Saturday, June 21, 2008

The Optimistic Pessimist



THE  OPTIMISTIC PESSIMIST.

I wake up every morning with a dreadful sense of gloom
And I view the day as someone who is heading for the tomb!
Today, I'll surely break a leg or have a heart attack!
I'm certain, when I make the beds, I'll hurt my lower back!

Those stairs! They do look tricky! And I'm bound to take a fall!
Or I'll meet a home-invader! Yes, one's bound to make a call!
If I make a cup of coffee I'll be scalded, that's for sure!
And today's the day I'll trip up on that well-worn bit of floor.

A bus! One's bound to hit me, if I cross the city street!
And a mugger's sure to get me; it's a cinch that we will meet!
That tree-branch looks unsteady! Will it topple on my head?
Who knows, this time tomorrow I may be, untimely, dead!

My imagination pictures every peril known to man,
The world is full of obstacles and I'm an also-ran.
Life is full of trip-wires bound to trip up the unwary.
Let's face it! Life is very, very, very, very, scary!

But an optimistic pessimist (or should that be reversed?)
Who has struggled through each fearful day, escaping from the worst,
Earns a reward at bedtime.Then I snuggle in my bed,
Rejoicing that I've not been maimed! I'm not the least bit dead!

Then my spirit soars ecstatically to think I have survived!
That I've travelled through the mine-field and in one piece I've arrived.
I've looked Death in the eye and Death has cowered at my gaze.
I feel that 'Blessed of the Gods' is not an idle phrase.

I purr with my complacency, and my self-satisfaction.
Suddenly the coming day becomes the main attraction.
I pull the covers round me and I'm smiling as I say.
"I can't wait for tomorrow! Another lovely day!'

12 comments:

Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess said...

Did you write this one? Thanks for stopping by my blog!! I always LOVE love LOVE new visitors!! You have a lovely blog!! How long have you been in the blogging world? Mine is coming up on 3 years in August..I think anyway!!
We are both grandmothers...That is something we have in common right away!! I have 7...
Well take care and come back again
Blessings, Sandy

Clippy Mat said...

hi brenda:
thanks for stopping by my blog and for leaving your kind comments. i look forward to getting to know you better in reading your blog.
we have some things in common one of which is newcastle; yours in australia and mine in the uk. we are both educators and grandmothers too.
my husband lived and worked in south africa for a while, my best friends went to live there in the 70's too and we almost picked to go there in 81/82 but canada came up and we felt it was safer.
i love your rhymes and i'll be back to read more.
ex-pat
pat aka clippy :-)

Katman said...

Hi Rinkly Rimes

What an absolutely fantastic poem!it brought a smile to my face because it's exactly how I think my mum views things - and she's younger than you!!!

i haven't looked through your blog wholly yet, but i'll be back to take a good gander later.

congrats on a top blog!

Rinkly Rimes said...

What a fantastic response! I searched for what I hoped were 'like minds' and I found them! In response to your queries, I've been Blogging for two weeks and I'm hooked; all the poems are original. Amateur painters hang their pictures on the wall; amateur poets Blog!!!!
Brenda

Kat said...

My limit is two glasses of wine... couldn't resist today the temptation of reading the...

third-poem-wine
of thine.

(Brendaaaaa.... it rhymed, it rhymed..!!! :-))))

Loved the finale... ""I can't wait for tomorrow! Another lovely day!'"

jfb57 said...

What a brilliant poem especially reading it first thing in the morning! Very clever writing!

Susan Anderson said...

What fun! Great job.

=)

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

clever...very very clever!

Unknown said...

I had so much fun reading this! You gave me something wonderful to read.

from my wicked ways to turning a phrase said...

awesome poem as always thanks for sharing.-T

Jenny said...

This was OUTSTANDING!

It reminds me a little bit of that song...'Isn't it ironic, dontcha think?'

Sometimes I say I am optimistically pessimistic and my husband rolls his eyes at me. I'm sending him a link to your poem so he'll know it's not such a strange idea - ha!

I really enjoyed this.

Thanks for sharing.

A+

Maxwell Mead Williams Robinson Barry said...

fun word play.