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Monday 6 April 2020

Poetry Monday: Things That Scare Us .... and Funnies for These "Interesting Times"

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ..... THINGS THAT SCARE US.

It that's not a timely topic, I don't know what is :)

Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, and me as we bravely go where others fear to tread.

You can leave your poem in the comments or post on your own blog. If you do the latter, please leave a comment so we can find  you and applaud. Use the topic or choose another if this one is too frightening. The objective is to have fun and use our brains.


Source:  icanhas.cheezburger.com





*****

Tell Me Something Good


The title today is a link to the Rufus and Chaka Khan song (written by Stevie Wonder.)

Things that really scare me?
My list is pretty long
You'd better make some coffee
You're going to need it strong

The usual things like illness
And losing both my minds
Certain snakes and spiders
And phobias of all kinds

Drowning, freezing, choking
Falling off the roof
Getting stung by jellyfish
Breaking off a tooth

Being trampled by a hippo
Being eaten by a bear
Or chased by thieving seagulls
Who want my choc eclair

And then there's lack of kittens
And shortage of root beer
And running out of good books
Oh! All these things I fear!

But topping off my list of fears
It would be truly vile
If, in this unforgiving world,
I lost the will to smile

*****

And so, here we go with some pandemic funnies. I hope it's not too soon. If it is, just look at the first photo instead and skip the rest.






*****








































*****

Stay strong, people. Tell me your fears, hopes, something good, or something funny. We will all be better for it.

Next week's topic will be ..... YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH .....

Good luck!








53 comments:

dinthebeast said...

Your poem is really good, and I love that song.

In my day to day life, the things I'm usually afraid of are getting somewhere that I can't walk because of stairs, steep grades, uneven surfaces etc. and falling down, and not having access to a bathroom when I have to pee.

Right now I'm kinda scared because Zsuzs said she's feeling sick and all that could mean.

Shelf isolation is practiced in this room on an hourly basis by Littlebeast, although sometimes Zsuzs' cat Squeaker meows at him from outside the window and he gets grumpy because he still doesn't get to go outside...
Does that still count as isolation?

-Doug in Sugar Pine

Bonnie said...

You wrote a great poem! And I always love the funnies. I think our pets are very happy with this current situation just to have us home with them all the time. Take care of yourself!

Elephant's Child said...

Smiling broadly at the funnies. A bit misty-eyed at the first and in total agreement with the second.
Losing my mind is the thing which scares me the most.

Anonymous said...

"Or chased by thieving seagulls
Who want my choc eclair"
Made me laugh and some clever cartoons too, especially the one about the dog chewing up the couch.

Cherie said...

Oh Jenny love, I really did chuckle at those photos. The poem was brill. Please stay safe and well. x

River said...

I love all the funnies. My hopes and fears? I hope this is all over sooner rather than later, I fear that it won't be so and we will be isolated until Christmas.

LL Cool Joe said...

I know I'm going to sound out of touch, but having been isolating for a 3 weeks my brain is turning to mush, what is a goggie?

Love your poem and the memes!

jenny_o said...

There are a lot of things to be afraid of when facing inaccessible places with a compromised body, aren't there? It adds to every single other stress. I am supposedly able-bodied, but as age creeps on it's less and less true. And having a tiny bladder has always been something that has held me back from doing certain things, to the point I feel disabled by it.

I so hope that Zsuzs is not sick with the new virus. That's a huge worry for everyone now (everyone with a brain) - having a housemate get sick. I've been trying to plan around that here, just in case. Please let us know how things go at your place.

Poor Littlebeast! I imagine he does feel isolated :)

jenny_o said...

It's a big change for some pets to have their humans home so much - I agree they're likely very happy about it! You take care, too, Bonnie.

jenny_o said...

Losing cognition is a scary thought, isn't it? Maybe not as bad if a person doesn't realize it, but so, so bad if they do. And I think most people do notice it, even if it's just at first. Thank you so much for reviewing and featuring Jemi's book on your blog. It looks to be a very good resource. Her advice is so full of kindness - I think every carer needs to have that kindness perspective and I know it's hard for me to find at times.

jenny_o said...

It's always interesting to know which lines strike a chord with a reader, Andrew - thanks for mentioning the ones that do that for you :)

We all need stuff to smile about, these days especially.

jenny_o said...

Glad to provide some smiles, Cherie! Although the memes are not my doing, I enjoy sharing what others have created :)

I do hope your husband is not too ill and that you are feeling better today. What a worry these days to be sick.

jenny_o said...

Me too, River. Me too. It's very scary.

jenny_o said...

Goggie = Doggie! Sorry, I forget that not everyone reads "lolspeak" (lolcats + speak), and yes, that's a real word coined on the cheezburger website! Most of the time I wish folks would just use regular English but sometimes lolspeak adds to the humour (in my opinion, anyway). Other times it's just over the top and too hard to read.

Hope you and your family are well, Joey.

jenny_o said...

Heather Espley has submitted a poem but there have been technical difficulties so I'm posting it in a comment for her. Welcome, Heather!

***

Writing

(with apologies to John Kander who wrote ‘Money’ for the film ‘Cabaret’)



Writing makes the world go around

The world go around, the world go around

Writing makes the world go around

It’s a human, silent sound.

Writing chases your worries away

It can make your day

As you think what to say

Writing invites your friend to play -

That human, silent sound

Can make the world go around.

……..

(writing, writing, so inviting,

Tantalising, energising,

Writing, writing, writing writing …)

……..

So think a little, sigh a little,

Try a little, start to scribble,

Smile a little, cry a little,

Die a little, grin a little,

Shout a little, laugh a little,

Write a little (WRITE a little!)

That joyous, uplifting, silent sound -

It makes the world go around!

============================


Best wishes
Heather Espley
(aka SpikesBestMate)

jenny_o said...

Thank you for joining in, Heather - such a great summary of what writing means to so many folks! I look forward to any future submissions you'd like to make :)

Chickens Consigliere said...

Love that poem, you out did yourself this time. And shelf isolation made me smile:-) so good to know I can still do that lol

jenny_o said...

Smiles are harder to find these days but we must keep trying, Chicken! Thanks for your kind praise and I hope you and your family are well.

The Happy Whisk said...

Jenny! Jenny! That was an EXCELLENT poem and the ending just pulled it all together. Truly made me smile. Well done.

e said...

I guess my blog post of a British dog liberally slinging a dirty word around wasn't enough?? Sending you a smile and a hug.

Charlotte (MotherOwl) said...

Oh, nice poem on writing! So good to see someone new trying their hand. I so hope yu try again soon, and that your computer troubel will soon be over.

Charlotte (MotherOwl) said...

What a lot of scaries and with a sense of humour ;) Your funnies are the best ... Shelf isolation, hehe.

Marie Smith said...

The thing I fear most now is going to the grocery store. After two and a half weeks inside, I knew I was virus free but went to the store this morning where I had to run the gauntlet with the new Covid measures in place. Scary in and of itself.

Janie Junebug said...

That's an extra good poem, my love. It might be your best yet. I'll take a look at my poems, but I don't think I can share any about the things that scare me. They are too scary.

Love,
Janie

messymimi said...

You've done the subject up well, and i very much enjoyed the funnies!

Joanne Noragon said...

Loved all the toons this week, but the first was THE best.

jenny_o said...

Thanks, Ivy - my goal is to make readers smile with me!

jenny_o said...

I don't care for the F word, e! But I'll gladly accept the smile and hug, and return them too :)

jenny_o said...

I love sharing the funny things I find. I just wish I was clever enough to make them up too :)

jenny_o said...

It IS scary, Marie. We have positive cases in our town now. I slink in and out of the grocery store as quickly as I can. Our stores have put a lot more measures in place - handwashing stations at the door, no gloves allowed inside, sanitized carts, one-way aisles, limited numbers in the stores, pack-your-own recycled bags, plexiglass barriers. I'm glad for us shoppers and also very glad the workers are getting more protections. Take care over there across the Strait, eh?

jenny_o said...

Thank you so much for your encouragement, Janie. I couldn't write at length about the things that REALLY scare me. It was too depressing!

jenny_o said...

Yay! I'm so glad, Mimi!

jenny_o said...

That was my favourite, too, Joanne! I smile every time I look at it. Hasn't worn off yet :)

Diane Stringam Tolley said...

This is wonderful!

Diane Stringam Tolley said...

I pray I never lose my smile! Laughed out loud at several of your funnies today!
The slap yourself one. And the 'fever'. And especially the centuries lived through!
I love coming here!

SpikesBestMate said...

Thank you, Charlotte. I'll have another go soon. I'm getting to grips with the computer hiccups slowly but surely.

Janie Junebug said...

I know what you mean. When I posted a few of my poems about scary things my readers were scared and thought I'd lost my mind.

jenny_o said...

I'm not equating our disabilities, just saying I understand somewhat!

jenny_o said...

Yay! Smiles are necessary :)

Mr. Shife said...

Great poem, jenny_o. I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite meme was the one with the cat paw and telling you to slap yourself with your hand. Good stuff. On an unrelated note, I have a question for you and I am not sure how to reach you besides your blog and I would prefer a little more privacy since you are a popular lady. My email is mshifley@gmail.com if you want to contact me. Thanks.

jenny_o said...

Just emailed you, Mr. S. Glad you liked the memes!

Diane Henders said...

I enjoyed your poem - very true indeed! (And if there's every a shortage of root beer, I'll happily hand over my allocation to you.)

I loved Wiley's preparation for social distancing - now there's a formidable reminder to back off! Thanks for the funnies - it's good to laugh in times like these.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I am sorry that I am late to your post, but it has been a difficult week for me. I loved your poem, and especially the last line. It is not that easy to smile lately, but we must find any and all ways to do so.

Fears, oh gosh, mine grow daily.

Martha said...

That was a great poem! By biggest fear is probably 'losing my mind' in my older years.

Loved all the funny stuff. We can use all the humour we can get these days.

Susan said...

I loved the poem, on target for these times. I'm late getting to it because my anxiety is refusing to let me sit still for 5 minutes and actually concentrate. I have my garden which is saving me. Hang in there good people. We are stronger than we think!

baili said...

Amazing poem dear Jenny

how beautifully you put all the fears together and said brilliantly :)

each seemed mine lol but last one oh this rule here either:)

it was perfect and magnificent poem indeed!

i am always stunned by your funnies selection ,they make me smile and sometimes laugh and yes they transform my day each time :)))

hope you are enjoying your indoor times dear Jenny ,you too stay well and healthy my dear friend!
yes we will be fine ,even better by the grace of Lord !
hugs!!!

jenny_o said...

I'm having a personal shortage of root beer at the moment, Diane - the grocery store we usually use stopped carrying it about a year ago, and I don't feel right going to other stores right now "just" for pop! I'm waiting until I have a more legit reason to shop at one of those stores . . . d'you think you could send me some through the internet or something?? lol

jenny_o said...

I'm sorry that things are extra difficult for you lately, Arleen - it's hard not to have a lot of fears right now. I think it's only natural. But I look forward to a time when we don't have to collectively hold our breath and worry about every aspect of life like we do now. Hang in there, my friend.

jenny_o said...

I saw a card once that made me laugh somewhat ruefully but I've never forgotten it so I guess the message was worth remembering - it was a birthday card and the message was: We'll be friends until we're old and senile - and then we'll be NEW friends!

Did that help? ... naw, didn't think so :)

jenny_o said...

Yes, I think we will all go through different stages in this process, just like grief. But we can do it, we just need to hang on as you said.

Anxiety, yes. There's good reason to have it, but it's the pits. Gardening is a wonderful occupation at such times. I hope you feel better over time.

jenny_o said...

Thank you, dear baili. I think we all share many of the same fears and this pandemic is one most of us are truly worried about together. I hope the world's peoples can work together to find treatments and a vaccine. I believe it will happen that way.

Stay well, my friend! Sending you hugs and good wishes.

The Happy Whisk said...

And let me tell you, I just came from your previous post and you do that well, make this reader, smile. Much, much thanks.

Diane Henders said...

LOL! I'm sending virtual root beer as hard as I can... ;-)