A poet’s mind is forever
Flowing with emotion.
The words we put on paper
Are filled with much devotion.

Our hearts and soul
Are put within,
Wondering just how
The words will begin.

Pen to paper,
From God is a gift,
To express His words;
Let our minds go adrift.

We deliver a message
For others to read.
One line at a time
And again we proceed.

Sometimes we awake
In the middle of night,
Jump out of bed,
To begin our plight.

We see so much beauty
That others might miss,
As we look all around
To all that exists.

Before the ink dries
God speaks once again
As the poem grows
From the words it contains.

As sure as we feel
The ink about to dry
We know in our hearts
Our words will not die. 

~Author~
©Ruth Ann Mahaffey

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ANGEL NEAL





These are two beautiful and loving gifts to Angel Neal from my dear friend, Carol, mom to Angel Michael.



 

This is one of Neal's poems. I had it printed on the back of his funeral program.
It is quite amazing he wrote this right before his death.

   
Our Neal

Besides being a wonderful son and brother Neal was an exceptional student and friend. He was a great help to his mother and never complained about babysitting his little brother. Neal would have been a senior at Murray High School, where he had been a Sophomore Officer and had just been elected to be Student Body Officer for his senior year. He was a member of the National Honor Society, a member of the Acapella Choir, a member of the Renaissance Club, a member of the Academic Decathlon Team, and a member of the Thespian Troup. He was active in the school musical and plays and was looking forward to being next year's student director. He won many awards and certificates over the years. He was a prince at his Junior Prom. Neal was extremely artistic and loved to draw and write poetry and stories. He had a poem published in the 2000 edition of "A Celebration of Young Poets."

Below you can read a paper that Neal wrote for school...

My Unsung Hero

An unsung hero is someone who does great things for others and receives little or no recognition. Heroic or not, these actions are great. For this title,
I'd have to give it to my mom. My mom is caring, helpful, intelligent and funny and for all these reasons, she is an unsung hero.

Caring is an aspect of my mom because she always listens to me when I have something to say, even when it's just mindless dribble. When I have some problem, she always listens the whole was through and will help me through the problem. When I had a problem with bullies in elementary, she'd always help me
deal with them through the administration. It's great to have such a caring mother.

Along with the caring deal, she is very helpful. Every time I have some major homework to do, she will help me out, either in answering tough questions
or finding small amounts of information. She has helped my out more times than I can remember, even when she has had some major things to deal with, too.
I remember this one time when I needed a big report and poster due on the ironclad ships of the Civil War. Though I was worrying about it,
I didn't know where to begin, my mom cared enough about me
to do some searching on the internet and found some great websites for me. Without those sites and her help, my report
would have been B.S. and a poor grade for me.

Every time I've gone to do something, my mom has supported me through it. How many times have I done something without my mom's support?
Never. Not once. When I ran for Sophomore Office, tried out for the musical or Thespians, or anything else, she supported what I did. And it's not just me.
She helps out numerous friends of hers, like when her friend was debating whether or not to get another dog, or when someone was considering divorce,
my mom assisted them and supported them through their decision.

Her intelligence is always a great thing. I have this theory: If I don't know it she does. And I have yet to disprove that, (and remember it the next day.)
Back to helping me I go to her if I need help with homework. Even though it has been awhile since she covered this stuff in school, she remembers and helps me.
Earlier this week, for example, I was having problems with my Honors Chemistry homework and the mole. Yet my mom knew a lot of it and told me
how to work it out. Now I've got the mole down pat.

And the greatest of my unsung hero's qualities is her humor. She always looks at life with a bit of humor. Without the usual joke about the neighbors, or her work or whatever not a single one of the previous qualities would be worth crap. Without laughter life is dull and life is never dull around my mom. A little while ago,
after a break up with one guy, she only would cry. But once she got into her usual attitude of life, we don't even remember him most of the time.
And I'm glad I got this trait of hers.

An unsung hero is one to be looked up to, one that does great things and one who brightens the world we live in. And I am glad my mom has the title.
With her traits of care, help, support, intelligence and humor in her persona it is well earned.



Neal's First Formal Dance.

Neal was very popular but not stuck up and he had friends from all the "clicks", jocks, geeks, popular kids, etc etc. He was only a few days away from his 17th birthday, when his life sadly was ended due to AEA, more commonly known as "the choking game." We had over 300 students at his funeral. All his teachers both current and past came, as well as the school administration. One of his teachers delivered his eulogy.
Our Neal is terribly missed.
   
Here's another poem I love. Neal didn't write it, but I saw it the first time on a necklace that I bought right after Neal died. The necklace only had the first stanza, but the rest of the poem sounds like it is talking to me.
I'm sure I've read it somewhere before but I can't remember where.

If Tears Could Build a Stairway

If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane.
I would walk right up to Heaven
and bring you back again.

No farwell words were spoken.
No time to say "Goodbye".
You were gone before I knew it
and only God knows why.

My heart still aches with sadness
and secret tears still flow.
What it meant to love you-
No one can ever know.
But now I know you want me to mourn for you no more:
To remember all the happy times,
life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten.
I pledge to you today-
A hollowed place within my heart
is where you'll always stay.

Neal ready to go to his Junior Prom.


Neal with Drew at the Zoo. Neal loved his brother! It's important to Drew that he sees this and remembers!!

Neal with Drew at Disneyland.




 
Neal at 2 years old, with sunglasses already, and then Neal at 3 years old.

Neal in 9th grade.

Sunglasses and Smiles
(A poem for Neal)

It's hard to know where to begin
When writing this poem for my friend
There's so many things I want to say
Standing here on this dreaded day

I want to say things to make you all smile
Even if it's just for a little while
Try to remember the good times you had
Think of them and don't be sad

I try to remember the moments we shared
I remember his smile and how much he cared
And of course the sunglasses I'd always steal
Since seventh grade they were a part of Neal

I remember dreading Biology class
But he was always there to help the time pass
Then there was drama with Ms. Gallaway
He always made it fun first thing in the day

When it came to girls he was pretty shy
But we all adored him at Murray High
You couldn't help but like the kid
And everyone at our school did

Now before this poem ends
I'd like to say one last thing to my friend
Neal, I don't know or understand why
Now was the time for us to say good-bye

But even though now we are apart
There's still a place for you in my heart
From you I learned one important thing
To always be happy, no matter what life brings

So just like you, I'll hold my head high
And try my hardest not to cry
I'll stand here today with a smile for you
'Cause wherever you are, I know you're smiling too!

WE LOVE YOU NEAL!!!!
Written by Katrina Pressey, 6/23/03
She read this poem at Neal's funeral.

Neal on his first day of Sophomore year. He's wearing his sweater for being a Sophomore Officer.




I buried Neal in his favorite clothes, and of course, his sunglasses.


There Is No Goodbye

You're the sunrise in the morning;
You're the star that shines bright in the night;
You're the gentle breeze across our face;
At the darkest times you'r our light;
You're the courage we have to stand tall;
You're the strength to keep our heads held high;
You're the power and will to carry on..
With the love you gave us there are no goodbyes;
Its been so long since you went away;
But we still feel you up from above;
During the hardest times, we know you're there;
Giving us your courage, strength and love.
You're the unspeakable sadness in our eyes;
You're the tears that stream down our cheek;
You're the constant heartache that we feel;
You're the happiness we hope to seek.
We remember all the love we had for you;
On this day we always dread;
But today we forget that horrible time and reminisce...
About the good memories of you instead.
You will always be tucked away;
Deep inside our broken hearts,
But you will never be forgotten or replaced;
Because we can never again be torn apart.
So the next time we feel that gentle breeze;
Or the tears that start to warm our eyes;
We will smile and always remember....
With the love you gave us;
There is no goodbye.
~ Author Unknown

This is a picture of Neal's headstone. The cat on it looks just like his beloved cat Tara.


Neal loved Duct Tape. It started with the Red Green Show and the movie they made about it.
He even made a wallet out of it.




This is a certificate that Neal won posthumously. He beat so many of his classmates in scores,
that he got it even though he didn't get to go to his senior year.

"Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away into the next room. I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by my old familiar name; speak to me in the easy way which you always used; put no difference
in your tone; wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow; laugh, as we always laughed at the little jokes
we enjoyed together; pray, smile, think of me, pray for me; let my name be ever the household word that it always was;
let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant; it is the same as it ever was; there is unbroken continuity. Why should I be
out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near
-- Just around the corner. All is well."

Henry Scott Holland
Canon of St Paul's, London, 1847 - 1918


I read in Neal's journal that if there was reincarnation he wanted to come back as a tiger or a wolf.
So I got a tattoo with the chinese emblems of a tiger and a wolf with his name.

Here is the picture of my tattoo for Neal. The 86 is the year he was born. The 03 is the year he died. I read in his journal that if there was re-incarnation Neal wanted to come back as a tiger or a wolf. He was a tiger according to the Chinese Horoscope years. The top symbol is the tiger (he had this symbol on a chain that he always wore) and the lower is the wolf. The "Neal" is copied from one of the last times he wrote his name "fancy". And the orange and black are the colors of Murray High School, where he went to school and that he loved so much.

A small gift for Neal's family from one grieving parent to another. God bless you.
GEOFFREY P. EDWARDS


My Dear MeLinda and ANGEL Neal

Stars are the Windows To HEAVEN
Where our ANGEL'S PEEK THROUGH
One of those Windows
Belongs to ANGEL Neal
Open your HEART MeLinda
He is there
He will give you a soft wave
Of his hand
And that gentle smile Of his
When GOD calls you HOME, MeLinda
Your ANGEL Neal
Will be waiting at those GOLDEN GATES
FOR YOU

Written By Sue-Anne Aguilera~~~Lee'sMom
MY DEEPEST LOVE MELINDA



In Loving Memory of Lee Henry Aguilera


A friend can hear a tear drop.

This webpage is created

In Loving Memory of Neal Curtis Beasleyon June 1, 2007 Last updated: May 11, 2010 © 2000 - 2010

Maria's Tribute to Christopher

In Loving Memory of Jason Isaac Linkins