“Cares,” an inspiring and encouraging poem, by Edgar Guest, has has helped me rise above mistakes, misfortunes and the fear of uncertainty since 1957. I recite it often and especially during challenging times to remind myself to rise up and be a role model for positive response attitudes, behaviors and habits.
I carry a copy of it in my wallet and read it whenever I feel challenged or distressed by ongoing change and misfortune. Best of luck always and make your life better and better with positive response poetry found on this blog.
- Inspiring and practical poems speak to your soul in a way that lecture and reason cannot.
“CARES” © By Edgar Guest
If it weren’t for the troubles we meet on the way,
The chances of failure we face every day,
If it weren’t for the burdens we’re given to bear,
There’d be no pleasures for which we would care.
If it weren’t for the things that we try hard to do,
The things that we fail at and tackle anew,
The things we may never accomplish on earth,
We never could show to the world what we’re worth,
For the hardships we face,
And the burdens we bear,
The troubles we master,
Our triumphs over cares,
Are the things, after all,
That show us at our best,
In being able to strive for a goal,
We are blest.
- That poem, “Cares,” by Edgar Guest, inspired me to become an award winning public school teacher in Seattle, Washington. For more information go to https://www.fivestarteacher.com/who-is-bob/
Daily repetition of Edgar Guest’s poem, “Cares,” has helped inspire me to survive and thrive difficult “inner-city” classroom challenges during my 35 year career as a public school teacher. In retirement, “Cares” is my daily morning and night ‘prayer’ to help me deal with on-going change, occasional misfortunes and the worrisome uncertainties of life. Those phenomenon never stop as long as we are alive. Maybe reciting “Cares” could be a poem that would help you positively resist your personal challenges day by day.
- Information about Edgar A. Guest, “the people’s poet”.Edgar Albert Guest (20 August 1881 in Birmingham, England – 5 August 1959 in Detroit, Michigan) (aka Eddie Guest) was a prolific English-born American poet who was popular in the first half of the 20th century and became known as the People’s Poet. For more information about Edgar Guest go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Guest
- To locate Edgar A. Guest’s other works, type or paste into your browser: collected verse of edgar a guest 1934. Edgar A. Guest’s books of poems.
https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Verse-Edgar-Guest/dp/B00085IE9G
- I believe that reading, reciting and/or writing inspiring poems are important ways for managing, maintaining and sustaining a positive response habit to ongoing change, occasional misfortune, worrisome uncertainties and self-inflicted discontent, disappointment and discouragement!
Additional Resources:
https://www.fivestarteacher.com/a-lot-to-live-for/
- My intent for providing examples of practical poems on this blog is to help you find inspiration in a poem that addresses your own challenges from change, occasional misfortune and the stresses of uncertainty.
- As a daily or weekly habit, you may also wish to explore reading and recitation of poems to wash your mind of the stresses and strains going on in your life. It may also be a way to prevent new ones from coming in!
- In addition, you are invited to use my Blooming Bobville practical poetry formats to write a poem or poems that inspire positive response to change for yourself and to share your poems with others to improve quality of life for all in this world.
- The “Blooming Bobville” poem style is a combination of the six steps in “Bloomberg’s Taxonomy of Learning” and is blended with the six stanzas of the classical “Villanelle” poem.
- Descriptions of both can be found on the Internet. The combination of these two formats yields the name “Blooming Bobville” the practical poet.
- In addition to constructing and creating the Blooming Bobville poetry style you’ll also discover that poetry reading, reciting and writing helps you brush up on your thinking and learning skills!
- Day by day may you always be fresh and blooming with an appropriate poem that brings contentment, happiness and joy to your soul!
- “The best way to know who you are and what you are is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi“
- I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know, the only ones who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” -Albert Schweitzer.
- “We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from it”. –William Osler©2017 by Blooming Bobville the practical poet. www.fivestarteaher.comBest of luck and thank you for choosing to live you life in the service of others.