The Final Say: On Charity and Forgiveness

CHARITY

Author Unknown

There is so much good in the worst of us,

And so much bad in the best of us,

That it ill behooves any of us

To find fault with the rest of us.

A quotation from Martin Luther King, Jr., on forgiveness:

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

To read about Martin Luther King, Jr., click here.

"Cinquain on Life's Bridges": A Found Poem

Oprah Winfrey was quoted in the New York Post as saying, "One of the hardest things in life to learn are which bridges to cross and which bridges to burn." Here is a found poem of mine in which I slightly altered that quotation from Oprah.


CINQUAIN ON LIFE'S BRIDGES
by Monty Gilmer

(A found poem: a slightly altered quotation
from Oprah Winfrey}

One of
the hardest things
in life to learn is which
bridges to cross and which bridges
to burn.

Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908),

who wrote, "Whatever your occupation may be

and however crowded your hours with affairs,

do not fail to secure at least a few minutes every day

for refreshment of your inner life with

a bit of poetry."

"The Final Say: Kinder, Gentler"

THE FINAL SAY: KINDER, GENTLER

by Monty Gilmer

If each man or woman could understand that every other human life is as full of sorrows, or joys, or base temptations, of heartaches and of remorse as his own . . . how much kinder, how much gentler he would be.

     WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE

I want a kinder, gentler nation.

     GEORGE BUSH

January Haiku: Found Poems from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau

January Haiku by Zphx on Twitter:
Found Poems from the Journals
of Henry David Thoreau

January 1, 2019, tweet: Three haiku

January 4, 2019, tweet: Three haiku

January 7, 2019, tweet: Perfect winter day.

January 9, 2019, tweet: Cold, but clear and bright.

January 17, 2019, tweet: The unclouded mind,

January 18, 2019, tweet: "Our very shadows

January 21, 2019, tweet: Against a dark roof

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

A Bit of Poetry by George Cooper on Hope

Brave your storm with firm endeavor,
   Let your vain repinings go!
Hopeful hearts will find forever
   Roses underneath the snow!
      --from "Roses Underneath the Snow"
        by George Cooper (1838-1927)

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
      --The Bible: Romans 5:5 (New International Version)

Old Rose Dr. Van Fleet Climber

(Vasenka Photography)

"Sounds of the Winter" by Walt Whitman

SOUNDS OF THE WINTER
from Leaves of Grass (1892)
by Walt Whitman

Sounds of the winter too,
Sunshine upon the mountains -- many a distant strain
From cheery railroad train -- from nearer field, barn, house,
The whispering air -- even the mute crops, garner'd apples, corn,
Children's and women's tones -- rhythm of many a farmer and of flail,
An old man's garrulous lips among the rest, Think not we give out yet,
Forth from these snowy hairs we keep up yet the lilt.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892)