They played "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" at the nursing home
People in their eighties clapped and sang along.
I paused nearby and listened before proceeding on my way
It was a ray of sun in a cloudy dismal day.
They played "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" when the POWs came home
Vietnam behind them, the eagle had long flown
From 'hell in session' to a divided land
They deserved our thanks, so strike up the eighties band.
(Chorus)
Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
It's been many years, but heart's stay free
The world is getting smaller, friends have come and gone
Sometimes a song can help a weary soul hold on.
They played "tie a yellow ribbon' for freedom in Hong Kong
Funny how a romance tune became a protest song.
We've already forgotten those romantics in the street
A song can't beat a rifle, no matter how upbeat.
They played "tie a yellow ribbon" when our hostages came home
Women wore one in the Civil War when the cavalry was gone
Home is where the heart is, and if oldsters can laugh and share
The rest of us should regroup and try to self-repair.
To this Mourning idle day,
To the silence of this uncertain night;
I offer the quenched melody
shrieking boastful, in silence of gloom.
In the sombre piano, Chopin
upheaves restlessness crying in fright.
This worklessness pinches deep
the needles, of loneliness wringing again.
An upbeat mourn yearn shows
to reach the absent overwhelmed be.
Here reaches out there to then,
where the answer would approach back.
Sucked back into vacuum black,
Away from the light heavier than dark,
Bleeding in red rose covered
in throes of pain, and beauty of blood.
Leaving behind or being left
behind the curtains of worldliness,
Grounded set her eyes silently
Breathing among the needles of needlessness.
Warning noon and nighttime too
It's all there is no time for the blues
Bright ones only
Nothing lonely
Cheery happy brilliant upbeat hues
Warning noon and nighttime too
You're all there is no time for the blues
Bright ones only
Nothing lonely
Cheery happy brilliant upbeat hues
Sunset flare blazes the horizon of the mind,
burns the life resigned to form extant embers.
The ashes of anguish would never fly away,
lattice of hope in dismay upbeat heart designs.
I hail each bronze, red, and blue coloured dawn,
as pulsing heart mould torch flame of bliss,
to gaze across some awestruck mint sprig lawn,
that golden birthright never goes amiss
Eye beam urban verve one duly savours,
coruscating joie de vivre street life,
bursts of swift dash coffee’s hazel flavours,
cell-phone upbeat day ahead hubbub rife
Blue robin high pitch chirp from chimney top,
sets the tone for morning wonders brightly,
activate those spark prompt hunches nonstop,
schedules met in narrow windows tightly
In suburb or in city centre fair,
skies and pavements segue with deft flourish,
your dreamland ticket ace broad daylight flair,
groundbreaking spurt fantastic, let us nourish
Dynamic itch to stray amid blind alley,
lurk within some parboiled notion latent,
steel clad zone that mosaic sculpted tally,
animated focus me the claimant
Many who have had cancer are not as upbeat as he.
He never concentrated on it, said aunt Wiladee.
When others tried to say poor you and that kind of stuff.
He said come play some games, he was upbeat, sure enough.
He lasted longer than most who develop this deadly disease.
Having good friends come in to visit in sixes, twos and threes.
His parents kept his spirits up, he was joyful to the end.
Best of all, he never hurt his family, class or his best friend.
Emerald paradise keeps purple violets and yellow daffodils true
Possibly an enchanted nirvana, selected for my eyes alone.
Air so clean here, the monarch butterfly is singing a ditty
Joy, and hope as available as the apples dropped in the orchard.
I breathe in faith that my fellow man will do the right thing.
Winged faerie posing as a damselfly alights on a light pink tulip.
Shall we seek the bountiful garden next? She whispers.
I am entranced, a damsel fly has never before said my name.
Scarlet cone flowers wave goodbye as we head to the vegetable garden.
I look past the produce for a minute toward the zenith of the horizon.
Oak tree soldiers stand guard, making sure everything is kosher.
I feel an upbeat optimism I did not have before we reached these carrots.
I
God still reigns
What pains?
Count it gain
I won't complain
Jesus took ALL
I stand tall
II
Yes, people plot
What (have) they got?
Love, try forgiveness
Oft a long process
But no other way
Wars cannot stay
They start in hearts
Stop shooting (eye) darts
I prefer to be positive, write upbeat stuff,
But sometimes life seems doom and gloom
You should tell me when you’ve had enough
I prefer to be positive, write upbeat stuff.
After all, as an old bird, I can be mighty tough
Even when the road gets rocky and rough,
I prefer to be positive, write upbeat stuff
But, sometimes life seems doom and gloom.
written April 21, 2022
I
I may share my love for Jesus and Bible - in vain
The practice is its own reward: His Word is everything
From Gauge, Level, Voltage and Testing Machine -
For philosophies, hermeneutics, gymnastics, gyrating -
The Acid test of Scripture: if it's not there, I'm passing ...
II
Look "up" is a general point, you may generally take from me
But I challenge you, "UP" one day "down" another way
If one points at the sky, while the Earth spins, where's "up" really?
Still, looking at sky, stars and more at night, is serious PLAY
Looking beyond the garbage on level ground, ether beckons U & me
III
Then again, "looking up" is well-deployed to uplift one's spirit
There's something magical when we shift gazing at people, to trees
And higher - be they clouds, falling snow, even hail, or - satellite
More and more CREEPING STARS I see up there, satellites they be!
Still, I say look up - it works wonders - no matter what bothers me
That gargoyle could fall off and kill me.
I stare at the speaker. She is kidding right?
What gargoyle?
The one on the bank building.
You mean the bank up the block?
She nods her head.
We keep walking. I am leery of her now.
I would date that guy from the coffee shop, she says.
But he would probably break my heart.
What guy?
The cute guy.
If we go there can you point him out?
He probably won’t be there; he might have quit or something.
I am wondering why people at work think this girl is upbeat.
I am not seeing it yet.
That gargoyle she says, pointing.
I have to squint to see it.
Don’t let the sun get into your eye, she cautions me.
Your eye could get sun cancer.
I decide this will be the last time we get coffee together during break.
Bell on the coffee shop door rings as we enter.
It’s him! She says.
He politely takes our order.
That guy? I whisper.
She nods.
We start to find a chair.
He hates me, she says.
Heart upbeat, to the bliss rhythm
Searing, benign rapture
At play within our body prism
Joy, thoughts cannot capture
Childlike trust makes no fuss
We go where God takes us
Ecstasy; here, now, thus
Bliss replete
Heart upbeat
24-November-2021
Quietus
Soul upbeat, in the joy current
All earthy goals recede
In time stretched stillness, heart vibrant
Our will to God we cede
Mind-body hollow shell
Bliss continues to swell
No desires left to quell
Meet and greet
Soul upbeat
24-September-2021
Quietus
In spite of all the negativity and turmoil
I remain happy and upbeat and life's still enjoyable
Expectations too high
Perhaps that could apply
But the end results are truly unavoidable
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