“Cure your insanity, before it is too late,”
My Grandmother said to me one day,
Pointing at a man in the street, bend with age,
At a woman wheezing from excess weight,
“You will be old before your time and heavy with doubt,
If you wait too long to listen.
Look into yourself and find out who you are,
Find a reason for your existence.”
I looked at my mother, “Listen,” she said.
I looked at my father, “Truth,” he said.
In my Grandmother’s face I beheld the spark of youth,
Glittering eyes still full of wonder, skin smooth and dark,
Limbs still firm and sure, that I had so taken for granted,
She turned to me and smiling said:
“Cure your insanity and you may have a chance in this world
To do that which most believe they will achieve in the next,
Do not allow your youth to betray you,
It is but so temporary a thing, so transitory in nature,
That you will awaken one day and find it gone,
Lost like a memory, just out of reach,
Like a town to which you are traveling, but never arrive,
And you will forever be searching for that town called Youth
For the things it allowed you to do,
But which in your insanity you overlooked,
Cure yourself, before it is too late...”

~ Listen…
Free Verse Poem - Excerpt
By Annyash B. Arriffe

© 2010 Annyash760. All Rights Reserved.

One of the tv characters I like to watch, is Jack Bauer, because of his focus as well as his ability to read a situation and act accordingly.  For the most part, he can preempt the decisions and actions of his friends (?) and colleagues, and with his experience, a deep understanding of tactical maneuvers and of human behavior, he can often be one or two steps ahead of anyone who may try to get in his way, especially when he is in mission head-space, (which happens a lot). 

I like his, either help me, or get out of my way, attitude.  This understanding of human behavior also gives him an advantage when searching out his enemies. 

“Know thyself...”

Okay, this is a scripted television show and so the story lines can easily be manipulated to be in Jack Bauer’s favor at any given time.  However, it does teach us a few things.

Simply put, I suppose you could say that people are always going to do what people are going to do, and, that predictable people are definitely always going to behave predictably. 

Fortunately, or unfortunately (whichever way one prefers to see it) when someone is extremely predictable, it gives you an intriguing view point because you have the advantage of knowing in advance exactly how they will act, or react, in a given situation.  No surprises right, or at least, very few.

“I believe I can see the future, cause I repeat the same routine...”

Of course, the Bauer character has his own predictable moments most weeks––the gratuitous torture, i.e., smacking around, choking and shooting of suspects who are already in custody, are clear favorites.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is that, your daily routine might feel comfortable, but if it makes you totally predictable to everyone around you, then perhaps it’s worth some attention.

You may be on day six, or day thirty-two of an assignment, however, good or bad, it is always day one of your life…

~Annyash760

I sing on the stage
It’s what I do.
I play guitar in a band,
It’s what I do.
I flip burgers,
It’s what I do.
I write books,
It’s what I do.
I build skyscrapers,
It’s what I do.
I feed the homeless,
It’s what I do.
I care for the sick,
It’s what I do.
I dig big holes in the ground,
It’s what I do.
I make components for computers,
It’s what I do.
I invent new aromas,
It’s what I do.
I make toxic chemicals,
It’s what I do.
I paint on canvases,
It’s what I do.
I collect your trash,
It’s what I do.
I pick fruit from trees,
It’s what I do.
I dance on videos,
It’s what I do.
I create music for my fans,
It’s what I do.
I make furniture,
It’s what I do.
I give technical support
It’s what I do.
I sell handbags on the corner
It’s what I do.
I serve you at the checkout,
It’s what I do.
I groom your cats and dogs,
It’s what I do.
I give massages,
It’s what I do.
I wait tables,
It’s what I do.
I sell my body,
It’s what I do.
I put out fires,
It’s what I do.
I hold out my cap to collect coppers,
It’s what I do.
I fix your hair,
It’s what I do.
I design clothes
It’s what I do.
I sleep all day,
It’s what I do.
I work a printer,
It’s what I do.
I buy and sell stocks,
It’s what I do.
I arrest people,
It’s what I do.
I answer the phone,
It’s what I do.
I instruct my students
It’s what I do.
I make shoes,
It’s what I do.
I deliver your packages,
It’s what I do.
I fight wars,
It’s what I do.
I cook and clean,
It’s what I do.
I tow your car,
It’s what I do.
I raise children,
It’s what I do.
I hear your confession
It’s what I do.
I gossip about celebrities
It’s what I do.
But does anything I do make a difference?
Maybe the answer is up to you.

And so the question is… What do you do?

~ “It’s What I Do”
By Annyash760


© Annyash760. All Rights Reserved.

They’re sitting on the steps outside the church again,
The three, getting high and speaking in a language
That I can’t understand.
The words are there, but they don’t make sense,
No separation between vowel and consonant,
Syllables are blurred and slurred into a continuous drone,
Sometimes rising, sometimes falling,
But unknown in substance to my ears...

~ The Phantom Three
Free Verse Poem (excerpt)
by Annyash B. Arriffe

© 2010 Annyash760. All Rights Reserved.

Like… the memory of a huge raccoon sitting on the stoop outside a neighbor’s house, eating a subway sandwich!

Pumping out a batch of super-short fiction. You can check it out here.