Learn from the fool
by J. Allen Wilson — Read all 1,629 poems by J. Allen Wilson
In this life we all have choices and it is up to us to decide how we live our life. Be it overeating, drinking, smoking cigarettes, doing drugs. We decide. And like most teens of the early 70’s I myself partook the bad habit of smoking cigarettes. No we were not told they were bad for us back then. We looked cool with our long hair, bell bottom jeans and a cigarette between our fingers. Now I did quit several times in my life only to go back when times got rough and as I got older I learned of the risks but at the time I had too many issues and just went with the flow. But last year I did quit and I hope I will never pick up another one.
Since my recent diagnose of COPD was caught early that I will with meds be able to continue living a long and somewhat healthy life. Had a bad case of not being able to catch my breath today in this over 100* weather and these words came to me.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Learn from the fool
Listen children and listen well.
Take heed and learn from this fools errant ways. Don't let your job rule your life, always love your children; husband or wife.
Take good care of your given health for as the years pass by it is more valuable than a thousand kings wealth.
I with sadness look back on my life. When I was young a million things I and my body could do. I could lift, run and climb mountains and trees. Yet now as time and days have come and gone once simple task are difficult to achieve.
I in my youth was blessed by God with strength of both body and mind and as a fool I threw it all away. Pain now is my constant friend it follows me like a shadow and it hurts me to know that it was I that brought myself to the ever quickening end.
I have a disease for which they say that there is no cure. All the doctors can do is manage it until it has of me complete control. How long it will last I am not quite sure. All I can ask is that God guide my soul.
In the years of this my life, I have seen many far away lands. I have always been driven to lend others more needy, a helping hand. I have many more things that I still wish to do, but it is like they say... graveyards are filled with unwritten songs and dreams never fulfilled as death like a thief stole them away on their coming day.
I write this not as a song for pity, but as a page of a short chapter of life. I write in hope that some may heed these simple words from a simple man and take care of their health while they still can.
I have lived, loved and lost. I have fought cancer not once but twice and have won. I still love and I still live. I will continue to fight the good fight all the way to the end.
So share your love with all my friends. Take each precious minute to spread that love. Never fill your heart with hate, but love all things while you can for the end of our days whenever that may be, does not wait.
So learn now from this fool and cherish your health. Enjoy life yet enjoy it wisely for we know not when it shall end. May God bless you all with good health, love and good friends.
J. Allen Wilson ©
7/22/2017
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well said, glad there is medication to help you live a better life,
for so long there was little hope
When I was seven, picked up by a policewoman for arson for starting a smoldering potential fire that had to be put out by the fire department to light our butts as we smoked, she told us that smoking butts was a, "dirty, nasty habit." I took that wisdom to heart and always avoided anything that would eventually harm my health except for risks that eventually could result in accidents if they weren't carefully chosen risks.
Ron