Day 48 of the Poetry for Peace Poemathon. I can't believe I've gotten this far - a new poem every day for 48 days straight! This task is teaching me a great deal, not least that the creative reservoir within the soul of each and every one of us is of infinite capacity. It is a reservoir that never runs dry, in fact the more we tap into it the fuller it gets.

Anyway, that's enough philosophizing for one day. Here is today's poem for Sunday 3rd June 2018.

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Thus Have I Learned . . .

by Steve Cook

Thus have I learned

from a man

much wiser than I

and from the trials of life

that proved a thousand times

that he spoke sooth and did not lie:

when in doubt, communicate,

when you try and fail

go again.

Embrace the risk and treat disaster

like the soul's adrenalin.

Go into old age kicking and screaming

"no surrender!"

If you ever quit,

admit to yourself

you're only pretending.

When you're stuck do something.

Trust your own counsel,

for you're smarter than you think.

If you're down,

force yourself to smile,

try singing

or a poem.

Get into action,

get it moving,

make it flow

and know that you know

what you're doing.

More do, less think,

and if the universe tries

to stare you down,

don't blink.