“How Are You?”
a poem by Patricia Cummings, Sept. 24, 2009
A simple question – “How are you?” -
Do we really want to know?
“Fine, thank you,” – that will do
and will avoid recited woes.
The older we become
with ease we do succumb
to complain away the livelong day
all the ailments we can portray.
“My head it aches; my heart it breaks;
My knees don’t work; I’ll go beserk!
My legs are stiff, I’ve lost my grip,
Hanging on by a thread; I’ll take to my bed.”
“How are you?” “Doing fine,
knitting booties, making chimes,
singing songs no one will hear,
Hoping for a better year.”
“How are you?” Who wants to know?
Do you care? Life’s a bear!”
“How are you?” “I’m just dandy,
but please keep the Kleenex handy!”
Life’s a play that’s never the same.
The rules keep changing in mid-game,
We hurry here and hasten there,
seemingly, without a care.
The question comes, “How are you?”
We pause and ponder what is true,
Then, lying, go along our way.
“I am fine. How are you?”
Related file: Seventeenth Century Nun’s Prayer
