Friday, August 15, 2008

Poetry Friday -- Count Ten

Count Ten
by Arnold Wesker

(for Harold Pinter)


Count ten. Then

Count ten again.

That way is time measured

Death denied.

Each measures time

His own way - coffee breaks

Rejections, installments

On the car.

Count blessings. Then

Count them again.

(the rest is here)



Tomorrow I am celebrating 10 years since the end of treatments for breast cancer. I am counting blessings; counting ten. Then I will count ten again. And again and again and again...with hope, and luck, and confidence, and courage, and prayers/pleas to the universe, and surrounded by good friends and loving family no matter what the next ten bring.

Poetry Friday round up is at Big A little a this week.

20 comments:

  1. Ten cheers for your cancer-free decade! And ten deep breaths for hope, luck and confidence. Each does "measure time his own way."

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  2. This is so beautiful!
    Congratulations on your ten-year anniversary. And wishes for many, many more to come.
    Carol

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  3. Ten (((bear hugs))) for ten big cancer free years!
    Happy Anniversary and best wishes for continued good health!

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  4. My sister is just starting out on year one of her cancer-free journey -- so to have ten years behind you is ten twist-and-shouts, ten jump-jives, and several hundred high fives. Way to kick cancer's butt!

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  5. A perfect poem for ten years! (this may be my favorite Poetry Friday ever!) Happy day:-)

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  6. Anonymous8:33 AM

    May you have many nore celebrations Mary Lee!!!

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  7. TEN YEARS!! Congratulations, Mary Lee, and happy anniversary, too. What a beautiful poem -- and so fitting. Thanks for sharing your beautiful day with us.

    Jules, 7-Imp

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  8. I am counting 10 and 10 and 10 over and over for you! YOU ROCK!

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  9. What a way to start the day...I am counting to 10 all day. So many blessings and YOU are one to me.

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  10. Anonymous11:32 AM

    Congratulations! Here's to 11 and beyond.

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  11. Here's to 10 more (and 10 more after that....and 10 more after that....)!! Thanks for sharing the beautiful poem and your personal inspiring thoughts/triumphs.

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  12. WooHoo, Mary Lee. (I had no idea.) Congratulations to you! (I think my mom is nearing five years now.) Here's to more good health!

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  13. Anonymous10:09 PM

    Congratulations on your anniversary! Here's to ten more and ten more and ten more . . .

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  14. Can't wait to celebrate 10 with you! What a huge moment in time!!!

    I'm with Franki -- this might be one of my favorite Poetry Fridays as well!!

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  15. Thanks for sharing this beautiful poem.

    My prayers for another 10 years of happiness and health!

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  16. Thank you all for your kind wishes, bear hugs, jump-jives, and prayers! I debated whether or not to share this milestone with The Whole World, but when I Googled "poem about ten" and came up with The.Perfect.Poem.Ever., it was a done deal.

    A special thanks goes out to Arnold Wesker for Count Ten. I love the way the poem spirals, how it circles back on itself, how it ends with tree rings -- circles of time that add strength to the tree, one by one, over and over again.

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  17. Anonymous8:53 AM

    Running a little behind on reading the blogs-but wishing you congratualations! Enjoy your day-you certainly deserve it. maria

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  18. Anonymous12:32 PM

    Yay, Mary Lee! Congratulations! Yippee, yahoo, and Yeeeeee haaaaaa.

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  19. Anonymous6:12 PM

    Here are ten hugs for a perfect ten of a day, in celebration of you a PERFECT 10 of a friend to all

    josie

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  20. Mary Lee, I wanted to tell you Congratulations one more time! I hope you had a great day yesterday. I am sorry I couldn't join you in the celebrations but you bet I was thinking about you!
    To many more healthy years!

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