Poems

[jj1000]

If you have a favorite poem, or you wrote a poem and care to share then post them here!

here is my favorite poem:

If

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

by Rudyard Kipling

And here is a poem I wrote about my friends mom after she passed away (she was born with a congenital heart disease):


41!

They said she would not live past infancy

she proved them wrong

Lara crawled and cried like all other babies.

They said she would never live to five

she proved them wrong

Lara went to preschool like all other children.

They said if she lives another year it would be a miracle

she proved them right

Lara lived to be an adult.

Then they said she could never have kids

she proved them wrong

Lara gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Now they say she’s gone

we will prove them wrong

lara’s legacy will live on.

Just as Lara let no one draw a line in the sand, we too must learn from her and let no one limit our capabilities.

[Columbiadorm]

The perfect man is gentle
Never cruel or mean
He has a beautiful smile
And keeps his face so clean.

The perfect man likes children
And will raise them by your side.
He will be a good father
As well as a good husband to his bride

The perfect man loves cooking
Cleaning and vacuuming too.
He'll do anything in his power
To show his love to you.

The perfect man is sweet,
Writing poetry from your name.
He's a best friend to your mother
And kisses away your pain.

He has never made you cry
Or hurt you in any way.
Oh, "to hell with this stupid poem,"
"Cause the perfect man is gay."

[good sam]

Well done JJ1000. I enjoyed that.

[henche]

In spite of ice, in spite of snow,
in spite of all the winds that blow,
in spite of hail, and biting frost,
take thyself; and get thee lost!

- adapted from Phillip Freneau http://tinyurl.com/6lxd5lt

[jj1000]

[AsherO]

@ jj1000, TED rocks!

[jj1000]

@AsherO Indeed! Here are two of my favorites they both changed some of my views on life for the better of course  .

[SPLP]

My uncle wrote this poem

By Shmuel Halkin( Galkin) b. 1897 d.1960

My glass is transparent and clean
through it you see the whole world that weeps and laughs
but when one side is covered with silver paint,
worth of a penny or a little more –
the entire earth disappears from view,
and then the clean glass becomes a mirror; you see only yourself

And when he returned home after the Nazis killed his family he wrote in Yiddish


Deep graves, red earth[8]
Deep graves, red earth,
Once I had a home.
In spring the orchards used to bloom,
In autumn the birds flew over.
In winter the snow fell,
Now wind and pain are blooming there.
My home was hit by a disaster,
The door and gate are open
To the murderers, the executioners,
Who strangle little children,
Who hang old people,
Who have compassion for no one.
Deep graves, red earth,
Once I had a home.
The years have passed,
The graves are full,
And the earth is even redder,
This earth is now my home.
Deep graves, red earth,
Once I had a home.
Good times will come,
Happiness will return
The pain will soften,
Children will grow again.
Children will play, make noise,
At the graves of the saints,
At the deep, full graves,
May the pain not emerge from them.
Deep graves, red earth,
Once I had a home.


Tife griber, royte leym (Weinberg’s score)[8]
Tife griber, royte leym –
Kh’hob amol gehat a heym.
Friling – flegn seder blien,
Harbst-tsayt – flegn foyglen tsien,
Vinter – fleg dort faln shney,
Itster blit dort vind un vey.
S’hot mayn heym a brokh getrofn –
Tir un toyer zaynen ofn
Far di rotskhim, far di shinder
Di vos koyln kleyne kinder,
Di, vos hengen uf di zkeynim,
Di vos shaneven mit keynem:
Tife griber, royte leym –
Kh’hob amol gehat a heym.
Yor nokh yor zaynen ariber,
Fule zaynen yene griber,
Un nokh royter iz di leym,
Yener leym iz itst mayn heym.
Tife griber, royte leym,
Kh’hob amol gehat a heym.
Kumen veln gute tsaytn –
Vet dos mazl oykh zich baytn,
Veln veyen vern linder,
Veln veyen vern linder,
Veln vider vaksn kinder.
Veln kinder shpiln, royshn
Ba di Kvorim fun di Kadoyshim,
Ba di tife fule griber –
Az der vey zol nit ariber.
Az der vey zol nit ariber.
Tife griber, rojte leym –
Kh’hob amol gehat a heym.

[jj1000]

I posted this in a different thread but its one of my favorites so I am posting it here also.

"Mashiach's Hat"

T'was the night of the geulah, and in every single shteibel, sounds of Torah could be heard, coming from every kind of Yeidel.

This one in English, some in Hebrew, some in Yiddish, some saying pshat, and some saying chiddush.

And up in shomayim, the Aibishter decreed, "The time has come for My children to be freed.

Rouse the Mashiach from his heavenly berth, have him get in his chariot and head down to Earth."

The Moshiach got dressed, and with a heart full of glee, went down to the Earth, and entered the first shteibel he did see.

"I'm the Moshiach, Hashem has heard your plea, your geulah has come, it is time to go free!"

They all stopped their learning, this was quite a surprise, And they looked at him carefully with piercing sharp eyes.

"He's not the Mashiach!" said one with a grin, "Just look at his hat, at the pinches and brim!"

"That's right!", cried another with a grimace and a frown, "Whoever heard of Mashiach with a brim that is down?!"

"Well", thought Mashiach, "If that is the rule, I'll turn my brim up before I go to the next shule!"

So he walked on right over to the next shule in town, confident to be accepted since his brim was no longer down.

"I'm the Mashiach!", he cried as he began to enter. But the Jews there wanted to know first, if he was left, right, or center.

"Your clothes are so black!" they cried out in a fright. "You can't be Mashiach --you're much too far right!

If you want to be Mashiach, you must be properly outfitted." So they replaced his black hat with a kipa that was knitted.

Wearing his new kipa, Mashiach went out and he said, "No difference to me what I wear on my head."

So he went to the next shule, for his mission was dear, But he was getting a bit frustrated with the Yidden down here.

"I'm the Mashiach!" he cried, and they all stopped to stare. And a complete eerie stillness filled up the air.

"You're the Mashiach?! Just imagine that. Whoever heard of Mashiach without a black hat?!"

"But I do have a hat!" the Mashiach then said. So he pulled it right out and plunked it down on his head.

Then the Shule started laughing, and one said, "Where's your kop? You can't have Mashiach with a brim that is up!

If you want to be Mashiach, and be accepted in this town, put some pinches in your hat, and turn that brim down!"

Mashiach walked out and said, "I guess my time hasn't really come, I'll just have to return to where I came from.

So he went to his chariot, but as he began to enter, all sorts of Jews appeared, from left, right, and center.

"Please wait, do not leave, it's all THEIR fault!" they said And they pointed to each other, and to what was on each other's head.

Mashiach just looked sad, and said, "You don't understand." And then started up his chariot to get out of this land.

"Yes, it's very wonderful, that all of you learn Torah, But you seem to have forgotten, a crucial part of our mesorah."

"What does he mean? What's he talking about?" And they all looked bewildered, and all began to shout.

Mashiach looked back and answered, "The first place to start, is to shut up your mouths, and open up your heart.

To each of you, certain Yidden seem too frum or too frei but ALL Yidden are beloved, in the Aibeshter's eye."

And on his way up he shouted, "If you want me to come, try working a little harder on some ahavas chinam."

By Rabbi Yitzchok Feigenbaum

[AsherO]

I posted this in a different thread but its one of my favorites so I am posting it here also.

Repost

[Achas Veachas]

Via FB:

Pesach Cleaning Questionnaire
 Yudit Friedman:

In order for this questionnaire
To work the way it should,
You must be very honest
As I knew you would.

Go through the questions-
One, two and three,
Think through each one
Very thoroughly.


1. How many times
In the past year
Have you served supper
In the chandelier?

How you’ve done it
I’d like to ask
It surely wasn’t
An easy task.

Seating the whole family
On the fixture all around,
Making sure that place up there
For every kid was found.

The serving must have also been
No easy feat;
Getting portions up on top
For every child to eat.

In the end, when all was done
Some crumbs stayed, I fear…
And so now you must start
Scrubbing your chandelier!


2. How often have you served
Your guests some food and drink
In the mirrored cupboard
Above the bathroom sink?

It must have been embarrassing
Trying to fit in,
Especially if the guests you had
Weren’t very thin!

In the end, I hope they enjoyed
Your hosting, nonetheless,
But now you found the leftovers
And have to clean up the mess.


3. Just a few weeks ago
Did you have an urgent feeling
To serve the Purim meal
Upon the kitchen ceiling?

You must have used electric tape
Or maybe crazy glue
For everything to stick up there,
A real Venahapoch Hu!

In the end you all jumped down
But worthwhile it hasn’t been,
‘Cuz now out comes the ladder,
And the ceiling you must clean!


If you answered yes
To any of these three,
Go ahead and puff and pant
And be as busy as you can be!

But if you answered negative
Then stop fooling around,
Look for chametz only
Where it can be found!

[tageed-lee]

One of my favorites...

​The Dash by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

​I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
​the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

​So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

[jj1000]

One of my favorites...

​The Dash by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

​I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
​the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

​So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

Awe-some! Thanks for sharing.

[Sport]

Via FB:

Pesach Cleaning Questionnaire
 Yudit Friedman:

In order for this questionnaire
To work the way it should,
You must be very honest
As I knew you would.

Go through the questions-
One, two and three,
Think through each one
Very thoroughly.


1. How many times
In the past year
Have you served supper
In the chandelier?

How you’ve done it
I’d like to ask
It surely wasn’t
An easy task.

Seating the whole family
On the fixture all around,
Making sure that place up there
For every kid was found.

The serving must have also been
No easy feat;
Getting portions up on top
For every child to eat.

In the end, when all was done
Some crumbs stayed, I fear…
And so now you must start
Scrubbing your chandelier!


2. How often have you served
Your guests some food and drink
In the mirrored cupboard
Above the bathroom sink?

It must have been embarrassing
Trying to fit in,
Especially if the guests you had
Weren’t very thin!

In the end, I hope they enjoyed
Your hosting, nonetheless,
But now you found the leftovers
And have to clean up the mess.


3. Just a few weeks ago
Did you have an urgent feeling
To serve the Purim meal
Upon the kitchen ceiling?

You must have used electric tape
Or maybe crazy glue
For everything to stick up there,
A real Venahapoch Hu!

In the end you all jumped down
But worthwhile it hasn’t been,
‘Cuz now out comes the ladder,
And the ceiling you must clean!


If you answered yes
To any of these three,
Go ahead and puff and pant
And be as busy as you can be!

But if you answered negative
Then stop fooling around,
Look for chametz only
Where it can be found!

She obviously never met my kids.