Sunday, January 22, 2012

Rat Race

Today’s picture, which I found on the internet, gives the appearance of motion in a still photo. It is an excellent example. Is it a real time photo done with a slow shutter speed or is it a “photo-opted” creation? Either way it brought out a poem in yours truly.

My first attempt was a literal poetic description of the scene. Thoughts of both the rodent and cat were used. The rat, for example, in the heat of the race, felt like “the rabbit at a greyhound racetrack.” The poem turned out to be a series of one-liners and was discarded.

The poem below reflects an implied meaning for the picture. Haven’t we all been exposed to the frazzled pace of today’s world?    Enjoy!!!!


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A slightly graying man sits quietly in a favorite chair
Through a rain-dropped window pane, he does stare
A deadly silence abounds in that dimly lighted space
He grasps for composure lost in the day’s hectic pace

He reflects on the day and the hand he’s been dealt
Tries to shrug off all the pain and sorrows he’s felt
Tomorrow’s another day, another dollar; so the saying goes
What’s in store for his future? Only the Almighty knows

He’ll always do his best traveling on life’s bumpy road
There’ll be no sitting around watching dreams erode
It's do or die, it's sink or swim, let’s keep up the pace
Of the never-ending challenge; the proverbial “rat race”

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Stuff:

A special welcome to the new readers that have joined us from the various countries around the world. I am impressed by your multi-lingual abilities. This past week I added a translator to the website (On the right side and toward the top of the page).

Since I'm studying French, I am aware of the limitations of the translators, but they can be helpful on occasion. I hope it proves useful.



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