No Great Talent
by Steve Goodier
"I don't have any talent." You have certainly heard those words.
You may have even said them yourself! And quite possibly, if you
looked closely enough, you might discover that you are wrong.
Mary Frye enjoyed writing poetry. She wasn't interested in
publishing her poems, and occasionally she passed one on to a
friend who could use a lift. "I don't figure I have any great
talent," the Baltimore, Maryland homemaker said. But many
people would disagree. One of her poems, especially, has given
hope and comfort to people who mourn for over 50 years.
When a friend of hers lost someone close, Mary Frye jotted down a
poem, which seemed to spring from her heart, and gave it to the
grieving woman. That poem was later passed on to others, who, in
turn, passed it on until it became an American classic. "If it
helps one person through a hard time, I am amply paid," said
Mary, who has received no remuneration for her un copyrighted
work. It has been used in countless funerals, translated and
used in foreign lands and even incorporated into television
drama.
Here is her original text, which has moved so many for so long:
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room,
I am the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I do not die.
How many people are finding strength and solace from a verse
jotted by a woman who always professed she had no talent? And
what if she had kept her poetry to herself? Don't be afraid to
use the talents you do possess, it has been well advised. The
woods would be very silent if only the birds with the sweetest
songs were heard.
Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com
is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site
for more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of
Life, Love and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.