The Measure of a Man

I took a long walk one day

I came across a park bench

The sun was shining

With just the right touch of a breeze

What a day I thought, and sat down

 

I looked down at my hands

I could see the lines of age

And the scars from years of hard work

Weathering my skin

And I thought…

 

What is it that I have really done

My name is not one of fame

Penned in school books

Who will remember me…

What wondrous deeds have I done

 

For a fleeting moment, I sat troubled

How can this be…I have dreams

I have aspirations for my life

So much time has gone by

How can I fix my life

 

Well, I thought about it

And I thought about it

And I realized…I am not broken

There is noting to fix

I have done some wondrous deeds

 

I have experienced the power of love

The cleansing of my soul

The true gift of giving

And receiving only a smile

Or a simple thank you

I have walked out of shadows

Of my former self

And have shed the lies of others

I wore like a second skin

And I have come full circle

 

For the measure of a man

Does not lie in his successes

But in his failures

And it is failure that awakens the soul

And creates necessary change within

Reviews

[Deep in the Woodline...]

Kinda reminds me of one of my favorite sayings:

"The only death you truely die is the one you die everyday by not living. So, dream big! Dare to fail!"

Norman Vaughan -- went to the South Pole with Perry, life-long adventurer, raced every year in the Iditerod Dog Sled race in Alaska well into his 90's, WWII hero.

[Tamiviolet]

michael, what a fantastic piece.

"and it is failure that awakens the soul
and creates the necessary change within."...my favorite.

you're deep; i like that. look forward to reading more of you.
peace.
tamiviolet

[Mystery Inside]

Very nice. Your words took me to the point when the emotions were felt plus you threw a bit of words of wisdom in there. Excellent.

[Robin Lavender]

This has so much truth. You have reminded us of one of the basic things in life. It is not black and white, but we grow in those gray areas. We have to measure how far we have come, not just how far we have to go. Success is sometimes just making it through the dark. The second last stanza has so much strength and tranformation. Nicely put. You get to the heart of the matter.

[Ebby]

Many of us see only our shortcomings, when it takes only a little shift to see the good in people. This is simply written and eloquently put.
A few words to capture a real feeling that many of us have experienced. I only wish a few more of us could be as positive as you.
This is well written, thank you for posting it for us to read!
My favourite part:
For a fleeting moment, I sat troubled
How can this be�I have dreams
I have aspirations for my life
So much time has gone by...
How can I fix my life

Well, I thought about it
And I thought about it
And I realized�I am not broken
There is nothing to fix

This is succinct simplicity at it's best.

[* Mourning Starr *]

Very well said, an awesome write filled with great power a couple of words mispelled here and there but this poem has a beautiful flow, I adored the last stanza, excellent Job.

For the measure of a man
Does not lie in his successes
But in his failures
And it is failure that awakens the soul
And creates the necessary change within

[Charlie Twist]

I have NEVER thought of that before...and I'll need to think on it tonight...

"For the measure of a man
Does not lie in his successes
But in his failures
And it is failure that awakens the soul "

I think you have created a beautiful poem that I enjoy VERY much...
as a young lady who has read much of the Bible (smite me now, here I go:D) I think personally what REALLY matters in life is our love. For others, for God, for country, for what is RIGHT.
That's my opinion though...
But I do think our failures make us who we are today, and I am glad to see you can look back and see the positive, and discovered the power in the little things:D
The kisses, the smiles, a thankyou....

"I have experienced the power of love
The cleansing of my soul
The true gift of giving
And receiving only a smile
Yet, alone, a simple thank you"

thankyou, you touched me:)

[Crap!]

The only difference between a fool and a wise man is that the wise man has made more mistakes and learned something from every one of them! I like your work.

[Sara Peters]

It's like you took my feelings and put the to paper. I enjoyed reading it very much.

[Michey Sharp]

LOL or woman :)...I truly loved this one...you have a wonderfully unique perspective on things that baffle the rest of us!