Our lawns need mowing
A cobweb’s growing
A gate is sagging
Repairs are lagging
Shelves are dusty
A latch is rusty
A faucet leaks
Our hall floor creaks
Laundry’s piled on the floor
A broken knob is on a door
Our housekeeping is far from kept
But our home’s well maintained in some respects
The work we do around our house
Is less on things and more on ourselves
Love and laughter are brightly shined
And we focus on being kind
We don’t skimp on telling the truth
But for lies we have no use
Ego corrodes so we remove it fast
That’s how we make our relationships last
Our home’s foundation is built on trust
With big strong beams that‘ll never rust
Our home is warmed with love all night
And lit all day with love’s bright light
Our joy and fun have a brilliant gleam
And our faith has a polished sheen
Folks would do well to go somewhere else
If they want to visit a clean house
But if love and friendship are what you prefer
That kind of maintenance we never defer
So come in friends enjoy your stay
And may you feel welcome every day
–Russ Towne
The Duck Who Flew Upside Down
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Rusty Bear and Thomas Too
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Clyde and Friends 3 Books in 1!
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Slices of Life
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Palpable Imaginings
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From the Heart of a Grateful Man
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Reflections of a Grateful Man
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Heart Whispers
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Poets Corner
Russ Towne's A Grateful Man 
Reblogged this on bearspawprint and commented:
This is wonderful!
Thank you for honoring this poem in such a wonderful way, bearspawprint. I’m glad you liked it.
Russ
US Military Struggling To Stop Suicide Epidemic Among War Veterans — The oddest thing —- this is a link to your Home Maintenance poem…. at least from my notifications box …?
That IS odd. I don’t know who did that or why, but it certainly wasn’t me. Thank you for letting me know. Has anyone else experienced this at my site or elsewhere?
Russ
At 8:35 EST the link switched itself to the correct words. Guess it was a WP glitch.
Weird! Thank you for the update.
Russ
Yes, Russ. There is a difference between house maintenance and home maintenance. Peter and I, too work on maintaining our home. It’s well worth the effort. Lovely poem, my friend.
Cathy
Thank you for your kind comment, my friend.
Russ
WOW, sooo nice. I love your philosophy!! Wish we were neighbours!
Thank you for your comment. It inspired a warm smile followed by a hearty laugh. The latter is because I’ve often thought my neighbors would probably prefer that I put more focus on property maintenance! I too wish we were neighbors!
Russ
Ah, I can see the work you are putting into building the right kind of home… Wonderful words, Russ!
Thank you, Melody. It has reaped many benefits. Your praise of my poetry means a lot to me because I enjoy your creations so much!
Russ
Wonderfully said, not only the lawn needs mowing, and the gat oiling, but our maintenance of ourselves and mind is important too!
I appreciate your comment, Ute. Thank you, my friend.
Russ
Sounds like you live in a mansion, Russ, will ALL the right accoutrements…. 🙂
Your comment brought big smile to me, Lori. If love defines our home, then it is a mansion indeed.
Russ
I love this, Russ. You said it so well! I love “Ego corrodes so we remove it fast”
I’m glad it resonated for you, Michelle. I truly believe that ego corrodes relationships. I also believe that it corrodes self-confidence and feelings of self-worth. My ego used to run nearly-constant unnecessary and harmful replays in my mind of instances that happened long ago that brought on feelings of shame, guilt, pain, and embarrassment, and since I didn’t know any better, I used to let my ego get away with it to terrible effect.
Over time, I’ve gradually learned a way that works much better for me and built it into a habit that has freed my mind to focus on things that nourish rather than poison it.
Whenever I catch myself thinking about an incident that brings on feelings of shame, guilt, pain, and embarrassment, I attempt to quickly ask myself, “Have you learned the lesson(s) and accepted the gift(s) life gave to you when those experiences occurred?” If my answer is yes, I remind myself that my ego is replaying a scenario in my mind that is no longer needed and is harming me. Then I change the subject in my mind.
This approach has made a world of difference in my life, and I count it among the many blessings for which I’m grateful.
Russ
Wonderful poem! With regards to home maintenance, you must always keep in mind to keep your carpets clean all the time as this is one of the places where bacterium and allergen lives. Again, a beautiful poem, Russ!
Thank you.