Friday, December 25, 2009

Slaughterhouse Christmas 2009

START TIME: 12:30 PM
END TIME: 2:40 PM
WORD COUNT: 350

'Twas the evening of Christmas
and the chaos died down
and the children were asleep
as we were all out of town.
The gifts had been opened,
The food was sublime,
then an E-mail reminded me
that it's Slaughterhouse time.
My deadline was upon me;
the topics may have been great,
but the mailbox that receives them
was back in my home state!
I was out on my own now,
and was missing my tools,
but I've sure set the precedent;
I can make my own rules.
The holiday chaos
has begun to subside,
I got dozens of emails
from friends far and wide
that suggested some topics
from heartfelt to obscure
and I laugh when I look back
at the topics du jour.
It was a crazed resolution
to keep my mind focused
some nights it wasn't easy,
more like eating a locust,
but I think that I learned
about the changes I needed
I'm preposterously grateful
that you took time to read it.
So as Christmas moves past us
here in snow, sleet and rain,
Thanks, I'll pass on the chance
to re-open a vein.
But if I've learned anything
in this trip around the sun,
Live this life like you're fearless,
because you only have one.
Push your body past exhaustion,
farther than it will go,
find the balance that suits you,
(Mine includes Veuve Clicquot.)
Tell more people you love them.
It may be your last chance.
You'll miss something amazing
if you just take one glance.
Tell the truth, eat more veggies,
Brush your teeth, say your prayers
And don't waste your time whining
Because nobody cares.
It's your life, you can change it
There's a million ways how
Go ahead, just get started
You know you've got right now!
Just relax, know you're human
You'll have setbacks and doubts
But your own intuition
Helps you figure it out.
So I close out this decade
From two time zones away,
And I'm under my word count
But I'm out of things to say,
It's a common dilemma
And I've no more advice
Particularly for those who've heard
All my old stories twice.
So good night and God bless us
Everyone, far and near
That's 350 words of blather.
G'night. See you next year.

No comments: