Just Think of It

I only ride the subway

To a doctor or a show.

When teaching, that was not the way

To work I used to go.

 

Today, though, in the morning rush

I had to take a train

And I expected all the usuals

That make the trip a pain –

 

Delays and crowds and people whom

You wouldn’t want to meet

And cars so packed that naturally,

You’d never get a seat.

 

Instead, there was a transit worker

In a neon vest

Who smiled and shouted, “Welcome, people!”

Like she was possessed.

 

She clapped her hands and greeted all

With such a joyous mien

That commuters sported grins

Where mostly scowls are likely seen.

 

Just think of it – one person can

Spread happiness around

With just an upbeat attitude,

A lesson quite profound.

Itch

I itch at night; at night I itch,

Although for pain, I would not switch.

My brain, I guess, contains a glitch

So I can’t sleep without a hitch.

 

On TV ads I saw a pitch

For medicine – can’t think of which –

But that idea I chose to ditch

So I’ll get by, but life’s a…..bunch of annoyances!

Picking Up Cues

Children pick up cues from all

The people that surround them,

Formulating ways to interact

With those around them.

 

As they grow, they learn how some

Behaviors will affect them

And also how their actions

Might cause people to reject them.

 

But on the other hand, they find

Some manners to embrace,

Expecting adulation, though

That might not be the case.

 

Our personalities evolve

From witnessing those cues

And learning which traits help us

And which others we should lose.

 

Yet sometimes we are clueless

Of the way we are perceived,

For early interactions

Weren’t trusted or believed.

 

To some, life is a struggle,

Trying way too hard to please,

While to those who are oblivious,

They never need appease.

Gilty!

One man’s opulence another

Might consider tacky,

Especially when catered to

By every spineless lackey.

 

Yet those who rake in riches

As their empire’s being built

Should, if empathy at all exists,

Feel just a little guilt.

 

So many struggle just to live

While barely getting by;

Still, we hear of millions being spent

By those who rule on high.

 

A little gilt can be too much

And for a would-be king,

A little guilt, at least, should come

From those who kiss his ring.

Another Unexpected Sight

I saw her from a distance

And I recognized the move,

But until I got much closer,

It was difficult to prove.

 

With her breasts exposed, her bra below,

The cup part in the back

Was fastened, then she slid it ‘round

With quite a practiced knack.

 

She covered up her boobs and then

A t-shirt found its way

As she slowly dressed right on the path

I walk on every day.

 

I passed her by and coming back,

I saw she’d shed her pants

And stood there in her underwear;

Nobody gave a glance.

 

Another unexpected sight

To keep me on my toes,

This woman’s story just another

No one really knows.

White Smoke

Perhaps the new pope

Can offer some hope

To those who are lost and in need,

But to ones who can’t cope,

At the end of their rope,

That improvement is not guaranteed. 

Though white smoke filled the sky

And no one can deny

The selection was balanced and fair,

Many skeptics will sigh

For the clergy on high

Can’t help everyone desperate for care.

To the faithful, this choice

Is a cause to rejoice

And we all, with respect, will take note,

But the world as of late

Is in such a sad state

It’s not likely to change with this vote.

Out of Joint

In case the mirror’s not enough,

Reminders of my age

May crop up just to let me know

I’m at a certain stage.

 

A lack of energy, perhaps,

Or slackening of skills,

More visits to the doctor

And a daily dose of pills…

 

A host of ailments never known

When in my younger years

And slowing down in varied ways

By giving into fears…

 

A memory I can’t quite grasp,

A stupid slip and fall,

An item on the must-do list

I simply can’t recall…

 

The knowledge of the ones I’ve lost

Who’ve passed or slipped away,

The hours sometimes hard to fill

When weather woes hold sway.

 

I really could go on and on

But think I’ve made my point.

This isn’t how I always feel;

Today I’m out of joint.