Most Meaningful Poem or Written Message:
Written by a elderly woman during her last days in a Nursing Home:
Crabby Old Lady
--------------------
What do you see nurses? What do you see?
What are you thinking when you are looking at me?
A crabby old lady..not very wise
Uncertain of habit with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice...."I wish you would try!"
Who seems not to notice the things that you do
And forever is losing a sock or a shoe?
Who resisting or not...lets you do as you will
With bathing and feeding...a long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse...you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still
As I do your bidding and as I eat at your will.
I'm a small girl of ten with a father and mother
Brothers and sisters who love one another
A young girl of sixteen with wings on her feet
Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet
A bride soon at twenty..my heart gives a leap
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep
At twenty-five now I have young of my own
Who need me to guide a secure happy home
A woman of thirty..my young now grown fast
Bound to each other with ties that should last.
At forty my young sons have grown and are gone
But my man is beside me to see I don't mourn
At fifty once more, babies play 'round my knee
Again we know children..my husband and me
Dark days are upon me ..my husband now dead
I look at the future and shudder with dread
For my young are all rearing young of their own
And I think of the years and the love I have known
I'm now a old woman and nature is cruel
"Tis jest to make old age look like a fool".
The body, it crumbles..grace and vigor depart
There is now a stone where I once had a heart
But inside this old carcass ..a young girl still dwells
And now and again...my battered heart swells
I remember the joys and I remember the pain
And I am living and living life over again
I think of the years all too few and gone too fast
And accept the dark fact that nothing can last
So open your eyes, people...open and see
Not a crabby old woman---look closer...see ME!
joyful This is a pain I mostly hide,
but ties of blood, or seed, endure,
and even now I feel inside
the hunger for his outstretched hand,
a man's embrace to take me in,
the need for just a word of praise.
I despised the discipline
he used to shape what I should be,
now owning up that he might feel
his own pain when he punished me.
I didn't show my need to him,
since his response to an appeal
would not have meant as much to me,
or been as real.
For those rare times when we did cross the bridge between us,
the pure joy survives. ...
I shared his final hours and came to see
what he'd become, or always was ---
the father who will never cease to be
alive in me.
Jimmy Carter in his book The Virtues of Aging
Andy Loigu 
mistergoogle I so agree, mistergoogle:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.”
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow, this ground – The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
The choir I sang with in college sang a version of this. The already beautiful words, set to beautiful music...one of my favorites.
Jersey Girl John Greenleaf Whittier
“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”
Darleen And this one, too:
Maya Angelou
“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.”
AMY1 "It's not the good in life, but how we make up for the bad that we judge the quality of our lives by."
GC 
consumer.Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
*Respect for self
*Respect for others
*Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
JrzyGirl88 
terry page Nothing beats the Prayer of St. Francis, but Satchel Paige offered up a lot of wisdom during his days in baseball ...
http://www.satchelpaige.com/quote2.html
Just a few things for living better and longer ...
* Don't smoke
* Go easy on fatty, sugary, and salty foods.
* Do not drink excessively, and never drive when drinking.
* Fasten your seat belts.
Would like to share with my HL friends a poem I wrote many years ago:
GOD AND I
As a little girl I walked the country roads
I looked to the sky
Started having a daily quiet conversation
Just God and I
He helped me with life's decisions
Many times he heard me cry
Life went on and years went by
I always found time to look to the sky
Some days were really cloudy and my spirits were down
But I always felt better after my talk with God and my walk into town
God helped me realize the Master's plan for woman and for man
He taught me to guide my family..to understand life's challenges
And to know His wonderful plan
I am older now and we can talk anytime
I need no longer look to the sky
Now before bedtime each night, I kneel inprayer
And we have our little talk
God and I
Written by Joy S.
In the blink of a eye, everything can change.
So, forgive often and love with all your heart.
You never know when you may not have that chance again.
jjmonth4 My life closed twice before it's own close,
And it yet remains to see,
If immortality revels, a third event to me,
so huge, so hopeless to conceive as these that twice befell ,
parting is all we know of heaven,
and it's all we need of hell
(emily dickinson)
BrotherDog Don't know if this fits your requirements Joyful, but this one's been around in various forms for a long time:
Is Your Jar Full?
When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a
day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the beer.
A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front
of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then
asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes."
The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your
health, your friends, your favorite passions - things that if everything
else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,
your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room
for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all
your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There
will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of
the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand."
When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the
students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the
beer represented.
The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of
beers."
justintime Marvin's Room with Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, and other great actors: A terminally ill woman reflects on her life,
Bessie: Oh, Lee, I've been so lucky. I've been so lucky to have Dad and Ruth. I've had such love in my life. You know, I look back, and I've had such... such love.
Lee: They love you very much.
Bessie: No, that's not what I mean. No, no... I mean that I love them. I've been so lucky to have been able to love someone so much.
You can't control whether someone loves you. When you love others it is yours forever and feels wonderful. It is so simple and powerful.
Lisa McConnell TWO WOLVES
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, " My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all."
One is EVIL.
It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other is GOOD.
It is joy, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied...
"The one you feed."
REMEMBERING THE CLOTHESLINE
A clothesline was a forecast to neighbors passing by
There were no secrets you could keep, when clothes were hung to dry
It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew
If company had stopped by to spend a night or two
For then you would see "the fancy sheets" and towels upon the line
You would see "the company tablecloths" with their fancy designs
The lines announced a baby's birth, from the folks living inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung, so carefully with pride
The ages of the children could so readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed, you'd know how much they had grown
It also told when illness struck as extra sheets were hung
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe too...haphazardly were hung
It also said "on vacation now" when lines hung limp and bare
It told "we're back!" when full lines sagged without a inch to spare
New folks in town were scorned upon if wash was dingy and gray
As neighbors carefully raised their brows, and looked the other way
But clotheslines are now a thing of the past, for dryers make work much less
Now what goes on in the home is anybody's guess
I really miss that way of life. it was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best....by what hung on the line.
Think you can, or think you can't.
Either way you are probably right.
Henry Ford.
ATTITUDE
Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.
Ms Fishy 
littlelu Truth is a simple place
Here for us all to see
Reach as it comes to you, as it comes to me
As I will always need you inside my heart
Peace is a word we teach
A place for us all to reach
Sing as it sings to you, as it sings to me
As I will always need you inside my heart
Read more: Yes - Homeworld Lyrics
JoeBee We may never pass this way again, by Seals and Crofts, has very nice lyrics.
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/seals_crofts/we_may_never_pass_this_way_again.html
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Give the best you've got anyway.
You see,
in the final analysis it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa
Lk The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
Mahatma Gandhi
Spring Fever Bereft
Where had I heard this wind before,
Change like this to a deeper roar?
What would it take my standing there for,
Holding open a restive door,
Looking down hill to a frothy shore?
Summer was past and the day was past.
Sombre clouds in the west were massed.
Out on the porch's sagging floor,
Leaves got up in a coil and hissed,
Blindly struck at my knee and missed.
Something sinister in the tone
Told me my secret must be known:
Word I was in the house alone
Somehow must have gotten abroad,
Word I was in my life alone,
Word I had no one left but God.
Robert Frost
one of my favorite poems
You must love this country more then I love a cold beer on a hot Christmas morning. Homer Simpson
Here are a few poems I wrote several years ago. I guess at that time I was feeling melancholy and decided to write about it. Well, you might find them corny and amateurish, but all the words came from my heart and what I was feeling at that time. I guess I'm a hopeless romantic..Lol!
A Gift
What a precious gift that has been given
Cherished for its beauty
Consumed for its entirety
Surrendering myself to partake
Only to be taken away
Leaving a lingering taste
That has left me yearning in sorrow
For fate has forsaken me
Forever leaving me to wonder what may have been
The Moon
The moon and its vibrance of light
The magical reflection it has shown
The passion in turn it provides
To one so needy it is readily embraced
Holding on to a moment that will never resurface
My heart so empty in confusion
Once again the moon has eluded me
Lust
A gentle touch makes the heart race
Captivating eyes reaching in to my soul
Gentle lips sweeping over me
Tongues dance to their own rhythmic fashion
How can one decipher
Is this love or lust
Unexpected difficulties arise
All desire has faltered
Now I know
For love provides strength
Giving endurance
To be with the one you love
positive We all grapple with the epistemological nature of knowledge, its foundations, limits and validity.
"Truth," Herman Melville wrote in 1851, "is the silliest thing under the sun. Try to get a living by the truth -- and go to the soup societies. Heavens! Let any clergyman try to preach the truth from its very stronghold, the pulpit, and they would ride him out of his church on his own pulpit bannister. It can hardly be doubted that all Reformers are bottomed upon the truth, more or less; and to the world at large are not reformers almost universally laughing-stocks?
What I feel most moved to write, that is banned -- it will not pay. Yet, altogether, write the other way I cannot."
I used to be indecisive...... now I'm not so sure. P.S. not related to my previous post . Just funny .....I think.
So glad I started this thread...I am reading these contributions myself each day and getting inspiration.. @.Positive..your poetry was beautiful! ...I started writing poetry as well many years ago and have quite a collection of my thoughts. Interesting to see how they change over time. Now in my retirement am getting back to my writing of stories for children.
“People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around – the music and the ideas.” ~ Bob Dylan
It takes all the running you can do - just to stay where you are (Alice in Wonderland)
5catmom here's another of my favorite poems -
- When I was one and twenty -
When I was one and twenty,
I heard a wise man say,
Give crowns and pounds and guineas,
But not your heart away,
Give pearls away rubies,
But keep your fancy free,
But I was one and twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one and twenty,
I heard him say again,
The heart out of the bosom,
Is never given in vain,
'tis paid with sighs aplenty,
and sold for endless rue
And now, I am two and twenty . . .
and oh 'tis true, 'tis true
A. E. Houseman
found this on google's homepage today - nicely animated
I Dream A World
By Langston Hughes
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom's way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You, you may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you will join us
And the world will live as one
John Lennon
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