From my first I learnt to lie
Release small white birds to soothe the feathers
Smile to disguise the anger, control emotions,
Mask the hurt.
From my second I learnt that lust
And friendship are not enough; that there is no such thing
As twin souls, when convention resides, fear takes over
And brain not body is middle-aged.
From my third I learnt to sit, and sit some more,
the virtue of indolence,
The glory and triumph of egoism
The minimal pace of unhurried effort.
All useful lessons, without doubt
Yet such a bad pupil am I
That I still wonder, unbidden,
If other teachers, wiser teachers,
Could impart, beseech and smooth.
Or leave me droop.
findingtimetowrite 
Marina Sofia – You make such a powerful statement here about how much we can learn from the things that happen to us and the relationships in which we involve ourselves. It may be a set of painful lessons but they are just as important as the joyful memories.
Intriguing! Especially your use of ‘learnt’, I had you down as a ‘learned’ woman. thanks for sharing!
Oh, British usage wins out any time! Of course, you can always refer to me as ‘your learnéd friend’ (nudge nudge, wink, wink!).
Very touching, Marina, and beautiful as always. I read this out loud to my husband and it flows brilliantly too x
Oh, bless you, I’m a bit embarassed now… I think I can cope with the thought of someone reading me on their laptop, but actually sharing… But in a way, you are right, I always hear my poems rather than visualise them.
You are amazing with your to do list, by the way. Keep up the good work.
This was a lovely peek inside. Thank you for sharing that.