Excellent: Cheerfully

Chilly winds blow winter in
And so, it’s hot tea
And suiting up warmly
Before setting out,

Getting dressed
Takes such a long time
That one hesitates to make the effort,
Except for essential errands.

Hence, when I prepared to grocery shop,
I rolled out my bundle buggy,
The one held together
By coat hanger wire and a metal ring,

This wreck that had been abandoned,
That I fixed up as best I could
And yet has carried many a heavy load,
Over these past seven plus years;

And out into
The icy breeze I ventured,
Scarf well wrapped
And hat and gloves pulled on tight

But a refreshing change
From the rains,
Earlier in the week,
For at least twas clear and dry,

Not a cloud overhead
And the streets practically empty,
As everyone who could be
Stayed in or drove somewhere else, I suppose,

Thus I had the city walks
Mostly to myself,
Even though I shopped downtown
But that was fine with me.

Excel: Practicing Right Effort

After a short interval
Of rest and relaxation,
It’s back to
My to-do list,

Which brings up
Much anxiety
And to this
I bring,

‘Breathing in,
I calm the body,
Breathing out
I calm the body’

And the distress vanishes,
At least temporarily
And on I go
To the next task,

Which although I dislike it
I continue to
Try to bring to it,
Right effort,

For, if this is all I have,
Then, I might as well
Practice enjoyment of it,
No matter what I think of it

And this practice,
Although it does not
Make circumstances better,
Creates good feelings around circumstances,

The situation
May not change
But I’m well prepared
In case it does,
Strengthening the mind as I go.

Exactly: Reflecting on Experience

Dismal weather
But undeterred
I go about
My chores,

Grateful
That everything works,
At least
For today,

Bluish moods come and go,
Thinking of death
And reflecting upon
The nature of things,

Seeing the inconstancy
Of experience
And how it all goes
In the end

But does it really?
Is there no return?
Does eternity exist?
Is immortality a possibility?

Or would I want that?
In this civilization of ours,
The way it is,
Maybe not,

The news reports of the past few days
And predictions of the future
Have not inspired confidence,
In the potential benefits of such an outcome;

I trust I need not enumerate
All that goes on
And which makes me wonder:
Does nature perhaps even smile
At the prospect of our departure?