Please indulge my curious brain for May 2025’s Poem of the Month. I admit, it strays a bit from the usual subjects, and tends to want to go down some darker path, but again… perspective to realize the way things are, and then learn from them for the future seems to be the way we people learn how to survive. Just be sure you come back from that darker part of the forest… wiser and more fulfilled.

And you can and you will.

Whatever the question, love is always the answer.

…AND THE BAND PLAYED ON…

“Casey would waltz with the Strawberry Blonde,
And the band played on…
“He’d glide ‘cross the floor with the girl he adored,
And the band played on…”

A simple tune from my childhood
Entered my brain and become stuck there.
So, for nearly a month, or maybe more,
When I woke up it would be playing, I declare.

I wondered why, so decided to explore
More about the song so I could understand.
It seems it first appeared in 1895,
And was inspired by a German street band.

In 1941 a movie with Hollywood stars 
Called “The Strawberry Blonde” was made; 
A rom-com story set in the late 1890s.
(The boy gets the girl, and the music is played.)

“His brain was so loaded, it nearly exploded.
The poor girl would shake with alarm!”

In 1913, the Titanic set sail
For New York with the passengers enjoying the ride.
But near Newfoundland in Canada the ship fell apart
After an accident. With an iceberg it did collide.

The orchestra on board continued to play
As the ship broke apart and went down…
Lifeboats were filled with women and children,
‘And the band played on…’

A book by Randy Shilts, “And The Band Played On,”
Revealed in 1987 how AIDS was allowed to spread.
The most trusted institutions ignored or denied
The tragedy that left too many people dead.

“And the band played on…” So many meanings…
Some positive and some not! Isn’t that true?
Life does go on… The band plays on,
And how it goes depends upon you.

“He married the girl with the strawberry curl,
And the band played on!”

Where did the time go????

I’m a little late with this month’s poem… sorry… time has a way of getting away from me; does that happen to you, too? 

Maybe I’m trying to cram in more things at this time in my life???

Whatever it is that gets in the way of my being able to meet my self-imposed deadlines causes me to worry, and worry is one thing I am trying to eliminate in my life.

So, as I was going through some of the poems that I’ve written which have not landed in any of my books or in the Poem of the Month mail-out, I came across one that I wrote initially in a sort of tongue-in-cheek style about how difficult our own language is to learn. I tried to put myself in the mind of someone faced with trying to fit in and learn English as an adult.

Here goes: Hope you enjoy it.

And, remember, whatever the question, love is the answer.

LEARNING ENGLISH AS AN ADULT

Penmanship with a pen…
Sportsmanship with a sport…
Brinksmanship with a brink?

What is a foreigner to do?

I wear a suit.
I play cards with four suits.
It either does or doesn’t suit me!

And I stay in the hotel in a suite.
(Sweet!)

The terrain is rough.
Life can be tough.
I’ve had enough
(stuff)

This poem is through.
(Whew!)

After last month’s Poem of the Month, “Lifelong Learning,” I thought the follow up to it for March of 2025 would be something… I don’t know… educational?

So I sat down to put some words on paper, and the pencil wouldn’t move!!! Nothing… So, I walked away… assuming that the words would come, and the poem would get written. A couple of days passed, and still no inspiration!

Then, a day or two later I was in conversation with a friend, and I felt my mouth forming the words: “make things happen,” and I knew that was the subject for the new poem. The words flew from the end of the pencil as I wrote it.

That’s how it works, sometimes. Sometimes the subject picks me!

Remember, whatever the question, love is always the answer

I hope you enjoy reading the poem.

MAKE THINGS HAPPEN

Some of the best ideas never get off the ground…
Ideas that might have had remarkable impact;
But after years of talking about it — ad nauseam —
The most difficult thing was the decision to act.

According to Michael Jordan (of basketball fame)
“There are some people who want it to happen,
[And] some [timid souls] will wish [for success],
While others will actually [do it].” (No nappin’)

First the dream — then lots of hard work from you…
You must use your own passion to self-motivate.
You don’t need a fancy degree to make it happen.
It’s in your head, heart and hands. Don’t procrastinate! 

Once you decide to move on toward your goal…
The universe will conspire to make it come true.
Your effort is a direct reflection of your interest.
So, stay focused, work smart. The onus is on you.

There’s no scarcity of opportunity to making a living
Doing what you love… what you’re passionate about.
There’s only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.
How much effort you apply is yours to figure out.

The secret to getting ahead, my friends,
Is getting started with that first decision to act.
And do not let life impede your progress.
Concentrate on your goal. Your dream will become fact.