Section I
Halfway
…The place between dreams and idyllic reverie
A state of being awake but not fully
Having eaten yet not feeling quite full
Receiving an award and not knowing exactly why you got it
Engaging in conversation but not really feeling like you’re being heard or understood
Being glad to be around family members but sensing there’s something missing
Saying good bye to loved ones and leave thinking that more should have been said
Doing all you could have done yet still left feeling that you could have done some more… just a
little bit more
Giving a big hug that ended up feeling lacklustre and awkward
Smiling but for some reason the smile didn't quite reach your eyes
Dozing off in slumber but not deeply asleep
Wading in that place between sleep and semi-consciousness
Looking into a mirror and seeing your imperfections and flaws
Not seeing the full you - the unique you that you are!
Better later than never
Being halfway is a start -
Halfway is a better position than not starting at all!
A Woman’s Strength
A woman's strength is not found in her muscles and physique
The flex of her biceps
Or the strength in her feet
It's not in the swing of her hips
Or the power of her seductive charms
Her ability to lure and seduce any man she desires
Her seductive skills may be strong
But that's not all a woman represents
Her strength is found in her intelligence
In her smile and the way she carries herself
Her dignity, class and her belief in herself
Her ability to smile in the midst of turbulence
The fact that she can forgive, be kind and not take offense
Women are fearless and oh so strong
From the womb they've birthed many a nation
A woman's worth is priceless
Her strength unmatched
They're the crown of creation - truly heaven sent
Upstream
The little fish swam purposefully upstream
With all his strength and might
Going towards the prize
The prize called life
A school of fish heading south passed him by
They laughed and jeered
They were raucous and loud
Thinking he must be a clown
But only dead fish go with the flow
He wasn’t dead
That he knew for sure
Maybe they’ll get it in the end
I’m Addicted to a Life I Hate
I hit the snooze button on the alarm for the fourth time this morning
Dreading getting out of bed
Acutely aware that if I don’t get up soon, I’d be late
I drag myself out of bed take a shower and get dressed
I’m trapped in a life that I so detest
I sit down for breakfast and coffee and make an attempt at irrelevant talk
I look at my wife — now a stranger sitting across from me
And wonder if we were ever a family
I try to recall the last time we had a connection of any sort … and can’t
When did we become such familiar strangers?
I watch my two daughters forlornly as they gobble down their cereal
Almost teenagers now and I barely know them
And I made a mental note to try harder to connect with them and to do better
Sad…I remember when I used to be close to the older one Roslyn
I spit out the coffee, it tasted as bitter as my life
I grab my keys, mumble my goodbyes and head out the door tortured
Feeling more and more caged than ever before
During the two hour commute I reflect on my life
Trying to analyze the feelings of aloneness and desperation
Was this a mid-life crisis, seasonal depression?
In the car park I sit filled with apprehension
Of going through another day of meaningless pen and paper shoving
Battling the urge to call in sick and go spend the day fishing
Down by the reef near the Fisherman’s Pier
But I have to go in now, I know I should
I’m addicted to a life that I very much hate
Who will deliver me from this bondage state?
I feel desperate, trapped….
I’m suffocating
Yet, I haven’t the courage or the strength to change
I glance at the VIP membership card in my hand
Paradoxically, I’m addicted to a life that I indeed hate
Of Dreams and Fallen Leaves
Fallen leaves like scattered hopes and dreams
Scale the mountain tops
Soar over the seas
Brightens and fades
Almost invisible through tears
Elusive!
Melting like wax
Delayed, not buried
Farfetched, not impossible
Obtainable!
If wishes were air traveling through the clouds
And our dreams nothing but smoke
Then children would no longer dream
Visions of fairytales and sugar plum plums;
Of purple unicorns and imaginary friends
Imagination!
Oh sandcastles, paper cranes and flying planes
Dream me a dream
Bigger than I
Numerous and floating by
I’ll grab the net
Catch them one by one
Make a wish, believe!
Fallen leaves blown by the wind
Fallen leaves
Exquisite dreams!
Love Postponed
Love came to visit today
He came to my door
Whistling a familiar song
He knocked and waited
I heard the sound
But I didn’t answer, I couldn’t
I wasn’t ready
I never am
Will I ever be?
Love knocked again
Waiting patiently at the door
He was persistent, earnest
I felt obliged to answer
But I couldn’t move
I couldn’t see
Then I ran away that’s what I always do
He waited awhile
Then turned and walked away silently
Love was postponed for yet another day
Tomorrow try again
Tomorrow may be the day
You are You
I’m not like you
You’re not like me
And that is how it should be
You shouldn’t try to be like me
And I shouldn’t try to be like you
You are you
And I am me
And that is how it should be
Some may think that you’re a fool
Others may think that you’re cool
Let people think what they want to think
I’m different and I’m that missing link
Our differences make the world interesting
You are you
And I am me
And that is how it should be
Don’t worry about the friends you may not have
Or the people who don’t like you
Who tease and may even bully you
You love yourself
Let the haters rest
You are you
And I am me
And that is how it should be
It doesn’t matter if you’re tall or fat
Or whether you are short or slim
If doesn’t matter if your hair is dark or fair
Or whether it is curly or straight
You weren’t made to be like everyone else
You were born to be different
You are you
And I am me
And that is how it should be
It doesn’t matter if your eyes are green or blue
Or whether your skin’s a different hue
It doesn’t matter if you were born here
Or whether your parents immigrated here
It doesn’t matter if you like to play outside
Or like to read books and be inside
You are you
And I am me
And that is how it should be
Learning to love yourself
For all that you are
Loving yourself, your quirks and all
And accepting your rightful place in this world
That’s what matters most of all
You are you
And I am me
And that is how it should be
