Inspirational Poems

Desiderata ~ Max Ehrman

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all people.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to all
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story. ... More

(See also the special Desiderata page, featuring Undesiderata, Anti-Desiderata, Eco-Desiderata and The Irish Desiderata parodies.)

What One Approves, Another Scorns

What one approves,
another scorns,
and thus
his nature each discloses.
You find the rosebush
full of thorns,
I find the
thornbush full of roses.

~ Arthur Guiterman

Please Hear What I'm Not Saying ~ Charles C. Finn, September 1966

Don't be fooled by me.
Don't be fooled by the face I wear for I wear a mask,
a thousand masks,
masks that I'm afraid to take off,
and none of them is me.

Pretending is an art that's second nature with me,
but don't be fooled, for God's sake don't be fooled.
I give you the impression that I'm secure,
that all is sunny and unruffled with me,
within as well as without, ... More

Phenomenal Woman ~ Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me. ... More

Crabby Old Woman ~ Anonymous

What do you see, nurses?
What do you see?
What are you thinking
When you're looking at me?

A crabby old woman,
Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit,
With faraway eyes? ... More

Slow Dance ~ David L. Weatherford

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground? ... More

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