Mortality

Regrets
     by R. Grieves

She lies there in lace
With a frown on her face
Trying to trace where she's been.

Her life is 'most over
And she's not walked in clover
Nor White Cliffs of Dover she's seen.

In quiet times she's haunted
By things that she wanted
And now feels taunted by them

She's let others decide
Then has had to abide,
Never to ride on a whim.

Now the chances are gone
And won't again dawn
As more regrets spawn in her head.

The message she's giving
Is to live while you're living
Avoiding misgivings when dead.

Uncertainty: Necessary in life and in fiction.

Nothing is certain, till life draws the curtain.
Changes in plans are the norm.
Goals are nice, but a throw of the dice
Can thwart the intentions you form.

Rewrites are a must; do them or bust
As new light on your info is shed.
If you're not retelling, you may be rebelling
Over changes you need make to the thread.

But in writing as in life, trouble is rife.
Roadblocks and hurdles appear.
Learn to adjust; to survive, it's a must.
You'll grow as you work through your fear.

And because you have earned every lesson you've learned
You life and your book are improved.
The wisdom of age has made you a sage
And your reader will likewise be moved.  

By the rimers of JMH.

Insomnia

What keeps you awake at night? Most often when I can't sleep, it's because I am unhappy with myself. It's lying there wishing I'd said or done something other than what I did in a particular situation. And replaying the danged scenario over and over in a million different ways, imagining a better outcome. All for naught, of course, except to keep me awake all night. I'm thankful that these sleepless nights are far less frequent than they used to be. Maybe I'm learning to count blessings instead.


INSOMNIA
by Janet Muirhead Hill

Sometimes when we cannot sleep

We lie there counting silly sheep

But usually we’re counting should’ves,

What-if-I-hads, and wish-I-would’ves.

Words we’ve spoken and those not said

Ruefully, we replay in our head.

Hindsight gives us such clear vision

That in our thoughts, we seek revision.

Yet life has no button to re-record

And deeds once done have their reward.

For better or worse when a thing is done

It can’t be rewritten for anyone.

The best we can do as we count regrets

Is to learn a lesson and pay our debts.