Things That Make You Think

Ever heard this poem?

Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Weep, and you weep alone:
For this sad old earth
Has need of your mirth,
It has troubles enough of its own.

This is all I remember and for years I thought it sounded so - well, almost cruel. It took a long time for me to get past that......... and realize just how true it is.

Have you ever met someone who will go on and on about how bad things are? The problem is that they end up pulling others down with them. So here is this drowning person who is thrashing around pulling under anyone who would have rather helped them.

That poem is making us aware if this.

Getting our minds off of ourselves sometimes is an awesome challenge. I, too, know about this personally. No wonder we are told to love others as we love ourselves!!) Somehow we always feel justified when licking our wounds. Most times it's our choice to do that but I can think of a whole lot better tasting stuff!

Sing, and the hills will echo it:
Sigh, and it's lost on the air;
For they want full measure
Of all your pleasure,
But nobody wants your care.

(Plus another verse )

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(BTW I just read that she was from Wisconsin - late 1800's. My Mom used to recite this poem when I was growing up. She knew a lot of poems.)

Here is another that she used to quote - one of my favorites:

The Ass and the Flute

Passing my abode,
Some fields adjoining me
A big ass on his road
Came accidentally.

And laid upon the spot,
A Flute he chanced to see,
Some shepherd had forgot
There accidentally.

The animal in front
To scan it nigh came he,
And snuffing loud as wont,
Blew accidentally.

The air it chanced around
The pipe went passing free
And thus the Flute a sound
Gave accidentally.

“O then,” exclaimed the Ass,
“I know to play it fine;
And who for bad shall class
This music asinine?”

Without the rules of art,
Even asses, we agree,
May once succeed in part,
Thus accidentally.

Tomás de Iriarte
(1750-1791)

There's hope for all of us! Nice of you to remind us Tomas de Iriarte! :-)

(Anybody know how to pronounce his name??)