Hold it right there!
I want to paint you
To capture you
To memorize you
The blues and blacks
Reds and orange chunks
Yellow and white streaks
Melting across the sky
Spilling onto the water
Wait right there!
I can’t find my brush
My palette is all wrong
Slow down
Swirling around
Dripping from the sun
Into the sea
I can’t catch up
Ah, I give up
I’ll just sit here
Dangle my legs
And kick my feet
Sip you
Slurp you
Suck the last bit from the bottom of the cup
And drink you up
Life’s instruction book
Open it, then remember
It’s blank. Grab a pen.
–
About the poem:
When I’m trying to make a decision, now I’m sure, the answer lies within. And it might not be exactly yes or no, stay or go, right or wrong. It might also be that the answer is less important than the asking. Or some confusing, but delightful puzzle, like that to provide a growth opportunity!
This is why meditation, nature, exercise, quiet time, creative ventures, music, dancing and the like are so important. They are the pathways to hearing your own inner voice.
About the author:
Joan wants you to relax and figure out how to enjoy life. She has learned a thing or two about this in the previous 52 years and is passionate about sharing this. Her books are available on Amazon and Kindle.
Teach Me, Kiwi
Whether others see me
As ugly or beautiful
How
To get sweeter
Juicier
To give joyfully
Without regret
Exquisitely
Until the last drop
Teach me, kiwi
–
About the poem:
This week, I’ve been eating ripe ripe ripe kiwis. I break them open and eat them like a cavewoman. And feel like a woman. I wondered if the kiwi was sad to be finished. But no, it didn’t feel like that at all. It was like it was screaming in triumph. I want to go out like that, juicy and screaming in triumph! “The end!”
About the author:
Life is meant to be fun. If you didn’t notice that day, you died one day early. Books on Amazon and Kindle.
Tea is the only language
We haven’t lied in
The only one
We both understand.
More tea?
–
About the poem:
All I can say is that when you are trying to manage relationships cross-culturally, with different language, gender, age, and backgrounds, sometimes language just isn’t enough. And sometimes, tea is. Thank goodness.
Sugar is not love
It’s just a crutch I lean on
When I am not strong
–
About the poem:
Emotional eating is the vice I have to keep an eye out for. Having gained 30 pounds twice in my life, and lost them, I know it’s sugar, not whiskey, not cocaine, and not cigarettes, that is my weakness.
Today was Teacher’s Day. I usually don’t buy much in the way of cakes, so was kinda looking forward to some. But alas, there was none.
On a day like today, I teach six hours in a row with 5 minute breaks between classes, and handful of almonds to keep me going. So, I’m a bit low sometimes by 9:10 pm when I finish.
So, when I went home, and made myself a little brownie thingy (I have no oven, so I used the skillet), I can label this accurately as emotional eating.
I recently heard Dr. Christian Northrup say, “Emotional eating is the not the problem. It’s the solution.” That’s what it was tonight. I know that eating a brownie has nothing to do with love and appreciation. But, I couldn’t figure out a way to just get past that. So, I added ground whole grain muesli, and egg for more protein, so it was as nutritious as possible.
When I am weak, a brownie is a crutch. It doesn’t give my body what it’s really craving, which is nutrition. And, I know it’s not love and I’m not gonna wax poetic about a gooey processed concoction.
When I am stronger, I eat something that is actually good. Something that actually is love, like some veggie-packed dinner or juice, that helps me get stronger. And that I can wax poetic about, and sometimes do!
Falling in Lonely?
I’m not lonely now
If I fall in love with you
Will I be lonely then?
About the poem:
It takes a strong person to take responsibility for their own emotions. Am I strong enough to do this, when in an intimate relationship? That, I don’t know. I’d say, so far, the results have been inconclusive! Is it fair to enter a relationship, if you can’t? Or does the relationship provide you the way to become strong? Hmm
About the author:
C’mon! Let’s enjoy the day! Joan Gregerson writes books and blogs about her ideas of how to do just that. What is on your to do list that is more important than that?
I recently read an article by a successful, young author. She described the steps in her success. An early one was:
Beg family, friends and readers to review your book on Amazon.
Well, I tried to skip this step. But, here I am begging you to review the book on Amazon. Even if you want to give it a star or two, maybe there is one poem in there that resonated. Or if not, I guess I should know about that too!
Here’s the link:
To post a review, you have to be signed in with your Amazon account, but there’s not much to it! You can do it!
Thank you
joan
p.s. Reviewers of my book will get absolutely nothing but a sense of accomplishment for figuring out how to post a review on Amazon. haha
I’m a u-aholic
And you’re a me-aholic
But with us
It’s like being addicted to
A glass of water
Or a morning stretch
Or sliced cucumber
I’m addicted to you
And you’re addicted to me
But we have no jittery side effects
No plans of kicking the habit
One often says I love you
The other says, I love you, too.
And after a few days
One says, I miss you.
The other says, I miss you too.
One says, Let’s go for a walk!
The other says, Yes, when?
These simple words between us
Make us simply
Best friends
About the poem:
With some people, you just click. With a friend like this, there is no drama, no trauma. Keeping in touch is not a chore. Hanging out is not a bore! It’s sooooo simple, it’s hard to say exactly why. I just know that these easy friendships are the most beautiful: least effort and most rewarding.
Having and giving time for friends is never a small gift. It is always priceless.
About the author:
Joan Gregerson writes about walking, talking and healing in books (on Amazon and Kindle) and on her bloggity-doggity-woohoo-shmoggity. I’m just asaying. Let’s have a little fun before we die. Every day. Please. Thank you!
Bubbles
Wands
Frogs
Ponds
Fingerpaint
Glitter
Frosting
Tire swing
Shel Silverstein
Leaf pile
Tutu style
Squirt gun
Sprinkler run
Nap in the sun
Water balloon
Goodnight Moon
–
About the poem:
I have always felt lucky to be a mommy. Growing up, I never wanted to be an engineer. Just a mommy. So when I found a great guy and had kids, I knew I was lucky! When our kids were growing up, their dad and I took turns staying home with them. Yes, it’s not an easy job being a parent, but it is a damn good job!
I feel so dang lucky to be a mom. I think we’ve had it backwards all along. Let’s rethink Mother’s Day and how about us moms thanking our kids today!
A Mother’s Day Perspective: I Didn’t Ask to Be Born …or Did I?.
Whew, that’s a relief!
No amnesia
No Alzheimers
No car breakdown
No mental breakdown
No broken fingers
No broken phone
No lost wallet
No lost number
No prison stay
No hospital stay
No abductions by kidnappers
No abductions by aliens
Really glad!
(Well, it’d be cool to be abducted by aliens
But other than that)
Uh…
Just wondering though
Why you never called
-
About the poem:
I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. But, finally, when there is no doubt and we realize we’ve been blind, that’s when it’s time to laugh at ourselves. Here’s some optimism and sarcasm, all mixed in one! Opticasm? Sarptimism?
while wandering
the fairy hands massage me
working out the kinks
About the poem:
Unlike running on a treadmill, walking in nature at any speed seems to do the trick. Walking slowly, going nowhere in particular feels just as healing for me, as purposefully heading to the peak.
When I learned meditation, I was surprised that the elements of nature are used in guided meditation, and meditating in nature is best. Duh! Of course, nature helps balance us. But, I didn’t really think about it before. haha. Now I know. Nature is THE natural primo balancer, healer.
About the author:
Joan Gregerson writes about how to enjoy life. tick tick tick. Time’s awasting, start enjoying! Her books are available in paperback and as ebooks on Amazon.com.
Time slows down and
I can see myself
Getting shaky
Beginning to turn red
Eyes starting to water
About to lose my head
I’m letting them get to me
I’m making myself crazy
I’m on the verge of losing it
I have half a second
I hit the pause button
Faces in awkward poses
Are frozen in time
We all look very funny now
I breathe deeply
Chuckle
Cool down
What was nearly lost
Is easily found
–
About the poem:
Are you one of several billion people that still believe that anger has some value? I am not. I think anger is one of the most damaging thing in our lives; it is the one that gouges regrets in our life stories.
Do you have a pause button? Meditation gave me one. I’m not sure how exactly. It’s something about the combination of meditation balancing me so I’m less shaky, and also developing a hypervigilant sensitivity to my state of inner peace so I can adjust and pause when I sense things going downhill. Oh, I haven’t been able to hit that pause button every time, but nearly so. At least, I have a pause button now! That’s been a big help in my life.
It’s also true that when we are yelling and throwing things, it’s hard to prove our point that we are the smart, good people in the discussion. The calm one is the peaceful, powerful one in the discussion.
Finally, when we say, ‘I lost it’, consider… what is ‘it’? This ‘it’ is our cool, calm, collected self. It is our inner peace. We can develop our skills so instead of easily losing it, we can snap back to that peaceful state just as easily.
I choose
Comfy shoes
And friends
Of pure, pure gold
Is today heaven or hell? I decide
Hell and No
Do I love you enough
To let you go?
Heaven and Yes.
Or Hell and No.
–
About the poem
Big love is freedom and heavenly. When I can do it, life is easy.
When I can’t, I create a feeling of struggle for myself and usually someone else. It’s that feeling of struggle that is my notice to pause and adjust. I start by asking myself, “Is my thinking stirring up problems, where none exist?”
This letting go can be accepting an “I need my space” break, a break up, or adjusting to a move or death.
When I can take a light, amused look at my day, that ‘ Hell, no!’ stubbornness softens into ‘Yes!’, and miracles tumble playfully into my life.
..
About the author
Joan writes books and blogs about how tuning in to inner peace can help you have a heck of a lot more fun in life. Books available on Amazon and Kindle!
I tossed you a rose
You caught it, then winced and bled
Uh oh… were there thorns?
–
About the poem:
Sometimes we think we are giving pure love. But, it’s not received that way. Hmm. That happens. There’s no use getting stuck in guilt.
Just learn from the experience, and think twice before repeating the same action. You can’t always predict other’s reactions. Allow the fact that either you really did something wrong, or the other person may be reacting to some unhealed wound or complicating issues you don’t know about.
Either way, learn, forgive, take healing steps, and stay loving. That’s enough.
–
About the author:
Joan has thrown many thorny roses in her lifetime, all with the best intentions! Read her books on Amazon.com and her blog about how to enjoy life by tuning in to inner peace.
English
Science
Calculus
Class
Just
An excuse.
Love is the subject
–
About the poem:
I know now that teaching is just an excuse to hang out with cool people. It’s a precious opportunity to love them and be loved. Realizing that love is a teacher’s top priority makes things richer, clearer. It’s similar to how shooting hoops with friends is not really about winning the game of H-O-R-S-E; it’s about spending fun, important, bonding time with friends.
When a student enrolls in class, the end goal is to have a good life …one filled with love and purpose. But, if our focus is love, appreciation and encouragement, we can deliver that moment, now!
About the author:
Joan just really, really hopes you figure out how to enjoy your life before it’s over. She writes books and blogs about this very important, fun topic!
Time is NOT money
Time is love, time is life now
To make love, make time
–
About the poem:
A belief that has been passed down is untrue. Saying, “Time is money” is like saying “A person is money ” or “Life is money.”
If time is anything, time is love. It is the opportunity to love, to learn love, to teach love, to be love in the present moment. Time is what gives us the chance to play, to climb a tree, to hold hands, to talk.
In Korea, this is a repeating challenge as free time is often seen as an unaffordable waste of time. Hmmm
If you think your purpose is to love, to be love, making time for people is the way to do it, to be it.
Pink, yellow and blue
Lanterns sway, ajummas pray,
Make my dreams come true!
–
* ajumma = elderly lady in Korea
–
About the poem:
Touring a Buddhist temple in Seoul today, the grounds are decked out with paper lanterns. Each has a blue prayer note attached, with a handwritten request for good health for the family, a successful resolution of a problem, or making a dream come true. As it gets closer to Buddha’s Birthday (May 17 this year), more and more lanterns will be added.
In one building at the temple, a Buddhist monk leads the prayers. Dozens of women (ajummas) sit, kneel and bow at various times. Other than the monk, the men were ’eopsseoyo’ …not there!
In contrast, I was recently in Saudi Arabia, where only the men are allowed to pray together (at the mosque) and women usually pray at home.
–
About the author:
Joan Gregerson writes books and blogs about how to enjoy life. She has managed to visit 22 countries and reflects on what is important. The answer is love. Yep, that’s it.
The seal, the seagull
The chick, the turtle
The monkey, the hamster
The keyhole, the vampire
The apple, the screwdriver
The car, the middle finger
The bear, the ruler
The battleship cruiser
The umbrella, the scissors
The fox and praying mantis
The quarter note of music
The hydra and the mushroom
The hula hoop, the jellyfish
The zombie and the dolphin
The banana, the spider
The white tiger
The boomerang, the heart
The elephant, the hippo
Kung-fu and the butterfly
The dragon and the dragonfly
Levitation and the box
Finally, the question mark
With a hop to make the dot!
–
About the poem:
I taught yoga for the first time to my English classes in Samcheonpo, South Korea. At the end of class, I asked them to invent a new yoga pose. They instantly came up with dozens of new poses I’d never imagined! I appreciate ancient wisdom, but what the heck, wouldn’t this be a fun way to keep a yoga class from getting dull? So creative!
–
About the author:
Joan Gregerson believes life should be fun, but we just forgot how to do it. Kids are often wiser than we are, when it comes to simply enjoying the moment. Joan writes books and blogs about inner peace and enjoying life.
