll stay for a while." Khan, with his back to her and his nose in the air says, "Oh no, now you must ask me if you can stay." God, I wanted to kick his butt! But Helen asks him to please let her stay. With a smile of satisfaction he turns to her and she walks into his arms....fade to black, darnit.

After many cliff hangers, Kirk and crew prevail, save the ship, and decide to abandon Khan and his followers on a very lush, but dangerous planet. Khan is delighted to have a world to conquer. McGivers, given the choice of a court martial or going with Khan, chooses Khan. As they are led to the transporter room, Khan turns to Kirk and asks him..."Are you familiar with Milton, Captian." Kirk responds yes. After Khan is gone, Commander Scott remarks that he hates to admit it but he's not up on Milton." Kirk quotes from PARADISE LOST "It is better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven." I think I cried for a week until the next time Star Trek was on.

Star Trek was my life for 3 crucial years. It was my escape from tyranny, it was my safe haven and it promised me that things would get better. "Space Seed," was so highly thought of that when, at last, Star Trek made it to the big screen, Khan's role was reprised to show what his new world had done to him and his people in the course of 20 years. Of course, after the movie, I cried for another week.

Goodbye, Ricardo, Khan, Mr. Rourk....May the Great Bird of the Galaxy find you in rare form once more.



Copy and paste to watch the original Classic Star Trek episode SPACE SEED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDboDUfbAe8

Goodbye

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

I have no regrets
Even though you are gone.
I have my memories
And I don't feel alone.

Thank you for your kindness,
Thank you for your touch,
Thank you for your love, dear,
I will miss you, oh, so much.

You made me no promises,
I asked you for none.
But you gave me something priceless
That can never be undone.....

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME BACK MYSELF!

What Would it Cost?

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

The street corner is so busy,
People hurrying as they pass by;
They close their eyes, pretend to not hear,
The ragged child's hungry cries.

She stand there, arms reaching,
All alone, dirty and care worn;
Tears of misery track her face,
Too young to look so forlorn.

What would it cost, what price,
For just one soul to show they care?
How much to hold out their hand,
To touch that dirty, tangled hair?

What would it cost to take her,
To a place that's warm and safe?
Or feed and clothe and wash her,
This poor motherless waif?

What would it cost just to give her,
A small portion of your time?
To offer for a moment, a caring hug,
To give her a hope for which she could climb?

You say it's not your problem?
You barely have time of your own?
What if it were someday your child,
Standing there, lost and alone?

Wouldn't you want someone to help?
Wouldn't you hope someone would care?
So they wouldn't have to merely exist,
Surviving on the wings of a prayer?

It wouldn't cost more than a little time,
Afterall, love and caring are free.
Look with you heart and see her eyes,
She could belong to you or to me.

It's Over

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

There's no need to say it aloud,
For I see the truth in your eyes;
I can tell by the way you act,
There's no need for your lies.

It doesn't matter anymore;
What I felt for you died long ago.
I just wish I knew what went wrong,
That made you want to hurt me so.

I have lived with your anger,
Put up with your stubborn pride;
Endured your hatred and meanness,
Until all my love for you died.

It's over and you know it well,
My life belongs once more to me;
You can't be a part of it anymore,
So why not let things be.

Get out of my life and give me peace,
Let me try to make a new start;
Let go of me and let go of the past,
For you'll never again have my heart.

Just Away

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

The sky is clear and bright today;
Soon the birds will fill the air,
Bringing a sweet springtime song,
But when I look, you won't be there.

It's hard to believe it's been a year,
Since your voice quietly spoke,
And you led me step by step
To the place where I awoke.

It's a place my mind goes often,
To relive that time of learning;
So real and sharp, it's hard to see
That there'll be no returning.

I see the water, cold and still,
I see the flowering countryside;
Clear and bright, just like today,
I'll thank you always for that ride.

You were someone who took the time,
And became a special friend;
You were my breath of springtime,
But we always knew one day it'd end.

Yet, I know that you and I can see,
The same sun and sky each day;
So I'll think that you aren't gone,
You are merely, just away.

Fire Angel

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


With a bead of hope, he watches the sky;
And sees the angel coming near.
As the firm, gloved hand reaches out,
He thinks he hears the words, "Don't fear."

Above him, a helicopter hovers,
With a sound like that of angel wings;
Fighting the wind and heavy heat,
To lower the angel to where he clings.


It's a very human angel,
Dangling there at the mouth of hell;
Though he says he's only doing his job,
There'd been no saving him if he fell.


A firefighter lives in sure belief
That angels guide him on his way;
Now he's done the thing he loves to do..
Both men will live to work another day.


From the firefighter, there's no bragging
About the battle he has won;
But somewhere in heaven, God says,
"Fire Angel, that was well done."


The Burning of the Cotton Mill
Atlanta, GA.....April 12, 1999

Cherokee

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


a most beautiful place of silent mourning,
a trail full of haunting tears;
a river full of lost memories,
home to the people for hundreds of years.

in this quiet place of towering trees,
the wolf is gone with a keening cry,
the bear dances now the dance of clowns,
and the best of a race made to die.

yet wrapped in the myterious time,
nature has held the truth in her heart,
it has kept the paths of the heros
who return in spirit never to depart.

gone are they now, but for the memory,
the trail filled with bitter tears,
a feather falls and lies forgotten,
because of white mans' greed and fears.

go stand high upon the mountain top;
reach out for something that is gone,
search for a truth that won't be hidden,
and find yourself all alone.

except for the echo of the wolf,
except for the flute that sings in the wind,
reminding you over and over again
there are some wrongs that time can't mend.

Return of a Memory

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

I didn't think it would happen again,
And I didn't think it would happen so well.
It was just like you had never been gone;
It was the same for you, I could tell.

We fit together so easily, so sweetly,
There was no awkwardness to get through.
There were only the nights, and brisk fall air;
And the warmth of our bodies for me and you.

The others weren't important then,
By silent agreement they were banished away;
The touching and loving were ours, alone,
We would deal with the rest in the light of day.

I can still close my eyes and see you sleeping,
So relaxed and at ease, just a soft gentle snore.
You allowed me to get my fill of you,
In case there could never be any more.

I never thought it would happen, but I'm so glad it did.
So glad you held me close once again,
I want only the best for you in your life,
And I hope you will aways count me a friend.

A Soldier's Tale

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


The judge looked at me, a boy, still eighteen,
You have only two choices, the service or jail;
And with the ignorance of youth, I chose,
And delivered myself into the hands of hell.

Taken to a place that should have felt safe,
Where I was supposed to learn to be a man;
I didn't know that I'd be broken, remade,
Didn't know I'd never see that boy again.

My possessions taken at the gate,
Stripped of my dignity and my pride,
Turned into a robot, a killing machine;
And no one cared if I lived or died.

Was not allowed to think a thought,
Was not allowed to dream of home;
I was broken and battered beyond repair,
In a sea of threats, I felt so alone.

Those who lived through the bitter school,
Were packed up and shipped to a foriegn shore;
A helmet, a smoke, and orders so strange,
Told to kill the enemy, then kill some more.

What was left of the boy died in the jungle,
What was left of the soul died in the heat.
You got use to the flies, and the stench;
You got use to wet socks and rotting feet.

And when it was finished, if you lived,
You returned home to names and rocks and spit;
The dreams that stayed with you night and day,
There was no place at home where you would fit.

No one to hold you, for you could no longer care,
No one to help you put the demons away;
No place that held peace, for you couldn't be still
No place for a veteran to settle and stay.

I remember a boy who was just eighteen,
Who believed in a future, sunny and bright;
What I see is a man who was sent into hell,
Never again will his world be right.

The Christmas Angel

BY CAROLE NICHOLS



At the holiest time of the year
Evil came in to take a child so dear;

Arms of one trusted to keep her safe,
Took the life of a innocent waif;


Evading the law, as the world looks on,
The killer walks free; JonBenét is gone.


Yet a star shines on through our tears,
She'll be a Christmas angel for endless years.


And when I kiss my child goodnight,
This Christmas angel sheds her pure light.


For she knows I hold my child so dear,
In the still of the night she has nothing to fear.


When I think of the crime that was done,
And how there's been no justice won,


I know in God's kingdom the child is safe,
From the trusted arms that destroyed the waif.


Still for her, there'll be a judgment day;
She'll stand before God and JonBenét.

Back To the World

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

Look at her just standing there,
Skittish as a newborn fawn.
Her life stamped across her face;
An open book, she waits for dawn.

She lifts her eyes to the lightening sky,
The last trace of tears wiped away;
A deep drawn breath of frosty air,
She prepares herself for a brand new day.

She lowers the walls around her heart,
To feel the beauty of nature's song,
Hoping to capture a piece of the wonder,
Needing to find a place to belong.

As the sun breaks over the mountain,
Setting the world all aglow,
She smiles as it touches her warmly;
She knows where she must go.

Back to the world of chances,
Back to the world of hopes and dreams;
For that, after all, is life and love,
And that is where her heart leans.

Musings of Life's Roads

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

Life is a maze of winding roads,
It's twists and turns are not expected;
And the road just doens't come to be,
It has to be selected.

We'd all be so fortunate,
If the road for us was alight;
No uncertainties or second thoughts,
The outcome always right.

But then, you'd miss out on things,
That show the stuff of which you're made;
There'd be peace for sure, but monotony,
No marks to show the dues you've paid.

The easy road's for dreamers,
Who linger to play in the flowered moor;
Who pause so long they oft' forget,
What it was they were searching for.

The pitted road is rougher, true,
The cuts and bruises part of the lot;
Some will leave scars on your soul,
But the skin grows tougher on that spot.

Roads stem in all directions,
Sometimes you have to choose;
With luck you pick the winning fork,
But then, sometimes, you'll lose.

Life will build your character,
The future waits at the end of the line;
The choices you make on the road you take,
Can lead you to water or lead you to wine.

Life will give you a lot of joy,
Life will also bring you sorrow;
The road can be short, it can be long,
But the one you choose affects tomorrow.

Encouragement

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

You spoke to me, and said such things,
Made me stop and think it through;
You make me see a side of myself,
A part of me I never knew.


My life has been so wasted, it seems,
I never let my voice be heard;
Could I have made a difference,
If I had said just one word?


I never thought I was important enough,
To have anyone really care about me;
I had nothing to offer, nothing to give,
It took you to make me see.


Each soul has a place in this world,
Each one of us, unique and rare;
What I have has immense value,
Thank you for showing me it was there.


When my life hits a rut in the road,
When I ache, I'll remember your smile;
You erased the darkness in my mind,
And made me feel so worthwhile.


I'll remember each thing you said to me,
I'll do my best to pass them on;
When I see someone as lost as I,
Confused and drifting, existing alone.

Woman

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

It's said that man is often blind,
And sees no further than the skin;
He misses the best of love in his life
By not seeking the woman that lies within.

She can be as dainty as a flower,
Her mind as fleet as a doe on the run;
She's strong, yet fragile, and when she loves,
She shines with the radiance of the sun.

A woman's not afraid to give all her heart,
The delightful child in her makes it so;
She's not afraid to laugh or ashamed to cry,
She's not afraid to let her hopes show.

She's as warm as a mid summer's breeze,
And when angry, hot as a raging blaze;
She's compassionate, caring, a true friend;
You can count on her and her heart, always.

She can be as needy as a baby at times,
Yet she's still independent as a cat;
She's mysterious, yet, she's an open book,
You just have to find the page she's at.

A woman's so many wonderful things,
That it's often hard to know where to start;
You can be moved by her outer beauty,
But the truth of a woman is in her heart.

Road to Freedom

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

I gaze upon the stars, and then,
Nighttime shadows pressing in,
Memories creep of where I've been
And where I long to be again.

I see the paths I've walked upon,
Often rough and all alone.
I wonder where my life has gone
As I yearn to feel the warmth of dawn.

I could have gone the easy way,
But in my heart I could not stay.
I'm reaching for freedom, come what may.
I will start my life anew this day.

The Open Door

The Open Door

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

You stand there, hesitating, heart beating fast;
The time for second thoughts is almost past.
The door stands open, awaiting a stranger;
Have you thought of the consequences or the danger?
I see you looking down at your hand;
Are you looking at the reminder, that golden band?
Or are you counting the men you've known up til now?
There have only been four, and you wonder how
You will live with yourself if this is a mistake.
But you want to go in, your happiness is at stake.
For the promise that waits just inside the door,
Is more than you have, girl, so much more.
And it doesn't matter if it's right or wrong,
For what's been wrong's been wrong so long.
All you know is if you go through that portal,
He promises to give you a memory immortal;
So you take a deep breath and step within,
He smiles at you, and you start to live again.

White Water

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


It was calling to me, the river,
It's voice blending with the flutes;
It's song haunting, yet still sweet
I felt the pull of distant roots.

You, so dear, followed me there,
At my side we worked as one;
I lost my soul and found my heart,
Before that dangerous course was run.


And we heard the river mock us;
Heard the taunt of life and death.
The water coursed deep within our blood;
Freezing, yet pleasing, with it's cold wealth.


I could have gone there on my own,
But I'm so glad I had you by my side;
For in the humbling might of white water,
I found that love just could not hide.


I don't know where this river will take us;
But I'm content to let it show the way.
For if you are there to hold my hand,
On that rolling water I'm content to stay.

Camelot is Gone

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


I saw him standing there,
Solemn as the world that day,
Saluting a fallen uncrowned king;
As they took his father away.

I watched him as he lived his life,
Grew and tried to make a place,
And he grew into a charming prince;
He walked among us with such grace.


It seems as if we dreamed a dream,
Where the prince would someday rule;
Camelot seemed just a blink away,
Oh, just let him finish school.


But time passed and the prince was grown,
Living his life as he wanted it to be;
He chose his path and followed it,
For there are no kings in the land of the free.


My heart hurts for this family of tragedy,
And Camelot is gone, once more for a age;
Into the sea and into the mist,
History must close another page.


Yet I'll remember the boy who saluted,
Forever he's etched in my memory clear;
The charming young prince, untried, who died;
So far from land, and yet, so near.

They Touched the Face of God

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


From the dawn of human time,
Men have looked with dreams upon the sky;
Named the stars for hero's great,
Wishing to among them fly.

Ages pass as men expand,
Circle the globe with the guide of a star;
Brave men who reached for unknown lands,
Following dreams to travel far.


Each did pay a certain price,
Turning their dreams to reality;
But their hearts did know was worth the price,
And turned to the sky for more to see.


Seven heroes today, traveled their last,
In their quest to reach the heavens high;
They touched the very face of God,
And He placed their stars in the sky.


Spaceshuttle Columbia, February 1, 2003


Rick Husband, Commander
William McCool, Pilot
Michael Anderson, Payload Commander
Ilan Roman, Payload Specialist
David Brown, Mission Specialist
Laurel Clark, Mission Specialist
Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist

September 11, 2001

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


I didn't know when I woke up today
My peaceful life would be taken away.
The sun was warm and the skies blue,
The air was fresh, the day was new.

Evil lay waiting unknown to us all,
In horror we watched the towers fall;
We watched our world burn and crumble,
And hero's all buried in the rubble.

There came a crying from coast to coast,
Our friends and family, all loved ones lost.
When silence filled the American sky,
There came a resolve, terrorism must die.




The United States of America was attacked today. It wasn't just an attack on New York and Washington, but an attack on all of us. Nothing will ever be the same for us again; nothing will ever be the same for the world again. My heart aches for the families of the victims of the most horrific terroristic attack in history. I have been very sad, very afraid, and very angry. And I am most certainly not alone.

Our way of life has changed forever. How we view the world has changed forever. My child will now have to grow up with an intimate knowledge of war, fear, want, hate, and uncertainty. She will have to learn to look over her shoulder.

Yet, out of this has come something else she has never known. I can see a fierce pride in her eyes in who she is...an American. I see her compassion for others come alive, and her patriotism now has deeper meaning. She will learn how truly dear our freedom is, and why we must always fight for those freedoms. She is learning that we must stand united, and put our petty bickering aside.

I will pray for the families who have lost loved ones and friends, and I will pray for our armed forces who must now embark on a mission that will be very difficult to accomplish. But I believe in God, and I believe in the American people. We will endure, and we will succeed. I pray for peace of heart, firm resolve, and unshakeable faith. May God continue to bless the United States of America!