The trick is, to live your days
This poem by Peter Meinke is a reflection on how to live a balanced life. It advises the reader to live each day as if it were their last, acknowledging the unpredictability and brevity of life. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of planning for the future, as life can also be long and challenging. The poem uses gardening metaphors to suggest that while beauty and pleasure are important, they are not sufficient for survival; practical sustenance is necessary. The advice to marry a pretty girl after seeing her mother implies considering long-term consequences and family traits. The poem concludes with the advice to always serve wine, symbolizing the importance of maintaining joy and celebration in life. The poem's tone is both pragmatic and poetic, blending everyday wisdom with lyrical beauty.
| Word | In English | Plain (English) | Pron. |
|---|---|---|---|
| trick | method | a way or technique to achieve something | trik |
| approximation | estimate | a version or likeness that is close to something else | ap-rok-si-may-shun |
| nectar | sweet liquid | a sugary fluid produced by plants, often associated with sweetness and beauty | nek-tar |
| sustenance | nourishment | food and drink regarded as a source of strength | sus-te-nance |
| honied | sweet | having a taste or smell of honey; sweet | hon-eed |
| craves | desires | to have a strong desire for something | krayvz |
| shattered | broken | completely destroyed or smashed | shat-terd |
| vine | plant | a climbing or trailing plant | vyn |
| serve | give | to present or provide food or drink | surv |
| windshield | car window | the front window of a vehicle | wind-sheeld |
| bursting | exploding | breaking open or apart suddenly and violently | burst-ing |
| shell | explosive | a projectile filled with explosive material | shel |
| peony | flower | a type of flowering plant known for its large blooms | pee-oh-nee |
| rose | flower | a type of flowering plant known for its beauty and fragrance | rohz |
Peter Meinke is an American poet and author, born in 1932 in Brooklyn, New York. He has published 18 books of poems and short stories and is the current poet laureate of Florida. His work has appeared in prestigious magazines like The New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly.
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