Poetry and Wisdom

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"There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience" - unknown

 

Romantic Poetry from The Romantic.com

 

"I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it." - Voltaire

 

Roses are Red

unknown


Roses are red, violets are blue.
That's what they say, but it just isn't true!
Roses are red and apples are too,
But violets are violet...violets aren't blue!
An orange is orange, but Greenland's not green.
A pinky's not pink, so what does it mean?
To call something blue when it's not, we defile it.
But ah, what the heck...it's hard to rhyme violet!
 

Tiggers

A.A.Milne


The wonderful thing about Tiggers,
Is Tiggers are wonderful things!
Their tops are made out of rubber,
And their bottoms are made out of springs!
They're bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy,
Full of fun, fun, fun!
The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is,
I'm the only one!

Oh, the wonderful thing about Tiggers is,
Tiggers are wonderful chaps.
They're loaded with vim and vigor.
They love to leap in your lap.
They're jumpy, bumpy, clumpy, thumpy,
Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!
But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is...
III'm the only one!
 

How Sweet the Air

unknown


How sweet the air
Of sky so black as night creates.
The bitter coolness refreshes my nostrils,
Filling my lungs with the nectar of life.
My eyes glisten in the light wind,
And my heart soars.
My mind freed from the confines,
Of existence indoors.
Both ears are stung and nose is numb,
As I breathe deeply,
Quietly exultant,
Tired, but invigorated.
Hesitantly, regretfully, I return,
Though memory sustains the image long after.
 

A Tear

James C. Taylor


It starts as a memory,
or a thought from the past.
In a time gone forever.
In a dream you can't grasp.
Alive in your heart, but
contained by your soul.
Unleashed by emotion,
from your eye it will flow.
Running true down your face,
filled with a lifetime of blues.
A drop in a ocean of heartache,
caused by pain you didn't choose.
It falls in total silence,
as everyone before.
It lands next to your feelings,
as it crashes to the floor.
 

Can't

Edgar A. Guest


Can’t is a word that is foe to ambition;
An enemy ambush to shatter your will.
It’s prey forever to a man with a mission;
And bows only to courage, and patience, and skill.

So hate it with hatred that’s deep and undying,
For once it is welcomed, ’twill break any man.
And whatever the goal you are seeking, keep trying!
And answer this demon by saying, "I Can!"
 

Hugs

unknown


There's something in a simple hug
That always warms the heart;
It welcomes us back home
And makes it easier to part.

A hug's a way to share the joy
And sad times we go through,
Or just a way for friends to say
They like you 'cause you're you.

Hugs are meant for anyone
For whom we really care.
From your grandma to your neighbour -
Or a cuddly teddy bear.

A hug is an amazing thing -
It's just the perfect way
To show the love we're feeling
But can't find the words to say.

It's funny how a little hug
Makes everyone feel good;
In every place and language,
It's always understood.

And hugs don't need equipment,
Special batteries or parts -
Just open up your arms
And open up your hearts.
 

Desiderata

Max Ehrmann (1927)


Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others, even to the dull
and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble; it is a real possession
in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labours and aspirations
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
 

A Lesson in Life

unknown


One day the expert on the subject of time spoke to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used the following illustration.
As this man stood in front of the group he said, "Okay, for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him.
"Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied.
He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
A student raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
"No, you are wrong." the speaker replied, "That is not the point at all. The truth this illustration teaches us is this. If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the "big rocks" in your life?
A project that you want to accomplish?
Time with your loved ones?
Your faith, your education, your finances?
A cause?
Teaching or mentoring others?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.