A train in Pennsylvania, by Gustav GrunewaldA Poem for Mother’s Day ‘Lullaby’ and Other Poetry by Joe Tessitore The Society May 13, 2018 Beauty, Humor, Poetry 29 Comments Lullaby When you sang to your baby boy did other hearts not fill with joy those few who just happened to hear? for even on their darkest day your lullaby would chase away every doubt and pain and fear the angels never sang like this nor heard the pure exquisite bliss of your song, most precious and dear The Journey My train of thought rolls down the track I know it’s never coming back the station master waves good-bye a single tear falls from his eye the whistle blows, she rounds the bend the signal of my journey’s end I do not grieve, I don’t regret I take my leave and I forget The Stone of the Unknown, West Point Cemetery Ye Grave, Your word confronts me with a start and makes its way into my heart inscribes itself and will not leave so for this one I too now grieve who gave his life and even more is there a soul that can ignore unknown whose fame will surely last above, beyond and unsurpassed unknown for whom our flags unfurl unknown for whom the bagpipes skirl unknown but by no means forgot this hero, all that I am not… …unspoken but forever heard can more be said in just one word? The Poets Within each heart there lives a rhyme that transcends space and transcends time and in each soul exquisite verse spontaneous and unrehearsed the challenge through eternity to lose our selves and set them free Joe Tessitore is a retired New York City resident and poet. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 29 Responses Rohini May 13, 2018 These are all so beautiful and sad, they all have a soft quiet rhythm which is strangely calming. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 I couldn’t ask for a better comment. Thank you so much! Reply Terrye May 13, 2018 Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughtful poems. Evan M. May 13, 2018 Thank you, Joe, for the wonderful poetry. “The Journey” strikes me most as a I enter middle age and say goodbye to my youth. A sublime poem. My own Mother’s Day poem to add below (composed with the help of my 9-year-old daughter)… Mother’s Day, May, 2018 The Mother stands above the fray, Where shines for her our love this day. For when the nights are dim and gray, And when we wish dawn’s rim of day Would come to warm the cold away, Our thoughts of her unfold to say, “I wish her near to hold, to stay. The joy she brings is gold always!” Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Thank you for your wonderful comments and your beautiful poem. How blessed you are to have written it with your daughter for Mothers’ Day! Can it get any better than that? Reply Amy Foreman May 13, 2018 Joe, these are all wonderful, as usual! I was moved by each, but, especially by the cadence and wording of “The Stone of the Unknown: West Point Cemetery.” I wish this poem could be posted near that stone–I know it would affect others as it has me. Thank you for all of these! Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Happy Mothers ‘ Day Amy❣️ Thanks for your comments. “The Stone…” was special for me as well. I’m so glad you like it. I felt like it was a privilege to write it. It started while I was there and I was sure it was going to be a Haiku: Unknown, so starkly proclaimed from a cold hard stone Mourning doves reply Reply Amy Foreman May 13, 2018 I love it as a haiku, too! But the iambic tetrameter is perfect. Thanks for the Mother’s Day tidings! I am blessed, most definitely! Susan C. May 13, 2018 Hi Joe, each poem came from the heart especially the Unknown poem. Each one has its own character. They all are written so beautifully with a lot of thought. Thanks for sharing the poems and your thoughts. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Thanks so much for your beautiful comments ❣️ Reply David Paul Behrens May 13, 2018 Your style of writing and much of the subject matter are similar to many of the poems I have written over the years, including limited use of punctuation, which certainly works well in this group of poems. These poems are great and remind me of myself if I were to become a better writer. Well done! Your writing seems to flow easily from your mind to your pen and then onto the paper, making you a natural born poet. So, in honor of Mother’s Day, to you, Joe, I would like to declare that you and I are brothers from a different mother. To all the lady poets out there with children of their own: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Reply David Paul Behrens May 13, 2018 Of course, in terms of proper grammar, I should have said brothers from different mothers, but you know what I mean. Nice poems. Keep up the good work. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Brother David, I stopped using punctuation because my wife is a master of it and is always catching my mistakes. Thank you for your very kind comments. David Watt May 13, 2018 These are a beautiful set of poems, reflective and at times wistful, such as in ‘The Journey.’ I enjoyed each for their sincere responses to life. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Thank you very much! Reply Leo Yankevich May 13, 2018 These are all flawless, moving beautiful poems, Joe. Great work. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 And you have moved me, Leo. Thank you so very much! Reply vincent May 13, 2018 Joe, This is a very fine group of poems. [eecumings?] Lullaby is tender and evokes a parents love which is so timeless. The Journey is so poignant: appropriate for one without a supernatural belief. Ye Grave is so timeless in our thoughts to those who made the selfless ultimate sacrifice. To intertwine the grave stone with the poem is perfect [skirl ? I had to go to the dictionary but it does capture a bagpipes sound] The poets gives me hope for my amateurish attempts. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Thank you, Vincent for your very thoughtful comments. I was pretty sure about “skirl”, but went to the dictionary myself to be certain. Your writing ability suggests to me that you have more than hope in your corner – you have the tools as well. Reply Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 You have, each and every one of you, moved me to the point of tears. As Amy once said to me, thank you so very much, from the bottom of my heart! I just realized (with a large assist from my wife) who you are, Evan M. I am truly at a loss for words! Reply James A. Tweedie May 14, 2018 Joe, Let me also commend you for your poem, “The Stone of the Unknown.” While living in Hawaii I was privileged to officiate at one burial and numerous inurnments at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, aka Punchbowl. The gazebo set aside for these services stands surrounded by many “Unknowns” from the Korean War. It was my habit, whenever I passed that way, to randomly choose one of these graves and pause in prayer, imagining the family that grieved for the soldier’s death without ever knowing what had become of him. I also imagined the soldier himself, his life, his hopes, his dreams, and the circumstances that led to his ultimate sacrifice. Your poem captured my feelings . . . including the tear. Nicely done, and thank you. Reply Joe Tessitore May 14, 2018 You remind me of one couplet that I wasn’t able to work in: Is there a soul that can stand here and not be moved to shed a tear? Thank you James, very much. James Sale May 14, 2018 I particularly like The Journey, Joe – so simple and very beautiful. Well done. Reply Joe Tessitore May 14, 2018 Thank you James. Reply Fr. Richard Libby May 14, 2018 All of these are thoughtful and well crafted poems, Mr. Tessitore. I found “The Stone of the Unknown” to be particularly moving. Congratulations! Reply Joe Tessitore May 14, 2018 Thank you Father. If you capitalize “baby boy “ in ‘Lullaby’ you’ll know what my inspiration was. Reply David Hollywood May 14, 2018 Sensitive and elegiac poetry. Thank you. Reply Joe Tessitore May 14, 2018 Thank you David. Reply Juni May 19, 2018 I really love your poem Lullaby, I sing lullabies I grew up with to my young son every night. I am thankful for my friend Amy whom has partly inspired you to write it. JS Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Rohini May 13, 2018 These are all so beautiful and sad, they all have a soft quiet rhythm which is strangely calming. Reply
Evan M. May 13, 2018 Thank you, Joe, for the wonderful poetry. “The Journey” strikes me most as a I enter middle age and say goodbye to my youth. A sublime poem. My own Mother’s Day poem to add below (composed with the help of my 9-year-old daughter)… Mother’s Day, May, 2018 The Mother stands above the fray, Where shines for her our love this day. For when the nights are dim and gray, And when we wish dawn’s rim of day Would come to warm the cold away, Our thoughts of her unfold to say, “I wish her near to hold, to stay. The joy she brings is gold always!” Reply
Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Thank you for your wonderful comments and your beautiful poem. How blessed you are to have written it with your daughter for Mothers’ Day! Can it get any better than that? Reply
Amy Foreman May 13, 2018 Joe, these are all wonderful, as usual! I was moved by each, but, especially by the cadence and wording of “The Stone of the Unknown: West Point Cemetery.” I wish this poem could be posted near that stone–I know it would affect others as it has me. Thank you for all of these! Reply
Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Happy Mothers ‘ Day Amy❣️ Thanks for your comments. “The Stone…” was special for me as well. I’m so glad you like it. I felt like it was a privilege to write it. It started while I was there and I was sure it was going to be a Haiku: Unknown, so starkly proclaimed from a cold hard stone Mourning doves reply Reply
Amy Foreman May 13, 2018 I love it as a haiku, too! But the iambic tetrameter is perfect. Thanks for the Mother’s Day tidings! I am blessed, most definitely!
Susan C. May 13, 2018 Hi Joe, each poem came from the heart especially the Unknown poem. Each one has its own character. They all are written so beautifully with a lot of thought. Thanks for sharing the poems and your thoughts. Reply
David Paul Behrens May 13, 2018 Your style of writing and much of the subject matter are similar to many of the poems I have written over the years, including limited use of punctuation, which certainly works well in this group of poems. These poems are great and remind me of myself if I were to become a better writer. Well done! Your writing seems to flow easily from your mind to your pen and then onto the paper, making you a natural born poet. So, in honor of Mother’s Day, to you, Joe, I would like to declare that you and I are brothers from a different mother. To all the lady poets out there with children of their own: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Reply
David Paul Behrens May 13, 2018 Of course, in terms of proper grammar, I should have said brothers from different mothers, but you know what I mean. Nice poems. Keep up the good work. Reply
Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Brother David, I stopped using punctuation because my wife is a master of it and is always catching my mistakes. Thank you for your very kind comments.
David Watt May 13, 2018 These are a beautiful set of poems, reflective and at times wistful, such as in ‘The Journey.’ I enjoyed each for their sincere responses to life. Reply
vincent May 13, 2018 Joe, This is a very fine group of poems. [eecumings?] Lullaby is tender and evokes a parents love which is so timeless. The Journey is so poignant: appropriate for one without a supernatural belief. Ye Grave is so timeless in our thoughts to those who made the selfless ultimate sacrifice. To intertwine the grave stone with the poem is perfect [skirl ? I had to go to the dictionary but it does capture a bagpipes sound] The poets gives me hope for my amateurish attempts. Reply
Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 Thank you, Vincent for your very thoughtful comments. I was pretty sure about “skirl”, but went to the dictionary myself to be certain. Your writing ability suggests to me that you have more than hope in your corner – you have the tools as well. Reply
Joe Tessitore May 13, 2018 You have, each and every one of you, moved me to the point of tears. As Amy once said to me, thank you so very much, from the bottom of my heart! I just realized (with a large assist from my wife) who you are, Evan M. I am truly at a loss for words! Reply
James A. Tweedie May 14, 2018 Joe, Let me also commend you for your poem, “The Stone of the Unknown.” While living in Hawaii I was privileged to officiate at one burial and numerous inurnments at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, aka Punchbowl. The gazebo set aside for these services stands surrounded by many “Unknowns” from the Korean War. It was my habit, whenever I passed that way, to randomly choose one of these graves and pause in prayer, imagining the family that grieved for the soldier’s death without ever knowing what had become of him. I also imagined the soldier himself, his life, his hopes, his dreams, and the circumstances that led to his ultimate sacrifice. Your poem captured my feelings . . . including the tear. Nicely done, and thank you. Reply
Joe Tessitore May 14, 2018 You remind me of one couplet that I wasn’t able to work in: Is there a soul that can stand here and not be moved to shed a tear? Thank you James, very much.
James Sale May 14, 2018 I particularly like The Journey, Joe – so simple and very beautiful. Well done. Reply
Fr. Richard Libby May 14, 2018 All of these are thoughtful and well crafted poems, Mr. Tessitore. I found “The Stone of the Unknown” to be particularly moving. Congratulations! Reply
Joe Tessitore May 14, 2018 Thank you Father. If you capitalize “baby boy “ in ‘Lullaby’ you’ll know what my inspiration was. Reply
Juni May 19, 2018 I really love your poem Lullaby, I sing lullabies I grew up with to my young son every night. I am thankful for my friend Amy whom has partly inspired you to write it. JS Reply
