Today is both Common Courtesy Day and World Poetry Day so we thought we’d use both as an influence for today’s blog post and offer a few of our favourite poems designed to inspire us to be more courtesy.
Common courtesy is about remembering to treat people well, be polite and kind, and conduct yourself respectfully and courteously in the presence of others.
It’s easy to forget common courtesy in our everyday lives so we’ve put together a few reminders to celebrate this day.
Common Courtesy Poetry
The Two Kinds of People
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood,
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man’s wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life’s little span,
Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go, you will find the earth’s masses
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And, oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There’s only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
Your portion of labor, and worry and care?
Kindness
by Peter Burn
Show kindness to others!
Treat all men as brothers,
Whatever their station, whatever betide;
All envy disdaining,
A failing discerning,
Seek not to uncover, but rather to hide.
Speak kindly to other,
And wealth shall be yours,
The magic of story still lives in kind words;
Let them be spoken,
And hearts will fly open—
Kind words are ever more mighty than swords.
Be Kind
By: Dallas Clayton
Be kind to the wishers
who haven’t got wishes.
Be kind to the fishers
who haven’t got fishes.
Be kind to the beginners
who haven’t got ends.
Be kind to the strangers
who haven’t got friends.
Be kind to the walkers
who haven’t a shoe.
Be kind to the talkers
who haven’t a clue.
Be kind to the outsiders
and insiders too.
Be kind to the kind
kept confined in the zoo.
Be kind in your mind
and in all that you do
and you’ll find
that mankind
can be kind to you too!
Do you have a favourite poem about courtesy?
Share it with us in the comments or social media! You can find us on Twitter and Facebook.