Dennis S. Martin's Blog, page 223

Expectations

Never expect more in return 
than you are willing to give.

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Running From the Back of the Pack

I can see the leaders up ahead;
So confident, not looking back,
So self-assured, so self-absorbed,
Not considering the lowly pack.

They seem to run so effortlessly
With posture not unlike
A standing portrait, straight and true
With eyes fixed in a stoic gaze,
The rising, falling movement of
Their heaving chest a testament
To patient training of their skill,
To calm resolve and confidence.

Their demeanor serves them well,
But I have one advantage here.
I can watch their every movement
From my trailing vantage point.

So, I will let them set the pace
As I wait patiently behind
And we'll just see who happens to be
First to cross the finish line.

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Even the greatest

Even the greatest among us 
can wear but one hat at a time 
without appearing foolish. 

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In Other Words

I hate when someone says to me,
"In other words, what you're saying is..."
What I'm saying is just what I said.
What part did you not understand?
Was I not clear?
Did you not hear?
...My words not make it to your ear?
Or were you just distracted by
The simple gestures of my hands?

People hear what they want to hear...
What suits their purpose at the time,
And though your words may be crystal clear,
The buzzer stuck inside their head
Distorts and blocks, manipulates
And turns around your meaning 'til
It suits a purpose quite unlike
What you originally had said.

And so you hear," In other words..."
And you just want to scream and shout,
Or worse, to take them by the neck and
Squeeze until their lights are out.

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Rest in Peace

You were quite the Dapper Dan
In your own way; in your own day
You kissed the girls. You made some cry,
Then kissed the teardrops from their eyes.
You made sweet love, then said, 'Goodbye.'
You didn't know what else to say.

Tiny points of starlight twinkled
From the corners of your smile, and
Laughter was a specialty that
Seemed to spread contagiously
To fill whatever room you might be
Occupying for a while.

People loved to be around you,
Loved to share your point of view,
The sure quick-witted sharp retorts
That bound back smartly, clean and short,
A rubber ball bounced off a court,
Like arrows flying straight and true.

Now you're silent, dearest friend.
Someday soon we'll meet again.

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Cannibals

The drums... The distant drumming
Is foreboding Evil's eminent
Approach as I lay sleepless
On a breathing jungle floor,
Knowing when the drumming stops
The silence soon will issue forth
It's summons and the chase begins
As I seek sanctuary's door.

Heading deep into the underbrush
I seek a hiding place,
Praying to avoid the common predators
Of lower cunning;
Knowing my true enemy is one of like flesh,
Closing fast.
I cover tracks as best I can
And task my weary legs keep running.

Faith is shaken, and all calm
Is turned to fitful flights of fright.
Satan must protect these cannibals
Who stalk the restless night.

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The Best of the Worst

Not everyone can be a winner.
Someone has to finish last
In races run, in battles won and lost
Before the home crowd stands.
Beaten and demoralized,
The hurt reflected in his eyes
Contrasts the winner's open sighs
Who realizes all his plans.

Consolation offers little comfort
To the heavy heart
That Glory's torch eludes
And passes shameless to another's hand.
And although given credit
For a valiant effort on the way,
Deep inside the mind is saddled
With a cross; a loser's brand.

Not to quibble, not to wallow
In the mire of pity's sand;
Though I may not be the winner,
I will be the best I can.

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Save a Penny / Save a Buck

You can't find a single thing
That costs a penny anymore,
But loose change thrown into a jar
Can yield a bounty in due course,
And it's easier to let it sit
And keep its brothers company
Than to haul around in purse or pocket
Like the burden of a horse.

Some may think the mundane task
Of rolling pennies far too trite
To be concerned or bothered by
The burden of collecting them.
And these shortsighted people will
One day retire to poverty
And wonder why the world has not
Been kinder as their candles dim.
The better off are better off
Not by chance and not by luck.
They learned their lesson early on...
Save a penny... Save a buck.

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Burdens

Don’t let your burdens define you. 
Remain true to yourself.

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Reveling In Fantasy

I could just sit for days, couldn't you?
Reveling in fantasy,
Allowing the real world to pass me by,
Shading my eyes to reality.

Who wants to live in a world cold with pain
Where sadness dwells on the six o'clock news?
Where the wrangling mangling madness of hate
Runs amuck in spite of Society's views;
Where rules stand for nothing,
And order is shunned,
And freedom is held at the point of a gun;
Where common sense dies,
Compassion is lost,
And worth becomes measured by how much is won.

I'd sooner imagine a different world.
I know it exists;
I've seen it before.
It tickles to laughter the smile on your face,
And holds in its fingers the key to a door
That opens revealing a room filled with glee
Where I can run reveling in fantasy.

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