A Life Lesson On Men

(from father to teenage daughter many years ago)

act dumb my father said to me
act dumb and you will find
that others will be off their guard
while you stay sharp of mind

act dumb and hold your silence
though keep your eyes alert
for observation is a tool
you’ll need to fend off hurt

and don’t forget those ears of yours
make sure the sound’s switched on
to listen to the winds of change
that whistle loud their song

and as to that soft heart my love
protect it at all costs
surround it well with cotton wool
to save it from sharp frosts

then finally he said to me
these words don’t come so easily
but many men are bloody fools
who like to bend and break the rules

Reviews

[Mauricio Montoya]

John your words are so true but a father creates all sin if he can not sees the woman and her children for a son is father to be true but if his lies brings down the mother who is the father. thank you for Sharing

[John the Baptist]

Men break the rules? I can't bloody believe it.

[Chris Shaw]

Women do too at times, but my Dad was very protective of his three daughters when it came to their male admirers. Thanks for stopping by John.

Chris

[Mauricio Montoya]

Chris I scroll for titles that I may be interested in, your father must have been a wise man my farther was not he was a drunk but sometimes he had wisdom only when he was hungover I was a kid when he said don't believe everything that's written but read between the lines, I admire this write because my is dead and I never gave him a chance to come clean we didn't speak for 20 years and he is gone. yet you hold his thoughts in high regard, I wish I had. thank you for sharing, sometimes silence is better.

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Mauricio my Dad was a clever man but he didn’t always get everything 100%. He was very protective of his three daughters. I do however hold him in high esteem.

Chris

[Mauricio Montoya]

Chris thank you

[Lydia Shutter]

Splendid advice from your Dad. Our parents really were wise ones! Love the rhyming in this poem. Lydi***

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Lydi**. This was the advice my Dad gave all three of his teenage daughters. Yes, he wanted the best for us, but these were his views back then. My sisters and I smile now when we talk about them now.

Chris

[W. Barrett Munn]

Delightful reading, Chris.

Your ability to handle rhyme without it coming out sounding like a contortionist's cries when over-contortioned always makes me smile and wonder how you do it so well.

Winston

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Winston, this was the lesson given to all three of my Dad’s daughters. He was very protective of us.:) I appreciate your review.

Chris

[Neville]

I know I have said it before, but your father was a very wise man .. now let this be a lesson for all those who carry a Y chromosome don'tcha know .. Neville

[Chris Shaw]

You know Neville my Dad was a very clever man, but he didn’t always get everything 100% right. This was the same lesson he gave all three of his daughters and when we talk about it now we smile. There are no man haters in our family :)) Hope your Wednesday has been a good one and Thanks for stopping by.

Chris