The titans enter the arena, muscles twitching, nostrils
flaring,
Chomping at the bit for a killing, just kidding, this ain’t
no gladiatorial meeting,
One could be forgiven for the comparison, debates and discussions
in a public space are quick to become warzones,
Daring to poke holes in one’s safe zone will elicit enough
vitriol to melt the ozone,
Ever see folks from different strokes in a public setting,
be it face to face or online, talking ‘bout any subject with extra spice, watch
how quickly civility melts into catastrophe,
It’s shocking, really, how quickly Jekyll replaces Hyde at
the flick of a switch,
Judging any and all outsiders, never budging an inch, before
falling to pieces when they’re offered a challenge.
Picture this, two or more folks engaged in conversation,
Inevitably touch up on subjects contentious, explosions are
imminent,
At first remaining dormant, participants dropping their
respective pearls,
Can and should stay at this pace but often things will take
a turn,
The heat turned up slightly, rebuttals galore,
Clap backs of the provocative type then brought to the fore,
Then it’s all-out war, healthy discussion replaced with
shrieking and shouting,
Metaphorically exchanging haymakers like Ali and Frazier,
Pre-schoolers display more restraint and civility, adults
can and should know better,
Personal attacks and phantom accusations, go-to strategies
for petulant children,
Big guns brought out to score points, sob stories to tip the
odds in their favor,
Is this still a healthy debate or another case of victimhood
flexing?
Then they’re calling for the other to be silenced as their
built-in Ministry of Truth is crumbling, not-so-subtle way of surrendering,
talk about pathetic,
At the best of times can end in one of two ways; with both
sides seeing eye-to-eye or agreeing to disagree,
But types like these? Not a chance, more often than not
ending in a rage quit.
Not too long ago, in an average setting, people from all
walks can come together,
Chop it up and exchange ideas, keeping it fair and
professional,
Can end on good terms whether or not they find a common
ground, nowadays you don’t see much of that around,
Often times becoming personally invested, enough to call for
the opposition to be silenced,
Are they that big a threat to your very existence? Each
individual’s entitled to their own opinion, who are you to harangue and control
them?
And rebuttals of ‘fake news’, ‘bias’ and ‘prejudice’ in the
face of their legitimate counter-arguments speak volumes of your ignorance,
Interactions with the others should be an exercise in
expanding one’s views and horizons,
One needn’t leave the hill on which they’re dying but it
would do ‘em a world of good to learn about and understand another’s visions,
It can strengthen one’s own convictions, in the process they
become well-rounded,
Only they with real strength of character can take in
additional information without ever feeling offended,
One’s stances influenced by what they see and hear anyway,
all but overpowering the foundations on which they’d been raised, life’s ups
and downs in conjunction with what they consuming being the building blocks of
it,
Knowledge is power, though, the ones tasked with informing
the masses misusing and manipulating, looking to misinform and divide as they
toy with emotions,
Real ones check all facts first before jumping to
conclusions, the gullible fall for it without questioning, while a narrow mind
twists it to suit only where they’re invested,
Back to the combatants, why spill your personal history and
so-called ways in which you’re hindered whenever you’re cornered, seek help for
those 99 problems, playing victim ain’t no solid argument,
Can only lean on alibis and excuses for so long before the
act wears thin, real strength and bucking the odds is what creates heroes and
legends,
It was never about winning or losing, merely a means to
learn off of one another,
It’s ironic in a way, on the surface seems a conflict but in
reality teamwork comes into play.
Again, must reiterate, it won’t always play out this way,
There remains those that have a handle on their emotions, unlike
the overgrown children,
But such is the world we’re in, running on emotions over
reason,
They say variety’s the spice of life yet many are threatened
by differing flavours,
What works for you might not for another, can’t make that
proverbial horse drink the damn water,
Ain’t no real debate if your sole purpose is to force yours
upon them, if your arguments are rooted in dogma long since hardened, time to overhaul
your default setting,
Newsflash, Fool, trying to cajole, strong-arm, intimidate
and shame ‘em into whatever cause for which you’re crusading will only turn ‘em
off of what you’re endorsing,
Nothing good comes out of coercion, you’re no better than a
megalomaniac dictator lording over their citizens,
It’s a discussion and not a scuffle, no need to get
aggressive and personal,
Then you call for the other to be censored? Take a trip back
in time, how do such actions benefit a given population?
Drop your two cents and let them do the same, that’s the
name of the game,
No one really loses when you both walk away enlightened, it
was never really a competition,
Keep that in mind next time you join the fray, there’s a
right and wrong way,
More to the point, leave ‘em alone if you don’t fuck with
them, no need to light fires where they’re not needed.
On the other side, Betty White ascended up the sky,
Kicked off a year of passings of the high profile kind,
‘16 was the warm-up, ‘22 said ‘hold my beer’,
Bob Saget, Meatloaf, Sid Poitier, Warnie and Gil Gottfried,
Rod Marsh, Estelle Harris, Andy Symonds, Ray Liotta,
Pages turning on the calendar, piling up with goners,
James Caan, Archie Roach, Judith Durham, ONJ and Pele,
Gorbachev, Shinzo Abe, Queen Lizzie’s passed away,
Dame Angie, Robbie Coltrane, Coolio, Twitch and Kirstie Alley,
Lord knows many missed, ink staying fresh on the obituaries,
Looks like covid’s here to stay, cases kicked off more than 30k,
Omnicron crowned the king, no longer just a passing thing,
Spare a thought for Charlise Mutten, you deserved better, Little Girl,
Peep at American Samoa, where that tsunami done unfurled,
Andy O’Keefe arrested once more, Novak banished from these shores,
Ash and Rafa crowned the champs, while in Ukraine brews a pending war.
February
Australia claimed the Ashes, Whoopi threw a massive fit,
Winter Olympics in Beijing, Zhu Yi, Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim,
Valieva felled by a doping test, Norway proved heads and shoulders above the
rest,
Back home that Religious Discrimination Bill kicked off nationwide unrest,
Koalas deemed endangered, still reeling from the fires before ‘rona,
Guess who’s back? That’d be Jarryd, retrial for that motherfucker,
Then the contents bubbled over, a new nightmare been unleashed,
Russia done invaded Ukraine, will there be a World War 3?
March
Kyiv under fire, Russians bringing in the pain,
Can’t call it a surprise, Putin is both mad and vile,
But just when all seemed lost, that the blue and yellow would count the cost,
The Megalomaniac’s plans hit a snag, didn’t count on victims fighting back,
Meanwhile here at home, floods done stormed the east coast,
NSW and QLD copped a drenching, before you know it VIC is swimming,
Kim Kitching left the building, mean girls bore the brunt of the finger
pointing,
Plane crash in China while back home an infant dubbed the youngest victim of
‘rona,
Ash called it a career, SA got a new premier,
The Oscars making headlines once more, The Slap Heard ‘Round The World made it
so,
Cue mass cuck and simp jokes, ‘comedian’ now among the riskiest roles.
April
Will and Chris got the world tripping, back home at the
Easter show another young life taken,
An election been announced, time to head to the polls,
While in New York a deranged fool shot up subway folks,
Didn’t fit the narrative, media couldn’t run with it,
While the best new show in Hollywood is playing, that of Johnny, Amber and
their mudslinging,
The latter branded dirty in the sickest way, the former never should’ve been
cancelled,
No real winners in this writer’s opinion, both were foul and quite repugnant.
May
Finally, belatedly, the first female main event in boxing,
Taylor beat Serrano, sure was fun and exciting,
Philippines has a new President, so much for those history lessons,
Voted in the son of the dictator, what the fuck were y’all thinking!?
Then there was that all-conquering organisation catering to folks of a certain
tone,
Burned, Looted and Murdered their way to the fore, placed the mainstream in a
chokehold,
Turned out they were lying and swindling, finessed many fools,
Sympathy in short supply to those that backed them over lies,
Shootings in Buffalo and Orange County, ‘Murica motherfuckers!
Sweden and Finland joining NATO, must be awkward for Putin’s supporters,
Australia has a new PM, ScoMo never stood a chance,
Another school shooting, this time in Uvalde, Texas, Yanks and guns an unholy
alliance,
Johnny all but exonerated, woe to those that got him cancelled,
How do you like them apples, Amber? The shit stains linger forever.
June
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, her last hurrah of sorts,
Australia qualifies for the big show, cheers to that Wiggles fan in goal,
Vivid back at last, inflation left its mark,
Upped that minimum wage but taxpayers be copping it hard,
Memo to Ms. Wilkinson, loose lips sink ships, way to jeopardise Britt’s case,
Now your job’s on life support while the case been delayed,
Earthquake in Afghanistan, Golden State crowned the champs,
Roe V Wade overturned, triggering Bedlam across the land.
July
Floods raging on the east coast, taking lives, taking homes,
BoJo called it quits, scandal after scandal left him in the skids,
Unrest in Sri Lanka, bullets shredded Shushou
Abe,
Nick Kyrgios on a roll, Elon fumbled taking twitter,
Webb’s first deep field sure was something majestic,
Comm Games kicking off, Aussies burdened with expectations.
August
Comm games came and went, Australia won as expected,
Emma, Kyle and Cody, media spinning bullshit stories,
Earthquake in the Philippines, Pelosi in Taiwan,
CCP seeing red, in their eyes that’s disrespect,
Al-Quaeda took a hit, Al-Zawahiri bombed out,
Twenty years after 9/11, sweet revenge without a doubt
Paul Green checking out, Salman Rushdie hacked to ribbons,
Writers and comedians under threat, offended radicals sure are dangerous,
Cancel Culture came for Andrew Tate, ScoMo busted for power grabbing,
Whispering Jack has cancer, luckily ducked the grim reaper.
September
Chris Dawson found guilty, sure did take them long enough,
UK has a new PM, answered to the name Liz Truss,
Serena hangs her raquet, Fed will follow soon after,
Tragedy in Buxton, the driver being the lone survivor,
Queen of England passed away, ended that 70-year reign,
Hers are big shoes to be certain, King Charles awaiting coronation,
Black Little Mermaid, Mahsa Amini kicked off mass protests,
Word to first-world whingers, this is what it means to be oppressed,
Geelong beats Sydney, Optus hacker running rampant,
Italy has a new PM, female, conservative and right-leaning,
Storms in the Phillippines, happens damn near every year,
Hurricanes in Florida, TV coverage looking kinda biblical.
October
Panthers make it back to back, mass shooting in Thailand,
Medibank and Optus hacked, bigwigs felt their customers’ wrath,
Lidia Thorpe lost her post, that bikie boyfriend undisclosed,
Promised to bring fire and chaos, undone by her taste in blokes,
Liz Truss makes history but not for reasons flattering,
One month, over and out, shortest term in history,
Rishi Sunak the new PM, Kanye West done played himself,
While Down Under Cassius Turvey sadly met his end.
November
Halloween crush in South Korea, Brazilian general election,
Elon Musk bought twitter, chaos ensued shortly after,
Isis brides were brought home, Western Sydney feeling jacked,
They went abroad to side with killers, why in hell would they bring ‘em back?
US midterm election chaos, Donnie back for another round,
Embarrassed himself as usual, Trump ship once again ran aground,
Hackers turning up the heat, kicking off mass anxiety,
Black Panther Wakanda Forever, Chadwick Boseman sorely missed,
Poland bombed, turned out accidental, MH17 bombers guilty,
East coast still be floodin’, earthquake got Indonesia shakin’,
FIFA World Cup in Qatar, controversial from the start,
Danny Lim beaten up, coppers once again look like thugs,
ScoMo censured, Kanye drowning himself deeper,
Lockdown protests in China, talk about going backwards.
December
Chris Dawson gets 24, Higgins trial goes up in flames,
Australia lost to Argentina, Lionel Messi still got game,
Eruptions in Hawaii and Indonesia, more headaches for Donnie Trump,
Back at home the interest rates are still on the up and up,
Umar Patek released from jail, the ultimate act of disrespect,
Sex ban in Indonesia, Brittany Griner bailed from Russia,
Meg and Harry’s documentary, not-so-well-received, predictably,
So much for mending bridges, the final insult to the family,
Cop killers in Chincilla, A-League chaos in Victoria,
Spinach packets contaminated, even Popeye won’t be checkin’ it,
Argentina wins the World Cup, Lionel Messi dubbed the GOAT,
Civil unrest in Peru, Trump charged for riots at the Capitol,
Ruddy the US Ambassador, Penny Wong in China,
Zelenskyy rollin’ into DC, youth crimes in QLD,
Comanche won the yacht race, heatwaves in the east and south,
Warner’s double century, don’t ask ya boy what that’s about,
Twitter beef between Andrew and Greta before an arrest for the former,
Pele bade farewell, Viv Westwood and Barbara Walters, sure was a year of
departures for the rich and influential.
That’s about the size of it, been quite the year, hasn’t it?
Great for some, a downer for others but that’s the way it goes regardless of
the numbers on the calendar,
Everyone got different experiences but we’re all headed towards one
destination,
Now we’re here, coming from multiple directions, it’s time to draft those
resolutions,
Ensure it’s one you can commit to, even better if for life, take it one step at
a time, baby steps and you’ll be alright,
Farewell, 2022, for better or worse it’s in the history books,
Bring on 2023, go and get yours, wish y’all the best, let’s see what awaits us
‘round the corner.
Postscript:
2012 I started this journey when the Mayans predicted that
the world would crumble into memory,
Unaware that this was the first step to a whole new beginning, apprehensive at
first but quickly hit the ground running,
While folks were wildin’ out on Gangnam Style and trying to track down that
twisted warlord Kony,
Yours Truly was learning a new art that would change life’s trajectory, Pops
was the catalyst but ultimately I’m the author of this story,
Nervous as hell in the beginning but damn near quickly felt some strange sense
of belonging,
Days of being stateless coming to a warmly welcomed conclusion,
Doors flung open, suddenly, a bright new chapter written, never too long in the
tooth for new experiences, the universe might be onto something.
Life been good in general but for the longest time felt distrustful and isolated, Everyone got their demons born out of missteps or circumstances accidental or intentional though the world and others can and will add to it, Once a young’un with a sunny disposition, had my moments but overall looking towards a bright future, Years between 15 and 27 begat various tests of the mettle, good days and fond memories preventing total capitulation, At first glance had it all but upstairs it was messy in the attic, fuck the world and all the phonies in it, the shadows is where I feel comfortable, Then one day out the blue Pops decided he wanted to learn kung fu, gotta admit I was intrigued, for the first time ever wanted to go to school, This fine art unlike any previously studied, required little of brute force and more that was focused and penetrating, Relaxation is key, tall order for one accustomed to relying on strength, Feeling like a fish out of water but overall welcomed the challenge, Firm friendships an additional bonus, the lifelong drifter finally found a home, Do I dare knock down these walls? Been up for so long they’re riddled with moss, Fuck it, take a chance, let ‘em into your world, isolation seems absurd, And so I permit ‘em, many more after that, so long as they’re decent, ‘twas a wise decision dare I say it, 2012 closed on a high, the world remained intact, but the Mayans weren’t off the mark, Experienced a rebirth like I’d been brought to the light after years lingering in the dark.
That was the life for the next eight years, far from perfect to be sure, Even under the warm sun perfection remains an illusion, Old me would’ve handled it differently, stumbling and tripping en route to a messy victory, Through ways bitter and manic rather than methods rooted in coolness and maturity, Did this strange art play a part? The need for a relaxed state surely left its mark, No hothead can master it, practicing then teaching it triggering opportunities for continual self-improvement, Taming the beasts within gaslighting and mocking almost daily, the host body realizing, finally, that there’s good in almost everybody, Friendships formed for the first time in years, some of ‘em becoming second fam, Ten years earlier never would have conceived of it, script was flipped but for that I’m glad, The positives extending to the daily grind, making bearable the morning and afternoon commute, That nine-to-five damn near flew, the clock moves quicker when there’s something to look forward to, Even in ’18 when the health went south, kept up the hustle ‘til the struggle escalated, Can’t keep a good man down when he’s fuelled by hope and determination, ’19 came and went, felt like happy days were here to stay, But what comes up must come down, damn cliché we must learn the hardest way.
World shut down by an all-conquering virus to kick off the
2020’s,
Whole world in lockdown to the detriment of businesses and economies,
Took its toll on everyone, peoples’ true forms revealed one by one,
Saw the very worst of humanity, different day but ever-widening divisions,
waging war over differences, friendships once solid now they’re crumbling,
A return to the Academy looking less likely but still within the realm of
plausibility,
Counting down the days mentally but overpowered by the bitterness of reality,
Being immuno-compromised in these strange times, living with folks vulnerable
forcing one to be more cautious,
Stockdale Paradox came to life, will I be back in time for Christmas?
Two years later still adrift and floundering, another lesson in the folly of
misguided optimism,
Finally snagged by the beast in mid ’22, for one week knocked out by an extreme
flu,
Had me a dream that seemed so strange, jolted me awake and more or less sealed
my fate,
It was time to move on, so ends the glorious spell, we can try and try but the
story won’t always end well.
Out from the safe zone, walking on, alone, Came full circle in unplanned ways, felt like the train been derailed, Perhaps it’s for the better but somehow feels the opposite, One of life’s harshest lessons came to life, that they’re never permanent, these fun times, Pain and change are what keeps the wheels turning, can’t have one without the other, Can’t cry over spilt milk, wipe that shit then move on forward, Can’t lie, though, the demons are roosting, day by day the wrong layers are peeling, Fading into the shadows, Scorpion’s MK9 victory pose, maybe this was my place all along, Heart frosting, sun setting, colours fading, might as well be flat-lining, Could have regressed to old ways had it not been for a silver lining, Ain’t no reset back to day one, friends met along the way still here, Interactions further and fewer in between but somehow the bond remains pristine, Cheer up, Young Man, not all who wander are lost, Something worthwhile might be ‘round the corner, hard to predict the future, Some days wondering if I can even stomach it as long as we’re keeping it one hundred, Might as well keep going while the heart’s still beating, didn’t get this far just to pack it in, If pride is the sole motivator then so be it, go with the flow and resist overthinking, Opportunities may pop up unexpected like the one previously encountered during the year that we were supposed to meet our makers according to those from an ancient civilisation, It’s been quite a ride, just want to let y’all know that you’re appreciated, Showed love to this jaded wanderer, eight years of memories and life lessons in equal measure, Sing it loud like Elsa, gotta ‘let it go’, holding on for too long will rip those palms open, Barely reached the midpoint, still plenty of chapters waiting to be written, Once again, from the top, right fist, left palm and bow, We’ll meet again someday, but it’s a fond farewell for now.
At a glance they seemed so happy, cool calm and collected,
The life of the party, open and friendly, arms spread for
everybody,
Life seemed perfect if the social media feed’s to be
believed,
Came as a surprise when it transpired, that they’d acted as
their own judge, jury and executioner,
Unbecoming of one so vibrant and energetic, but to really
know ‘em paints a different story,
Folks like ‘em ain’t checked on the regular for they don’t
fit a certain identity,
When in reality it’s they who smile the most that suffer
immeasurably, compelled to keep the lights on for everybody as they know about
the darkness intimately.
On the surface they had it all, money, house, friends and a
loving family,
Admired and envied by many, the embodiment of contentment
and stability,
Makes you wonder about others like ‘em that have all the advantages,
What chips away at ‘em ‘til they become another statistic,
Easy to pass judgement when you’re outside looking in,
But you gotta look beyond appearances to find what’s actually
behind the shutters,
‘Everyone’s fighting battles that you know nothing about’,
one of life’s realest clichés,
At an age of needless comparison, personal achievements
ain’t all that one is flexing,
Some scars visible compared to others while the
clear-skinned cop haughty derision,
Disqualified from expressing any form of suffering since
they’re supposedly privileged,
Smiles and joviality might conceal voices tormenting on the
daily, at worst gaslighting and convincing ‘em they’re better off charred then
scattered or festering six-feet under,
Might be concealing traumatic experiences, destructive
choices made under shady influences,
Everyone makes mistakes and demons don’t discriminate, not a
single soul is safe,
Can never tell when they will strike, better protect
yourself at all times.
The judgment quadrupled for those with dependants,
Spouses and little ones rooting for ‘em, should’ve been
their motivation to scale countless mountains,
Yet it’s a tale as old as time, partner and kids losing one
guardian or lover,
What could have possessed ‘em to take permanent solutions
for temporary problems?
Easy to accuse ‘em of selfishness for leaving their loved
ones stranded in the wilderness,
Surely those priceless treasures should’ve stopped ‘em from
ending it,
Not to make excuses for ‘em but unless you’ve dragged the
same baggage they’re carrying you have no right to be pointing fingers,
Bet you don’t know the conflicts and dramas threatening the
family unit,
That they end their days disunited and on the verge of
implosion,
On top of internal chains that strangle and choke, can only
take so much of life’s blows,
Craving for peace and rest that they could never find, by
their own hand they’re out of sight but not of mind,
Might have felt it’s for the better, that their very
presence was a needless burden,
Deadweight for those that don’t deserve to bear their cross,
sweet relief and victory for all but it comes at a hefty cost,
Cold comfort for those left behind, nobody likes to feel
incomplete,
Inner demons finally extinguished, permanently, but those
left behind are picking up the pieces.
Battles differ across individuals, though there might be
shared symptoms among others,
Some have jumped ship over lesser storms while others
persevere to buck the odds,
‘They should just open up about it,’ says you, ‘suck it up,’
snarl the others,
Given the type of world we’re in it’s no wonder they’re
reluctant to draw the curtains,
A world crawling with snakes and fakes, many keeping the
fangs retracted ‘til it’s too late,
Many treat relationships as disposable, are loyalty, respect
and compassion no longer considered noble?
Who the fuck do you trust in that type of environment? Where
misunderstanding and judging seem all too common,
No wonder many suppress and keep their secrets, lest it be
used maliciously against them,
Let ‘em in your dreams you’re likely to hear muffled
laughter, see rolling eyes,
Prefer to keep ‘em private, watch them say outright you
ain’t doing shit with your life,
Folks be quick to think the worse, only become believers
when you’ve won, then act like they were with you in the trenches, no end to
their shamelessness,
Not that their opinions ever mattered, in the end it’s you
against you,
Hustle at your own pace, make moves that suit you, climb
‘til you reach the mountain peak, that’s all you have to do.
Why attack, ostracize and haze over useless petty shit? Why not
be kinder and understand? It won’t cost a damn thing,
Not all will be your mirror image, not all will look, act,
talk and live like ya, are you so threatened that you feel the perpetual need
to erase ‘em?
Go your own way, run with those that matter, fuck anyone
that don’t vibe with ya, why place ‘em above ya?
Heed the words of Mr. Lee, underneath the sky, under the
heavens, there is but one family,
About time we acted like it, make this world brighter, lift
up one another,
To understand rather than label one another, to let go of
grudges at the end of every sunset,
Time is limited, better spend it wisely, what good comes out
of hate and needless conflict? Just broken spirits and squandered potential,
Before you judge, label and condemn, why not sit down with
‘em?
Provide a safe space for ‘em to shelter from oncoming shells,
You just might empower ‘em to soldier on, abandon plans to end it all,
What an entry that’ll be for your legacy, proof that
goodness still exists in society,
Enough monsters about, seen and unseen, time to buck that
trend,
Be a light for those in the darkness, throw a rope to those
who are drowning, you just might gain a true friend, it’ll be worth it in the
end.
A new day’s breaking, time for that grand entrance, your bio
clock’s off and running,
Mom and Pops, they sure were smitten, in their eyes your
presence is a blessing,
Though they might be thinking opposites when you’re trolling
with their sleeping patterns!
But all jokes aside know that you are loved, that they’ll
walk through fire for ya,
To make sure you’re healthy, nourished and a very happy
camper,
The significance of what they’re doing doesn’t quite
register, but hours from now it will,
Before they know it you’re communicating clearly, moving
independently, growing exponentially on the daily, seemingly.
The day progresses, the sun rises further,
Morning at its peak and you’re raring to go, practically
bouncing off walls,
Once an infant, now a child, some degree of independence and
strength,
Plays right into your favour, those energy levels seem never
ending,
Earlier just an infant now a living advertisement of the
human body’s capabilities,
Running, crawling, jumping, rolling, throwing, catching,
occasionally crying when ya trip then scrape that knee,
Gonna have to start school eventually, it sucks but if it’s
any consolation, might seem scary at first but for Ma and Pops also kinda
nerve-wracking,
But soon you’ll make friends, find your tribe for life if
you’re fortunate,
Might as well be siblings from different parents, doing damn
near everything together,
As the minutes turn you’re getting bigger, a growing
awareness of the journey ahead of you,
Though the main priority is living a life carefree as young’uns
are wont to do,
Besides keeping those grades up and your room tidy, responsibilities
confined to fun times with friends and family,
What was exciting hours prior now seems beneath you, you find
yourself wishing to be bigger,
Just like your guardians, free from any rules it seems, free
to do as they please,
But you’re not privy to their hustling on the daily to keep
you happy and healthy,
Some nights coming home drained, yet still making time with
you to play,
Checking to make sure you’re head of the class, put you back
in line when you’re acting like an ass,
Listen when they tell you never to take these hours for
granted,
You’ll find out soon enough, how much clout such advice been
carrying.
Closer to midday now, the past few hours have been most kind,
Crossing into teens, a taste of the world once beyond your
reach, soon you’ll see, the big ones ain’t driving down Easy Street,
Slapped with more and more responsibilities, life’s no
longer loose and carefree,
Those grades a new battleground, better be diligent or
you’ll be found out,
Assessments and exams carrying extra heft, outside class
you’re likely to make as many enemies as friends,
Some folks be wolves in sheep’s clothing, fading innocence
giving way to ruthlessness,
There’s your early taste of politics and manipulation, flexing
and comparisons, big folk games that’ll make your head shake,
Popular among the teens, it only gets worse from here,
unfortunately,
What your folks done taught and brought you up with in the
morning can and will be challenged, will you evolve or remain defiant?
Ma and Pa can only do so much, the world and your
surroundings will do their part, where temptations were once of the sweet and
sugary type, perhaps a few white lies, might now involve escapades and
substances of the harmful, trouble-making type,
Thinking ‘bout the opposite gender, where once they repulsed
and repelled, they’ve all but taken over your mind, thoughts of the sweet and
nasty kind,
Years behind those gates under the teachers’ care won’t last
forever, gotta plan for life outside sooner or later,
To jumpstart what could well be your life’s work or get you
a degree first?
Make use of your newfound freedom to venture beyond that
comfort zone, see what else the world has to offer,
Go get what you’re worth, have no fear of failure, start
over as many times as necessary, the world is your oyster.
Past the midpoint, here comes the afternoon sky,
Drifting further from morning and closer towards night,
Earlier on lived for the material, to fly high your main ambition,
More pals and hangers-on than you can count, living for the
present was what life’s all about,
And now it’s sunset and all your treasures are in storage
collecting dust,
That circle reduced in circumference, whatever bubble you’d
created long gone bust,
No need to be ashamed, it’s part of the journey, look at you
now, reinvented through maturity,
Equipped to make moves on your own, Mom and Pops can take a
backseat,
Their roles now that of support system than guardian, up to
you to dance to your own beat,
Perhaps you’d found someone to call your partner for life, had
you some little ones to carry on your legacy,
Maybe you’re flying with no co-pilot, marching to beats
suited only to your rhythm,
Those aforementioned little ones the closest that you’ll get
to turning back time,
Been there and done that already, you’re more than qualified
to be their guide,
Do your job right you can live through ‘em vicariously,
maybe turn ‘em onto what lit your world up bright and sparkly,
Hustling day in, day out as your folks once did, lessons
they drummed finally sinking in,
Sadly, they might check out at any time, but if they’d
raised you right you’ll continue to thrive,
Looking back on earlier hours wistfully, the world seemed
pure under the sun’s full bloom,
But nothing gold can stay, so said Mr. Frost, as the sun’s sinking
you feel yourself turning grey,
Day’s more or less half-over, minutes ticking by quicker,
They should have told you earlier the more you acquire the
shorter your hours,
Never too long in the tooth to learn something new, stay
curious if you want to slow down,
Keep in touch with whom you were earlier, they’ll never let
you down.
The sun finally sets, blue skies and white clouds melting
into dark night,
Been a long day of triumphs and trials, you’d come a long
way since sunshine,
The young ones on their own time zone, perhaps got little
ones of their own,
Clock’s turned back again, just like that, for you and for
them,
The day’s almost over but your time ain’t over yet,
Will you push on and keep rocking or call it a day then set
off for bed?
Time may have ravaged you physically, actions once
effortless now require some doing,
Others, still, might be trapped in a fog, left a shell of an
individual once lively and strong,
Can’t play like you did in the morning, those joints done
took a beating, but anything’s possible, still, as long as that spirit’s
willing,
Barring life’s intervention these are your second set of
golden years,
You’d paid your dues, that ticker’s still good, might as
well go out in a blaze of glory,
Never stop learning or growing, not until St. Pete comes
calling,
Stay hungry, curious and willing as you’d been in the
morning,
Break the rules, defy the cynics and doomsayers, you needn’t
be confined to your rocker,
Be of service while you’re able, that belt has room for
extra notches,
Give ‘em miles to recall once you’re finally laid to rest, it’ll
be genuine tears shed for a life well-led,
Fly high now, knowing that you did all that,
Your day ends, more new ones begin, the cycle continues like
it always has.
