I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Month: February 2020
Reasons, questions, theories
or views, So varied, unknown,
yet plentiful. Countless ways
I love you because…
I’ve no explanation, or excuse.
Having parted with logic, forgot
all I have known, for this,
up to now, is different. New.
Wonderful. To that I remain;
conscious, concerned and
caught up in what once seemed
insane to believe. Or to trust.
To know I have been gifted
with this; something pure,
unfettered, unwilling to let go.
Provoked mainly by what is
now and here, as it was, or
as it is and shall be. Confusing
and heartfelt. Question posed
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
even Shakespeare before, and
countless brave bards I’ve since
come to ignore. There are many
reasons without rhyme. Poetry.
‘How do I love thee?’ A question.
Is any answer believable, clear,
or right? For I, in my wisdom
(or ignorance, as it may be), can
only count on what I know, not
what was once believed. When I
look or all I feel. An answer.
I love you because. . .
I remain and I am still learning.
All my days make a difference,
my mind forever turning.
© 2020 j.g. lewis
Sonnet 43
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
– Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Posted on February 13, 2020 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
Some words arrive
too quickly, and you struggle
to keep up, to write them down.
Or remember; thoughts you
can’t hold back, these thoughts
you cannot take away.
Not all pencils need erasers.
Not all mistakes can be erased.
Still we write, and still we try
to express, to love, to believe
and communicate.
02/13/2020 j.g.l.
Posted on February 12, 2020 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
Never underestimate
the power of a six-buck bouquet, a
shared newspaper or gift of a pencil.
Simplicity. Given, without expectation.
Demand comes to all-too-easy in days
that move with unintended velocity
and mixed emotions.
To put a price on kindness is
to devalue a gesture or sentiment.
Everything comes with a cost, perhaps
even at a cost. You should not ponder
it’s worth, or yours. Words, at times,
are not easy. Acceptance can be difficult.
Remember to say thank you,
as you give or are given. Gifts
do not need to be boastful. Gratitude
need not be uncomfortable,
it should, however, be memorable.
We often forget kind words, flowers
after they have wilted. Tossed away.
Small blessings are not short lived,
there to remind us more of
who we are, Not what we have.
To receive is to give.
Acceptance is realization of truth,
or trust. Or thought. Remain thankful.
© 2020 j.g. lewis
