Poetry

A Lowly Flower ~ Poem by Bay Sie T’Iao

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A Lowly Flower

BY BAY SIE T’IAO

T’ang Dynasty

A flowering grass I rise
From the side of a far-spread lake,
Whose waters lave and fertilize,
And all my thirsty tissues slake.
The dews of Spring with gentle power
Evolve my glossy emerald leaves;
The colours of my fragrant flower
The rime of early Autumn weaves.
And yet in trembling fear I grow,
Lest root and stem should be uptorn
By sudden storm or rushing flow,
And leave me helpless and forlorn.[106]
So here contented will I lie,
Although a plant of humble birth;
Nor try to soar to realms on high
Above the confines of the earth.
For never yet has living soul
By strength or wisdom changed his fate;
All things are under heaven’s control,
Who allocates to each his state.

The Rulers of Destiny ~ Poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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The Rulers of Destiny

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate,
Can circumvent, or hinder, or control
The firm resolve of a determined soul.
Gifts count for nothing; will alone is great;
All things give way before it soon or late.
What obstacle can stay the mighty force
Of the sea-seeking river in its course,
Or cause the ascending orb of day to wait?
Each well-born soul must win what it deserves.
Let the fool prate of luck. The fortunate
Is he whose earnest purpose never swerves,
Whose slightest action or inaction serves
The one great aim.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

A Mile With Me ~ Poem by Victor Hugo

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  O who will walk a mile with me
       Along life's merry way?
     A comrade blithe and full of glee,
     Who dares to laugh out loud and free,
     And let his frolic fancy play,
     Like a happy child, through the flowers gay
     That fill the field and fringe the way
       Where he walks a mile with me.

     And who will walk a mile with me
       Along life's weary way?
     A friend whose heart has eyes to see
     The stars shine out o'er the darkening lea,
     And the quiet rest at the end o' the day,—
     A friend who knows, and dares to say,
     The brave, sweet words that cheer the way
       Where he walks a mile with me.

     With such a comrade, such a friend,
     I fain would walk till journeys end,
     Through summer sunshine, winter rain,
     And then?—Farewell, we shall meet again!

The Pleasures of a Simple Life with Nature ~ Poem by Li-Shang-Lin

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The Pleasures of a Simple Life with Nature

By Li-Shang-Lin

On these pleasant hills residing,
Far from worldly din and strife,
Leisurely with nature living,
Here I pass a happy life.
Gently wave the bamboo copses,
Fanned by evening breezes light;
While the flowers and moon-beams mingle
In the ghostly hours of night.
Through ravines the waters gurgle,
Stemmed by scattered rock and stone;
Round the bends the footpath wanders—
By the mosses overgrown.
Here with friends and habits simple,
And a cup of generous wine,
Fingering lute and old songs singing—
For no other heaven I pine.

All Things Bright & Beautiful ~ Poem by Cecil Frances Alexander

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All Things Bright and Beautiful

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,—
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,—
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The morning, and the sunset
That lighteth up the sky,

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,—
He made them, every one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water
We gather every day,—

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who hath made all things well.

Cecil Frances Alexander.

Life’s Mirror ~ Poem by Madeline S. Bridges

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Life’s Mirror

There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Give love, and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need;
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your work and deed.

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind;
And honor will honor meet,
And the smile which is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.

Give pity and sorrow to those who mourn;
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thought outborne,
Though the sowing seemed in vain.

For life is the mirror of king and slave;
‘Tis just what we are and do;
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you.

Madeline S. Bridges.

The Hope of Loving ~ Poem by Meister Eckhart

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The Hope of Loving

What keeps us alive, what allows us to endure?

I think it is the hope of loving,
or being loved.

I heard a fable once about the sun going on a journey
to find its source, and how the moon wept
without her lover’s
warm gaze.

We weep when light does not reach our hearts. We wither
like fields if someone close
does not rain their
kindness
upon
us.

Life ~ A Poem by Victor Hugo

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Life

 Let me but live my life from year to year,
         With forward face and unreluctant soul;
         Not hurrying to, nor turning from, the goal;
     Not mourning for the things that disappear
     In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
       From what the future veils; but with a whole
       And happy heart, that pays its toll
     To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer.

     So let the way wind up the hill or down,
       O'er rough or smooth, the journey will be joy:
       Still seeking what I sought when but a boy,
     New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
     My heart will keep the courage of the quest,
     And hope the road's last turn will be the best.

Opportunity ~ Poem by Berton Braley

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With doubt and dismay you are smitten You think there’s no chance for you, son?
Why, the best books haven’t been written The best race hasn’t been run,
The best score hasn’t been made yet, The best song hasn’t been sung,
The best tune hasn’t been played yet, Cheer up, for the world is young!
No chance? Why the world is just eager For things that you ought to create
Its store of true wealth is still meagre Its needs are incessant and great,
It yearns for more power and beauty More laughter and love and romance,
More loyalty, labor and duty,
No chance—why there’s nothing but chance!
For the best verse hasn’t been rhymed yet, The best house hasn’t been planned,
The highest peak hasn’t been climbed yet, The mightiest rivers aren’t spanned,
Don’t worry and fret, faint hearted, The chances have just begun,
For the Best jobs haven’t been started, The Best work hasn’t been done.

Berton Braley.

Be The Best You Can ~ Poem by Douglas Malloch

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Be The Best You Can

If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill Be a scrub in the valley—but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill; Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.
If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass, And some highway some happier make;
If you can’t be a muskie then just be a bass— But the liveliest bass in the lake!
We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew, There’s something for all of us here.
 There’s big work to do and there’s lesser to do, And the task we must do is the near.
If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail, If you can’t be the sun be a star;
It isn’t by size that you win or you fail— Be the best of whatever you are!

Douglas Malloch.

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