There they go again, tempting me to win a poetry prize !
Yes, I have gotten many 2ds and 3ds, but a 1st would be so nice.
Nearing one hundred I am so very lucky to still think straight
but to tempt fate with such ambition is rather foolish, I am afraid.
My bookcase overflows with verses I wrote over so many years-
to expose myself to learned judges and lose is one of my fears.
To even try at this advanced age could be called tempting fate,
but, then again, human instinct prevails-it is never too late !
As long as the ending rhymes, certainly I am entitled to a chance,
I would even be willing to celebrate with a shaky victory dance.
Having been Secretary of the Writer's Club should give me an "in",
certainly to dream and hope for the impossible is no great sin.
So, there you are: after sleepless nights and much cogitating,
here is my contribution for 2011, a loss would be ever so devastating !
Dear Judges, please, close one eye and consider my fervent plea:
to consider this work with a touch of human kindness, I beg of thee !
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
L E T T E R S
What else used to keep families in close touch ?
Outside the phone it used to be cards, letters and such.
The mail person was awaited with anticipation and mostly joy-
but then again, there were those nasty bills to much annoy.
Letter writing used to be an art-good handwriting was admired,
whereas now after typewriters, the computer is so desired.
Both these gadgets took personality out of communication,
there is nothing like some nice writing to lead to much elation.
Printed congratulations now take personality out of the message,
where once personal communication celebrated any rite of passage.
Goose feathers, pen and ink were what got us in touch,
they showed that the time spent on this meant ever so much.
Handwriting will soon suffer or it might just all disappear -
to express one's feelings will be handled by machine only, I fear.
Thus another piece of yourself will bite the proverbial dust :
to sit down and write something by hand will be no longer a must !
OTTO ROSS
January 2011
Outside the phone it used to be cards, letters and such.
The mail person was awaited with anticipation and mostly joy-
but then again, there were those nasty bills to much annoy.
Letter writing used to be an art-good handwriting was admired,
whereas now after typewriters, the computer is so desired.
Both these gadgets took personality out of communication,
there is nothing like some nice writing to lead to much elation.
Printed congratulations now take personality out of the message,
where once personal communication celebrated any rite of passage.
Goose feathers, pen and ink were what got us in touch,
they showed that the time spent on this meant ever so much.
Handwriting will soon suffer or it might just all disappear -
to express one's feelings will be handled by machine only, I fear.
Thus another piece of yourself will bite the proverbial dust :
to sit down and write something by hand will be no longer a must !
OTTO ROSS
January 2011
WHAT'S IN A NAME ?
It surely seems funny when a 98 year old man goes to school.
Would not most people think of him as a doddering old fool ?
Well, as it happens, I now put myself in just such a position-
and, believe it or not, I am proud to put myself on exhibition.
Blessed with a still able brain to absorb knowledge at this stage,
it is such a miracle that I can still crack a schoolbook's page.
But, should you ask me to learn a poem and recite it by heart-
it is impossible - I forget your name minutes after we do part.
The mind is a wonderful thing, it does grasp any situation,
if you can cite past experiences, you can age with determination.
Wisdom is acquired by training, you can react to many things-
yet, then again, there is the desperation a loss of a name often brings.
Many a time I have to admit that I am really so very ashamed
when I know the person I talk with and the loss of a name is blamed.
Yes, I know, I am not alone in this regrettable failure of recognition :
when only my years can excuse this lapse and it fills me with contrition.
Would not most people think of him as a doddering old fool ?
Well, as it happens, I now put myself in just such a position-
and, believe it or not, I am proud to put myself on exhibition.
Blessed with a still able brain to absorb knowledge at this stage,
it is such a miracle that I can still crack a schoolbook's page.
But, should you ask me to learn a poem and recite it by heart-
it is impossible - I forget your name minutes after we do part.
The mind is a wonderful thing, it does grasp any situation,
if you can cite past experiences, you can age with determination.
Wisdom is acquired by training, you can react to many things-
yet, then again, there is the desperation a loss of a name often brings.
Many a time I have to admit that I am really so very ashamed
when I know the person I talk with and the loss of a name is blamed.
Yes, I know, I am not alone in this regrettable failure of recognition :
when only my years can excuse this lapse and it fills me with contrition.
E I N S T E I N
Would you believe that I once shook the hands of this great man ?
This is a statement which to make, surely not anyone can !
It was a highpoint of my quiet life, certainly I am still ever so proud-
to boast of this occasion and ever so anxious to tell all about.
As Secretary of a German Club of refugees in New York I was living,
whereas this learned man lectures in Princeton, N.J. was giving.
The president of our club was not afraid to issue an invitation
to the great scientist, indicating that we all came from the same nation.
Lo and behold, he indeed accepted our bidding and set a date-
leaving it to us to find a suitable place which would highly rate.
You can imagine the excitement and joy this provoked in our small group-
because now, all of a sudden, we could consider ourselves"in the loop".
The place I have now forgotten, but the hand shake-should I stop washing my hand?
He spoke in German with a dialect and the impact was ever so grand.
An outstanding event in the life of an ordinary guy and I must boast :
to one of the smartest thinkers of the world I was allowed to play host !
OTTO ROSS
January 2011
This is a statement which to make, surely not anyone can !
It was a highpoint of my quiet life, certainly I am still ever so proud-
to boast of this occasion and ever so anxious to tell all about.
As Secretary of a German Club of refugees in New York I was living,
whereas this learned man lectures in Princeton, N.J. was giving.
The president of our club was not afraid to issue an invitation
to the great scientist, indicating that we all came from the same nation.
Lo and behold, he indeed accepted our bidding and set a date-
leaving it to us to find a suitable place which would highly rate.
You can imagine the excitement and joy this provoked in our small group-
because now, all of a sudden, we could consider ourselves"in the loop".
The place I have now forgotten, but the hand shake-should I stop washing my hand?
He spoke in German with a dialect and the impact was ever so grand.
An outstanding event in the life of an ordinary guy and I must boast :
to one of the smartest thinkers of the world I was allowed to play host !
OTTO ROSS
January 2011
T H E D E S K C A L E N D A R
Each day it stares at me - a gift from my fine nephew, you see.
It dares me to pull another page, it irks me, to some degree.
With the jokes and pictures on it, I hate to get rid of the present day,
because getting older is not much pleasure, I wish the date would stay !
But, to keep up with the world, I have to remove what is now past-
no matter how you wish for it to remain, there is no way that it will last.
Unfortunately, what happened is now history and down the drain -
you are ever so lucky if good memories of the past will remain.
Inexorably you are forced to remove another page that now has gone stale,
should you want to discuss past events-they sound like an old wives' tale.
Just like old newspapers are only good for wrapping today's fish-
to bring back any past event turns into an unfulfilled, too late wish.
To let missed opportunities be bygone is the very best thing to do,
the calendar with the proper date reminds you what today is new.
It tells you that things have come up that for now are the proper date :
so, do what the new page demands because for yesterday's it is too late !
It dares me to pull another page, it irks me, to some degree.
With the jokes and pictures on it, I hate to get rid of the present day,
because getting older is not much pleasure, I wish the date would stay !
But, to keep up with the world, I have to remove what is now past-
no matter how you wish for it to remain, there is no way that it will last.
Unfortunately, what happened is now history and down the drain -
you are ever so lucky if good memories of the past will remain.
Inexorably you are forced to remove another page that now has gone stale,
should you want to discuss past events-they sound like an old wives' tale.
Just like old newspapers are only good for wrapping today's fish-
to bring back any past event turns into an unfulfilled, too late wish.
To let missed opportunities be bygone is the very best thing to do,
the calendar with the proper date reminds you what today is new.
It tells you that things have come up that for now are the proper date :
so, do what the new page demands because for yesterday's it is too late !
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