Encouraging Asides
These poems have roots from many different plants, ideas from a multitude of wandering contemplations, or perhaps children of an unknown father and mother. But more truthfully speaking, a hodgepodge of disconnected poems arranged under an umbrella of potential mediocrity.
The poems may accidentally surprise and challenge you or possibly drive you away in well-earned repulse. Take a chance and jump deeply into this friendly fray.
The poem to blame for Encouraging Asides is titled “The Three “P’s” and they are Past, Present, and Possible. I’m reminded of Ebenezer Scrooge in The Christmas Carol and the visit of the Ghosts of Christmas spirits because his mystical journey includes all three of these realms. I scribbled it a few days ago but went back and finalized it this afternoon.
I know you grasp the gist of the poem, but I believe it still needs work. If you have any ideas for improvement, please email me at mensgrouptopics@gmail.com.
The Three “P’s”
Past, Present & Possible
The Past
You have three choices
Bury the past and forget
Bury the past but remember
Learn from the past
Pick one and move on
You can’t change the past
We know this but usually
ignore this simple fact
You can’t
You can’t
You can’t
You just can’t
So why do you think you can?
Got it? This is very important
for both the Present
and the Possible
The Present
You have five choices
Live the present regretting the past
Live the present remembering the past
Live the present worried about the future
Live the present excited about the future
Live the present
Pick one now
Why tarnish today with the Past?
Why drain today with the future?
Today is today
That’s all it is
That’s all it can be
That’s all it will ever be
The present
A blank canvas for you and others
Therefore a blank canvas for mankind
Potentially a colored canvas created by God
A daily masterpiece in the making
A daily masterpiece you can contribute
A daily masterpiece you and God complete
A masterpiece glorious in the
making and the finishing
So, just live today
Live in the present
Live in the present unburdened by the past
Live in the present unbridled by the future
Live in the present listening to God’s whispers
Listening to His directions and His guidance
to follow your special path just for today
Follow His path to live & embrace
this special day you are alive
Got it?
This is important but just
for today’s today
The Possible
You have only one choice here
Just ONE choice
Why?
Because, you have absolutely nothing to
contribute not knowing anything
about the future
Zero
Nada
Zilch
Busto
Wipeout
Only God knows the future
Hell, he knows the past, present
and future simultaneously
He really does
Did you know that?
Do you accept that?
Do you understand that?
Let God take on the future for you
You don’t know it anyway so let go
Let Him take any future
burden upon Himself
Just let God take it
Got it?
Noise
Is it good or bad?
Is it noisy or silent
to our ears?
Noise
A pain in the ear
A pain in the rear
A pain without
A pain within
Noise
A pain,
Admired
Respected
Recognized
Acknowledged
or, discounted?
Noise speaks and tells us to keep
our mouths shut, our minds
closed but our bodies open
Deafening Noise
Cremated silently at dusk
sinking noiselessly into the
cracks deep beneath our feet
(Written 06/18/21 at a neighbor’s home.)
You possibly deserved a stronger warning to potential poems such as “Noise.” Some can be dark as this may be, but others can be funny, maybe a little silly and perhaps reveal a slim patina of wisdom growing slowly on the surface.
To balance out “Noise” is an older poem titled “Sunshine Sucks” which you might enjoy but then again, the ending is still dark for some, but for me, rather shiny in a weird sort of way.
Sunshine Sucks
I don’t like the sun
Blinds my eyes,
and dulls my senses
Sunshine is too bright
Washing all colors away,
hiding the shadows
Actually sunshine,
stops us from seeing clearly,
eliminates our perspective of depth,
possibly our perception of death
Bright blinding sunshine
Give me a dark cloudy day anytime
A dark cloudy gloomy day even better
At least I can see I exist, am not
wiped out by bloody sunshine,
disappearing in a blaze of
ugly white light
(Written at Sunday dinner with friends.)
One more poem with no explanation necessary, just keep your eyes wide open for a new day…
Words for the Day
Keep ahead of the
pack at your back
Think peaceful feelings
to overcome pains
of the body
Slow down to catch
thoughts speeding by
unnoticed or unrealized
Keep smiling as you
enter each day and exit with
a different perspective than
what you had planned