Poems - Thoughts - Verse

[Gary Anderson]

If my days were untroubled and my heart always light
would I seek that fair land where there is no night?
If I never gerw weary with the weight of my load,
would I search for God's peace at the end of the road?
If I never knew sickness and never felt pain
would I reach for a hand to help and sustain?
I came across this the other day in a magazine. This poem was given to someone who had suffered a devastating stroke and was fighting back to health. It's not everone's cup of tea but considering where I have been it is meaningful to me.

If I walked not with sorrow and lived without loss,
would my soul seek sweet solace at the foot of the cross?
If all I desired was mine day by day,
woud I kneel before God and earnestly pray?
If God sent no "winter" to freeze me with fear
would I yearn for the warmth of "spring" every year?
I ask myself this and the answer is plain -
If my life were all pleasure and I never knew pain
I'd seek God less often and need Him much less
for God's sought more often in times of distress.
And no-one knows God or sees him as plain
As those who have met Him on the "Pathway of Pain."

[Gary Anderson]

Some folks change with every day and severy passing wind;
You never know when you are down, if they'll still be your friend.
When life is great and skies are blue, many friends can be found
But when your dreams turn to ashes - most folks don't come around.
So when there seemed to be no-one one whome I could depend
I logged on to the forums, and you were, there, a priceless cyber friend!

[Gary Anderson]

I have just come from seeing a patient who asked me this question and when I hesitated, she gave me this poem:-

Each one of us is special, no matter who we are
We may not stand out in a crowd or be a famous star.
We may be young, we may be old, we may be rich or poor
But we all have our niche in life, of that you may be sure.
Some are clever with their hands, creating works of art
Others make sweet music, which flows freely from the heart.
Perhaps some feel their usefulness, has hit the old brick wall
But the quality to listen, is the greatest gift of all.

I thought that said it all. How many times are we all guilty of not really listening or selectively listening?

[Jilly]

beg your pardon??? (sorry just me being silly Jilly!! )

Seriously now, that is very true and I find myself guilty of not listening properly sometimes. I think everyone does. You tend to get busy or get caught up in your own thoughts or problems and forget that others may need an open ear too.
what I hate is people who interrupt you half way through speaking, saying 'yes - youve told me before'.... in other words what you are trying to say is not important enough to hear you out.

[Jilly]

 

[Jilly]

It makes sense to me.

[mttb14]

Both of those poems were full of meaning for me too.

I could never write poetry, and I don't enjoy reading long winded, deep poems, but short poems such as those really do pull at the heart strings. 

I grew up with a father who was injured in an accident in work when I was 6 and he was always in agony and now John is too, so maybe they are just easy for me to relate to.

They were even more meaningful to me today, as I had a phone call from my brother last night to tell us that his brother-in-law, died in his sleep, aged 42 of natural causes, he leaves a wife and two children, and it was a hell of a shock, John's 42 next week and I've just turned 40.  It really makes your mind think of what is important and what is not.

Keep posting these poems as I love reading them.

Maria

[mttb14]

That is so nice, but oh so true.

[mttb14]

Jilly,

That is so true, my friend Julie does that to her husband all of the time.  He starts telling us something and immediately she says "oh, no not that again, I've heard it a thousand times".  I've tried telling her to stop it, but she just carries on, actually it is her that looks stuppid, her husband just carries on regardless. 

I think her problem is that I have known him years longer than she has, he knew my ex and I knew his ex, and me and him remained close friends (never been any sexual interest, we are just really good friends), but I may know the people he is referring to, or the situation.  John has also known him a long time through taxi driving and car maintenance, and the three of us worked for a Coach/Taxi firm, and I think because she isn't interested in any of it, she just tries to shut him up.

John hates it when I butt into his sentences, so gradually over the past 12 years I have slowly taught myself to try not to do it, but occassionally I still do and he just gives me a glare, but we are getting there.  (It's just that he misses out the important bits)

Maria

[Gary Anderson]

I think it is better than some other friendships I could think of.

[Gary Anderson]

Thanks Maria.

I love to sit down and read anything - then sometime I see something with meaning. I shall see what else I can find.

[Jilly]

I would agree with that

[Gary Anderson]

Maria, you said earlier that you enjoyed the "Pearls of Wisdom" etc. So, how's about this one:-

Are you troubled, burdened, blue --- take my hand.
I've been troubled, burdened too ---  I understand.
Where you are falling, I once fell, Oh I know the pitfalls well,
May my help the clouds dispell --- take my hand.
Others helped hwen I was weak
Helped me face towards the peak --- helped me stand.
What they did, let me now do - pass the kindness on to you.
Someday you'll help others too --- take my hand.

[mttb14]

Yes I do enjoy reading them, and I know I would stop to help a stranger or a friend, and I cannot understand those that just pass by and look the other way.

It is just not in my nature.

I must follow my dad, he always did too.

Maria

[Gary Anderson]

Yep! Me too Maria. I always remember hearing the story as a kid about the good samaritan. Mind you, sometimes my help is rebuffed but at least I have offered it.

[mttb14]

When I was in a really bad mood, many years ago, bad relationship at the time, I had just finished with the nutcase I had the misfortune of spending 2 years with, and it had been a real struggle to get my house keys  back off him.

Anyway, short version, I stopped to give a man a lift who was hitch hiking, he was dressed in RAF gear and he looked relatively safe.  His plack read a place near where I was heading, so I thought why not.  Anyway, he asked me if I was sure about giving him a lift, I said yes, he kept asking if I was sure, and I told him either get in and have the lift or wait in the rain in the hope someone else stopped.  I then told him, the mood I was in, he was probably in more risk of danger than I was.

He accepted the lift and I then dropped him off, and went on my way.  John who I had started going out with, was less than amused, but my motto is, if your times up, then thats it, no point worrying all of the time. I always stop if someone needs help, I've towed people, I've offered help and I've pushed cars, and to a degree I can even mend some car faults, at least I try.

My dad was always helping people, and when he died he was repaid by all the people who turned up to say a final goodbye, and the money collected for his favourite charity was quite a large sum and he also had loads of flowers.  He is still widely talked about, and all because he was generous with his time, and on occasion, stupidly with his money, but that was him.

An Irish man with a family broke down at 3 am on a freezing night in a near by petrol station, due to his injuries from an accident, he was always in constant pain, and if he could not sleep he used to go and keep the petrol station attendant company, anyway, this man was heading for Fishguard, he had 3 young children, a wife and himself, all in this freezing car, which just wouldn't start.  He towed them to his garage, he showed the man how to repair the car, he couldn't always do, but he had been a fantastic mechanic prior to his accident, and he woke my mum up, he had her cooking the whole family a warm meal, let the kids sleep on the settee with a blanket over them, and then waved them off once they were all sorted.  Most people thought he was mad, but I though he was admirable.  Pity more people don't act that way any more.

Maria

[Jilly]

I agree - it is a pity. Most people wont even stop to help with a flat tyre anymore here.

[Gary Anderson]

When I needed a neighbour were you there?

[Jilly]

Maria..Im sorry to hear about your brothers brother in law. Thats very young. And yes very scarey.
My ex husband had his first heart attack at age 43 and a triple bypass at 48 after repeated heart trouble. He also had a stroke while they were doing the bypass. We split up shortly after his first heart attack and although we are not close I made sure the girls were there for him while he was so ill. He has since let both of them down badly and neither of them have anything to do with him anymore. sad.

[Jilly]

Lol! a distant one maybe!!

[Gary Anderson]

Don't you remember the hands across the sea.

[Jilly]

Of course... how could I forget?

[Gary Anderson]

See! Who needs EU or UN when you have us two. Maybe we should go out to Iraq and Lebanon and sort the all out. 

[Jilly]

We would sort them all out alright!!! We could teach those tea-towel heads a thing or two! ( oops ...sorry...shouldnt call people names - nasty!!)

[Gary Anderson]

I liked what was said in a previous post have you ever seen a Welsh Chapel in India!

Why do we continually cow tow and be politically correct to these folk.

The 8 folk arrested with terrorism in London - I hope they throw away the key.