She smoked
She smoked,
my mother did, a LOT!
I never liked it.
To me she looked like
of those “molls” in
detective magazines,
later on television,
cigarette dangling
from the corner
of her mouth
acrid smoke
curling up (she didn’t inhale)
choking the air
as she played cards
or worked
at her desk.
To be sure,
there were “issues”
between husband and wife.
Mid-Great Depression
Dad out of work
or out of town for work
alone with
kids to manage
clothe and feed
with what?
So she smoked.
Small family Jewish
grocer let bills run up.
Smoking a comfort?
Housedresses, nothing new,
shoes needed for kids.
Teeth bad, pull them.
Children need dental care.
Sharp tongue cutting
no whining
“Just get on with it”.
Hurt, not understanding
we sulked. She smoked
Smoking and smoking
taking in relatives
with lost jobs, lost homes,
sick or in need, managing somehow
depressed (never admit it)
feeling put down,
frustrated, underrated
and underappreciated
never accomplished anything
worthwhile with her
college degree.
But, in her own way,
a saint in a housedress
Smoking away the grief.
An argumentative person,
She spins nuanced thoughts for hours,
With an underappreciated approach,
Her resentful nature keeps her afar.
Agitation becomes her greatest foe,
Disrupting cycles, not just her own.
A hyperactive mind racing without pause,
Aloof and distant, fearing the spotlight on her flaws.
Always feeling so unneeded, so underappreciated.
But for once she is feeling as though she is utmost defeated.
Still feeling unspent on anything requiring effort.
ukelele ululating
ubiquitously undulating
underappreciated ultramodern
ultrasonic Ukrainian
Tired of being nice
Tired of being taken for granted
They say do something good
Forgotten and unappreciated
Do something bad
They almost got it printed
What's good in doing good when it doesn't seem right
It's not about self-gain and whatnot
Just saying that one bad thing done, makes the million good things done wasted
So tell me, what's good in being that good
Talents, Intelligence, they all come with a great price
People support when you are beneficial
They congratulate, celebrate - not a single dot and shadow were there in tribulations
Its not about playing nice to please them
Sometimes we are just too much tired
To feel used, underappreciated, and taken for granted
Let alone be the bad guy when you make mistakes
Sometimes please consider that we are not AI's and generated machines
For once and all
We're human beings
Nov. 7, 2022
must i arise every dawn
to do nothing but shine upon
and warm all those who shiver
i, a scorching giver
and rarely am i truly praised
seldom i am looked upon
my rays seep through the cloudy haze
the foggy mist of early dawn
but no one seems to thank my presence
scarcely do they think me pleasant
often just a searing blister
only wanted in the winter
for that is when they realize
they miss my warming rays
they crave the brilliant, sunny skies
a sparkle through the gloomy haze
if i should leave, would they care?
would they be left beyond repair?
only deep in snow they see
that they, in fact, do need me
Today is for raising verve and fervor
Today is not for the self but for the serving
Today is a rag squeezed completely dry
Today is for finding out the what and why
The soul's search continues on this day
The right door opens when you're on the right way
Grab the bull by the horns and smell the roses
Keep your head up when they look down their noses
Today is for the taking, nay, the seizing
Today is for building the fire amidst the freezing
An underappreciated and taken for granted,
Overlooked seed that's ready to get planted
So get up and ask yourself "What am I doing?"
When I look at my self, are there cheers or booing?
Today is something we'll eventually see once more
So today it's time to find truth and what's in store
We're so underappreciated
You'd think we're in-laws
Yet without us you could have
The most powerful set of jaws
Yet it'd be nigh impossible
To chew, eat or swallow
If you dared pose for a selfie
You'd make sure not to smile
We're your Teeth, top and bottom
And you're just clowning around
If you think there's no benefit
To having us Crowned
Save the exorbitant expense
of toothpaste and toothbrush
of mouthwash and dental floss
~ all driving your budget
deep underground
Have you noticed that cakes are kind of 'out' these days?
Oh sure, there are birthday cakes, wedding cakes, and
anniversary cakes. Of course there are. But what about
cakes just for the heck of it? Are people buying those
anymore? If not, that's sort of the end of an era, isn't it?
Although I guess I've forgotten about one cake that folks
never seem to tire of, and that's the underappreciated
breakfast treat, which could be eaten for lunch and for
dinner too, truth be told -- the low-profile 'pancake'
~ with syrup or jam of course
It’s old,
It’s cliché.
It’s overused,
And therefore,
Underappreciated.
But that doesn’t mean
It’s not true.
And so,
From the bottom of my heart,
I love you.
I love you so much.
I trust you with my life.
I would do anything for you
And I’m definitely
Not going to leave you.
I’m going to be here with you
Through everything
Because you give me a feeling
That no one else can.
You make my heart light up
And my eyes skip.
You confuse my feelings
Until I'm filled with nothing
But love for you.
Your touch is exhilarating,
Your smile is intoxicating.
I find everything I need
In your love.
Underappreciated overshadowed by leaf and tree the sad twig
Cloaked in grinding whispers
Such inhabitants feel
Their way
Gallop the day
By thrusting, trusting
Emblazoned minds
Envious looks deflected
As the clan stays on task
The full-time preoccupation
And execution of self-expression
Daring risks trickling
The vacant gutters
Thirsty for adrenalin
And a satisfying gulp
Of shattered dreams
Fashionable product
Underserved and underappreciated
By the sanctimonious angels
Slinging hash in pits
Adjacent to the realm of man
Does thou hast remedies
For secrets and manipulations
Self-inflicted
The favored play of
Tenderlicious vassals
Who clamor for more
Than anyone truly deserves
The proven chorus
Decorated in colors
Beyond their years
Hum a distant buzz
Galvanized harmony
Textured strokes o' plenty
Count the measure seventy
Plus whatever is needed
No budget heeded
Because symphonies
Laced with street sugar
And turnstiles revolving by
The peeks and cheats
Sing the bling
And never stray too far
Given no better place
To go.
(8/7/06)
Breath
I breath deeply and hold,
this isn’t so hard,
it’s relative ease making me bold.
Slightly harder now,
pulse pounding in my head,
sweat rolling down my brow.
I could really use some air,
this isn’t a good idea,
I fall into my chair.
My lungs pleading for help,
my urge to inhale,
I’m about to yelp.
My vision is blurry,
I really should stop,
I’m beginning to worry.
I let out a little,
I’m mad at myself,
too noncommittal
It’s too much,
I can’t take it,
I held it for 2 minutes, clutch.
I exhale fast,
the first breath is amazing,
releasing all the air I had amassed.
I underappreciated breath,
it is so common,
but without it there’s death
It’s amazing something so easy to get,
is so hard to keep.
Lonely as ever, yet alone, he is never.
Spending every waking hour surrounded by superficialism,
Never reaching the true feeling of existentialism,
But always fringing on the edge of self-absortion in the feelings of regret,
Recognizing the emotional imbalance,
Clearly caused by inabilities;
Over-empathetic
Under-motivated
Underappreciated to a point of hopeless painful feelings of invisibility
Meant only to transcend into the inevitable devotion,
An unjust loyalty to an emotional tsunami,
The wave of feelings crashing into a wall of inner-neglection,
Leading to the ultimate display of True Knowledge,
Masked by the veil of lies and dangerous philosophies,
Under which the dark sorrow within lurks,
Waiting for one to stray too close,
Waiting for one like me.
Rolls of underappreciated,
despised,
untrusted,
unwanted globs of wasted space lies beneath
Rolls of ugliness,
sadness,
deceit,
tragedy,
nostalgic fluff swimming underneath these
Rolls of hate,
weakness,
abandonment,
scrutiny,
dignity left to die under all these
Rolls.
More to love, more to hate
Even more to underappreciate
Lie to my face, kick my backside
Take from me until I can’t hide
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