'All work and no play
may make a dullard out of Jack'
or so someone
was heard to crack
but all talk an no work
will not get the job done
yet world leaders fly round the globe
to discuss the environment
but forget their carbon footprints
and simply write it off
as merely entertainment
such discussions could be held
via the Internet web of intrigue
why they won't is beyond my ken
altho' I pay their way
they must be out of my league
'Every man for himself'
is more than a selfish diatribe
but 'One for all and all for one'
thanks to Mr. Dumas
(1802 – 1870)
is a phrase to which I can subscribe
Until it's time to pop my clogs,
shuffle off this mortal coil,
I'll ensure my life is fun-filled
not just daily drudgery and toil.
As all work and no play
would make me one dull boy,
listless, senseless, bored witless,
not my Mother's pride and joy.
And so, in closing, I'm compelled to say,
"Exercise free will,
don't wait, hesitate or trust to fate,
before you're over the hill."
The thought of holidays makes me crazy;
If not planned well we will become lazy.
My mom’s face turns very red,
Seeing me always in bed.
She wants me to be like a fresh daisy!
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy;
All play and no work is not a wise ploy.
Balance between work and play
Drives monotony away.
Joy is yours, this trick if you well deploy!
ALL WORK
All work and no play won’t make me a dull boy - I am unemployed
3rd May 2022
Work Perspective Monoku poetry contest
Sponsor - Beata Agustin
"Morning Routine"
Oh what a Humpty Dumpty morning!
Good morning sunshine, oh my shoes are shining polished with love by Mr Sunshine, oh that is my dad!
Mr Sunshine : Lalalala! Morning children did you pray,say and play? Before you do that remember "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!" So when you wake up you....?
Johnny : Hello Mr Sunshine, oh you are so bright , right , white and nice!
Hahahaha! Sunshine you are delight! You provide us with Vitamin D. When you wake up you...
1. Say a payer.
"Heavenly Father, thank you for the morning though l am just yawning , l thank you.
Amen."
2. You wash your face , watch your pace and tuck in your bed with grace , oh yes!
3. You brush your teeth, not with meat or wheat but with grit. A happy smile a happy chat.
4. You eat breakfast. Bananas do not do bananas. Cereal , imperial , visual and serial bliss, yay! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The End.
All work and no play
Is not a way to live
All play and no work
Is all take
With not much give
Work is essential
No job no money
How would one survive
Life is not all milk and Honey
People have to strive
To be honest and Proud
Not like some
That mix with the wrong crowd
They don't want to work
To drop out they think is their due
It's too easy these days
To take that point of view
When they can get a pension from the Government
They don't have to earn their living
Not a dollar or a cent
Just wander around the City
And the country too
Getting bored and brainless
With nothing left to do
Full of self-pity, some without a home
I think this may be called
"What's in it for me" syndrome
A contagious syndrome
One that's easily spread
What is the world coming to
One that we all should dread
This state of affairs is too hard to comprehend
What will happen to us all at the end
Perhaps the wrong button will be pressed
All will be surprised
That one tiny little button
Will be the cause of our demise
SONG OF THE PIPELINE
Working on the pipeline
Having such a great time
All work and no play
Never know the time of day.
Toiling seven days a week
Never finding time to sleep
Work in mud up to our necks
Have no time to cash our checks.
Sleep in beds that aren’t our own
We’re so far away from home
Hungry, cold, hot and wet
How much harder can it get?
Back at home, our lovers wait
Separated from their mates
Wonder how it would feel
To have a real home-cooked meal.
Feet are sore, muscles ache
Please God, when’s our break!
Dirt and dust and insect bites
What’s that sound?...it’s dynamite!
Welder’s torches shooting flames
Connecting pipes with perfect aim
Backhoes move the earth around
Digging trenches in the ground.
Laborer’s shovels lifting dirt
How much more can this body hurt
My fellow workers help me through
What we wouldn’t do for one cold brew.
Pride and strength and pain and time
Goes into the making of a pipeline.
As an adult to another adult;
Does one such as an adult;
Listens to us;
If I tell you to be quiet there’s no power, no honest reply nor applying request;
And yet if you’re a child;
And I tell you “NO” you sequel, fuss maybe cry;
And yet you obey you subside;
The power of “NO” when I speak it;
Depends on the matter of speaking;
If I “NO” and you comply…
It just might save your life;
Why? “you ask How and Why;
a negative used to express dissent,
NO!
denial, or refusal, as in ...
it can’t be done I have the power within, my mind and on my tongue;
It can be done. .... all talk (and no action);
All with satisfaction;
I have power overall;
all work and no play; by no means;
I have all power when I say so;
close but no cigar, all power I have when I say…
“NO”
11/21/19
Written words by James Edward Lee Sr. ©2019
Written for class November 19, 2019 assignment (WIPS)
North Omaha Writers Group (NOW)
Come to my side and hold my hand
As we stroll through this maze called life.
I the teacher and you the student can travel side by side.
I see the whole forest
And you one tree at a time.
Come to my side and hold my hand
As we stroll through this maze called life.
I the forester and you the swimmer,
Can travel in harmony.
I see the landscape
And you the bodies of water.
Come to my side and hold my hand
As we stroll through this maze called life,
I the poet and you the mathematician.
I see the words and rhymes
And you numbers and logic.
Come to my side and hold my hand
As we stroll through this maze called life.
I the mother figure and you the child.
I can learn from you how to have fun,
And you can gain wisdom and understanding from me.
Because all work and no play reek!
In this journey of life our differences from day to day
Could infuse into a glorious harmony.
My weakness and your strength blend,
And each part is needed to make the whole.
Lose yourself within a song
For many with music you can never go wrong
Go deep sea exploring as you dive into a book
Perhaps search for buried treasure with Captain Hook
Choose for yourself a different name
Become a different character through realms of a video game
Its so easy to get caught up in a world of all work and no play
Escape from reality and fulfill a fantasy on Halloween day
Oh, the stress-free, carefree world of children
O' take me back to the lil kids' playpen
When we tried on mom's cosmetics and lipsticks
and built playhouses with plastic blocks and bricks
And had fun with cooking set picnics
Anything could be a toy
and our racket could annoy
We turned everything into play things
We played pretend queens and kings
We then played 'mom and dad'
Oh the squealing fun we had!
Teasing, chasing hens and kittens
climbing the grumpy neighbour's fence.
There was paper airplanes
and frisking in the rains
Paper boats too were made
and hide'n'seek was played
And when that wasn't enough
we played blind man's bluff.
We nimbly climbed the trees
hair flailing in the breeze
But our child's play naturally mimicked the grownups
Lil plastic ones instead of real porcelain cups.
Life was all play and games
in our growing mental frames.
Sand castles and kites
childish fights and frights!
And kind parents just let them frisk and play
for all work and no play makes one a dull boy
Tired to success
Bright future I hear….. They say that’s sweet
Only smart people get there. Like me by the way
Well the smartness has a price
You can see the price; many books, heavy
I chase the future with a heavy load
Making smartness something I will want to question
It’s very helpful but exhausting
Making me lazy and tired
I have thought more than once; to quit
Can’t I be having fun and ecstatic?
I am beginning to ask questions
Are teachers really fair?
So I opened my bag or bags
And I found each name had siblings
Many math’s books, English……so many
And the more you have the smart you look
But it’s tiring, so exhausting
Must these siblings travel together?
I also looked at my play time
Oh sorry I have none; I don’t even have fun anymore
Now that is just the final straw
I start hating smart, it drains me
I am not complaining too much
Smartness is costly takes energy and time
I am still so young, I can’t help it
All work and no play… that’s right
It’s a helpful exhaustion but I have to
Then I look at myself and realize I have to
Someone will make me. They say it’s for the best
I am beginning to hate this...do I have to?
Two roads diverged in a yellow
wood
And I wondered if I really
should
Take the one more traveled by
Or let my mind sprout wings
and fly.
I had a scheduled conference
call
And a ton of please reply to all
I need that project yesterday
Too much work no time to play
Long I stood and looked down
one
Carefully weighing what must
be done
So long that I let the moment
pass
Then took the safer well worn
path.
Should I sell my soul to the devil?
I think I already have
Every word that comes out of my mouth
These past few years
Has been filled with lies.
Am I truly living I think not I sit back,
And let time tick away on the clock.
But all work and no play
Makes Johnny a dull boy
But who am I to define dull?
Who is anyone to define dull at all?
Or small, or people who are tall.
We all say we are a judgement free zone
But judgement plagues and aches are hearts.
If we only look a little closer
Past all our remarks
But on the days we feel blue we act like savages
Who are we to judge love?
When love also judges us
Love, is such a bust
A sham,
A myth,
I wish love didn't exist!
And on the days my heart feels cold and used
I find that those are the days I catch myself thinking about you
And all our broken hearts
I shall never believe in love again
Because it always falls apart
Driving in my new luxury car
Richer then a movie star
All the lights shine on me
I'm beautiful with too much money
Strutting to be viewed
Living big on Dream Avenue
Ladies adore my smile
Babes I drive them wild
Guys all envy me
That's how life has to be
Dancing like a fool
Looking way to cool
Making the paparazzi drool
Splashing in my Olympic pool
I am everything new
Dreaming in Dream Avenue
Partying is understood
All my time is good
Celebrities gossip about me
I tie up everyone's technology
How can my alarm be so rude
Waking me up from Dream Avenue
I shave and drink coffee
Rush to work so I can be
Just another busy bee
All work and no play
Looking forward to any holiday
Into the grudge I fade
Life is sorrowfully blue
Daydreaming is all I knew
Wishes are never true
As the dreams of Dream Avenue
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