Qualifying questions, remedial response.
Knowledge of situations often haunt.
What we know or have been told.
We tell ourselves we just don’t know.
Answers formed by thoughts untold.
Rumour and misinformation often sold.
Conspiracy theories tend to rule the day.
Bare truth and logic will get in the way.
04/22/2024 j.g.l.
Current Thoughts
Open your mouth, let words
bypass lips. Converse consciously
to brethren or bystanders.
Reach out to
close friends gone amiss.
Be not afraid, not now, of
articulating current thoughts and
accomplishments of which
you are proud, and even your sins
(for we have all owned a few)
might seem far less tragic
from an altered point of view.
Give fresh voice
to insecurities and anxieties hidden
within your self, speak highly of
those dusty dreams
languishing on a shelf.
Past sullen moments cast a
lengthy shadow, short-term
expectations tend to dull down
long-term possibilities.
Talk freely around all you want,
or hope, or desire to be.
Each intention will resonate
with those who wholly believe.
Understanding takes effort.
© 2024 j.g. lewis
April 18th is Poem in Your Pocket Day
a day to celebrate poetry by selecting a poem,
carrying it in your pocket, and sharing with the
friends and strangers who cross your path.
Share a poem wherever the day takes you, as you
would share a smile, a gesture, or your kindness.
Sharing is caring.
April is Poetry Month
take a poem to lunch
Our paths shift, circumstance and
attitude shaping our trajectory.
The company we keep alters both
our outlook and destination.
We are where we are
mainly because of who we are
and whom we are with.
04/16/2024 j.g.l.
I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
“
“Give a man a fish
and you feed him for a day;
teach a man to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime.”
The origin of this quote is as uncertain as it is true. It has been offered as a Chinese proverb, Native wisdom, and has been attributed to several philosophers (or songwriters).
They are telling words, so it matters less where the phrase came from, and more about what it means.
We live. We learn. We all need to learn something, despite all we have taken in so far. We are students of life, as much as we are teachers. Whether we learn the lessons or share the knowledge, we benefit from either angle.
To pass on what you know, to teach what you can, is to give a gift. To receive wise words or instruction from a peer, a professor, or a stranger is to participate in a process as natural and as necessary as breathing.
We should always be learning, it allows us to grow, to see the world with new eyes. It teaches us acceptance and gives us the strength and the substance to survive another day, and to even make it last a lifetime.
We should always be teaching. Even the little things we have picked up along the path can strengthen the resolve of another human being.
By sharing we all become a little bit closer, and a lot wiser. Don’t be afraid to share, it can only build equity in the life we are trying to live.
Don’t turn down words of advice from others. They may not serve you right now, or might not be what you need to know right then, but it may well assist you in the future. It is amazing how much value there is to memory and hindsight.
When it comes to wisdom, it’s okay to eat for today, but it is even more nutritious to remain hungry for a lifetime.
j.g.l.
I’m like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.