Welcome the to first Muse for Monday since Mantra’s makeover! Many thanks to the wonderfully talented Lizzie of Running Naked with Scissors for Mantra’s new look. You will be seeing quite a few incarnations and moods for our little inspirational pixie.
Tonight, Mantra’s is giving us a look into a place we have all been at least once: Late. For some of us, tardiness is a way of life. Some of us are painfully punctual. Both groups fall prey to this sort of lateness at least once in our lives.
Have you ever completely forgotten something which was desperately important to someone else? Realized ten minutes before you were supposed to be somewhere on the other side of town you were not dressed for the occasion and would have to go home to change? Or wear your credit card out to change in a fitting room?
Have you ever missed it entirely?
You’re Late is quite an accusatory title, even for a poem. Shall we take a look at who is late and what happens?
You’re Late
Your lids are heavy.
The tired is to the bone.
Life is making you weary.
You come through the door.
An obligatory smile.
Giving the least- nothing more.
You wave off an advance
And head for the shower.
“Did you remember the dance?”
Stopped dead in your tracks
With your chin dropped to your chest,
You look down at wrinkled slacks.
A peek at your watch says eight.
How am I going to make up
For forgetting and being late?
Open up the bedroom door.
On the bed is your favorite shirt.
Your slippers are on the floor.
There’s no way I can wear that!
You don’t hear the door open.
But your bum feels a love pat.
“You didn’t think we’d go late?
Or do you want to get dressed
In those to face heads of state?”
You didn’t expect the snort,
But that’s all right, you see –
Mate is an affable sort.
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Did you go into this poem forgetting who Mantra is? What was your initial reaction to the last stanza? Have you ever been the one who was late? Have you ever been Mate? What do you think of Mantra’s new look?
To be fair, this is Mantra’s main incarnation. Her more playful one will be revealed later. As was the way with the green vector fairy and the fantasy art which were Mantra’s incarnations before, her mood will be revealed in advance if you are one who likes to notice such things.
Let’s hear it for Lizzie for her rendition of Mantra. I know I love her new looks and hope you will enjoy discovering them over the next few weeks. (Yes, there are many!)
MJ Logan
/ August 13, 2012I absolutely hate to be late. I can’t stand it. I hate it when others are late.
And too often, I am the guilty one. But I hate it. Life never gives me enough time for anything.
MJ Logan recently posted..Merry Go Round
Red
/ August 13, 2012Do we need to have some more time management posts?
MJ Logan
/ August 15, 2012What we need is for Mike to make fewer commitments to fewer people and not feel guilty for not overextending himself.
Of course, that would go against the work-a-holic don’t stop til you drop thing.
Which if I recall correctly, was another post somewhere along this space-time continuum.
MJ
MJ Logan recently posted..Merry Go Round
Red
/ August 16, 2012LOL! That was a good series 😉
Bearman
/ August 13, 2012If you are on time…you are late in my book.
Bearman recently posted..Romney Picks the Other Paul
Red
/ August 13, 2012I only think that if I am paying you.
John McDevitt
/ August 13, 2012I like the last stanza. McD under the influence of codine (greatest cough [and thought] suppressant known) isn’t sure who is liking and making comments these days. LMAO
Red
/ August 13, 2012LOL! At least the hard drive is not dangerous to operate! *giggles* I am so very excited to see you tonight, McD…you have been missed.
Gloria Faye Brown Bates
/ August 13, 2012I’m the early bird….
Gloria Faye Brown Bates recently posted..I Wonder … Why?
Red
/ August 13, 2012There are quite a few in the bunch tonight who are just that, Gloria. Really good company for you. xxx
BuddhaKat
/ August 13, 2012HURRRRAAAAYYYYYY Lizzie!!! I can’t wait to see them all as well!!!
I have spent way too much time, in my life worrying about being late, when I knew how unimportant was the meeting, or such… that said, I commit, I am most always able to honor the timimg, because I have respect for the others’ needs to manage their time too.
Very nice that Mate is of an affable nature!!!
hugggzzzz
🙂
BuddhaKat recently posted..David Rakoff… RIP
Red
/ August 13, 2012I do not gauge my punctuality on whether or not where I am headed is important because it is important to someone…even if it is not me. I am fashionably late and make no apologies for it. I stopped punching the clock for others and am enjoying my retirement. I will be there when you see me and not one moment before 😉 {HUGZ} Red. xxx
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012I used to be late “constantly” but it’s only because I’m a bit scattered at times. I mean, I never did it intentionally and I was forgiven because at the time I really never meant to be, it always worked out that way.
One day, I realized how I’d feel bad about it and then how much stress it caused me and others of course and I thought… No, barring an emergency or something like that, I don’t want to do that and inconvenience someone else or whatever? I mean things happen, of course they do… however I’m much, much better about time. The clock has officially become my friend. 🙂
And my Garmin 🙂 which is a big help. LOL! 🙂
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
Red
/ August 13, 2012ROFL! That sounds like Bear. He relies on his whateverthatthingis. I have an innate sense of direction. When all else fails, I have Google Maps on my tele. I still read maps. 😉
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012hahaha! 🙂 I am geographically illiterate. Every time I used to visit a friend in Staten Island I would get lost coming home. You simply “cannot” get out the same way you go in … I was very happy to see that it wasn’t completely my lack of direction.
We like BEAR! hahaha! A map? What’s that? Squiggly lines n’ stuff right? (giggle)
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
Red
/ August 13, 2012LOL! I have siblings who are so directionally challenged they could not find their way out of a paper bag with a map, flashlight and guide dog. Poor things 😉
Staten Island??? How do you possibly get lost getting off of Staten Island?
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012May I borrow their guide dog? 🙂 You know? Staten Island is a maze of one way streets and I never was familiar with the area at all because I never went often enough. So, when I’d go in I assumed I could leave the same way… it just wasn’t true. heheheh
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
Red
/ August 13, 2012LOL! OK, now I understand. One way streets are very simple if you ever learn one. Evens go east and west and odds go north and south. *grins and passes MC a leash*
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012yah see? that went in one ear and out the other about east and west and huh? LOL! It’s one of those things that are charming about me that one must accept. I laugh at me all the time about it.
Patience Grasshoppa 🙂
Then came the Garmin 🙂 YES!
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
The Heretic
/ August 13, 2012I freak the fuck out if I am late for anything, I pride myself on being on time or ahead of schedule. I become so paranoid it isn’t funny.
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012I don’t know you very well Heretic, I’ve seen you around but can I giggle a little at what you said? ONLY because… I can imagine you being this way and I would giggle if we were face to face while I tried to make you laugh 🙂
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
The Heretic
/ August 13, 2012No offense taken whatsoever. I would probably appreciate it, even if a bit of the apprehension from the paranoia was still eating at me. 🙂
The Heretic recently posted..Cleaned Out and Wiped Out
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012Okay then … in that case… 🙂 (heh)
“you’re late! you’re going to hell! what were you thinking!!!!! Oooooh but they wuv you and it’s okay 🙂 ” …
OMG! They see you walking in… Hey? Should we flip them the bird or what? 🙂
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
Red
/ August 13, 2012My dear, heaven does not want me and hell is afraid I would take over…
The Heretic
/ August 13, 2012Haha! 🙂
The Heretic recently posted..Cleaned Out and Wiped Out
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012Okay… I’ll watch 🙂
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
Red
/ August 13, 2012When I was working, I was late if I was not at least 15 minutes early. After I came to grips with the fact it often meant working off the clock, I moved toward punctual. I am retired now, and no longer interested in the clock…except when it is time for bed…for the kiddles.
The Heretic
/ August 13, 2012Someday, minus the kids for me. Not that I do not like kids, but after helping (and still helping to some degree) my parents raise my nephew I am kind of tapped.
The Heretic recently posted..Cleaned Out and Wiped Out
Red
/ August 13, 2012Even if you did not like children, you would not be an anomaly around here. There are a number of M3 Readers who are childless and have no compunction about it. There is life outside of procreation…not that I am a great example of it…I am just saying…
MJ Logan
/ August 15, 2012I worked at a place that insisted everyone be on time without fail. They set all the clocks five minutes fast so that if you really were on time, even a few minutes early, you were already late.
Drove. Me. Bananas.
I agreed to work one weekend by myself and on Sunday, I set all the clocks five minutes slow. By the time they realized it was messed up, everyone was already on the clock and changing it would cause too much trouble. It was more than a month before the clocks were reset and guess what, they set them at the correct time.
MJ Logan recently posted..Merry Go Round
Red
/ August 16, 2012I love it. I had a boss do that once. The operative word is once.
C. Brown
/ August 13, 2012If I’m not early I’m late.
But I could so relate to this feeling:
“Stopped dead in your tracks
With your chin dropped to your chest,”
Because I have forgotten something and ended up letting someone down. Horrible feeling.
C. Brown recently posted..From Earning to Entitlement
Red
/ August 13, 2012(See comment to Heretic.) I do not like letting anyone down…ever. I have learned to obligate myself in different ways to overcome those feelings and lessen the chance I will let anyone down. So great to see you tonight! xxx
Androgoth
/ August 13, 2012I like the whole new look Red, even your header looks fantastic and with your Green Fairy Mantra adding such an artistic feel it does have a fresher appeal that I like, mind you I liked your older header too but I know you are adding lots of changes here and this is good.
As for being late, well I guess we all have that problem from time to time and it is never an appropriate moment when it happens, we just have to go along with it and hope that the lateness isn’t going to be an issue, but lateness in general is always frowned upon so making good time is the only solution.
Always be prepared and don’t be late…
Actually…
Every time I call in here I am further behind, so being late has it’s issues even in blogland, we always wish to be on time to read our friends work, never wanting to miss anything but ultimately we can never be everywhere at once, leaning towards at least one of the lateness aspects that this posting is all about. Indeed sometimes we just cannot be on time for one reason or another and so we can only try harder the next time 🙂
I like your new look Red, yes I know that I already mentioned that but it’s really nice 🙂
Androgoth XXx
MysteryCoach
/ August 13, 2012HI ANDRO! 🙂
MysteryCoach recently posted..~ Sad Over * Giggles & OMG ~
Androgoth
/ August 14, 2012Hellooooo MC 🙂 😉
Androgoth XXx
Red
/ August 13, 2012Glad you like the rearranged furniture. I hope to have a few more of the pages done in the next few days. There are already a few new ones and some have gotten face lifts.
Tardiness is always frowned upon because it is so disrespectful. Someone is always standing around waiting on the tardy one, thinking how if the tardy one cared, it would have arrived on schedule.
As to the blogosphere, I am far more forgiving than most. We all have much to do, and in time allotted, many cannot come everywhere. I appreciate all who make time for M3. 😉
Binky
/ August 13, 2012I like to be 5 or 10 minutes early, depending on what it is. I do not like being late, or the last one. But in commenting, I’m often one of the last ones.
Binky recently posted..Dolly Mover
Red
/ August 13, 2012What I love about the blogosphere is you can show up months from now and comment and still get the exact same exuberant response from the blogger as you would have the day the post went live.
Alexandra Heep
/ August 13, 2012Even with my struggles, I have rarely been late in life. It’s a pet peeve of mine when others are.
I do have a grandly embarrassing story when I was really late for something that involved the police … alas I am struggling with a permanent headache and major exhaustion right now, but have deadlines. Will tell it later.
Alexandra Heep recently posted..Dog Days of Summer: What is Your Ideal Vacation?
Red
/ August 13, 2012Those of us who work on deadline have a tendency to be punctual for the work. I am not particularly punctual socially, but I eventually get there. Since I spend very little time as the guest of honor…it is fine not to be the first one to arrive. {HUGZ} for the relief of the headache and the making of your deadline. xxx