Universal Chargers

Maybe, just maybe, technology has spoiled us
And, no, not in the way you may have thought
I’m thinking of when we all hopped on the USB bus
And managed to successfully get a standard port

This was great, well, for technology
A single thing to charge every device
But I think we owe an apology
For every human that tried to take this advice

Humans are weird
Our batteries are not replaceable triple A
We tend to make odd connections
And recharge in a very different way

Some recharge in nature
Others need the bustle of a city
A few can only ever charge alone
But don’t consider it a pity

Music is common to many
But even then, it’s a different tune
I know some who don’t have any
Still searching every mountain and dune

Exercise, food, even construction
Can build up the energy to recover
Yet too many now face an obstruction
Because they rejuvenate unlike any other

Convenience is great, but comes at a cost
Yet as life grows larger and larger
I think we are a richer society
If we make space for each type of charger 

Advice

I enjoy when friends ask me for advice
That they look at all my years
All my screws up and success
And feel, on balance, I might say something to help

It feels nice to be trusted in that way
Even if I feel it can be unearned
Sure, failure is the key to success
But I'm still a few failures away myself

I'll embrace it though
Give a caveat of "check with someone else too"
But I'll treasure their confidence
I'll do the best I can

What is my best? It's simply this.
It is just an ear to listen
A shoulder to lean on
And a reassurance that their hardship is real

Often it's not the words you say
It's that there is someone else to say things to them

Tales of the past

Let me tell you a tale we've all told in the past
Let me sing of a sail with a sign on the mast
I used to venture out into uncharted water
But I feel like I never got as far as I oughta

I used to love adventure, until I lost my energy
I used to love making friends until I found an enemy
We record our epics in empty white pages
More concerned with safety and 9-to-5 wages

We ain't bored of the bard we're just stuck in one place
We're not mourning our past we've just run out our race
Yet the itch to explore is still burning inside
The need to proceed in a world which is wide

Let me tell you a tale that I want to be true
That it's never too late to set sail someplace new
That the strength in our bones will remain through the years
That we're stronger than fright and we're stronger than fears

And it might be folly or foolish for folk in their fall
To have hope for a rope to re-find a new call
So before we all end telling tales in a bar
Let us take one more step to find out who we are

Not just roots

One thing I think we often forget, is that roots are not there to keep us in place
They’re there to help us grow.

They are not just strands to connect us to our past
They are the base from which we create
They are the nutrients that build new branches
They are foundation

Sometimes, we have to put some roots in bad places
And the root is just telling us not to grow in that direction!
Roots can be twisted and gnarled
And it can be very special when someone shares their hidden roots with us

My friend you are more than your roots
You are your bark and your branch
And your birds and your leaves
And your fruits, which give so much joy to others

Do not let your roots constrain what you can do
Be the grand tree you were always meant to be

***

Thanks to York Lit Review for the prompt of Roots