smart phones
Who is selling to you?
looking left and right
crossing pedestrians walk
past the restaurant
…
are not the problem
it is the way companies
are leveraging this product
to make us believe
we need to pay attention
to what they are saying
whether it’s the truth or not
just enough
How is your ideal state different from others?
after the ball game
spectators sit back and wait
for the fireworks
…
not too high
not too low
not too hot
not too cold
just enough
for us to enjoy
the moment
sprinkles on top
What hospitality are you providing?
swelling outwards
a whistle signals the next
cup of steeping tea
…
everybody appreciates
others who go
the extra mile
to make our experiences
more memorable and enjoyable
but is this hospitality
intentional or part of the job?
regardless of
What kind of work are you putting in?
latched onto the wall
the prince’s trust climbing rose
seeks the horizon
…
what ends up
revealing itself
on the other end
of a project
just know we should
feel good about
the work we put in
it doesn't matter
What opportunities are you taking?
bumper to bumper
a uniform line rushes
atop the ant hill
…
so much as
how many options
or choices we have
what sets us apart
is actually taking action
and committing to them
unless we enjoy looking
at the cards in our hand
in the band
What part are you playing?
hazy afternoon
a pair of smoke trees emerge
above the playground
…
everybody has
an instrument
and role to play
but unless we know
who is leading us
we can’t begin
playing our parts
the remedy
Are you listening to your body?
hearing fireworks
off the busiest highway
we turn off the alarm
…
is an experience
we all crave
yet when we consider
what kind of medicine
that makes us feel better
it really amounts to taking time
and listening to our body
double and triple
Are you checking your work?
red basting stitches
a rolling baseball slows down
under the chain fence
…
checking may not
change what we have
already done or set
but it can make us
save time from doing
extra work later on
in our projects
it comes from
How do you connect with the community?
clouds breaking away
perhaps the ocean resides
in a blueberry
…
seeing what it takes
to grow and harvest
farm to table
in order for us
to truly appreciate
and connect with the earth
we live on
lessons from
Who has taught you?
cascading rainbows
lifting up, lowering down
the garden sprinkler
…
money
mentors
media
nature
family
teach us
many things
sun shadows
How do you perceive time?
padded with concrete
just around the corner store
a smiling mural
…
on the sundial
gives us the time
and place of the day
but when we want
to slow things down
and enjoy the moment
what are we looking for?
think like
Are you open or narrow minded?
the japanese maple
dances along the window
decorating the house
…
an architect
a business
a chef
as each of these
jobs and titles
gives us a sense of
how they view the world
all these tools
What costs come from your devices?
crisp sunday morning
looking outside to witness
joggers and cellphones
…
were designed for us
to promote efficiency
to allow us more time
for a better quality of life
when in reality
they push more productivity
and us wanting more
it's important
Are you living in a home or hotel?
mountains and valleys
steam rolling off the blue shirt
from our hot iron
…
that we can differentiate
between a home
and a hotel
because one represents
our daily lives
while the other signals
a fiction we dream of
storage space
What is taking up your energy?
watering the lawn
a rainbow dances into
the sunburnt hedges
…
isn’t just a closet
containing our things
it is also the wasted space
we hold onto
on our laptops and phones
or even more prevalent
our minds