In the pursuit of happiness
Americans chase fortune and fame
gold galore and a place
where everyone knows their name
but they could tone it down a bit
and not go loudly announcing it
to all and sundry with every word
it seems infinitely preferable
if some are seen and never heard
but on the other hand in another land
while leading lives of quiet desperation
trapped in their traditional ways
the British hang on in hope
of distant future better days
and tho' always first to join a queue
there are the few exceptions who
break the rule at every chance
don't give a whit or backward glance
hats off to them for their contribution
as every generation needs a new revolution
Start the day
Fresh
With energy
With confidence
With hopes
With plans
With dreams
Full to the brim
So that you don't have any time
To grumble uselessly
To evaluate things too strictly
To compare greedily
Until you confuse yourself
About today, yesterday and tomorrow
And overlook today
Which should be the most important day
. for public domain
Humbling Grumble
(in the presence of "What have you been muttering?"
Like Laura Wingfield and her glass figurines,
indulging her comfort in daily routines,
so near to the living, so far from being alive,
resists drawing breath, no matter how I connive,
cajole, entreat or entice, beckon or reckon;
commits no sin, not she, no, not for a second.
A force of nature, yet to me a chilling bane,
distorts light, like shards of ice on a window pane.
I sit and wonder, should I share life's living breath,
with someone unfeeling, and much closer to death,
than a cold corpse long asleep in a coffin buried?
one who Kharon has across the river Styx ferried?
And then I fondly remember, and sigh with shame,
how we each once celebrated Life's long living flame,
and vowed to fidelity, for better or worse
not to abandon each other's side until the hearse
arrives, and onto our own separate ways
we travel and let go of our long raveled days.
This, our sworn bond and cause for present tenderness,
keeps me quiet by her side with muted and humbled acquiesce.
With sugar, butter and flour I fumble -
it’s a great way of cleaning my nails
Don’t grumble when finding specks in your crumble ...
but I’ll know when I see your face pales!
A pure tongue in cheek poem... but we have been given lots of cooking apples and I'm going to make apple crumble!!
10-23-17
Don't know if you've ever had this affliction
This affliction called Grumble Tummy
Sometimes quite humorous how it vocalizes
With some very strange sounds quite funny
Haven't got a clue what's going on down there
Thought it might be constructing a dam
In an attempt to divert some stuff it's not fond of
Like beets and brussels sprouts from a can
Don't think it appreciates processing that stuff
Would rather have ice cream and pop
Guess it's not wild bout my changing lifestyle
It moans and grumbles nonstop
Told my tummy you better get used to it
It's what you can expect from now on
Asked to keep the grumbling down to a roar
But it's allowed from bedtime till dawn
© Jack Ellison 2013
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