Eleanor williams
WPWP Fellow 1993

Eleanor williams
WPWP Fellow 1993
About Eleanor
1993 WPWP Fellow Eleanor Humphrey Williams is the wife of Johnnie Williams III. Mother of four sons: John, Michael, Brandon and Issa, and a proud grandmother of 18 beautiful children, Eleanor is a graduate of Oliver High School in the Pittsburgh Public School System where she graduated with academic honors. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Duquesne University in Special Education. She currently holds a Duel Masters Degree, in Education and Administration from Carlow University and a Masters of Divinity with an Urban Metro Institute Certificate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She is the Founder and Pastor of On the Wall Ministries and Co-Founder of Parents Against Violence. Eleanor has been employed by the Pittsburgh Public School System for the past 30 years. She taught Learning Support and Emotional Support Students, she was an Instructional Support/Response to Interventionist and she is currently a Literacy Interventionist. Along with doing her duties for the Pittsburgh Public School System, she tutors community children. Eleanor thanks God for her many accomplishments and along with all her accomplishments one highlight that will always stand out in her heart is the Mission Trip she took to Vietnam in 2007
Escape
Trying to escape from what, to where and why
Trying to escape from ones self : anxious, nervous, lonely
Trying to escape what may be around the corner
Trying to escape the footsteps, heavy, clanking from tips missing on heels
Trying to escape the long wait after the storm is done to hear the voice of inexperience Hiding in you to hide them selves, anxious, nervous, lonely
Your Wings have been clipped but we try to keep them tied down
The span is greater than a condor ready to sweep away life from what is not real.
Leaving it stagnant with loads of fear and confusion.,
Thirsting to hear what is true only to run with it and fall. Crawl
Trying to escape from what might be waiting
Trying to escape not to hate where you are going
Trying to escape and win the battle that others think is so hard because it is hard for them
Trying to escape the reality that no one understands so they hold you down by your wings stopping you from leaving them senseless, dumb, ignorant to what isn’t real any way.
Make haste, time is running past you, it no longer seems forever but forever is right now
Wiggle away from the hold of your wings and fly into the life set for you leaving them with a feather wondering how to stop the pain in their eyes as you soar into your destiny.
* * * * * * * * * *
Happy
We are happy because we care
We are happy because every time we look up
There is something new to explore
Life is happy, you can’t figure it
There is no time to keep lingering into the night
Embrace the night, watch for the dusk
And breathe, breathe
You don’t need a huge inhale but a forceful exhale
Moving the dust from the cobwebs that have grown
In the mouth, on the eyes and over the ears
As soon as you look up the night is here waiting on you
Just travel through it and laugh at the possessions it brings
We are happy because we care
Empty with thoughts of what should be
We hold on to night’s possessions for just a moment
Even just touching some with the tips of our fingers
We stick to the purpose of the packages we open
No frown, no tear, no moan, no groan, no mourn
MOVE, MOVE quickly through the night for it is almost dawn
Where we can relax and tiptoe not to find the possessions in the night
Just with breath move them into today!
* * * * * * * * * *
Grow
Seeds are planted and suddenly they grow
Grow into what? Something all together different
I can’t recognize what I planted
It’s all covered up with what ever came out of the ground
I heard you say if you plant an apple seed you get apples
But I can’t see what I planted
It’s all covered up with what ever came out of the ground
Seeds go in and what you planted MAY come up,
But you have to scratch your fingers down the muddy dirt
And pull out the weeds from beneath rocks
It’s all covered up with what ever came out of the ground
No one listens, no one cares, and no one try to make it right
So you get down on your knees and cry out for the seed you planted but no one understands, no one hears you but the seed
So you cry and cry to water the seed to keep the dirt from hardening
It’s all covered up with whatever came out of the ground
It’s time to subsist with it
all the dirt and mud
and dirt and weeds
and dirt and rocks
and dirt and tears
Until one day you recognize your seed
From where your tears have made the dirt vanish
Just one bud glistering through your heart
Clashing with the dirt, promising to come into what you planted
Even though………
It is covered with whatever came out of the ground
Poems by Eleanor Williams
Artwork
“Escape,” $200
Artist: Kara Zupancic