Words of Beauty; Pearls of Wisdom

Words of Beauty - Pearls of Wisdom

This section is an eclectic collection of poems and prose I have encountered which I love. I had actually meant to one day sit down and write these words out in calligraphy. I guess that will just have to wait.

Friends and friendship...
Link to a page of my favourite lines about friends and friendship

If by Rudyard Kipling
The beauty of this simple adjuration astounds me. And I wish I were the Man he speaks of.

No man is an island....by John Donne
I always liked this saying. Then I read the full paragraph, and loved it. And when I found out the tradition behind the tolling of the bell - oh well. No escaping it: I had to have it here among my favourite words.

Art and the artist... by Oscar Wilde
The genius of Oscar Wilde..what more need I say. Here is an excerpt from the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, his first work that I read. What penmanship, what style!

The difference...by Anon
If only I could actually remember these words and live them every day. Every day of my life!

The road less travelled... by Robert Frost
Many people claim they travel the road less travelled, and probably do not know where this line came from. Or the probably thought it came from Scott Peck's book. Well, it came from this poem by Frost.

The woods are lovely dark and deep...by Robert Frost
I do not know why these words draw me near - but they do. I used to wonder what Robert Frost was writing about...Kind folk who have read this page e-mailed me to let me know that the speaker in the poem was contemplating ending it all, but remembered how many promises he had to keep, so he pushed on.

Desiderata...by Max Ehrmann
I must have been very young when I first came across these words for I cannot recall when I first saw them. However, I had pretty much forgotten about them till Frederik Oberthur wrote me and reminded me of them. Thanks Frederik.

Edwin Cameron's speech at the first Jonathan Mann Memorial Lecture.
It was the first UN World Conference, and His Honour Judge Edwin Cameron gave an opening lecture. I remember the powerful image of the judge declaring on TV, ". I am an African, proudly an African. I am living with AIDS. I therefore count as one amongst the forbidding statistics of AIDS in Africa. Including the fact that nearly five million South Africans who have the virus....Then my doctor started me on combination therapy. Since then, with relatively minor adjustments, I have been privileged to lead a vigorous, healthy, and productive life. I am able to do so because, twice a day, I take two tablets – one containing a combination of AZT [zidovudine] and 3TC, and the other Nevirapine [Viramune]. I can take these tablets because, on the salary of a judge, I am able to afford their cost." These images were transmitted the world over. Many of my UN colleagues and I were moved by his speech. I found it on the web, and present his speech here in it's entirety. It is worth the reading...

Shall I wear mourning for my soldier dead? by Gertrude Krevels
Uncle Tim died of cancer. We were arranging the funeral when Aunt Peng declared she would not wear black. She could not. Somehow, the Vicar, Gordon Fyles, found this poem, which he read out as part of his sermon during the memorial service.

The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr?
Whilst the actual author is in doubt, this short and simple prayer is found everywhere, and is most famously associated with the Alcoholics Anonymous group. However, take a look at the simplicity, and the beauty in these words...

I expect to pass...by Stephen Grellet
Another old favourite. This one by the Quaker, Stephen Grellet as he is more popularly known. Correctly known as Etienne de Grellet... but that is another story. Great philosophy. In modern contemporary language, it would be translated as Nike's "Just Do It!"

Along the road...by Robert Browning
I honestly can't remember where I first came across this. I know it struck me as being true, till I realised many a time, I just complain about life, and forget to learn from the walk with Sorrow... Now, how many times to we fail to learn from our sorrows?

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Amended on August 01, 2004

	Friends and friendship... Link to a page of my favourite lines about friends and friendship
	If by Rudyard Kipling The beauty of this simple adjuration astounds me. And I wish I were the Man he speaks of.
	No man is an island....by John Donne I always liked this saying. Then I read the full paragraph, and loved it. And when I found out the tradition behind the tolling of the bell - oh well. No escaping it: I had to have it here among my favourite words.
	Art and the artist... by Oscar Wilde The genius of Oscar Wilde..what more need I say. Here is an excerpt from the preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, his first work that I read. What penmanship, what style!
	The difference...by Anon If only I could actually remember these words and live them every day. Every day of my life!
	The road less travelled... by Robert Frost Many people claim they travel the road less travelled, and probably do not know where this line came from. Or the probably thought it came from Scott Peck's book. Well, it came from this poem by Frost.
	The woods are lovely dark and deep...by Robert Frost I do not know why these words draw me near - but they do. I used to wonder what Robert Frost was writing about...Kind folk who have read this page e-mailed me to let me know that the speaker in the poem was contemplating ending it all, but remembered how many promises he had to keep, so he pushed on.
	Desiderata...by Max Ehrmann I must have been very young when I first came across these words for I cannot recall when I first saw them. However, I had pretty much forgotten about them till Frederik Oberthur wrote me and reminded me of them. Thanks Frederik.
	Edwin Cameron's speech at the first Jonathan Mann Memorial Lecture. It was the first UN World Conference, and His Honour Judge Edwin Cameron gave an opening lecture. I remember the powerful image of the judge declaring on TV, ". I am an African, proudly an African. I am living with AIDS. I therefore count as one amongst the forbidding statistics of AIDS in Africa. Including the fact that nearly five million South Africans who have the virus....Then my doctor started me on combination therapy. Since then, with relatively minor adjustments, I have been privileged to lead a vigorous, healthy, and productive life. I am able to do so because, twice a day, I take two tablets – one containing a combination of AZT [zidovudine] and 3TC, and the other Nevirapine [Viramune]. I can take these tablets because, on the salary of a judge, I am able to afford their cost." These images were transmitted the world over. Many of my UN colleagues and I were moved by his speech. I found it on the web, and present his speech here in it's entirety. It is worth the reading...
	Shall I wear mourning for my soldier dead? by Gertrude Krevels Uncle Tim died of cancer. We were arranging the funeral when Aunt Peng declared she would not wear black. She could not. Somehow, the Vicar, Gordon Fyles, found this poem, which he read out as part of his sermon during the memorial service.
	The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr? Whilst the actual author is in doubt, this short and simple prayer is found everywhere, and is most famously associated with the Alcoholics Anonymous group. However, take a look at the simplicity, and the beauty in these words...
	I expect to pass...by Stephen Grellet Another old favourite. This one by the Quaker, Stephen Grellet as he is more popularly known. Correctly known as Etienne de Grellet... but that is another story. Great philosophy. In modern contemporary language, it would be translated as Nike's "Just Do It!"
	Along the road...by Robert Browning I honestly can't remember where I first came across this. I know it struck me as being true, till I realised many a time, I just complain about life, and forget to learn from the walk with Sorrow... Now, how many times to we fail to learn from our sorrows?