Val enjoys writing prose in rhymes by always leaving a message of a life truism in each piece.

You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone.

-- Roy T. Bennett

Introduction

In my relatively long life I have seen too many individuals whose life story could be summed up in the poem below. Thinking back over the decades I see a whole gallery of faces over which was tattooed the expression of defeat, a resignation from dreams, and a spiritual void.

People like that gave me, what we could call, a "reverse inspiration, while representing human specimens of what I didn't want to become. With my peripatetic -- or "gypsy" mind -- I kept worshiping change, never settling for sameness, all into these days.

Well, like they said it long before it became the way of my life:

"It takes alive fish to swim upstream -- dead one will go with the current".

We seem to unfold into something the seed of which we got at our birth, so I am not taking any credit for all wondrous events on the path I took, and nor am I blaming anyone for those bumpy sections of it.

That inner voice coming from the essence of what I am, kept reminding me of one rule to be followed in life -- to always be my best friend, not playing a mental beggar for something that I was supposed to give to myself.

In order to give something, we first have to have it -- and that also means love. Thus, it's never late to pay debt to that baby we used to be, by loving him or her. Being loved back may turn miraculous, bringing us happiness, health, and good luck on every step of our journey.

The following two pieces of my prose in rhymes depict: 1) Our getting nowhere in life, and 2) Our need to befriend the person that we are to change it all.

Still Only Rehearsing For Life

Clinging to the only self we know

we are voluntary prisoners in our jail

supporting actors in a monotonous show

rehearsing for a stardom, always ready to fail.

Under the spotlight so blindingly strong

our stage is everything that we can see

deep down we know our acting is wrong

but wrong is part of role we can only be.

Still happily lost somewhere in the Act One

hoping dropped curtain may mean applause

we are still merely starting, far from being done

not realizing how our acting is resembling a pause.

For, there is nothing like an epic plot in our tale

and we might as well step down from the stage

to join the audience wallowing in their own jail

looking around it's more spacey than a cage.

Lights over exit doors look dimmed down

not calling anymore outside of that place

and it feels like the only theater in town

with a repertoire of some old replays.

Here, even our director has fallen asleep

no wonder it feels like we're doing so fine

that old, and ever present annoying creep

playing our conscience at every spoken line.

Well, at least it seems to be quite safe here

unlike outdoors with all uncertain directions

of course, ours is not to play a Shakespeare

our act too simple to bother with corrections.

Who would want to leave the comforts of this stage

where close to nothing happens except rehearsing

and this seems like the way to embrace the old age

times of brave auditions are gone without reversing.

I may be alone, but I am never lonely. I am always with my best friend, and that is me.

-- Debasish Mridha

Befriending No. 1

Everyone wants to have friends at high places

but no one seems to know how close they are

just slightly above all those wondering faces

is their powerful friend. not somewhere far.

The higher they hold their head in life

the higher is the place of their friend

so helpful in their ambitious strife

one ever ready to understand.

We do so little to befriend that soul

boring it to death with our complaints

and blaming it for missing our every goal

while claiming to deserve treatment of saints.

Weak are our efforts to make strong that bond

with that which is very best within our skull

that can take us to victories and beyond

no wonder life ends up to be so dull.

They hunt for all kinds of outside treasures

not seeing the one that's already theirs

it could be life of countless pleasures

by entrusting a friend who cares.

In that playground of magic and power

nothing is impossible dreams come true

so it's futile to seek a friend in ivory tower

befriending No.1 is all they should really do.

The video below depicts the topic of the poem above

© 2020 Val Karas

Comments

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on November 21, 2020:

Val,

I must say I loved these poems and the videos also.

Your words really did them both justice.

Being your own best friend is the most important part of living life.

Too many of us live inside the bubble doing the same routine day in and out.

Seemingly they tell us what life is supposed to be like when we get older and it is so boring.

It takes a live fish to swim...great messages here.