Best Taught Poems
Behind a chair
Below a desk
with my bare feet on a wall, in my flannel pajama or a wet swimming suit,
With my hands on my peanut butter and jelly toast,
marmalade, not cherry or anything else
Next to an ocean, ignoring the smell,
Lying in a hammock or in the grass, even on a sandy gritty beach towel.
Listening to children’s giggles, being dripped on
by wet swimming suits running past
I can devour a pile of books.
History, science, animal facts, jokes, limericks, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Coleridge, Poe.
When one grabs me and throttles me to pay attention I am lost….
I am no longer a mere mortal.
I am in a microscope, under a kitchen floorboard, in a tulip’s leaf,
I am a faery, a T-rex, a Stormtrooper, a police detective.
In a treehouse,
High above my neighbors, not hearing them at all,
Yet subconsciously hearing everything,
I learned to be a book worm, reading Agatha Christie first….
Written 3-08-19
Contest: The Bookworm Poetry Contest Sponsor: Kai Michael Neumann
On a stone wall, by the solitary pavement,
Annoyed and angry, with daggers drawn at everyone,
I saw my neighbor sitting dejected and depressed.
Though known him for years, of late he has changed much.
His eyes had grown so cold, and his mind, so blank.
His vision, I felt was blurred by a hazy mist.
He was seen with his gaze fixed at the horizon far,
Like a block of stone, hardly noticing anyone, he sat.
From a distance, came a barking sound,
It was from his dog that followed its master’s trail.
Seeing a rodent, behind a wild bush
The dog was barking nonstop on and on
The mangy animal was once so loved,
Now left wantonly uncared and unattended.
With incessant bark it was disturbing the calm around.
This greatly irked the man, otherwise annoyed.
Instant was his response and rash, his action.
Picking up a stone and aiming at the dog,
He hurled the stone with all his might,
And sad! It hit hard on his target.
Oppressively hurt by the whizzing stone,
The dog twitched and yelled in pain.
Licking its wound, it ran round and round,
Along the concrete path, mad and wild.
At last, slowing down and turning its direction
Towards its master, it moved fast.
Petrified, on an impulse, he jumped down,
And fearing the worst, he closed his eyes.
But wagging its tail with a pleading look
It began licking its master’s hand.
The hand so rude that clutched the stone,
And had flung at it, causing it to bleed.
It was a gesture too deep for words,
That taught the man the lesson of love:
Love others with every broken piece
Even after someone breaks one's heart.
After years, it remains the best example
Of forgiveness, I have ever seen and assimilated.
It helps me forget all bitterness towards my enemies,
Teaching me the lesson not to curse but to bless them.
I feel it was a message sent down from Heaven,
The most powerful of all sermons so far delivered.
By forgiving our enemies, one can unload the baggage,
And save our wretched lives from serious wreckage!
Spring has earned a special place in my heart:
a season so fair,
She dispels despair.
And I anxiously wait for Spring to start;
for craving her touch,
I miss Her so much.
I long for the sensual perfume She'll wear;
a blend of sweet-smelling flowers and fresh air.
She taught my heart to sing.
At this time, Spring is no more than a wish:
no reason to cheer,
She is not yet here.
But She's such a tempting, delicious dish,
I can hardly wait:
and circling the date
on my calendar: I'm counting down the days.
Whiling away the hours in a thousand ways;
She taught my heart to sing.
Winter winds are finally in full flight
as snows melt away;
Spring is sure to stay.
As sunlight stretches Day and shortens Night
ice-free rivers flow,
while Daffodils show.
Nature dabbles the landscape in tints of green:
while the air's invigorating, fresh, and clean,
and tweeting songbirds, add music to the scene.
She taught my heart to sing;
I love that about Spring.
My Dad taught me to drive stick
On warm Sunday mornings while Chicago slept
Before the church people left and returned
On a freeway still under construction
Past yellow barricades and
Caution signs
Recklessly cautious
Without benefit of power steering
And power brakes
We flew past run down homes
And new skyscrapers
We owned the road
The lesson was simple
Real drivers drive shift
They control the car
Balance clutch and gas
Life requires our attention
It demands our patience
We advance slowly and carefully
Real drivers drive shift
And so we traveled
Across a city still lazily stretching
Not quite awake
Down a freeway under construction
On side streets and in parking lots
We owned the city
Blow on a dandelion and wish
God's parachutes, my dad would say
Then fold your hands, whisper a prayer
And watch them as they float away
You can say anything to God
So talk to Him like He's your friend
God answers all our prayers, sweet girl
Because His love will never end
God cares for us, and He is wise
He knows what's right and just and true
The Lord may say the time is right
And in His grace, say yes to you
But though you may not understand
Sweet child, believe the Lord knows best
So do not be surprised sometimes
If He says no to your request
So dear, give thanks for all His gifts
Both granted and to those denied
For you never really can go wrong
If you trust Him to be your guide
Oh! God
Simply free boundary…less…lovely God…………………………………………………....
Almighty Omnipresent……. every where………..unthinkable with material sense
no definition in words of any material body of any formations…..
Just who truly devote as per His deserved standard
With the strength of strength of unselfishness and egoless feeling
Blessed a tiny light out of Him
With that light who are blessed
He loves His Diamond sons much………..
Feel Jesus…. Adi Shankaracharya, Sai Baba, Rama Krishna…..Shankardev....Madhabdev....Hazrat Mohammad…
of the Humanly World who taught love only not hate
My Pet Poems, WOODY
Not long after our heart-stealing beauty
Watson passed, Jim drove me off from
The breeder’s and I sat in the passenger seat
With a cocker, colored a light maize/vanilla,
Cupped in my palms on my lap, while we
Discussed what to name him. He was
Our peace, to be our joy after the pain.
Alert, turning his head to note our voices; and
More comforting, like nostalgic times past,
Like a loved sweater kept for Saturday’s, or
The splendid fedora my dad kept placed just so
Atop his Chinese cabinet.
We called him Woody. It fit. Happy pup,
One dog even Jim’s mom adored, as
She offered to dog-sit and bought him
A stuffed monkey that he took 5 years to
Tear up, with only the squeaking head left.
It was playing ball that Woody loved.
Not even to walking with us in the park without
Scouring all over baseball in-fields and outreaches
For any and all balls he could find, at times
Eagerly perplexed about how to
Fit two in his moth at one time, which was
Much easier with tennis balls than softballs, but
The geometry missed him, making
Him huff laughs, while he kept trying to fit them.
Cocker’s hair grows long and, then, we
Couldn’t afford a groomer, so I’d trim him myself.
Once when he was older, I nipped him.
There was blood and I wept with apologies, until,
I’ll never forget, I learned from him on that day
About forgiveness. For he seemed to say,
Licking my hand, “What’s wrong, momma?
No harm done.” He comforted me. Not I, him.
If ever, there were a case to be made
For God sending us
Some angels in the form of dogs,
Woody was one,
Bringing love, lessons, loyalty, and laughter
— as dogs will do it — dear boy. Miss you.
Play ball!
—————————————————————————————————
(c) sally Young eslinger 2021
Thanks be to God
The hardest job you will ever have is love.
It is not just a gift from above.
It takes a lot of work to get it right.
Sometimes you may fight.
But always be each other's light.
Don't get stuck on a negative thought.
This is from lessons taught.
Only thinking about the bad.
Makes you sad.
Turns your thoughts blue.
Makes the negativity come true.
If you focus on the good.
This must be understood. The happy stays stronger.
Longer.
You only have today.
Face it in a positive way.
If you face life with grace
Tomorrow will fall into place.
{verse-1}
That pretty lady you were holding tonight
She used to be mine till I taught her to cry
You know those kisses she gave you last night
She learned that from me, I’m the other guy
And do you like the way she holds you so tight
Well that was me, I wasn’t very bright
{verse-2}
I had her giving all the love she could give
She laughed, she loved, till I taught her to cry
Guess I was wrong, the way I made her live
Then she learned something else, from some other guy
I’d just like to know, who taught her to lie
‘Cause when she did, I felt I could die
{chorus}
It was all me, who taught her those things
Taught her to love, Taught her to cry
Taught her to laugh, when she said good-bye
Just can't believe I taught her to cry
{verse-3}
Then she taught me to hurt, then taught me to cry
She taught me how, to just say good-bye
I lost it all, that night of the fight
Just can't believe, I taught her to cry
It was all me who taught her so well
Just can't believe, I taught her to cry
Repeat Chorus:
Written by: George Kenneth Martin
Date: June 24, 2006
GREAT GRANDPA TAUGHT ME HOW TO GIVE
My great grandpa once taught me how to give in a simple sort of way
When a brand new dollar I received as a gift for my birthday.
As I pondered what I could do with it, my wise mother said to me,
“There’s a place I know where it ought to go: on the church’s Christmas tree.”
Well, I knew that gift was an awful lot for a fellow such as I,
And I fought the urge there to give it, for I whimpered and I cried.
“Why a gift so much? It’s all I have!” “Yes, son, give it anyway,
For I know that when you give it to God, He will somehow you repay.”
So I tucked that gift very carefully in a Christmas bulb that day
And I took it shyly to the front for the missions far away.
I was sure that money now was gone; I would not see it again,
For to give that much was a lot to me, a real sacrificial pain.
A few days passed by and a Christmas card came addressed there with my name,
And my eyes were filled with great surprise when I saw what with it came,
For inside that card from my great grandpa were two dollars, neat and new,
And I learned that day when you give to God, He will give it back to you!
So as time went by and I learned to tithe and give some more besides,
I have seen it time and time again: God rewards and He provides!
Try it out, my friend, trust in God and give, and you’ll see what I once saw
In that lesson God taught me way back then from my loving great grandpa!
Allow yourself to be taught,
And with that knowledge plant a seed.
Let it grow so you may harvest a dream.
And another and another like fruit from a tree.
And let yourself catch a wind,
And sail should there be water to float,
And with that knowledge navigate the stars.
To reach the dream sails full of hope.
And never be still should disappointment come,
A windless sky for a while might be,
When all seems lost and nothing is.
Knowledge makes waves in a calm sea.
"Road to Lovejoy - Piano for the Self Taught" (Part 2)
His name was
Flight Left-Tennant V.C.Burton,
or "Victor Charlie Bravo", when he
got pulled over by the cops, explaining
"a sherbert or two Lynette, but not on the rocks".
though he makes me spell it
off by heart
“Flight L.I.E.U.T.E.N.A.N.T”.
for spelling it right I get
Lamingtons and a hot Cuppa sugary Tea.
Royal Australian Airforce
(R.A.A.F.) - "R Double A, F"
his current stint,
“Mate! Airforce base with all the big Spitfires
and Jet Fighters, Amberley,"
then later after
"THE" "Event"
(quotation marks hushed reverent tone)...
he asks for posting up the Mountain
7 Stores Depot,
free reign of the "Mess"
where there he is the Commander's Adjutant,
his rank still Flight Left-Tennant...
I think they must be very messy there
and he cleans up all the mess.
"The Yanks say Loo-Tennant!”
he advised in his Sargent Major way -
his pride of course
were the medals
he wore from his Tour of Duty days...
First Regiment into Vietnam
Saigon based, Royal Australian Army
way back-in-the-day.
“We're HOME Nan”, he gently
carries me out of the car
up to bed
from the rented
Airforce Base home's
driveway.
It's no tin shed, it's a flaming Fibro Mansion.
“I’ll get your sisters next,
Cream Buns for Breakfast!
Tomorrow’s Sunday”.
It was Saturday night,
we’d been for a visit down
the mountain to North East
near the Ocean that day
to lay flowers on
HER grave.
“We’ll do Bribie Island another day.
I’ll read you bloody Loose Arabs 3",
this delivered so so not P.C.,
"the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,
tomorrow night. I’ve had enough
of the Nicene Creed for one day!”.
Piano for the Self Taught? Well,
that’s a story for another
day, something that can’t be
bought.
Priceless in it’s own way.
This is a story of
Love,
“Unconditional” -
the Lovejoy-Burton Way.
...to be continued.
(Lovejoy-Burton/2017 Dec)
1."RoadToLovejoy- (Piano for the Self Taught)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8dPPtMiwl4
"Road to Lovejoy - Piano for the Self Taught" (Part 1)
Liberation
of a sort
head out the car window
hair blowin’ in the breeze
I can hear the Crickets chirping
in the chilly winter freeze
I’m smiling
it’s good to be alive
until the old man shouts
“Hoi!
pull your head in a
truck’s coming!”
Right hand holding
the wheel steady
reaches over the gear stick
across me
no seatbelts back then
in the old Austin
winds up the window
a roll your own ***
hangs out the side of
his mouth
the Kimberly is a moving
gas chamber
I’m breathing it all in,
holding my paper bag
carsick from the fags
along a very long flat road
it’s seems like we’ve been driving
forever, all those Cane Toads jumping
across the “NO SPEEDING - ROOS CROSSING!” Zone,
We’re moving West not South
Erinmore roll your own
he licks then spits out.
“Count the roadposts”,
he barks out the corner of his
mouth, “that’ll be interesting”.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
there’s a Roo lying on the side
of the road in the dark,
the highbeam discloses it’s been
bleeding, intestines lying ripe
with blowflies and a Red Belly Black
by it’s side
“eating it’s gizzards”, I surmise
I swallow and cringe,
the word makes me think
of Frilly Lizards, throwing up and
I’m praying it’s gone to Roo Heaven.
8, 9, 10, 11,
before too long
I’m sleeping.
This, he’s commanded,
to keep me from barfing.
(Lovejoy-Burton/2017 Dec)
Things my father taught me
he never wrote down
was not the writing type
tough as nails he was my dad
a word of praise made you feel big as brass
one glance was quick to cut you down to size
I lied only once to him.. a shame I will take to my grave
years later a disappointment he took to his
that man struggled hard every day
worked his fingers raw to the bone
never heard him ever complain
I learned that your word
at any age is all that a man
truly has to give and that pride
can never be taken from you
it is something only a fool lets slip away
he never gave or took anything for free
hugging and such that just was not his way
but when he crawled wearily into his bed late at night
I knew the meaning of a hard days pay
and when that man’s boot's hit the floor
I knew that the dad I loved....was home
Irish
This poem to clarify some of what was brought by Prophet Muhammad pros of good morals and treatment with others. And what is the meaning of Islam and being Muslim
You ask me, why I love this prophet and follow his religion?
I say, because he taught me how to be good
in everything that is good
You ask me, what else he taught me?
I say to you :
He Taught Me
To worship "ALLAH" the true God in the right way
To respect my parents and them I must obey
To help the needy and give the poor
To be gentle, generous and loving my family
To visit the sick and to be kind to orphans
To keep people safe from my transgressions
To love for others what I love for my self
To be honest, faithful, truthful and righteous
To smile to who I know or not know
To live strong. for my lusts not to bow
To stick to good manners and seek knowledge
To greet you by saying peace be upon you
My Greatest Teacher Prophet Mohammed Peace Be Upon Him
Taught me to be a Muslim