Fortune is the prize to be worn. Adventure is the road to it. Chance is what may lurk in the shadows of the roadside.
Most wonderful of all are words, and how they make friends one with another.
O. Henry, the pen name of William Henry Porter (1862-1910), was an American writer who mastered the art of crafting short stories.
Words used every day
Little or much to say
Used in positive ways
Conveying life’s essays
Mindful, powerful voices
Daily, humble choices
Impacting other lives
Celebrate with high fives
Disciplined purpose speaks
Positivity seeks
Sharing tender kindness
Truthful, without blindness
Careful to help and heal
Offering a square deal
Words paying it forward
True and straightforward
Thoughtful expressions said
Weaving with tender thread
Replace evil with good
Words plain and understood
Honest lyrics in song
Carried through all day long
Life unfolds from our text
Watchful where words go next
This poem was written several days before January 6, 2021. Its intention was to praise and encourage the positive power of words. The events taking place in Washington, DC on January 6 showed the negative power of words. How will our future words speak?
Originally published January, 2021.
Early morning darkness
Peace fills wakening mind
Gathering every word
Another light he finds
Candle flickers nearby
Aroma filling room
Harvesting one more thought
Imagination blooms
Pen continues journey
Filled with inner meaning
Opening up heart’s spirit
His garden now greening
Breath of past dropping in
Memories full of light
Remembering again
Solitude always bright
Blessed sunrise arrives
New day now waits to fill
Cascading to new page
Ripples from writer’s quill
We are weaving the future on the loom of today.
There are times when encouragement means a lot, and a word is enough to convey it.
Grace Strickler Dawson was an American poet.
A speech is poetry: cadence, rhythm, imagery, sweep! A speech reminds us that words, like children, have the power to make dance the dullest beanbag of the heart.
Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It’s how true friends talk.
Peggy Noonan (born 1950) is an American writer who contributes regularly to various news outlets. Her past experiences also include serving as a speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s.
Attitude and the spirit in which we communicate are as important as the words we say.
From Proverbs 16:24: “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
Wisdom always teaching
Every day, words matter
Sharing encouragement
Negative now scatters
Gentleness in spirit
Words of inspiration
Sending intended grace
Fragrance of carnations
Pleasant conversation
Cooler than grill’s briquettes
Reflecting heart’s sweetness
Love guiding words’ mindset
Strangers greeted as friends
Careful with choice of words
Sharing joy with others
Kindness stirred, always heard
Words echo character
Softness cradles each thought
Thinking before saying
Always, as mother taught
Words are the clothes thoughts wear.
The more people I meet the happier I become.
Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) was an Irish writer who enjoyed crafting short stories, poems, and novels.
Disney’s 1942 animated feature film, “Bambi” features a timeless story which relates to adults and children in human-like ways. Here are a couple of quotes from the film.
I’m always with you. Even when you can’t see me. I’m here. (Bambi’s mother speaking to him)
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say nothing at all. (Thumper, the rabbit)
Speaking to others
Thoughtful grace shining outward—
Revealing kindness
Enthusiasm’s voice
Sunshine brightens one more life—
Spirits lifted up
Nurtured, fertile ground
Cultivation’s happiness—
Spreading seeds of joy
Big Sky Buckeye 