A young soul

A young soul in my ageing body plays, Though time’s sharp blades my weary visage raze.

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Hard biter in a toothless mouth is she, The will may wane, but she a winner stays.

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Spare me to win glory’s forbidden prize, Glory in hardship, sloth in comfort lies.

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Em’nence is not with cheap comfort bought, Hear the honey gath’rers bee-stung cries

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No indolent dreaming dawdler am I, Nor am content, while riches I descry.

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Life’s heaving tides of woe shall spare me not, Unless I, its unblocked courses defy

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Softly do town girls their faces adorn, But Bedu are from garish colours shorn.

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Town beauty is with pampered softness sought, The Bedu are with unsought beauty born.

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Grave harm have lovers to themselves done, Loving, ere understanding life begun.

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They, with with’ered and wasted souls, After vile, though pretty-faced creatures run.

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Beauti’ful women, as experienced men know, Are but darkness wrapped in dazzling light aglow.

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A life of friv’lous youth and worried age, Its futile course to futile death will flow

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When my hands from brimming cups weakly shook, I awoke, ere sense my wined mind forsook.

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Shunning choice wines, as rich as purest gold, I, of spring showers silv’ry draught partook.

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Secrets I keep no companion can discern, Nor to it can wine its potent way burn.

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Soft women I have for an hour, and then, Deserts I roam, never more to return.

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Courage to reason second place must take, For valour should not balanced judgment shake.

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But if both in a hard soul united are, Then Glory’s realms their own demesne shall make.

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Defiantly live, or in honour die, Midst slashing blades and banners flapping high

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Rage is best dispatched by lances’ points, and Spearing spiteful chests shall their spite deny.

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Face with cool, carefree calm life’s caretorn climes, As long as your soul with its body chimes.

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Your joys of yore have passed beyond recall, And sadness can summon not bygone times.

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A charger’s saddle is an exalted throne, The best companions are books alone.

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Without hardship everyone would prevail, The generous are poor, and courage kills its own.

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One’s ill-conduct brooding mistrust will breed, For dark thoughts on darker suspicions feed.

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Sland’ring friends with what foes have slandered one, Thus in black nights of doubt one’s life will lead.

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Fie’ry rashness may as valour be seen, And nervous anger may cowardice mean.

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Arms are carried by people everywhere, But not all claws are lion’s, nor as keen.

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Cowards see vapid impotence as sense, Such is treacherous villainy’s defense.

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Each of valour’s divers forms enriches, But valiant wisdom is of worth immense.

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Our dead we mourn, though we very well know, That but Vanity they leave ere they go.

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Reflection upon life’s hard course shall teach, ‘Tis one to die as be slain by a foe.

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Shoreless you would be of you were a sea. If rain, earth unable to contain ye.

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Country and people of you I could warn, Of that which only Noah could foresee.

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Misfortune’s arrows do upon me rain, Countless arrowheads does my heart sustain.

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As more shafts at my studded heart fly, Steel upon Steel shatters the hardy twain.

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At times in Bedu tents a home I find, Often, home is atop the camel’s hind,

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My body a target for the brigand’s lance, To scorching heat my aching face unbind.

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Though a noble lady and highly born, ‘Tis your unfeminine wisdom we mourn.

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True spirit is from softer self distilled, As potent wine from sweeter grapes is drawn.

***

By AL-MUTANNABI (915 To 965)

DO MEN REMEMBER ANNIVERSARIES?

A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in their bed.

She puts on her dressing gown and goes downstairs to look for him.

She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in front of him. He appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall.

She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.

'What's the matter, dear?' she whispers as she steps into the room, 'Why are you down here at this time of night?'

The husband looks up from his coffee, 'I am just remembering when we first met 20 years ago and started dating. You were only 16. Do you remember back then?' he says solemnly.

The wife is touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring, so sensitive.

'Yes, I do' she replies.

The husband pauses. The words were not coming easily.

'Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car?'

'Yes, I remember!' said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside him.

The husband continues. 'Do you remember when he shoved the shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you marry my daughter, or I will send you to jail for 20 years?'

'I remember that too' she replies softly.

He wipes another tear from his cheek and says...

'I would have been released today.'

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem, Almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
And had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, If the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked The students again
If the jar was full.. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
And poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced Two cups of coffee from under the table
And poured the entire contents Into the jar, effectively
Filling the Empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, As the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that This jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost
And only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter Like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --
The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
'there is no room for The pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time And energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for The things that are
Important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things That are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
To clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
And inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for A couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

For You

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.' I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him...

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.' They really should get lives. ' He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! ' He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..

When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. 'Thanks,' he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began

'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends....

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.' I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. 'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable..' I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions..

With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse.

'Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.'

There is no beginning or end..

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift.