Sunday, October 11, 2009

To Be Grateful


To be grateful for an escape is natural.
To be grateful for a gift is courteous.
To be grateful for a painful day is wise.

1 comment:

Dr. Mike said...

Citizen of the World

“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world.” -- Francis Bacon

Remarkable how recognizing that others
Are people too is the first step
In negotiating peace among tribes.

Some curious about the world enjoy these
Multiple perspectives: turrets in sand
Become high-rises in cities.

Clothing the skin in bisht or burqa,
Gabardines or fez, suit and tie,
In fact, we share the same body.

Dipping with fingers, or balancing
Chopsticks, or using knife and fork,
How intricate dining etiquette is.

Enemies are what we cannot name,
Because to identify anyone is to
See the human beneath.

To become a citizen of the world
Means absorbing the earth to broaden
Where ancestors are buried.

[Disposable Poem October 10, 2009]
Dr. Mike