Notes About The Poem
7/7/2026 for Inspirational Phrases And What They Mean To Us Poetry Contest sponsored by Natasha L Scragg
Inspirational Quotes
"You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore." ~ Christopher Columbus
"Sometimes, a cat must change his pajamas." ~ this poet
There are a few other sayings incorporated into this poem. See how many you can spot!
When I was eighteen, I ventured out alone.
Somewhere out there, my star shone.
No longer comfortable with the devil I knew,
another devil I would pursue.
It was better to act than worry and fret.
That was a decision I’d never regret.
When you are hesitant, and full of fear,
jump and the net will appear.
When I was twenty, I went back to school
instead of being a company’s mule.
I had no money to pay the tuition,
but, somehow, my dreams would reach fruition.
Like Columbus, five hundred years before,
I’d cross the ocean after losing sight of the shore,
and as my new life would begin,
I learned a snake grows by shedding his skin.
When I was sixty-three, I retired.
I said, “I quit!” before I was fired.
I had no hobbies. I had no wife.
I’d only worked; would I have an empty life?
“If you wanna be full, be empty”, said Lao Tsu
(or something like that) and I think it’s true.
These days I’m happy scribbling rhymes -
a cat must change his pajamas, sometimes.
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