All About Pocket Knives

FRJ wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:48 pm In early October my Sweetheart, Susan, passed away in the arms of the Lord.
I wrote this little poem for her obituary.

A Rose has passed
A Rose has passed,
Swept up in Heavens fold,
Her kindly grace will be no more
but in our hearts to hold.
A Rose has passed
A Rose has passed,
A light of Love to close,
Forever on the arm of Him
in Heavens dear repose.

So lovely and sad at the same time.

I've written a few over the years. Not at all cheerful like Tom's great lines, mine are usually a product of grieving. Here's one I wrote when my mother-in-law passed back in 2007. She was a fine woman, mother, Nana, and not at all like you always hear how MIL can be.



I walked along a forest path, worn well by the years
I searched in vain for someone, as I tried to hold back tears
In solitude I strained my ears, hoping to hear your voice
But you were taken from us, and it wasn’t by your choice

I walked along a wave-soaked beach, in the morning air
Trying to find some footprints, that I knew would not be there
For like some fading memory, that just gets washed away
The waves erased your footprints, and did not let you stay

I walked along an old dirt road, calling out to you
Pebbles crunching underfoot as the day began anew
But like some runner in a race, failing to reach the end
The search will go on all the longer, trying to find my friend

I climbed some stony chapel steps,
and knelt at an altar to pray
I questioned why God would do this,
to take such a great woman away
But there is no answer to satisfy,
as I look to the heavens above
I guess God needed Judy beside him,
to help fill the world with love

G.T.

Both heart filled and we'll written Glenngood.

doglegg wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 1:18 pm Both heart filled and we'll written Glenngood.

I agree.

Sad, but you have a wonderful way with words Glenn.

Very cool that you & Joe let us read such touching, private words of thought. Poems have always been an outlet for my feelings. Happy or Sad.

It's a cold winter's day with snow topped rooves but the sun is shining bright outside. Sometimes I just get caught up in the beauty of things.

"Breathlessly Humbled"

Sunbeams penetrating,
In between the trees,
Fresh forest air,
A summer's breez,

Wild flowers circled,
All around,
A mushroom standing,
On the ground,

A near by stream,
Plays melodies,
A choir of Angles,
Birds and bees,

Amidst the leaves,
I stand in awe,
Taken in,
By it all,

Canyons, waves,
A mountain's glacier,
Blessed am I,
By Mother Nature!


By: © Thomas DeVore
December 11th, 2021
11:00 a.m.

THE MAN IN THE GLASS

When you get what you want in your struggle with life
And the world has made you king for the day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say

For it isn't you father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose vertict counts most in you life
Is the one looking back from the glass

Other people may think you're a straight shooting chum
And call you a wonderful guy
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please never mind the rest
Because he's with you right up to the end
you've passed your most dangerous and difficult test
If the man in the glass is you friend

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you cheated the man in the glass..

Author unknown.

TheLeaving

By the light at his father's kitchen table, He said "Dad, I can't stand this anymore,
And I'll be goin' just as soon as I am able", and his eyes could barely see the kitchen floor.

All his life he had watched his father labor, he knew the pain in his mother's weary eyes
But every year they'd be going to friends and neighbors, for a loan or a handout to get by.

Many years in this valley folks were busy, they never dreamed those mines and mills would fail
Come hard time, all their hopes had gone to misery, starin' out now across those rusty rails.

Oh Mom, it kills me to be goin', do you think that I'd want to leave my home?
But there's no work and I can't stay beholdin', to the ones here a' strugglin' for their own.

Lookin' back just to see the wood smoke risin', he turned and drove on down that dusty lane
But in his heart burned a question not surprisin', "Will I ever come down this road again?"[/b]

J.O'.

bighomer wrote: ↑Wed Dec 15, 2021 2:45 am THE MAN IN THE GLASS

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you cheated the man in the glass..

Author unknown.

Cool! I like that one bighomer! Especially the end!

Great poem J.O.! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks TPK.

Not really sure if you call something like this a poem.
I guess not, but whatever you can call it, here it is.
I tried to use only positive adjectives.
Throwing in a few pictures I took this morning.


"HISTORY"

Humongous, Historical, Heroic,
Intriguing, Impassioned, Infinite,
Surprising, Spicy, Satisfying,
Tangled, Touching, Timeless,
Omniscient, Observant, Outspoken,
Rewarding, Revealing, Revolutionary,
Yielding, Yester, Yokeless,

By: © Thomas DeVore
Jan. 8th 2022
12:15 p.m.

And what did I learn from this? It's pretty hard to come up with three positive adjectives starting with a "Y".

Good post, Tom, thanks for the glimpse into your world. I really like the snow covered tree shots. The shot of your Rocky Mountain Goat poking his head up, just to the right of the flags, is pretty cool too. How did you manage to smuggle one of those into Germany?

Waukonda wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:09 pm Good post, Tom, thanks for the glimpse into your world. I really like the snow covered tree shots. The shot of your Rocky Mountain Goat poking his head up, just to the right of the flags, is pretty cool too. How did you manage to smuggle one of those into Germany?

I had to check Wiki on the goat. LOL! After I saw what they look like, I could find him in the picture. Good eyes & imagination! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_goat

But to answer your question, I smuggle in everything that reminds me of home. Pocket knives, Pop-Tarts, Goats ect. ect.

Ike, you do indeed have a good eye. Tom, Are your neighbors friendly? I ask because of the multiple flags and I don't know the current attitude of Germans toward us.

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Sat Jan 08, 2022 3:47 pm Ike, you do indeed have a good eye. Tom, Are your neighbors friendly? I ask because of the multiple flags and I don't know the current attitude of Germans toward us.

The attitude of the Germans toward us varies with our elected presidents which most people do not realize or care about. It tends to rise positively toward us with the democrats & fall negatively against us with the republicans. Needless to say, it was never so low and negative toward us as it was with our last past president. I could go on & on but I won't go there because that would just lead to political views & derail the thread.

But getting back to your question. Most of my neighbors, except for one, are ok & we get along just fine. One might even say we get along very well. We talk, we help each other, share tools, stuff like that. We even get together once in a while for a cook out or New Year Celebration. Or we did before Corona came around.

In fact, on one picture you can see Peter (between the flags & the goat) with bright green pants, his son Philip borrowed my snow shovel just this morning and I had my salt out so I threw some salt down for them too.

"The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred."
(George Bernard Shaw)

Q,
I think “What we've got here is failure to communicate.” Cool Luke

"Sombre Rafters"

One, if by land,
And two, if by sea,
A lantern outside,
The world to see,

Hear the whispering,
Winds from the grave,
As history reminds us,
About the brave,

From behind each fence,
And farmyard wall,
Give those commies,
Ball for ball,

From the rafters, a lantern,
That breaks through the dark,
Lit from the pebbles,
In passing, a spark,

Praying for your nation,
Because freedom isn't free,
One, if by land,
And two, if by sea.

©By: Thomas DeVore
Feb. 26th, 2022
22:00 p.m.

I like it Tom.

Probably my favorite poet is Robert Service. I have enjoyed his poems, even read them at gathering just for the entertainment value.

When my grandfather was in his latter years he wanted to find a particular home of Robert Service's called My Husky Team.. I took him to Eugene Oregon where are we went through a few bookstores and found a collection of Robert Service's poems and in the back was, My Husky Team.

My grandfather was known by many if not by most of the people in southern Lane County as a orchardist, amateur archaeologist and for his sense of humor.
I wanted to read My Husky Team at my grandfather's funeral, but I know there would be a small percentage of people who would not appreciate it, and would not understand.
But had I read the poem at his funeral, I have no doubt we would have heard laughter from heaven!



MY HUSKY TEAM

I met an ancient man who mushed
With Peary to the Pole.
Said I, “In all that land so hushed
What most inspired your soul?”
He looked at me with bleary eye,
He scratched a hoary head:
“You know that Sourdoughs jest cain't lie
So here's the dope,” he said.

“That hike was like a devil's dream,
Just blizzards, gales and fogs,
But I was leadin' wi' my team
O' seven husky dogs.
Day after day I steered my sleigh,
Yet spry o' heart was I,
And every night the Northern Light
Danced ballys in the sky.

“Them dogs o' mine seemed to divine
Their mighty destiny.
They howled with joy, and like a boy
I jined them in their glee.
While like a spark from out the dark
Fame spurred us to our goal,
On, on we sped, the winnin' sled
To gain the Pole, the POLE.

“I saw it clear, I raised a cheer,
I knowed the prize was won:
The huskies too, like wind they flew-
Them critters sure could run.
The light was dim, the site was grim,
But sunshine swept my soul,
To see-each husky lift a limb
And…irrigate the Pole
By Robert Service

A great poem Dale. I laughed out loud (vigorously) at the punch line. I hear that poetry is not much appreciated today. Probably because few modern poets can relate a metaphor or a story with skill and, if called for, humor.
I recall in grade school learning Whitman's O Captain, My Captain....and in high school the New England poets. I sure hope these things are still part of the curriculum.

That's a great poem, Dale.

I have a collection of Service's poems. A wonderful book of poems to wander through.

If I may, I highly recommend Lew Sarett.

Quick Steel wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 9:38 pm I like it Tom.

Thanks Garry! Appreciate it!

As you can tell I'm sure, it's inspired by current events & Paul Revere's Ride. Been glued to the TV the past few days watching this tragedy unfold. Not really sure where this might all end. Will Europe & NATO & the USA get sucked into another world war? Who knows what could happen in the next few days & weeks? How crazy is this man? Will I need to evacuate my family? Let's hope not.

Adding: I personally find this very sad. For us, it is kind of like, if you were watching Canada being invaded. We are all in a state of shock if you will. It's unbelievable.