My poem for January is an old one by Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
Optimism
Talk happiness. The world is sad enough
Without your woes. No path is wholly rough;
Look for the places that are smooth and clear,
And speak of those, to rest the weary ear
Of Earth, so hurt by one continuous strain
Of human discontent and grief and pain.
Talk faith. The world is better off without
Your uttered ignorance and morbid doubt,
If you have faith in God, or man, or self,
Say so. If not, push back upon the shelf
Of silence all your thoughts, till faith shall come;
No one will grieve because your lips are dumb.
Talk health. The dreary, never-changing tale
Of mortal maladies is worn and stale.
You cannot charm, or interest, or please
By harping on that minor chord, disease.
Say you are well, or all is well with you,
And God shall hear your words and make them true.
Oh, I do like that poem! And boy, do I ever need to read it--and reread it--right now.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I like crows, like their cawing. They make me think of late fall, though, and fallow fields in November.
I love the photo and the poem. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteElla was a wise poet....time to quit complaining or Spring may never come. I like the bleak gray and black colors of January and the bareness of the trees against the sky. It is still the time of year to be still and reflect and relax.
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