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24 Tuesday Feb 2026

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What is your favorite poem you wrote?

All my poems are my favorites; they all came from my heart. 

When I couldn’t find the words to say how I felt, I wrote a poem about it, 

and it worked for me. Every poem is a verbal picture of how I felt at that moment.

I will share a favorite that has helped me understand why I was feeling the way I did at that time.

I wrote this many years ago.

When I read it now, as I live in my 92nd year, it seems much more relevant.

(I wrote this while sitting on the beach watching the waves rolling in.)

Patience is a Virtue

Hi there, old salt.

You’re in-between, aren’t you?

Your face is smooth or nearly so,

Ah, but your edges give you away.

Your swells peak up and break gently.

Caressing my toes, disappearing around my feet.

If I were to take you at your word,

I would run and fling myself into your embrace.

I would just jostle your white caps and

Relax in your peaks and hollows.

But I know better than that.

You are losing control.

You are growing impatient.

I have noticed it sometimes.

Even like now, when you are calm.

That upheaval of emotion that comes

When you do not expect it.

That breaker that is less controlled

Then the rest shows your impatience.

It does not caress my toes and

Then depart through the sand.

Ho! It grabs at my knees and

Pulls at me with fierce enthusiasm.

No need, friend, for your impatience.

Think about it.

From you, I have learned to be strong,

Without a show of force.

From you, I have learned to be placid,

But never complacent.

In your depth, I have had great joy,

And near death.

You have taught me to trust,

But never to rely.

I have learned what I do is important,

And what I would like to do remains insignificant.

No, my friend, be not impatient.

Two billion years ago, I was created from you.

I would not deprive you if I could.

Yours is a millennium, mine but half a grain of sand.

Do not be impatient,

We will be as one in due time.

Until then, my friend,

 I will visit you as

 often as I can.

An Update 2026

I have kept my word, and I think

Due time is on the horizon.

The good thing is I still

Need binoculars

To see it.

_____________

Don’t look back; it may bring tears to your eyes.

Look ahead and fill your eyes with surprise

IT IS DANGEROUS TO GIVE ME THE QUIET TIME TO THINK

02 Sunday Mar 2025

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I AM A TREE who can’t read, so I don’t know what kind of tree I am. I can see many other trees around where I live, but I don’t look like any of them. I must be special.

 I go to work every morning at sunrise and spread my leaves to face the sun as much as possible to catch the solar rays and get my engines running. I have an important job; I create oxygen from carbon dioxide in the air.

It has taken many years for me to create enough leaves to make a difference large enough for humans to measure, but they are getting better at it now.  They are frightened by what they call global warming.  I help them as much as I can by reducing carbon dioxide, which holds heat on the earth, warming it.

All humans are rather ignorant. That means they lack the information to make wise, informed decisions about things. It is OK to be ignorant because all humans are ignorant about 99.9% of their surroundings. Human knowledge is only a grain of sand on the beach of knowledge.

Being stupid is not OK. That means you have the knowledge available to make a good decision but don’t use it. These humans are killing my cousins in the forest. They are building new houses to live in and to burn in the fireplace for warmth. They don’t seem to understand how hard trees work for them. Sun-up to sun-down, we work for them.

We also work hard for other animals like birds. They build their homes in our branches and raise their babies.

The shade we provide is enjoyed by all the animals and we also protect farms so heavy winds will not destroy their crops and use our roots to hold the soil in place.

We keep the ground cool when it is hot. And that helps humans with global warming.

The children that climb in my branches have a great time, laughing a lot and building good muscles.

I hope they don’t cut me down. I may be safe because I’m the only tree in this part of the park and if I am killed, all the things I do every day won’t be done here in this place.

I’m only 40 years old now and I can still work for about another 100 years or more. My death would be a big loss to this community in the small picture, as well as to the world in the big picture.

I love to live and help my environment survive. My leaves dance and sing their songs in the wind to calm those who sit in the shade I provide.

Please pass the word that I’m not dead yet and don’t want to be.

Be a tree, not a bush. Stand strong. Use your talents. YOU ARE SPECIAL.

If you are reading this, YOU’R NOT DEAD YET, don’t act like you are.