Philip Levine (1928-2015) American poet best known for his poems about working-class Detroit, MI, died at age 87.

What Work Is
We stand in the rain in a long line
waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.
You know what work is-if you're
old enough to read this you know what
work is, although you may not do it.
Forget you. This is about waiting,
shifting from one foot to another.
Feeling the light rain falling like mist
into your hair, blurring your vision
until you think you see your own brother
ahead of you, maybe ten places.
You rub your glasses with your fingers,
and of course it's someone else's brother,
narrower across the shoulders than
yours but with the same sad slouch, the grin
that does not hide the stubbornness,
the sad refusal to give in to
rain, to the hours wasted waiting,
to the knowledge that somewhere ahead
a man is waiting who will say, "No,
we're not hiring today," for any
reason he wants. You love your brother,
now suddenly you can hardly stand
the love flooding you for your brother,
who's not beside you or behind or
ahead because he's home trying to
sleep off a miserable night shift
at Cadillac so he can get up
before noon to study his German.
Works eight hours a night so he can sing
Wagner, the opera you hate most,
the worst music ever invented.
How long has it been since you told him
you loved him, held his wide shoulders,
opened your eyes wide and said those words,
and maybe kissed his cheek? You've never
done something so simple, so obvious,
not because you're too young or too dumb,
not because you're jealous or even mean
or incapable of crying in
the presence of another man, no,
just because you don't know what work is.

Ask my friends, and they will tell you I would rather do almost anything besides shop, I love my old truck, camping, my horses and my mule. Another one of my passions is trail riding.

Friedrich Nietzsche contribution:

I've tweaked, made some changes and like the way this flows...

Let's be great dancers, dance with me, I want to dance, bring me flowers to wear in my hair, kick off your shoes and dance with me. Life is too short to worry about the small stuff, or what others say, or think about us, let's give them something to talk about, let's dance like no one is watching. Make love to me, dance with me, until the early morning hours, let's dance the night away. If a man doesn't know how to dance he doesn't know how to make love, I need to feel the heat of your passion, I need to feel alive, I need to feel loved, I am because you danced with me and loved me. Great dancers are great because of their passion.

Thanks for the insight, now I see...

Well said, I believe this is why we share poetry and short stories here. I always look forward to my morning readings, to find inspiration from you guys.

\Thank you, just amusing myself, being creative waiting for spring weather to arrive.

Wow, I love the empty page of why I would want you back. Well said!

There is a difference between self-love, that something inside you that makes you keep trying despite everything and everyone, and a narcissus, who stands in front of the mirror, flexing, admiring and falling for their own reflection, only to think too highly of themself, which is really a bunch of crap, they have no time to love anyone else.

I've known so many people who have grown up flexing in front of mirrors and falling for their own reflection as if that's adequate.

To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!...

What will my verse be? I do not claim to be a poet, I play with words because life exist, the powerful play *goes on* so that I might contribute a verse.

test

Speak not of the past but of the future. Change for the better, stand strong in what you believe, make the most of what you have, make the world a better place, by thinking outside the box, see the world through the eyes of a child.

I pray for peace to spread to the four corners of the world.

Oh how I wish the world was a better place to raise a child.

Sunday, February 15, 2015, 3:00 in the early morning hours here in central Missouri, USA. I'm waiting for a new day to begin, with sunrays beaming/blending onto the horizon.

This is dedicated in remembrance to the one who made me feel complete. Happy Valentine Day. We danced...

I want to dance, I need to dance. Bring me flowers to wear in my hair, kick off your shoes and dance with me. Great dancers are great because of their passion. If a man doesn't know how to dance he doesn't know how to make love, I need to dance, I need to feel loved, I want to dance, dance with me, I want, I need to feel the heat of your passion. I want to dance. I love to dance. I want to feel alive! I am because you danced with me and loved me.

Vivid... Brilliant piece of word play. Well done!

Dance with me, I love to dance, bring me flowers to wear in my hair, kick off your shoes and dance with me.

If a man doesn't know how to dance he doesn't know how to make love; make love to me. Life is too short to worry about the small stuff, or what others say, or think about you or I, let's dance like there's nobody watching. Let's have fun and give them something to talk about.

Dancing is one of my passions. Great Dancers are great because of their passion. Make love to me! I love to dance, I want to dance.

What does it mean to actually grow up? "I've found that growing up means being honest. About what I want. What I need. What I feel. Who I am."

I feel like we all create/have this illusion that once we grow up life will be perfect, we'll find happiness and we won't have any drama in our life, but in reality we soon realize that life is not perfect, there are no guarantees. It amazes me how eager young folks are to grow up and move away but once they leave they soon want to return to the comfort of their home. People seem to want to escape the life that they're living, but who says you have to grow up to accomplish that, don't wait until you are older to fix the mistakes you've made. Don't think everything will disappear as you get older with your dreams of a better life. Your life will only change if you find a way to make it change. Don't think that getting older will change your life because nothing will change unless you force it upon yourself. Live life, everyday, as if you are never going to "grow up" because you will never actually "grow up" unless you make the changes that are necessary to do so. "Stop waiting for Friday, for summer, for a boy to fall in love with you. Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for it and make something of the moment you're in right now."

The world would be a better places if, everyone viewed the world through the eyes of a child.