Three sisters; Faith, Hope, Charity and me
were swimming naked in the moonlight
all together in a sea of tranquility
when gravity threw Hope across the water
it really shouldn't oughta
as that left Faith, Charity and I
but Faith departed can't think why
perhaps because three's a crowd
yet Charity remained unbowed
so to her I gave a tender kiss
not thinking it would be amiss
the slap she handed me it burned
seems it was all much too soon
and on that night the lesson learned
I may as well kiss the moon
I am grateful I learned this lesson early…
that travels with me everywhere….
People, instead of caring about how much I know….
would much rather like to know how much I care.
My mother had a way with green plants
They wanted to please her, and so they did.
She took cuttings and gave them to neighbors.
Millions of cuttings. Provided the town with cuttings.
We kids were gardening as soon as we could walk.
Out in the country, on grandpa’s land.
An enormous garden plowed by a tractor.
Our garden was the size of a small supermarket.
We planted our vegetables in rows
Slit the bottom of the seed packet and put it on a stake
Every second or third row was marked
So, I knew how to plant, weed, and hoe a garden
I learned how to grow my own food
After getting my own place, I realized I missed home-grown vegetables
I decided to plant my own garden.
I chose things I thought might be easy -carrots, radishes, and peas.
Corn takes too much room, and pumpkins are not early enough.
I had learned plenty from my parents; my garden was a hit.
I also had two rows of flowers.
Remembering much later....
My mother always planted two rows of flowers in her vegetable gardens.
Zinnias and Marigolds
The same two flowers I chose to plant.
What do you know about birthdays?
A cake and warm wishes?
Different gifts wrapped with cards?
Or a lonely day that proves—
That proves a year has sunk,
And marks a new beginning—
Maybe for something better,
Or just a quiet Monday morning.
After a rough weekend of fun,
And bills paid worth a month,
With friends who came just for fun—
Or just a grey and cloudy day
For a solar energy user—
No sun, no sign of it near,
Like the friends who promised to appear
And celebrate your day of birth.
So what have you learned about birthdays?
Maybe it’s just the words that are true,
But the speaker feels obliged to say them,
As if not doing so would cost them.
But for me, it’s a quiet day,
A time to reflect and plan—
For tomorrow might never come,
And with each birthday, I near my grave.
If there's something to be learned
from this hurtful situation is to think hard,
avoid judgement to stop harsh words;
even the crazy thought of changing chords
to a song that sounds beautiful
and make us feel so wonderful!
When our anger breaks out
we are no longer
kind to each other,
only two idiots in a fight!
Suspecion breaks up hearts full of smiles,
they are two stranded ships in high seas
and once they sink all hopes are lost:
we'll regret what we prized the most!
If there's something to be learned,
another reason to rust each other again:
whatever doubt we have must be erased
to make way to a better situation.
Whose love seems perfect, ours isn't;
who seeks perfection is in for a delusion,
so let's follow the road to redemption!
It's too strange to avoid every kiss,
thinking it felt sweet on red lips;
we see other kissing in shadows:
no desire is stronger than ours!
If there's something to be learned
from all the madness we've shown:
is to trust each other more and go on;
we would be happy and not a bit bored!
Life is living more than a day
This includes love, joy, fun
Mistakes, sadness and education
I also see gentle side of life
When I feel like everything
Is falling apart, I don't forget
Everyday to give thanks to God
Giving thanks to people who give me love
Giving thanks is a privilege.
Samantha was a small-town girl
Taught to never ignore or turn her back on anyone
She developed a thicker skin in the city
Where she had to learn to turn her back and ignore
It was not her norm, but necessary
For there were either more narcissists and conmen here
Or they were not as easily pointed out by an entire town
I Thought I Learned All I Could About Love
I thought I learned all I could about love—
how it bends like willow branches
and breaks like brittle glass,
how it hums in the quiet of a held breath
and vanishes in the space of a sigh.
I knew its patterns, its rising and falling,
the way it lingers in the scent of a shirt,
the ghost of a touch on the skin,
the echo of a name in an empty room.
But then you—
a story unwritten, a storm unnamed,
a language I never spoke, yet somehow understood.
Love was not a lesson learned,
but a lesson unlearned,
rewritten in the shape of your hands.
Now I know love is not a road walked once,
not a book with a final page,
but a horizon that stretches further,
always further,
each time I think I have arrived.
By
King Willie
I have learned to exist in the shadows, to slip through glances,
To be invisible in a crowd of faces, a different face for every room,
A sweet smile for strangers, a false tenderness for lovers,
A deep silence that echoes in my soul, an emptiness I keep only for myself.
I have been everything they wanted to see in me, a sculpture shaped by expectations,
But never something I could live with,
A collection of roles, a theater of others' desires, an echo without its own voice,
A soul that cannot find its place in the mirror of lies I've worn.
I wonder if I will ever find that corner of peace where I exist alone,
Where I can strip away the masks that are not mine,
To look myself in the eyes of sincerity and accept my imperfections,
To learn to live not just for others, but to be myself, to be whole.
First came one little grandchild held so tight.
Then came the second, our grip was mild
Finally, our third, and all was wild.
Hon and I hold back, until we are asked
Our grandkids experiencing freedom at last.
As a child I loved to dream,
making my days and nights grand.
Reading made my dreams come true,
far off places I wanted to see.
As the many years went by,
some dreams came true,
others lay dying.
What I learned through the years,
as an entity in the dream we conjured-
we know not we are-
both the dreamer and dreamed.
How then may we wake up,
when we are in trance,
in bondage to illusions-
we ourselves streamed.
In this trance or bondage,
we may want to awaken-
but must we?
Maybe as the dreamer,
we need to be left alone to dream.
The lessons learned when we were young
From fairy tales and nursery rhymes
Were meant to help us grow up strong
As up the hill we climb.
So, don’t forget the stories told
When we would lie down in our beds
As slowly, surely, we grow old
We keep them in our heads.
What captivates a child’s mind
To grown-ups might not seem profound.
Dismissing simple truths, I find
Will bring you tumbling down…
So, ponder this, and don’t forget
As years go by, as seasons turn.
The story isn’t over, yet,
Until the lesson’s learned…
Jitter Click
Butterfly Click
What I learned from a Professional Gamer
present tense
finger jittering
what?? in kindergarten
I was painting
butterfly
technique
no wonder I get beat
every time
grandkids, today, skip the basics
and turn professional
in no time at all
I’m pointing, stabbing
attempting to beat
the impossible
not only
must you know what to do
but
you must be nimble
and quick
one day these kids
will meet their match
I let them have fun
before they grow up
slow down
not too fast
hee hee hee
you know whose laughing
not me
…yet
Mom taught me to sew
Grandma Nora taught me to knit
My sister taught me to be cautious
And gave me freedom to throw a big fit
Dad taught me that messy is okay
And that neatness is for a cleaning freak
The trees and books taught me
Other worlds I could sit and seek
I learned how to do math from Mrs. Johnson
But promptly forgot it because I do not like math
I learned from the neighbors to keep my voice down
When I am angry and full of wrath
Cartooning is relaxing is a skill I learned from my soul self
Painting is a delight was taught to me by my granddaughter Molly
Love comes in all forms, and dogs are the best companions of all
Better than anything stuffed, toys, or a baby dolly.
I learned empathy from a spirit guide who came in my sleep
During my dreams which were extremely deep.
I learned hope from others who inspired me with their story.
In my heart Jesus told me of the dishonor in glory.
I am a mixed bag, every second learning something new.
Aware of the need to pay attention, at age seventy-two.
I never learned how to sing.
I only knew how to bark.
In the morning, while it's still dark,
the best song ever heard
is sung by a button-brained bird.
Yet, I haven't learned anything.
I never learned how to sing.
I never learned how to dance.
I stood by the door on the side,
trying my best to just to hide,
while your spirit flew with each twirl,
a joyful and graceful girl.
It's not that I hadn't the chance,
yet I never learned how to dance.
I never learned how to give.
Like a Santa Claus Christmas elf,
you worked hard, never thought of yourself -
and you gave me your samples,
providing many examples.
So how could you ever forgive
that I never learned how to give?
Tonight, it seems I will die.
and while, soon, I'll be dead,
the lesson book before me unread,
is written in beauty and grace,
in each line on your face.
Dear, was I too late to try,
tonight, as it seems I must die?
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