POEMS WITH AUTUMN AND ALAINA # 1

The girls decided that they wanted to memorize poetry as part of their "summer school" work. They have a goal of reciting at least one new poem each week. They plan on sharing them here with you on our blog in hopes that it will motivate them as well as inspire you.

Alaina recited a poem that I wrote down in a diary a long time ago. I am unsure of the title or the author...

We can't grow thin by growing thick,
We can't get well by getting sick,
Take two from two, you won't get four,
And we can't have peace by threatening war.

                          Autumn recited: "Drop A Pebble In The Water" by: James W. Foley

Drop a pebble in the water:
just a splash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
Circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center,
flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling
where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water:
in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing,
and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing
to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river
just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless:
in a minute it is gone; 
But there's half-a-hundred ripples   
circling on and on and on.     
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading       
from the center as they go,         
And there is no way to stop them,            
once you've started them to flow.              

Drop an unkind word, or careless:
in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing,
and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart
a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy
ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness:
just a flash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples
circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort
on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume
of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness:
in a minute you forget; 
But there's gladness still a-swelling,   
and there's joy circling yet,     
And you've rolled a wave of comfort       
whose sweet music can be heard         
Over miles and miles of water            
just by dropping one kind word.              

~By James W. Foley~