As a person’s life increases, his experiences increase. Some people learn from their mistakes and some from the mistakes of others. It is better for a person to forget the bitter experiences of the past and move forward and avoid such mistakes in the future. Let’s read some Poems About Life Lessons that will inspire you to move on.
Table of Contents
Aim High to The Sky
James McDonald
Aim high to the sky,
In all that you do.
Because you just never know,
What it takes to be you.
Be strong and be brave,
But at the same time be kind.
And always be sure,
That you’re using your mind.
****—-****—-****
Listen To Mum
John P. Read
I remember when I was small and cool,
I was always playing truant from school.
My mum used to say,
“You’ll regret it one day
When you grow up to become a fool.”
Now I’m old; the damage is done.
How I wish I’d listened to Mum.
If I could turn back time,
I’d study hard and toe the line
Instead of acting foolish and dumb.
Now let that be a lesson to one and all
That life is more than just having a ball.
It was great having fun
When I was young,
But I wish I’d spent more time in the school hall.
****—-****—-****
Thinking
Walter D. Wintle
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you’d like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost;
For out in this world we find
Success begins with a person’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the one who thinks he can!
****—-****—-****
Experience
Emily Dickinson
I stepped from plank to plank
So slow and cautiously;
The stars about my head I felt,
About my feet the sea.
I knew not but the next
Would be my final inch,
This gave me that precarious gait
Some call experience.
****—-****—-****
Upon the Sand
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
All love that has not friendship for its base,
Is like a mansion built upon the sand.
Though brave its walls as any in the land,
And its tall turrets lift their heads in grace;
Though skilful and accomplished artists trace
Most beautiful designs on every hand,
And gleaming statues in dim niches stand,
And fountains play in some flow’r-hidden place:
Yet, when from the frowning east a sudden gust
Of adverse fate is blown, or sad rains fall
Day in, day out, against its yielding wall,
Lo! the fair structure crumbles to the dust.
Love, to endure life’s sorrow and earth’s woe,
Needs friendship’s solid masonwork below.
****—-****—-****
Listen To The Mustn’ts
Shel Silverstein
Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT’S
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be
****—-****—-****
My Wage
by Jessie Belle Rittenhouse
I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have paid.
****—-****—-****
The Mountain And The Squirrel
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter
“Little prig.”
Bun replied,
“You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I’m not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry:
I’ll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track.
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut.”
****—-****—-****
Don’t Give Up
Phoebe Cary
If you’ve tried and have not won,
Never stop for crying;
All’s that’s great and good is done
Just by patient trying.
Though young birds, in flying, fall,
Still their wings grow stronger;
And the next time they can keep
Up a little longer.
Though the sturdy oak has known
Many a blast that bowed her,
She has risen again, and grown
Loftier and prouder.
If by easy work you beat,
Who the more will prize you?
Gaining victory from defeat,
That’s the test that tries you!
****—-****—-****
If I Were…
Eva L. Robinson
If I were a queen,
I’d rule a mighty land.
If I were a princess,
I’d take a prince’s hand.
If I were a soldier,
I’d fight a mighty war.
If I were a hero,
I’d be the best they ever saw.
If I were a dancer,
I’d dance with such grace.
If I were a runner,
I’d win every race!
If I were an actress,
I’d take part in a play,
For I can do anything,
No matter what you say.
****—-****—-****
My Penny
Jim Hollingsworth
I found a penny upon the walk.
A rich boy I am…that was my thought.
The things I can buy at the store…
I shall not want for anything anymore.
I can travel the world to far off lands
and visit places with shifting sands.
I can sail the ocean’s seven seas.
Nothing else will I ever need.
Maybe put my penny in my bank.
That’s what I will do…I think.
There are many things a penny can buy,
but alas, a young lad am I.
So I will give it to the church
for the needy, for the homeless…this will work.
Count your blessing every day.
You, too, may find a penny along your way.
If you do, then remember all who need.
It’s much better to give than to receive.
****—-****—-****
Us Two
A. A. Milne
Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
“Where are you going to-day?” says Pooh:
“Well, that’s very odd ‘Cos I was too.
Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.
“Let’s go together,” says Pooh.
“What’s twice eleven?” I said to Pooh.
(“Twice what?” said Pooh to Me.)
“I think it ought to be twenty-two.”
“Just what I think myself,” said Pooh.
“It wasn’t an easy sum to do,
But that’s what it is,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what it is,” said Pooh.
“Let’s look for dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“Yes, let’s,” said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few
“Yes, those are dragons all right,” said Pooh.
“As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That’s what they are,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what they are,” said Pooh.
“Let’s frighten the dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“That’s right,” said Pooh to Me.
“I’m not afraid,” I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw and I shouted “Shoo!
Silly old dragons!” — And off they flew.
“I wasn’t afraid,” said Pooh, said he,
“I’m never afraid with you.”
So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
“What would I do?” I said to Pooh,
“If it wasn’t for you,” and Pooh said: “True,
It isn’t much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he.
“That’s how it is,” says Pooh.
****—-****—-****
Lester
Shel Silverstein
Lester was given a magic wish
By the goblin who lives in the banyan tree,
And with his wish he wished for two more wishes
So now instead of just one wish, he cleverly had three.
And with each one of these
He simply wished for three more wishes,
Which gave him three old wishes, plus nine new.
And with each of these twelve
He slyly wished for three more wishes,
Which added up to forty-six—or is it fifty-two?
Well anyway, he used each wish
To wish for wishes ’til he had
Five billion, seven million, eighteen thousand thirty-four.
And then he spread them on the ground
And clapped his hands and danced around
And skipped and sang, and then sat down
And wished for more.
And more…and more… they multiplied
While other people smiled and cried
And loved and reached and touched and felt.
Lester sat amid his wealth
Stacked mountain-high like stacks of gold,
Sat and counted—and grew old.
And then one Thursday night they found him
Dead—with his wishes piled around him.
And they counted the lot and found that not
A single one was missing.
All shiny and new—here, take a few
And think of Lester as you do.
In a world of apples and kisses and shoes
He wasted his wishes on wishing.
****—-****—-****
A Daydream
Lolo T. Frenchie
A daydream
A world of extreme
A fantasy place
Or even outer space
A place for you
Where you can pass through
When you’re feeling blue and alone
A place of your own
Where anything goes
And there’s no shadows
A place where smiles gleam
And everyone is a team
This is my daydream
My place of joy and hope.
****—-****—-****
The Dolly
Jeanette Cheal
The dolly sat upon the shelf
in the toy maker’s shop all by herself.
The dolly only had one eye,
so all the children passed her by.
They scoffed at the dolly;
they weren’t very kind
Then a child came in
with a dolly in mind.
Her mother led her around the shop.
At the shelf with the dolly her mother did stop.
The child reached out and felt for the dolly.
The toy maker shouted, “Dear child, I’m so sorry,
this dolly is blind; she only has one eye.
I’ve a dolly right here you might like to buy.”
“No, this is the one,” the child said to her mother.
“If I can’t have her, I don’t want any other.”
So off dolly went with the child who was kind,
and just like the dolly, this child was blind.
****—-****—-****
The Quality Of Mercy Is Not Strain’d
William Shakespeare
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The thronèd monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God Himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this:
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
Which, if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.
****—-****—-****
I Will Soar
Annette R. Hershey
If I were a birdie,
I’d head up to the sky.
I’d spread my wings like sunshine.
I know I could fly mighty high!
If I were a birdie,
My feathers would be bright.
Every color would be striking.
I’d soar and reach new heights.
If I were a birdie,
I’d sing a lovely song.
Everyone would stop and listen;
They would begin to sing along.
If I were a birdie,
I’d follow all my dreams.
Small streams to vast oceans,
Under golden bright sunbeams.
If I were a birdie,
I’d flit about from tree to tree
With many different flocks of birdies.
We would be free to be free.
If I were a birdie,
I’d head up to the sky.
I’d spread my wings like sunshine.
I know I could fly mighty high!
****—-****—-****
Make Me A Garden
Sylvia Stults
Help me design my garden of life
Full of iris, crocus, and lily
With daffodils that shine so bright
Like the sun of the greater deities.
Make me a path that curves around trees
Of stepping stone, wood chip, and moss
Varying in array of colors
Causing one’s mind to venture in thought.
Make me a garden so rich in hue
That the sun will fight not to set,
Where merely viewing its beauty
All differences one will forget.
Make me a garden like people of the world,
All different in culture and view,
Contributing to the person I am
Without your prejudicial few.
A garden of only one color, it seems
Would be dull and so very alone.
I want my garden of life to be filled
With every color known.
****—-****—-****
Evolution
John Banister Tabb
Out of the dusk a shadow,
Then, a spark;
Out of the cloud a silence,
Then, a lark;
Out of the heart a rapture,
Then, a pain;
Out of the dead, cold ashes,
Life again.
****—-****—-****
Then Laugh
Bertha Adams Backus
Build for yourself a strong box,
Fashion each part with care;
When it’s strong as your hand can make it,
Put all your troubles there;
Hide there all thought of your failures,
And each bitter cup that you quaff;
Lock all your heartaches within it,
Then sit on the lid and laugh.
Tell no one else its contents,
Never its secrets share;
When you’ve dropped in your care and worry
Keep them forever there;
Hide them from sight so completely
That the world will never dream half;
Fasten the strong box securely
Then sit on the lid and laugh.
****—-****—-****
Education Can Take You Places
Jennifer L. Betts
Education will guide you.
To the places you want to go.
School is not about who you knew.
It’s not about the “hey bro.”
You need to study hard.
To work your brain to the max.
But don’t forget to play in the yard.
To give yourself time to relax.
Now you’re ready to hit the books.
With a smile on your face.
Don’t mind other’s looks.
You have a goal in place.
Your education will take you places.
Are you ready to fly?
****—-****—-****
Winning
Jennifer L. Betts
Your heart is beating loud.
Your stance is in place.
Eyes are looking forward.
You’re ready for the race.
Every cell is waiting.
The shot rings out.
You leap.
This is what it’s all about.
No thoughts but winning.
You push your body hard.
All your training was worth it.
You’ve won the first award.
****—-****—-****
The Shepherd Slept
Beryl L Edmonds
There was a shepherd who fell fast asleep
So there was no one to see to his sheep.
The sheep were delighted, freedom at last
Followed the leader and ran away fast.
All was hunky dory; they had a ball,
Walking for miles over fields, hills, moors.
Then came the sunset and the night grew dim.
They began to feel that freedom was grim.
They grew hungry and went in search of food
Couldn’t find forage and became subdued.
It was hard to lie down and get their sleep,
As they were pursued by some ghastly beasts.
So tired and weary they wished to be
Back in the flock and the hand of safety.
They realised they needed their shepherd’s care,
For love, food and shelter that’s always there.
When the sheep had almost lost every hope,
A familiar face came over the slopes.
It was their shepherd and all ran with glee
To show they were glad to see him, truly.
They vowed they’d never run away again
And prayed in thanks for the shepherd God sent.
Amen!
****—-****—-****
Spreading Love Through Acts Of Kindness
Lenora McWhorter
K – Kindness is shown by what we say and do.
I – It says to the other person, “I care about you.”
N – Never neglect to show kindness to everyone you see.
D – Day or night, young or old, whoever it may be.
N – Nothing touches the heart like a big, warm smile.
E – Everyone needs to feel loved, whether adult or child.
S – So smile at someone to show them that you care.
S – Show kindness and love to everyone everywhere.
****—-****—-****
The Little Panda
Sameera Sadaf
The little Panda is sad.
He lost his mom and dad.
Crying the entire night,
cursing his might.
The sun has risen up,
and a hand offered him a coffee cup.
“Why are you so dull and weak,
sitting at the top of the peak?”
Panda asked, “Who are you?”
“I am the Panther blue.”
Panther said, “Don’t be sad!
Good days come after bad.”
“Come to my home with me.
You will be happy, can’t you see?”
Panther cooked him curry.
Panda told him his story.
Living happily together in the woods,
working day and night for goods,
they are both now best of friends.
Some stories are happy in the end.
****—-****—-****
Our Teacher’s a Hippie
Kenn Nesbitt
Our teacher’s a hippie,
like from some old movie.
He likes to say “trippy,”
and “far out,” and “groovy!”
He dresses in tie-dye
and bell-bottom pants.
He listens to hi-fi.
“The Twist” is his dance.
He says, “psychedelic!”
He’s truly old-school.
He may be a relic,
but, boy, is he cool!
****—-****—-****
Soldier Daddy
Ashlee McCarty
I am a small and precious child,
My dad’s been sent to fight.
The only place I’ll see him is in my dreams tonight.
He will be gone too many days
For my little brain to count.
I may be sad, but I am PROUD.
My daddy’s got your back.
****—-****—-****
Why Me?
Barbara Vance
If you have to ask Why me?
When you’re feeling really blue,
When the world has turned against you
And you don’t know what to do,
When it pours colossal raindrops,
And the road’s a winding mess,
And you’re feeling more confused
Than you ever could express,
When the saddened sun won’t shine,
When the stars will not align,
When you’d rather be
Inside your bed,
The covers pulled
Above your head,
When life is something
That you dread,
And you have to ask Why me? . . .
Then when the world seems right and true,
When rain has left a gentle dew,
When you feel happy being you,
Please ask yourself, Why me? then, too.
****—-****—-****
If
Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream-and not make dreams your master;
If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!
****—-****—-****
A Naughty Little Comet
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There was a little comet who lived near the Milky Way!
She loved to wander out at night and jump about and play.
The mother of the comet was a very good old star;
She used to scold her reckless child for venturing out too far.
She told her of the ogre, Sun, who loved on stars to sup,
And who asked no better pastime than in gobbling comets up.
But instead of growing cautious and of showing proper fear,
The foolish little comet edged up nearer, and more near.
She switched her saucy tail along right where the Sun could see,
And flirted with old Mars, and was as bold as bold could be.
She laughed to scorn the quiet stars who never frisked about;
She said there was no fun in life unless you ventured out.
She liked to make the planets stare, and wished no better mirth
Than just to see the telescopes aimed at her from the Earth.
She wondered how so many stars could mope through nights and days,
And let the sickly faced old Moon get all the love and praise.
And as she talked and tossed her head and switched her shining trail
The staid old mother star grew sad, her cheek grew wan and pale.
For she had lived there in the skies a million years or more,
And she had heard gay comets talk in just this way before.
And by and by there came an end to this gay comet’s fun.
She went a tiny bit too far-and vanished in the Sun!
No more she swings her shining trail before the whole world’s sight,
But quiet stars she laughed to scorn are twinkling every night.
****—-****—-****
Read More: Poems About New Begging in Life
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