New Year's Resolutions. Happy New Year to my readers and listeners. Diaries and calendars are on sale now that the new year has burst out of the starting blocks and will soon gain speed. New Year's Resolutions are made this month. By the end of January, some people will have already broken their well-meaning intentions, a few won't even bother setting any goals for the year, and some will be slow out of the starting blocks and need another month or two before they get started. Others will have set their goals for the year and are competing in the race against time. I wrote this poem reflecting on how we humans run the race against time.

A Scribble in TimeTick-tock, tick-tock, time waits for no man

The relentless rhythm of the hands

As they walk their way around the clock

Day in, day out, they never tire of their work.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, humans, can only hope to find

A way to organise their mind

To sync what they do at work and leisure,

To fit in with the times, hourly chimes.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, I scribble my goals on a piece of paper

I sit curled up on my comfy lounge

A calendar and diary with art on the cover

With a pen and white-out stick ready in hand.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, determined to achieve my goals this year

I think as I scribble my plan onto the paper

I'll do this today, I'll do that tomorrow

I'll go here in September, and I'll go there in December.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. When I'm finished, I lean back and sit tall in my chair

With a smirk on my face, I say, "I've won the race

With the hands of time, I've silenced its chimes

My plan is sealed in whiteout and ink."

Tick-tock, tick-tock, at Christmas time, I know I will find

My diary, full of whiteout and scribbles in time

Confessions of frustration and of cause celebration

In my race to chase time to the finish line.

Beverley Joy © 2022 of Simply Story Poetry. All Rights Reserved.

Read or listen to my poems on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠and at ⁠⁠⁠⁠simplystorypoetry.com⁠⁠⁠I really appreciate you listening to my poem. Beverley Joy

The True Value of Free Gifts: Quality Time and Talents. As we enter this year's busy time of shopping for the perfect gifts for our friends and family, remember that, as well as giving physical gifts this Christmas, there are many gifts we can give that are free yet priceless. Time is one of those free but valuable gifts we can provide.

Ah, yes, but the saying says 'Money is time.' But is money the only way we can receive 'payment' for how we spend our time? Do we always have to receive 'payment' for our time?

Listen to other poems about giving titled "A Hug is Priceless" and "A Gift to Our Family."

This Featured Image shows the person sharing time. We can waste time with people, or we can give the gift of quality time, which requires skill. Quality time is only one of many skills and talents that we can share with others.

Poem: The Best Gift to Give is You

Give away that which you have plenty of

To others who are devoid of

To those in desperate need of

For you are the best gift you can offer.

If you have good health and strength

Love, joy, peace, and patience,

If you delight to encourage

Share these qualities with others.

Share your talent and experience

Don't hide them deep within

Learn the skills you need to know

To share your gifts with the world.

If you write, if you paint, if you sing

Then share a story through your gift

If you love to serve and help others

Then serve with a gracious attitude.

An unwritten book, a painting half-finished,

A song unsung and a cake unbaked,

Serving hands tied behind your back

Are of no value to anyone, nor even yourself.

To share our gifts will take time and effort,

Courage, focus and discipline

God gives us talents we must develop

And share with those waiting to receive.

Beverley Joy © 2021 of Simply Story Poetry. All Rights Rese

My poetry verses are available to purchase as print-on-demand gift ideas in my shop at beverleyjoy.redbubble.com.

Read or listen to my poems at ⁠⁠Simply Story Poetry⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Pinterest, ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠and at ⁠⁠simplystorypoetry.com⁠⁠.

May you enjoy this Christmas time with someone that you love and receive love in return. Beverley Joy.

Spending Christmas far away from family and friends. Many families and friends are separated at this special time of the year. We have to enjoy Christmas Day the best way we can when our family cannot get together.

I chose this Featured Image partly because of what is written on her coffee mug - 'Make today awesome.' To me, this image conveys the poem's message: her longing to be elsewhere and not alone, yet also her acceptance of the situation she is in and her resolve to enjoy the day as best she can.

Poem: Far Away for Christmas

It was Christmas away from home

Hot and humid as we drove to church

For the Christmas Day morning service

To celebrate the story of Christmas.

My daughter lived with me, so I wasn't alone

Once we got home, we prepped for lunch

We played carols to build the Christmas spirit

And opened the few gifts that were under the tree.

We called family members who lived far away

And chatted with them throughout the day

It felt strange, not being all together in one place

Our family split over a long distance.

We embraced our quiet solitude

Reflecting on our busy year

Moving away from our home city

Finding work and studying.

We spent Christmas Day in our new place

Work commitments over the following days

Kept us from flying or driving away

So, we enjoyed a simple Christmas lunch.

We ate leftovers with some family and friends

In the cool of the late afternoon

And reminisced over the past Christmas days

Hoping next year, we can travel to be with our family again.

Beverley Joy © 2019 of Simply Story Poetry. All Rights Reserved.

My poetry verses are available on print-on-demand gift ideas in my shop at beverleyjoy.redbubble.com.

Read or listen to my poems at ⁠⁠Simply Story Poetry⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Pinterest, ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠and at ⁠⁠simplystorypoetry.com⁠⁠.

Thank you for listening to my poem. Why not listen to my other poems about gift-giving titled: