This one has a somewhat elementary rhyme scheme, but the more I read it, the more I like it. What do you think?
Legacy
By Eric Eckert
When we age, we strain to see
Just what our legacy will be.
A chest of treasure, silver and gold
Or simply the feat of growing old?
A castle, some jewels? No, I do not believe
Those are the things that we would like to leave
Behind to the loved ones who relied so much
On our abilities, our strengths and, at times, our touch.
Who we are – that is something to consider,
Not what we’ve collected, those things leave us bitter.
Not want for belongings, materials will fade.
But want for the laughter, the time that was made.
Dinners at home ‘round the table at night,
The pat on the back for a chore that’s done right,
A good wish in a card, maybe a note to say hi.
Those are the legacies for which we should strive.
A trip to the ballpark, or a hike through the trees,
Catch in the back yard, or fishing the streams.
Time with a coloring book, a story before bed.
Those are the wonders that will be remembered.
Have we served our own masters with selfish delight?
Or did we pass on what we knew to be right?
Responsibility, stewardship, justice, faith –
How about caring for others? Or giving all away?
Did we talk with one face yet act with the other?
Did we engage? Or did we ignore our brothers?
Did we care for our neighbors, for their spiritual being?
Or did we walk on by and pretend not to see?
Did we submit to the Lord? Put our lives in His hands?
Or did we do it ourselves, and forego all His plans?
Were we selfish, impure, drunk, or enslaved?
Did we acknowledge our weakness and ask to be saved?
Did we pass on to children a reflection of Christ?
Or did we concentrate on ourselves and lose sight
Of the goal, our one chance in this mortal life
To make peace and love, to subdue any strife?
At the end, we’ll reflect on our words and our deeds.
And what will grow will be the results of the seeds
That we planted and tended during our brief time.
Will our legacies blossom, or will they wither and die?
I am guilty, convicted of the words that I write.
I want to love and live better, so that I might
Hand down to my children a me that they’ll see
Tried his best to provide for their spiritual needs.
Time, faith and love are the best things we give
Our legacies, our gifts, are the ways that we live.
Copyright 2008
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This blog exists simply to encourage writers.
Like many writers "out there," I have a novel floating around in my head, and it's time to put pen to paper and produce something. My vision for this blog is for it to be a place where like-minded people gather, a place where tools and resources can be shared, and a place where encouragement is abundant. Please feel free to leave comments and share your writing experiences. Please see my first post for expanded information about this blog.
Enjoy!
The storyteller takes what he tells from experience -- his own or that reported by others. And he in turn makes it the experience of those who are listening to his tale. ~Walter Benjamin
Welcome to The Novel Approach
This blog exists simply to encourage writers.
Like many writers "out there," I have a novel floating around in my head, and it's time to put pen to paper and produce something. My vision for this blog is for it to be a place where like-minded people gather, a place where tools and resources can be shared, and a place where encouragement is abundant. Please feel free to leave comments and share your writing experiences. Please see my first post for expanded information about this blog.
Enjoy!
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3 comments:
This is exactly what I needed to hear (rather, read) this morning, Eric. Never mind the technical aspects of the scheme; it's beautiful, useful and what every man should be striving for. (As for ending that last sentence with a preposition, shame on me).
Well done. I would love to know what you were thinking about or feeling or perhaps watching immediately before you wrote this.
Hey, man. Good to hear from you, and thanks for the comment. As for what I was thinking about when I wrote the poem -- I was thinking about my grandparents and trying to write something for them. They have lived the kind of selfless life that I want to live. They've concentrated on the most important things in life, the relationships with their family and friends. So, the majority of the poem is about them. The other part is all about me and others I've experienced. We concentrate too much on material things. If I would die tomorrow, I'd want my kids to know I was a good, Christian man -- not a materialistic man. I hope this all makes sense. I'm a work in progress, but I think I'm slowly but surely changing (I hope.)
Wow! That's about all I can say at the moment. Your poem touched me on so many levels, in my head and heart.
Thank you for sharing, I'm glad you told me about your blog.
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