Poetry Wednesday – Young at Heart by Donald G. Harmande

Young at Heart

My heart is young

Bones are not

But glad I can use

What I’ve got.

Get up in the morning

Singing a song,

Finish ablutions

Then move along.

Smile on someone

Who needs it so,

Don’t we all?

Never let go.

Good intentions

Should be fulfilled,

If we don’t,

We’ll never be thrilled.

Carry on through it all,

Seek the truth

Stand strong and tall.

Sighing in relief

When all is completed,

We know this attitude

Will not be defeated.

If we just do our best

Everything else

Will continue to bless.

Poetry Wednesday – In Retrospect

In Retrospect

As we glide through the years existing through the tears
we falter a bit.
We might dwell on the past, good and bad, happy and sad,
not remembering all of it.
Better to live in the present for it’s all we have today,
learn what it is worth, hoping tomorrow’s knowledge
will help pave the way.

Poetry Wednesday – Early February by Donald G. Harmande

Early February

T’was February, typical, overcast cold sky

As I trudged to my  work grumbling with a sigh.

Waiting for good may be the bane of man

But with patience, better will come – it can!

Then I sought in my memory

And recalled to find,

“If Winter comes

Can Spring be far behind?

My eye glanced a spot

In my early garden;

A new green shoot

Was shouting its pardon.

Poetry Wednesday – Changes by Donald G. Harmande

Changes

As Winter holidays end

and days grow longer,

it appears hope is more evident

and stronger.

Or is it a period that educates

minds to realize that change

must have its say?

Nothing remains the same

and the natural order of life

perpetually has its own day.

Poetry Wednesday – Something Old, Something New

Something Old, Something New

Something old, something new;
Life’s lessons have taught
Nothing changes that’s tried and true.
Toil and discomfort may bring
To light what’s been wrought and
Doing things the hard way
May produce positives with the fray.
Even if trials are few,
Insight comes from something old,
Something new.

Poetry Tuesday – When Grandma Was a Child by Donald G. Harmande

(Today is the last day of Poetry Tuesday. Not to worry however, next week, Poetry Wednesday will be our new day for work from Donald G. Harmande. Stay tuned for some other blog changes and thank you for being part of our blogging community!)

1884

A TRUE HAPPENING

WHEN GRANDMA WAS A CHILD

A shining light arose from a house

one certain eve,

a child outdoors in awe perceived.

As the darkness surrounded

the domain of the little one,

trembling, she wondered from where

this glow had come.

The child’s mother beckoned

she should be with her,

for news of great sadness

and misfortune occurred.

She sadly  announced,

“Your dear father has died,

be by my side to pray and bide.”

Candles were lit

to invoke God’s love,

a litany of prayer

lifted up above.

Tears of past memories

were bitter for daughter

who could not conceive

what destiny brought her.

Such a heavy load

for this child of seven,

who had witnessed her Father’s soul

on his way to Heaven.

Donald G. Harmande

Poetry Tuesday – Kinds of Kisses by Donald G. Harmande

Kinds of Kisses

Kisses for family, kisses for friends,

what do they really mean?

Are they just tokens to say,

“see my affection is seen?”

Or do they portray expressions by rote

with no real thought

worthy of note?

Kisses that come from the heart

with genuine warmth and love

are ones that give joy from the start.

So think next time you part with a kiss

and ask if it’s real

and if it is a picture of how

truly you feel.  

Poetry Tuesday – In My Time by Donald G. Harmande

(Due to an error on my part, this poem comes late! My apologies to Don and our readers!)

In My Time

When an elder entered a room

children stood up and when company came

they were told to observe with mouth shut.

When teacher said be quiet and learn

we did as was expected of us

without concern.

We honored the teacher who

was smarter than us and to whom we gave

all our attention and trust.

We never questioned authority

for we accepted what was to be

knowing rewards would come

and increase steadily.

We were aware of

bad seeds giving trouble

but the good ones rendered

faith and hope out of the rubble.

Oftentimes life is not fair but

the Golden Rule will always be there.

Observe it we must, it will pay in the end

as love conquers all

and peace will it send.

Poetry Tuesday – The Beach, A Short Story by Donald G. Harmande

The Beach

The month was May but the air was chilly and the moisture was penetrating as I strolled the beach to a spot where I had longed to be for a very long time.  Months? Years? Did it matter how long?  I couldn’t recall and didn’t care to remember.  I hadn’t had the experience of feeling so small next to the vast sea in so long a time.  I became overwhelmed.  At the same time the exhilaration I felt encompassed me as I slowly removed my shoes and smoothed the soothing sand between my toes.  I then knew that my dream had come true and I was once again in the place my heart had left behind such a long time ago.  Yes, when I was child I had moved with my family to different locations.  But then as I grew older I made all the decisions in my life and relocated far away.  It was my choice, my inclination and preference and I was happy with it.

As the gusts brushed my cheeks and flattened my hair, I not only knew that I was free but that I was the master of my fate.  My future was meant to be by my input and the results would have been determined by my plans and actions.  And wandering on the tip of the breaking waves, I collected only the shells that were perfect in dimension with no uneven edges or cracks and placed them in my jacket pocket.  They rattled loudly and I wondered if they would break but then I recalled how strong shells could be, having collected so many of them in the past and how they continued to remain intact.  I treasured each and every one of them.  I felt strong like the shells, powerful and invincible.  The driftwood was evident and I speculated if some were perhaps the same I had passed when a child.  This thought enticed my imagaination and remembrance of an old movie where wood was depicted aging by the sea.  It was the same piece of wood but only withered and warped with time.  Are we the same as the wood, shrunken but full of enriching experiences and giving us an impenetrable shell?  In a strong sense I felt connected to all natural things of the earth.  I knew I had grown to a person of my own, and through good and bad encounters had developed with open-mindeness, looking forward to an adventurous future.  The destiny of each one of us I begain to realize, was not so much where one is at present but where one is going based on the dreams and blueprints now, at this very moment.  Any outside forces really do not matter as long as our focus and attention strive for peace and contentment, no matter the conditions or place.

As I turned my head to the far end of the beach my hair swept into my eyes momentarily blinding me.  I was not concerned for in spite of the wind and the mist and the chill, I had come back to where I used to exist and would be ready to leave it whenever I wished.  I knew the beach would be there waiting for me, greeting me and expecting me whenever I returned.  For in the final summary, home is wherever I wanted it to be.

On the way back from the water’s edge, I turned once more to witness the moon peeking out from the horizon which was clearing at the final moments of the day.  My blessing was complete.

Donald G. Harmande

Poetry Tuesday – His Call To Duty by Donald G. Harmande

His Call to Duty

He thinks of others first not self

And in so doing shares great wealth.

He feels things in life greatly matter

And supports dreams before they shatter.

He holds on in still of night

When sometimes demons gives one fright.

Nevertheless he knows how to soothe

Uplifting others and their mood.

When down and out it seems to be

With his smile he melts adversity.

Who is this one who beats a path

And stoically crushes enduring wrath?

He’s the one to seek as a friend

Whose love at all times never ends.