.

Family Affair

It was an educational affair,
So many distant relatives were there,
And it was nice to learn who they all were,
Too bad without a death, this won’t occur.

.

.

Argument Avoided

There’s no need for an argument,
_We do not have to fight.
I’ve learned to simply be content
_With feeling that I’m right.

.

.

Road Work

I drove halfway across the nation
Into constant irritation,
Roadwork everywhere in sight
Lane closures, logjams, day and night,
While folks by thousands were delayed,
In no location did it fade,
And hardly ever, just for fun,
Was any road work being done.

.

.

And I’m Not Them

Sometimes when people come to me
_Requesting my advice,
I tell them while their confidence
_Is definitely nice,
I often am not qualified
_To offer up suggestions,
For only Ann and Abby had
_The answers to all questions.

.

Poet’s Note: Readers of a certain age will recognize the reference to advice columnists and sisters Ann Landers and Dear Abby

.

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Russel Winick recently started writing poetry after ending a long legal career. He resides in Naperville, Illinois.

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16 Responses

  1. Mike Bryant

    Russel, your thought-provoking poetry always arrives with new bites of your hard-won, gentle wisdom.

    Reply
  2. Mark Stellinga

    A delightful grouping, Russel, and Ann’s & Abby’s ‘words of wisdom’ were faithfully consulted by my Mom, my aunts, and my grandmothers. I suspect, and hope, someone has taken over where they left off?? Nice job –

    Reply
  3. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Russel, I wrote a humorous poem using the moniker, “Dear Blabby.” Now I have to dig it out from somewhere. Such amusing entertainment in your poems have I come to expect that I look forward to seeing them every so often,

    Reply
  4. Joseph S. Salemi

    These are very nice little squibs, full of both humor and wit.

    I recall Ann Landers and Dear Abby, but they were only two of a vast array of advice columnists in the 1950s. Dozens of advice columns appeared in the tabloid press, and even in some high-toned newspapers. Most were about love matters, but other were financial, or familial, or dealt with cooking or housekeeping, or were job-related, or were about astrology, or about complicated games such as chess or auction bridge. I even recall a strange one called “Let’s Explore Your Mind,” written by Drs. Sylvanus and Evelyn Duval, which gave advice on rather abstruse psychological issues. There was something called “I Remember Old Brooklyn,” which published letters from elderly folks about their memories of Brooklyn of the 1890s or the turn of the century. There was even a woman who would analyze your handwriting if you sent her a sample, as long as you agreed to let her publish the sample and her analysis in her daily column.

    Reply
    • Russel Winick

      Thank you Professor. I always appreciate the knowledge that you contribute.

      Reply
  5. Marguerite

    “Family Affair” is the reason behind celebrating big birthdays as we age — 60, 70, etc. It’s great to get together for a truly good and joyful reason. We can’t expect everyone in our families to get married in order to have a party!

    Reply
  6. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Russel, I love every one of these gleaming poetic nuggets of sagacious wonder. Your first one hits home with me – my Great Uncle John, who taught me to waltz in my teens, never failed to cheer me up at family funerals with his sensational stories. His last words to me were, “It’s so sad we only meet at funerals. The next one we meet at will be mine.” That was the last time I chatted and danced with him. Had I had the privilege of reading “Family Affair” things would have been different. This leads me to one criticism – I believe your last poem lacks the wisdom of the other three. Russel, thank you!

    Reply
    • Russel Winick

      Thanks Susan. Now that you mention it, the last poem above may have missed the mark. In my desire for humor, I probably understated the larger intended message, which is that there is wisdom in knowing what we don’t know. My fault.

      Reply
      • Susan Jarvis Bryant

        Oops, I should have picked up on that, Russel. Comprehension often eludes me… that’s why my days are blessed with bliss. Thank you for shining a light on the subject – I have much greater appreciation for the final poem now.

  8. Cheryl A Corey

    “Road Work” neatly captures the lack of work being done. Every time you drive by one of these sites, you see a group of men just standing around! “Argument Avoided” is also perfect. Sometimes you have to pick your battles.

    Reply

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