AT ANOTHER TIME

The waves dance light-footedly

To the tempo of the splashing sound, hush.

Clear sky hovers above

Adorned in shades of blue, silver and grey.

Boats swaying sleepily

Uncaring, yet a part of nature.

Everyone is at an unhurried pace.

The waves working up to a frenzy

Their mouths foaming with raucous roar.

And boats wobbling to a Mexican wave.

The darkened sky menacingly threatening

Moody like a wet blanket.

The flashy siren could be heard in the distant sky.

The first drop of rain

Brings relief to the downtrodden beach.

Panicking picnickers rustle by.

The scavenging boats scampering towards shore

As if to pacify the sulky sea.

The heavy battering of the rain

Signalling it is time to wave goodbye.

I roll up my sitting mat

Pledging to watch the setting sun

At another time.

Written by koonoon

*Thanks to koonoon for sharing his beautiful poem with us.

You Never Know Until...

I never thought of myself as one who has any great talent, but like each of us, I have certain skills and abilities. Let me tell you a story passed down through jazz circles. It's a story about a man who had real talent.

This particular man played piano in a bar. He was a good piano player. People came out just to hear him and his trio play. But one night a patron wanted them to sing a particular song. The trio declined, but the customer was persistent.

He told them bartender, "I'm tired of only listening to the piano. I want that guy to sing!"

The bartender shouted across the room to the piano player, "Hey buddy! The patrons are asking you to sing! If you want to get paid, sing the song."

So he did. He sang the song. A jazz piano player who had not sung in public, sang a song that changed his career. Nobody had ever heard Sweet Lorraine sung the way it was sung that night by Nat King Cole!

He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life playing in a jazz trio in clubs and bars, but because he was forced to sing, he went on to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel as if your "talent" is particularly great, but it may be better than you think! And with persistence, most skills can be improved. Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you possess!

Some people ask, "What ability do I have that is useful?"

Others ask, "How will I use the ability that I have?"

~ The author is Steve Goodier and the story is from his book "Joy Along the Way" which you can buy from Amazon.

The Old Man and his Son

An old man was sitting with his 25 years old son in the train. The train was about to leave the station. All the passengers were settling down in their seats. As the train started to move, the young man was filled with a lot of joy and curiosity. He was sitting on the window side. He put one hand out the window and felt the passing air. He shouted, "Papa, see all the trees are going d behind."

The old man smiled and admired his son's feelings. Beside the young man, a couple was sitting and listening to conversation between the father and son. They were a little awkward with the attitude of the 25-yer-old man behaving like a small child. Suddenly the young man shouted, "Papa, see the pond and animals. The clouds are moving with the train.".

The couple was watching the young man with embarrassment. Now it started raining and some raindrops fell on the young man's hand. He was filled with joy and he closed his eyes. He shouted again, "Papa, it's raining and the water is touching me, see Papa."

The couple couldn't help themselves and asked the old man, "Why don't you visit the doctor and get treatment for your son."

The old man said, "Yes, we are coming from the hospital, as only today my son got his eyesight for the first time in his life."

Moral of story:
"Don't draw conclusions until you know all the facts."

-Author Unknown-

Thanks to Meg who sent me this story.