Desert Tale
Number 2, Volume 8
When Things Go Wrong
I derive a lot of consolation and inspiration from poetry. At this particular challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite poems that I hope help, and ask that you pass them on.
If you have an inspirational poem you would like to share with my readers, please email it to me at: azs1920zyr@gmail.com and I will post it.
Don't You Quit!
"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit!
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When we might have won, had we stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must NOT quit!"
—John Greenleaf Whittier
An American Quaker poet, and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the USA, who was strongly influenced by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns.
Ye Flowery Banks
Ye flowery banks o' bonnie Doon,
How can ye blume sae fair?
How can ye chant, ye little birds,
And I sae fu' o' care?
Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird,
That sings upon the bough;
Thou minds me o' the happy days,
When my fause love was true.
Thou'll break my heart, thou bonnie bird,
That sings beside thy mate;
For sae I sit, and sae I sang,
And wist na o' my fate.
Aft hae I roved by bonnie Doon,
To see the woodbine twine,
And ilka bird sang o its luve,
And sae did I o' mine.
Wi lightsome heart, I pu'd a rose
Upon a morn in June;
And sae I flourished on the morn,
And sae was pu'd ere noon.
—Robert Burns
Instrument of Peace
"Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is darkness, light'
And where there is sadness, joy."
—St. Francis of Assisi
Bless Your Heart
"Reminisce the places and memories of old,
A few bitter lessons that make you grow cold,
But some bring a smile to lighten your way,
And others embrace you, warming your day.
Consider your lot and how lucky you are,
And strive for your goals, no matter how far.
Be honest, be true; let fate play its part,
And love and fulfillment will bless your heart.
—Author unknown
Summa Vitae
"They are not long the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate.
I think they have no portion in us after we pass the gate.
They are not long the days of wine and roses.
Out of a misty dream our path emerges for a while,
Then closes - within a dream."
—Ernest Dowson
Today
"There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday, and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live."
—Dalai Lama
Your Life
Do not forget me despite the strife,
Though memories are splendor,
They cling to wounds
Which are still tender.
The dream you called youth
Will pass and lose its bliss,
And scars you think are raw
Will fade with a kiss.
The hours we spent will
Be buried at last,
Forgetting all sad pain,
Melting and fleeing
But changing to hope again.
Do not forget me -
I am your life!
—Alinka Zyrmont