Regret a trying day
No more readily
Than you would condemn
A worthy person.
Each day has in it
Your rising and the ticking of your life.
Each day has in it
The piercing fanfare
Of your imperfect procession.
Each day has in it
The game challenge
Of your glorious missteps.
Regret even one day,
And you sever an appendage of your being.
Lament even one moment,
And you deny yourself true breath.
Rejoice in the most dismal day of your life,
Let slumber put your dreams to work
To clear away ignominy and anguish.
Then, gather strength in your days of triumph,
Build fires from your days of passioned pursuits,
Carry peace away from days of contentment.
Store up the treasures of fulfillment,
So to foil and spoil the darker days,
And flood them with the light of vitality.
To every soul, reclamation.
With every sunset, redemption.
Real Teaching 
Oh, wow – powerful reminder I have needed these past few weeks. I sit here with a broken ankle, wishing my agility back and two days ago hit a deer on the way in to work…..four thousand dollars worth of damage to my car. And I have to ask myself: Is the Good Lord showing me that I need to appreciate my feet and my wheels more, or is he trying to say “Kim! It’s time to slow down and stop doing everything at breakneck pace?” Or both? I’m going to do more rejoicing and less lamenting. Thank you, Paul!
And thank you for relating so well to what I wrote. I am sorry to hear of the injury and the mishap–as well as the expense! I agree we can sometimes read these things as signs.
Okay, another Paul poem that I feel needs to be in my planner as a daily reminder! This poem gives the saying, “every day is a new day” so much more depth and power. I love the ending with those last two lines.
I am sorry I am only seeing this now, Vivian. Thank you very much for your resonance and your kind assessment of my work. I truly do value every day and look forward to the next.