Life Lesson Poems
Poems about Life Lessons
It has been said that life is the most patient teacher. You will be presented with the same experience over and over until you learn the best way to deal with the situation. This is not because life is cruel. Rather, it is because things have a way of coming back to haunt us when we don't deal with them. One form of intelligence is the ability to learn from mistakes. When you are presented with a painful experience, take the time to think about how you can avoid it in the future. This is an example of a lesson learned.
85 Poems about Lessons Learned from Mistakes
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1. I Still Matter
I'M STILL HERE
My looks are nothing special,
My face reveals my age,
My body shows some wear and tear,
And my energy's not the same.
Too often my memory fails me,
And I lose things all the time.
One minute I know what I plan to do,
And the next it may just slip my mind.
I try hard to avoid my mirror.
There are things I would rather not see,
And even those times when I just catch a glimpse,
I can no longer recognize me.
The things I used to do with ease
Can now cause aches and pains,
And the quality of the things I do
Will never be quite the same.
I always compare my older self
To those younger versions of me,
And I know I'm wasting too much time
Missing who I used to be.
But the thing that really makes me sad
Is despite what people see,
Underneath my tattered, worn out shell,
I'm still the same old me.
My heart can still feel endless love,
And at times it still can ache.
My heart can fill with so much joy,
And then it can suddenly break.
My soul can still feel sympathy
And longs for forgiveness and peace,
And there are times its light shines boldly through,
And times when it longs for release.
It's true, maybe now that I'm older,
Feeling lonely may be status quo,
But it also has made me more willing
To forgive and let past conflicts go.
So maybe to some I look ugly and old,
A person who barely exists.
I'm still quite aware of the beauty inside,
And my value should not be dismissed.
So although not as strong and no beauty, it's true,
I'm still here and want so much to live,
And I know that there's no one in this world quite like me,
And no one who has more to give.Featured Shared StoryThis poem really hit home with me. I will be 60 on my next birthday and it seems like years fly by like days. I too look in the mirror and wonder where all the lines and wrinkles have came...
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2. Good Timber
The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.Featured Shared StoryPoetry is a passionate way of expressing our innermost thoughts, emotions, spirit, and love, amongst other things. As I read this poem, I thought of a very humble gentleman who lost his...
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3. Each Moment Is Precious
Live in the moment,
Just take it all in.
Pay attention to everything,
Right there and right then.
Don't let your mind wander
To what's coming next.
Cherish this moment
And give it your best.
Don't let tomorrow
Make you rush through today,
Or too many great moments
Will just go to waste.
And the person you're with,
In that moment you share,
Give them all of your focus;
Be totally there.
Laugh till it hurts,
Let the tears drop.
Fill up each moment
With all that you've got.
Don't miss the details;
The lesson is there.
Don't get complacent;
Stay sharp and aware.
It can take but a moment
To change your life's path.
And once it ticks by,
There is no going back.
In just 60 seconds,
You may make a new friend.
Find your true love,
Or see a life start or end.
You become who you are
In those moments you live.
And the growth's not in taking
But in how much you give.
Life is just moments,
So precious and few.
Whether valued or squandered,
It's all up to you!Featured Shared StoryThat was touching. It really said my whole life. I'm too busy with everything and I'm memorizing this to my heart. I'm busy with school. I take too much time thinking about tomorrow than...
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4. Changing The Past
The past is the past for a reason.
That is where it is supposed to stay,
But some cannot let it go.
In their heads it eats away
Until all their focus becomes
The person they used to be,
The mistakes they made in their life.
Oh, if only they could see
That you cannot change what happened,
No matter how hard you try,
No matter how much you think about it,
No matter how much you cry.
What happens in your lifetime
Happens for reasons unknown,
So you have to let the cards unfold.
Let your story be shown.
Don't get wrapped up in the negative.
Be happy with what you have been given.
Live for today not tomorrow.
Get up, get out, and start living,
Because the past is the past for a reason.
It's been, and now it is gone,
So stop trying to think of ways to fix it.
It's done, it's unchangeable; move on.
Featured Shared StoryI really enjoyed this poem. It's so very true. We all have certain regrets or circumstances in life we would give anything to change if we could. Sometimes that is just not possible, and even...
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5. If You Must Go
If you must go, then go for a while
Remember that first step is a hard traveled mile.
To learn what lessons life has in store,
You must be willing to open each door.
Don't be afraid to experience something new
For each experience will be a benefit to you.
Never live your life in the past
Enjoy every day as if it were your last
Mistakes you will make along the way
Learn from them, and you'll be okay
Set your goals high and strive for them
As long as you try, you'll never be condemned
Be kind and respect the people you meet
For they may be the ones to make life complete
Be sincere in everything you do
And treat others as you wish they would you
Whatever you do, make sure you're content
For the last thing you want is something to resent
So if you must go, then go for a while
And when you return, return with a smile.
Featured Shared StoryI, too, was motivated by your poem. Like Arimoon, I also allow my past to hold me back. I am so hard on myself for my past mistakes, regret, bad decisions, etc... but with each new day that...
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6. A Snowflake Falls
One night I saw a snowflake fall.
Past memories it did recall.
And as the snow fell to the ground,
So quietly without a sound,
I watched until a blanket made,
To glistening white - brown earth did fade.
An untouched cover until the dawn.
The sun arose; it was soon gone.
I thought of friendships in the past.
Seemed perfect though they did not last.
And family ties once meant so much,
Now rarely do we keep in touch.
So quickly life can take a turn,
Yet slowly we do seem to learn.
So many things in life can change
And suddenly be rearranged.
In our slumber while we do sleep,
For granted blessings thought to keep,
For same as night does turn to morn,
An untouched blanket can get torn,
The things that we have overlooked,
Ignored, rejected or mistook,
As melted snow does turn to slush,
Relationships can turn to dust.
So this year for the holiday,
Praise God for blessings given today.
Don't take for granted they'll remain,
That life forever will be the same.
Let's be the most that we can be,
For all our friends and family.
Unlike the snowflake on the ground,
Let's keep in touch and stay around.Featured Shared StorySuperb, poetry as its best. We should count our blessings one by one, Every night and day, lest they be gone. Friends and family, hold onto them tight, For they may disappear in a...
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7. Forgiveness Is Divine
Some people view forgiveness
As a virtue for the weak.
An act of mercy undeserved,
That serves no useful need.
They stand firmly in their judgment
And won't consider a mistake.
They prefer to hold a senseless grudge
Than accept amends when made.
They feel they have some godly right
To reject and criticize.
They're possessed by righteous anger,
And consumed by pointless pride.
They're focused on how they've been wronged,
And won't be made the fool again.
So they feel they must avenge themselves
By refusing to give in.
They will sacrifice their family,
Or forsake a long-time friend.
Do anything they have to do
To be the winner in the end.
Or perhaps it's that they can't resolve
The depth of all their hurt,
Caused when someone they've trusted,
Left them questioning their worth.
But no matter why the struggle,
Out of pride or out of fear,
Not being able to forgive
Can cause the loss of ones most dear.
Yes, forgiveness is a virtue,
They even say it is divine.
But more than that it sets you free
From what weighs you down inside.
The best way to approach this life
Is to ask forgiveness and to forgive.
There's a balance to this crazy world,
So live and just let live.Featured Shared StoryHi Pat, I was so pleased to wake this morning and find one of your poems. Everything you write comes from your heart. I have commented to you before of how I enjoy your poems and I feel...
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8. As You Go Through Life
Don't look for the flaws as you go through life;
And even when you find them,
It is wise and kind to be somewhat blind
And look for the virtue behind them.
For the cloudiest night has a hint of light
Somewhere in its shadows hiding;
It is better by far to hunt for a star,
Than the spots on the sun abiding.
The current of life runs ever away
To the bosom of God's great ocean.
Don't set your force 'gainst the river's course
And think to alter its motion.
Don't waste a curse on the universe--
Remember it lived before you.
Don't butt at the storm with your puny form,
But bend and let it go o'er you.
The world will never adjust itself
To suit your whims to the letter.
Some things must go wrong your whole life long,
And the sooner you know it the better.
It is folly to fight with the Infinite,
And go under at last in the wrestle;
The wiser man shapes into God's plan
As water shapes into a vessel.Featured Shared StorySometimes life goes up and down between hills and rivers, but with even the least courage and a sign of faith in the turn we make at the sharp curve, it all levels up to positivity no matter...
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9. Start Where You Stand
Start where you stand and never mind the past,
The past won't help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through;
This is another chapter in the book,
This is another race that you have planned,
Don't give the vanished days a backward look,
Start where you stand.
The world won't care about your old defeats
If you can start anew and win success;
The future is your time, and time is fleet
And there is much of work and strain and stress;
Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,
Here is a brand-new trial right at hand,
The future is for him who does and dares,
Start where you stand.
Old failures will not halt, old triumphs aid,
To-day's the thing, to-morrow soon will be;
Get in the fight and face it unafraid,
And leave the past to ancient history,
What has been, has been; yesterday is dead
And by it you are neither blessed nor banned;
Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,
Start where you stand. -
10. Windows
I looked through others' windows
On an enchanted earth
But out of my own window--
solitude and dearth.
And yet there is a mystery
I cannot understand--
That others through my window
See an enchanted land. -
11. Speak The Language Of Your Heart
Each day we wake is such a gift;
No moment's guaranteed.
Tomorrow isn't promised,
But to fate we must concede.
We cannot know our futures,
How long or short our lives.
We simply do the best we can
Until the end arrives.
And in life, what's most important,
In the scheme of every day,
Are the people who stand by our sides
As we venture on our way.
Those cherished, loyal, patient souls,
Who take us as we are,
Who look beyond our foolishness,
Our frailties and our scars.
How often do we take the time
To lay our hearts down bare
And tell them how we truly feel
And just how much we care?
Do we freely give a compliment
And acknowledge efforts made?
Or do our own quite fragile egos
Make us feel far too afraid?
Have we tried to overcome our pride
And forgive another's wrongs?
Or do we cling to hurt and anger
And carry grudges far too long?
Do we share our blessings willingly
With those who are in need?
Or do we hoard our own good fortune
Out of selfishness and greed?
It's the people all around us
Who make us who we are.
It is they who save our erring souls
And fill our lonely hearts.
So it's time we show some gratitude
And not wait another day.
For before we even know it,
Our chance may slip away.
It's past time to say I love you
And forgive another's sins.
We must let ourselves be vulnerable
By letting others in.
For one day, tomorrow will not come;
We may not meet again.
For inevitably, for each of us,
It all comes to an end.
So go ahead and say the words;
Make today a start.
Don't regret your silence;
Share the language of your heart.Featured Shared StoryThis touches my heart deeply. I believe life is more about what "IS" rather than the what "WAS" with unresolved issues between family or friends. I am in recovery with four estranged...
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12. Do Not Love Half Lovers
Do not love half lovers
Do not entertain half friends
Do not indulge in works of the half talented
Do not live half a life and do not die a half death
If you choose silence, then be silent
When you speak, do so until you are finished
Do not silence yourself to say something
And do not speak to be silent
If you accept, then express it bluntly
Do not mask it
If you refuse then be clear about it
for an ambiguous refusal
is but a weak acceptance
Do not accept half a solution
Do not believe half truths
Do not dream half a dream
Do not fantasize about half hopes
Half a drink will not quench your thirst
Half a meal will not satiate your hunger
Half the way will get you no where
Half an idea will bear you no results
Your other half is not the one you love
It is you in another time yet in the same space
It is you when you are not
Half a life is a life you didn't live,
A word you have not said
A smile you postponed
A love you have not had
A friendship you did not know
To reach and not arrive
Work and not work
Attend only to be absent
What makes you a stranger to them closest to you
and they strangers to you
The half is a mere moment of inability
but you are able for you are not half a being
You are a whole that exists
to live a life not half a life -
13. Keep On Smiling
If at times you feel you want to cry
And life seems such a trial,
Above the clouds there's a bright blue sky,
So make your tears a smile.
As you travel on life's way
With its many ups and downs,
Remember it's quite true to say
One smile is worth a dozen frowns.
Among the world's expensive things,
A smile is very cheap.
And when you give a smile away,
You get one back to keep.
Happiness comes at times to all,
But sadness comes unbidden,
And sometimes a few tears must fall
Among the laughter hidden.
So when friends have sadness on their face
And troubles round them piled,
The world will seem a better place
And all because you smiled.
Featured Shared StorySo I moved and I really wanted good friends. I had this one friend who was always happy and could light up a room by walking in. He was always smiling and this poem reminded me of him. Thank you.
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14. Family Circle
When I am born, you are here
In your eye, I see a tear
Time flies and already I'm two
"Look, Daddy, I can tie my shoe!"
Before you know it, I'm five
Every day, you thank God I'm alive
Pretty soon, I turn eight
You tell me I'm never allowed to date
I'm already twelve in my preteen years
Which means you'll help me with all my new fears
Now fourteen with my permit to drive
Waiting to hit the big one-five
Too early comes sixteen, with my license now
It went by too fast, you just ask how
You want to meet my boyfriend when I'm eighteen
I pray to God that you're not too mean
The same guy two years later asks for my hand
I'm relieved when you say, that's just grand
About a year later, you walk me down the aisle
Through all the tears, you bare a smile
Three years later, you're gonna be a grandfather
You show love and pride for your new granddaughter
Another year down the road
Mom dies, oh the many tears that flowed
You're not doing so well without her
Less than a year later, you forgot all about her
Alzheimer's sets in and it scares me so
Not long after, you decide to go
Now I'm regretting not saying goodbye
Every time I think about it, I start to cry
The cycle has begun again
It has started over with little Megan
The other day, she turned two
And said, "Look, daddy, I can tie my shoe!"Featured Shared StoryWow! Words cannot describe the quality of this poem. It is touching and another thing is that it co-relates with life's reality. Thanks a lot and thumbs up for the great job!
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15. Perceptions
First impressions can be strong
About those we see around.
Yet how often are they wrong?
That is the truth I've found.
Not all who cry are weak.
Not everyone who looks can see.
Not all who are quiet are meek.
Not all who nod agree.
Not all who snarl are cruel.
Not everyone generous is just.
Not everyone clumsy is a fool.
Not all who wander are lost.
We never know people's character.
In just a single instance.
We never know who people are
By judging from a distance.
But whether we like it or not,
We'll always be around people.
Is it better to know a few people a lot
Or a lot of people a little?
I'd rather know a few people a lot
Than a lot of people a little.Featured Shared StoryWhat a wonderful piece of writing. I love it! I agree with it. In my early 20's I worked in a convenience store, and I had a game I played where I would judge whether the customer would be...
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16. Love After Love
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
And say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.Featured Shared StoryMy husband died 10 years ago. He was the love of my life, my soul-mate, my best friend. I have not known how to 'adjust' to him being gone until I read this poem, "Love After Love." Everyone...
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17. True Joy
I'll be happy once I've done this certain thing.
We all say this often, not realizing what it brings.
We look only to the future for our happiness,
Letting life slip through our fingers in its fullness.
Will we really feel complete when the task is done
or look back and see how we missed so much fun?
Self consumed so we can't see anything else,
hurting those we love as well as ourselves.
So many things around us to be grateful for.
When seeking for an answer, willingly open the door.
So often, others see what's in front of our face,
but we're too blind to look as we're snared in the race.
What is this life supposed to be about?
Is it money, fortune, fame, or a big house?
When speaking to a man on his dying bed,
none of these answers are what he said.
Family, love, laughter are what we should seek.
These are the precious things that keep life from being bleak. Featured Shared StoryWell thought out expression of a very deep yet communal event given voice in an authentic poetry format. Deeply set me thinking about my father's recent death. It's an experience that bind...
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18. Touching The Sky
Come for me, sweet tomorrow.
Help me touch the sky.
Like a well-learned bird opens its wings,
I, too, want to fly high.
Don't let the darkness of yesterday
Blind my vision to evolve.
Coming out of the bitterness of the past,
Help me let my flaws absolve.
Make me like a rainbow,
The colours mingled together,
But all of them in show.
Help me discover my hidden talents
And pull myself together with efforts gallant.
Let me be a beacon of goodness
For the people I meet.
Help me hear the music of life
And follow every beat.
Come for me, sweet tomorrow.
Help me touch the sky;
Like a well-learned bird opens its wings,
I, too, want to fly high.Featured Shared StoryCommitting mistakes and then learning from them can be a great lesson of life. It can truly evolve a person into a nice gentleman. I remember, after passing out of the university, I joined an...
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19. Lessons For Living
I see you looking at your children,
Wondering what their lives will be.
If you verify some answers
Then their future you might see.
Have you taught them to be truthful?
Have you taught them to be kind?
Have you given them the wisdom
Needed to be color blind?
Have you taught them to be caring
For those handicapped some way?
Do you read to them at bedtime?
Have you taught them how to pray?
Have you taken time to tell them
What a miracle life is?
How to be aware of nature,
Share the beauty that it gives?
Have you taught them how important
It is to have respect for one another?
To be grateful, not be prideful
When good fortune you discover?
Do you let them know you love them
In a way that leaves no doubt,
So they know that is one thing
That they will never be without?
We like to think we've done our best.
Sometimes that's very true.
Can you say 'yes' to all my questions?
I will leave that up to you.
I hope your answer is affirmative,
For then I know that you will see
A future filled with happiness
Like it's supposed to be.Featured Shared StoryI loved this poem. The list of things that should be given to our children to have an amazing journey through this life, it's all here! This poem contains so much wisdom! Beautifully written....
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20. Take Time To Know Me
Take time to know me, and you will see
That I am nothing like what you have heard spoken of me.
Give me a chance, and I will prove to you
That although I am not perfect, I have a heart that is pure and true.
Take time to know me; just give it a try.
You will see that we are not that much different, you and I.
I make mistakes, don't you?
But if you judge me by mine, expect that you will be judged by yours too.
Take time to know me; you have nothing to fear.
Unless you wish to hang on to what you have been told by your peers.
Just for a minute put yourself in my shoes.
How would you feel if someone was going by the rumors they have heard about you?
Take time to know me; what have you got to lose,
Besides the so called friends who have got you confused?
I am not asking you to choose between me and them,
And if they really care about you, they will always be your friends.
Take time to know me is all I ask,
No great feat or extraordinary task.
Then if you don't like me,
It will be because of what you have seen and heard for yourself
And not because of what you have been told by someone else.
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