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Open Poetry #46
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Who Do You See?
| Open Poetry #46 |
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Who Do You See? |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart 
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Who do you see? Having cowboyed up, farmed and ranched, moved from waving gold to gold-lined streets, delivering milk before hammering nails, laying roofs over laid carpet providing others comforts of home, raised up four walls of a little church then took his bride through the doors, Jack of all trades tracing boundaries by masonry, keeping nights light with a twist of wire, piping water to the homes that contained friends He held tightly to a sixth grade education, established a community’s business with his wife.... a life culminating as a janitor to make ends meet, at a local high school My high school Perception: dismay "That's your Dad?" Yes, no prideful sound coming through, acknowledging this man picked up papers, cleaned blackboards, straightened desks, swept up litter, just "yes", until.... Perception: placate Once, having to find him before going home, what I found was.... "just" a janitor, chatting with a young man having wandered into a classroom that dad was cleaning, looking for an instructor Perception: amaze In passing moments, worries of a slender young man were unburdened to my wiry dad, who, his sixth grade education intact, lived more life than most professors, having done "the real thing", there he stood, listening to a young man who questioned youth, questioned coming manhood, ready to enter into his own life.... "That your dad?" YES! Perceptions. What is perceived, how it’s passed back out, will always lead back to one, coloring what passes through one's soul.... Perceive well. |
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| © Copyright 2010 Karilea Rilling Jungel - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Lori Grosser Rhoden Member Patricius
since 2009-10-10
Posts 10202Fair to middlin' of nowhere |
Oh my,this is wonderful! I can so relate.  |
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JerryPat Senior Member
since 2010-10-30
Posts 1991Louisiana/America |
Yes indeed, I loved every line of this one, Sunshine. Fifth grade education can put to shame so many of the "titled" professors and their oh so snobbery ways. Yes, again, living life takes on an altogether new meaning when you have been down in the trenches. Learning through doing instead of reading. Common sense is the worlds greatest treasure and sadly we have lost it through the last fifty years or so. "That your dad?" YES! My goodness yes. |
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pen&paper Senior Member
since 2006-06-06
Posts 513 |
So incredibly mind-blowing. Absolutely wonderful. |
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Alison 
since 2008-01-27
Posts 9318Lumpy oatmeal makes me crazy! |
This is what I was looking for tonight. I didn't know it, but it is. Thank you. Love, Alison |
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latearrival Member Ascendant
since 2003-03-21
Posts 5499Florida |
Karilea, I lived through the same experience as my dad and my husband were both truck drivers. You know from my past writing how much my dad meant to me. His 8th grad education was better than my high school one. So even thought I was sixteen when I became engaged, it was to a young man a lot like my dad, and we had 47 years together before Cancer won the battle. When my daughter was in high school a male teacher was trying to influence the kids in the class by saying;” you don't want to grow up to be a truck driver do you". My wonderful young daughter stood up and said. "If it were not for truck drivers you would not have the material to have built this school, nor the books and supplies in it. You would not have food for the cafeteria", and on and on. I hope that teacher never again used that expression. My husband had been in the Navy, having joined at seventeen and been in the battle of Leyte just before his 18th birthday so was certainly as good a man as this teacher. Nobody is "Just" an anything. Thank you for this, I love it. jo |
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Marchmadness Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 9271So. El Monte, California |
What a beautiful tribute to your father, Karilea. He obviously passed his true wisdom on to his daughter. Ida |
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Prasad Nataraj Senior Member
since 2008-05-29
Posts 1149Bangalore,India |
Fine tribute to a fine man he must be. Many can surely relate to your words. And so do i, FIne writing. "Hardwork pays in the long run" |
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Andrew Scott Member Elite
since 1999-06-24
Posts 2558Redlands,CA,USA |
My father has a high school education. After serving 4 years in the Corp, and working various jobs, his carrer culminated in the manager of Patient Accounts for a major hospital, Vice President of a multi-million dollar collection agency, and President of a one of California's largest Credit Unions. I've always considered my father as having a PHD in smarts. He once told me he would have rather been a lineman for GTE... that he hated having worked in an office all his life. As a teacher, I always try to push higher education as a means to getting further along in life. But, I also recognize that the world needs ditch diggers and what you do for a living does not dictate the quality or character of the individual. Thanks for sharing your work. Sorry if I rambled on. Peace. "We'll chase them like rats across the tundra." |
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Honeybunch Member Rara Avis
since 2001-12-29
Posts 7115South Africa |
Wonderful piece, Karilea, and a great tribute to your father. Helen |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Sissie...I love how your love for your father and your realization that you were proud of him, brought out the thoughts of others about their own father-love. The measure of what makes a worthwhile person can be seen in the eyes of their children. |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
Special K, this ranks for me as the best you have done....beautiful. |
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nakdthoughts Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200Between the Lines |
I agree with Michael...this is one of your best. Those were different times back then and my father never finished high school either but had to go to war, married my mom, worked 3 jobs sometimes to support the five of us and then started his own business. Higher education can sometimes be the easy way out depending on what you want your future to be and if it's the money that is the most important and not the background needed for a specific career. As a (substitute) teacher now, I am always telling the very young students to come to school ready to learn so that they can decide later on in life what it is they want to do to be able to live the way they wish. Our world needs all kinds of people in all kinds of jobs. And no one should ever be thought of as invaluable. M |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
There is so much heart and so much wisdom in this beautiful write, dear Karilea. A joy to read and to absorb as a treasure. Love, Margherita |
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Inspired-8 Member
since 2008-04-14
Posts 311Pluto |
Well chosen words of few your verse speaks volumns of wisdom in my fav minimalistic theme simply outstanding! cheers vic |
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vandana
since 1999-10-22
Posts 10463USA |
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Klassy Lassy Member Elite
since 2005-06-28
Posts 2187Oregon |
Life lessons are the making of a man. Book smart is ok, heart smart and ingenius is superb. It looks to me--and I read this three times--as if your papa was one of the best! |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
Too true Karilea. The surface of most everything is shallow but in depth lies all the treasures of life. What a great write! We imperfect humans so quick to judge are trapped within our own boundaries unless we open up to all the perceptions available to us. Loved it!! Eric |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I'm afraid I lack the perception others have displayed; I am a tad bit confused. sigh write me I got lost about stanza three...  |
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Dark Stranger Member Patricius
since 2001-03-19
Posts 13631West Coast |
ms sun..enjoyed the pure form of the gentleman...not covered with perceptions.. enjoyed you ms |
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Tim Senior Member
since 1999-06-08
Posts 1794 |
Been away for a while, glad I stopped back, I agree, one your best. |
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Spiros Zafiris Senior Member
since 2002-10-20
Posts 982Canada |
..hi Sunshine..>>never fails; always a calming pleasure, reading a Sunshine poem; thanks..>>spiros |
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secondhanddreampoet Member Ascendant
since 2006-11-07
Posts 6394a 'Universalist' ! |
well said ... fine 'write' !! |
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vandana
since 1999-10-22
Posts 10463USA |
nice |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Not sure how I missed this (maybe I should drop in more regularly.) Anyway, this speaks volumes to the judgments made on people before we know them. Some of the smartest people I have ever known, had literally no education, but brother did they have life skills. That is something no education can supply. Well done Karilea, and Merry Christmas. |
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LeeJ Member Patricius
since 2003-06-19
Posts 13296 |
Oh Sunny, this was indeed an amazing tribute...absolutely stunning...and one of my favorites of yours...with a dad like that, no wonder your amazing... Hugs and Merry Christmas Lee J. |
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