Finding Success

Success comes from within

Not from what we have

or the car we drive

or the house we live in

or the trophies we have won

Success is getting up when you fall

Believing you can continue on

Knowing who you are

And what you can do

Success is loving and being loved

Knowing the value of family

The importance of friends

And that children are an extension of you

Success is giving $15 worth of work

On a job that pays only $10 an hour

Success is treating others with respect

even when you are mistreated

Success is standing up for justice

For those who are being oppressed

Success comes from within

From the core of your being

Success is who you believe you are

and being all you can be

Success is loving God and those around you

being willing to serve others for the good of all

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Posting on d’Verse Open Link night:   https://dversepoets.com

Lasting Wealth

Seek prosperity

above good relationships

Wealth flies out the window

Die alone without either

Serve others… be loved

Be remembered

for how you made them feel

That is true wealth

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Photo: Dwight L. Roth

A Living History

This is not a painting

It is a living family history

Not just an abstract splash of color

But, a life’s journey

A story that began a lifetime ago

Moving 2500 miles to Alberta

Building a little house in the big woods

Raising his family near a Cree Indian village

By the shores of Calling Lake

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This is a story of mid-life change

to the big city of Edmonton

Becoming a respiratory therapist

A new career of serving others

Retiring to a condo

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Memory fading to dim

More than Mother can care for

Her brain tumor required attention

Care needed for both

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End of like can be full of surprises

This is not a painting

It is our family’s story

Painting: Dwight L. Roth 1-2013

Today at d’Verse, Mish asked us to choose an object, that means something special to us, and write a poem beginning with the line… “This is not a _________” Eight years ago we flew to Edmonton, AB to make care arrangements for both of my wife’s parents. Her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor and her father was suffering from Alzheimer’s. It was a traumatic time for all of us. When we finally returned home the end of January, I poured my emotions into this painting depicting their life in Alberta. To me, this is much more than a painting. It is a piece of family history!

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com …click on Mr. Linkey and read more poems.

Finding Meaning in Life

The meaning of life lies not in the things we have
Nor what we may have accomplished;
But rather, in the life we are living each day.
Friends who care and share themselves with us
Make life a joy knowing they are there.
When we see the laughter in our children’s eyes
Feeling their love and enjoying their hugs.
The joy of sun on our face, the wind in our hair;
Mud squishing between our toes;
Listening to the birds singing their songs;
The chirp of the wren, the cooing of the doves,
Lovingly protecting one another…
Reminding us the touch of a hand and a loving voice
Bring meaning each day to our fast paced life.
Finding meaning in life lies not in the things we have;
But in those we love and those we serve.
The rest is just icing on the cake.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth