"The Thinker," statue by Rodin‘Free-Fall’ and Other Ponderings by James A. Tweedie The Society May 23, 2022 Beauty, Humor, Poetry 19 Comments . Free-Fall My life has been in free-fall since the day that I was born. __Through clouds and sunshine, I have flown and soared. The trip has been exhilarating since that birth-day morn. __There hasn’t been a day that I’ve been bored. The longer I keep falling all the more comes into view; __I see things clearer than I did before. Each time I search for what’s ahead I see things that are new. __And as the ground draws closer, I see more. Thus far I have enjoyed my life between the earth and sky. __The fact that I’ll soon land is absolute. But as the ground draws closer, I’ve begun to wonder why __They never issued me a parachute. . . Truth Be Told Like many others, back when I was young I never doubted truth was on my side. With noble thoughts and wisdom on my tongue, My point of view was always justified. It’s not that I was arrogant or vain, Audacious, haughty, smug or erudite; I never treated others with disdain, I simply knew that I was always right. But since, I’ve found when truth does not agree With what my egocentric thoughts presume, It’s often made an “ass” of “u” and “me.” Which is, of course, the meaning of “assume.” To bend and twist myself towards truth, I’ve found, Works better than the other way around. . . Too Much of a Good Thing Whenever someone asks me to opine I try my best to keep my comments terse. For if my grand oration is too fine, The verbal pyrotechnics make things worse. Far better is to get straight to the point And speak as true and honest as can be Lest both my thoughts and time get out of joint, And prove to be embarrassing to me. I try to speak from one, not many angles For wordiness obscures a well-meant thought And obfuscates in convoluted tangles While tying good intentions in a knot. So when I speak I stand and say my bit, And then, as soon as possible, I sit. . . James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and three collections of poetry including Mostly Sonnets, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in The Lyric, Poetry Salzburg (Austria) Review, California Quarterly, Asses of Parnassus, Lighten Up Online, Better than Starbucks, WestWard Quarterly, Society of Classical Poets, and The Chained Muse. 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: 19 Responses jd May 23, 2022 Enjoyed all three, Mr. Tweedie. Eminently relatable, I wouldn’t know which one to choose as a favorite. I love the surprise of the final line of the first, the clever use of “assume” in the second and the good advice of the third. Reply James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 JD, It’s always wise to take good advice . . . Especially if it’s your own! Thanks for the shout. Reply Russel Winick May 23, 2022 I too liked all three. “Too Much…” particularly resonates as a lesson I’ve tried to learn. Fine work! Reply Julian D. Woodruff May 23, 2022 Good work, Mr. Tweedie–all 3. The 2nd reminds me of Lerner’s fine lyric “C’EST moi,” from Camelot, although with its turn it reaches an awareness that escapes Lancelot completely in the song. Reply James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 Julian, I am tickled to be compared with the great Lerner. While in Adelaide Australia back in 1984 I saw the show with Richard Harris. It was not the same without Goulet as Launcelot. One arrogant man or woman often seems to build a kingdom on sand before bringing it to ruin as with Launcelot/Camelot, Hitler/Germany, Putin/Russia, and Xi/China. Collective arrogance can do the same to a republic. Our nation’s founders were passionate, brash, full of competing convictions but (with the possible exceptions of Burr and Hamilton) displayed a remarkable lack of arrogance or pursuit of power. Which is one reason they were so successful. Collective humility leads to greater and longer-lasting triumph and prosperity for all—qualities of character that are sadly lacking in our nation’s leadership these days. Reply Cheryl Corey May 23, 2022 “They never issued me a parachute.” is a strong ending to “Free-Fall”. I like the word play on “assume” in “Truth…”. All three are full of wisdom and advice. Great reading at any age. Reply Margaret Coats May 23, 2022 Good ponderings, and especially good use of long lines (first and third of each quatrain) in “Free-Fall” to suggest the soaring stretches. Reply Jeff Eardley May 23, 2022 Mr Tweedie, thanks for a well-needed blast of fun with these ponderings. As a fellow member of the, “Three Score and Ten” club, I find myself looking down the long tunnel of time with the thought that a light at the end of a tunnel usually means a train coming the other way. I hope the parachute deploys successfully, and full marks to Evan for the artwork. Reply James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 Train coming! Lol funnneee! Reply C.B. Anderson May 23, 2022 These three pithy poems, James, are just the kind of thing I like to read (and write). It’s better to have the best word than to have the last word, and you have given us some of the best words in the world, which, I am sure, will not be your last words. Reply James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 Ty CB, your clever poetic twists have, over the past few years, opened my eyes to possibilities I had not considered before—in a sense, “giving me permission” to point my versified fun in new directions! Reply Paul Freeman May 23, 2022 It’s all been said above, James. ‘I never treated others with disdain, I simply knew that I was always right.’ And there I was thinking I was always right. Thanks for the reads. Reply James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 When everything’s been said and done The course of history’s been run. 😉 Reply David Watt May 24, 2022 James, your combination of thoughts formed through life experience, and sage advice make for fine reading. I particularly enjoyed the active imagery in “Free-Fall”, and the satisfyingly humorous conclusion. Reply James A. Tweedie May 24, 2022 Ty, David. I’m glad the humor and the point of the poems came through. Reply Norma Pain May 24, 2022 “And as the ground draws closer”, in Freefall, was the line that hit me and made me shudder while at the same time, it made me laugh. Being claustrophobic, I wrote the following: Here lies a most unhappy little lady, Claustrophobia had filled her life with dread. Her request was for cremation to avoid horrification But they buried her alive and now she’s dead!! Reply Norma Pain May 24, 2022 And I meant to say thank you for all three poems. I also enjoyed them very much. Reply James A. Tweedie May 24, 2022 Thank you, Norma. I like the closing line of your poem. It’s a real kicker! lol Reply Adam Wasem May 27, 2022 James, I pray someday to have the serenity of heart and soul to read the end of “Free-Fall” as humorous–which you seem to have intended–rather than terrifying. On the other hand, “Too Much of a Good Thing,” is as fine an elucidation of the aphorism “Brevity is the Soul of Wit,” that I’ve read. Beautifully crafted, as always. 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jd May 23, 2022 Enjoyed all three, Mr. Tweedie. Eminently relatable, I wouldn’t know which one to choose as a favorite. I love the surprise of the final line of the first, the clever use of “assume” in the second and the good advice of the third. Reply
James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 JD, It’s always wise to take good advice . . . Especially if it’s your own! Thanks for the shout. Reply
Russel Winick May 23, 2022 I too liked all three. “Too Much…” particularly resonates as a lesson I’ve tried to learn. Fine work! Reply
Julian D. Woodruff May 23, 2022 Good work, Mr. Tweedie–all 3. The 2nd reminds me of Lerner’s fine lyric “C’EST moi,” from Camelot, although with its turn it reaches an awareness that escapes Lancelot completely in the song. Reply
James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 Julian, I am tickled to be compared with the great Lerner. While in Adelaide Australia back in 1984 I saw the show with Richard Harris. It was not the same without Goulet as Launcelot. One arrogant man or woman often seems to build a kingdom on sand before bringing it to ruin as with Launcelot/Camelot, Hitler/Germany, Putin/Russia, and Xi/China. Collective arrogance can do the same to a republic. Our nation’s founders were passionate, brash, full of competing convictions but (with the possible exceptions of Burr and Hamilton) displayed a remarkable lack of arrogance or pursuit of power. Which is one reason they were so successful. Collective humility leads to greater and longer-lasting triumph and prosperity for all—qualities of character that are sadly lacking in our nation’s leadership these days. Reply
Cheryl Corey May 23, 2022 “They never issued me a parachute.” is a strong ending to “Free-Fall”. I like the word play on “assume” in “Truth…”. All three are full of wisdom and advice. Great reading at any age. Reply
Margaret Coats May 23, 2022 Good ponderings, and especially good use of long lines (first and third of each quatrain) in “Free-Fall” to suggest the soaring stretches. Reply
Jeff Eardley May 23, 2022 Mr Tweedie, thanks for a well-needed blast of fun with these ponderings. As a fellow member of the, “Three Score and Ten” club, I find myself looking down the long tunnel of time with the thought that a light at the end of a tunnel usually means a train coming the other way. I hope the parachute deploys successfully, and full marks to Evan for the artwork. Reply
C.B. Anderson May 23, 2022 These three pithy poems, James, are just the kind of thing I like to read (and write). It’s better to have the best word than to have the last word, and you have given us some of the best words in the world, which, I am sure, will not be your last words. Reply
James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 Ty CB, your clever poetic twists have, over the past few years, opened my eyes to possibilities I had not considered before—in a sense, “giving me permission” to point my versified fun in new directions! Reply
Paul Freeman May 23, 2022 It’s all been said above, James. ‘I never treated others with disdain, I simply knew that I was always right.’ And there I was thinking I was always right. Thanks for the reads. Reply
James A. Tweedie May 23, 2022 When everything’s been said and done The course of history’s been run. 😉 Reply
David Watt May 24, 2022 James, your combination of thoughts formed through life experience, and sage advice make for fine reading. I particularly enjoyed the active imagery in “Free-Fall”, and the satisfyingly humorous conclusion. Reply
James A. Tweedie May 24, 2022 Ty, David. I’m glad the humor and the point of the poems came through. Reply
Norma Pain May 24, 2022 “And as the ground draws closer”, in Freefall, was the line that hit me and made me shudder while at the same time, it made me laugh. Being claustrophobic, I wrote the following: Here lies a most unhappy little lady, Claustrophobia had filled her life with dread. Her request was for cremation to avoid horrification But they buried her alive and now she’s dead!! Reply
Norma Pain May 24, 2022 And I meant to say thank you for all three poems. I also enjoyed them very much. Reply
James A. Tweedie May 24, 2022 Thank you, Norma. I like the closing line of your poem. It’s a real kicker! lol Reply
Adam Wasem May 27, 2022 James, I pray someday to have the serenity of heart and soul to read the end of “Free-Fall” as humorous–which you seem to have intended–rather than terrifying. On the other hand, “Too Much of a Good Thing,” is as fine an elucidation of the aphorism “Brevity is the Soul of Wit,” that I’ve read. Beautifully crafted, as always. Reply
