This Poem was Submitted By: Josh Russell On Date: 2002-07-22 04:25:40 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!

To Listen to Music While Reading this Poem, just Click Here!

Click Here To add this poem to your "Voting Possibilities" list!


Life as a Smile (Revised)

That smile I will never forget Frozen in time, no need for rhyme Not perfect teeth, nor was the man A ragged-edged bicuspid, a rugged existence A small gap in his uppers-         an everlasting space in my heart Through his youthful, vivacious grin I came to understand the implications of sin So loving, so caring, so gentle… so yellow         “Does he floss?” Never enjoyed being the boss-         ‘cuz denigration is like a painful         toothache with no remedy Loved life – and food, especially Those molars lived a difficult 34 years—         chewing rib-eyed steak,          and digesting the inevitable aches that define humanity Took a huge bite         out of that delicate string cheese we’ve come to call         Life. And washed it all down with a 7-11 Big Gulp. What beautiful sounds emerged from that mouth “The world’s smallest violin,” he exclaimed;         the world’s largest heart, I thought. And, as expected, the somewhat detestable burp;         for he refused to swallow the status quo And, finally, he would sing: “Low dee high minus high dee low over low squared”;         his humility and dedication          (and surprisingly good voice!)         emanated from this mathematical tune Not entirely straight, nor gleamingly white Yet his coffee-stained existence was         bleached by his fervency and love I’ll never forget that genuine smile; That brilliant, sensitive soul; And, of course, that Stradivarius violin

Copyright © July 2002 Josh Russell

Additional Notes:
In memory of Doug Shy, my high school Calculus teacher and just a great guy.


Sorry, there are no critiques for this poem in our system... If the poem is older, the critiques have been purged! Poetry Contests Online at The Poetic Link

Click HERE to return to ThePoeticLink.com Database Page!