Today is the birthday of one of my best friends, as well as my dad's birthday. (Happy Birthday to them!!) I also just learned that it is "Poem in Your Pocket" day. I don't generally have a tremendous amount of poems on the top of my head, but it just so happens that, by the recommendation of a friend, I read a new one the other day that blew me away. So, out of my blog pocket (blocket?) to you is a poem by Kahlil Gibran.
On Children
Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.
(Do you have a poem in your pocket to share? It could even be something funny, or a kid's poem!)
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Somebody Has To
ReplyDeleteSomebody has to polish the stars,
They're looking a little bit dull.
Somebody has to go polish the stars,
For the eagles and starlings and gulls
Have all be complaining they're
tarnished and worn,
They say they want new ones we cannot afford.
So please get your rags,
And your polishing jars,
Somebody has to go polish the stars.
-Shel Silverstein
Oops! Kelly shared this; not John-guess I didn't realize his account was open.
ReplyDeleteHere is a pocket sized poem that I wrote:
ReplyDeleteSO DO IT
Life is short
so
do
it
of course.
Life is long
so
don’t
do
it
wrong.
by Dory Maguire
copyright 2010
The Inspire Place
www.lulu.com/InspirePlace
Haha - Kelly! For a second, I thought, "OMG. Did my husband actually comment on something??" :)
ReplyDeleteAnd to both of you - Thanks! Love them both! :)
OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO…
ReplyDeleteBy Dr. Seuss
Congratulations! Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places, You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head, You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know…
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet
You’re too smart to do down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to do down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there in the wide open air
Out there things can happen and frequently do
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew
Just go right along, you’ll start happening too.
OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed,
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best,
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t because, sometimes you won’t,
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true
That bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch,
And your gang will fly on, you’ll be left in a lurch.
You’ll come down from the lurch with an unpleasant bump
And the chances are, then that you’ll be in a slump.
And when you’re in a slump, you’re not in for much fun
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed!
98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.
KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
Or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O-Shea,
You’re off to Great Places, Today is Your Day!
Your mountain is waiting, So…get on your way!