Viewing a photo in which
he sits with a grandson
looking over a book filled
with colorful exotic animals,
the old man’s first thought
is that he must lose weight
but the little boy is smiling,
delighted to have spotted
the Peruvian Ant-Eater
before his grandfather did,
and not at all concerned
with double-chins or waistlines.
Let us be gentle with ourselves at Christmas,
remembering only that which truly matters.

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A few notes: (1.) You may have noticed that I posted a poem last week but took it down within a few hours. After reviewing the poem, I decided it wasn’t ready to be released. It has the making of a good poem and so I will revise it and try to get it posted again soon. (2.) Happy Thanksgiving! My father died over Thanksgiving weekend in 1988 and the holiday can still be difficult for me. I have posted poems about my father several times in this blog, including here.
Joseph Neely, all rights reserved.

Beautiful post 🌹
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So true! As always, you manage to capture a universal moment beautifully & succinctly. Sending extra love to you this Thanksgiving weekend. I hope you take gentle care of yourself.
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Beautiful, and amen!
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div>Hope you’re
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I love this poem! And it’s so true how our minds can wander to our waistlines—every day I think about losing weight! When does it stop? You have captured the truth perfectly in this poem. Children don’t care about these things. They just want to be loved, listened to, and play! Your grandchildren are very lucky to have you. You are a loving soul.
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Thanks so much and Happy Thanksgiving to you!
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Nice thoughts.
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Thank you, Michael. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
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