Francis and Clare
Still I wonder
what went through the thoughts
of Francis of Assisi
where he was between
his twelve disciples
as he met Clare.
There are things
incomprehensible to some
like when people choose
to life in poverty
to help others
and without a life partner
take life on bravely
and only are dedicated to God.
poem by Gert Strydom
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For Many Life's Road
For many life's road is uphill all of the way
From the moment they are born till their very last day
They know what it is like to know of poverty
To make do on little their life's destiny
I feel that good luck in life has been with me
I never was homeless or a refugee
I never did go to bed hungry at night
For many life it is a much tougher fight
You do not have to go far poor people to meet
There are so many of them on Poverty Street
From where they live 'tis a long road to renown
Their ill luck to be born on the poor side of the town
For to live as a pauper is something most would not choose
Yet in life for one to win many have to lose.
poem by Francis Duggan
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This Life Can Be A Battle
This life can be a battle most live from day to day
And for billions of people 'tis uphill all of the way
Yet the longer that we do live the sooner we will die
And in life not everyone is equal unless you believe the lie
That everyone is born equal though with that I can't agree
That does seem patronizing talk or so 'twould seem to me
So many living in poverty and of hope in despair
Believe me 'tis a rat race in the bigger World out there
This life can be a battle for the billions in poverty
You cannot tell these people about equality
Since they would not listen to you in life they struggle on
And any hope of happiness from them seems to be gone
This life can be a battle life's uphill road is steep
And many homeless people without a bed on which to sleep.
poem by Francis Duggan
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You Feel Sad And Down
You feel sad and down life is not always fair
And of hope for the future you are in despair
In that you are not alone people like you everywhere
But when the going gets tough the tough hang in there
'Life is not meant to be easy' according to George Bernard Shaw
Though on life your own conclusions you can draw
Life is never easy for those on the poor side of the town
Where many do only know of ill renown
The victims of poverty due to birth circumstance
At any success in life they do stand little chance
Out of work and the economy at present doing quite bad
But at least you were born to a good mum and dad
And you've never once been to Poverty Street
Where many are Homeless without food to eat.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Many Say Our Life's Journey
Many say our life's journey is fashioned from the life choices we make
That due to poor decisions the wrong road we do take
But assumptions to make to some people do come easily
The people who discount what is known as life's destiny,
The child born of parents living in poverty
Disadvantaged from birth what life choice has she or he?
Homeless as teenagers with little to eat
On the dingy sidewalks of Poverty Street
Life choices not for those of the poor streets of town
For most from there life's journey never leads to renown
Homeless as teenagers they turn to drugs and crime
And like their parents before them serve many years of jail time
Life choices are not for everyone it does seem to me
Though with me on this one many would disagree.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Arguably John Clare
In the English language the greatest poet of Nature is arguably John Clare
Many of his bird and animal and insect poems are gems beyond compare
Yet he died in Northampton mental asylum where he had lived for many years
He penned such marvellous poetry though his life was full of tears.
His Nature poems of the nineteenth century are relevant to today
The Badger and The Landrail, The Fox and Clock a Clay
The Pettichap, The Cuckoo and The Thrush's Nest
When Writing about Nature Clare was at his best.
In death the poor shepherd poet from Helpston has come into his own
His poems poetic classics around the World are known
The greatest Nature poet of England as many would agree
A poet for the ages from a life of poverty.
As a boy amongst Nature in the fields of Helpston he knew of happiness
But sad to think one like him in life did not know of success
With any English Nature poet he favourably does compare
The legendary one of Helpston the reamarkable John Clare.
poem by Francis Duggan
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On Life Choices
Only one can be president and only one can be pope
And for every millionaire many struggle to cope
With the business of living, poor people are not rare
There are billions of them in the big World out there.
For many life is a battle uphill all of the way
The people who do survive from day to day
To stay out of jail for them a remarkable feat
For many the road to prison starts on Poverty Street.
In the refugee camps of the World thirty million mostly war refugees
And in drought ravaged Countries people dying of hunger and disease
We do have life choices some are known to say
Those who look at life in a simplistic way.
To some people life choices only apply
Most born into poverty though hard they try
Will never be wealthy or know of happiness
Their crime to be born at the wrong address.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Francesco and Clare
It was there, in that little town On top of the mountain, they walked, Francesco and Chiara, That's who they were, that's what They told themselves--a joke, their joke About two saints, failed lovers held apart From the world of flesh, Francis and Clare, Out walking the old city, two saints, Sainted ones, holy, held close to the life... Poverty, the pure life, the one Life for Franziskus and Klara, Stalwarts given To the joys of God in heaven And on earth, Mother, praising Brother Sun And sister Moon; twin saints, unified In their beauty as one, Francisco and Clara, A beauty said of God's will and word, bestowed And polished by poverty, François With Claire, the chosen poverty, the true Poverty that would not be their lives... And they took their favorite names, Clare and Francesco, Walking the streets of stone the true saints Walked, watching as the larks swirled Above the serene towers, the larks Francesco once described as the color Of goodness, that is, of the earth, of the dead... Larks who'd not seek for themselves any extravagant Plumage, humble and simple, God's birds Twirling and twisting up the pillowing air... And Francesco said to Clare, Oh little plant I love,
My eyes are almost blind with Brother Sun...tell me,
Who hides inside God's time...? And Clare, rock of all Poor Clares, stood In the warm piazza overlooking the valley, weary, Her shoulder bag sagging from the weight Of her maps and books, and said across the rain-slick Asphalt of the parking lot, to the poor bird climbing The wheel of sky it always had loved best, Dear lark, dear saint, all my kisses on your nest!
poem by David St. John
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The spirit of God
Life is simple
Life is both good and bad
Choose the good side
Life is right and wrong
Do what is right
Life offers wisdom and foolishness
So be wise
It is full of poverty and riches
But it is better to rich
Than to be poor
Life offer us happiness and sadness
Choose happiness
It is sore evil to like destruction
But a blessing to be a savior
Life is both positive and negative
So be positive
It is better to be strong
Than to be weak
Bad at the button
But better at the peak
Life is sweet and bitter
Taste it sweetness
All these shows heaven and hell
God and the devil
So choose God
poem by Matt Ancient
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Tis True What Is Said About People
'Tis true what is said about people that everyone has a life story to tell
Though not everybody's life story in book form a million copies would sell
The biography of a poor homeless person many would not be interested to read
Life's journey from the poorest suburb to success for most people never lead
The lives of elite sports people and celebrities and those of power and money makes the best sellers list
Just reading of and hearing about them the masses cannot seem to resist
Suppose we only admire in others what we ourselves aspire to be
Most wish to be wealthy and famous and none wish to live in poverty
Most do wish to be wealthy and famous and others their praises to sing
Suppose to wish to be loved and admired is quite human it does seem a natural thing
But the road to success is a steep road and few ever climb to renown
And what hope for the poor and the homeless who live in the poor side of the town?
You ask one of their life wishes poverty he or she never choose
But the sad thing about the Human World is that for one to win many must lose.
poem by Francis Duggan
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You Say About Life
You say about life that life for all is fair
You must have been talking to a billionaire
You want to know about life go to Poverty Street
And those who are doing it hard there you will meet.
The homeless and down and outs doing it tough
Without food or shelter obliged to sleep rough
That life for all is fair is so easy to say
For one like you with a good job and great take home pay.
On your philosophies on life I for one don't agree
So why bother waste your time on talking to me
Since I believe life's only fair for a minority
And not for the poor billions in poverty.
Your opinions are your's and that suits me fine
But your views on life are quite different to mine
With a great job, new home and healthy kids and a beautiful young wife
You are not one to be saying of a fair for all life.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Our Reflective Mirror
Our elected representatives are our reflective mirror does that seem fair to say
And what we sow we do receive life's always been this way
Our deceitful and greedy politicians the mirror of our deceit and greed
Of corruption on election day 'tis we who plant the seed
They are our own reflection for want of a better name
And perhaps we should first look at ourselves when them we choose to blame
Of the poverty that surrounds us from where we live not far away
The gap between the haves and the have nots is getting wider by the day
So many do grow poorer for every millionaire
And some will tell you such is life though life on many doesn't seem fair
You hear the Government Ministers talk of the good economy
But that does little for the millions living in poverty
Our elected representatives are our reflective mirror though with that few may agree
And despite what you may think or say that's how it seems to me.
poem by Francis Duggan
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SONNET: If The Things We Wished Happen
The things we think, don't happen in our life;
The things happening are not as per our taste;
Our suff'rings, more than joys are very rife;
Most men on Earth are always in a haste.
We want our joys to remain forever;
We want our woes to vanish in a trice;
To achieve this, Man tries to be clever;
And chooses joys that come along with vice.
In life, we take whatever comes along;
All challenges, we ought to face bravely;
But everywhere, we choose things right from wrong;
Our failures help us face life quite boldly.
If all things happened as we think, where's God?
If not on Earth, Heaven will us reward.
poem by John Celes
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Love Finds It Hard To Live Amongst Poverty
The most I can offer you is sympathy
That life can be a bugger one would have to agree
Your mind it is ravaged by financial worries and care
The spectre of poverty at you does stare
Life is not meant to be easy said George Bernard Shaw
And in the bigger World out there it is Murphy's Law
Everyone for themselves and God for us all
Those words from my boyhood I often recall
Your ex wife with her and your young son and daughter live with another man
For to grow old with you was not in her life's plan
You were the man she once did love and admire
But of a poverty type of existence she quickly did tire
Love finds it hard to live amongst poverty
Life can be a bugger you are telling me.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Of The Selfish Side Of Humanity
Of the selfish side of Humanity I am only too aware
In a World where the self centred for the have nots one thought don't have to spare
Even in so called wealthy Democratic Countries poverty is not rare
And thousands must grow poorer for every new millionaire
So many Homeless and Stateless people in the bigger World out there
The have nots of Humanity are living everywhere
That all people are equal is born of a lie
But there is more to being Human than living for me, myself and I
In most cases those who talk of life choices do not know what they are on about
If they themselves life's necessities had never had to go without
If they themselves never lived as the homeless poor of Poor Poverty Street
Then their preaching is judgemental and their ideas are obsolete
To be born to poor parents and become Homeless is a thing that none would choose
In a Human World where for a minority to win so many have to lose.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Life is what you want it to be...
Life is what you want it to be…
Life is what you want it to be, no one can make your life only you.
Life can’t be what you want you have to earn it the way everyone does.
Life throws out things that you only can handle.
Life is the wind that blows through the summer cold nights.
Life is all the seasons through the year.
I am life you are life we all are life so don’t waist it now.
Think about our lives with screaming kids and nagging husbands,
We all think sometimes it’s a curse and most it’s a blessing but its life.
We all have thoughts about things that just don’t make since to us but its called life.
We all love life so why not live it we all love life so stick with it!
poem by Siara Ricioppo
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Like dear St. Francis of Assisi I am wedded to Poverty: but in my case the marriage is not a success.
Oscar Wilde in in a letter to his friend, Frances Forbes-Robertson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Grant me the treasure of sublime poverty: permit the distinctive sign of our order to be that it does not possess anything of its own beneath the sun, for the glory of your name, and that it have no other patrimony than begging.
quote by Francis of Assisi
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Most Famous I Am Poem
The most famous 'I Am' poem came from the pen of John Clare
When in Northampton mental asylum his type of person rare
Since when mentally unwell his best poems he did pen
One of the most amazing in his time of literary men.
The most famous 'I Am' poem of self does not boast
From the pen of one who to self never drunk a toast
A poor and mentally ill and near forgotten man
One close to the end of his tragic life span.
The most famous 'I Am' poem to it has a sad ring
'Tis not of the wonderful life it does sing
Now used as the anthem poem of the mentally ill
The most famous 'I Am' poem life's cup of dark sorrows does fill.
The most famous 'I Am' poem not a great song of life
But of one who had struggled with his inner strife
From the heart of a poor poet a cry of despair
The most famous 'I Am' poem from the pen of John Clare.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Forgive Them
Forgive them for their ignorance since ignorance is bliss
What empathy is all about the point they seem to miss
Their great lack in compassion does not seem a surprise
Since not that many people know how to empathize
With people who are doing it tough they do not wish to know
Of the have nots of the poor streets of poverty and woe
Cocooned in their self centredness they do not wish to hear
Of the poverty that does exist even to where they live near
Forgive them for their ignorance they cannot help the way they are
They drive around the leafy Suburb showing off their brand new car
To the material things of life they only can relate
Only their own and their family successes they wish to celebrate
Forgive them for their ignorance some people are that way
And their type are growing in numbers that does seem sad to say.
poem by Francis Duggan
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~life Is~
What is life is it candy
What is life can you reach inside
and pull something out
what is life sitting around for
a man or women to
complete you
what is life~
Life is fullfilling your dreams
becoming something
people that you
would never become
Life is over achiving something
being perpared for what ever hits you
Life is knowing what you want in life
never take any one for granted
Life is taking things into your hands
Life is about having fun and not sitting around
Life is also a box of chocolate because you never
know what your going to get
Life is about being your self
not doing what you see people do on t.v
Life is about B.L.E.I.V.I.N.G in yourself
and not just that in GOD also because you and him
is a powerful match
you can never be stoped or slowed down
That is what LIFE is all about
poem by Chelsy Loyd
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