Monday, October 28, 2024

Keep Off The Grass

 
Marijuana leaf on black background.

"Marijuana Leaf" Bahamas AI art
©A. Derek Catalano
 
 

Keep Off the Grass

The signs say "Legal," and the lights shine green,
The world’s ablaze with a different sheen,
But pause a moment, before you fly,
There’s a greater, sweeter, natural high.

The grass beneath your feet, so soft, so green,
Whispers of a freedom yet unseen.
Not in the smoke, not in the flame,
But in the simple joys we often disclaim.

The First Temptation

They say it’s harmless, "Just take a toke,"
To ease the stress, to lift the yoke.
“Forget your worries, let them drift,”
But what of the gifts you let life shift?

For fleeting highs, for hazy dreams,
You may lose touch with deeper themes.
The laugh that bubbles from a friend’s embrace,
The sun that warms your upturned face.

A plant may grow, but so do you—
With heart and mind both vast and true.
Why settle for the smoke’s brief touch,
When life itself offers you so much?

A Natural High

Feel the wind as it combs your hair,
Hear the birds that sing in the open air.
The mountains rise, the rivers flow,
There’s so much more you can get to know.

The runner’s pulse, the dancer’s spin,
The thrill that rises from deep within.
No need to cloud your sharpest mind—
The greatest highs are those you find.

Dive deep into your own pure soul,
Taste the world’s nectar in a brimming bowl.
Feel music move your very core,
Let curiosity push you to explore.

What You Risk

For every moment the haze seems sweet,
Think of the losses you’ll discreetly meet.
What of your passion, your drive, your fire?
What of the dreams that will slowly tire?

Apathy creeps where ambition dies,
The sharpness fades from your eager eyes.
Potential blurred beneath the cloud,
The voice of your heart no longer loud.

The earth itself can make you high—
The touch of soil, the endless sky.
So, why trade life’s vibrant zest,
For a dull escape, for second best?

Beyond the Smoke

Look past the fumes, beyond the haze,
To clearer mornings, to brighter days.
Where focus sharpens, strength renews,
And every path is yours to choose.

The breath you take in fresh, clean air,
Is worth far more than you’re aware.
No crutch, no vice, no need to run,
When life itself is where the fun’s begun.

Explore the peaks you’ve yet to climb,
Seize your moments—this is your time.
Each step you take, so firm, so clear,
Will build a future you’ll hold dear.

Keep Off the Grass

So heed this whisper, quiet but bold—
The real treasures can’t be bought or sold.
The sky’s the limit, don’t aim too low,
There’s no need to dull your inner glow.

Feel the pulse of life in every beat,
In every stranger that you meet.
Let the world be your breath, your sight, your song,
For in this high, you can’t go wrong.

The signs say “Legal,” but remember, too—
The greatest gift is already in you.
So laugh, so love, so run, so free—
Keep off the grass, and just be.

 
©A. Derek Catalano/ChatGPT