Gratitude is without attitude
No matter the altitude your life persists
No matter the will your soul must lift
The struggles come with bliss
Don’t you see young miss?
Be grateful for the air you breathe
And all the opportunities thus missed
For life would take you down a course of flames and grit
A journey of ease is a journey of a wimp
For I am a warrior and will always persist
The game of life comes with twists
Some of those will make you lose your wit
For I am keen on knowing the end
But what is the fun in future pretense?
Shed your worries like it is skin
And you shall see it’s all in your head
I am grateful for the life I’ve lived
For it has made me whole and intense
I wouldn’t be the me I am today
The me I love and the me that prays
Thank you Source for all the lessons
And in return I give you reverence
Syd!!! This is sooo good. It is well-written and it is very wise. I love this part:
“Be grateful for the air you breathe
And all the opportunities thus missed
For life would take you down a course of flames and grit
A journey of ease is a journey of a wimp
For I am a warrior and will always persist”
Ricardo, your poem was creative by including multiple-choice answers. It gave the reader a chance to make a choice, which I appreciate. Thank you for sharing your work.
Yes. I completely understand. I thrive nonverbally through performing poetry, but it is very challenging for me to write it. I tell people…God gives me the words. I share the message.
I have extreme difficulty expressing my emotions verbally, but poetry frees me in a way nothing else can. I haven’t done a live read yet, but it’s something I am looking forward to (when I muster up the courage 🙂
As I look back into my past actions, I realize that there were things that I should have changed. It’s interesting how so many authors, politicians, philosophers have written about ‘the past’ in relation to our present selves, but we continue to belabor the point. McCarthy states in All the Pretty Horses, that “Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.” Without this reminder, we won’t learn the lessons that the past has taught us, but rather repeat them mindlessly as if we don’t know any better. As I recall my worst mistake, I realize today, that it could have been circumvented by simply communicating clearly. However, if you’re like me, and the problem is within the family, you omit speaking in order to be respectful and not hurt the feelings of those you love.
I’ve also learned, that when you speak your mind and express yourself concisely, you get the result you need: understanding. Without talking, how can others know how you’re feeling, or even how you’re affected by a particular event? Added to that, by discussing the problem, calmly, you get to see the different perspectives that each individual is coming from, rather than assuming you already know. I’ve learned that assuming someone’s motives for an action may be wrong, and that is what leads to greater misunderstandings and conflict.
I think that Katherine Anne Porter says it best, as she expresses it best in saying: “The past is never where you think you left it.” By that she means that with the information, maturity you had at the time, you can grasp a part of the events that occurred. However, in retrospect, having changed, become wiser through various experiences, makes your perspective of the event change with time. Here I don’t mean the actions that took place, but rather the reactions and assumptions that you had made.
I’ll sum up with my poetic version of this:
Communication is a tool
You use to oppress the pool
Of depression, that spawns from regret
Over actions taken in past event.
Couch your speech,
Make it into a delicate flower to preach
Behaviors that promote, compassion,
Understanding, love, and devotion.
Communication is very very important in all aspects. Especially when it comes to self respect. To communicate your feelings is the first step to having a respectful relationship with yourself. Thank you for sharing