The Friday Poem: A Ballad for Busy-ness

A Ballad for Busy-ness by John Hamling

This morning I was in bed late

But that’s usually not the case

Too often I’m a hurried man

To get everything done I race

There’re not enough hours in the day

To do what needs to get done

And most of those hours are directed to work

Too few are aimed at fun

I have to earn a living

Have to shop and cook and clean

Have to do a thousand things

After, before, and between

The several things I like to do

Like reading and playing guitar

I have to gas and change the oil

Check tire pressure on the car

I’ll drive it over to C&C

They’ve kept it running this long

While they rotate the tires and such

I’ll listen to some song

Then I’ll go home and work in the yard

I’ll weed and mow and rake

Then sit and pay a few of those bills

piling up since I’ve been awake

I have to exercise everyday

Or my back will get out of line

I have to walk at least three miles

To treat that tricky spine

I have to do so many things

I’m always on the move

And so many are repetitive

My life’s became a groove

I’m caught between the groovy rails

I’ve made from all my habits

I’d like to inject a bit of the wild

Like the life of Lions or rabbits

I’d like to do a lot of things

Before my time is through

But after a while I start to think

Sleep is a nice thing too.

John Hamling, 12/08/12, all rights reserved

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Now that you’ve read the poem, here is a commentary by Benicia Patch Poetry Maestro Jeff Burkhart:

Today’s selection is by John Hamling and is entitled, “A Ballad for Busy-ness”. I don’t know about all of you out there, but this is a subject that I am all too familiar with. Our lives are comprised of years and months, days and hours, minutes and seconds. When we become aware of that fact, it’s usually because we are burning the candle at both ends. Life is a series of choices about what we will do with our time. Our decisions are, in the end, who we are.   

I am glad you used a bit of your time to write this poem Mr. Hamling so I can use a bit of mine to share it with our readers.

Until next week,

Jeff Burkhart

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