With life being a constant race full of distractions and instant gratification, our thoughts become knotted. Staying focused is akin to untangling a ball of yarn; making sense of messy thoughts is challenging indeed. 

Knotted thoughts have lasting, sometime unpleasant consequences. Our productivity decreases. Stress levels increase. We make poor decisions, forget crucial details, and cannot communicate clearly. 

To untangle a knotty or dishevelled ball of yarn, we’d have to know what we want to accomplish. We’d have to put away what’s causing us to lose focus on the yarn and stay aware of what we are doing. Enjoy these tankas. 

Tangled ball of yarn

Leaves on floor feathery mess

Mess that clutters brain

Unable to see ahead

Unable to speak the mind

Tangled ball of yarn

So knotted and dishevelled

Must see beyond the knots

Cut away feathery frills

Eyes are solely on the yarn

Cut knots bravely away.

Everyone reaches the crossroads in their lives. These discomfiting entities appear more than once, when we least expect them, and leave us grappling with indecision. 

While crossroads sometimes leave us dealing with heavy consequences, they are also opportunities for growth. They give us the chance to break free of old

mindsets and present opportunities for positive change. 

Still, we must navigate them, something that’s hard to do because it entails knowing which road to walk on what we reach the cross junction. They cause us to accept alternatives that we were uncomfortable with and take us out of our comfort zones. 

Deciding which road to take involves self-reflection. As we deal with this period of introspection, we consider our needs, seek support, and turn to the road that resonates most with us. 

Those separating from their roads must consir self-care, be  adaptable to new ideas and adjust expectations when necessary. 

Here’s to choosing the right road. Enjoy this sonnet, all.  

A man lifts a lissome load

Safe and warm, without care

When he reaches cross and road

Signs that greet, he’s unprepared

He can’t decide which route to take

Which to walk

Which has more at stake

Which of them is short

Finally decides, heart filled with joy

To walk the path less travelled

To discover what the paths employ

And what they may unravel

Crossroads, hard to decide

One which heart pulls to, we will bide.

Setting boundaries around yourself is necessary, especially after a period of emotional heartache. It’s essential to build a fence around yourself while letting go of feelings of resentment. 

Boundary building is not just putting up fences and saying, ‘go away, I don’t want to speak to you anymore.’ It’s also crucial to release feelings of hatred or resentment so that you can heal. 

Building proper fences that don’t just serve as Fort Knox involves acknowledging our need for a little self-preservation and care. One also needs to respectfully indicate a need for space and enforce consequences e.g. limiting interactions) when necessary. 

Here are Senryus on the subject. 

A strong, solid, fence

Built to restrict other souls

Must not wall the self

The resilient fence

Formed to constrain wicked hearts

Some holes to release

Sturdy, solid, fence

Stands firm, resistant, and sure

Says “Keep out, or else”

The unyielding fence

Structure does not surrender

Protects hearts of all. 

Trust is a difficult gift to give, and once broken, nearly impossible. The heart is a precious commodity that we have to keep locked. 

However, there are entities that we cannot live with, yet cannot live without – human beings. How do we decide when we can give away the keys to the heart to them?

These cinquains have the answer. 

Locked heart

Only opens

When it joins another

That speaks the truth with open doors

And beats

Locked heart

Only opens

When it joins another

That does what it says it will do

Today

Locked heart 

Only opens

When it joins another

That says ‘sorry’ with truthfulness

And thought

Locked heart

Only opens 

When it joins another

That respects another’s rights to

Silence. 

We sometimes envy the people of Japan or Finland. Both countries have received the honour of being the happiest places on Earth.

We can be like them, because all of us encounter little dollops of joy everyday. A refreshing chocolate ice-cream stick. Fresh coffee in the morning. A sudden hug from a family member.

What can we do to maintain a consistent outlook of happiness? The task is sometimes onerous, but with an attitude of gratitude, focusing on the present, cultivating positive relationships and caring for oneself, we can stay joyful (at least most of the time).

Enjoy these rhyming couplets.

Chocolate ice-cream that melts the heart

Ground coffee that makes brain smart

Bowl of noodles, soft, well-formed

Hug from a friend that keeps us warm

Dollops of joy that we keep

With heart of gratefulness sweet

Thoughts on the now that stays

And on the heart that always prays

Joined with minds that with you think

And with kindred spirits, with you in sync

With the self always in mind

Smile on face will live to shine.

Happy days all.

This being April Fool’s Day, and having just encountered a relative who has been manipulated by his teen daughters to do their bidding, this post is an apt one.

Wearing the fool’s cap is not only silly but a painful discovery. No one likes to find out that they’ve suffered fools or been one.

Avoiding the cap means taking the pains to educate oneself, verify and discern.It means trusting your instincts, being assertive and learning from one’s mistakes. Enjoy this little sonnet.

The fool’s hat, not one to wear,

A loose, poor fit;

Silliness beyond compare,

Needs knowledge to omit

The fool’s hat, a sneaky cap,

Trust of self to shun;

Follow the heart, a foolproof map,

For the protection of one

The fool’s hat, a cap disdained,

One has to firmly throw;

Freedom once again obtained

When to it a ‘no’

The fool’s hat, needless accessory

Lest friends look, laugh, scoff, chafe, so unnecessary.

Our lives will have periods of darkness,and these are definitely overwhelming.It is sometimes hard, or even impossible, to navigate them.

But there is a light in the dark, a spirit of hope that burns like a steady candle flame that never dies. We keep it burning with an attitude of gratitude, setting realistic expectations, and limiting exposure to negativity.

Enjoy these cinquains.

Candle

A light that burns

Eternally in a 

Room enveloped in darkness

Blackness

Candle

Hope that springs forth

In pitch black darkness of

Unwantedness that pulls strongly

Resists

Candle 

Light inspires

With thanks that strengthens hearts

A mind that is real and a hope

of YES. 

Worry. This annoying entity often makes its presence felt at the worst times.  The subject popped into my mind as I gazed at the dark clouds that are a huge part of year-end weather.

Now, we can’t stop dark clouds from gathering but we can prevent them from affecting us.Here are a few humble suggestions.

Overcast

sky

Dark not of

Our own

volition

Dark clouds

Douse

The senses

pleasure

Clouds

Will depart

When our minds are 

On the white ones

Behind

Pains be taken

To pay the white

Fluff heed

Charm the soil,

No negative seed

Shelter from

The rain and woe

With souls of same mind. 

This is, unfortunately, a too-familiar scenario. We are often convenient scapegoats for others who are on the receiving end of questions or blame.

Oh, no one wants to be a goat. One is vulnerable prey. But there’s a tool that a goat has that can be a nuisance to predators – a pair of horns that it can use to defend itself. 

How does the scapegoat use those horns? Being aware of the situation, being calm yet assertive, and simply caring for oneself is the way to go. 

Enjoy these senryus. 

Unknowing scapegoat

Open and vulnerable

A delicacy

Knowing scapegoat

Its horns ready to lock with

Predators so sly

Knowing scapegoat

Horns steady and assertive

Jab at the unjust