Jim Yerman Poems

On his 100th birthday celebration surrounded by his family…
he was asked, ‘what is the secret to your longevity? '

He was silent for a moment…they thought, perhaps, he was too weak…
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When I was young…working with crayons…no matter the design…
my teacher was adamant…when it came to coloring…one must stay within the lines.

And I tried to color her way…the way she comprehended…
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He gently touched his cheek to hers…
at a time when sadness interrupted their nights
and spread throughout their days…
and the moment their tears blended into one…
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If we were given 86,400 dollars every day to spend any way we could
And at the end of the day what we didn't spend would be lost to us for good,

What would we do? We wouldn't have to think too hard, or engage in a long discourse
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When we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima back in 1945
80,000 people died instantly the rest thought they were lucky to be alive.

But, after the bomb, radiation rained like it had never rained before.
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We went on a hike to the top of a mountain…on a morning still sprinkled with dew…
anticipating all the way up..and once at the top..we were in for some wonderful views.

We knew we would see forever…in the sky…high above the pines
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The other day on a drive home our car automatically slowed
then stopped next to an old barn just a short distance off the road.

There is an allure about old barns…still standing but falling apart
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Couples fight about money, about communication and control.
But an unsung cause of trouble in a marriage is the toilet paper roll.
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They say the corner bookstore as an institution is a dying breed
For people now use the internet or E-books when they read.

I was one of those people...as I walked by I would frown
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May we strive from the beginning to keep all children safe
allowing their hearts to sing…
because we know from the simple beauty of small beginnings
can come the greatest things.
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