Stress
Life is a paradox of wax and wane,
stress comes to everyone,
like fires on the plain.
From the moment we burst,
from the womb to gulp air,
our thirst never ceases,
its stress always there.
Mothered and nurtured,
we don't seem to have a care.
We forget we cried out loud,
stressed those who were there.
The perils of childhood,
challenge us all.
Some take it better,
some take a fall.
The stress of the test,
many hurdles to cross.
Can leave us in shambles,
because of the loss.
We all can't be winners,
and winning has its cost.
Responsibility grows,
and it never ends,
for the winner or the lost.
The pressure of becoming,
adult and on our own.
Some take it in stride,
and some stay at home.
So many stress relievers,
we've tried them large and small.
Most of them create more stress,
or do nothing at all.
"Go ask Alice,
when she's 10 feet tall."
The pressure to succeed,
make something of our lives.
Can push us over the edge,
like a bad case of hives.
We've denied stress so long,
when it finally comes to roost.
We have no more adrenaline,
our systems have lost their boost.
And just when we've conquered,
all of our life's ills,
along comes stress sickness,
and all of its bills and pills.
And the stress continues onward,
with pain after pain.
A never-ending battle,
with more loss than gain.
Until the ultimate stress reliever,
dementia of the deceiver,
or in Alzheimer's grip's pleasure.
For those not so fortunate,
to have lost the feel of pain,
the ultimate stress reliever,
is welcome death we disdain.
Image © The Stress of Life
"Fires on the Plain" is a Japanese
classic film about a Japanese soldier
left on a island in Philippines
who resorts to eating "monkey meat"
(human flesh) rather than surrender.
It could also refer to the perennial
fires set by lightning on all the
grassy prairies like the Great Plains
of North America. Lyrics from White
Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane.
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Copyright 2015 © Ronald W. Hull
6/11/15
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