To Be or Not To Be

To be or not to be joyful

To live without fists clenched

Thirst is a Thing full of time’s emptying

Yet never quite fully quenched

To be or not to be hopeful

To live each day without dread

Mindful of this; no matter what, God IS

Thus Hope will never be dead

To be or not to be Thankful

To tally, not what is not

But to be glad for the blessings we have

Keened to Love’s tittle and jot

To be or not to be humble

Pray life-stumbles make us kind

Pray we will prize more than that seen with eyes

Esteemed as loss by the blind

To be or not to be happy

Coveted Fortune, ah, yes

But too often missed because we exist

In search of this; happiness

© Janet Martin

The first stanza in this poem birthed from a wild desire to grasp time's coat-tails and try to slow it down...but I could not.
(our 'baby' turns fifteen today)
 Looking back can feel a little like peering into an echo-drenched cup of mist...