The Giant Puff-Ball-Edmund Blunden (1896-1974)

The Giant Puff-Ball

From what sad star I know not, but I found

Myself new-born below the coppice rail,

No bigger than the dewdrops and as round,

In a soft sward, no cattle might assail.

And so I gathered mightiness and grew

With this one dream kindling in me, that I

Should never cease from conquering light and dew

Till my white splendour touched the trembling sky.

A century of blue and stilly light

Bowed down before me, the dew came again,

The moon my sibyl worshipped through the night,

The sun returned and long abode; but then

Hoarse drooping darkness hung me with a shroud

And switched at me with shrivelled leaves in scorn.

Red morning stole beneath a grinning cloud,

And suddenly clambering over dike and thorn

A half-moon host of churls with flags and sticks

Hallooed and hurtled up the partridge brood,

And Death clapped hands from all the echoing thicks,

And trampling envy spied me where I stood;

Who haled me tired and quaking, hid me by,

And came again after an age of cold,

And hung me in the prison-house adry

From the great crossbeam. Here defiled and old

I perish through unnumbered hours, I swoon,

Hacked with harsh knives to staunch a child's torn hand;

And all my hopes must with my body soon

Be but as crouching dust and wind-blown sand

.--Edmund Blunden

A Father, His Daughter, and His Son.

A Father, His Daughter, and His Son.

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, good wine in the other, totally worn out and screaming: 'Wooo Hoooo, what a ride! I wanna go round again!' 

Consequently, we need to teach our daughters the difference between a man who flatters her and a man who invests in her- for life; a man who views her as his property and a man who views her properly. 

We must teach her the difference between a man who lusts after her and a man who loves her; a man who believes he is a gift from “The Mother” to all women and a man who know that woman is Mother’s gift to man. AND THEN: we must teach ourselves; and our sons; to be that man.

No father ever wants to see,

his children go a muck;

so every day-in every way,

he does his level best;

to help them find a way,

to stand up to life's test.

He knows he cannot always be there,

and at times they will have to fail;

or learn; on their own; what’s best

no matter how it hurts to know

he must never think her lest;

for she must also grow.

Protector of a youthful heart;

consoler for all youth’s pains;

your first true love; your hero too

the very life within your veins;

never did he go away,

for all that life retains;

He’s your Daddy-don’t you know?

So, my child, love your father now;

give back some of what he has given you.

Because it’s flow is unconditional;

and asks for no reward;

now days such love is rare

and only he could teach you how. 

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved.

Princess in my Heart A father's tribute to his daughter

Princess in my Heart-3
A father's tribute to his daughter

You are a princess in my heart,

I care for you oh so much.

I love the fondness in your eyes and in your tender touch.

I looked at you when you were born,

and I could not but laugh.

I knew right then, right straight away,

that I would be forever here

to watch you grow and play.

You bring to me a heart of joy,

and memories so great;

a powerful sense of fatherhood,

that no one can debate.

I’ve watched you sleep and dream,

of things, that I can only wonder.

That innocent look upon your face,

it just made my heart grow fonder.

To see you run, and jump, and shout, while calling out my name;

I knew no love that I'd  ever know could ever feel 
the same.

No suffering, nor tragedy, nor deeply searing pain;

could ever overshadow the bond that we retain.

And you are still my princess;

so before you go to sleep,

Remember I am your daddy and I am yours to keep=Forever.

©Al (Alex-Alexander)D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Whether your daughter is still a little girl,

 or a grown-up woman, 

she'll always remain as your little girl;

she will hold a special place in your heart--FOREVER.

As she stretched your tolerance with the sulky attitude of a teenage girl;
It's probably from your daughter that you learned about the sweetness and spice of little girls--
forever!

From her, you learned about patience; and forgiveness, no matter.

Whatever, wherever, whoever  she has chosen,

no matter!

You may not like who she has become,

the things she does, the path she take,

No matter!

Not yours, the choice was her's to make .

You no longer like her, whatever,

 you loved her then--no matter!

 Love her now, feel proud,

 She has your heart--

 FOREVER.

--Al (Alex Alexander)D Girvan

Love:

Love:

Not something to fall in or out of;
it must be kept with you,
your whole life throu.

This doing, this being;

is not the coo of a turtle dove,

Heartbreaking work is Love.

But, love makes it's own reward;

Sent to keep your brain awhirl;
She's"YOUR LITTLE GIRL".

******      ******      ******      ******      ******      ******      ******

To She, Who is My Daughter

To She, Who is My Daughter

I loved you from the moment I first saw you.

For in you I saw all my hopes and dreams;

The future to begin, and blossom.

I tried to teach you to believe in yourself

I gave you the wings,

Taught you to fly-the best I could.

When the day did come for your solo flight;

You spread your wings-like an eagle soared,

With our shared dreams-but not the same,

All your aspirations, I could never name.

You became everything I hoped a daughter to be.

How grateful I am that

Regardless of time and relentless space,

In my mind, I still see your face

You are still, as you will always be,

My beloved daughter.
©Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan 2012, All rights reserved

Dad Says..

Don't ask me , ask your mother.

Were you raised in a barn? Close the door.

You didn't beat me. I let you win.

Big boys don't cry

Don't worry It's only blood.

Don't you know any normal boys?

Now you listen to ME, Buster!

I'll play catch after I read the paper.

Coffee will stunt your growth.

A little dirt never hurt anyone--just wipe it off.

Get you elbows off the table.

I told you to keep your eye on the ball.

Who said life was supposed to be fair?

Always say please and thank you.

that way, you get more.

If you forget,

you'll be grounded till the end of the world.

You call that a haircut

"Hey" is for horses.

This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.

Turn off those lights

Do you think I am made of Money?

Don't give me any of your lip, young lady.

You call that noise "music".No we,re not there yet.

Shake it off. It's only pain.

When I was your age,

I treated My father with respect.

As long as you live under my roof,

you'll live by my rules.

I'll tell you why. Because I said so. That's why.

Do what I say, not what I do.

it up straight, Knucklehead!

So you think you're smart do you?

What's so funny? Wipe that smile off your face.

Young ldies perspire, they do not sweat.

If I've told you once

I've told you a thousand times.

You want something to do?

I'll give you something to do.

You should visit more often.

Your mother worries.

This is your last warning.

I'm not sleeping, I was watching that channel.

What keep those jeans of yours frm falling off?

I'm not just talking to hear my own voice. I knew how to cook,

when I was your age, young lady.
Don't take yourself seriously,
take what you do seriously!
Laugh at youself first,
you'll take the bite out of others doing so for you.
You're always a winner, if you lose with a smile.
In MY day...
Four things come not back:
time past, the spoken word, the sped arrow, 
and the missed opportunity.
You can want in one hand and spit in the other.
See which one fills up first.
If your friend jumped off a bridge would you? 
If, I didn't love you so much, i would't punish you..
I would let you do whatever you wanted.
You have things so easy.
When I was your age
I  had to walk a mile to school in 10 feet of snow,
up hill both ways!
If you want to catch a bird, you have to  put salt on it's tail.
You're only young once.
Life is a journey
and you've just reached one of the many
speed bumps to come.
Don't look at me in that tone of voice.
How many times
do I have to pound that into your head.
If you want to do something,
do it because YOU want to.
Don't do it because someone else did.
As long as you tried your very best,
that's all that matters.
If ifs and buts were candies and nuts
then we'd all have a merry Christmas.
Don't believe anything you hear,
and only half of what you see.
What part of NO don't you understand.
I could care less what everybody else is doing!
I'm not everybody else's father!
Put your head through the window
and the pain will be gone.
Worrying about things is like a rocking chair..
it give you something to do
but it doesn't get you anywhere.
I feel for you but I can't reach you from here.
If you're going to act dumb,
you've gotta be tough.
With anything in life,
it's hard to be good and easy to be very bad.
I got my tongue wrapped around my eye-tooth
and could't see what I was saying.
Hot chicks are like buses.
Just wait on the corner
and another one will come along.
Don't tell on anybody,
unless you tell on yourself first.
Enough is enough

 in spite of it all,

 you always know
, 
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE

Your Daddy's little Girl 

******

****

She has the spirit of the sun--Julie Perkins Cantrell

She has the spirit of the sun,

the moods of the moon,

the will of the wind.

--Julie Perkins Cantrell

Finish each day and be done with it.-Rolph Waldo Emerson

Finish each day and be done with it.

You have done what you could;

some blunders and absurdities have crept in;

forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day;

you shall begin it serenely;

and with too high a spirit,

to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

-- Rolph Waldo Emerson

You Are Loved

The Following Poem

Will Serve For Daughter

 Or An Equally Beloved Son.

You Are Loved

When the road seems too long

When darkness sets in

When everything turns out wrong

And you can't find a friend

Remember ~ you are loved

When smiles are hard to come by

And you're feeling down

When you spread your wings to fly

And can't get off the ground

Remember ~ you are loved.

When time runs out before you're through

And it's over before you begin

When little things get to you

And you just can't win

Remember ~ you are loved.

When your loved ones are far away

And you are on your own

When you don't know what to say

When you're afraid of being alone

Remember ~ you are loved.

When your sadness comes to an end

And everything is going right

May you think of your family and friends

And keep their love in sight

A thank-you for being loved.

May you see the love around you

In everything you do

And when troubles seem to surround you

May all the love shine through

You are blessed ~ you are loved.

by Roger Pinches

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in Beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellowed to that tender light

Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, that tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

and mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

Lord Byron