Poetry

    


Poetry; whether it was written as a song or a poem,  it still has a quality to shape the world and whisk you off to a place of contentment.  Poetry is a journey that transcends time and thought.  Poetry goes back a long,  long time and some of the earliest poetry published dates from 1250 and is Scottish and English.  It is my good fortune to own what surely must be a rare book of poetry.  It was originally purchased in London England at Paternoster Row and was published in 1880. I have included a few pictures of the book here. A lot of the poems are from the master poet and father of poetry himself;   Geoffrey Chaucer.


When is the last time you read a poem by a famous poet?  Pick a famous poet and read a few poems.   I recommend reading list.


Robert Frost
Walt Whitman
E.E Cummings
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Emily Dickinson
Margaret Atwood
Edgar Allan Poe
  
Try to find a poet for yourself that you can relate with.  The writing styles are as many as the poets themselves.


I remember being in an English class as an adult completing my grade 12, and having finished an assignment early,  I was staring out the window at a huge old oak tree and quickly penned a poem about it. To my astonishment and horror the teacher had crept up behind me and had read it over my shoulder and squealed with delight to the whole class that I had written a poem about her favorite tree and we were now going outside to the tree where I would be reciting the poem to the class and the teacher.  As shy as I am,  I got through it to a hardy round of applause. 

Published 1888

 At the risk of embarrassing my shy self,  here is a sample of my own poetry and written for use as a song lyric. I've been actively writing song poems since I was 15 years old.  Most have been lost along the highway of life and my dream of becoming  a successful song writer  is slipping away but I still love to write songs and probably always will.  Wordsmith,  Poet,  Lyricist,  whatever label you attach to it,  the challenge of weaving words into spun gold poetry that is heartfelt by readers is a magic only a few artistic and creative people attain.   

SMILE FOR THE ROAD
Written by: Jeffrey Robert Hilton
Jan 5/2012

YOU CAME TO ME IN THE SETTING SUN,  WE'LL SEE WHERE THIS ALL LEADS TO.
ANOTHER PATH WE TAKE THE CHANCE
WHO WANTS TO BE ALONE ANYWAY.
I'VE BEEN THERE AND I DON'T CARE FOR IT.
NEWSPAPER BLOWING DOWN THE STREET
DANCER ON THE WIND,  CAN'T FIND HIS FEET.
LIKE SOME GHOST THAT LOST HIS WAY,  THAT WAS ME.
I'VE BEEN A WINNER, I'VE LOST TO
NO ODDS TO ME,  NO ODDS TO YOU.
I'VE TRAVELED FAR THIS IS ME,  JUST THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK.
FOLLOWED THE ROAD THAT LED AWAY.
CAME BACK ON THE SAME ONE,  JUST GOT IN TODAY.
MUCH EXPERIENCE AND THINGS I LEARNED
THAT I'D RATHER NOT HAVE KNOWN.
BUT LIFE WAS INSISTENT THAT I WOULD BE SHOWN


HOW COULD ALL THESE THINGS HAVE COME TO PASS.
HAS IT REALLY BEEN SO LONG,  I DIDN'T THINK SO
I WAS WRONG.
WELL ON THE OTHER SIDE,  LOOKING DOWN FROM THIS HIGH PLACE
WITH SOME TREPIDATION, A SMILE ON MY FACE.
COMING TO CONCLUSION,  LENDING TO ALLUSION
KNOWING IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO END SO BAD.
THE DREAMS ARE GETTING CLEARER NOW.
THE COLORS TAKE ON SHAPES OF THINGS I KNOW I KNOW.
SO I'LL SIT HERE AND ANALYZE WHILE YOU GO ABOUT YOUR DAY
THEN BRING IT HOME AND MAKE IT PART OF MINE
AND MAYBE I COULD EVEN LEARN TO STAY.
A SMILE FOR THE ROAD,  WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.


BELIEVE IN US,  BELIEVE WE'LL KEEP THESE CARDS WE'VE DRAWN
WE'VE COME TO FAR TO LET THIS GO.
COME TO FAR AND WE BOTH KNOW.
RUNNING DOESN'T GET YOU VERY FAR.
BELIEVE IN US,  BELIEVE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BELIEVE THAT THIS,  CRUSH WON'T FALL AND END IN RUIN.
BE ON MY SIDE,  IT'S JUST FATE UNLESS IT LIED.


THIS FACE IS GETTING OLDER
THE WINTERS SEEM MUCH LONGER AND COLDER.
A SMILE FOR THE ROAD WE'RE ON,  LET'S KEEP IT ON.
IN ONE PLACE WITH SOMEONE,  THAT LOVES YOU BACK AS MUCH
MAKES IT SOMETHING REAL,  THAT RISES ABOVE
ALL THE WHEAT AND CHAFF.
THAT MADE YOU CRY AND MADE YOU LAUGH
LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WONDER WHY. 

Do Have A Good Day And Night Per Se.


Jeffrey Robert Hilton