The Bright Side
©2013 Susan Noyes Anderson (poem only)
Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash
My grandma always told me
attitude was everything.
Each point of view was mine to take:
my choice to sigh or sing.
Life Lessons Poems
Writing “life lessons” poems is one of the ways I connect with and learn from life. They help me move myself through the inevitable ups and downs with as much grace as possible. And what better way to find grace than in the words of a poem? Thank you for gracing me with your presence here, and don’t forget to send a request my way before using my life lessons poems. (Please include full copyright information on every copy. For internet use, a link back to the poem on this site is required.)
FINDING THE POEM YOU WANT: As you scroll through this section, read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines) to get a feel for the poem. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
taking up arms
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Verdun, by Felix Vallotton
then and now, war is the same
guts and glory, brawn and blame
rage, remorse, and alibis
searing truth and crushing lies
The Philanthropist
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson (poem only)
Unflinching resolution is
a phrase that always conjures you.
Your war cry is “Snap out of it.”
And “Seize the day” is your world view.
Taking Leave
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson (poem only)
How beautifully leaves grow old.
In glory, they slip away.
Homing
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Photo by Sixties Photography on Unsplash
Follow the bright lights home, my son.
When all is said, when all is done,
their glow still brings you back to me
in person and in memory.
The Watcher
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Image: Under Winslow Bridge by Valette
He watched, aloof, as other men built bridges…
eschewed their trust in girders, planks and beams.
Foundations always cracked for him or crumbled.
(Proof nothing strong is ever as it seems.)
Not Yet a Bust
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson
Image: Big Room by Andrew Wyeth
In the end, we left the room quite empty.
Cold, save for the errant ray
of day-old sun that filtered past the pane.
Empathy
©2012 Susan Noyes Anderson (poem only)
Image by getty-images-nuzgxAkgjpo on Unsplash
Of all the treasures in the earth
and underneath the sea,
no prize is valued more than this,
nor held more gratefully: