POETRY BY RUSSEL WINICK

Russel Winick began writing poetry three years ago at nearly age 65, after concluding a long career as an attorney. Langston Hughes and Dorothy Parker are among his foremost poetic inspirations. 

He and his wife reside in Naperville, Illinois.

DIFFERENT THINGS

The man was a famous professor,
At a very elite major school,
Who I saw control large, heated meetings,
In a manner incredibly cool.

Twice elected a Midwest state Bishop,
With an intellect never outshone,
He clearly was one of the very few
Brilliant men that in my life I had known.

Then addressing a crowd at a party,
He proclaimed as the “love of his life,”
The chic woman whom he had just married—
Shocking kids with his late former wife.

Those adult children to this day tell me,
That their father’s pronouncement still stings,
Which taught me indelibly years ago,
Brains and judgment are two different things.

HE COULDN’T FIND THE SALAD DRESSING

The salad dressing’s place was the
Refrigerator door.
He’d had some of it yesterday
And knew that there was more.

But looking in the fridge he found
No dressing there at all,
And he had stored it nowhere else—
That much he could recall.

He checked the fridge a few more times,
Explored the pantry too.
He even tried the freezer, though
Such blunder he’d not do.

He thought he trashed the dressing, which
Made him feel brain disabled,
Then went for a new bottle to
Put on the dinner table.

But as he placed the new one down,
His blown mind lost all doubt,
The old one being on the spot
Where he’d just put it out.

PREACHING CALMNESS

There may well be a reason for your anger.
In fact it may be fully justified.
But other than brief pleasure from releasing it,
What benefits from anger are supplied?

It rarely will eliminate the causes,
But rather may exacerbate the flame,
For even if you think the other “started it,”
Few folks are very pleased receiving blame.

Besides, when calmer you may see things differently,
And realize your role was more than thought.
So then if you are honest you’ll acknowledge,
The portion of the conflict that you brought.

One’s cutting out the anger in reactions,
Admittedly is very hard to do.
But almost no endeavor’s more important,
For loved ones and most certainly for you.

If you can find a way to not get angry,
Just keeping calm no matter what you face,
Strong gratitude will come from your blood pressure,
And you’ll find your whole world a better place.