11th Edition - All About Mothers

Welcome! In the last edition we spoke all about fathers, well to
square up the ledger I think it's only right to talk about mothers.

I love my mum (or mom, depending on where you reside). She's always
been there for me and still loves me unconditionally. It's a
wonderful thing. Of course, we are our own people and we clash in
certain areas, but I think a mother's job is to train her
fledglings to fly the nest and look after themselves. Mum taught me
that. She has taught me many things and I'm sure your Mom has
taught you much too.

I know we don't say thank you often enough. I know I don't. Thanks
for bearing me. Thanks for feeding me. Thanks for clothing me.
Thanks for cuddling me. Thanks for MY life. Thanks for EVERYTHING.

That's what today's edition is all about really, people saying
'thank you' to their mom, whether on their wedding day, their
anniversary or just saying thank you when the time was right.

By the way, if you haven't said 'I love you' to your mother for a
while, I suggest you do. It just might help. Here are a few real
life examples of people doing just that. I hope you enjoy them. All
the very best, Allen


The Sonnet I Bought For My Mum

Everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame and I am no exception. A
while ago The Guardian newspaper featured one of my poems. The full
story can be found here:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1713744,00.html

Not exactly a glowing review but you can't win them all!! This lady
was far happier with the results:

http://www.agiftofpoetry.com/poems_and_poetry/mother-day-poems.htm

Lisa couldn't read her poem without crying. But she was thanking
her Mom and Dad on the occasion of their 60th Wedding Anniversary.
Full story here:

http://www.agiftofpoetry.net/60th%20wedding%20anniversary.htm

Finally, this edition wouldn't be complete with my thank you to my
Mum, written a few years back:

http://www.agiftofpoetry.com/To_Parents/parents_mum.htm

Okay, that's about it for today. I could go on but I'd better save
some for the next edition, which will be sent to you in about 7
days time. In the meantime, if I can help in any way, please let me
know.

Until then, all the very best,



Allen Jesson
Poet

http://www.agiftofpoetry.com - Uniquely written gift poetry.
http://www.giftofpoetry.com - Create your own! (With some help :o)

Enjoy Life Tip No 12 - Don't Use Your Judgment (Too Quickly)

We all use our judgement each and every day. We are preprogrammed
to do so, we wouldn't have got this far otherwise. We have so many
decisions to make in a day, so many images to take in, so much
information, our brains just can't cope with all that processing.
So we have to use judgments based on predfined or prediscovered
information. For example, if we approach a green traffic light we
decide to keep on going because our judgment is based on prior
knowledge that green means it's ok to go.

Like I say, we couldn't survive without those judgment skills.
Sadly, those skills don't often transfer when it comes to judging
people. We usually make our mind up about a person based on very
scant knowledge indeed. Often our first impression. Often on what
someone else has told you about that person. Beware! That is all I
ask. When you look at a tree you see less than one quarter of that
tree. The roots are buried underground (50%) and you can't see the
other
side of the tree so in fact, it is a lot less than one quarter but
that would be laboring the point. Because the point I really want
to make is that people are just like trees, there is a lot hidden.

Probably around 90%.

SO, I am not asking you to like and love everyone, but just give a
little more. Give a little leeway, give a little love, give a
little more time before you decide that so and so is no good.

Because deep down, I bet he or she is.

It's just up to you to find that goodness.

Anniversary Poem 9/11 Part II

This is the second poem relating to the dreadful events of 11th September 2001. The first poem can be found below.

(Written on the 15th September 2001)

The World And Its Soul (Part II)

I have been blessed and cursed with perception,
because I can see what life has in store,
and my dreams of eternal peace,
seemed to have been dashed for ever more.

I have four beautiful children,
My God! What sort of life have I given them?
A world full of hatred?
With hopes and dreams condemned?

I have this dreadful feeling,
that we, as one, are on the edge,
and peace to you my fellow man,
is what I really want to pledge.

But how can life carry on?
With this cancer held within?
Without freedom of speech and movement,
where on Earth can you begin?

And when I think of my children,
from new born to troubled teenage,
how do I love them on the one hand,
and contain this burning rage?

I walked with my youngest son today,
a beautiful spring day in all its glory,
but the sun had lost its golden touch,
it had lost the magic in its story.

I keep trying to look for the positives,
and look for hope on the other side,
but then I cry me a river,
and gee, how I've cried.

I do hope for peace,
but I know we must do our battle first,
we need to satisfy our anger,
we need to quench our bloody thirst.

And hope springs eternal,
and may these days into history fade,
and may we all be very proud,
be proud of the roles that we've played.

Today, I took my four year old to the beach,
and this maybe, comes as no surprise,
because I saw the answer to our dilemma,
when I looked straight into his eyes.

He didn't care too much about what had gone,
but he did care about the sand in his shoes,
and then I thought about his tomorrows,
because he has literally everything to lose.

We all still have that hate and anger,
but we need to temper that callous steel,
we need to look at our family,
and think of how others might feel.

Retribution won't be denied,
but we need to dilute with common sense,
we need the world to survive,
we still need our children's innocence.

Love is stronger than hate,
and love and justice will prevail,
and I hope my children's children,
learn from and live to tell this tale.

So, I am still bitter,
and angry on a whole,
but we need to rebuild, not destroy,
the World and its Soul.

Copyright Allen Jesson :) 2001
www.agiftofpoetry.com

This is the second poem relating to the dreadful events of 11th September 2001. The first poem can be found below.

(More at www.agiftofpoetry.com !)

Anniversary Poem 9/11

This is the first poem relating to the dreadful events of 11th September 2001.

(Written on the 12th September 2001)

The World And It's Soul (Part I)

Today I am in mourning,
the world lays heavy on my heart,
I know I have to get something down,
but I just don't know where to start.

Words have been my friend,
at most times they've served me well,
but today they are so inadequate,
because this story is so very hard to tell.

Everything for a reason,
or at least that's what I thought,
but try adding up the logic,
and today it comes to naught.

There's a baby crying somewhere,
her Daddy won't be coming home tonight,
he was in the wrong place at the wrong time,
and got involved in someone else's fight.

And as the chaos unfolded,
the sun in the sky brightly shone,
but it too seemed strangely sad,
the warmth in its smile had simply gone.

The images will always haunt me,
one last jump to save their lives,
one last thought of their children,
one last thought of their wives.

The Brothers, the brave rescue workers,
who went in when most would have fled,
so courageous and dedicated to the end,
maybe that's enough said...

Apart from; I am not a vengeful man,
but I too, have an unyielding anger deep inside,
and I pray that they get these bastards,
and that they have no place left to hide.

My children have lost their innocence,
so too the World as it grieved as one.
How do you explain this madness?
What can you tell your teenage son?

My heart goes out to the families,
and to the American nation as a whole,
for today I lost a part of me,
and so has the World and it's soul.

Copyright Allen Jesson :( 2001
www.agiftofpoetry.com


This is the first poem relating to the dreadful events of 11th September 2001. The second poem follows. (You can see more at www.agiftofpoetry.com)

Why I Love Writing Bespoke Poetry

Word for word....received yesterday...


"Dear Allen,

I am speechless with delight! You captured the essence of what I wanted and frankly I am blown away with your insight and skill! THERE IS NO ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. I knew I was going to be happy after reading some of the poems you already have written, but this…..it chokes me just to read the title! You got it exactly!!!! Because of this, my gift to my daughter will be the all time best gift I have ever given her. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! This is the most wonderful thing ever and I, usually verbose, cannot find words to express my feelings about this perfect poem you wrote.

I am ready to proceed! I chose the RIBBON CARD RANGE in silver please. The verse for the outer card is to be:


No matter how old we all become,
I'm still Mommy and I will always be,
I love, cherish and protect my children,
and yes, I take my role very seriously.


For the paper to be printed on…..I am not really excited about any I see on the site…. Have you any antique looking parchment paper? Less is more in my mind for that… 

How can I pay you now and finalize this? And will let me know how to order the 2nd poem as well please? Thank you again Allen, for all of this. You have helped me guarantee that I am giving my daughter a gift straight from my heart."

(name withheld until after the wedding and then I'll publish the whole poem and story as I have been kindly granted permission)