This Poem Is An Atheist's Gift To Believers

Gift of Religion

by Angela Lansbury

This is my gift to you

My first and last white lie

To tell you I saw heaven

A happy or sad sigh

When I was born

And when I die

This is my gift to you

Which I can leave behind

To paint a better world

From my mind to your mind

A touch to soothe the deaf

A word image for the blind

This is my gift for you

For me it has to use

Take it, I do not need it

You gain, I do not lose

An ornament, an art, a lie

I’m practical, I just need truth

What can I leave to you?

A poem or a song?

What can I leave in ribbons

Like a chocolate, when I’m gone?

A lie or just the truth

Am I right or am I wrong?

You may say, she didn’t mean it

You may say what you please

You may say that heaven is golden bells

And the moon is made of cheese

Just say what makes you happy

Stop, or move on, what will ease

The strangest thing is

When we are truly dead

My words still reach to you

Today’s thoughts from my head

Time, and timeless, still preserved

What we both thought, and read and said

And so I leave to you my friend

A friendship that will never end

I would not take away from you

It’s your choice, what you think is true

You do what you want to do

And I will leave a smile for you.

I showed this to my family

It went round and round

One said that it was funny

One said it was profound

So I’ve earned immortality

An atheist underground.

-ends-

Angela Lansbury, May 2nd 2016. Copyright.

Author’s note: The last word underground is slightly pessimistic, but by happy chance it is humorously ambiguous as it could be taken to mean subversive.

I hope this poem will please believers as well as atheists and agnostics. It might even be used as a witty and consoling funeral poem.

I was inspired by a BBC article about an Italian poet.  The theme of the article was how atheists may work against or with religion, seen like myths as providing comfort and common culture.

The translations convey the meaning but miss the emphasis. In the original, as is often the case in English, as should be the case in the translation, the last word of the sentence is the one emphasised by the writer and left most remembered in every listener's mind, as well as anticipated by some readers with a knowledge of that languages words which rhyme.

Response to a poem on leaving dusting to write or create

A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet

 but not when you have crumbs under the chair to sweep 

because I tell you here in Singapore, 

if you don't grab a crumb from ants you'll get a hundred more, 

and I'm alas allergic to dust mites, 

a dusty hotel gives me sleepless nights,

 I can compose a poem while I sweep or dust, that glass of water which we share is clean I trust? I would not eat in a dirty café. I promise I'll dust when you come to stay. And proud that all is clean and calm and orderly, we'll sniff sweet flavours, not sneeze in our tea. Please leave your dirty shoes outside the door, sit anywhere, a chair - I cleaned the floor, you'll like my place if you've an allergy - we're both dust mites and gluten free. I hope you like this, which I must rehearse, and whilst I dust I'll write another verse.

By Angela Lansbury April 27 2016. Copyright.

Swimming Lesson by Angela Lansbury

Swimming Lesson

by Angela Lansbury

In Singapore I go to swim

In a giant blue swimming pool

Surrounded by tall green palm trees

And two long white lists of pool rules

They’ve covered almost everything

Which they are never permitting

No diving, food, drinks, nor footwear

No pets, balls, boards, boats, no - spitting!

***

I hear a mother calling, loud

So I turn my curious head

She says the last word two more times

I missed, heard, wrote down what she said:

“Why you so absent-minded, la!

Your towel robe, look, now all wet

You take it off before you swim

Why you, stupid, always forget?

“Why you so absent-minded, la?

Why I always have to watch you

Why you so absent-minded, la?

I busy, got so much to do

“Why you so absent-minded, la?

Why you not like your big brother?

What will you do when you grow up?

When no more father, no mother!

“Why I choose have two children, la?

Two children, see, work is double

Why I choose have two children, la!

Two always mean trouble double.”

My mother said the same to me

It must be fifty years ago

I thought my problems were unique

But they were not, as now I know.

-ends

copyright  Angela Lansbury 3rd April 2016, Sunday

Author’s note

Two Poems

This could be two separate poems but you need the first verse to set the scene and the lists of pool rules and mother’s rules are both ‘common sense’ which is not common to all children, but is common to many adults, most mothers and some swimming instructors.

Spitting

The writer overhears a swimming lesson but learns a lesson about parenthood.

Spitting - old joke. The listener may expect the rhyme to be another impolite word starting with s and ending with ing. The expectation is produced and underlined by the delay before saying the rhyming word, suggesting the author has changed their mind, or that the rude word is only in the mind of the listener. Spitting is both a suitable word (and one used in the list of rules) and a euphemism understood by adults but not necessarily by children.

Structure

I started with the introduction: who, what, where, when, why.

Then conversation. I overheard only the line about the wet towel. 

The boy in the lesson was probably the brother.

Singlish

The conversation language is Singlish. I heard la and added the other common Singlish phrases. For example, it’s mean which should be it means. Singlish is English as a second language, you could call it a dialect. Singlish mixes phrases directly translated from Mandarin, the majority language as the majority of the citizens are of Chinese extraction and Mandarin is the common Chinese language taught in schools and used for communication, although many speak other southern dialects such as Cantonese (language of Hong Kong) and Hokkien and Hakka.

Finally conclusion in both senses, end and lesson learned, the moral.

Revisions

Change verse one from tall green to peaceful.

Should it end I now know or now I know?

I now know adds to the surprise by putting the modifier now nearer the end. However, now I know is better rhythmically. 

On the other hand to change the rhythm at the end would emphasise the word now.

Just read it aloud and see what sounds most natural to you. 

Child Number Four by Angela Lansbury

I recall a former neighbour
I recall the good day we met
Because that day he said to me
Special words which I can't forget

He said, 'We've three grown-up children
Plus this surprise,' his next words lift:
'We thought our lives were quite complete
Until fate sent - an extra gift.'

-ends-
Copyright Angela Lansbury, March 23rd 2016.

Author's note: A conversation with a new friend in Singapore revealed the speaker had for children, two boys and a girl, all adults, plus another just out of earshot. The father used the word 'a surprise'. He then described how delighted he and his wife were with their (unplanned) fourth child.

It took a three or four second delay for me to register that the child who is a surprise (present tense) was a surprise (past tense, i.e., when born). The child was playing just out of earshot, and the word surprise might not have conveyed the same meaning to a child as it conveyed to an adult.

I reflected that one word can be neutral, negative or positive. I thought the perfect word for a 'surprise' would be gift, unexpected gift.

The word unexpected is four syllables and I could not cram it into an eight syllable line.The word gift, standing alone, is even more succinct and positive. In meetings of Toastmasters International we often speak about using succinct and positive words. Here is a good example of a word, gift, which conveys delight, to please the speaker, listener, and person described.

Angela Lansbury, poetry writer, author and speaker.

Travellers Searching

Travellers Searching

by Angela Lansbury

I was always looking for another

I was searching for the perfect lover

Somebody else, that special somebody

But the secret of joy was down to me

My parents let me go said they were glad

I’d travel and see things they never had

Things were better when I wrote a letter

Only later I knew that they’d been sad

I thought that I had found the perfect lover

He said he’d leave his family for me

I promised I’d stay friends right to the end

But first I’d go home to my family

I knew my childhood home was the winner

I arrived just in time, one last dinner

My lover wasn’t cold but soon sick and old

My dreams of a new home were not to be

My childhood’s in this faded photograph

My parents are happy and we all laugh

I know that happiness is home all the while

So I smile at small children, wave and smile,

I sit contented in my rocking chair

I’m just happy to know carers are there

Work and the world’s riches don’t worry me

I’m happy with my friends and family..

Alternative ending

I chant, sing and rock endless in my chair

I gratefully grab carers who stand there

Work, rain and riches no longer knock me

My lottery win's friends and family.

-ends-

Copyright Angela Lansbury

2016 March 23rd

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The Truth by Angela Lansbury

The Truth

by Angela Lansbury

Now is the time

To tell the truth

To all my fans

And dearest friends

You see your life

Much more clearly

You join the dots

As your life ends

Dreams take me back

To my childhood

When I was small

I ould not see

Couldn’t answer

When they asked me

When you’re adult

What will you be?

I was silent

I wish I’d known

All I needed

A happy home

I left my home

I grew and grew

I searched the world

Stiil never knew

My parents died

Left me alone

Now all I want

Is home sweet home

Now is the time

To tell the truth

To all my fans

And dearest friends

All I need is

A table and chair

A bed, smart head 

And friends who care

I am so glad

When we all meet

That’s all I need

Then life is sweet

There are true friends

I can’t forget

Good souls like you

I’ve not yet met.

-ends-

Copyright Angela Lansbury, March 23 2016
See books on writing poetry by Angela Lansbury on Lulu.com

Comments, commendations, suggestions for improvement or publication welcome.

Poem: The person at the bus stop Comic poem 3

When you've no friends and family
Who want to listen or talk to you
You only have to call on me
I love to talk - and listen, too

Like most people, I'm one of the few
Whose words flow from me, fast and free
I'll gladly tell you what to do
So any time, just call on me

Sometimes you don't want to confess
To those who'll say, "Oh not again!"
"I said before ..." - "Don't give me stress!"
You don't want to depress your friend.

You need someone who's on your side
Explains the other's point of view
From whom you do not need to hide
Who nods, agrees, and says, "That's true!"

Strangers at a bus stop will nod
And smile, be glad, rush to agree
Reply to prayers, faster than God
And ask no more than company

If every stranger is my friend
Although we have short time to stay
Are sorry when our chat must end
But long recall who made our day

Now you know who will take your part
Who'll sit beside or will stand
For sometimes all you need's a heart
Handshakes more than a helping hand

So when your friends and family
Are gone away, then call on me
When you have need of company
I need you, just as you need me.
-ends-
Angela Lansbury, travel writer, English teacher, speaker.
Copyright Angela Lansbury Jan 31st 2016.

Readers : you are welcome to pass on a couplet or a whole verse of this poem providing you include me as the author and please refer back to this site for the reader to read the entire poem. Thank you. I hope you have enjoyed my poem.