• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Monday, September 7, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Beauty

‘The Wisest Poem Ever’ by J.J. Bitters

March 18, 2018
in Beauty, Children's Poems, Poetry
A A
18
10-25-10_boilly, 10/25/10, 4:25 PM, 16C, 7992x10656 (0+0), 100%, Repro 2.2 v2,   1/8 s, R59.2, G34.8, B48.9

10-25-10_boilly, 10/25/10, 4:25 PM, 16C, 7992x10656 (0+0), 100%, Repro 2.2 v2, 1/8 s, R59.2, G34.8, B48.9

 

The wisest poem ever
Was written by my daughter,
Although I’ve never known her
To be much of a scholar.

She’s only five years old now,
But wise beyond her years.
My daughter wrote a poem
That moved me into tears.

She scribbled down her feelings;
A napkin was her scroll;
A purple crayon her feather
Transcribing all her soul.

I’ve read a bunch of sonnets,
And other poems too.
By Whitman, Frost, and Shakespeare
And Maya Angelou.

But not a single poem
Has ever moved me more
Than words my daughter scribbled
Cross-legged on the floor.

She handed me the napkin,
Looked up at me and said,
“I wrote a little poem!”
Then watched me as I read.

Although it is a short one,
I hope you will agree…
The wisest poem ever:

I love me.
I love you.
I love we.

 

JJ Bitters was a drummer who wanted to share beautiful stories, so he became a poet who drums with words. He and his wife Marian live in Portland, Oregon.

 

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

‘The Once-Lost Land’ and Other Poetry by Joseph Charles MacKenzie
Beauty

‘The Once-Lost Land’ and Other Poetry by Joseph Charles MacKenzie

March 27, 2020

The Once-Lost Land The arm that threw the disc of day __Across the sky we know must dim, The hand...

‘Curtain Up!’ and Other Poetry by Joe Tessitore
Beauty

‘Curtain Up!’ and Other Poetry by Joe Tessitore

June 11, 2018

Curtain Up! Sunset and the robins sing, nightingales reply song that summer evenings bring, weeping willows sigh from lawns and from...

Next Post
‘Statues’ and Other Poetry by Charles Bauer

'Statues' and Other Poetry by Charles Bauer

Seasonal Sonnets (Acrostic) by Mark A. Doherty

Seasonal Sonnets (Acrostic) by Mark A. Doherty

‘Spring is Coming’ and Other Poetry by Uvin Ko

'Winter Ends and Spring Begins' by Wendy Bourke

Comments 18

  1. James Sale says:
    8 years ago

    Sentimental? Maybe. But beautiful? Certainly – from the mouth of babes we find the truth. And surely, absent of all bitterness!

    Reply
  2. John Schleeter says:
    8 years ago

    Love it. Precious words from the wisdom of a child.

    Reply
  3. Joe Tessitore says:
    8 years ago

    Very beautiful and a joy to read.
    Well-done, both of you!

    Reply
  4. Amy Foreman says:
    8 years ago

    How sweet! This brought a smile to my face. I’ll bet your daughter will always treasure your poem inspired by her poem! Well done, Dad Bitters!

    Reply
  5. J. Simon Harris says:
    8 years ago

    This is a very sweet poem. I hope my son will write little poems like that when he’s older. Very wise indeed.

    Reply
  6. Lenore says:
    8 years ago

    Charming!

    Reply
  7. Joan Fullmore says:
    8 years ago

    How trancendant and DNA proud you must have felt witnessing your daughter’s poet soul blossom in front of you! Her poem is the perfect trinity of how each relation should be!!! It could easily be the mantra litmus test of any relation: people place or thing! I also loved this poem done so well it kept me reading! BRAVO!!

    Reply
  8. David Paul Behrens says:
    8 years ago

    Not bad for a five year old. Good for her. I think this how Emily Dickinson got started.

    Reply
    • David Paul Behrens says:
      8 years ago

      Sorry for the typo, and for any other mistakes I have made in the past and will make in the future. It pays to proofread.

      Reply
  9. David Watt says:
    8 years ago

    A touching poem from a young lady wise beyond her years.

    Reply
  10. Monty says:
    8 years ago

    How charmingly typical of a child to display such innocent simplicity. I’m reminded of a proclamation by Mr Wilde: ‘In America, the young are always ready to give those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience’.

    Reply
  11. ben grinberg says:
    8 years ago

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li7dJslr0FU

    Reply
  12. James A. Tweedie says:
    8 years ago

    Mr. Bitters, You clearly have acquired a Muse. No doubt there will be more inspiration to come. Please share it with us. We all love we, too!

    Reply
  13. Wendy Bourke says:
    8 years ago

    This is wonder full! Children have a knack for getting at the simplest truths. I love the way this piece unfolds. The cadence is splendid, particularly when read aloud.

    Reply
  14. Dave Whippman says:
    8 years ago

    Nothing wrong with being sentimental sometimes. Very readable poem.

    Reply
  15. Carol Hewitt says:
    8 years ago

    I became an instant fan, turns out he has a collection of poems: https://www.instagram.com/jj.bitters/

    Reply
  16. Steven Shaffer says:
    8 years ago

    As some have said, I’m also not much for sentimental poems, but this one reminded me of a poem that my daughter wrote when she was eight (I think). I’m pretty sure I kept it, but I don’t know where it is at the moment 🙁

    Reply
  17. Josh Lefkowitz says:
    8 years ago

    that’s quite lovely

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


  1. Perica Dujmović on The Society of Classical Poets 2026 Haiku CompetitionSeptember 7, 2026

    Thank you, I appreciate it.

  2. Margaret Coats on ‘The Cristero Centennial’: A Poem by Margaret CoatsSeptember 7, 2026

    Thank you, Stephen. The poem and the events it recounts have two levels or perspectives, which gradually becomes apparent in…

  3. Margaret Coats on ‘The Ballad of Babi Yar’ by Theresa RodriguezSeptember 7, 2026

    Theresa, I think I was too horrified by the effect of this poem to comment when it first came out.…

  4. Margaret Coats on ‘A Prayer of Aristotle’: A Poem by Margaret CoatsSeptember 7, 2026

    Yes, pure act, or in your own other words, Bruce, "devoid of potency." Awe or wonder is the ultimate effect…

  5. Margaret Coats on ‘The Cristero Centennial’: A Poem by Margaret CoatsSeptember 6, 2026

    Cynthia, thanks for your response. We need those cardinal virtues.

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,638 other subscribers

Recent Poems

  • ‘On to Better Days’: A Poem by Bruce Dale Wise
  • ‘Serenade’ and Other Poetry by Adam Sedia
  • ‘Self-Exploration’ and Other Poems by Paul Millan
  • ‘Victory’: A Poem by Jonathan Graver
  • ‘The Cristero Centennial’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘A Potpourri of Aphoristic Verses’ by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘The Estuary’: A Poem by Jeff Eardley
  • ‘A World Without the Wednesday Child’: A Poem by Kimberly Fore
  • The 2026 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition
  • The 2026 SCP International High School Poetry Competition
  • ‘Realistic Reflections’ and Other Poetry by Anna J. Arredondo
  • ‘China Made’: A Poem by Theresa Werba
  • ‘The Savage Moon’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • Poetry Book Review: Love Found, Yearned For, and Lost by James A. Tweedie
  • ‘When Opportunity Knocks’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • ‘Legend of the Griffin’: A Poem by Iryna Hall
  • ‘Government Issue’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘Chaucer Announces His Desire to Retire’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Advantages of Restaurants’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘Bone China’: A Poem by Mary Gardner
  • ‘On the Death of One Too Young to Die’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘This Too Shall Pass’ and Other Poetry by Justin Dasher
  • ‘Humdrum and Harum-Scarum’: A Lecture on Free Verse, by Robert Bridges (1922)
  • ‘Unrest On the Floodplain’: A Poem by Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano
  • ‘Latitude and Loss’: A Poem by Martin Briggs
  • ‘Act III’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘God’s Funeral’: A Poem by James Sale
  • ‘Star Festival’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘Song of the Frog Princess’: A Poem by Scharlie Meeuws
  • ‘The Odyssey: Nolan and Solot Compared’: An Essay by Michael Curtis

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.