May 02, 2013

An Authentic Life - In fewer than 13 lines



An Authentic Life - In fewer than 13 lines
By John R. Greenwood

  1. an honest heart purrs contently at a backyard picnic table
  2. a genuine hand upon a friend's weary shoulder, their pain is your pain
  3. tears run deep with every soldier lost, no parent deserving of such anguish
  4. this father's pride swells watching sons help others in need. A homerun, a touchdown, a goal all come a distant second
  5. "I love you's" free and frequent come easy in the place you call home. 
  6. nature your refuge, you embrace every leaf, every rainy day
  7. music singing, strumming, whistling, or a steady drum beat fill your spirit with fuel for the next 100 miles
  8. a new book smell, an old book smell - both stir the need to flip pages on the seat of a bench, in a park, with a breeze and children sounds in the distance
  9. little fear of change, old age or barking dogs. Life will show up regardless
  10. long winding roads in pick-up trucks, with windows down and sleeves rolled up to the forearm, stonewall lined fields and pine tree miles, slow your pulse to a crawl. 
  11. coffee
  12. writing down anything on a pad, a black and white one, lined, with a pencil, give you a warm reminder of why you breathe, today, and tomorrow
* This post is a submission to a Poets United poetry prompt: "An Authentic Life" in fewer than 13 lines. 

10 comments:

  1. a new book smell, an old book smell - This is great and so full of senses and emotion. Inspired me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow....there is a lot of wonderful things mentioned. I don't know which to comment on and point out specifically! As a lover of books...i liked that line. And as a military wife, appreciate what you've mentioned about soldiers. Lovely, you can tell you are one that pays attention to those little things that make life so wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like you are living a truly authentic life! As the Mom of all boys, I was touched by #4.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds not only like an authentic life, but a blessed one, too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You nailed it, John.This poem-list is filled with wonder and appreciation and gratitude and love. I hope this is autobiographical. I hope you enjoy every one of these meaningful and true indicators of a happy, authentic life.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aren't you glad when you get up in the morning -- never mind the stiff back from sleeping wrong, or the dark dreary day -- you have coffee, music, nature, compassionate sons, and a writing pad -- the world is shinning brightly.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes, you have captured authenticity! Nice.

    ReplyDelete
  8. For one less yesterday is very nice!

    and the authentic life rings true to my ears. Both poems are nicely done in words and photos!

    ReplyDelete
  9. You have truly captured the meaning of living an authentic life. Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete