Feb 17, 2010

Don't Throw That Away


image source
My father used to say to me,

don't throw a single thing away,

because if you do,

you'll be sure to need it some other day.

I have often thought,

time and time again,

what would happen if people

did the same with men.

Don't toss them aside,

as though they're not worth much.

I sure know now,

dad understood,

that men are worth more

than iron or wood.

They may be old and bent,

but still be good.

Their friendship he could use again,

even when he visited them

on their beds of death.

Despite all the vices men display,

don't ever just up and throw them away.

Treat them decent so they'll repay you again,

some other day.

All most of them need is just a chance,

so don't make a junk box

of skid row on this earth.

Even though some thoughtless oaf

has been tossed away,

treat them like friends,

and you can use them some other day.

Though old and bent and weak of will,

there's always some good

service they can render still.

We are all God's children, everyone.

There's not a man alive today,

who wouldn't give all he owns,

just to have a chance to live over again,

and do things this time as he should.


Related Post:

Tossed Coins

Creative Commons License
This work by mysticdave is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.


4 comments:

  1. Wonderful, Dave! So true too that it's important not to "rank" people according to cultural status - or lack of it. I always look someone in the eyes just to see who's at home inside. Often it is a great delight what I receive in return - especially from the kind of people you describe here. Good write!

    BTW, I've opened up all my Friday poems for links if you or any other poet friends have any in the similar subject. Take a look on The Social Poets under the tab at the top for Blog Carnivals and see what fits you probably already have written and send me the links. I put all my posts into search engines so I get a lot of reads for months and months on just one poem. Amazing, the internet! :)

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  2. Excellent poem Dave, the last few lines sent a shiver down me, they are scarily true for everyone I think.

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  3. Great photo, Dave! I love those old black and whites-so much humanity and pathos in them just like in your wonderful poem.

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  4. One of my mother's favourite sayings was: "There but for the grace of God go I".

    I'm not Christian, but I still hear the wisdom in those words.

    Most of us are only ever 3 traumatic life events away from breakdown and homelessness.

    We all need friends and the best way to get them is to be one.

    Thanks for the reminder!

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