Eric’s Sonnets in Gratitude to Manatita
Just Outside My Home
Go Ahead And Act Without Love - Goodbye
Some friend, Manatita, challenged me to write a sonnet. A sonnet? I looked it up as I know not of “sonnets”. Funny as it can be in Shakespeare style. Well I reckon I have read all of his sonnets. Strange about sonnets. Now again that I have read Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet many times. So a song that is called a sonnet is a strange thing indeed. Lambic Pentameter sonnet is kind of how I think. Our inner soul must rhyme like a sonnet. It must be a cool drinking stream that even others can love and gulp up. I shoot for that. Too often miss the mark of love sonnets.
So my old friend David wrote music and Psalms and it pleased the Lord. Now this makes me think that that is a good thing. It is not my calling. And then the struggle to do it, brought me closer to my own heart. How words can be created in a sonnet please our own goodness. My goodness, as such it is, is not mine. I was not born in love I was born to search for it.
I was born on October 4th, but it would seem born poorly. Some physical defects. So I was in the hospital for two more months. Fantastic. Something to do with some guts type stuff and a leg born backwards. So I was adopted today December 4th. This is what we call my “chosen” today, 62 years ago. Wow I just came out of the rain to washing up.
Something about all that just from the beginning makes a man cry in joy all these years later. Wahoo I am alive! One year for my high school I ran cross country, wrestled, Skied, did three things in track and field and did some baseball. A Five Letterman we called it back then. Can you imagine from a kid with a brace for 3 years? So my art and work is not from within completely it is also from without. More love than most can imagine.
I have achieved a doctorate and been on every continent. I have preached and teached. I have had two wives who love me to death. And children that make me feel fantastic and are accomplished. My parents were best friends of mine. And not one danged thing my doing or choice just love. Make sure you understand that I am not a “self-made” man, I am one of other’s love.
And so we take off on two sonnets. (The rain here is so heavy that meetings are cancelled so time to spend with my buddy laptop to write)
Sometimes a Little Thanks is a Good Thing
A Hard Morning After Ten Miles

I Was Not Feeling Alright -- Unacceptable
Funny But This Works For Me
Oh my lady is in me and does not always love me
She stands tall and erect yet she is the smallest of sect
She suffers and toils and stands tall yet though small she be
Of all hard work that I do she stands ready to direct
Why through my troubles so difficult she waits
It is clear that it take a heavy uneven toll
And with her there are many, many debates
I suppose with us we play many a different role
Yet above out heavy burden we call life
We seem to jump across all the boiling waters
She often rejects my poetry yet knows my inner strife
And inner poetry of love is all that really matters
So together we will still stand
Like a silly merry band
Life is brutal as we can all see
Life may be as hard as nails
Life may hurt as it will be
Life can knock us off us hard off the rails
I do not understand why life hurts so much
I do not get why it gets so difficult at times
I do not know why we are treated so such
I wish that life would be easy like children’s rhymes
But we get the easy, easy moments
And we get that big old moon in sky
Our love we have may not lay dormant
It is inside like poetry waiting to cry
Who shall we look to in times aerie?
Time to see the poetry inside me
Sometimes The Bite Hurts
I Reckon Trying To Do Good Might Be Better Than Doing it
I did not meet this challenge well. It is like you need to be still and quiet for our inner poetry to be felt and heard. This I will work on. How do we express our inner most-self poetry if we put it in words? Our group hug this morning was poetic. My words totally fell beneath the mark. Perhaps gardening and cooking and just helping another is the real poetry. Yet I am such an amateur in such matters I could not possibly reveal what I do not know. I think I will ask my 9 year old after school. I bet he has an answer.
Now more about these confounding sonnets. You are supposed to raise a dilemma type thing in the beginning and then resolve by the end using 14 lines. Now that is impossible. Most folks who can do it well are called “the greats”. Now after trying it, I will read more of them as it is tougher than hiking 14,000 feet and I know.
“You feeling alright? I’m not feeling that good myself.” (Joe Cocker) So I put this song on as I was not feeling that good myself. Just some dancing changed me. I simply refuse to do well. I have so many issues going on in my life that it could make your head spin right off. Wife issues, house issues, car issues, children issues, and health issues. But the sonnets brought it back to real. I have a wife to have issues with, a home to have issues with, a car to have issues with, children to have issues with and look at me I am thriving health wise.
So our sonnets project a problem. Wonderful. Within 14 lines we must resolve them. Make room today to let love erase issues. Make time today to let the poetry within you create a lift. Poetry should be sung in your heart and psalms should written slowly and treasured.
If you are having a problem with that, shout out. Why shucks you can write me. I am just full up and can give you some loving. We do love around here.
A special thanks to Manatita. He moved me for complacency is the room of bad.
Comments
Beautifully done. Very romantic and yet realistic.
Blessings,
Denise
Let love erase issues. I truly believe this. There is nothing more to say.
I remember Ho Chi Minh City during our musical play, Ms. Saigon. Thanks for sharing.
"... inner poetry of love is all that really matters"
My dear brother, Eric, this is one of the best verses I've ever read! I will write it on the "Quote of the day" at my classroom for my students or better I will make it a tattoo in my right arm! I am so blessed to know you and enjoy your higher talents! Thank you!
Much Love and prayers for you, every day!
Sean
Eric, you took the challenge and rocked the boat! You wrote from your heart, and I felt it. BTW I like Joe Cocker, he's a boat rocker too. Peace my friend.
Bill's two lines are masterpieces! I just couldn't stop laughing and Linda's are filled with hope. My gratitude to everyone else here. My brother, thanks for the child in you. You need nothing else: My Gratitude to all your Hubber and my Hubber friends here.
"Only two miracles are worth seeing: The miracle of loving and the miracle of forgiving." -Sri Chinmoy.
"Only two things are to be taken seriously: God-discovery and Self-mastery." - Sri Chinmoy
" O bird of my Heart, fly on, fly on. Look not behind. Whatever the world gives is useless, meaningless and utterly false." - Sri Chinmoy
"Inner poetry of love; poetry waiting to cry." Awesome lines!!
Yes, you are right. Complacency is a very bad thing and I have written a poem about it. So I'm extremely happy that you tried and made it very real from your life experiences.
Now Bro, I didn't ask you to write a Shakespearean Sonnet! Why would you wish for more pain? Lol. It's like Sri Chinmoy giving me a huge quantity of inner experiences, when my small vessel could take just a 'wee' amount. Haha.
I wanted a 'wee' square poem of 14 lines, in other words, a free-style Sonnet. Your second stanza is a free-style 14 lines. I'll take that.
You say a lot in your writings. I can only keep offering you my Heart and pray for more Love and wisdom for us all. Let us hang on in there and do what we can. Remain cheerful, for it will eventually break down the adamantine wall of despondency or despair. Peace and Gratitude.
There is beautiful poetry inside you, Eric. Your expressions are unique: love . . . like poetry waiting to cry" is just one that I greatly admire. Thanks for taking on the challenge.
Well done Eric, in writing this sonnet. Both you and Manatita are wonderful writers and I appreciate both of you.
I am not very good at poetry but I do express my feelings sometimes, through poems. By reading your work and other talented poets of HubPages, I am in good company and learning the art of it.
Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed reading this.
Excellent, Eric. Your words come from the heart; that's true poetry. It's filling to the soul and rewarding to read. Thank you. Poet by my book, and true gifted soul by any measure. Blessings.
Eric, the most beautiful sonnet is the one that you write with your life. You've not written that 14th and final line, and pray that it is many, many more years until you do.
I would say you were successful, Eric, I have written many a poem but have never attempted a Sonnet; that I know of. I don't give type name to my poems, I put the words on paper as the thoughts flow and when I'm finished I call it poetry. very few do I write that doesn't rhyme. All of that is said to mean I enjoyed it and appreciate you following a friends suggestion.
Great start on a challenge and you certainly got it going for you. Sonnets are not for me you have a good one here and this world is brutal my friend
The whole world is upside down if you are writing sonnets to Manatita. LOL And I like it!
I think you met the challenge for writing sonnets. I guess we all improve in time if we try, but don't be hard on yourself as I think you did quite well my friend.
Nice Poem Eric
I’ve never tried To pen a sonnet and don’t seek to start, but my hat is off to you for tackling the challenge.
Dear Eric, it is fascinating to see your process, and the frustration, and doubt you feel finding your 'voice' in poetry. A Sonnet isn't easy! Give yourself some wiggle room.
And by the way, here's your Poem:
"I have achieved a doctorate and been on every continent. I have preached and teached. I have had two wives who love me to death. And children that make me feel fantastic and are accomplished. My parents were best friends of mine. And not one danged thing my doing or choice just love. Make sure you understand that I am not a “self-made” man, I am one of other’s love."
Eric, congratulations on your adoption day and on writing the sonnets. Sonnets are no easy feat and I attempt them when I want to give myself an extra challenge. Successfully writing one always makes me feel quite proud...anything Shakespeare can do, I can do better...lol...that’s a joke. Thanks for sharing. I know you have a lot of issues to deal with so this was good to take a short break.
Great poems, beautifully penned. Writing poetry helps to connect with our feelings and thoughts. It brings out our experiences in life and gives us a lot to think about. Free style in poetry without having to follow a pattern is a great way to pen poetry.
37