Tag Archives: effort
Compensate
Compensate
“All or nothing” is a way
Of thinking that will lead
To nothing more than standing still
If you have just one speed
As years go by the damage will
Take toll on a few parts
But when a limb is lost, that’s when
The intensity starts
And heightened training on surviving
Limbs must then be done
If something is wrong with your arm
Your task is then to run
If knees are shot or ankles ache
Then get yourself a bench
Realize your arms still work
And can be used to clench
And lift and throw around dead weight
And get your life blood flowing
If atrophy attacks one part
Then others must be growing
Compensate, don’t sit and cry
About what doesn’t work
Don’t focus on injury
‘Cause healthy parts you’ll shirk
Warriors will find a way
To push themselves as far
Physically as they can go
No matter what does mar
They’ll run or walk with neck and back
And shoulder injuries
They’ll exercise their abs and chest
Despite their blown-out knees
They are aware of what remains
And let go of what’s gone
So that the healthy parts increase
In endurance and brawn
~Miro
Halfway
Halfway
Friends / acquaintances, sometimes
The line can become blurred
A friend is someone who does not
Travel only a third
Or no distance at all, a friend
Will meet you halfway there
A friend can bare half of the load
Because a friend does care
Acquaintances can not be bothered
So we’re forced to carry
Because they may be too busy
Lazy or just too wary
They might not want to trust again
So it’s left up to us
To make all calls, to send e-mails
To choose when we discuss
To plan, to set, to make sure that
All events are arranged
And if we only do our half
Then they become estranged
It’s why I am grateful to the
Handful of friends I know
Who see the two miles between us
And one mile they will go
They meet me in the middle and
It speaks about our bond
The willingness to not just take
But give, help, and respond
It urges me to ask more of
My would-be friends that I
Naively just accept as brother
Sister and ally
It urges me to shed the light
Of truth on “friends” who never
Give a thought, an effort, energy
Strain to endeavor
These aren’t “friends,” they’re just people
With whom we pass the time
Associates who aren’t involved
With our life’s constant climb
We can’t draw on them for our strength
Support, passion or grace
They’re not there right beside us as we
Battle, strive and chase
I’ve started asking more from others
Not full, simply half
I’ve made an effort to not go
Whole way on their behalf
And it has been enlightening
To learn just who can’t travel
Just as far as I’m willing
On the very same gravel
It has been hard to let them go
But for the few that do
Meet me in the middle, my
Respect now does accrue
And though it may scare you to ask
I urge you to request
Don’t do all the work yourself
Sometimes you have to test
Sometimes you have to see if they
Get the concept of “fair”
Of “balance,” “symmetry” and see
If distance they will share
Worry not for those who won’t
Budge when you’ve walked a mile
You did your part while they did not
Wave goodbye with a smile
And focus all your energy
On gratitude for those
Who meet you in the middle and
Watch how that friendship grows
~Miro
Same Old Same Old
Same Old Same Old
“Lately” I hear people say
“There aren’t many who go
The extra mile, try harder
Who want to learn and grow”
It’s the word “lately” that makes me
Laugh a Warrior’s laugh
There’s nothing recent about the
Urge to only give “half”
It’s not just in the past ten years
That people have tried less
It has been thousands of years that
They’ve chosen to regress
For those who’ve only recently
Noticed the downward spiral
Welcome to being awake
To selfishness gone viral
There are those who are new to this
And they will act so shocked
“I can’t believe! I can’t believe!”
They’ve talked and talked and talked
But Warriors know very well
On which world they do dwell
They aren’t surprised when ugliness
Sprouts from this same old hell
They aren’t surprised, they don’t act shocked
They aren’t appalled or mad
They don’t treat laziness or selfishness
As a new fad
It is as old as the hills, mountains
Rivers, lakes and seas
The selfish quest for comfort, luxury
Enjoyment, ease
The Warrior accepts what is
The same old same old same
And they do not cry out in anger
Or try to lay blame
What it is is what it is
And all that one can do
Is disagree with how things are
And not let it change you
Not let other’s laziness
Stop you from choosing to
Walk an extra mile when
Another beckons you
Not let other’s fear distract
From what needs to be done
Not let other’s threats dissuade
And make you turn and run
Same old selfish, thoughtless world
With many who are dense
Who are oblivious, ungrateful
And take great offense
Nothing new about it, folks
It’s been that way forever
And since the dawn of time, there’s been
Warriors who would never
Let such fearful, selfish, shabby
People influence
Their attitude, their emotions
Their mood or common sense
~Miro
A Declaration of War on Prostate Cancer & Mustaches
A Declaration of War on Prostate Cancer & Mustaches
One day someone decided
That prostate cancer was
A topic that needed awareness
So to make a buzz
This man declared, “To spread the word
I will grow a mustache!
And other men should do the same
So that we can raise cash
And get men to go to the doctor
To get an exam
Get those doctors to take fingers
And up your ass cram!”
This first man didn’t decide to
Do something physical
He didn’t tell other men to
Lift weights or push or pull
He didn’t beckon them to do
Ab crunches or leg squats
He didn’t urge them to leave their
Muscles sore and in knots
He didn’t even beckon them
To give up types of food
For just one month to raise awareness
So health won’t be screwed
Instead he chose an easy thing
Like hair under the nose
A joke, a “macho” ornament
That supposedly shows
“Awareness” and that these men care
About prostate cancer
This Warrior knew early on
It was a lazy answer
A half-hearted attempt that many
Men would soon follow
I’m not surprised that so many
Drank Kool-Aid and did swallow
When thinking of the cause, my mind
Goes to the man in bed
Lying in the hospital
Who will quite soon be dead
I think about how all his friends
Won’t come and visit him
Because his face is gaunt, his skin
Is pale and eyes are dim
I think about how unpleasant
It is to watch him die
How he does have so few a selfless
And caring ally
And think about all of the men
Who grow that “cookie duster”
Lying to themselves about
How it’s a “cancer buster”
In honor of the men who’ve died
And who are on death’s door
Because of prostate cancer I
Will hairy lip ignore
Instead I’ll cut out foods which harm
My health and I’ll work out
I’ll sweat and suffer for my health
And not just stubble sprout
I’ll fight as if I’m in a war
Against the cancer foe
While other men grow mustaches
And laugh and comb and crow
And no one will tell me that I
Should follow all the crowd
“Where’s your mustache?” they will ask
“Where’s your balls?” I say loud
As I form fists and beat upon
A chest that’s hard as rock
As I flex abdomen that makes
Both men and women gawk
As I show spoils of the war
I fight to be in shape
Despite not having a mustache
That over lip does drape
~Mustacheless Miro
You Know
You Know
“Tell me how to do it”
There are so many who ask
When they want help to overcome
Some scary, fearful task
To the people who have conquered
Lots of their own fears
The answers these trailblazers give
Is “blood and sweat and tears”
The question “How?” is asked because
The asker hopes to hear
An answer that will be easy
And quick and bring them cheer
They hope to hear a shortcut that
Has been eluding them
They’re hoping to discover that
Elusive hidden gem
That will deliver them from pain
From suffering and hurt
But deep down we all know those things
We simply can’t avert
You know all that you need to do
Stop hoping for a break
You know that it’s uncomfortble
And may cause you some ache
You know that it won’t be much fun
While you are doing it
You know that you cannot half-ass
And that it takes true grit
And biggest fact of all that many
Never seem to grasp:
You know that by the end after
You grunt and shake and gasp
That the toll that it takes does not
Last forever on you
It is replaced by something else
Because you gutted through
And that is courage, grace, resolve
And so much confidence
You know all that you need to do
So use your common sense
And stop asking all of the fighters
And warriors in hopes
That they will have a shortcut or
An easy way that copes
“THROUGH THE WALL!” they all will say
“NOT OVER OR AROUND!”
You know so stop asking and simply
Pound and pound and pound
~Miro
“Okay”
“Okay”
There was a simple sheep named Speck
Who was held firmly into check
By doctors, teachers, management
“Okay” Speck said wherever he went
He was told by the doctors that
He had something that made him fat
Some other experts said he had
A condition that made him sad
The teachers told him he did lack
The thing which provided the knack
Of learning and applying self
It sort of tied back to his health
The management said that they knew
Exactly what he could not do
“Okay” Speck said repeatedly
“Okay, okay” he would agree
‘Till one day he looked off to side
While doctor spoke and did misguide
And there, far off, a Warrior
And he did not seem to concur
He shook his head and said “Enough
You’ve listened to them huff and puff
It’s time that you stood on your own
And realize that you’re not prone
To every single thing they warn
It’s time that you did sternly scorn
The time has passed for just ‘Okay’
It’s time now that you said ‘NO WAY’”
Ole’ Speck the Sheep was taken back
He felt he was under attack
But Warrior gave a firm nod
And slowly, calmly, growled “Fraud”
He took a step towards all those
Who told ole’ Speck that all his woes
Were caused by things beyond control
He said “We always have control
But you prescribe the easy path
And try to protect from the wrath
Of discomfort, it’s not okay
You cannot save them from the fray”
And as he turned to walk away
To Speck he had one thing to say:
“When someone tells you that you can’t
It’s not okay, you should not grant
You should accept it’s up to you
Exactly how much you can do
It’s you that decides your bounds so
Get off your ass and off you go”
Ole’ Speck the Sheep stood and thought long
About the Warrior’s stern song
“It’s not okay” he softly said
The words did echo in his head
“It’s not okay” he said with gall
“It’s NOT okay” he told them all
“IT’S NOT OKAY” he told skeptics
“IT’S NOT OKAY!” and had conflicts
There were those who did call him wrong
Who doubted just how tough and strong
Ole’ Speck the Sheep actually was
But Speck said, “I don’t give a fuzz!”
And from that moment on Speck saw
That his opinion was the law
That only he knew just how far
That he could push and raise the bar
And all of them looked on surprised
And said “I hadn’t realized
How much that little sheep could do”
And that’s because only Speck knew
~Miro
Out of Touch
“A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often – just to save it from drying out completely.” ~Pam Brown
Out of Touch
I’ve always made an effort to
Keep in touch with my friends
But recently I did something
Which caused a massive cleanse
I do not have a message in
This poem that you’re reading
Rather just some facts I will
Describe and will be feeding
It’s up to you to decide on
The point of this here write
Now without further adieu
Let’s shed a little light
For all my life I had been one
To call, to write, to pop
But two years past I decided
For the most part, to stop
No longer would I hound people
To hang out and connect
I would do the bare minimum
And observe the effect
What I found was two years passed
And I no longer saw
Friends I’d had since the first grade
All of them did withdraw
I had plenty of friends within
The movie industry
For three years I helped run a fest
And put names on marquee
But when the festival was done
And I did not reach out
Most of them did not touch base
Contact, interact, shout
Just a few did drop a line
But more favors were asked
Politely I declined to be
Of one more favor tasked
My personal page on Facebook
Had grown three thousand strong
I posted, liked and chatted with
So many to prolong
The sense of being connected
But when my efforts stopped
Almost all activity
On my profile dropped
I started clearing out “friend list”
Of people who did not
Ever take the time to write
To chat or share a thought
It dwindled down from three thousand
To one hundred and fifty
Only people who remained
Where those I found quite nifty
People who inspired me
Who had passion and grace
People who made efforts and
I did not need to chase
Of the nearly three thousand
That I had just “unfriended”
Only two did notice that
Our connection had ended
These days I am quite content
To know which friends are true
And which were merely passing ships
That I have bid “adeiu”
Would the same be said for you
If you are one who tries
To keep connected to a crowd
Of many girls and guys?
What would happen if you just
Decided not to call
Which are fleeting friends and which
Are in for the long haul?
~Miro
Grind
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Grind
Too many look past
The sweat and the grind
Want the gold prize
But are idle inclined
Now I don’t claim
To be some dynamo
To tell you the truth
I’m feeling quite slow
From the aches and the pains
That are holding me back
But slow as I go
I don’t curb my attack
‘Cause it’s not about how
Fast you finish the race
In fact there’s no finish
It’s all in the chase
It’s running the road
That you know never ends
And pushing yourself
When it always extends
Accepting that there
Is no end in sight
Pushing on boldly
With all of your might
Not looking beside you
To see how the others
Compare with your pace
Or you with another’s
It’s about your potential
Finding your limit
And pushing it further
When you’d much rather quit
It’s about being spent
Completely tapped out
Then roaring with vigor
A primeval shout
“I’ll never give up
It’s not in my code
I’ll keep trudging on
Even though slowed”
Endurance and faith
Conviction and will
Awake in yourself
And in others, instill
And after a while
As others have sat
And you’ve ground your feet
Till they’re ragged and flat
They’ll marvel at all
That you have attained
From running the road
From not being chained
And they’ll want the same
And maybe they too
Will have the conviction
To follow it through
But remind them that it
Does come at a price
Before they lace up
Give this sound advice:
“There’s no end in sight
There won’t be a finish
The harder you grind
The more you diminish
It’s the warrior’s code
To give it your all
And when legs start to buckle
Well, then you can crawl
The goal is to always
Be moving forward
That is the prize
The grind will reward”
~Miro
Woe is Me
“Do not listen to those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious.” ~Og Mandino
Woe is Me
Allow me to use my soap box
To cry about my woes
I’d like to writhe in misery
And focus on my lows
I will express ingratitude
By focusing on times
That hurt, frustrated, caused me stress
The awful unjust crimes
Instead of thinking all about
The good things in my life
A father, mother, brothers, sisters
Nieces, nephew, wife
Employment when so many can’t
Get hired anywhere
Ability to walk when some
Are confined to wheelchair
Woe is me! Forget all that!
This is about my hurt!
Because I didn’t get the things
For which I did exert!
My fears about the things I’ll lose
My angst for selfish wants
My nightmares that I can’t let go
Of old forgotten haunts
I take the time to create this
And hope it will be read
Because I need someone to say
“Please feel better instead!”
And I will still not figure out
It won’t do any good
Until I stop my complaining
And do the thing I should
Because a write of angst does not
Inspire or empower
It helps not author or reader
To light their darkest hour
Perhaps some day I will attain
This universal fact:
That woe is NOT me, I am not
Damaged, broken or cracked
I have a well of strength within
Of love and grace and peace
But when I cry about myself
All of these virtues cease
Anyways, back to my tears
And bitter agony
My torture, torment, misery
My me and me and me
Let me know how much you care
By saying “It’s alright!”
“Hope that you feel better soon!”
And “Have a pleasant night!”
We’ll keep it up ‘till one of us
Sees that it goes nowhere
And recognizes there’s no point
To writings of despair
(In case you cannot detect my
Sarcasm in this write
I am not really suffering
From anguish or from plight
I am a warrior which means
When going does get tough
I do not cry, instead I say
“I haven’t had enough!
One more just like that and then
Another if you please!”
Think of this woeful poem
As just a little tease)
~Miro
