affirmed by the perilious gifts of life...

smiling through adversity

chucklng through tough travails

laughing when your boat is capsizing

strolling through a snow storm

striding past the forest fires


humour is the twin sibling of optimism

laughter helps maintain your seriousness

a light touch keeps the rock within smooth

been through death of loved ones
deprived of parents and siblings
been through incarceration and exile
survived heartaches and breakups
seen friends kill themselves in despair
and drown their pain in alcoholic stupor

and still i sleep soundly
still i wake up sans nightmare, minus cold sweats
fortunate that i bypassed stress induced ulcers
and transcended anxiety powered eating disorders

life is not a peach
for i carry the baggage of my tortured past
in my optimistic present
dennis brutus and his dictum of stubborn hope
has ensured that this baggage contains no demons

indeed my past has been a river, a gold mine
a fount for creative inspiration
my ordeals have formed the fabric of my tapestry
of interwoven tales of struggle and triumph

the thorny roads of my experiences
have inspired my poetry, my songs, my stories, my essays
i would not trade this rich life for anything safe
tapioca is not my favourite dessert
i like things zesty and feisty

the wealth of my existence is not locked up in a corporate bank account
it is embedded in all that forms and informs my daily connections
hey, i do not envy your life
and would never give up my own without a fight