Neither Frog nor Fish

April 13

Neither Frog nor Fish

I was falling and my Higher Power caught me in a net called AA, all of which was a pretty neat trick, but the strangest consequence of this is now I somehow think it shouldn’t be possible for me to drown.  Defying gravity 24 hours at a time doesn’t make me aquatic or even amphibious for that matter.  I still have all the corollary restrictions of anyone who is me.  I still need sleep and water, food and warmth just like a mere mortal.  How silly I am.  I dodge a bullet and suddenly I think I am waterproof.    

Don’t exchange your trinkets for your tools

*

WHAMMO

I have been hopping on one foot

With a ball of hope shoved under one arm

And a ball of hysteria under the other

I wish I could tell from the outside of the ball

Which one is hope- I worry I will put down the wrong one

So I hold onto both

My life is sorely limited by the baggage

And I fear I am losing life with every hop

A lack of information is my problem

I don't adequately know the properties of either

And suspect my every interpretation

Finally I stand before my sponsor

To ask the question of my life-  That's easy Honey

Hope is the one that bounces back

Is all she had to say

You are reading selections from More Sober on the Way to Sane and Lines From My Life by Sherrie Theriault

http://www.amazon.com/More-Sober-The-Way-Sane/dp/144141231X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374072329&sr=8-3&keywords=sober+on+the+way+to+sane

http://www.amazon.com/Lines-My-Life-Sherrie-Theriault/dp/1448652820/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374072576&sr=1-1&keywords=Lines+from+my+life%2C+Sherrie+theriault

Whammo

April 22

WHAMMO

I have been hopping on one foot with a ball of hope shoved under one arm and a ball of hysteria under the other.  I wish I could tell from the outside of the ball which is the hope.  I worry I will put down the wrong one, so I hold on to both.  My life is sorely limited by the baggage, and I fear I am losing life with every hop.  A lack of information is my problem.  I don’t adequately know the properties of either and suspect my every interpretation.  Finally, I stand before my sponsor to ask the question of my life.

“That’s easy, Honey.  Hope is the one that bounces back,” is all she has to say.

Give yourself credit in a currency that enriches your life.

*

Halloween

“Why does self-centered fear wear a costume

that looks so much like ‘other people’s opinion’?”

I asked my sponsor.

“For the same reason

that booze masquerades as ‘a good time.’

How would you ever fall into a pit

which used no pretense?

Naked ambition attracts far fewer devotees than addicts of

‘must make Mama and Daddy proud’

or the ‘doing better for my kids’ crowd.”

“Ambition is not all together bad!” I crow.

“Neither is fear in its proper scale,

but fear cloaks itself to seize more than its share of your life,

just like any parasite.

So take your spring tonic like a good kid

and keep the worms at bay.”

You are reading selections from Sober on the Way to Sane and More Lines From My Life by Sherrie Theriault

http://www.amazon.com/Sober-On-The-Way-Sane/dp/1440417342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388576888&sr=8-1&keywords=sober+on+the+way+to+sane

http://www.amazon.com/More-Lines-From-My-Life/dp/1448677203/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388576956&sr=8-1&keywords=More+Lines+From+My+Life

Neither Frog nor Fish

April 13

Neither Frog nor Fish

I was falling and my Higher Power caught me in a net called AA, all of which was a pretty neat trick, but the strangest consequence of this is now I somehow think it shouldn’t be possible for me to drown.  Defying gravity 24 hours at a time doesn’t make me aquatic or even amphibious for that matter.  I still have all the corollary restrictions of anyone who is me.  I still need sleep and water, food and warmth just like a mere mortal.  How silly I am.  I dodge a bullet and suddenly I think I am waterproof.    

Don’t exchange your trinkets for your tools

*

WHAMMO

I have been hopping on one foot

With a ball of hope shoved under one arm

And a ball of hysteria under the other

I wish I could tell from the outside of the ball

Which one is hope- I worry I will put down the wrong one

So I hold onto both

My life is sorely limited by the baggage

And I fear I am losing life with every hop

A lack of information is my problem

I don't adequately know the properties of either

And suspect my every interpretation

Finally I stand before my sponsor

To ask the question of my life-  That's easy Honey

Hope is the one that bounces back

Is all she had to say

Whammo

April 22

WHAMMO

I have been hopping on one foot with a ball of hope shoved under one arm and a ball of hysteria under the other. I wish I could tell from the outside of the ball which is the hope. I worry I will put down the wrong one, so I hold on to both. My life is sorely limited by the baggage, and I fear I am losing life with every hop. A lack of information is my problem. I don’t adequately know the properties of either and suspect my every interpretation. Finally, I stand before my sponsor to ask the question of my life.

“That’s easy, Honey. Hope is the one that bounces back,” is all she has to say.

Give yourself credit in a currency that enriches your life.

*

Halloween

“Why does self-centered fear wear a costume

that looks so much like ‘other people’s opinion’?”

I asked my sponsor.

“For the same reason

that booze masquerades as ‘a good time.’

How would you ever fall into a pit

which used no pretense?

Naked ambition attracts far fewer devotees than addicts of

‘must make Mama and Daddy proud’

or the ‘doing better for my kids’ crowd.”

“Ambition is not all together bad!” I crow.

“Neither is fear in its proper scale,

but fear cloaks itself to seize more than its share of your life,

just like any parasite.

So take your spring tonic like a good kid

and keep the worms at bay.”