Precious gifts, society's treasures,
Gifted from above, joy's warm glow.
Aged hearts find solace, homes filled with glee,
Yet harm them, and harm yourself, a truth to see.
Forgiving and gentle, they shine radiant,
In a twinkling, conflicts fade in a moment.
Jesus' wisdom resounds: learn from their paths,
Tend them with care, and blessings will bloom.
Guardians of innocence, counselors of heart,
Parents, guide them right, and never depart.
Time and love, not wealth, are their greatest need,
For happy parents nurture happy seeds.
A happy home, a happy society's birth,
A happier world, where love finds its mirth.
Tend the young, and shape the future's mold,
For in their joy, our own is reclaimed.
Licensed to practice the
law, counselors charge for
legal advice and to
litigate a dispute.
Lawyers plead cases and
launch apt defenses as
learned professionals.
the head of the counselors resigned the second day of school.
We are congregating for our first meeting without a leader.
They give us a room without chairs or tables.
We were instructed to bring laptops and manuals.
I brought a notebook and a pen, knowing I will write poetry.
We are counselors, we are flexible someone says as they line us up.
No worries. No problems.
I sit down and begin to write.
Someone says “don’t get comfortable, we are moving tables.”
She is new, feels like she is in charge.
I get up and find a corner chair.
The room is coming together slowly.
Gospel music is played.
Goody.
I have been in this district seventeen years.
This is a redundant yearly seminar, but mandated.
The first thing the head says is
“Don’t worry about bringing laptops or manuals.”
She is the one who had emailed us all to bring them.
I grin.
Because I had figured out that already.
Same oh same oh.
At camp, we braided lanyards
And spent hours in the pool.
We both dressed and acted differently
From when we were in school.
We played kickball, softball, newcomb
And rehearsed the yearly play,
Plus did arts & crafts and puzzles,
Mostly on a rainy day.
Once or twice throughout the summer
We would take a trip to town
For a movie or for bowling
Or to scarf some ice cream down.
It was low-key, sweet and simple
With no shooting for the moon,
Just a bunch of kids and counselors
‘Til the early afternoon.
What a far cry from what’s offered
Nowadays, but guaranteed
All those fancy bells and whistles
Are much more than campers need.
There are so many paces talking to the stones
The greatest counselors are the ones made of bones
The flowers in this garden couldn't possibly be any fresher
Here in lies, the answers given without undue pressure
Various degrees of experience given by souls of all ages
Their final class pictures were found in obituary pages
A final remembrance of all a somber one
Beloved father, mother, sister, or son
Without uttering a word, nature preaches.
A google search may hold all the answers except for 'self'.
The watercourse way reveals the solution one seeks.
A cloudless sky, a blank canvas.
Over four million results for 'self' but none about self.
In the direction of purpose, the river flows.
The best teachers of life's cycle are sunrises and sunsets.
The moon's phases hold more responses than Google itself.
Each sunrise carries more hope than a thousand quotes.
Trees heal without charging fees.
Maps directs on every journey except on the path to finding oneself.
Nature's constituents are the best counselors for feeble souls.
Where better to learn the beauty of patience than from the enduring oaks.
Voice often knows how to assist except with emotional health.
The wind blows and alleviates the weight of doubts and worries.
Each sunrise is a second chance,
On a hunt for the input that gives an output for self,
A new chapter is cued by each moon phase,
To get to the ocean, follow as the river flows.
i could talk more
you could express less
i could contribute more
you could give less
we are at our best in the center of our love
here is where we compromise the best
our friends have all aged quickly due to personal breakups
here we are still together by learning from their mistakes
we work everyday to make our longevity better than the day before
we must be doing something right because here we are in each others arms still
now we are the counselors and advisers sipping coffee, making faces,
and saying 'DAMN!' both aloud and to ourselves
our Full Circle has come a long way from hemisphere constipation
and to think, we loathed each other when we first met
then again, THAT was the Beginning Glue that held us together
all we did was Upgrade The Brand throughout the years,
and i will happily Upgrade To Heaven with you as you will the same with me.....
He said Excuse me Mrs. Kay, I cannot sign this pledge.
It is Red Ribbon Week at School.
Counselors all over the world are speaking of the dangers of alcohol
and other drugs, especially if you use them too liberally.
The pledge is to not use drugs or alcohol when you grow up.
I ask him why.
We lock eyes.
"Because I plan to have one beer a year when I grow up."
I am proud of this first grader.
Thinking ahead like this.
Amazing.
O Lord show yourself bountifully to me
work in my heart to obey your word
show your inspired truth to my soul
among all those in your chosen herd
Touch my eyes that they are opened
to your revelation of thy word so true
then to see mighty wondrous things
conveyed by the holy spirit so to do
Alone on the earth but need thy truth
may they be open to my seeking eyes
consumed and longing always for you
to know your wisdom with heart cries
Think upon all that wander afar
from your instruction so you must rebuke
in godly judgment remove all scorn
that I am meditating in your book
May I be observant of your statutes
while my enemies cast their evil plot
for I would delight in your scriptures
my counselors, they are whatever my lot
(This is my " Psalm 119 project" which I began to write a couple of years ago, so this is the third poem of twenty-two poems I've written over that time to cover all of Psalm 119, it'll probably take me a few weeks to put them all on my PS list.)
Troubled souls come seeking my learned advice
Pour out their hearts accompanied by bitter tear,
And share the anguish of their burdened soul
Hoping this lowly counselor’s words will suffice,
To bring some comfort, some freedom from fear
Help them cope with reality and gain some control.
The counselor listens intently and empathizes, too,
Tries to restore confidence, mend the broken whole
Even what is unspoken, the best of counselors hear,
Knowingly suggesting courses to see suffers through
Known for ability to console.
written June 17, 2021
You Cannot Call Yourself a Counselor Until
We were told we could not call ourselves counselors
Until we graduated and had our licenses in hand.
We were threatened, so we abided by this sacred rule.
I called a plumber yesterday. He said “I am your plumbing counselor”
I then saw a car counselor on TV. I flipped the channel.
Found cake decorator counselors, and pest control counselors.
You can barely imagine how irritated this makes me.
It is right up there with news stations publishing misinformation.
It feels like cheating, did they have to take four years of school for it?
More later. My pizza counselor has arrived.
A job that some Mother's do not get credit for
It is a job within a job
Juggling all tasks, various assignments
Teachers, Mom, Counselors, a Cook, and much more
For special reasons, throughout the seasons
Smothered with challenges
Daily duties to manage
Overall worth the while
Coming out with a great BIG smile.
Appreciate Mother's
The least one can do
After all
She cares for you.
A daily schedule
Working through it all
Relaxation, for a while
Re-energized, re-booted
A pile of duties, renewed
Cleaning the home
Working outside, attending classes
A little time to be alone
Mom's room
As one might say
After all assignments
A new start for the next day.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOM'S.
CAREGIVERS, GRANDMOTHERS, & OTHERS THAT ARE SPECIAL TOO.
It was my first summer job
I didn’t feel quite ready
but I tossed all hesitation aside
it was time to stretch my wings
I felt lucky and tried to measure up
as summer camp counselor
on this beautiful woodsy island
where nature abounded
I was a full week into it
things were running smooth
I was starting to fit in as best I could
until it happened late one night
In the deepest darkness I met my nemesis
a teenie weenie itsy bitsy mouse
I let out a scream to wake the dead
that echoed clear across the lake
Coincidentally soon afterwards it was decided
they didn’t need quite as many counselors
I’ll always remember them polite as could be
as I was being thanked for my services
Read on air by invitation ~ May 19, 2021 'WORDS & MUSIC'
AP: Honorable Mention 2021
Posted on April 15, 2021
Dear graduate, this is a happy day.
Your schooling’s done. I hope your folks are proud.
Toss those caps to the sky. You’re on your way.
Shout Hallelujah now, and shout it loud.
But when the fanfare’s over, take some time
to contemplate what next you want to do.
Life is not easy; it’s an upward climb
for most of us, but I have faith in you.
Take some time to pray if you want to know
what’s next for you. Seek guidance if you can
from counselors, but right now, you’re aglow!
Bask in success, young woman or young man.
When celebration time is done, you’ll start
life’s journey as you work toward each goal.
Be diligent and show the world your heart.
Trust in yourself; you are a worthy soul.
April 6, 2021
for BJ Legros Kelley's A Graduation Blessing Poetry Contest
We guidance counselors got to tour an engineering firm.
They were all set up for us, and made it lively and fun!
I had no idea until that day I had missed my calling.
The competition was on. We were given twenty minutes
And the exact same building materials – paper and tape.
Goal: Each team would try to build the strongest bridge.
At the end of the time pennies were dropped on them.
The engineers counted each penny as it was placed.
Eleven. Bam. Crushed.
Eighteen Bam. Crushed.
Twenty-three. Bam. Crushed.
They left ours until last.
I had no idea why.
We were the four oldest women there, forty years older than the others.
The reigning champion bridge had lasted through 114 pennies.
They came to our bridge, and stopped counting at 312 pennies.
We old ladies were gloating and high-fiving each other,
feeling like real engineers.
Best fun I have had in a long time!
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