Night

Sounds of the night

differ from day.

Distractions are few in number.

‘Though I’m awake, rest has its way –

Clearing my thoughts without slumber.

A SPECIAL TREAT

just before dawn –

Hearing the early birds’ chirping.

What do they say, out on my lawn?

Are they worshipping or flirting?

Copyright ©1986, Elva May Harder

Sent to me on a post card, August 9, 1986

Words!

They line up, on paper, commanding attention –

Just squiggly, wiggly, odd looking marks!

Transformed by reading, they stimulate thinking and

Thus become useful, workable tools.

Passed on to others, these very same words can be

Badly twisted or misunderstood.

So it isn’t the words but how they are taken

That destines them to be junk or jewels!

Copyright ©1986, Elva May Harder

My mother sent this to me in July, 1986.  We just rediscovered it in a box in our garage.

Recipe for Success

If, at first, you don't succeed,
take a break to sit and read.
If there's naught to read in sight,
tap your keyboard, start to write.
If there's naught to write about,
grab your coat and just go out.
Take a walk beneath the sky.
See what's there and then ask why.
Now you've got a thing to write.
But, to get a true insight,
you will find you have the need
to crack some books and start to read.
Having learned, you'll then possess
all that's needed for success.


Copyright ©2018, Paul H. Harder II
This poem is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 License.