JP AT OLIVE GARDEN
suggests the topic 'soil'
SOIL
What an unfortunate name for something so loving and giving,
For something so very essential to all that is growing and living!
The very word 'soil' means 'dirt'; something that's filthy is 'soiled';
It has to be scrubbed to be cleansed; it has to be soaked, maybe boiled!
Yet a rich soil is full of goodness. Just see how a little seed grows!
And out of the dun brown grubbiness rises the bloom of the rose.
Without soil we all would go hungry; without soil we'd live without shade;
Without soil the earth would be barren rock and we would have never been made.
And if it gets under our finger-nails, and sometimes puts stains on our clothes
Remember......out of the grubbiness rises the bloom of the rose.
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ANNIVERSARY!
My friend Mr Tang (in the centre, second row)
Sent me this pleasant photograph, not too long ago.
His Class of 1950 is shown as they are now,
And I feel the Chinese system should really take a bow!
Everyone depicted here must be getting old,
And yet their physical condition is a wonder to behold!
All must be at least seventy, yet all are so erect!
Not one walking-stick or crooked knee or stoop can I detect!
There may be one or two grey-haired (I can see some at the back)
But most of them have hair that's thick and uniformly black!
I've looked for some obesity, but all of them are trim!
Maybe a Chinese diet keeps everybody slim!
When they were young their lives were hard, at least that's what we're told,
Yet now they've come into their own and look great when they're old!
Maybe Tai Chi's the answer. Maybe the answer's rice.
Maybe we've all been over-indulged and now must pay the price.
The Chinese system seems to work; maybe we should comply.
So that we can look like this as future years go by!
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