Can’t remember the last time I participated in a challenge..I could not resist this challenge though. All photographs were taken at Longwood Gardens, PA.
Enjoy!
Inertia
Why do I have inertia so profound
In going to bed for a sleep sound
Glued I am to my computer screen
Why doesn’t the bed inviting seem?
When I finally trudge to bed
I’ll be checking my phone instead
Of closing my eyes to try to sleep..
Why don’t I yearn for slumber deep?
Tossing and turning, finally I succumb
To deep sleep, my resistance finally overcome.
**
In the sanguine morning, once again
When it’s time to wake up, inertia reigns
Now I cannot my languid limbs force
Into a vertical posture; in due course
I fling myself out of bed when I see
My bedside alarm clock ticking away furiously
**
I fault this inertia which leads me
To procrastinate both ways endlessly
I fantasize about sleeping on time every night
And waking at the crack of dawn, ready for flight
If that happens even once, I will let you know
Goodbye for now, off to bed I must go!
Online Shopping
I often struggle to exercise self-restraint
Temptations are plenty, and I am no saint
When online retailers hold their surprise sales
E-mailing reminders, any attempt at restraint fails
Seventy percent off is too good to ignore
It’s a good time to update my wardrobe some more
Being good at arithmetic, I can calculate
Quite quickly the reduced price, and satiate
Myself with the victory of having scored a good deal
A savvy shopper and a fashionista- that’s how I feel
Ignoring that small admonishing voice within my head
“This money could be used for necessary items instead”
Granted, gorgeous items were found at prices unbeatable
Buying them, though not essential, did seem reasonable
I wait for items to go on sale, so that I can buy
What I like; I hate paying full-price, I can’t deny
It is so simple to order stuff online
Just a few clicks, no need to even sign
Online shopping is a boon and a curse
It has certainly loosened the strings of my purse!
Image source:dietkart.blogspot.com
Reinvention
Reinventing yourself is often talked about,
It is the mantra in vogue, without a doubt
Open your mind and your purse, get a makeover
Live the life that you’ve dreamt of, before it is over
That is what “lifestyle consultants” proclaim
You could be a new person behind the old name..
Unfortunately the methods of reinvention
Seem to be archaic and prone to repetition
Weight loss, change of clothing and hair style
While these help you go forward an extra mile
May make you more outgoing and confident
But getting a new skin does not reinvent
The person that is truly, sincerely you-
Reinventing yourself completely implies
Changing yourself more deeply than you may realize
Challenging and changing your beliefs deep-seated
Radically, completely, or your purpose is defeated
It takes courage to perform an honest assessment
Of your own shortcomings, without resentment
It takes willpower to change your beliefs and actions
While consciously ignoring others’ reactions..
**
Reinvention is for yourself, not for an audience
It cannot be done under any false pretense
It involves introspection, a difficult journey
Full of surprises, on the road to self-discovery..
So reinvent yourself, by all means do
Emerge from the process happier too!
New Year
Another year has dawned, it’s the first of January
Eager I am to fill the pages of my diary
It’s a good idea to start on the very first day
My mind draws a blank, there’s nothing new to say
Nothing that sounds original, groundbreaking
Probably a rehash of resolutions I’ve been making
Year after year, to celebrate the first day
Most are forgotten in a week, seldom some stay
Like everyone else, I make changes when motivated
By circumstances, changing yourself on this day is overrated
If everyone could by their new year resolutions abide
The beginning of each year would turn the tide
Every new year, positive changes would be found
Wishful thinking, I know, though the logic is sound.
**
Before I sign-off, here’s a warm wish for you
Happy new year, and a lifetime of happiness too!
Job satisfaction
To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.
Pearl S. Buck
I have a job, with satisfaction I can say
That takes care of needs and bills to pay
Leaves me enough for careful indulgence
In luxuries of life, that I enjoy with prudence
That should suffice for work satisfaction-
Some may opine; monetary comfort is an attraction..
**
I am grateful though in another way
I can hardly separate work from play
At the end of most days I have a sense
Of accomplishment; a renewed reverence
For the unwavering commitment of my team
Whose dedication can any disappointment redeem
At work, we derive joy and satisfaction
By basking in the warmth of a job well done
This is something that cannot be
Replaced by the promise of a larger salary
But one thing I know- to attain success
One has to find in work, happiness….
The story that I need
So tell me a story that holds me
Captive in its brilliant imagery
A story that leaves me spellbound
Whose words drown every other sound
A story that tugs at the strings of my heart
A story of which I can be a part
Tell me a story, will you, my dear
To dispel the dark clouds of fear
**
I feel lost, I know I will find
Myself in a story that’s one of a kind
A story that instills hope and inspires
A story that rekindles lost desires
A story from which I can derive
Strength, and rejuvenate and revive
My passion for life in all its splendor
A story to whose wisdom I shall surrender
And I shall recount my story in return
Cleanse myself of past errors, from them learn..
Inadequate
All of us feel every now and then
Inadequate, imperfect, just rotten
The world sends reminders in myriad ways
Some subtle, some blatant, each of them says
There is a measure you do not stand up to
There is so much more that you should do..
Social media has the remarkable power
To constantly keep all your grapes sour
So even though self-assured you may be
There are bound to be feelings of inadequacy
**
These feelings that haunt us off and on
Have entire industries spawned-
For instance, if women all over were to decide
Their present bodies were objects of pride
Not in need of alteration of any kind
Millions would go bankrupt, you might find
Billions of dollars are spent each year
Based on feelings of inadequacy and fear
Unfortunately, money can never buy
Feelings of self-worth, even if you try
Avoiding the tangled web of comparison
Is something we all need to learn
So that we keep insecurity at bay
As we live our lives from day to day..
The first day of winter
As I woke up my sleepy little boy
He jumped out of bed shouting with joy-
“Today is the first day of winter!” he said
As he jumped up and down, excited, in bed,
And I tried to join in his excitement in vain
The cynic in me looked at the dark clouds and rain
Nothing remarkable about this day I could see
Just warmer than usual, I shrugged indifferently..
**
All through the day, he remained excited
The first day of winter left him quite delighted
He wanted to read the story of the snow
In honor of the day- he’d read it yesterday though
While I trudged through the day, ordinary as ever
Can’t get excited by the season or weather..
**
On second thoughts, why shouldn’t I?
I’m afraid to sound silly, I guess that’s why-
Growing up implies restrictions on behavior
Until restraint becomes a second nature
And we forget to get excited by things inane
Being serious is the way to appear sane…
But seeing my son’s unbridled excitement
I resolved today to make an amendment
To my rules for self, and try to include
For ordinary things, appreciation and gratitude
So that next time when it is the first day of spring
I am ready to welcome the promises it will bring!
Holiday stress
Throngs of people milling about
The stores, shopping, without a doubt
That it is absolutely necessary
To buy that non-functional but pretty accessory
To give as a gift to someone whose name
Appears on their holiday list, it’s part of the game
An unwritten rule that circulates in society
Says exchanging gifts constitutes propriety
So stressed out and frantic, tired souls attempt
To buy “meaningful gifts”, while each dollar spent
Escalates the stress that has been persistent
Casting its ugly shadows over holiday sentiment..
Your love for someone has to be tangible-
Gift-wrapped, anything else is unthinkable
Holidays are for spreading warmth and cheer
But all that is lost under the thin veneer
Of lips forced into smiles that demons hide
Of stress, over money and exhaustion, deep inside-
Time to remember-holidays don’t come from the store
Maybe the holidays mean something more…
This holiday season I wish you the best
Hope you put holiday stress to rest!
P.S. The picture here depicts Santa’s gift delivery system for Christmas- at Yankee Candle Village, MA
“Like”
There was a time when “like” meant
A look of approval, a personal compliment
And “followers” belonged to people well-known
Leaders, actors, business tycoons and so on..
Entered the web and now you could follow
Millions of websites that could show
Information interesting and useful to you
Posted by someone ordinary too.
Social media had its genesis soon after
With an avalanche of facebook, instagram and twitter
Now the web became your canvas to display
Every aspect of your life, to friends far away
Each other’s followers now you could be
Exchanging exclamations and likes and smileys
You began to “like” everything- good or bad
There’s no dislike option even for news that’s sad..
**
Ranting about “likes” and “followers”, let me tell you
The array of platforms on which I look forward to
Appreciative comments, likes and follows everyday-
This blog, facebook and its friends have their say
Then there is “Research Gate” to flaunt my academic prowess
How can I neglect my professional success?
So it pings me when someone references and reads
An article of mine, satisfying my hidden narcissistic needs.
**
Such is the world today, making us obsessed
About the number of likes, follows and friend requests
Firing up the beast of competition within
At least in cyberspace we know how to win!
(Image source:http://stopsoldiersuicide.org/)
The very important predicament
Image source: shelbyrice.com
Trapped in the age-old conundrum,
Exasperated, confused and panic-stricken
Pulling out pieces picked at random
I am one of those millions of women
Who stare at their closets each day
Overflowing with clothes and accessories
Before getting dressed, for work or for play
This tops the list of their many worries-
Despite shopping left, right and center
Blowing their budgets on personal adornment
Buying out of boredom, or for pleasure
They all echo a common sentiment-
Why is it that I have nothing to wear?
I just bought some clothes last week!
Can’t find a decent outfit, I swear
Retail therapy is where refuge I seek..
When we say that, we are calculating
The number of people who might have seen
Us in any outfit; it is upsetting
That repeating outfits invites comments mean..
**
I am as much a culprit as another
Never knowing what to wear
Maybe I should downsize and declutter
Strip my closets of everything but essentials bare.
