The poets are both moralists at heart. So the next few posts will be moralistic. This month features focus and persistence in the face of challenges, two qualities often necessary for success. JM particularly has shown these qualities as he rose up from the steel company town to go to the University, then Harvard, then become a professor. In retirement, his persistence continued as he wrote five books and he is still at it. Animals know persistence. The journey upriver of the salmon is nothing short of amazing. And the tugboat, while not alive, embodies the work ethic, a life of toil and service.
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| The Trout, by Franz Schubert Fish spawn at river source tiny egg hatches tiny fish swims around grows and eats eats and grows swims around and around until one day it knows it’s time to go heads downstream The fish finally reaches the bay where it stays and changes adapts to salty ocean water, grows silver scales and in late Spring enters the ocean joins other smolt in a school to swim and eat become strong mature after four years finds the bay again enters and begins the hard journey upstream evading predators: bears, otters, people battling currents, leaping falls finally home Spawns and the cycle begins again -MW When you’re feelin’ blue, When you’re feelin’ down, And the usual just won’t do, Just erase your frown. Get up out of bed, Make yourself just rise, Jump up, touch your toes, Go outside, open up your eyes. See the sun and the blue sky, Stop your constant asking why, It’s clear now after the rain, Why should you complain? Get to work then right away, Go out to face a new day. Don’t just stew inside and sit, Go out and just grab it. Chase those blues away, Yeah, chase those blues away. Clear your head, open your eyes, Today is a brand new day. Baby, chase those blues away. MW 5/18  Tugboat on SF Bay, near Richmond Harbor Song of the Tugboat Tugger was a little tugboat With a pretty light blue coat. Tugged and towed the livelong day Up and down the Richmond Bay One day she grew tired and said, “Oh, my poor aching head. Why must I work every day, While the sailboats lazily play? People cheer when the cruise ship Glides into its narrow slip, They ignore that I was the one Led it there during their fun. They don’t even know my name, The cruise ship has all the fame. And the tanker, even barge Are respected ‘cuz they’re large.” Later, Tugger had finished her day When she saw a sailboat on the Bay. As she slowly chugged past She saw it on a sandbar, stuck fast. “I must go help them”, she said, “Even though it’s time for bed, For that is what tugboats do Help whenever help is due.” Tugger went to offer a line But the people said, “You are so kind Can’t we ride with you instead? That sailboat now fills us with dread.” “Of course,” Tugger then replied, As her heart near burst with pride. So the people boarded the tug As each one gave the boat a hug. And they partied all the way back, As Tugger gamely took up the slack, There was food, drink, music too, Provided by the tug’s great crew. When they reached land, they all shouted “Yay, Hooray for Tugger who saved the day.” “They knew my name,” Tugger said with pride, She was so glad she had given them a ride. And no longer angry, no longer sad, The next day she worked quite glad, Now the people knew her name, And she was a boat of some fame. -MW | The Choice is Yours and Mine The Physical We are weak and frail, Life is struggle and pain, Such are our givens, out lost. The Mental We have a mind and will, And where there's thought and resolve Our givens need not prevail. The choice is yours and mine, Not act and do not whine! Je Suis d'Accord Immer höher muss ich steigen, Immer weiter muss ich sehen. Das leicht Errungene widert mir, Nur das Erzwungene ergötzt mich schier." So did Goethe write in rhyme, Far away and once upon a time. My renditions's feeble, limp and tame, But the gist is really quite the same: "Ever higher must I clamber, Ever farther must I peer. The easily wrestled leaves me undone, Only the challenging accords me fun." To Do or Not To Do Worm and squirm or Sit and spit Toil and roil or Mutter and sputter Nurse and curse or Grumble and bumble Give and live or Name and blame Prevail and sail or Blink and sink The choice is yours! -JM Achievers Achievers are a restless lot, strivers who are never content and doers who never achieve enough and never stop trying to achieve. They are our makers and shakers and they never stop worming and squirming and/or flailing and thrashing. Achievement is the achiever's way of life! This can be a blessing or a curse or both. An Alert See, feel, think and do, As focussed and as tense as possible. Accept and celebrate, reject and castigate, Don't just sit and vacantly stare, Don't just sigh an awful day. Don' just wince and find a chair, Don't just yearn for sleep and oblivion, Don't turn your back upon life and self. Savor being and spend yourself! Better to burn your candles at both ends Than to have no flame at all! Last Questions What did you make of yourself? What did you do for society? What will you bequest posterity? Haunting questions! -JM Word of Wisdom from JM Everybody can do better, even the best. Some plants grow best in rocky soils, as do some humans in bitter toil. To stoke or to damp? The choice is yours. Persistence is a lever for every endeavor. Hard won, thoroughly appreciated. Píccola practices persistence, keeping at it until she finally reaches the treat. Persistence brings rewards. |