If I Could Learn…

Reflecting back onto the things I could learn from this world...
Photo by Wallace Chuck on Pexels.com

If I could learn from a mother,
I’d learn to love without condition.
If I could learn from a father,
I’d learn to be the invisible pillar of strength without suspicion.
If I could learn from a child,
I’d learn to trust without hesitation.
If I could learn from a dog,
I’d learn to be loyal without expectation.
If I could learn from a friend,
I’d learn to read what’s in another’s head.
If I could learn from a lover,
I’d learn to hear what’s still unsaid.
If I could learn from a farmer,
I’d learn to die of hunger so that others could eat.
If I could learn from a tree,
I’d learn to give shade to others while enduring sweltering heat.
If I could learn from a teacher,
I’d learn to pass on all my knowledge and wisdom.
If I could learn from a king,
I’d learn to truly devote oneself to one’s kingdom.
If I could learn from a pauper,
I’d learn to be thankful for every full meal.
If I could learn from a doctor,
I’d learn the responsibility that comes with the power to heal.
If I could learn from a saint,
I’d learn the virtue of patience.
If I could learn from an ant,
I’d learn the true meaning of perseverance.
If I could learn from water,
I’d learn the ability to adapt.
If I could learn from fire,
I’d learn to separate fiction from fact.
If I could learn from life,
I’d learn to enjoy every phase without complaining.
If I could learn from death,
I’d learn how to give life its true meaning.




How to write your first poem?

Let me give you a beginner’s lesson,
on writing your very first poem.
While it may seem like a daunting task,
there must be some simple way to start, you may ask.

And so I’ll tell you the secret to do it in a way that’s quite easy,
without letting it sound too childish or sleazy.
Let us begin first with picking a topic of your choice,
don’t stress too hard, just listen to your inner voice.

Then start putting all your thoughts down on a paper,
don’t worry if it doesn’t feel Shakespearean or the substance starts to taper.
There are poems that rhyme, and others that don’t,
so try to rhyme it simply like mine, or forget about it, if you won’t.

Big words, small words, no matter what you use,
stay true to the theme that you decided to choose.
And take your reader through a bit of a journey that they will remember,
whether it is a joyful ride or a lyrical expression of feelings more somber.

Then read it again and refine it until you see those words flow,
as if each of them were strokes on the broader painting you’re trying to show.
You may be a natural or the effort may suck your mind dry,
but you’ll never find out unless you at least give it a try!

P.S. For a more formal guide on writing poetry, there are many tutorials / articles out there and you should surely go through these before you take your first step at being the Shakespeare or Wordsworth of your generation and find yourself on this list!