Thursday Thoughts - National Optimism Month

Dream Me a Smile

by Rachel Hoyt

Image by Federico Stevanin via freedigitalphotos.net

I'd had one terrible, awful, bad day -

That day optimism killed my dismay.

Around every corner harm had been lurking.

On every face, I saw frowns and smirking.

I'd gone to bed angry, wishing on a star

That tomorrow would be more up to par.

The second that my head hit the pillow,

My dream of the day began to flow,

Except that it wasn't exactly the same.

Everyone smiled as if they knew my name.

Laughing was heard everywhere

Life felt happy and laissez faire.

I did dribble coffee on my clean shirt,

When Jerry said that he had bought a yurt,

But Jerry laughed at me and I, him,

Then he admitted he'd purchased on a whim.

I didn't get mad that he'd "made me spill"

And he wasn't hurt that I'd "mocked his thrill".

Then we walked together to the corner store

Where I bought a pen that made my stain "no more".

I skipped with joy the two steps down the aisle

Which changed the grumpy cashier's style.

He wasn't angry that I'd used it before paying

And I didn't lie, "I was in the line waiting!"

I did not step in gum outside the library,

Thanks to a timely warning from Jerry.

The librarian still kicked us out due to noise,

But this time laughs (not yells) pricked her poise.

She wasn't mad, just enforcing the rule.

We knew that and magically kept our cool.

By the time I awoke, I'd relived the whole day

Acting just slightly happier along the way.

Somehow the day seemed to go smoother,

Making optimism seem like a maneuver -

One that I planned to try out in real life

To see if it really could make good days rife.

© 2012 Rachel Hoyt.  All rights reserved.

Teachnorati Tags: Optimism, Happiness, Rhyme, Humor, Poem, Poetry



More fun reading for National Optimism Month:

The Most Optimistic Places in America

Laughter Therapy

Optimism and Humor Help Dental Fears

Craving the Crow Gossip

        Photo by Rachel Hoyt. No reuse without permission. © Rachel Hoyt 2011

I've always felt the crows that congregate near me
were the most ominous animals I ever did see.
Constantly squawking to all their buddies around them,
I assume, discussing all the things that astound them.

This week I found myself wanting to join in...
"Hey there crow friends... Tom? Greg? Jim?"
I'm not sure they can understand what I say,
but it doesn't matter, they all just flew away.

I think crows are the animal gossip queens --
flying near and far, discussing others' dreams.
Some of them must have some semi-educated opinions
on the birds that recently fell in mass from their dominions.

Was it the unfortunate byproduct of a secret military test?
Or were the bigger, stronger birds ganging up on the rest?
Did cell phone radar harm them like it does our honey bees?
Or are there dragons hunting them up high above the trees?

A punishment for repealing DADT? That's one theory I hear.
Or, perhaps they encountered aliens who were hovering near.
I suppose it could be simultaneous stress caused mortality --
the type a masochist flock leader wouldn't care to foresee.

Whatever it is, I think those crows have a hunch...
No, it's more than that --  I think they know quite a bunch.
What if they're the mobsters of the animal kingdom?
What if their thugs killed those poor birds for fun?!

To be on the safe side I won't make another attempt
to talk to the crows who already showed me contempt.
But I sure hope the powers that be explain it better and real soon --
'cuz "It actually happens all the time" doesn't wipe out the gloom.

Come to think of it, now I've got double the worry!
The crows, they hang out all around me, you see?!
Where's a good bird crime detective when you need one, eh?
Oh well. I'm sure the government will reveal the cause to us someday.

© Rachel Hoyt 2011

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Promising Poets' Rally and One Stop Poetry Weeek #28 - - If you want to share or read poetry, these forums are great.  I've also shared this in the Poetry Pantry where there are even more great poets to see.

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Entertainment, Blogs, Comedy, Funny, Opinion, Writing, Birds

Friends Like a Box of Chocolates

Like choosing a chocolate out of a fine box of candy,
each for different reasons, I think my friends are dandy.
But lately I've been thinking maybe I should branch out...
just to see what other random people's lives are about.
The sociologist in me doesn't get to do enough studies.
That's why I need a very diverse group of buddies.
Now that I've amassed a small following on the Internet,
I thought I'd throw some ideas out there and see what I get.

I'd like to hang out at least once with a snake charmer,
especially if he or she lived a double life as a farmer.
It might be a common combo somewhere near the Pink City,
but only a rare soul would live that life anywhere near me.
No matter what, I want to know if I could be trained,
or if snake charming power is from birth ingrained.
I did master both the flute and recorder growing up,
pungi is the next most similar instrument if moving up.

I'd like to befriend someone trying to obtain a world record.
Depending the activity, maybe I'll get a fan club on board.
I'm interested in the type who has turned a leisure time task,
into something so grandiose, the art scene should bask.
For instance, a person who builds a card house that truly rocks,
or perhaps a structure made of jenga pieces or domino blocks.
I'm not sure what type of person hangs out in that crowd...
"let loose" type engineers?  Frat boys?  Just thinking aloud.

I'd like to meet more gals who like to hula hoop...
maybe together we could start a hip swirling troop.
I've only twirled the loop maybe twice since childhood...
But both times the birds chirped, "Hey, you did good!"
(Yeah, that's right... I can interpret what the birds say.
It's easy if you don't let semantics get in the way.)
I hear you need not be a hippy to shake your caboose.
You need only a deep desire to find a way to let loose.

I'd like to meet one of the luckiest people on earth,
to see if their near death experience increased their self worth.
I bet they have interesting insights thanks to their incidents.
Do they think things happen for a reason or are just coincidence?
Do they live every day with a fear of random collision?
Or, did testing invincibility become their new life mission?
Though I laughed harder than I ever have at one of you tube's videos,
I know the real life experience would have made me loose my cheerios.

I'd like more friends that do voices and make prank calls.
They often say and do things for which I don't have the balls.
Living vicariously through their antics would brighten my day,
especially if it meant "celebrities" would call me to say hey.
We could make Bart Simpson style calls to our favorite bar,
or play dialer's roulette if our linguistic skills were to par.
That's when you dial random digits and come up with a plan,
just as soon as there's an answer... thinking as fast as you can!

I'd like to hang a few times with someone who has their own pet monkey.
That's a parent-child relationship dynamic that I've been dying to see!
I've always thought chimps made adorable facial expressions.
I wonder if I could teach them to do celebrity impressions?!
Perhaps we could train him or her to help around the house?
After all, my cat is required to know how to catch a mouse.
On the other hand, I'm worried about the possibility of attack.
Monkeys can really hurt you when mad.  I should think about that.

I'd like to be friends with 411 and 911 operators because,
I think they see a side of America that's missed in the buzz.
Sure, there are occasional stories of a ridiculous call,
but they make up a small part of the news overall.
I want to know how often strange calls come in real life,
and I apologize in advance for laughing at others' strife.
Are the callers using these operators for free therapy?
Don't girlfriend's still meet to sympathize over tea?

Anyhow, this list above is just the beginning; just a starter.
Perhaps you'd like to do a link exchange / online friendship barter.
Just leave a comment here to let me know what you're all about.
Perhaps a six degrees of separation association you figured out.
If you don't meet the criteria, but still want to show me some love,
click the share buttons below or the SU button to the right and above.
I'm just a simple gal who hopes her wacky rhyming gets into to you...
that you have a fun blog visit and leave to smile the whole day through.

© Rachel Hoyt 2010 - 2011

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