Tapped Out At Four - Rev 2

Stanzas One, Two, Three And Growing There was “She Played the Harp”(1), when I truly was young, “Ode to Verde Lee Allen”(2), a stop on a rung, Loving women has always been easy for me, For their beauty’s not found just in eye of beholder Even boys with weak eyes don’t need glasses to see Their humility shining each day they get older. Where humility’s lacking man struggles with fate, Overconfidence means that you don’t acclimate It’s not really a question of “born smarts” or “brawn,” More that Nature’s corrections are seen as God’s feedback, That your life is still open, you haven’t withdrawn, And in love you find warmth that sustains you through setback. And it’s not just in loving a woman you grow, Sometimes love’s greatest gift might be letting her go! Is there dream that she has you can’t see as a goal Or a burden relationship puts on your nature? Is it selfishness that you respect your own soul, Or that you can find value in her new adventure? Going Beyond Four Many men find that failure creeps past each new door, For maturity slows pretty close to age four. A man’s passion to be right, to win, may not serve! Must your bad dreams cry “Uncle” or end with a whimper? Does your stiff upper lip suggest you might lack nerve? Do you go for a smile or just settle for simper? Are you faking success when you could have been real, Maybe better to stay with how you really feel? Is it possible you’ve become tool of your press, Being right is a stress that can make a man weaker, It’s a terrible burden, the need to impress! And the “KISS”(3) principle might help you be a seeker. Brian Johnston October 23, 2016 Poet's Notes: (1) "She Played the Harp" and (2) "Ode to Verde Lee Allen" are fun poems in this collection honoring two of my grade school love interests. :-) (3) The “KISS Principle” suggests that the wise “keep it simple!”