…if yeez’ll bear with me today, and allow a wee post with less levity than my normal offerings… my recurrent chestnut is worth a shine… everyone, yes, everyone, yeez meet is fighting some sort of battle yeez know NUTHIN about… be kind, always… I’ve quoted it several times during the last year, and I have a reason this afternoon for repeating it, having seen at close hand the mental turmoil in the face of someone I don’t even know… it casts me back some twelve years when I was in Manila in the Philippines, a country with more than its share of hardship… at the time I was having lunch in a seafood restaurant near my workplace… the serving waitress, a lovely-faced lady, probably in her mid-thirties, took the order from myself and my colleagues… without staring at her, I realised her eyes carried the weight of the WURLD… darkish marks above her cheeks revealed that recently there had been lot of crying… it would have been downright embarrassing for her if I had tried to broach the matter with her, but it stuck in my head… when I returned to my office after the meal, I penned the following and said a silent prayer for her well-being… I‘ve no idea of knowing if that ever helped her, but it certainly made me feel as if I had at least tried to contribute partly to ease her burden… I’m not a religious man, but I am a ‘believer’ in a Power Higher than myself… I’m sure that good thoughts can help make a difference… imagine if we all did it together… oh, but hey, that’s not original is it? enjoy yer day… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!…
TO WEEP IS NOT A SHAME
The smile upon your face
I thought extremely brave
For the shadows in your eyes
Are trying tears to save.
Whatever sadness lurks therein
From whatever source it came
Set it free and cry my dear
To weep is not a shame.
The world is full of trials
That each of us must face
I’ve seldom seen it carried
Like you—with so much grace.
The darkness round your heart
I trust will move away
Although you do not know me
For you—today I pray.
For you are just the same as I
And everyone around
Your face deserves to smile
And not be creased or frowned.
I hope these thoughts of mine
Can clear your darkened frame
Set it free and cry my dear
To weep is not a shame.
SEUMAS GALLACHER
Manila, Philippines
November 15, 2002
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I know that you mean this – I’ve been on the receiving end. Religious or not – bless you, dear man.
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… keep smiling’ , that wummin… ‘Nil Illegitimus carborundum’…don’t let the bastards grind yeez down 🙂
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This is very true and a lovely poem. Thank you for sharing it.
Cheers
MTM
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…thank you, m’Lady :0
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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This story and poem was so lovely, Seumus! How sweet of you to say a little prayer for her. You are a very dear man! @v@
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… thank you for that, m’Lady, Viv 🙂
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The kindness of strangers. Lovely sentiment and poem Seumas.
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…we all have it in us to offer, m’Lady, Olga 🙂
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When it comes to ‘Here be Dragons’ we can point to you and say “But here lies a heart of Gold.”
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:):) too kind, David, thanks, that man 🙂
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They say that if there is a higher power, then why is there so much turmoil in the world? I say, perhaps if we speak or write words that inspire, perhaps we can save ourselves, and leave the rest of the world to unearthly beings. Your words may never have reached the intended listener, but they never the less have made a difference. Just look at the responses.
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…thanks Lockie… have a great upcoming weekend, that man 🙂
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How much kinder the world, when we allow our hearts to be touched by what we sense in others. Well done.
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…absolutely, m’Lady , Cynthia, absolutely… I say give the world to the children to run for us…we’d all be far better off, for sure :):)
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