A Poem inspired by a book, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow written by Gabrielle Zevin and many book reviewers.
My favorite review is by Maureen Corrigan (NPR, Fresh Air) https://www.npr.org/2022/07/28/1114196664/video-game-novel-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-gabrielle-zevin
By Alice Carroll
Hey Mom, Have some fun today
Let go of our worries and chill away
It’s a matter of retraining our brains
Getting our minds to look through different frames.
Breathe deeply and regularly
Don’t agree to do anything, with a committee, especially.
Indulge. Let your mind go blank.
Be mindless not mindful. Don’t think of bills or go to the bank.
Retrain the brain to think nothing at all.
If your brain can’t chill give me a call.
Chorus.
A carefree day is a mental health day
Achieving that glorious feeling of euphoria.
Retrain the brain. Retrain the brain.
Amen sister play video games
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Play video games for hours till euphoria sets in.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t win.
Just set replay and it will be a new day.
You get as many lives needed to dragon slay.
The boredom you feel is what gamers call happiness,
until they get hungry or have to piss,
The mom woke up to a new day,
No dragons to slay,
Reality set in.
To do mom duties, her brain had to be re-retrained.
Pay bills, feed children, and clean house are all on the mom-brain.
Chorus.
A carefree day is a mental health day
Achieving that glorious feeling of euphoria.
Retrain the brain. Retrain the brain.
Amen sister play video games
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Loved this the I heard it at the open mic, we all need a little escapism now and again but coming back to reality can be bumpy. A great poem Alice thank you.
No offense was meant to social workers and psychologists who are heavily promoting mindfulness now. The dig at "committees" was a tribute to my husband, who was exasperated at how much work I put into committees..
Your poem is so beautiful and useful, we all need “retrain the brain” to recharge us and to be able to restart with new energy! My method is dancing, play guitar and also meet all you , poets !
A 'brilliant', exhilarating poem, Alice. Love it! 😀