Summer Surprise

(Photo by Mike Hall) 

Blooms of the Clasping Aster or the Spreading Aster go back and forth with the wind along 96th Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The bright colors of the wildflower seem to stand out among the leftover Queen Anne Lace blooms or staffs of Golden Rod, which are predominate in the late summer and early fall in Central Indiana.

   Soon the World of Words by Elias Tobias will be accepting paid advertising for each daily blog entry. Basic rates per blog entry will be based on the percent of global Internet users who visit eliastobias.net each day.  All blog content will remain in the control of the Webmaster of the World of Words by Elias Tobias.  Each advertisement will appear at the bottom the each daily blog entry, and consist of a logo, website and/or e-mail information, and a 100 word-limit message. Payments can be made through PayPal.  For more details, go to Advertising Information at .

Simple Smile

Don’t take my smile for more than it’s worth,
for it’s only a band-aid for where you hurt.
It’s easier to make a smile than a frown,
but solutions are hard and can bring you down
until the moment your feelings are set free.

Then will be the time you can smile at me.

To read this poem in Spanish, click here.

Simple sonrisa

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.

Simple sonrisa

No tome mi sonrisa de más de lo que vale la pena,
es sólo para un grupo de ayuda en caso de que le duele.
Es más fácil hacer una sonrisa que una tristeza,
pero las soluciones son difíciles y pueden hacer que las
hasta el momento sus sentimientos están en libertad.

Entonces será el momento usted puede sonreír a mí.  

Cornerstone

This is the house that my words built;
and from this foundation; the syllables
became the nails which made the walls
into a physical reality for all to believe.
My words were sealed in the cornerstone;
to be read in the future for posterity.
The power of words to inspire dedication
to a cause can never be underestimated.

 To read this poem in French, click here.

Cornerstone

Cornerstone

C’est la maison que mes mots construits;
et à partir de cette fondation; les syllabes
est devenu le clous qui a fait les murs
en une réalité physique pour tous à le croire.
Mes mots ont été scellés dans la pierre angulaire;
pour être lu à l’avenir pour la postérité.
Le pouvoir des mots pour inspirer le dévouement
à une cause ne peut jamais être sous-estimée.
Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.

The Family Recipe

When I was young, there was a time
that we took sips of dandelion wine.
My grandpa made it taste mighty fine.
but to drink it was a major crime.
It was something we didn’t need to begin,
and to drink it he said, was close to a sin.
We found it hidden in a storage bin,
and the price we paid was a whippin’.
I don’t drink much dandelion wine anymore.
Other kinds of wines have been explored.
I won’t forget the day we opened the door
of the bin and then got drunk on the floor .
When I was young, there was a time
that we took sips of dandelion wine.
My grandpa made it taste mighty fine,
and now his secret family recipe is mine.

40th High School Class Reunion

(Photo by Mike Hall)

Marlena Stella, right, and Diana Smith, left, look over the 1969 yearbook for the Northeastern High School during a 40th year class reunion Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, at the Williamburg Community Center in Williamsburg, Indiana.  About 40 alumni attended the event at the location of the former Williamsburg High School.

Advertising to be accepted on poetry blog

Beginning soon the World of Words by Elias Tobias will be accepting paid advertising for each daily blog entry. Advertising agencies are invited to inquire for more information. Basic rates per blog entry will be based on the percent of global Internet users who visit eliastobias.net each day, which is an average of.000005 for the last three months, according to Alexa.com.  For two or more non-consecutive blog entries up to four(4) posts, such as sponsoring the Spanish–language poem post every Monday, the cost per log entry will be lowered. For seven (7) consecutive days the daily rate will be still lower, a substantial savings over the regular daily rate.

All blog content will remain in the control of the Webmaster of the World of Words by Elias Tobias.  Each advertisement will appear at the bottom the each daily blog entry, and consist of a logo, website and/or e-mail information, and a 100 word-limit message.  Payments can be made through PayPal.

The ads would be targeted to possible audiences depending on the day: Sunday- the French language poem; Monday- Spanish language poem; Tuesday - Unpublished poem; Wednesday - Boys of Lambda Sigma Chi; Thursday - a previously published poem; Friday -selection from Freeze Frame photo gallery; and Saturday- unpublished poem.  Each month usually has a common theme for all daily posts.

Like most family-oriented public Web sites, advertising content will not be accepted if the ad: 1. Is racist or discriminatory to any race, ethnicity or country of origin. 2. Sexually explicit or pornographic. 3. Is extremely violent in nature or it displays excessive use of profanity. 4. Is terroristic in nature or supportive of terrorist activity, or 5. Promotes illegal activity.  The World of Words by Elias Tobias reserves the right to edit or deny publication of material based on these criteria.

The ad would look like this:
  Want FREE things? The World of Words by Elias Tobias has several free items to easily download, including logos, posters, autographed photos, ArtBrushed photography and a complete brochure about the Web blog that reaches more than 2 million people daily. These free images and products can be used for screen savers, material for a new Elias Tobias fan club, T-shirt iron-on designs, window clings, mouse pads, coffee  mugs and other items. Just go to / and get started.

For more information about advertising on the World of Words by Elias Tobias, contact the website at contact@eliastobias.net.

Ballad of the 21-A

I have been employed in various jobs over the years, and one of the first was as a janitor for a now-defunct department store chain, and I worked nights after I got home from high school.  My title, or code, that was announced over the intercom was “21-A.”  This might give some background for the poem, which was published in the company newsletter one month.

Ballad of the 21-A

With his golden broom,
He will sweep any room.
Page him on the phone,
And he will be there soon.
With his great sweeping crew,
That never takes long,
They shall sweep the store;
And the 21-A leaves, singing’ a song.
When the sweeping is done,
It is time to wet-mop.
The 21-A works to the bone,
Only then will he stop.
The call of nature is clear,
And the 21-A is near.
The rest rooms are spic and span,
Fit for any child, woman or man.
The boxes of the store coming
To him shall never cease.
But the 21-A compacts them
When the button is released.
So, if you have a job
For the 21-A
Just contact him, and he’ll
Be there right away.
For anything that is thine,
He will clean it
‘Till it will sparkle and shine.
This is the end of this rhyme.

Car Wash

Rufus McDougal is a rare person indeed. Only this brother would like to wash his car in the rain.

Car Wash

I know this sounds insane,
but the best time to wash
a car is during a Spring rain.
It can only make sense.
You don’t use a lot of quarters
from a car wash machine.
The rain water is steady,
and most of all, it’s free.
Your hair and hands will
get a little wet I bet,
but they’re used to that.
A sponge and soap are also
needed to make the shine last.
The rain will rinse the suds away,
A water hose can be used to
wash the dirty wheels without delay.
When you wash a car in the rain,
it gives you something to do
instead of looking out of a
window at the rain feeling blue.
When the sun decides to shine,
your car will automatically dry.
Your friends think you’ll have a
new car, and only you know why.