Jim Yerman Poems

I thought about Kintsugi this morning while looking in the mirror…feeling old…Kintsugi is the art of repairing cracks and breaks in pottery with lacquer dusted in silver, platinum…and gold.

The philosophy being those breaks and cracks are to be embraced…something everyone should see…a vital part of that pottery's essence…its past…its history.
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I have always counted myself extremely lucky to have been blessed with a wife
who agrees with me that it's the little things that make a happy life.

It's not only listening when the other person talks but hearing what they say.
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When we add a memory to our life…of a special moment…a special day…how can we ensure that memory will live on…that it will not fade away?

I imagine it's the nature of memories that some will bubble to the surface…never to dim or fade…triggered by a photo…an aroma……a word…that awakens the moment that memory was made.
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On my walk this morning a tiny cloud caught my eye
And I found myself stopping to watch it on its trip across the sky.

It seemed a little shaky at first…not much movement there at all…
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We have this cute little bird house we keep on our patio
We didn't know who would use it, perhaps a chickadee or a crow

It's too small for a pelican or an eagle to make a den
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She loved those quiet moments together…loved the rainbow of colors they chose
when Mom would color her nails…and Dad would paint her toes.

It was during these quiet moments when it seemed to her like time suspended.
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As I watch many world religions fight, acting inhumane and cruel
It makes me ask the question, what’s happened to the Golden Rule?

Countries at war with one another, soldiers dying, a world of dread
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Do you believe trees have feelings? I do. It's part of my malady.
Basically, I give human characteristics to everything I see.

I was born with this affliction and I own it with dignity and grace
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When I was young I thought it would be great if I could be a hero...
The one who slays the dragon, or defeats the invincible foe.

The guy who saves the baby from the burning building before she’s engulfed in flames
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I'm not sure what's happening in this country…sometimes I think it's being overrun by fools…in some states they're banning books…in my state, Florida, they're banning talking about gender and sexuality in schools.

While closing up the bookstore the other night I was thinking how crazy can this be…
as I was re-shelving one of the books they've banned in Tennessee.
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