Monday, April 16, 2007

A poem forwarded to me from my daughter Deb

Deb,

As a matter of conscience I never forward emails that promise rewards or punishment. I the email touches me I do take the time to pull the main content out and reorder or recompose it in a form suitable for emailing or entry into one of my blogs. I really liked this poem-- its meaning and word impact-- so here it is without the rewards/threat content. There are a number of other warm fuzzies below it that I have entered over the last few years.

Love, Dad

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Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner, yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.

Remember to always say what you mean. If you love someone, tell them. Don't be afraid to express yourself. Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you. Because when you decide that it is the right time it might be too late. Seize the day. Never have regrets. And most importantly, stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the person that you are today.