Thursday April 25, 2024 
What It’s All About
When you’re young you’re more alert,
You feel more than you know.
We disregard our instincts, thus lose them as we grow.
When you die your functions cease.
Soul and body their bonds release.
It floats away through time and space
Each soul a separate case,
To be used again when the needs are there
In a different time and a different place.
What purpose does this process serve?
To bring about a change.
Each time on earth a soul matures, perfection is the range.
Did Lincoln die in Vietnam?
As a black Marine?
Dean Evans, The Outhouse Poet, Stephentown
Respite
We are swamped daily with bad news:
Stern warnings & dire predictions prevail.
Career politicians acting like spoiled children,
More interested in serving their party than serving the people.
Legitimate protests are hijacked and
Turn into Destructive Riots.
Such wears a body down….
We need ways to escape from this.
Simplest suggestion is
To escape in a book;
That will take your mind off
All the current bad news.
Or. simply enjoy your morning coffee
On your porch, early when no one else is about.
Think good thoughts,
While not being bombarded with bad news.
Take a walk in the woods….
Not on a marked trail…off by yourself.
Enjoy nature’s sounds, as you
Are deafened by silence !
Spend time with a kid;
Take him/her fishing.
A day in the wild with a kid
Will clear your mind…refresh your soul!
Escape is at hand….
Just ditch your newspaper and turn off your TV…
Just…Go for it !!
Lloyd Barnhart, West Sand Lake
A Child Today, An Adult Someday
Imagine looking at the world as seen
Through the eyes of a child
I thought that would be exiting and wild
A dandelion is a precious flower to give to a friend
Not just a weed that you hope dies in the end
The sunrise brings an opportunity to go out and play
It’s not just a reminder to begin your work day
They look at a star and make a wish
Adults think of what’s on their “to do” list
Children love without expecting anything in return
A valuable lesson that we should all discern
As a youth you’re graded on how much you learn
As an adult we value ourselves on how much we earn
The disciples once asked the Lord
Who is the greatest among us
Turns out it was the children who earned his trust
When you’re a toddler all you had to count
Was your fingers and toes
A wise man counts his blessings
And values what he knows
If you peer at the world with the heart of a child
And maintain the mind and wisdom of an adult
It will produce an astonishing result
Suddenly the world will be a beautiful place
And you’ll enjoy being part of the human race
The goal is to merge your child
And adult attributes together
So that every moment in life you shall treasure
Donna Masters, Troy