ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Poems From the Porch 24

Updated on May 20, 2021
Jodah profile image

John has been writing poetry since his school days. He was awarded the "Best Poet 2014 and 2021" Hubby Awards.

Source

Coronavirus or COVID 19

Almost every third news story at the moment seems to be about the coronavirus as it begins to spread around the world. At time of writing there have been 50 confirmed cases in Australia, but so far none in my town of Murgon. I guess that is one of the advantages of living in a small country town.

That said, however, the effects are still being felt here as some items are in short supply or missing from supermarket shelves due to people stocking up in case of an outbreak and being forced into quarantine in their homes. The most notable shortages so far seemed to be in toilet paper and milk, but I am sure other items may soon follow. There has already been a shortage in the supply of face masks.

One fact that brought it home to me was that I saw out local Chinese restaurant had a sign on its door today "CLOSED DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS." That is a little worrying as we just had a meal there two weeks ago.

Anyway, I hope all my readers are safe and well and there are no cases in your immediate vicinities. As I mentioned earlier, there are still no confirmed cases here, so feel free to join me on the porch (virus free) as I share these poems.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay | Source

Peggy Woods

I previously wrote a poem for Peg about veteran's suicide, however I didn't see this request that she requested at the same time.

"Another much lighter topic might be one about butterflies."


I am glad I went back and saw this request Peggy. Here is a short poem about butterflies.

Butterflies are self propelled flowers.

— Robert Heinlein
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Image by Gerhard Bögner from PixabaySilken wings: Image by Pexels from PixabayPeacock Butterfly: Image by kie-ker from Pixabay
Image by Gerhard Bögner from Pixabay
Image by Gerhard Bögner from Pixabay | Source
Silken wings: Image by Pexels from Pixabay
Silken wings: Image by Pexels from Pixabay | Source
Peacock Butterfly: Image by kie-ker from Pixabay
Peacock Butterfly: Image by kie-ker from Pixabay | Source

Silken Wings

Silken wings of patterned hues,

Each one a perfect clone,

Carry you from flower to flower

Until your work is done.


In such a fragile, minute form

You're God's perfect creation.

A life so short but valuable,

Your purpose, pollination.


The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity.

— George Carlin

Bill Holland

"I don't remember if I made a recent request or not...let's see.....how about 'compassion?'"


Compassion is a worthy topic for a poem, Bill. So, thank you. I decided to write it as an acrostic.

Helping hand: Image by Vicki Nunn from Pixabay
Helping hand: Image by Vicki Nunn from Pixabay | Source

Compassion

Compassion for our fellow man

Of every race or religion

Must be the centre of our thoughts

Peace to all, our mission

Assisting those who need a hand

Showing good grace to all

Standing up for ones oppressed

It's us who must stand tall.

Often our leaders make things worse

Never heeding pity's call.

A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures ...

— Albert Einstein

Ruby Jean Richert

"Now, I'm wondering if you might write a poem honoring the great actor Kirk Douglas?"


Kirk Douglas was a wonderful actor, Ruby, and I have done my best to honour him in this poem.

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Kirk Douglas: By Unknown photographer - eBay , seller Old Brass Antiques, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20325755With Eve Miller in The Big Trees 1952:By Warner Bros. - eBay, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25597053With Joan Tetzel in the 1963 Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest:
Kirk Douglas: By Unknown photographer - eBay , seller Old Brass Antiques, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20325755
Kirk Douglas: By Unknown photographer - eBay , seller Old Brass Antiques, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20325755 | Source
With Eve Miller in The Big Trees 1952:By Warner Bros. - eBay, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25597053
With Eve Miller in The Big Trees 1952:By Warner Bros. - eBay, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25597053 | Source
With Joan Tetzel in the 1963 Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest:
With Joan Tetzel in the 1963 Broadway play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: | Source

Not Just a Ragman's Son

Born in Amsterdam, New York

As Issur Danielovitch,

Kirk Douglas was an actor, director,

Writer and philanthropist.


From Russian Jewish immigrants,

And a childhood that was impoverished

To become a leading box-office star,

Successful and accomplished.


Kirk appeared in 90 films

And maybe even more.

His explosive acting style on screen

Suited dramas, westerns, and war.


As a US Navy communications officer

He served in the 2nd World War,

But injured by a depth charge

And medically discharged in 1944.


Kirk worked in radio, commercials and in theatre.

Success on the stage was his primary goal,

Until recommended for a supporting movie part

By his close friend Lauren Bacall.


He played the parts of Spartacus,

Ulysses, and Van Gogh,

Some sensitive, romantic leads,

But mostly tough guy roles.


Kirk Douglas wrote ten novels,

And memoirs, The Ragman's Son.

"Even on Eagle Street, the poorest section of town,

The ragman was the lowest rung..."


A philanthropist right to the end

Many charities he'd fund

He left them most of his estate.

He was not just a ragman's son.


Kirk is one of a kind. He has an overpowering physical presence, which is why on a large movie screen he looms over the audience like a tidal wave in full flood. Globally revered, he is now the last living screen legend of those who vaulted to stardom at the war's end, that special breed of movie idol instantly recognizable anywhere, whose luminous on-screen characters are forever memorable.

— Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Lorna Lamon

"I was wondering John if you have time could you include a poem about stepping stones. I think our lives are a series of stepping stones. Cheers."


Thank you for your request Lorna. Here is my take on "stepping stones."

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Stepping stones: Image by Jaap Schuddeboom from Pixabayones: Image by 은주 송 from PixabayImage by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
Stepping stones: Image by Jaap Schuddeboom from Pixabayones:
Stepping stones: Image by Jaap Schuddeboom from Pixabayones: | Source
Image by 은주 송 from Pixabay
Image by 은주 송 from Pixabay | Source
Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay | Source

Stepping Stones

Life can be like stepping stones,

Be careful where you step.

Don't try to rush along the path

Where others fear to tread.


Try not to stray far from the track,

The stones are there to guide.

But if you ever must detour

Leave clues to lead you back.


The stepping stones of life are true,

They're not there to confuse,

But many people lose their way,

They're blinded by the light..


Fix your eyes upon the stones,

Don't look to left or right.

Temptation is at every turn,

Stay focussed on your dreams.


Conquer each stone as they come,

Make each a separate goal,

You'll soon be well along the path

To achieving real success.


Tune in Next Week

If you are free next week please feel free to drop into the porch and say "hi." I will be sharing poems I am writing for: Pamela Oglesby, Gypsy Rose Lee, Rosina S Khan, and Peggy Woods. Topics are California dreaming, Making Peace With My Past, Spring Cleaning, and Senior Citizens and Doctors.

Until then, have fun and stay well.

© 2020 John Hansen

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)