I’m Alive!

Blog 400:

Don’t yell or scream at me
Don’t ignore my needs and longings
Don’t look down on me
Don’t pretend I don’t exist
 
I am here and there in your realm
I have a heart that beats
I have a brain that interprets
I have emotions that get hurt

Love me today
Love me tomorrow
Love me every waking day
Love me at resting moment

Nursing 101

Blog 399:

Stand long
Walk hallways
Mosey roundabout
And tell your feet, “Keep going!”
Time is of the essence
As soon as a patient gets wheeled in
Exercise patience
Smile and be polite
Answer bell rings
Respond with kindness
Fulfill duties to the ill and hurting
It isn’t just a job, you know …
Indeed it is more than that
Nursing people to health takes giving
It is a mission … a service to others
Embrace your vow to care!

Tire not, Life!

28Blog 398:

Take time to lie down and be still

When you can, stretch out arms and legs
Often rotate your neck ... even try tilting back your head
Then take three well-ordered, deep breaths
Bodies ache and scream when strength is used up
Its very nature clamors rest when excruciating pain pins down
Abuse it and it wears down sooner than expected
Care for it and it lets muscles and bones work to the fullest
Nurture its machine and all inside it regulate and circulate at best
Mind its groans and aches and it gives even greater longevity!

Consumer

Blog 397:

 

Fruit lovers enjoy juice and bulk of sweet-sour apples and oranges
Veggie preferring folks munch on luscious celery sticks
Meat-eaters bite, chew and gulp tenderly grilled steak
Whatever the palate desires, a consumer finds and indulges
It's good that with food intake we could be democratic
No one dictates what anyone should or must take
Unless of course, dietary requirements impact general health
And restrictive food consumption or choice takes over!

Hands

Blog 396:

Achy, Tired, Worn-out
Gripping, Scraping, Smoothing
They toil all day long
They're exposed to cold and warm water
They move about picking up things there and here
Vigorously, hands work the land
Gently, hands nurture and care
Even more, hands reach out and hold someone’s hand
Passing on the spark of love!

Hopper

Blog 395:

 

Brown, bushy-white tail, sharp pointed ears
It springs and hops in pursuit of its young
It guards like a hawk and an eagle
It watches in haste every movement that strikes
Bunny Rabbit inhabit my bushes and flower garden
It cheers and surprises me early in the morning!

Journey to Lumbar Fusion

Blog 394:

Big, grueling day lies ahead
Up early at five AM
In a little while, drive away and head to 'pre-pro'
With family and close friends joke around
And spot anything amusing
Surely that quells the jitters
At the appointed time though
You can't help, but let the nerves come and go
Soon the temporary sleep with anesthesia's help comes
Orderlies and nurses do the rest with care
Then reality sets
On the splicing table you lay
Before long ... incisions begin and drag
Aware or unaware shadows and voices appear and dissipate
Till hours pass and sutures are the last event
At last, get wheeled to a quiet recovery room
For two, three or more days prepare to be patient
Recovery is long and difficult
There’s no doubt it would test you days ahead!

Earth Ails

Blog 393:

Intentionally or casually thrown
Rubbish and debris line roadways
On one side, soda bottles and beer cans
Down a corner, empty plastic and paper bags
Cigarette dispenser packs and butts dot grassy path

Earth screams its pain … but only few mind it!
 
Everywhere, thoughtless human action destroys Earth
Off factory chimneys burst out dangerous gases
Transport and machines carelessly emit untidy carbons
Loggers deforest and aimlessly cut down trees
Throwaway societies accumulate mountains of refuse

Earth cries of its malignant cancer, but only a handful care!

Cycle of Discontent

Blog 392:

Skies rant and rage
They break up dark clouds
Soon … heavy rains mightily pour

Deep down the seas, fury builds
Water collects strength
Shortly … waves in frenzy lash on land in torrents
 
Narrow atmospheric air currents rapidly build
They stream and flow fast side to side and around
Before long … storms beat, blow and whiplash

Nature lambastes and incites skies
It commands seas to flare up
Then with gushing outburst, it inundates land

Time and again hills’ rocks hold the islands intact
Dense trees atop mountains together brace once more
Down lowlands though, torrential rains collect and flood

In next to no time, Nature’s wrath is exposed
It shamefully unfolds interrupted, devastated livelihoods
But worse, church bells mourn and peal for lives injured … lost!

Carnal ...

Blog 391:

No coronation for you
No flowing virgin gown
No church bells
No social circles in celebration
No get-away carriage
Not even a deliriously sweet honeymoon!
 
In the heat of passion
Or in consensual betrayal
Your naiveté … your innocence …
That once upon well-guarded virtue
You vanished in one torrid carnal burn
Consummated in a split second
But forever … it is lost!

What goes now?
In an eye blink … sperms he released into your womb
Penetrated one life-giving egg within
And in a flash … union of cells quickly formed a prospective life …
A few days … a month … a growing life could not hide
Your once flat belly bed bulges and protrudes
It announces a life overhanging
But sadly in disgrace
Your scarlet mark spreads further
Your cross to carry is outright
It clamors for a resolve
 
You must decide to groan, crawl or stand tall
You alone must choose a path to walk 
Or live in the shadows of lasting shame
Amidst crowd of an unforgiving lifetime!

Builder Extraordinaire

Blog 390:

Spider’s Web

Labyrinth-like beauty
Fragile network
Well-ordered mesh, grid, netting
A tiny hardworking builder’s intricate work fascinates me
But when I find its tangled jungle in every corner of my space
I snarl and snare, and then get messily muddled!

Pesky Insect Trapper

Nation Building or Crashing?

Blog 389:

Nation building is complex!

Putting infrastructures that serve common good require grand outlay
So does creating internal or external national security  
But in the long run all are convinced they serve citizens’ common good
Thus wise governance and citizenship must intertwine

Education of both young and old lead to strongly prepared workers
Yet resources for insuring it also has a hefty price tag
Teachers alone doing the work would never harvest great results
All must make sacrifices to achieve goals and meet high standards

Power and influence build necessary blocks
But when those able to climb critical positions get corrupt
Or worse, become abusive, controlling and dominant
They threaten and violate trust of people who sent them to serve

What have Assad, Morsi, and Hunsen failed to learn in historical time?
Mediocre education and stomping human rights aren’t nation building
Increasing weapons or abusing power don’t elevate a state’s status
Nation building happens as governors and governed truly dialog and act!
Creating a nation of peace and prosperity is far intricate!

Family Grows ...

Blog 388:

Human family flourishes time after time
It is first born when woman and man unite
Wanting ... desiring to be fruitful and increase itself
At other times, a family sadly grows uninvited
Births from violent or accidental origin mix and factor growth
As couple’s offspring comes it rises in number
Multiplication expands what once was simply nuclear
At some point all begotten mature
And some choose to build their very own nucleus
Then the once nuclear unit extends as separate family groups
Where grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins make connections
One generation to another reaching out and intertwining lifetimes!  

Puddles

Blog 387:

When water puddles form then dissipate
Where do they all go?
Up, up … they go high and higher
They float and get lifted by magical wind
Where collectively they gather with all other droplets
Soon, they turn into pockets of cooled, heavy clouds
Ready in time for another downpour
Yet creating new puddles here and there
And everywhere a-ground!

Come Together

Blog 386:

Remembrances convey a myriad of sentiments …
At times they are bland, joyful, or sorrowful
Births evoke gladness
Deaths bring mournful regrets
Unions, relationships’ longevity burst pride and delight
Tributes elevate accomplishments
Celebrations unite folks in delightful fellowship
Whether occasions bring desolation or cheerfulness
People gather to stay in touch
People congregate to recollect
People make new memories!

Plasma Harvest

Blog 385:

I look back and squirm
A ritual leaves in me a bitter taste
I’m sorry, I no longer can’t
I can’t do needles
I can’t do blood
Needles and blood …
I just can’t do both anymore
 
Many moons ago, before the ritual
I swooned at a paper cut-
Something about the skin opening, I think
The peeling, slicing, piercing
Then annual health checks came
And I could not avoid the drill
I truly despise that one dreadful room
But I drag my feet and brave the ordeal
I comply with the mandated lab trip
There … a med technician puts a fingertip to my wrists
She inspects and touches my lifeblood tubes
“Make a fist!” she orders gently
And as soon as the veins turn supple
She inserts a sharp, blood-drawing needle
I watch and feel the warm red liquid roll out
First, just spurts, though soon …
Then plasma flows freely into dispensing glass tubes
 
A rush of heat overtakes me
I begin to feel ill, but remain there till dismissed
Across the room from where I sit
The sound of blood churning chills me
I can’t help but look at the long plastic ribbons of blood
Coursing from bodies to machines
The drama creates a sight of people being farmed
“Dialysis was worse!” I whisper to myself
Blood everywhere I look
To the right, to the left, out in the open
Blood oozes where blood isn’t supposed to be
Deep and dark … almost purple
 
The med tech’s voice intrudes and dominates all sounds
“All done here; test results in a day or so,” she declares
I get up and search for a bathroom
I throw cold water on my face
I take two steps and my ears close up
My vision pinholes
I feel my own heartbeat
My blood warms up again
Then I pass out and enter an oblivious state!

Posts&Signs

Blog 384:

Dog’s friends … come in!
Welcomes a sign at a driveway entry
But walk a few steps away from there
And you’ll be turned off
You couldn’t miss it, by George … Oh, no!
Next door neighbor’s blood-red posted sign says,
Beware of Dog!
Four flesh-hungry pit-bulls live inside
You can be sure, I’d be most cautious …
Beside that house is another admonishing bill:
Enter at your own risk! it screams
Folks residing beyond the fence
You’ll agree … are by all means not too friendly!
Further down the road I walk
I see another alarming sign, ‘‘Keep Out!’
You will not chide me for entertaining a nasty thought, eh?
Hiding out in there might be one who must remain unknown
Or authorities might discover disgraceful identities there!
Private Property … No Trespassing … says one other signpost
That sends a dark message, don’t you think?
After all, who’d dare step in there?
On the ground … look at all the junk and debris
And litter thrown every which way brings sore to the eye!
Caution … Stop … Yield …
Those … I must care about and mind
If I continually occupy my head with hostile notices
I’d end up splattered by the roadways
Or worse, I could even run and fall right in
And down into an approaching, stinking street hole
Blocked by a fallen, yet one more distressed sign:
Danger Ahead !!!!!

Tick-Tock ...

Blog 383:

Time Block
Precise, constant, flippant
Time gives us a start and an end in a day
With time we achieve and accomplish our tasks
Time flies away when we are engaged and having fun
It lingers and drags when we stand and stall
I love my free time, but dislike it when it passes by quickly
Clock Measure

Garden Guest

Blog 382:

Fragile Creature
Flutters, lingers, flaunts
Riding the breeze, it flaps its wings
On a rock at first it dawdles
Then on a leaf it rests and displays its colors
Soon it sails from flower to flower
And when completely filled with sweet blooms’ juices
Off it glides and ruffles more green beds
Until its soft, dainty and tired body must rest
Winged Beauty

Sore ...

Blog 381:

Menacing Aches …
Receding hair, aching bones, groaning muscles
Droopy, baggy eyes now show tear and wear from without
Heart palpitates fast at slightest exertion
Joints scream in agony with changing weather
Uphill or stairs’ climb now troubles the bones
Aging Pains …

Garden Produce

Blog 380:

Down countryside and in suburbia farm produce sprout 
Workers young and old toil day-to-day to keep them well-pruned
So that in grandiose splendor they could feed our hungry world
Gardens fill the fields with fresh greens, purples and yellows
Subservient to weather elements, they bow with the wind
Humbly they welcome sustenance from sun and rain
We’re awed by rows of them proudly standing and waving
Until their time for plucking comes and we must bid them bye
Shortly we meet with them again at our tables everywhere
Let's give them thanks for filling us up in abundance!

Juice Up!

Blog 379:

Look out yonder there in the open
Ripe for harvesting is produce of the garden
Craving for something yellow and sweet?
Pick a potato, a carrot, an apple, a beet
Care for something chalky, acidic or limy?
Pull out and grab kale, spinach, pepper or celery
Experiencing a fullness, and must detoxify?
Let garlic, ginger or lemon stomach-satisfy
And if you’re feeling down ... tap great healing herbs
Smell and mix dill, cilantro, mint and watercress
Go ahead … rebuild your mind, nerves … the whole body
Cleanse and restore … make it sound, full and steady!

Swift Sweep

Blog 378:

Speed in circle
From tree to tree
Speed in flight
From flower to flower
Go round and round
Check out pollen or sap
Then alight and stop
Rest those busy feet and wings
In a bit … take off and ride the wind
Tinny Winnie Hummingbird
I’m jealous of your moving speed!

Guests ...

Blog 377:

Backyard Visitors
Chattering, babbling, noise-making
Their chirpy songs and screeches awake souls
Their play atop trees and branches entertain
As they wander with the wind and from tree to tree
Their tiny feet transport young seeds everywhere
Every day I am in awed by their presence and gifts
Winged Creatures

Greens

Blog 376:

Green Sprouts
Thick, pleasing, rest-bearing
Without ceasing they wildly or tamely grow
They keep cool and dress the brown ground
Greens carpet land, field and earth
They clean and sustain life, yet expect nothing
I love the carpet feel of freshly mowed greens under my feet
Wild Grass

Sky Drips

Bog 375:

Water droplets
Trickling, dribbling, pouring
Gently oozing at onset, they dance and prance
When feeling heavy, they torrentially plunge
Steady at travel, they quench grounds’ thirst
We must watch out for their fierce fall and descent
Lest we get caught in their collected dump and drop
Rain Showers

Solar Rain

Blog 374:

Light of Day
Rises, peeks, shines
Relentless it comes and brightens the world
Gentle at first strike, but soon it enforces its strength
It touches and feeds leaves and grass until all don bright green
Bright light warms my skin and keeps me upbeat all day
Bright Sun

Invisible Traveler

Blog 373:

Indulgent Breeze
Soft, cool, ever present
Unseen, it comes and touches living things
Sometimes breeze fiercely blows
Other times it gently wraps everything it meets along its way
I love watching it pass by through the trees’ leaves
Flowing Wind  

Want a piece of real estate?

Blog 372:

Property ownership, what is it to you?
Have you pondered … investigated it through?

Consider the path you must take to obtain it
Pull in your horns … save here … scrimp there
Many months or years of tightening … banking
'Can’t squander, but must measure all things astutely
And like a hawk you must watch over one’s frittering!

Alas, when you do come up with right amount upfront
You’re ready to acquire that piece of land and house
You quiver as assets … all holdings reviewed … scrutinized
Feel relief at verdict: ‘All’s good!” realtor … lawyer declare
Ecstatic … you affix your name on a fancy-worded contract
And vow to be in bind for half more of a lifetime!

That’s just it … you get in a hard-to-grasp bind
You commit on mortgage payments and everything else required
Did you know you’ll be taxed for lifetime possessing that lot?
Was it your understanding that upkeep comes with rights to own?
Keep neat in and out all roof and wall structures
Trim lawn, keep it shipshape or else you get shamed, even fined!

So, there … now, are you still single-mindedly resolute?
Would property ownership for you a likely gain or loss?

Grounds ...

Blog 371:

Stand your grounds
Hold them for what you believe
Lay foundation grounds
Make sure they stand tests of time!

Grounds fertile for sowing
With love … protect and till them
Plant the grounds with life-sustaining food
In posterity, enjoy and share their gifts!

‘Stand your Ground Law’ may hold water
Watch out though; distrust leads to shame
When apprehensions decide life or death
Best walk out in midst of doubt and let life prevail!
 
Grounds yield advantages and hindrances
They keep us standing or calculating
Grounds chastise … bring justifications
Just make sure uses for them lay on solid base!

Wheel in Style!

Blog 370:

Enter the wide world in a hospital wheeled-in bed

Sit in a carriage … a stroller … proudly bow and say hello

Before long test independence in your three-wheeled bike

Or travel down on speedy two-wheeled racing cycle

If that weren’t fast enough, step on a skateboard

Go on … glide and feel the wind on your back!

Keep on moving … look around ... spot bends if you please
Spring and jump ... get on on a motorbike with one beloved
Flirt and court … live out a dream ... marry if you both choose
Then fill that wagon with bouncy daughters and sons
Time will fly before you know it offspring will leave the nest
There’ll be room to sport that fast car and travel down more lanes!

Mind you though ... that energy-filled physique
Vivacious as it pliantly grows and matures
In old age it would one day need a sturdy chair in wheels
Until it’s time a hearse is called upon to transport you to final rest!

Seize the adventure … take your rightful place
Let the winds jump start life … enjoy its exciting rides!