Poems

This poem was submitted by Derek Melancon.
It was written by his grandmother in 1947.
Thank you Derek for sharing this
beautiful poem with all of us!

BECAUSE YOU SMILED
by Jo Burford

I raised my head and saw you there

Across the room from me.

A smile had started in your eyes

And it was - good - to see.

One moment, then it reached your lips

And lingered for awhile,

I wonder - "Do you know the joy

That traveled with your smile?"

A smile is such a little thing,

And used so sparingly.

Sometimes - it's awfully hard to do,

But - Oh - it's good to see.

When I feel tired, or low within

As I often do,

It's good to look across the room

And have a smile - from you.

The Optimist Creed

• To be strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind

• To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet

• To make all your friends feel that there is something in them

• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true

• To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best

• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future

• To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile

• To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others

• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble

A Contagious Smile

That smile of yours is contagious
I know this because it's true
I wasn't always happy this way
Not until I met you
That smile of yours picked me up
You walked in when I was down
You took what was once a bad day
And turned it right around
Now there are some days when I'm not happy
There are some days when I'm just sad
But thinking back on your smile...
Those days weren't all that bad
That smile of yours IS contagious
Just look at everyone around
If they're not wearing smiles right-side up
They're wearing frowns just upside-down


by: Karl Schuster (c)
all rights reserved
Umbro1322@aol.com

Just Smile! 

A True Smile

A smile shouldn't be taken lightly
Some smile all the time, politely
One thing for sure
A true smile is joy so pure
With a smile, joy is released from the soul
A process initiated at birth to console
Every smile makes a soul stronger than before
Beware, do not let joy be ignored
If the joy is not let out with a true smile
It will build up, for awhile
But after a bit it will spoil slow
Diminishing until it becomes pure sorrow
Though sorrow is needed for a soul maturing
Pure sorrow may outlast a soul most enduring
When this happens a soul will become stronger
Once decided it wants sorrow no longer
While smiling keep this in thought
And give all, this life lesson to be taught

*~*Jessica Chaffins*~*
*December 20, 2001*

There's Sunshine In A Smile

by Helen Steiner Rice
(one of my very favorite poets)
 

Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain,
Laughter and pleasure, teardrops and rain.

All days can't be bright but it's certainly true,
There was never a cloud the sun didn't shine through.

And you'll find when you smile your day will be brighter
And all your burdens will seem so much lighter.

For each time you smile you will find it's true
Somebody, somewhere, will smile back at you.

And nothing on earth can make life more worthwhile
Than the sunshine and warmth of a beautiful smile!

The Value Of A Smile

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

It cannot be begged, borrowed, or stolen, but it is of no earthly good to anyone until it's given away!

So if in your hurry you run across someone too weary to smile ~ leave one of yours.

No one needs a smile as much as he who has none to give.

~ Author Unknown

  Happiness Is... 

taking in all the wonders of life --

its joys,

its sorrows,

its sunshine,

its smiles --

learning from the experiences each one brings you,

and then, from a caring heart,

giving them all away again.

Author Unknown

SMILE! 

© by Karen McLendon-Laumann

(NOTE: I previously had this terrific smiley poem listed as "author unknown". Karen McLendon-Laumann saw it on my site and contacted me to let me know she is the author. She does have the copyright but has allowed me to keep it published here for all of you to enjoy!! Thanks again Karen for the great poem & for sharing it with us!  11-13-02

Optimism

Talk happiness. The world is sad enough
Without your woes. No path is wholly rough;
Look for the places that are smooth and clear,
And speak of those, to rest the weary ear
Of Earth, so hurt by one continuous strain
Of human discontent and grief and pain.

Talk faith. The world is better off without
Your uttered ignorance and morbid doubt.
If you have faith in God, or man, or self,
Say so. If not, push back upon the shelf
Of silence all your thoughts, till faith shall come;
No one will grieve because your lips are dumb.

Talk health. The dreary, never-changing tale
Of mortal maladies is worn and stale.
You cannot charm, or interest, or please
By harping on that minor chord, disease.
Say you are well, or all is well with you,
And God shall hear your words and make them true.

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Then Laugh 

Build for yourself a strong box
Fashion each part with care
When its as strong as your hand can make it
Put all your troubles there.

KEEP SMILING!

If at times you feel you want to cry
And life seems such a trial
Above the clouds there's a bright blue sky
So make your tears a smile.

As you travel on life's way
With its many ups and downs
Remember its quite true to say
One smile is worth a dozen frowns.

Among the worlds expensive things
A smile is very cheap
And when you give a smile away,
You get one back to keep.

Happiness comes at times to all
But sadness comes unbidden
And sometimes a few tears must fall
Among the laughter hidden.

So when friends have sadness on their face
And troubles round them piled
The world will seem a better place
And all because you smiled.

Author Unknown

A SMILE

A smile can show someone that you care.
A smile is something we must all share.
A smile can help friends who are in need.
A smile could help plant the friendship seed.
A smile should never bring a tear.
A smile will always bring a cheer.
A smile such a very simple thing.
A smile can make the coldest heart sing.

by D.Fletcher

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The thing that goes the farthest towards making life worth while,
That costs the least, and does the most, is just a pleasant smile.

It's full of worth and goodness too, with manly kindness blent.
It's worth a million dollars and it doesn't cost a cent."

by W.D. Nesbit
(p.s. I looked up "blent" in the dictionary and it's the past tense of blend.)

1)  Compliment 3 people everyday!
2)  Watch a sunrise
3)  Be the first to say "hello"
4)  Treat everyone as you want to be treated
5)  Live beneath your means
6)  Forget the Joneses
7)  Never give up on anybody ~ miracles happen!
8)  Remember someone's name
9)  Be kinder than you have to be
10) Wish not for things, but for wisdom and courage
11) Be tough-minded, but tender hearted
12) Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated
13) Keep your promises
14) Leave everything better than you found it
15) Show cheerfulness even when you don't feel it
16) Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do
17) Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years
18) When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone's day
19) Don't rain on other people's parades
20) Don't waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them!